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by vaell » Sun Jun 18, 2023 1:23 pm
xxxxxEMILIE HOFMANN.
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxthe chair of the council of economic advisors.
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indentsera's attitude struck emilie like a slap in the face. judging by the way she strutted over to the younger woman just moments ago, it was obvious she expected her appearance to evoke a bit more enthusiasm than what it did. she couldn't help but feel like sera was being intentionally noncommittal right now. emilie expected an answer cemented in some sort of resolve, not just some perfunctory and tepid 'yeah, i could possibly tag along.' she had to wonder; would that aforementioned colleague of sera's appear in her place come the day of the symposium? truth be told, she wouldn't be surprised if sera planned on leaving her high and dry altogether in a spiteful act of retaliation. she was probably only agreeing to join her at the symposium in an effort to avoid inviting any further scrutinization over the matter. though mere speculation on her own end, emilie couldn't help but grow a bit sour as she conjured baseless theories about the other woman's motivations. if the last few months have been any indicator at all, sera would be wise to know her capacity for acts of graciousness and warm regard had limits. she didn't take lightly to being dealt a blow to her ego and sera's lack of certitude in spite of her propitiative gesture was just that. emilie looked away from her, a rather stiff smile concealing her injury. "well, don't sound so eager now." she mumbled through her teeth sarcastically. evidently she was somewhat offended the younger woman wasn't jumping at the opportunity to spend time with her, or at-least enough to make her usual aplomb falter. maybe sera thought her approach brash. overweening as emilie can be, she seemed to go completely unaware that she might be at fault here rather than sera. so intimately tethered to her own constructed self-image, over the years emilie has developed a monstrously unchecked ego, though clearly a rather fragile one at that. her very subconscious is terrified of anything capable of challenging her ascendancy and perhaps that is why sera has always been such a force for emilie to weather. oftentimes fiercely obstinate and self-reliant, sera was no underling emilie could easily subjugate or domineer. in fact she was quick to learn the other woman had no reservations bringing her down a peg if she needed to, and though emilie didn't particularly appreciate her tenacity most of the time, it's actually managed to earn her the economist's implicit respect. what truly perturbed her though was the possibility sera might sense some sort of inadequacy swimming beneath the surface of her uncharitable façade. emilie often succumbs to feelings of inferiority and makes up for it in displays of staggering self-confidence, just like when she first greeted sera and benedict a few moments ago. it was all quite simple really. she begrudged the man's involvement in their situation to the point where she felt the need to assert her own dominance, perhaps as an insecure, emasculated effort to prove something to sera never mind being responsible for leaving her out in the cold the last few months. of course, sera was not one to grovel for the attention of another person herself, which meant she was just as quick to leave emilie alone when it grew clear she retreated into a pit of bitter indignation following the news of her engagement. wasn't sera just as guilty as she was, then, for letting what they had crumble apart? besides, emilie was not the one who consigned her soul away to the morgan family, for whatever frankly jejune reasons sera might try and speak of. it was abundantly clear to her that she was the one who got the short end of the stick here. did sera just think she could continue to have the best of both worlds, dabbling in puerile means to establish esteem in high society, all the while expecting emilie to be content sitting on the sidelines cheering her on, otherwise unaffected? if anything, emilie's prompt resentment toward sera should be considered warranted. she thought they had something though apparently sera had no qualms jeopardizing that, caving in to her family's bludgeoning over what advancements this strategic marriage might bestow upon the petschauer name. granted, the other woman may not have played a willing hand in the engagement herself, probably even vehemently rebelled against it, but clearly whatever efforts she made didn't seem to have much of an impact given her current circumstance. it might sound horribly insensitive to say, but could she not have done more, resisted elsehow? of course, as an outsider it was easy for emilie to pass judgement onto sera. if she were in her position she felt certain she would have done something different to have prevented this from transpiring at all. what, though? was sera truly as complicit as emilie felt she was? looking any further would mean having to reflect on her own actions in this ordeal, and thus far, making sera out to be the bad guy has certainly helped stave off her own culpability. emilie has always been averse to feelings rooted in remorse or contrition, and the bitter pill of self-reproach was not one she swallowed well. admitting to any wrongdoing would come at the expense of her inflated ego and she deemed that a non-negotiable exchange. that sort of vulnerability was something the economist routinely turned her nose up at in order to avoid feeling exposed or defenseless, especially when it came to those she thought highly of. in any case, if sera was expecting emilie to lay down her amour-propre then she was going to wind up sorely disappointed. the economist was not planning to grovel for forgiveness at her feet anytime soon, and even in the event sera forced an apology out of her, such would only be rife with mendacity and she doubted the other woman would react kindly to any insincerity coming from her lips. the way emilie saw it, offering the younger woman nothing but empty amends or disingenuous apologies in an effort to move on wasn't going to do much to help repair the fracturing of their relationship. besides, superficial concessions or halfhearted attempts at reconciliation seemed fruitless if she was only going to risk provoking sera's irascibility anyway. emilie may have been the one walling the other woman off from her life these last few months, but now she was offering her a chance to reenter the picture again. wasn't that worth anything? honestly, she didn't even realize how cruel it was to keep sera at bay for months only to reach out again as soon as it suited her. she only saw the effort she was trying to make in spite of their unpropitious predicament.
indentthe economist's gaze drew away from the sky parlor's gathering crowd when she heard the other woman speak up. defensiveness was fast to rise in her throat though the feeling just as quickly abated, thwarted by the words that came from sera's mouth. you are a bitter old crone, you know that? a momentary glint of amusement seemed to perforate emilie's otherwise stony expression. although she was routinely surprised by how effortlessly sera could appeal to her, the corner of her mouth lifted in subtle challenge all the same. the light-hearted nature of sera's comment invited some semblance of normalcy into their conversation, and for a fleeting moment it seemed hard to believe she ever wanted to wedge any sort of distance between them at all. in fact, emilie found herself willingly leaning in to the other woman's badinage, familiar as it were. "oh please. you know how pedestrian these things can be." she was quick to shrug sera's clever observation off. as a former doctoral student herself she used to think the world of attending every upcoming symposia in her itinerary, but just as the other woman pointed out, she has become rather blasé over the last couple of years. emilie couldn't much help but arch a brow at her, regarding sera with a certain wariness. although she looked at the other woman like she were truly leery of her, she was only trying to take a stab at being jocular in return. "between us though, i hope you know this was all off the record? i didn't invite you to the symposium only to have you whisper naughty things about me in my grad students ear." she reminded her pointedly, though her tone came off as teasing. you'd probably like that though, wouldn't you? truth be told, the upcoming research colloquium should indeed be considered an exciting affair. the very field of economic sciences has grown exponentially since emilie first established herself as a researcher. academia has advanced well past the point of reestablishing fundamental theorems, policy instruments or economic models known to belong to the pre-war era of society, and with the talent wielded by the current generation of conclave scientists, new conceptualizations brought about a promising outlook for the future of their country. of course, deviation from pre-war mainstream economics have brought keynesian and classical thinkers to something of an impasse these days. locked in disagreement over whether or not government intervention should be used to correct business cycles, keynesianism and classical economics have always been considered the two main competing theories for current economic contractions. these major schools of thought prevailed after the nukes dropped and developed into the predominant philosophies seen in economic theory today while a number of other influential approaches from the past simply lost merit altogether and fell out of favor, essentially going defunct. emilie herself spent the first half of her career cementing the concept of nominal rigidity of wages, a theory once proposed by the influential pre-war economist john maynard keynes. in the framework of their existing economy, her contributions to reviving macroeconomic theory proved to have tremendous implication. the concept of price stickiness ─ a topic she has been continually recognized and awarded for reforming ─ historically described the resistance of market prices to quick changes. normally, wages are bound to adjust in real-time with the market and lead to relatively constant levels of economic equilibrium, though in the event of a disruption, proportionate wage reductions and limited job losses are predicted to occur. however, with stickiness considered, wages are thought to be more inclined to remain where they are, with firms likely to trim employment. despite having faced classical economists who doubted the robustness of her propositions, stickiness has indeed proven viable in explaining why markets might not reach equilibrium in the short run or even possibly the long run. as such, her revision of nominal rigidity has become a rather important concept in the foundations of modern macroeconomics. she's postulated a number of reasons as to why wages are sticky in their current economy. workers are more willing to accept pay raises than they are cuts; a lot of established companies don't want to face bad press in association with wage cuts. either way, when worker's earnings don't adjust quickly to changes in labor market conditions, the economy is especially slow to recover from any sort of prolonged downturn in economic activity.
indentover the course of these last few months, an insidious decline in corporate profits, consumer spending and asset prices have kept conclave analysts on the lookout for the onset of a bear market, a phenomena characterized by lowered investor optimism in either the stock, bond, real estate, currency or commodity markets. many security experts are taking advantage of the upward and downward trends of market movement right now because they have been known to coincide with the economic cycle, that being the expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. emilie could cautiously assert that the economy is in a rather tentative ─ if not entirely vulnerable ─ state of economic expansion. she attributed the recent fall of stock prices predominantly to public sentiment about the country's future economic conditions, and with that sort of speculation or psychological effect at play in markets it can be difficult to predict the rise of a bear market. oftentimes though the stock market itself will decline before broader economic measures even get the chance to and with stock prices beginning to drop these days, reflecting a dubious production economy, stagnant employment and weakening rates of gross domestic product, she wagered a bear market could easily set in before any actual economic contraction may take hold. taking into consideration the conclave's preceding periods of economic and market growth though, the economy should be verging on something of a boom rather than a bust, but historically speaking their economic situation has always been notoriously difficult to analyze, predict and interpret even with what advancements they have made as a society. as would be noted in the upcoming annual report of the council of economic advisors, the economy took a few considerable hits last year, rife not only with rough patches of weak productivity but also lowered business profit, both of which led to negative turns in investor and consumer sentiment. of course, when major companies and consumers grew anxious over the state of the economy at the time, she could recall matters only worsened for many were quick to hold on to their money or cut spending altogether. urgency and fear can be enough to motivate people to protect downside losses, though such herd behavior only prolongs depressed asset prices in the long run. with waning growth prospects and dashed expectations reflected in declining stock prices, investor confidence plummeted and many opted to sell off shares to avoid potential loses. as such lots of businesses had no choice but to reallocate their resources, limit their losses, lay off employees, and scale back production altogether during the periods of intensifying economic downturn that year. the conclave may only have a sluggish economy right now, but like the previous year of economic activity suggested, political crises, wars, drastic paradigm shifts in the economy, and even certain government intervention have proved enough to threaten their precarious market bubble. ongoing nonroutine events ─ military campaigns in the northern commonwealth, armed conflict concerning bandits hoards or factions such as the odawa syndicate or wulfgang spurning the conclave's system of law, or even the power struggles over the morgan dam ─ can have a substantial impact on energy and commodity prices, volatile enough to derail even the most favorable of economic conditions. as of right now these financial, psychological, military, and economic conflicts of interest have only fueled inflation in the current economy and unfortunately that meant emilie could see a probable window of recession in the forecast. as a result, the federal reserve and central banks have been actively combatting inflation by aggressively raising interest rates to achieve a target number for inflation hovering closer to two percent. raising short-term interest rates might enable them to avoid a problematic economic situation but even intervening in such a manner could risk landing the economy into a recession without the need for external interference. right now, all they could do is hope for a soft landing, a state where interest rates could reach a level capable of bringing down inflation and circumventing the likelihood of a recession. while it may seem baffling to raise rates with a recession in the forecast, the nation needed to keep employment growth strong and continue to aim for full employment all the same. implementing such a policy may hinder their current economic growth and employment rates for the time being but in the long run she deemed it necessary they take rein of the climbing rates of inflation as soon as possible. measured by gross domestic product, unemployment rate, wage growth and other market indicators, recessions are marked by a trend of slowing business and consumer activity. emilie suspected it would take two consecutive quarters of gross domestic producing decreasing and unemployment rates increasing to truly regard their situation as a recession anyway. though certainly dismal in nature, entering a recession is considered a normal part of the overall business cycle. nonetheless, even if they narrowly managed to avoid an upcoming recession, slower growth would indefinitely lie ahead for the conclave. downward trends would turn their economic activity negative for a certain period of time and yet only one true question seemed to matter to citizens of the capital, investors, economists and financial experts; how long might a prospective recession last?
indentthe conclave's episodic military pursuits have always been a large determinant in the functioning of the post-war economy, fueling a rather vicious cycle of upswings and downswings in markets throughout the last few years. although military efforts can boost domestic demand, the expenses associated with war pose a considerable opportunity cost. rather than committing money to improving education or health care, funds are typically poured into mass weaponry and munitions production or rebuilding damaged infrastructure. with the government continually investing in new technology, war can certainly increase the rate of innovation or perhaps even lead to full employment or higher economic growth all around, but all of these benefits can be easily achieved without war. taking into account the opportunity cost associated with military spending, the human cost of lost lives, and the cost of restoring damage costs, financing war can easily lead to rapid rises in public sector debt. as such, emilie has always been quick to question the common assumption that war is good for business, presumably on the basis that war increases employment and production. though inherently unavoidable, war and other forms of armed conflict pose as major impediments to the economic development of their country. of course, to achieve a stable economic state where armed conflict is not a frequent occurrence, she does see it as imperative that the conclave assert dominance over competing factions found in the wasteland. the very concept is something of a tradeoff; short-term instability for what might one day be long-term economic growth. in the conclave the cost of war is often masked by national income accounting, the government's form of a bookkeeping system that indicates the health of an economy and its projected growth. lives lost as well as the destruction of both physical and human capital are typically not taken into account in the national income. additionally, the resources devoted to war efforts are often treated as final goods or services rather than costs of production. generally speaking, gross domestic product will decline in response to lower labor and factor productivity, which during times of military action can be attributed to the destruction of preexisting physical and human capital as well as the lack of investments going into new physical and human capital. economies not directly affected by armed conflict can theoretically benefit from war, but only due to heightened industrial production to satisfy the military needs of those engaged in battle, or because armed conflicts spur onward the development of new technology. regardless of whether or not war may benefit or harm the economy though, emilie has noted several trends in relationship to the conclave economy. prior to instances of major armed conflict erupting, increases in the likelihood of war have been observed to coincide to a decrease in stock prices, whereas the subsequent outbreak of military action has been noted to increase them. on the contrary, when a war breaks out without warning, this has been seen to lead to a prompt decrease in stock prices. right now there is no widely accepted explanation as to why stocks increase when war occurs after a prelude. nonetheless, downturns in the economy are impossible to avoid and throughout the years periods of economic uncertainty have been handled accordingly. as expected, new movements for economic policymaking have become imperative to constructing a system that can stabilize the economy's fluctuating responses to economic shocks such as military endeavors. close to four years ago the macroeconomic framework of post-war economics entered a new epoch, dubbed 'the keynesian synthesis era'. a theoretical reform intended to address the economy's most critical weaknesses, emilie and dr. johanna audretsch, now the current secretary of the treasury, have become the faces of this new wave of economics. as such, macroeconomic theory in particular has entered a new period where keynesianism has merit as a possible basis for economic policy for the nation as a whole. though johanna possesses a few years of seniority over emilie their correspondence in the field of economy seemed inevitable given their similar theoretical ideologies. despite having become professor emeritus since assuming office, emilie knew the older woman since she was chair of the federal reserve, all the while holding an assistant professorship position at the washington institute's department of economic sciences. over the last few years the two women's research ventures have become intimately intertwined with one another. right now they both serve as senior-level editors and founding editors-in-chief for two academic journals in the world of economy where they have established themselves of vocal proponents of the keynesian synthesis era. this new wave of macroeconomics has led to the surge of various models becoming established, each differing in economic structure, methodology, parameter estimates, and increased efforts to better understand the causes of nation-wide financial crisis and recession. many economic model builders include not only academics but researchers at central banks, treasuries and other conclave organizations. as of right now emilie's current focus in academia centers around the effects of fiscal policy on output through dynamic stochastic general equilibrium modeling to combat economic shocks like the ones they are currently seeing in the economy. as a framework, the models are particularly suitable for the analysis of fiscal policy issues and can be easily calibrated to fit the characteristics of their current economy. since DSGE models have thus far proven reliable for evaluating policy measures, the momentum they have gained in regard to fiscal policy analysis should come as no surprise. emilie was certain that using macroeconomic theory to predict and explain movements of the post-war business cycle could pose highly fruitful as a new approach to policy evaluation. in the pre-war economy ─ not nearly as prone to experiencing the same financial crises the current economy does ─ these sort of models did not include a realistic treatment of the banking sector, nor any involved economic risks. with the recent amendments made to DSGE models though, one can now analyze public tax and spending policy changes, fiscal multipliers, stimulus and even the relationship of fiscal policy and monetary policy. nonetheless, emilie could recognize that no one model would ever be completely satisfactory from a theoretical standpoint. researchers need to continue developing robust policies in order to advise policy makers, and to her and many other experts in the field of economy, DSGE models seemed highly appealing in light of their unfolding economic situation.
indenti'm not sure if you know this already but you and your lovely associates are sharing a table with my colleagues and i tonight. emilie mumbled something indistinct under her breath. she silently damned the joint congressional committee for unknowingly subjecting her to a night bound to be filled with vague unease. if she wanted to engage with sera at all then she wanted it to be on her own terms. "right, of course. i guess i know where you'll be directing your complaints after tonight then." she jested, though the words came out a bit stiffer than she intended them to. she tried not to wince at her own botched, dry delivery. was she bound to keep digging herself into a deeper and deeper hole this evening? in all honestly, it was hard for emilie to discern whether or not sera was dreading the prospect of being seated at the same table with her tonight. she certainly sounded eager to quit standing around in the sky parlor but she couldn't much blame her for that. in an effort to play off her faux-pas, emilie casually hooked her thumbs into her belt loops, leaning her weight on to her left leg. she regarded the younger woman with moderate amusement. "my 'social rounds' are in fact settled though, yes. i suppose that makes you the conclusion to my very particular sequence of intermingling. you should be flattered." her eyes glinted with humor. it's no secret emilie wasn't much interested in the sort of inconsequential conversation that often predominated social congregations like these, nor did she typically walk in to a venue with a list of people she wanted to exchange pleasantries with. "jokes aside, i hope you do not find me to be too abrasive. what can i say, lots of crowds, all this noise─ uhm, it must be getting to me already. i think i could use another drink if i ever want to make it through the rest of the night..." emilie trailed off, throwing a brief glance over her shoulder to seek the private pub across from where they were standing. in typical fashion, the economist vaguely excused her behavior and carried on without any further explanation. granted, emilie was just grateful they were in no sort of environment where sera might be able to corner her for answers. she felt better knowing the younger woman could not surprise her with any probing inquiries. to some extent, using the banquet hall's social scene as a shield granted her some rather unjust freedom of movement. being in the public eye right now helped her get away with more than she might be able to if she and sera were alone together. after all, emilie had a suspicion the other woman may be far more inclined to confront the last few months than she was. how could she ever explain why she pushed sera away without coming across as an insecure, selfish jerk? relationships are supposed to be built on honesty, compromise, communication and mutual respect and she didn't even bother solidifying herself as a source of comfort for sera a few months back when she might have needed her most. emilie's knee-jerk reaction to the other woman's involvement with the morgan family only concerned herself. she became so rapidly engulfed in her own resentment and hurt that it seemed easiest to resort to solitude. technically, sera's engagement did not have to mean the end of their relationship but that's about what it amounted to in her mind. emilie was more covetous a creature than she might like to admit, and maybe that alone has been responsible for her rather brazen behavior this evening. in fact, she felt possessed by a need, an urge to pull sera away from the crowds she now belonged to. never mind the fact the other woman didn't harbor any love for benedict; she would still have to act the part of a trusted companion, if not in the public then in the company of her future in-laws and the idea that emilie might ever be second to another in any capacity filled her with repulsion. even if she and sera ever mended their relationship, she would always be trapped under this suffocating layer of pernicious residuum, repeatedly reminding her sera was not in-fact hers to have. all of this was just theatre, then. so in that case, what did anything actually matter? emilie was no good in relationships. half the time she couldn't even figure out what the hell she actually wanted, and one way or another she would always end up tormenting herself into excessive slumps of god-fearing guilt or depraved bouts of self-victimization. she was raised an evangelical christian and the filth she devoured at a young age has never been eager to leave her alone. to some extent emilie has been denying herself her very relationship with sera long before news of any engagement gave her an excuse to finally shove the other woman away. in truth all emilie could ever offer someone was her own doubt and uncertainty and what part would anyone ever want in all that? historically speaking, the initial charm she seems to seduce people with typically goes short-lived. if it is not other women frequently growing to find her officious then it was surreptitious one-night stands or prospective lovers taking offense over her disappearance come morning time. she supposed her relationship with sera proved different, at-least for a time. she certainly tolerated emilie enough to keep her around when others have been quick to grow discontent with her. for the most part, they have always seemed to accept each other for who they are and despite her recent behavior these last few months, it was never her intent to see that sort of rare devotion stripped away from her. even when they were on good terms it seemed a miracle emilie had not somehow exacerbated sera's threshold of leniency altogether. at some point though, she would need to ask herself if it was truly worth protecting her ego if she was only going to lose sera in the process. but maybe it was already much too late to ponder such a notion at all.
indentemilie desperately needed something other than champagne to help take the edge off tonight. she was not sure she would be able to handle sera's company all evening if she did not first indulge a little bit. though her colleagues were still speaking to sera's fiancé she did not care enough to listen in on what they were discussing. emilie's attention remained tethered to sera. honestly though, with how bold she was beginning to feel right now she could probably go without the need for any more alcohol in her system. ever since she first laid eyes on sera tonight she's been starting to feel a bit too confident in her ability to entertain the other woman and obviously, as a result she was much too quick to forget the dismissive manner she's been treating her lately. all things considered, her sense of pride wasn't feeling too hindered right now. sera was actively devoting some of her time to emilie whether she wanted to or not, and she did technically consider her earlier offer, if not tentatively agreed to it altogether. the economist couldn't help but take a half-step toward sera if only to mitigate some of the distance between them. the tone of her voice became far quieter than the sound of conservation filling the sky parlor. "you know, if you give me the chance maybe i could do a better job pitching my impromptu invitation to you. dare i say you didn't seem very enthralled with me?" she questioned her, an air of cautiousness underlying her voice. of course emilie could not move on without hinting toward sera's lack of enthusiasm just moments earlier, and whether or not that had been the other woman's intent, the economist certainly perceived her response that way. "either way, i can see that i may in fact need to sweeten the pot somehow. for starters, how about this; you join me at the bar, and drinks are on me." she offered, evidently thinking herself slick. if emilie was acting out of line again then she certainly didn't realize it. being around sera proved difficult for her. in one vein, she was so determined to impress sera with her assertiveness that she would much rather risk the woman's temper than ever be seen as craven in front of her. she was pursuing her like a green-eyed monster who desperately needed to prove something, regardless of whether that might be the best approach. it was so much easier to push sera out of mind when she wasn't subject to interacting with her on a day to day basis. having to face her though, the complicated feelings she associated with the younger woman were not all that quick to abate. all sorts of things she didn't care to acknowledge came bubbling back up again and along with that, her warped and insatiable hunger to be someone sera might deem admirable. still, the economist wouldn't be much surprised if sera decided to set aside her acrimony right now to join her at the bar. she liked to think she still held some sort of sway over her these days. besides, how long has she been standing around this corner of the sky parlor like a dolled up marionette for the morgan family, anyway? she must want to move around a little bit. or does she no longer have the freedom to even do that? emilie couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness lean on her shoulder like the weight of the devil himself. though she could grasp and pull for sera's attention all she wanted tonight, in the end her pursuit of the other woman amounted to a fruitless venture. hell, maybe it always has been. what would happen if they managed to repair their relationship anyway? what would possibly come next for the two of them? emilie was wary of getting involved with affairs that concerned the presidential family to begin with. selfish as it may sound, she wasn't very keen on risking her neck if that's what committing to sera meant now. though johanna audretsch was a dear friend of hers and a respected colleague, emilie has always had her eye on the bigger prize at play, and that was to eventually assume office as secretary of the treasury. after all, she has already been renominated as chair of the council of economics advisors for a successive number of terms. a nomination to serve as secretary of the treasury and a subsequent confirmation by the senate would be the next practical advancement in her career. in the event anyone ever found out she and sera were pursuing each other despite her engagement to benedict, then it would not only be emilie with something to lose here either. what exactly might be the consequence or repercussions associated with having an affair, she did not know. in fact, she did not want to find out. a part of her thought she and sera could be discreet enough ─ have they not been practicing for some time now? ─ and that it would never come to that, but you truly never know. either way it was hard to tell what the future might bring for them. right now she wasn't so sure if they even had a future together and emilie herself may just be responsible for that. it was typical of her to starve herself of affection until she was ravenously devouring smothered feelings of yearning or longing, driving herself to the point of sickness until it was too late to stop and realize she was making a massacre of those around her. emilie has always been the type of person to cycle through vicious bouts of loathing and desire. she could indulge herself in periods of hedonism and sybaritic exploits quite easily if given the chance to, though evidently it never came without a price. she hated that it was so innate in her person to punish herself for things she wanted but given the way religion used to dictate her life as an adolescent it only made sense. in that sense it almost felt like her upbringing was all that defined her at times. she could swear her religious experiences did not hold any sway of her life but even then she would be lying. sometimes the urge to seek repentance with the lord himself would drive her to confession even now, begging forgiveness for who she was as a person and what she has done both in private and in the open. god knows your heart, they used to say. if her entire heart was filled with sin though should she repent for her entire life and ask for eternal forgiveness? would she then be spotless, without a blemish in sight?
indenther younger sister annika would certainly like to think so. the woman was frequently responsible for sending emilie into religious identity crises for days on end when she would come show her face in the capital city. honestly, it was all quite fortunate that her sister and her sanctimonious husband weren't nearly important enough to be invited to the inauguration dinner tonight. she would surely be getting hounded by annika and her religious zeal rather than talking to sera right now if that were the case. the idea of sera ever meeting annika unsettled her. honestly, she wanted to keep her sister as far away as possible from the other woman so long as she had the power to do so. emilie was no pushover but by the way her sister managed to remain a presence in her life, it certainly might look that way to an outsider. the way she saw it, her younger sister was a victim of her circumstance and a part of her felt sorry that she lived her life the way she did. if emilie were to turn her away every time she came knocking at her door, then just who exactly would annika actually have left to turn to in this world? she supposed in that regard her sister had the power to make her feel guilty in more than just one respect. since annika currently lives in new hollywood with her husband and two children, the only time emilie ever really sees her is when she accompanies her husband to the capital on account of his own business ventures. she usually doesn't have the decency to give emilie a heads up when she does come to visit though. instead she just shows up at her residence and expects to be welcomed with open arms. granted, most of the time it's all just nonsense and emilie can deal with her accordingly. she'll even begrudgingly accept the duty of looking after her niece luisa and nephew stefan for the day if annika is convincing enough. honestly though, with annika's strict christian parenting style she can't help but feel sorry for her kids. emilie often felt like she was doing them a favor by letting them escape the suffocating nature of their parents for the better portion of a day, which certainly says a lot considering she has never been particularly good at entertaining children and their wants. it's actually kind of a pitiful sight to see emilie struggle to manage children but at-least she tries to make an effort. the last time she saw her niece and nephew a couple months ago she decided to take them to the smithsonian art museum after she finished lecturing at the washington institute earlier that morning. all things considered, it's a convenient location given the buildings positioning in the capital's financial district. emilie wasn't so inept as to force the two kids to wander around and look at ancient and modern day art all day though. after receiving some feedback from a few colleagues raising kids of their own, she decided it was appropriate to take them to the southwest wing of the smithsonian known for housing the butterfly pavilion, a place where the insects can freely fly around in their climate-controlled environment and potentially land on a person given the chance. it proved an effective way to keep the children amused but she most definitely wouldn't go around readily admitting to spending her time grinning over butterflies if anyone accused her of it. most of the time though she was surprised by just how sheltered her niece and nephew were. emilie could not quite recall the amount of times either luisa or stefan admitted to never having done something before. was it not a little bizarre they have never been to the theatre with their parents before, but they have with their aunt? annika seemed like she wanted to keep her children from everything in this world and that included knowledge of much of the outside world in an effort to shield them from anything that she might consider ungodly. by painting them such a sterilized picture of the world she was raising them to be anxious of things they had no reason to be nervous about. god forbid they ever develop political intrigue, or learn of the violence that marred their country, or even the mere usage of profanity. at this point it seemed surprising that her younger sister even let her see her children at all though. after all, wasn't she supposed to be considered a bad influence on them? emilie lived her life in a way that bore no resemblance to her sisters own. she was no devout christian and most of the lifestyle choices she made were ones that her family always swore against. emilie could wager the only reason annika let her near luisa and stefan these days had a lot to do with the fact she actually let them explore the world. it seemed likely the kids only ever spoke highly of emilie. she wouldn't be surprised if they even begged to see her when they came to the capital city. though quite frankly even that would probably get on her sister's nerves too, so whatever annika was playing at, it was hard to tell. maybe she was just using her children as a way to try and guilt emilie into becoming more family-oriented again. annika has always had the gall of pretending not to know a thing about her sexuality too, which meant she was more often than not deliberately trying to find ways to get undermine emilie's own freedom. truth be told, her sister has never actually respected her as a person.
indentback when her sister first got married and emilie didn't yet understand the full extent of her twisted religious fanaticism, annika invited her to her newly purchased home in torrance and suffice to say, it was the last time emilie would ever willingly return to her residence. she and her husband had oh-so conveniently invited one of his colleagues from the los angeles financial institution firm to dine with them that night and though her sister vehemently denied emilie's accusations, she fully believed it was a futile attempt to try and set her up with the man. what a disaster that was. for some reason, everyone else at that table had been under the impression they were in the middle of some sort of double-date but it didn't really dawn on her what was going on until the night actually progressed. emilie has held position superior to many a man in her line of work before but she somehow managed to forget just how positively grating traditionalist devotees can be. even back then she was far more successful than that man would ever be, and yet she could recall he still managed to go on a number of ignorant spiels about the duty of a woman and what he deemed their rightful places in society were. at that time emilie was only recently named chairman, ceo and director of the national investment management firm and financial institution ERGO, so naturally the entire situation just felt like one huge orchestrated insult led by her sister. it seemed typical that her achievement received no praise from her family, for her successes have never been deemed worthy as cause for celebration to begin with. she knew annika has always been insistent on seeing her take interest in a man, but emilie didn't expect her to go so far as to lead her into a trap all the while knowing her sexuality. she was the one person in her family who definitively knew of her dating preferences but honestly, emilie wouldn't be surprised if she's whispered a thing or two in her mother or father's ear. already being estranged from her parents, it would make little difference to her now. her younger sister was little more than a snake, slithering into her life every few months in the hope of successfully sinking her fangs right into her exposed flesh. things have not always been so hateful between her and annika but with the vastly different paths they both pursued in life, they were all but bound to become strangers in every respect. if they were not of the same blood they certainly wouldn't have anything to do with each other. after all, emilie's sisterly concern for annika is the only real reason she's yet to sever the bonds of their pugnacious relationship. her younger sister seemed to fundamentally change the day she took her wedding vows. religion has always been a part of both of their lives, sure, but even emilie had reservations over the pious family she married into. annika has become so indoctrinated in the pursuit of her faith that she couldn't even recognize her own hypocrisy anymore. spew on about loving thy neighbor or withholding judgement as she might, she didn't actually practice much of the so-called christian values she liked to go on and preach about. the truth is, she's a self-righteous and captious person who likes to demean other people under the pretense of following god's intended will. additionally, to think that following a religion is the only way someone can lead a decent and moral life seems an arrogant notion in and of itself. with her holier-than-thou attitude, annika was no different from the next ignorant fanatic. every conversation they seem to have ends up revolving around religion to some extent, and as much as emilie had no interest humoring her deluded convictions, setting boundaries with the younger woman has never proven easy. emilie would never tolerate religious drivel intended to persuade her of changing her lifestyle or backhanded insults from anyone the same way she would from her sister. annika would keep exploiting emilie's tolerance for her for as long as she let her though. the young woman was probably due to visit her again sometime within the next few months and when that time came, emilie would once again make justifications to keep her sister a part of her life. annika was certainly old enough to take care of herself now and she didn't need emilie to look out for her but still, she felt it would be wrong to shut her out and leave her to the sharks. ever since childhood she's always felt some sort of obligation to take responsibility for her sister and her wellbeing, and that's probably because their parents have always been emotionally deficient people. either way, it was safe to say the banquet hall was ten times more peaceful right now than it would be if annika were ever invited to the inauguration dinner. the economist took a slight step back from sera, suggestively tipping her head in the direction of the bar. "so?" emilie had no intention of making sera uncomfortable with her ogling but she was finding it rather difficult to take her eyes off the younger woman. with the way she was dressed tonight she certainly made it hard not to stare and emilie couldn't much keep her eyes from travelling a second time around. the economist wet her lips with a swipe of her tongue, briefly feasting on the cerulean fabric that hugged sera's chest before her eyes quickly flickered back up to her face. the side of her mouth began to curl up into a rather self-assured slant upon meeting her gaze again. her brazenness was nothing new. "ladies first." she insisted, giving her a subtle wink. emilie would be quick to fall in step behind the woman if she chose to come join her, and if not, then she supposed she would see her at their table soon enough. what was one more blow to her ego anyway?
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vaell
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by vaell » Mon Jul 03, 2023 1:13 pm
xxxEDWIN ALBRECHT.
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa rebel entertainer performing under the stage name floyd.
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indentthough constance's answer didn't particularly surprise him, edwin had to resist the urge to frown at her bleak report all the same. ever since the conclave first issued a lockdown on the city of arcadia, unrestricted travel and the business of trade in the area have been significantly impacted, effectively curtailing the livelihood of local wastelanders who rely on the markets as a feasible source of income for subsistence and derailing traveling merchants from venturing their predictable routes. like most bases or sites manned by the network of rebels in the wasteland, the village cross outpost had been modestly prepared to take a blow from any sort of unforeseen disruption in the activity of neighboring towns or cities. established stockpiles of non-perishable goods or other necessities can be quick to decline during periods of sustained uncertainty, though. as the sole commanding officer of the outpost, there is no doubt maven hearst runs a tight ship but the extended duration of the conclave's presence in arcadia was beginning to exhaust the outpost's capacity to support their numbers nonetheless. it only seemed inevitable that their canned goods would start to diminish alongside their stock of medical supplies. after all, village cross was not so much a fully functioning base teeming with rebel traffic as it was a gathering point for groups or a pitstop for temporary reprieve during a journey through the wasteland. in that respect, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect any prolonged stay at the outpost to be plain sailing. they were going to have to constantly adjust with the unfolding situation at arcadia and anticipate what the conclave's next move might be. still, hopefully dishes of mud pies and grass soufflé weren't going to make a spontaneous appearance in the dining hall this week. "mmm. delicious." he agreed jokingly, though it was obvious the younger girl sitting next to him did not look particularly thrilled over the idea of resorting to the wasteland survival guide for cuisine. "clover and chickweed stew? that's karelsa's favorite." he gave her a playful nudge in the side with his elbow. karelsa's nose crinkled in disagreement. "bleh, no way!" her disagreement was enough to elicit a chuckle from edwin. regardless of how uncertain their current state of affairs may be right now, relatively lighthearted moments like these never fail to remind him just how fortunate he is to belong to such an inspired cause like the rebellion. edwin and constance's caravan crew comprised of people from all walks of life, coming together united in the pursuit of freedom and a collective devotion to preserving the performing arts across the wasteland. edwin may have been born to two revolutionaries himself but he knew what the rebellion meant to those outside of its ranks. it was a beacon of hope as much as it were a promise to the people. many wastelanders have no choice but to prematurely shed the skin of their youth in an effort to cope with the unforgiving world they were born into, and unlike their capital-raised counterparts they would never be afforded the luxury of a comfortable lifestyle most people in conclave society likely deem mundane or take for granted altogether. the wasteland population has always had to fight tooth and nail for a fair place in society, whether that be among their own people or the likes of conclave descendants. those born outside the ring of conclave elitists knew the cards have been stacked against them since birth. the government has failed wastelanders at every turn imaginable. the same people who built their cozy lives on the backs of wastelanders and their plights have condemned so-called tainted-bloods as second-rate citizens for decades now, successfully perpetuating prejudice within their ranks through vile displays intended to dehumanize the inhabitants of the wasteland. those born into conclave society have access to a variety of services, amenities, educational institutions, a functioning economy, the promise of security, shelter, and the immediate protection of the wasteland's strongest armed forces. the conclave's citizens can ascend professionally, socially, and cognitively because they were given the proper tools they needed to succeed, a sentiment not many wastelanders can relate to. sure, wastelanders may have the opportunity to enlist in the military to serve as soldiers or take up practical trades working as technicians or low-ranking doctors, but you won't see anyone born outside of the conclave heading the face of a multimillion company or assuming office as a government official. the conclave has always been revered for their military, but the capital of the nation is also a metropolis notorious for booming corporations and institutions crawling with filthy rich moguls and magnates, greedy businessmen, and self-interested philanthropists, too. certain companies funded by the federal government such as titan industries ─ a corporation well known for its involvement in the mining industry throughout the wasteland ─ have reportedly committed a number of atrocities affecting wastelander locals during their business exploits. edwin could recall hearing about instances of settlements succumbing to landslides due to titan industries' negligence for the nearby wastelander neighborhoods, sending downslope masses of debris, soil, rocks and earth to quickly destroy property and take lives not long after they set off several detonations in a nearby quarry. the rebellion last managed to track the organization's activity at the border of the dixon wasteland and the badlands, a particular area of the wasteland where their excavation rates appear to be primarily concentrated these last few years. a lot of conclave-operated organizations are not nearly as openly detrimental to the progression of their country and harmful to the wasteland population as titan industries is, though.
indentin particular, the conclave's film and television industry is notoriously sinister for planting subtle hints of military propaganda in the movies they premiere. edwin and constance may have shared a good laugh or two over the different copies of movies they've managed to recover at raided conclave warehouses but the same could not be said for the citizens of the capital. the conclave's followers go completely unaware of the federal government infiltrating media productions with blood-purity agendas, nationalism, and military-related indoctrination. after all, the conclave's ideologies are all they have ever known. for all edwin knew it was possible the very concept of a military-entertainment complex was just as prevalent in society before the nukes dropped as it was now. nonetheless, the conclave military and major new hollywood-based entertainment media groups appear to cooperate for their mutual benefit, be it in cinema or other multimedia productions. from observation alone it has become apparent the film industry must be working hand in hand with the conclave's department of defense to some extent. over the last decade, rebels have proposed that the department of defense likely has a final say in every conclave-made movie ─ be it whether the filmmakers use resources not available on the open market in their productions or not ─ and it's even more likely that every movie must submit its script to the department of defense for vetting. with what research the rebellion has conducted over the years, they could safely assume the federal government controls almost every aspect of media their citizens might consume and as a result, modern films have become reduced to propaganda fueled narratives riddled with harmful stereotypes. of course, new hollywood might act as an palpable arm for military propaganda in the conclave, but truth be told it was just as likely the government has quietly infiltrated almost every sector of conclave society. in fact, the very resurrection of wall street in the capital city has pointed to the intimate relationship the banking system may share with the government. banks are known for perpetuating class differences associated with blood-purity, expanding the gaps between the rich and poor because clients with more money are far more attractive. from interest rates to service fees, preferential treatment of the wealthy and affluent members of conclave society should come as no surprise. after all, they have better prospects for receiving lucrative interest rates on investment opportunities, loans, and returns. while unassuming wastelanders are roped into the allure of integrating into the conclave's economy, conclave elitists considered to be high net worth clients can access private banking services, providing them with a concierge-like attention to their finances. unfortunately, some of the largest investors can drive crises that would directly affect wastelanders who might assimilate into the conclave's financial programs, especially if they were to cash out in light of market value speculations and cause a devastating number of home foreclosures. in the event something like that were to happen, the average wastelander might be forced to relinquish a home they could no longer afford, and edwin was quite certain every large bank in the nation would underwrite these activities because in the end, their bottom line is not about the people but rather the money. the conclave's financial industry may be responsible for promoting economic mobility and pushing their economy to rival that of pre-war development, but the rebellion did not dare underestimate its baleful nature. banks turn a blind eye toward corruption all the time and even when their greed lands them in trouble they have been known to expect the federal government to bail them out. the rebellion has kept running tabs on former high-level bankers later noted to hold high-level positions of finance in the government, the same people the rebellion speculate tell congress there are no other options in certain circumstances besides bailing the banks out. either way, the rebellion has continued to keep an eye on the conclave's finance industry and the organizations that monitor it, given that both entities appear almost willfully blind to wrongdoing. the conclave's pharmaceutical industry however has proven itself to be the most detrimental to the health of both wastelander and conclave citizens. commonly known throughout the wasteland as chems, bliss is a substance developed in conclave laboratories that has become notorious for its illicit trade and persevering demand in the black markets. it's widespread distribution and use in the wasteland has become something of a nightmare for the conclave to sufficiently crack down on. it's no secret there's a high profitability in selling bliss on the markets and the conclave has been actively trying to decrease the supply of and demand for the highly potent substance for years now by implementing severe repercussions for those found illegally carrying it. wastelanders caught possessing bliss will face immediate arrest and confiscation of the substance alongside a variety of other consequences. aside from receiving heavy fines and a criminal record, most wastelanders handling bliss are subject to facing prison time such as in cidma mine in an effort to deter the greater wasteland population from acquiring and selling the substance. in fact, bliss law violations are a substantial portion of incarcerations in the nation's facilities and have started to represent one of the most common arrest categories. regardless of the conclave's determination to keep the substance from the hands of the common wastelander though, the widespread prevalence of bliss has become a rather uncontrollable situation to successfully rein in. for the government the economic cost alone is immense, estimated to be nearly billions in dollars. the damage caused by the usage of bliss is reflected in an overburdened justice system, a strained healthcare system, lost productivity, and environmental destruction. after all, premature mortality, illness, injury leading to incapacitation, and imprisonment all directly reduce the nation's productivity rates. a lot of public financial resources are expended in the health care and criminal justice sectors as a result of bliss trafficking and use, resources that the conclave would likely want to use for other policy initiatives. medical professionals in the conclave typically use the substance for its ability to treat moderate and severe pain but it's chemical properties have been known to devastate the lives of those who use it, most frequently the likes of soldiers. the bottom line is large corporations will always favor profit over public health, and the crippling effects of bliss in the conclave and wasteland populations remained proof of such a notion.
indentwhen constance cleared her throat, edwin's attention was quick to return to the other entertainer. in all seriousness, we should go and see maven. he mumbled something in agreement. she was right. besides, he and karelsa have spent enough of the evening practicing the violin concerto and ruminating over the known history of tchaikovsky's life. plus, it seemed the younger girl was certainly happy to be able to accompany them. quick to act on constance's invitation, karelsa was already eagerly pulling out her violin case from beneath the bench they sat on, rising from where she was sitting to dutifully sling the instrument over her shoulder. fortunately for the three of them there wouldn't be much hassle considering they had already stowed away their instruments and sheet music just moments earlier. when he noticed constance begin to shift from their position on his lap, he instinctively reached a hand out to gingerly stabilize their lower back as they did so. "hey, don't be so quick to assume we're even us. what if we are the edwin and karelsa android variants, hm? i mean how else can you explain our unnatural levels of talent?" he teased, watching as she maneuvered herself back on to her feet. karelsa only rolled her eyes when she heard his joke, stepping beside constance to carefully snake her arm in the crook of their own elbow. from where she stood huddled by constance, the younger girl gave edwin a pointed look suggesting he was being far too sluggish for her liking right now. he snorted when he noticed her impatience, leaning over to search for the handle of his violin case so he could draw the instrument out from under his feet. edwin threw a glance up at the two of them, then at constance in particular. "kidding. seriously though, i'm sorry to hear about the lack of medical supplies right now. i guess there's not much we can do about that or our diminishing supply of food, not until the military presence thins out a bit." he sighed, rising from the bench with his violin case in hand. having spent enough time hunkering down at village cross these last few days it's been hard coming to terms with their most recently botched operation. there's only so many times a person can wonder how everything might have panned out had their colleagues' mission at fort themus went according to plan. he supposed some form of frustration lay heavy at the root of his disappointment. for all they know that tape could be lying somewhere in a muddy ditch right now, or it could be stowed away in the pocket of a passerby who looted their colleagues' dead bodies before the conclave could even manage to secure the perimeter. whatever the fate of the tape may be, the conclave has been quick to address the situation nevertheless. they hastily named two suspects involved in the fort break-in, that being valentina kalajian and julian moreno, neither of which were actually associated with their cause as far as he knew. it made for a curious situation to say the least, and edwin himself wasn't sure what to make of the conclave's manhunt. it was possible the rebellion's higher chain of command acted in a discrete fashion by quietly planting those two near fort themus should something go wrong, but even edwin was skeptical of that possibility. either way, more questions hung in the balance than did answers and he suspected they may never resolve some of their curiosities. "anyway, let's go put these away shall we?" the man smiled at the pair before beginning to set off in the direction of the cots, violin case in hand. karelsa stuck by constance's side as edwin took the lead toward the lower right half of the basement. after slipping past the folding screens that divided the training room from the rest of the basement, the trio started making their way over to the resting area of the basement. they passed beneath hanging light bulbs precariously clinging from their exposed sockets in the ceiling overhead, flickering in and out to cast the stone brick walls around them in sporadic bouts of illumination. in a valiant effort to keep the basement lit a few nearby lanterns sufficed to compensate for the blinking bulbs. considering the basement did not have an enormous capacity their trip from the training room was a relatively short one. the sound of their light footsteps against the paved floor quieted once they reached the basement's designated resting area. just behind a reinforced column a modest array of cots and nightstands occupied this corner of the basement, the same space they have grown accustomed to since first arriving at village cross. karelsa must have finally broke off from constance too, for he could spot the girl emerging from behind him in a beeline toward her own cot. edwin threw a glance over his shoulder at the other entertainer before following in suit with the younger girl. when he approached his own cot, the man gently lowered his violin case at the foot of the portable bed, using the side of his shoe to press his case flush against its frame. he was careful not to make too much noise considering some people were trying to get some shuteye right now. by the time he turned around, karelsa was already catching him by the arm and hurriedly guiding him over to where constance was waiting for them.
indentthe center of the basement unified all fours corners of the room, dominated by a large table brimming with files, documents, folders, maps, and repurposed conclave technologies acting as an anchor to the surrounding area. as expected, maven hearst stood at the helm of the outpost's working control and communications center. her back was turned toward the three of them, seemingly focused on examining the mobile corkboard stationed next to the table. the older woman was framed by several different paper clippings and photographs pinned to the rectangular board and interconnected with different threads of string to mark certain connections. red lines hung taut between different items or people of interest, many of which seemed to originate from particular areas pinpointed on a map. the board was a maze of analysis and intrigue that many rebels would have helped contribute to. edwin didn't have long to investigate much of what was outlined on the board though for maven was quick to turn at the sound of their approaching footsteps, greeted by the sight of constance arm-in-arm with him and karelsa at each side. the entertainer offered maven a smile. she may very well be used to it but he couldn't imagine how taxing it must be having to oversee the outpost's current state of affairs right now. either way, he wasn't surprised she was quick to dismiss constance's own concern over her wellbeing. maven was not the type of person keen on dawdling over idle chit-chat and by how quick she was to reach for one of the folders on the desk, he could tell she had something in store for them. curious, edwin took a step toward the table to get a better look at the contents of the folder. maven was quick to spread out a number of polaroid photographs across the table. his eyes flickered across the row of images, watching as constance picked one up from the pile. from what he could tell, the photograph in her hand looked like a hasty snapshot of some sort of fencing lined with steel wire, sharp barbed edges pointing outward as though to dissuade those who might desire to invade its sanctuary. edwin couldn't help but lift one of the remaining photographs from the table himself, a picture depicting a grainy and obscured view of the junkyard through the wire connecting the vertical posts of steel fencing. his eyes shifted away from the image only when he heard maven begin to clarify just what they might be looking at here. we believe that they took the dreg to millard's salvage, a junkyard located a few miles northwest of here. the man shared a brief glance with constance. a dreg, huh? rescue operations are not exactly uncommon for the rebellion. scavengers certainly possess a far different set of motivations than either the conclave or the odawa syndicate do though, and like maven just explained, you can bet android parts can run for good profit on the black market. regardless of whose clutches a dreg might be in though, these sort of missions are not known to be easy undertakings. it's no surprise why maven sought to reach out to edwin and constance to get their input on her proposal. she knew it was most wise to try and secure the assistance of their seasoned capabilities. from the time they've spent in the rebellion they were both qualified to execute a mission like this and they just as well understood what was at stake. that, and they also had the proper facilities to run an operation like this relatively smoothly. their caravan could stow the dreg just as easily as it did those wastelanders they smuggled past the gates of arcadia during the onset of the lockdown. after a moment passed, edwin carefully placed the photograph back on to the table. regardless, constance had a fair point to make; they may be well prepared in certain regards but they were in no position to be charging in to a junkyard assuming the immediate upper hand no matter their proficiency. they simply did not have the firepower to relinquish zero from the scavengers without risking their own lives in the process. considering the scavengers managed to disrupt the dreg's transport to begin with, they probably were not to be trifled with unless he and constance were supplied with the adequate weaponry. edwin folded his arms across his chest. "agreed. just what sort of an arsenal can we expect to see these scavengers employ out there?"
indentthe look on maven's face told him she already had a plan in motion.
indentthe older woman redirected their attention toward one of the photographs hidden beneath the stack of polaroid pictures spread out on the table. her finger tapped what appeared to be a shed partially concealed by the fencing surrounding the junkyard. this might just be the first time edwin has ever been relieved to hear anyone mention a military bot. a part of him couldn't help but feel a pique of interest over the matter. he was no expert in conclave technologies to begin with but he knew the older robot models the conclave once utilized posed just as much a threat as their modern advancements. despite being decommissioned nowadays, perceptive termination military bots were heralded as one of the most dangerous robots the conclave ever manufactured and for good reason. considering the fact the latest prototypes are programmed to self-destruct in the face of defeat, edwin could not say he's had the chance to tinker with one of the robots before. as a result of their programming, no one can successfully scavenge the robots for parts, let alone get close enough to them without being mowed down by an assortment of explosives and sheer ammunition. still, edwin has learned at the hands of the best rebellion technicians and educators found within their ranks. that's not to say rewiring old domestic outstanding utilization golem prototypes was a task equivalent to managing combat robots, but there was still a lot of value in learning the machinery of technology the conclave have since terminated or stopped producing nonetheless. edwin more often than not worked with practical devices like holoprojectors, terminals or imagery devices they've managed to steal from the conclave over the last few decades. the rebellion has spent a lot of time reconfiguring and repurposing pre-existing conclave technology in order to create unique contraptions of their own but they also possess a number of older devices of conclave origin because of their usefulness. for instance, the holoprojectors most recently produced by the conclave have become a lot more sophisticated than most of what the rebellion currently have on hand. conclave soldiers or government officials have been known to utilize holoprojectors that display the entirety of their person in full color, not to mention without any filter or scan lines being visible. sometimes you'll find these planted into the framework of a robot, military vehicles and aircrafts, or even attached to the gauntlet of a soldier's power armor. the communication devices the rebellion use are just as efficient in recording, receiving, sending and displaying holograms as the newest models are, though. granted, they may be considerably lower in quality and have trouble rendering colors accurately due to feeding everything through a strong blue filter, but nonetheless they remained a valuable asset for their communication between different bases, outposts and headquarters. rebel technicians have made sure to disconnect any holoprojectors from conclave associated lines of contact due to the fact they are often traceable by location. a lot of broadcast footage across the wasteland still utilizes the older makes of holoprojectors, though cities more advanced than their neighboring areas might be fortunate enough to be equipped with a newer outfit entirely. on the other hand, a rather prominent derivative of conclave technology the rebellion has developed was that of synthflesh. in the conclave, biomechanical devices were often used to replace body parts ranging from internal organs and limbs even before the development of imagery devices. the rebellion relies on a similar form of cybernetic replacement for people whose limbs might be lost or destroyed due to dismemberment or disease. edwin was mentored under the very man who helped the rebellion unravel the secrets of the conclave's rather intricate cybernetic replacement procedure. much like that of edwin's parents, vernon hart was a conclave-trained technician who found his way into the rebellions ranks. edwin himself never saw through the vocational program he once pursued as a youth but he learned an impressive amount of skills under vernon's guidance as both an educator and a scribe nonetheless. after edwin's parents passed away, he was the one who took edwin under his wing which meant that aside from he and constance's caravan crew, vernon was certainly the closest thing edwin had left to family. the older man was responsible for deciphering a plethora of conclave technologies, reconfiguring them and modifying them to fit the rebellion's needs. when they first came into possession of one of the conclave's prosthetic replacements he was quick to replicate its function. in order to connect any sort of advanced prosthetic replacement to organic tissue, one would require an extensive background of practical knowledge and a complex synth-net neural interface, a device that provided the recipient both control and sensation. vernon and a few other technicians worked with rebel scientists and engineers to inform medics how they can safely integrate the neural interface to human flesh. it is a practice now widely taught to those pursuing medical careers in the rebellion. the older man told edwin it took him months of dismantling several makes of holoprojectors and smaller technologies until he came up with a device capable of covering external replacements. now known amongst rebels as synthflesh, vernon's technological pursuits yielded an illusion-based machinery generated to emulate actual organic tissue not much different from that seen in conclave society. vernon pioneered the first working model and documented its assembly in a blueprint secured at domum libertatis. while synthflesh is highly convincing, it still does not rival that of conclave imagery devices. extremely realistic, the conclave have been able to make prosthetics look exactly like organic skin and muscle. edwin knew they were often coded to match the recipient's flesh tone and muscle build by using their genetic code as a working template. given the rebellion's viable resources though, synthflesh worked on much simpler principles which accounted for some of its lack of perfection. even when they managed to get a hold of conclave imagery devices from cargo transport ambushes, it was a whole lot more efficient for the rebellion to have their own means of using otherwise dispensable items to create synthflesh when they might need it.
indentthey're going to send their c0ds-wall0p unit to greet you and take you to their safehouse. he calls himself gigabit plex. for now, anyway. i believe he tried to get everyone to call him 'generic war domination machine' a few months back. i assume you've met him before? edwin gave maven a slight nod. much like constance, he wasn't particularly enthused to hear the name gigabit plex being tossed around. the robot wasn't ill-intended but when it came to working with him he could be a bit of a nuisance. of course, edwin supposed they could have a far worse traveling companion to the safehouse than gigabit plex. after all, c0ds-wall0p units were known for their unique personalities and he couldn't much fault him for his programming. edwin smiled when constance jumped in to interject the inquiry maven made of him. her hand felt cool against his upper arm. "well, there you have it then." he chuckled, turning his gaze back to maven. "i'd never pass up the chance to kick danny and mikey to the curb for a much more useful companion, heh. honestly though, i won't say no. i'd be lying if i said i wasn't a little bit intimidated but then again, i'm sure you have access to some tools around here that would help us bypass that old terminal the robot is hooked up to?"
indent"precisely. i'm already one step ahead of you." maven took a step around the table, reaching across a stack of folders to pick up a small but sturdy device. she held out her hand to show them what looked like a portable interface arm, a palm-sized steel cylinder equipped with an adjustable multi-use tip. it's metallic surface gleamed in the light from a bulb hanging overhead. "there you have it. like i said, it shouldn't be a particularly difficult task hacking into the bot's terminal, so that's why it's possible you can get away with using an old school interface arm just like this one here. now, i can understand why you might be skeptical but remember, we're dealing with old conclave tech that has endured the passage of time. i don't want to bore you by any means either but in the event that something does go wrong, it might be helpful that i re-explain how these work to both of you." it was a grim thing to imagine the possibility of anything derailing their mission, but he knew she was just being sensible. if there was anything the failed operation at fort themus taught them, it was that there was nothing wrong with being cautious. edwin watched as maven's thumb tapped the button on the side of the device, causing it to extend its rotating tip. the port at the end of the interface arm could act as a standard access adapter, a computer input port, or a terminal interface socket. interface arms can readily plug into computers, holoprojectors, robots, vehicle or aircraft mainframes, and a number of other equipment the conclave have produced. the devices are particularly well known for their versatile function. "as you probably already know, some robots like the conclave's assistant bots have these tools attached to their person. this is actually an old model a lot of conclave technicians used to rely on for repairing military vehicles or aircraft. i don't have a working example to show you, but imagine plugging this end bit here into the terminal housing the robot's mainframe and communication information database. you'll have several options once you establish a working connection with the robot but we're not looking to hack the bot's interface to download information or deactivate anything, so you'll want to be careful not to initiate any other processes after bypassing the terminal's firewalls. either way, everything should be relatively straightforward from there on out so long as you're careful. you'll be able to program the military bot to set it's sights on the scavengers once you gain complete access to it's interface." with another press of her thumb the interface arm retracted back into itself. when the older woman offered the device to them, edwin accepted. he turned the portable interface arm around in his hand to briefly inspect the gadget before looking to constance. karelsa all but inserted herself between the pair in order to get a better look at the device. curious, she glanced up at the two of them. she's been relatively quiet since they first approached maven but he wasn't surprised by that. the older woman smiled at the sight nonetheless. "in any case, you will need to come up with a diversion to reach that shed. i suggest that you two consult with some members of your caravan crew. i'm not sure who might be most up for the task so i'll let you settle that between yourselves, and the same goes for whoever choses to locate zero while edwin works on the military bot. i don't want to keep you around too long so you can get a move on before you lose the setting sun altogether. if you do have any other questions though, you know where to find me. oh, and after you sort that out you may want to head to the lower left portion of the basement before you leave the outpost altogether, too." maven gestured toward the corner of the room she was referring to. "there's a supply of ammunition and other electronics you might find useful before hitting the road again. and thank you two for being so willing. i know this isn't an easy task to ask of you, but i can't imagine a better group than you lot to carry this out. make sure to be careful out there. i like you two." edwin chuckled at her concluding remark, tucking the interface arm into the inner pocket of his coat after karelsa had a chance to look at it. "over and out. if we think of anything else we'll be sure to find you before we head out."
indentthis time around, karelsa was the one squeezed in between edwin and constance as they departed maven's presence. by the time they reached one of the columns preceding the resting area, edwin began to slow in his tracks. he figured it might be best if they discuss strategy before they announced anything to their caravan crew. like maven mentioned just moments ago, they would need to judge who might be best suited for carrying out particular roles in their assigned mission. while he was elected to reboot the old robot they still needed to discuss who else planned to play an active role in recapturing the dreg. truth be told, he already had some names in mind. when karelsa realized the three of them had come to a gradual halt, she released their arms, joining constance and edwin in what was now starting to look like a small huddle. edwin looked between the two of them. "alright you two. i'm gonna make a proposition here. actually scratch that, it's more of a nomination. i'm thinking we could use some danny and mikey flair here. hell, maybe this is the perfect chance for the two of them to actually put together a genuine heroic story after all. erm, well actually on second thought maybe this is a bit of a dangerous combination considering those two are gonna embellish this story every single time they bring it up again in the future. before you know it they'll be claiming we weren't up against a pack of scavengers at all but rather some other fierce faction wanting zero for themselves." edwin chuckled, briefly casting his gaze beyond their shoulders to scrutinize the middlemost area of the basement. "anyway, upcoming tales of grand victory aside, i do think they could lead the diversion against the scavengers, or at-least distract them long enough to let us access the shed. besides, we all know how easily they like to draw attention to themselves without even meaning to under normal circumstances. with that being said we should probably go fetch danny then, huh? i didn't see him in the resting area earlier so i can imagine he's hanging around the stables right now trying to wrangle our sand-cats and bulb-dogs from keeping out of the horses pens. and uh, karelsa, i know you're gonna roll your eyes at this, but would you be willing to bring mikey over here so we can reconvene with him and danny before we go informing anyone else? i think i saw him sleeping earlier when we put our instruments away. you might want to be careful he doesn't bite your head off if you have to wake him up though." karelsa was quick to raise a brow at him. she immediately looked to constance for some sort of backup here. "wait, come on, do you guys really have to go and excuse danny from his responsibilities? i don't wanna be the only one pestering mikey. can we not just, you know, leave him be and not tell him at all? by the time he wakes up we'll be back here anyway. who knows how long he'll be knocked out for, and i don't wanna disturb that. i mean, don't get me wrong, i'm excited to be sorting this out with you guys right now but...can we not take a vote on this as well? i personally nominate edwin! me and constance should go find danny." she announced, defiantly crossing her arms across her chest. edwin tutted at her. "woah, not so fast there kiddo. you may wanna reconsider throwing me under the bus. after all, i don't know if danny would be much more receptive than mikey. he's gonna be in the middle of tending to our critters and you know how cross he can get with them. yeah, he might just lash out at the first person who even dares come his way. so before you two gang up on me, don't forget about that possibility." he reminded them, watching karelsa and constance warily. mikey certainly wouldn't be pleased over someone interrupting his slumber but someone had to bite the bullet for the team. besides, he wanted to check in with constance alone before they proceeded any further and he couldn't much do that if he was the one waking mikey. the younger girl seemed to consider his words for a moment as though to weigh her options. she eyed edwin dubiously before letting out a long, defeated sigh. "fine. but just so you know, i'm putting all the blame on you if mikey gets annoyed with me. you still okay sending me off to certain death?" edwin laughed, reaching a hand out to affectionately tousle her hair. "yup. sorry. it was nice knowing you, kid."
indentwith karelsa begrudgingly accepting the duty of waking mikey, constance and edwin parted ways with the young girl to depart the outpost's basement. having picked up one of the lit lanterns hanging about the perimeter of the basement on their way out, a golden glow of light ate away at the shadows stretching up their ascent to the outer world. he made sure to take the lead in the tunnel so that constance would be able to watch her step as they climbed up the rickety old wooden stairs. behind them, the hum of life coming from the basement soon became little more than hushed noise. secured with a metal dial on the outside, this passageway was the only route to directly access the basement of the church, effectively serving as the outpost's functioning exit and entrance. a vaguely earthy smell of mildew clung to the air around them. all things considered, edwin supposed it was a good thing maven offered them a mission to undertake. they've spent the majority of their days helping out around the outpost in what ways they could in addition to routinely checking in with maven, and while he certainly wasn't complaining, it was going to be nice for them to lend a hand elsehow too. that's not to say going face to face with a group of scavengers was going to be a cake-walk though. even if they had the assurance of recruiting the perceptive termination military bot to their side of the fight, there was still the matter of actually getting to the robot to begin with all the while successfully locating zero. it's no secret edwin has a penchant for overanalyzing the sort of things they might be getting themselves into. over the years its become something of a useful habit but it didn't help much for looking on the bright side of things. objectively speaking, he was sure they'd be fine so long as they acquired the protection of that inactive bot, but either way you have to be mentally prepared for something to go awry. he couldn't much recall a mission where everything has gone exactly to plan. humans are error-prone and just because you go over something multiple times with rote rehearsal nothing is ever guaranteed to pan out the way you want it to. of course, he wasn't so much worried about their capability in carrying out zeros' rescue as he was nervous about outmaneuvering those scavengers. he knew feeling tense was not necessarily a bad thing either. they would need to be on their toes at all times and if he wasn't apprehensive he could very well risk making a mistake. the line between healthy wariness and actual worry is a thin one though. when that sort of apprehension leads to unnecessary uncertainty all sorts of things can go off kilter in a mere matter of moments. edwin threw a curious glance over his shoulder to look at constance. her features were half-obscured by the darkness in the tunnel, the shadows combatting the light of the lantern he held in his hand and casting her visage in a frame of umbra. though he could just barely make out her countenance she still looked as fetching as always. "hey back there. erm, watch your step, don't let me distract you," he was quick to turn his own attention back toward the remaining steps before him to make sure he wouldn't trip after just advising constance to take heed. in general, it was not uncommon that constance was the one to ground edwin in his uncertainties. edwin often confided in them to help placate his worries because he knew they were gifted with a level head a lot more reliable than his own. the entertainer was curious to know just what she was thinking right now too, and whether she was considering any of the same things he were. given that maven offered them some free rein over the smaller intricacies of the rescue mission, he was curious to find out if constance had any immediate thoughts regarding the approach they should take. maven developed a clever framework for rescuing zero but she was careful not to impede on their own group dynamics. considering he and constance were no amateurs either, she understood certain revisions would have to be up to them. after realizing they'd fallen into another momentary lapse of quiet, edwin cleared his throat. "so what are you making of all this? you don't think mikey and danny are the wrong fit for carrying out the distraction, do you? if anything, they could probably get some help from the others if you have anyone in mind but i still feel like they're kind of the perfect duo to lead the charge. i could just be making the mistake of playing into their valiant wasteland warrior alter egos at this point though, giving them too much credit when it might not to be wise to do. they're capable, honestly, but we have to be careful nonetheless. i wouldn't want to make this any more complicated than it has to be." this wasn't their first dreg rescue, let alone their first mission with danny or mikey, but they did have to tread carefully. either way it was something they needed to consider and he wanted constance's input before they did offer danny a rather pivotal role in their mission. the rotting plywood creaked beneath the soles of his shoes when he finally stepped up to the final rung. he turned to constance with a look of amusement, raising the lantern to illuminate his face better. "last chance to abort mission, i'm afraid. maybe karelsa was right; we could just sneak off without danny or mikey altogether. it'd spare us a whole world of troubles, but hell, who am i kidding? what's the fun in carrying out a mission if we don't have their antics to keep us on our toes all night long?"
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vaell
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by vaell » Wed Jul 12, 2023 10:58 am
xxxxxEMILIE HOFMANN.
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxthe chair of the council of economic advisors.
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indentemilie was pleased to hear sera accept her invitation to the pub.
indentintersecting glass shelves mounted on the wall behind the bar housed an impressive collection of lavish, premium quality liquors typically sought after by high society. among the bottles on display were some of the most luxurious tequilas in the market like the ley 925 diamante, packaged in a bottle crafted from pure platinum and white gold and adorned with over four thousand diamonds, or the patrón en lalique, an exceptional blend stored in an exclusive french crystal decanter. the pub was just as well stocked with exclusive rums like the angostura reserva, known for its medium-bodied palate of coconut, molasses, and hints of apple, or gins like the watenshi, composed of a sansho and juniper base and elevated with menthol notes of shiso and the lively acidity of yuzu citrus. aficionados across the nation revere the smooth, complex flavor profiles of the carefully crafted and aged liquors being offered tonight. emilie claimed a seat at the counter next to sera, planting the sole of a cap-toe oxford shoe against the stool's bracing bar footrest to hoist herself on to the chair. she was quick to adopt a position whereby her presence immediately occupied more space, sitting in a manner not far off from what might be considered manspreading. the economist placed an elbow on the counter of the bar, propping up her chin to watch sera from the corner of her eye. though a few other guests were hovering around the vicinity of the bar, this side of the sky parlor felt far less populated than where the president was receiving his many heartfelt congratulations. surrounded by boisterous chatter and uproars of laughter from people enjoying pleasant conversation with one another, emilie couldn't help but feel the tension between her and the other woman begin to set in now, especially given that they were no longer in the midst of their own social companions. she supposed she had nobody but herself to blame for that. judging by the words they've exchanged with each other thus far, it was no secret sera was not very impressed with her right now. she couldn't say she was particularly fond of the younger woman's own behavior either. emilie may not be a particularly perceptive person in the social sense but she knew when her advances were not being readily welcomed. would sera rather she dismissed her presence altogether, steering clear of her until they were all but forced to tolerate each other's company at their designated table tonight? the economist failed to acknowledge the ways in which her own avoidant behavior these last few months might have negatively impacted sera's perspective of her. as a woman herself emilie should have at-least understood the implications associated with sera's unwanted marriage arrangement but she has always been a rather peculiar case when it comes to the way she views the world, her outlook being one deeply and irrevocably shaped by a society supported by patriarchal sadomasochism. having spent the vast majority of her post-graduate career working with some of the slimiest bank tycoons and business magnates dominating wall street emilie was no stranger to the way men viewed their female coworkers. hell, quite frankly she spent a lifetime being viewed and treated as hopelessly stupid and wrong by the opposing gender be it in the field of academia or in the aforementioned world of business. it's why being taken seriously by those such men undeniably brings about a perverse feeling of superiority and pleasure, and ultimately the feeling of being right for a change. at the top of her game emilie headed one of the nation's leading multibillion dollar financial firms and investment banks, a career that certainly exposed her to a surplus of criticism but also an endless supply of quiet admiration from the very men who often looked down on women like her. truth be told emilie could hardly get enough of that sort of bogus freedom and the elation it brought her. she has always struggled against the feelings that come from being oppressed, censored, invisible, beaten down, repressed, unheard, or otherwise insignificant amongst those in their rather conservative society, and it left her with an insatiable desire to feel something, anything. since birth women have been shaped by the patriarchy, a calculated system fueling the bizarre cycle emilie herself has all but succumbed to. from their mother's wombs women have been taught and encouraged to feel a certain sort of way, to replicate and reinforce the traditionalist framework of their society by feeling distrust and hatred for other women in the hope that men may come to welcome them into their ranks as a result. she learned that was safe. in fact, anti-woman feelings are ultimately the only safe feelings a woman can dare have if she wants to persevere in the corporate industry. it should come as no surprise why emilie has all but purposefully tried to distance herself from the inherent female struggle. she would not openly identify with the bondage of her gender and even saw herself as removed from the degradation of their circumstance altogether, delusional and paradoxical as it may seem. honestly, emilie liked feeling powerful and being on the so-called 'right side', which unconsciously meant the men's side against women. the momentary feeling of not being like other woman, or rather not being a woman at all, is an incredibly intoxicating experience that evoked in her a physical and mental dependency not far off from what an addiction might. the very elation of being in the not-woman position just for a while is often so great that she has a hard time relinquishing such a feeling. it's an incredibly short-lived cycle nonetheless. you work to be accepted by your male colleagues but by the time you finally achieve their momentary approval, you don't have time to ride out the crest of that high before it subsides entirely. after all, most men have a way of reminding women not to get too comfortable with their so-called equal status.
indentit does beg the question though; just who is emilie hofmann then, if not a transparent composition of self-made inventions and half-truths? ever since girlhood she's been asking the world how she might best fit in to satisfy people who might otherwise criticize her. the number of times she has changed herself to better fit the way other people want to perceive her should be considered murder by all accounts. you're too sensitive and it makes you look emotional. okay, sure. i'll toughen up. you're far too quiet, you know. i can't even hear you. i'll make sure to speak up next time then. maybe emilie is nothing more than a mere product of the society she was born into, and furthermore an acquired extension of the patriarchy. to achieve what she has in the world of business she's had to be content with people whispering foul things behind her back or even sometimes directly to her face. by the time emilie was a high-profile wall street name with a thoroughly established reputation, she even became surrounded by men who felt comfortable making comments about other women around her because they assumed she was not the type to 'get offended' over a so-called joke. the field she worked in was one teeming with derogatory comments, objectification, misogynistic jokes, overfamiliar remarks, gratuitous comments about physical appearance, and an overwhelming lack of respect for women occupying leadership positions. back when she first entered the world of business and worked as an executive at the financial institution paragon corp. she could recall there was something of an ongoing joke insisting she was only hired to fill a certain gender-related quota. in fact, she couldn't quite remember the number of times her own colleagues 'mistook' her for being a secretary too, an obviously shallow jab solely intended to frustrate her. she found those sort of comments disrespectful on a number of fronts. after all, administrative jobs shouldn't be weaponized the way they most often are, but men do find it hilarious to play into gender-related stereotypes to belittle the achievement of their female coworkers. emilie did not care much to reflect on how trying it was to gain the respect she deserved amongst other wall street bigshots though. she forced herself into the space men claimed as their own and declared herself their peer and equal and that was that. what she didn't seem to want to acknowledge though was the fact that those men were the very same ones who would gladly ridicule her at even the slightest misstep. and that, they did. when emilie noticed where sera was looking, she was quick to redirect her attention to follow the other woman's gaze. her eyes landed on a pair of men stationed at either side of the double doors leading to the bar's mini kitchen, each clad in uniform suits and a pair of dark shades that concealed their eyes. ah. they must be secret service agents. the economist couldn't help but raise a brow when she heard the other woman's comment, an equally amused remark about to roll right off the tip of her tongue before a rather somber voice interrupted what she was about to say. at-least somebody here is having a grand time. emilie's pale eyes shifted at the sound. the humored look on her face was quick to fall at the sight of a d.o.u.g unit now staring them down from across the bar with it's three protruding eyes mounted on flexible stalks, undoubtedly permitting the robot a three-hundred and sixty degree field of view of the sky parlor. jesus christ. already feeling irked from being so abruptly cut off, emilie had to resist the urge to mutter something rather unkind beneath her breath. she had no justified reason for immediately going on the offense when it came to facing artificial intelligence but being raised in a family who made wild and baseless judgements regarding technological advancement in society certainly didn't help much. to condemn the abnormalities they associated with robots and androids her parents often referred to revelation 13:15; and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. it's no secret scripture is often handled irresponsibly by a number of christians who pointlessly push scientific understanding common to their modern society on to the aged text. her parents were guilty of viewing that particular passage in a way that framed john's apocalyptic vision to be future technological change that would bring about damning consequences to the world. when it comes to cybernetics, her family's senseless fear of the unknown was the sort of thing anyone with an ounce of intellect would laugh at, herself included. while emilie didn't attribute her disdain for robots to be stemming from any religious beliefs of her own, she's certainly been slow to come around to the conclave's creations for one reason or another. she wanted to be open to the prospect of technological change and innovation but more often than not she found herself growing exasperated by the programming of their obnoxious personalities or tactless demeanors, much like the mechanical barkeep that hovered before her and sera right now. emilie eyed the d.o.u.g unit suspiciously when it demanded they hurry up and order a drink. maybe you would be better off crushed and recycled into a soda can, she wanted to grumble. the economist shifted in her seat under its three-eyed scrutiny, folding her arms across her chest. unlike the woman beside her who was at-least letting out a laugh over the audacity of the robots behavior, emilie didn't seem impressed in the slightest. judging by her tense body language it was probably better if sera handled the majority of conversation with the robot. after all, this mechanical bartender was not acting in a way ordinary for d.o.u.g units. they were often overly cheerful, affable, or even excessively jovial from her experience and she did not much care to entertain this one's lousy attitude, be it because of improper programming or not.
indentthe robot's tedious explanation concerning the disappearance of the other bartender sera inquired about was one that actually managed to elicit a wink of humor in emilie. she regarded the d.o.u.g unit with a mildly impressed look. in a year, that’s over $9,600 in liquor wasted. a travesty in this business! apparently that thing was business savvy, or at-least capable of being financially conscientious at that. she tried not to chuckle at the exchange that transpired between sera and the d.o.u.g unit. her sarcasm flew right over its head. emilie wasn't surprised to hear the younger woman proceed to order a negroni for herself either. given the assortment of rather pricey, extravagant drinks sera had the opportunity to choose from, emilie's wallet was certainly relieved to hear it. she leaned forward a little on the stool when sera finished speaking, folding her arms on the counter. "uh, i'll have a rye manhattan on the rocks. extra bitters." she added, curt. the economist thrummed her fingers against the marble surface of the counter, impatiently waiting for the robot to get a move on already. of course, the d.o.u.g unit only hovered off after it had the chance to make another few concluding quips. emilie suppressed a scowl as she watched its metallic form float off by virtue of its single jet thruster. her attention only returned to sera when she heard the woman speak up beside her. it sounds like it has one screw too loose and i don't want to be attacked by a robot with a corkscrew. a short, mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "what, you mean you don't carry a plasma sword on you all the time just in case you need to dice up one of those useless hunks of metal into a pile of wire and scrap parts? tsk." while emilie was only kidding, she certainly wouldn't mind seeing this so-called mister buckingham reduced to a pile of rubbish for its insolence. her eyes lingered on sera for a moment before she averted her gaze altogether. the sudden lapse of quiet they fell into was only expected. she could put on a show and be all bluff and bluster in front of her colleagues and the morgan family all she wanted, inviting sera to this and that but when it came down to it, even emilie could not successfully bypass the unease that now lay thick between the two of them. it proved difficult to navigate what has become of their relationship. the feelings she harbored for sera have never been easy to deconstruct to begin with. she cared for the younger woman and ─ dare she say, still loves her ─ but high society does not look favorably upon those who stray outside their beloved traditionalist values, religious doctrines, and conservative tradition. emilie knew well enough just how deeply christianity has become woven into their heteronormative culture. just like her own family, most followers of the faith believe in the traditional family and the authority of a man in the household; everything that having an open mind about sexuality or gender would destroy. they feel threatened by honest engagement with those who do not uphold their homophobic or oppressive sentiments, often meeting said people with disgust, misrepresentation, or even violence. think leviticus 20:13. the old and the new testament of the bible both contain explicitly anti-homosexual passages, and if the bible professes something, then it must be respected, right? in addition to potentially being condemned for her sexuality should such a thing become public knowledge, emilie was already someone accused of apostasy in the eyes of the evangelical church for otherwise abandoning her former religious faith and beliefs. her parents would not forgive her and her sister annika refused to accept her decision to walk away from that part of her life. emilie already knew how harrowing it felt to be harassed, insulted, and disrespected by her own family without the entire world condemning her on the basis of her sexuality at the same time. how could anything as harmless as love be considered so inherently wrong, though? most people hailing from the bureaucratic side of the conclave treat same sex relationships like an abomination not belonging to this world. they would certainly never view the love between two women like emilie and sera as legitimate. emilie has struggled with accepting her own sexuality for as long as she could remember because she did not grow up in an accepting community. her internalized homophobia still revolves around her elaborate dances with guilt, denial, shame, fear, and desire. she grew up with the idea that she was wrong to want women carnally and she carried that notion with her throughout adulthood like it were something she would one day have to atone for. it was not fair how they could not love who they wanted to without risking their reputations, their career, and ultimately their security in the professional and social spheres of society. their relationship would never be taken seriously by their colleagues, critics, or family members. she and sera would undoubtedly be objectified, sexualized, fetishized, and dehumanized should they ever have a chance to pursue a public relationship together. even despite detesting that which strays from traditional norms and expectations, it's no secret lesbians are often lusted after by larger male dominated society simply because seeing two women together appeals to them. that's the thing, though. men just like the idea of seeing two women together. women can only be together for the entertainment and pleasure of men, but if they actually enjoy each other’s company more than the man then oh, that’s bad. insecure masculinity surely has a lot to do with the way people view same sex relationships in their society. it's also why so many men react so viscerally and negatively toward butch women like emilie who don't abide by traditional demonstrations of femininity. she's the exact opposite of their fantasies, androgynous and masculine enough that it starts to bring forward the panic that 'this woman could be more of a man than i am'. a lot of men are threatened by people who are not more in line with gender preconceptions such as herself.
indentsera managed to catch emilie's attention again when she began to inquire about her affairs. whether or not her interest was genuine, the economist straightened in her seat all the same. she cleared her throat a little. "that would be after the state of the union address, actually. i expect the report to be published no later than ten days after the budget of the government gets submitted." she clarified. its relatively easy to distract emilie with her own interests if you grant her the opportunity to speak on them. after all, she's not a particularly modest person. she likes when conversation revolves around her and her work. still, she regarded sera with a mildly entertained look at the mention of her colleagues. "james and roy are helpful enough. and despite what you might be trying to suggest, they're plenty competent." contrary to the way she deflected sera's relatively innocuous remark, she couldn't help but silently concur with her observation. her two colleagues are interesting characters, for lack of a better word. emilie was just being difficult with her right now. truthfully, she's known the two men far too long now. emilie first met roy anderson around eight years ago when commonwealth financial corp. signed a definitive merger agreement with ergo. corporate mergers such as market extensions are common practice, often taking place between two companies seeking to gain access to a bigger market and therefore a more extensive client base. the benefit of combining their business operations was projected to significantly increase shareholder value, and that it did. when emilie went on to step into her role as chief executive officer at ergo, roy remained a part of the firm's advisory board. unlike a board of directors, those who preside on an advisory board do not have any fiduciary responsibility, nor are they authorized to make binding decisions on behalf of the company. rather, they are expected to provide current knowledge, critical thinking, and analysis to increase the confidence of the executive who represent the company, herself included. james glaeser, on the other hand, was someone she met later in her career when she arrived at the washington institute's department of economics. she supposed she was fortunate to have experiences with both her immediate counsel prior to working together in office with them. granted, sometimes emilie almost wondered if they were too familiar with one another. if their earlier debate was any indication, they often fail to see eye-to-eye on a lot of theoretical propositions in the world of academia, especially when it comes to policy analysis. emilie absentmindedly ran a hand through the middle of her hair where it was parted, glancing at sera. "anyway, the report is coming along just fine. while i can't disclose much to you, i can say it's been in the works for some time now. i suppose these last few months have been especially demanding since i've been trying to finalize the ninth and last chapter. coming to the end is always bittersweet, you know. it's been a real pleasure to work on the document but i do miss having a good night's sleep." she admitted, chuckling. emilie figured it was worth casually reminding sera just how busy the report has kept her these last few months and the additional toll its taken on her health. if she could convince the younger woman her lack of communication had more to do with her preoccupied state of affairs than any aggrieved feelings then perhaps she would not be so quick to vilify her. the likelihood sera might buy into that sort of an excuse seemed rather pitiful though. she knew the younger woman was smarter than that and she knew she would not easily take the bait of a false lure. emilie let out a short sigh, speaking in a more genuine manner now. "all things considered though, it's probably a stretch to think i'll even have a chance to relax once the report is out. with the current shape of the economy and its practical and theoretical structure? forget it. i can already imagine the sort of public criticism the release of the report might attract. i don't just mean for the year in review, but for the year ahead too. you must know how it is. someone is always eager to pick apart the importance of certain data or goals. and i mean, that sort of logic can be applied beyond just the report too. if it's not the single-minded scholars suddenly coming out of the woodwork to speak against my recent modeling proposals, then it's my own colleagues finding it humorous to play devil's advocate when they know just how long i've been─"
indent"ah-hem! a manhattan composed of two ounces rye whiskey, one ounce sweet dolin rouge vermouth, and three dashes of angostura bitters garnished with a high-grade maraschino cherry! and for you, a negroni with a one-to-one-to-one ratio of equal parts bourbon whiskey, campari and vermouth, topped with a maraschino cherry instead of a lemon peel, as requested!" effectively interrupting them in the middle of their conversation, two of the d.o.u.g unit's metal arms simultaneously reached out to place their drinks on the bar in front of them, its pincers carefully releasing the circumferences of the pair of old fashioned glasses. emilie pursed her lips at the robot's intrusion, cutting herself off from what else she was going to say. it took everything in her power not to snap at the robot. of course just when she was trying to be somewhat candid and open with sera for once, their mechanical bartender would proceed to talk right over her efforts. the economist couldn't help but glower at the way the three-eyed robot expectantly stared the two of them down. she muttered something under her breath, irritably jamming a hand into one of the jetted pockets on the outside of her blazer to find her wallet. she fished out a buffed calfskin bifold wallet from her blazer, matte black in color and embossed with the rocco giordano logo. opening the billfold, she briefly scrutinized its interior. the wallet was relatively compact, lined with eight card slots and two bill compartments. after a moment emilie decisively pulled out an ergo centurion card between two of her fingers. by the way she was behaving right now, it was evident she was frustrated over making an attempt to engage in meaningful conversation with sera only to be shut down altogether. with the black card now slotted between her fingers, emilie set her elbow on the counter, extending her wrist toward mister buckingham who promptly snatched the card from her grasp. she watched the robot hold her card up between its mechanical pincers. minted out of anodized titanium, accented with stainless steel, and laser-engraved, the black card has become something of a status symbol among the most affluent of conclave society alongside the voyage morgan card. ergo reserves the centurion card for the company's wealthiest clients who meet certain net worth requirements, credit quality, and spending requirements on their gateway card, the platinum card. premium luxury credit cards are currently the most exclusive credit cards on the market and often solely reserved for the ultrawealthy. given that emilie once headed the firm though it's no surprise why she has a centurion card in her name. it's not the only sort of non-cash benefit she enjoyed as the chief executive officer for ergo, either. she used to have access to a number of different ground transportation perks, including company cars, privileged parking, or even a car and driver. additionally, she even had the option of jet travel should she want to board a corporate plane for either personal or business-related ventures. granted, the discouraging logistics associated with animal attacks on aircraft often made flying a less frequent occurrence. it was even typical for emilie to be backed by a private security detail during said travels or public appearances. corporate spending on personal security for high-profile chief executive officers has grown considerably over the last decade or so in light of growing concerns regarding the safety of notable conclave figures. nowadays no precautions seemed too outrageous anymore. mister buckingham was quick to run her centurion card, charging her for the two drinks they ordered in one single transaction. emilie dutifully returned her card to her wallet once the transaction was complete. just when she was tucking her wallet back into her blazer, she heard the robot speak up again. "alas, in a last resort effort to wring you dry, i have no choice but to suggest you two try a bottle of isabella’s islay silver cenél nóengusa for your next round of drinks. as our finest single malt islay whiskey in a quality silver and gold decanter, you might be surprised to hear it's only but a measly $6,200,000 expenditure! and before you ask, yes, you did hear me correctly, so don't be so fast to put all your metal cards away just yet." emilie was quick to interject before sera had the chance to. the last thing she needed was the other woman taking the opportunity to sink her into a couple million-dollar hole of debt. "that's quite alright." she insisted, coming across rather firm. stowing her wallet away, emilie clasped her hands on the counter and gave mister buckingham a forced smile to get her point across. the robot narrowed its three eyes at her before looking to sera. "well then. you're certainly a frugal one, aren't you! my sincerest apologies to your companion here. if you're so keen on turning your nose up at our most refined whiskeys, then you lot sure are missing out on the typical enjoyment and revelry that humans often derive from celebration. ha-ha!" mister buckingham chortled to himself as he began to hover off, quick to attend to another guest taking a seat a few stools down from them before either women might have a chance to get a word in. a muscle twitched in her jaw though she managed to hold back what comment she wanted to make. with the d.o.u.g unit no longer pestering them, the economist silently leaned forward in her seat, taking the base of the lowball glass between her fingers. the cocktail was relatively cool to the touch. emilie eyed the clear amber-colored liquor critically before raising the drink to her lips, taking a slow sip of the libation. the manhattan was just as strong and spirit-forward as she hoped it would be. while she could taste the undertones of herbs and spices in her mouth, the drink packed a certain bitterness that toned the sweetness of the vermouth down a notch just the way she liked it. with the glass still to her lips, emilie observed sera from the corner of her eye. despite the fact the robot made a relatively harmless interjection just moments earlier her composure has been notably disturbed since then. in fact, the economist could feel her vexation simmering just beneath the surface right now, barely constrained. emilie lowered her glass after a moment. the manhattan left a rather bitter aftertaste on her tongue, likely from the angostura. glowering into the contents of her glass to avoid making eye contact with the other woman, she couldn't help but disturb the silence between the two of them. "so, let me guess. i suppose you expect me to ask you what's going on in your corner of the world now, don't you?" she asked the younger woman sourly, muttering something else beneath her breath. there was absolutely no need for emilie to displace her insecurity onto sera right now but her growing irritation was certainly getting the best of her. the d.o.u.g unit successfully exasperated her patience to the point where she couldn't help but grow standoffish. after all, emilie did not particularly enjoy being made to look the fool in front of sera.
indentbefore the younger woman might have the chance to make a remark of her own, emilie carried on, almost petulant in manner. "sure, why not. let's see, how have things been over at bureau? i can imagine you've all been quite busy, all things considered. you know, i think i remember the average costs of violence and crime amounted to about 2.75 percent of gross domestic product this last year. it's a shame crime is such a major impediment to economic growth and development. you and i both know how quickly it leads to economic uncertainty, discourages long-term investment and new employment opportunities, and furthermore erodes the rule of law. correct me if i am wrong, but hasn't the city of pandora continued to report some of the highest crime rates beyond that of the capital or los angeles? i do believe it falls on the bureau to handle the elimination of organized crime that poses the biggest threat to our national and economic security, so i do have to wonder just what sort of prevention strategies are being enacted to combat the influence of criminal enterprises when the data suggests little improvement over the years. oh, but all of that is certainly beyond my scope of expertise though. i'll just have to leave that business to the experts like yourself, won't i?" she laughed, though her words were certainly more fault-finding and provoking than they were lighthearted. emilie was all but carping over matters she had no business trying to stick her nose into, at-least when it came to handling violent crime, that is. the city of pandora, however, was not just some bizarre, otherworldly entity to her like it might be to most conclave citizens. during her nearly seven year tenure at ergo the firm became a leading competitor in the city's housing market targeted toward tainted-bloods, devising and approving intricate financial plans to entice the inhabitants of the wasteland to reject the bottle cap currency they rely on. given the government's ongoing endeavors to assimilate the wasteland populace it's no surprise some of the largest conclave banking firms in the nation offer financial programs that are downright exploitative. conclave banking is typically advertised to the wasteland population as the safe, stable, and proper way to manage one's finances, while bottle cap exchanges are construed as exploitative and vulturine. with their primitive financial practices and knowledge, tainted-bloods are relatively easy to take advantage of. after all, these are the same sort of people who rely on bartering transactions, a practice whereby both parties can simply determine the value of items and provide the amount that results in the optimal allocation of resources. they would not realize if they were being wrongly overcharged on rent or mortgages, nor would they understand how to successfully keep themselves out of debt. the conclave banking system was not designed with the lower and middle class households in mind to begin with. major banks like voyage-morgan lovett & co, ergo, and the d.c. esteem bank group impose outrageous overdraft fees, debit card swipe fees, and atm withdrawal feels in order to combat the fact that many checking accounts are simply not profitable enough. these sort of charges in the banking system lead to significant burden and barrier of entry for tainted-bloods in particular. the largest banks in the nation primarily seek to maximize their profits, often leaving wastelanders otherwise burdened with an excess of fees. still, emilie strongly believed that ergo's services offered tainted-bloods a viable door into the financial mainstream. after all, wastelanders are given the generous opportunity to access different services and conveniences they would never be able to come across in the wasteland. helping low income individuals plan for the future and build financial stability was even something ergo claimed to strive toward. if a notion like that were ever to be true though, then the conclave's major financial institutions would need to reform their practices and services and offer transparency, lower costs, and personalized services to tainted-bloods. banks like ergo are incredibly predatory, holding back certain opportunities for lower income individuals and households to save money, develop their credit, or create financial stability for themselves. emilie was well aware of that and she didn't have any problems with the sort of blood-purity disparities ergo helped expand during her tenure either. it's all just part of what makes the world go round. banks are simply not designed to serve tainted-bloods in the same manner they are pure-bloods. as the former chief executive officer, chairman, and director of ergo emilie not only managed the operations and resources of the firm and made major corporate decisions, but she was also the main liaison between the board of directors and corporate operations in addition to serving as the public face of the company. in the world of business its not unusual to see the positions of chief executive officer, chair, and director being combined into one responsibility. in the case of ergo, it was certainly necessary in order to streamline their operations post-merger with commonwealth financial corp. in general, a board of directors often monitor the operations of a company to ensure its being run in conjunction with the mandate of the corporation and the will of the shareholders, whereas the chief executive officer is the management position responsible for driving those operations. therefore, without having an independent chair, her triply-combined role meant she was practically monitoring herself, a luxury that could easily bring around the sort of abuse common to the position. right before emilie retired from her executive position at ergo several years ago, the company was in a tough spot facing a billion dollar settlement with the federal government as well as a number of losses due to a year of scandals and paying fines. the future of ergo in terms of new leadership rapidly became an popular source of intrigue on wall street at the time. emilie announced she would be stepping down from the company in an early retirement from the banking business but many financial news sources have speculated other circumstances led to her departure from ergo, particularly performance problems. in light of her leave, emilie faced public scrutiny and criticism by a number of online, news, and print outlets for allegedly failing to identify and monitor areas of the company drifting from its mandate and not placing corrective measures to get ergo back on track, something by which many argue a board with an independent chair could have competently executed. a string of conclave company failures have been associated with the relationship of a company's management and board of directors, so any shortcomings linked to a lack of segregation of duties typically heightens that conversation. the practice of combining chief executive officer, chair, and director into one role has been criticized to reduce transparency and accountability due to fewer checks and balances created by having two separate positions with separate job functions. for instance, executive pay can lead to a notable conflict of interest. executive compensation is decided by the board of directors, and a chief executive officer who is also chair can vote on their own compensation. the truth is, emilie was not any better than the next banking tycoon in the conclave financial industry. the board is required by legislation to have members independent of management but that didn't stop her from influencing the activities of the board at large. the type of people who work hard to rise in a company have traits that make them good businessmen but not good people to be around, herself included. emilie made a name for herself in the corporate banking industry by shaping the framework of ergo today, a national investment bank and financial services organization proudly built upon the repeated oppression of tainted-bloods for the so-called greater good.
indentemilie couldn't help but glance at sera again, absentmindedly running a finger along the rim of her manhattan. at this rate, she was all but putting another nail in her coffin by continuing on. "in any case, i'm sure you've been up to your ears with work, no reminders needed. or are your colleagues having to pick up slack for you now that you've been so caught up in the morgan family's affairs? you know, what's-their-faces number one, two, and three? i'm probably missing another one of your other cronies, aren't i? god, those poor bastards will deserve a pay raise by the end of the year." even though emilie wasn't intentionally trying to demean sera, her work ethic, or her capabilities, she was coming off a bit derisive. her snarky attitude seemed to be lingering from their earlier encounter with the d.o.u.g unit and her own personal feelings toward the other woman have been eagerly waiting to seize their conversation. the two of them desperately need to confront the state of their relationship and discuss the last few months but because they can't, it's no wonder certain resentments were beginning to surface behind veiled insults or snide remarks. there is no other viable way for them to hash out their emotions without making a scene right now, and even then emilie has proven herself resistant to the idea of engaging in open dialogue with sera, a prospect that only made matters worse when it came to potentially resolving their ongoing conflict. the notion of making any progress on that front seemed to cease a long time ago when emilie stopped entertaining sera and her efforts altogether. what was at first a slow retreat into solitude, offering the younger woman half-excuses and claiming to be busy, quickly turned into weeks, and then months characterized by an upheaval of sheer and utter frigidity. emilie believed sera's situation with the morgan family to be far simpler than what it was, and a part of that might have a lot to do with the way she perceived her mother growing up. much like how she refused to see sera's point of view now, emilie used to all but blame her parents' miserable marriage on her mother's inability to deter her own father from setting the arrangement up in the first place. hell, according to some tacky gossip outlets she and her younger sister annika are only the products of some sort of corrupted business strategy her maternal grandfather dieter steinhäusser orchestrated for the benefit of medX pharmaceuticals back in the day. those sort of headlines popped up all the time back when she first announced she would be relinquishing control of ergo and appointing an interim chief executive officer, yet another demeaning attempt by the media resorting to speculative rumors to try and draw more negative attention to her complicated departure from wall street. even if there is no truth to be found in those sort of articles or magazines, just what about that accusation screams 'true love'? the truth is, emilie has never known what to make of her mother. the older woman didn't live a life she chose for herself and out of jealousy or resentment for what supposed freedom emilie had, she often made her the object of her critical scrutiny all the time. maybe emilie's mother always saw too much of herself in her eldest daughter and that's why she used to treat her the way she did. she always professed the lord brought her and her husband together but emilie had a feeling that was the only way the older woman could properly cope with her situation at all, pretending as though their marriage was an act guided by jesus christ himself. at the end of the day though, emilie didn't really care to hear what sort of self-righteous excuse her mother might have. the suffocating fundamentalist upbringing she endured as a result of her parents' uncompromising involvement with the christian faith has done nothing but breed a whole heap of acrimony between her and her family. it was bizarre to think that the evangelical courtship they partook in to form their marriage was a concept once deemed to be completely normal in the eyes of a faith-abiding adolescence like emilie. how could it not be? after all, her parents incessantly painted their marriage as the purest form of devotion to the christian faith, like a standard to one day be upheld by both her and annika. honestly, it's a surprise neither of them ended up being forced into marriage with a stranger of their own. emilie had a number of hefty scholarships riding on her admission to the washington institute and she used them as a shield to protect herself from the chance her parents might have any unspoken desires to rip her autonomy away from her. fortunately for them, annika ended up marrying the sort of man her parents would have arranged her to wed anyway. at-least one of the two sisters were still in favor with their parents. regardless, they were both strange people, her mother and father. for individuals so involved in the scientific community, they have no semblance of how to separate logic, science, faith, and religion. maybe that alone says enough about who they are, though. they were each born into strict christian households and that was not something easily escapable even as an adult. emilie herself was no stranger to that struggle.
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vaell
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by vaell » Thu Jul 27, 2023 9:45 am
xxxxxKATARINA SVENSSON.
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa bandit of the strangelove gang.
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indentthe flame from an antiqued brass lighter cast kat's delicate features in a warm hue. frigid wintry air penetrated her fair complexion, reddening the tip of her upturned nose and dusting the curve of her cheeks in a rosy flush. kat lit the tip of the cigarette lodged between her teeth, taking a long drag before exhaling a puff of smoke. she returned the lighter to the leather holster wrapped around her waist.
indentstanding on the porch of their camp's medical clinic, kat's slender frame could be spotted leaning against the foundation of the old building. jagged edges of protruding bricks dug into her upper back as she folded her arms against her chest, lowering her cigarette. though her blue eyes were turned upward to scrutinize the darkening sky, her visage was otherwise obscured by the curled brim of a sandy cattleman hat. fleeting gusts of wind stirred the strands of dark brown hair framing her face, beginning to tousle her loose tresses. though the chilling breeze this evening stung her skin, her shoulders were shielded from the cold by a dark duster coat worn over a taupe shirtwaist and a sable vest. tufts of coyote fur lining the hem of her duster tickled the exposed skin at her neck. the open garment extended past her hips, falling short above her worn roper boots.
indenton the horizon the setting sun made the sky a vivid hue of reds and yellows, signifying the descent of day into night.
indentinnately, most humans do not associate the loss of daylight with pleasant activities. it all boils down to base instincts. as a species one of our major natural instincts is preservation, meaning we have a natural tendency to stay alive, which is easiest to do when we're capable of sizing up what we are perceiving to determine whether or not it may pose a threat. in the darkness though, humans have no security. we cannot utilize one of our most necessary senses for that primitive evolutionary instinct. if we can not see, we can not readily determine a threat and are therefore vulnerable. that very sense of defenselessness can be enough to trigger a chemical response in people similar to knowing a threat is coming toward them. in the light, people feel safer because they can see what is happening and anticipate what might unfold around them, and as a result they are less likely to be caught off guard. people biologically feel vulnerable come nighttime because feelings of anxiety, fear, and rumination begin to run amuck, the result of thousands of years of human survival hinging on the need to be highly vigilant at night. people are most comfortable during the earliest hours of the day because humans are a diurnal species. besides, without technology, fire, or electricity, human beings are essentially helpless during the nighttime, especially out in the wasteland. it's not darkness itself that is frightening, but rather what the darkness can mask. nightfall implies nocturnal predators coming to wake or the roaming of miscreants better left undisturbed. the dark leaves us vulnerable and exposed, and because humans have poor vision in the dark our other senses are forced to compensate, relying on the stimulus of sound to make sense of our surroundings. because one of our most prominent senses are suddenly dampened at night, our bodies will try and compensate by diverting brain function to other senses like hearing. hence, avoiding the dark is merely an evolutionary advantage that has allowed human existence to survive this long. apprehension toward the dark manifests itself, and is perpetuated, by human culture, too. after all, a number of societies associate darkness and nighttime with evil and death. don't think a natural fear of the dark is universal, though. some people are comforted by the prospect of danger looming in the night. in fact, kat used to consider nighttime the most sacred hour of the day. the black scriptures reject the human circadian rhythm and stress the importance of the dark and light cycles for positioning ritual, offerings, and sacrifice to best appease the draelyn prince zaohr. the cult kat was born into made her life revolve around worship. though she didn't realize it at the time, she watched her family and her friends become consumed by religious fanaticism as she grew up. she could even recall her cousin valerie frequently waking in the middle of the night to find her at zaohr's inner sanctum, where in fits of near hysteria she would divulge the so-called divine content of her dreams. her cousin declared herself an oracle practicing oneiromancy, a form of prophetic divination based entirely on the content of her dreams. while valerie was adamant that her dreams served to be predictions of the coming future, kat now had a feeling the other woman must have been using some type of oneirogen plant to help produce or enhance her dream-like states of consciousness. maybe she was ingesting a flowering plant from the aster family, similar to the calea ternifolia, or even an aromatic herb like douglas' sagewort. it would make sense, considering the bringers of salvation used to plant oneirogens for both medicinal and ceremonial purposes. a lot of plants and trees are central to the spiritual practices of the cult. alkaloid-containing roots or bark are typically used in their ceremonies to create hallucinations and stimulate near-death experiences. in fact, acolytes undertaking their initiation ceremony are expected to ingest massive doses of roots or bark hailing from the apocynaceae family. taken in high enough quantities the plant is considered to be toxic, and she knew that because the cult's obligatory rite of passage was a frequent source of adolescent fatalities. on a more regular basis, kat used to offer the root or bark to other cult members to be eaten in small doses in connection with rituals performed at night because it can induce dream-like states with vivid visions and hallucinations. valerie could have been drinking any sort of oneirogen as a tea or placing it under her head at night to induce the divinatory or lucid dreams she experienced. a lot of people take oneirogen plants to help them remember their dreams too, so it's possible they could have made her cousin's so unbelievably vivid. besides, what other logical explanation could explain valerie's deluded convictions? how could her dreams possibly be messages sent to her soul by the draelyn prince himself? from what kat learned from kieran ─ one of the strangelove gang's conclave trained doctors ─ she understood that the mere taste of oneirogen plants could lead to nausea and vomiting, or even worse, mild-to-serve allergic reactions. in particular, when an oneirogen is used chronically the plants can overstimulate the central nervous system and lead to manic episodes lasting for several days, accompanied by insomnia, irritability, delusions, and aggressive behavior. unsurprisingly, her cousin valerie exhibited most if not all of the symptoms associated with overuse of the plant. though it's possible her cousin used to mask the bitterness of the oneirogen by brewing it with osmanthus, flowers which have a compatible scent profile to most oneirogen plants, the other woman would often be so ill come the next morning she needed kat to nurse her back to health. of course, her physical ailment and bouts of sickness only fueled the cult's twisted narrative. the cult's high council claimed valerie's body was having an averse reaction to being used as a conduit between herself and the draelyn prince zaohr, and because of this they announced her cousin a vital instrument to their plans of worship. looking back, the high council practically drove her cousin down a path of pretentious sanctitude and neuroticism. the worst part is, kat used to believe whatever she was told back then and as much as she wanted to blame herself for not seeing through their lies, she honestly couldn't say she knew any better at the time. hell, she used to be a sasteshi priestess. valerie was supposed to confide in her, especially if she was being plagued with so-called visions. in the bringers of salvation, the class of diviners or seers responsible for dream interpretation often have great social influence in their ranks, just like her cousin. they typically join the ranks of the cult's high council, a rather small, enigmatic group of cultists who govern matters pertaining to the black scriptures. even her own father was once elected to the high council, being a healer-prophet himself. kat had a few different theories concerning the bringers of salvation and their quasi-justice system though. it seemed likely that ward ─ the principal leader of the gang and self-proclaimed mouthpiece for zaohr ─ alongside his closest followers only established the high council as a way to convince the lesser acolytes in their ranks that punishment and reward are doled out fairly. maybe they did settle disputes, complaints, and put accusations of heresy to rest, but something more ominous seemed to loom behind their false pretense of an impartial governing body. considering the high council can execute, torture, or persecute anyone according to their crimes by using the black scriptures as justification, it doesn't seem like a stretch to say they likely used their power to carry out their own hidden agenda. she supposed she would never truly know though, and that was the frustrating part. when it comes to her upbringing she had so many questions that would never be answered.
indentkat wasn't necessarily proud of her past or any of the things she's committed in the name of the draelyn prince zaohr, but she supposed it was all a part of who she was now. it's certainly bizarre to think the very thing that once commanded the respect of her fellow cultists was something she felt ashamed of openly admitting now. as a sasteshi priestess she used to play a pivotal role in the cults affairs, officiating sacred rituals, presiding over and leading rituals of worships, performing ritual sacrifice, and acting as a custodian of zaohr's inner sanctum, the largest existing shrine dedicated to the draelyn prince. the most common rite she used to perform was a practice referred to as vudrax in the black scriptures. during this obligatory sacrifice, kat would participate in a sacred procession to the shrine as a priestess, often presenting valuable possessions or carrying important artifacts such as zaohr's circlet of malediction. at the shrine she would then perform a libation followed by a dedication or consecration, then a sacrifice would be performed with the slaughter of a designated creature. after a search of omen, the draelyn prince zaohr would be dedicated a portion of the animal's flesh, which would be burnt at the altar, while the followers of the deity would receive the remainder. the draelyn prince's followers would then host a feast where everyone could dine in the presence of the divinity and establish communion with zaohr. kat also used to officiate private rituals for individuals, such as children who wished to be initiated in seclusion. to some extent she supposed she was consulted as one of the cult's principal religious authorities. the high council used to have a particular set of rules when it came to the venerated position she used to hold though. because her mother before her was a sasteshi priestess born to the daughter circle of the cult, she could serve for life and even gave birth to kat and her younger brother lukas. different standards applied to those born into the servant circle, the third generation of the cult branching off the founding group, the mother circle. priestesses like kat were required to indefinitely abstain from marriage or other romantic endeavors unless they wanted to face certain retribution from angering the draelyn prince zaohr. in the end that decree was just another way the cult tried to undermine her autonomy as a person. the bringers of salvation live by an absolutist cult doctrine, making every issue two-sided with no room for any nuance. what ward does or believes is good, what outsiders do or think is not. fear bound her and other zaohr followers together. the cult framed the outside world as an appalling place full of people who only sought to persecute followers in their ranks, though they also made their own internal world trepidatious, a place in which the high council might be moments away from discovering and punishing a member for not abiding by the black scriptures properly. kat grew up in an environment whereby any chance of healthy identity development was completely disrupted from the get go. she never had the opportunity to be her own person, composed of her own beliefs, behaviors, thoughts, or patterns of emotions. through the use of destructive, non-altruistic means, she was indoctrinated to have an artificial identity in the place of an authentic one. she used to believe the bloody acts of destruction and discord she participated in could help reshape the world, a task that only the enlightened could manage. having a sense of community in the bringers of salvation certainly played a major role in her own identity indoctrination. after all, kat's entire support network was involved in the cult. both her immediate and extended family were bringers of salvation who enforced commitment to the cause by using praise and shunning. just about everything concerning her life seemed normal at the time because she quite literally had nothing to compare her gruesome lifestyle to. she knew other wastelanders conducted themselves differently than they did, but only because influential members of the cult would openly abhor those who do not follow the black scriptures. they felt wastelanders either needed to either assimilate into their religion or face the appropriate penalty for refusing to submit to the draelyn prince zaohr. because the bringers of salvation follow a ruthless code to adhere to the testaments of the black scriptures, the cult has earned itself an ill reputation throughout the badlands and even parts of the dixon wasteland. wastelanders think them responsible for a number of abductions, murders, and devastations befalling different communities, and rightfully so. the gang does not intermingle with the rest of society and remain isolated in their place of worship, though when they do step foot outside of zaohr's prayer grounds, destruction and mayhem is bound to follow. after kat fled the cult she was quick to learn that other people do not take kindly to those associated with the pantheon of the draelyn princes. when she didn't know any better, she used to display her tattoos in public without understanding the inherent implication behind the markings she bore. as a result she would wonder why other people would frequently give her dirty looks in the street or avoid her entirely. the poor reception kat received from other wastelanders made her integration into broader society a complete and utter struggle. on the odd occasion she would even be met with aggressive confrontation from people who have likely been directly or indirectly wronged by the cult, though at the time those such interactions only fueled her dislike for the average wastelander. seen as a heinous, bestial woman for being associated with the bringers of salvation, the way she was treated by the wasteland population did nothing to help her move away from the beliefs the cult instilled about her. in fact, being met by hatred and disgust only made her want to go back to the very place she once ran from. it seemed as though she had no true place in this world, if not in the cult. honestly though, kat couldn't blame anyone for feeling repulsed by her presence in their neighborhood. the bringers of salvation have done horrible things, ruining families and entire communities, and oftentimes forcing people into a religion they wanted no part of. no one should be expected to welcome people openly associating themselves with any malevolent cults. kat was regularly turned down from different inns and often became the topic of quiet gossip the moment she stepped into any given establishment, and deservedly so. nowadays, she's glad people did not have much tolerance for zaohr cultists like her. though she used to take personal offense over the way other wastelanders treated her, she knew now that they were completely justified in behaving in such a manner. single-minded religious zeal shouldn't be accepted by society, and it doesn't matter what her intentions were. honestly, she was not looking to spread the word of zaohr at the time but in the wasteland, people need to be cautious or their lives and reputations may be at stake. she held no grievances toward the people who treated her unkindly. they had every right to do that.
indentkat took a final pull on her cigarette, exhaling a cloud of white smoke. she tossed her cigarette on the snowy ground below her and grinded it out beneath the square toe of her boot. she could wager kieran and talisa were waiting for her inside the medical clinic.
indentpushing open one of the white doors of the building, the paint having been eroded and chipped away by the passage of time, kat brought with her a waft of cold air as she stepped inside. both kieran and talisa turned their heads at the sight of her. she pulled her hat off the crown of her head, setting it down on a rusted cabinet adjacent to the entrance of the main lobby. "hey," she greeted the pair, awkwardly rubbing her hands together as though to ward off the cold biting her through her leather gloves. seated behind the clinic's reception counter, kieran and talisa quietly extended their own salutations to the woman now beginning to approach them. kat knew kieran only just arrived back from one of his expeditions in the dixon wasteland. before he left both her and talisa put in a request for bandages and wound dressings, among a number of other necessary supplies beginning to grow depleted. come this time of the year resources always seem to dwindle faster than usual and she wasn't sure how sustainable it would be to continue treating wounds by the skin of their teeth. the medical clinic they currently occupied was a modestly spacious establishment, lit by a number of lanterns on any viable surface available since the old antler chandelier hanging from the ceiling couldn't provide them any light. kat could already feel herself begin to grow warm from the lit hearth dextral to the entrance of the room. though the building creaked against the wind outside, the crackling sound of fire made the lobby seem a relatively comforting place. a few old collapsible chairs lined the wall of the room opposite to the fireplace, seats where summer camp goers would have once waited before being directed to a private area for medical assessment. a short hallway branched off from the main chamber of the building, where a few separate examining rooms were located as well as the clinic's infirmary. they've repurposed different aspects of the building considerably since a lot of pre-war functions no longer have use to them, such as the reception desk where kieran and talisa were currently seated. there, they would often sort different medicinal supplies or access their established storage of resources. a number of different hanging wooden shelves were bolted to the wall behind kieran and talisa, holding different jars, containers, or bottles with certain medicinal ingredients in them. they were each labeled accordingly and stored on the same shelves for convenience. above the top row of shelves, a plethora of different herbs were suspended clothes-line style with twine for preservation. some bunches of plants with soft petals and leaves were secured in small paper bags to further protect them, a precaution not necessary for sturdier herbs such as rosemary. air drying herbs is a simple technique though admittedly the process does take time and patience. fortunately, the herbs are not exposed to sunlight and remain dry where they hang them. now that kat was standing in front of the pair, she folded her forearms on the stone countertop separating her and the other two healers. the woman leaned over the surface a little bit to peer down at them. the desk they were working at seemed to have a number of different medicinal supplies spread out for sorting. while talisa was in the middle of stowing away some dried plants into dusty mason jars, kieran was separating different roots and tying them into neat bundles. in particular, she could spot valerian root, goldenseal, ginger, and comfrey in front of them. kat couldn't help but grin at the sight, a set of dimples appearing in her cheeks. "woah. talisa got you busy at work already? what a nice welcome back for you, kieran." talisa tried to resist a smile at her cheeky comment, her copper eyes remaining downcast as she screwed a lid onto a jar filled with herbs they collected and dried before the last snowfall. the other woman was notably younger than the man sitting next to her. today her dark curls were pulled back into a neatly combed ponytail, though a few stray locks managed to escape her hair tie nonetheless, tendrils of hair framing her soft features. her flawless bronze skin seemed to glow in the warm light surrounding them. beside talisa, kieran chuckled a little, though he did not bother looking up from what he was preoccupied with cataloging. "truth is, we're just pretending to be busy right now 'cause you strolled on in. before that, we were having a grand ole time kicking our feet up and catching up." kat was used to kieran's dry sense of witticism and his occasional banter by now. he's certainly regarded as one of the more serious, dependable members of the strangelove gang, but given the right company he could crack a few jokes. kat only raised a brow at kieran, regarding him with a look of feigned disbelief. "what, you don't think you can let loose and have fun around me? low blow. if i didn't know any better i'd say you're trying to imply i'm some kind of control freak around here ─ which, by the way, i am not." talisa glanced up at her before exchanging a look with kieran. the expression on their faces seemed to suggest neither of them agreed with her latter remark. kat let out an exaggerated huff of exasperation over their shared amusement, pushing her torso off the counter with a roll of her eyes. as she rounded about the counter to join them on the other side of the reception desk, the aged wooden planks below her boots creaked. she trailed a finger along the edge of the stone countertop, momentarily approaching the wall behind kieran and talisa. kat reached a hand out to check on a hanging bundle of sage. the pale leaves of the plant felt dry in between her fingers, beginning to crumbling even despite her ginger touch. hm. it seemed talisa and kieran had the right idea, beginning to destem and store some of their dried plants. their medicinal supplies relied heavily on contributions from all members of the gang. sometimes they were lucky enough to score a conclave shipment of pharmaceuticals, and other times they needed to rely on the resources offered by wasteland vendors. sometimes people like kaolis would even deliver them some plants or herbs he spotted during a hunting expedition. kat turned toward kieran and talisa despite facing their backs. she clasped her hands behind her. "say, how about that wound dressing and gauze you promised me, kieran?" the older man finally looked up to acknowledge kat, glancing over his shoulder at her. kieran was a man with a receding head of mousy brown hair and a few days' growth of beard on his face. his round facial structure and soft chin made him seem an approachable person. he's always been a reliable figure in kat's life and someone she knew she could depend on. he was technically the first person she met from the strangelove gang, though at the time she didn't really know his affiliation so she supposed jamie still held the honor of being among the first outsiders she formed a bond with. kieran sighed, crossing his arms against his chest while he leaned back in his chair. "there it is. i was wondering when you might ask. you're quick to cut to the chase, aren't ya? i dunno, i'm kind of offended. is that really all i am to you, just someone you send off to run your errands every few weeks? ehm, on second thought...maybe don't answer that." kat pulled one of the remaining chairs up in between the two of them, shrugging her duster off her shoulders as she took a seat. "oh cut it out, you big oaf. we can do without the woe-is-me theatrics today." she huffed, hanging the garment on the back of her seat. kieran silently pushed an open duffle bag out from under his chair with the toe of his shoe. kat looked down at her boots when she noticed the movement in her periphery, spotting a few steel containers imprinted with faded red crosses stored in the contents of his bag. a small smile began to form on her lips. so he did come through after all. kat reached down to pick up a medical kit.
indentopening the container in her lap, she pulled off her leather gloves to briefly sift through the different layers of woven gauze, rolled bundles of bandages, and sterile dressings. she couldn't help but feel relieved at the sight of the different wound dressings. the remainder of the supplies he brought back must have been stowed away already, considering the otherwise empty duffle bag. kat rubbed the side of her face with a hand, leaning forward to set the metal box on the desk before them. "thank you." she sighed, a hint of true gratitude in her voice. while not the most scarce supply on the medical market, it was certainly reassuring to have replenished their declining stock of bandages. kieran worked meticulously to acquire certain therapeutic or curative items for them. he rotated between different medical centers and clinics along the border of the dixon wasteland and the badlands, strategically pulling minimal resources from each establishment during which he spent his time providing care to wastelanders. he works cautiously so as to subvert raising any suspicions, determined not to be caught putting a noticeable dent in any establishments medical supply. that's typically why he can be gone from the strangelove camp for up to a month at a time. it takes awhile to get away with things if you want to maintain certain connections or a reputation. kieran shrugged her thanks off like he always did, reaching across kat to pass a few whorls of leaves of glycyrrhiza lepidota to talisa. "don't mention it. ay, there's a whole load of comfrey we gotta grind up yet. mind getting your hands dirty today, miss svensson?" the side of her mouth turned upward into something of a smirk. she gave him a halfhearted shrug. "eh. i don't know, maybe. i was thinking i'd just sit back while you two do all the hard lifting today. but, if you insist..." she trailed off dejectedly, reaching a hand under the desk to open one of its cabinets. kat pulled out a clean mortar and pestle. kieran regarded her with amusement, handing her a bundle of comfrey root. the way kat acted around the strangelove gang nowadays made her seem an entirely different person compared to when she first arrived to the gang. she used to be quiet, withdrawn, solemn, and eager to avoid the other members of their gang. as her mentor and the very person who introduced her to the strangelove gang, kat often used to solely accompany kieran anywhere he went. out of her own apprehension she missed out on bonding with other people on the daily. during late night campfires and storytelling kat could remember watching silhouetted figures from afar, sitting at the windowsill of one of their old medical clinics to watch the shadows of other people laughing, dancing, and drinking together deep in the middle of the night. she didn't mean to cut herself off from the human experience of joy and happiness but after spending a considerable amount of time in the wasteland losing her trust in other wastelanders, she found it hard to humor the innocuous celebration other people engaged in. kat supposed she came around with time. it took her awhile to feel secure in the group, especially during the periods of time in which kieran would leave her on her lonesome at their camp. she would often spend most of her days busied with sorting supplies in the medical clinic, oftentimes even going so far as to redirect medical concerns or inquiries to talisa or the other healers on duty. honestly, she wasn't sure what exactly made her smarten up. kieran did sit her down one time to explain how much of a nuisance she was posing to be in his efforts to court one of the marksmen in the gang, layla farago, so maybe that helped tone down her dependance on the man. untying the bundle of comfrey kieran gave her, kat picked up a small dish of water on the desk and poured a modest amount of liquid into the stone mortar so that she could moisten the dried herbs. in general, the strangelove gang relies on traditional medicine techniques due to how inaccessible other resources can be. they frequently make poultices, a form of mashed vegetable material applied externally so that the herb's properties can be absorbed by the skin. poultices are often used to treat and reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and quicken the healing of cuts, scrapes, and other sores. making a poultice out of comfrey could enable them to go without using pharmaceutically developed topical salves or creams if need be. using fresh herbs actually have a variety of different benefits, too. poultices have the tendency to draw foreign material from the skin or a wound, and they can be applied for prolonged periods of contact so that the beneficial constituents of the herb can be properly absorbed by the skin over a longer timeframe. of course, the only downside is that they take more time to fully heal a wound, and they tend to be messier than other modern topicals. the latter is easily solved by wrapping the area with gauze or covering it with muslin to keep the poultice in place, oftentimes before sleeping. though crushing herbs or grinding them into a paste is the most common form of herbal application, some of the most effective poultices can even be made with a whole leaf held in place with a bandage. there are several herbs that are considered classics when it comes to making poultices. plantain leaves, chickweed stems, calendula petals, dandelion leaves, and burdock roots are known for their safe and versatile natures. comfrey in particular is well known for its anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerating properties, making it an effective poultice for treating a variety of wounds. most herbs can be used as a poultice, but as a general rule of thumb, any plants that should not be taken internally should not be made into a poultice at all. when applied directly to a wound, the herbs in a poultice will be absorbed into the bloodstream despite being applied topically. kat pressed the blunt, club-shaped pestle in her hand against the inner bowl of the mortar, beginning to ground the moistened comfrey. with talisa and kieran having grown silent on each side of her, the scraping of stone against stone filled the main lobby as kat pressed the pestle into the comfrey, trying to achieve a desired texture for the paste. she watched the dark roots of the perennial herb slowly begin to turn into a thick, pulpy mass. talisa's eyes flickered to the mortar and pestle in kat's hands. when she realized kat was making progress with the forming paste, the other woman reached over to pick up one of the mason jars she set aside, loosening the lid to pull out a small ginger root. talisa silently offered the rhizome to her. "ah," kat smiled, accepting her offer. "good thinking. thank you." the same way changing the temperature of a poultice can alter its healing actions, adding complimentary herbs can also offer a variety of different benefits. ginger in particular is a skin tingling, stimulating herb, often used to help increase circulation to the affected area. it's not uncommon to see kat, kieran, and talisa working alongside each other in such a collaborative manner. with all of three of them having different medicinal perspectives, their joint efforts certainly help fill in any possible gaps of knowledge they may have.
indentjust as soon as she noticed the door to the medical clinic creak open, she could hear kieran let out a rather pointed sigh beside her when he noticed who strolled in. kat straightened in her seat a little, her hands going idle with the mortar and pestle. jamie.
indentkieran watched jamie from where he sat with a look of wariness despite the man only having stepped foot inside mere seconds ago. "well, well, well. would you look at what the cat dragged in. if it ain't mister guthrie here to cause some trouble. good to see you, son." the older man knotted the tie on the bunch of roots in his hands, setting them on his lap. kieran has always been somewhat critical over kat and jamie, but in an almost endearing, protective fashion rather than an earnestly disapproving one. in that way he was sort of like the father she never had. kieran was kat's number one supporter and he knew how much jamie meant to her but that didn't mean he was willing to forgo teasing them. naturally, kieran had some assumptions over what business might bring someone like jamie round. "now i do hope you ain't just sniffing around here to see kat, are ya? what excuse do you got for yourself, some phony 'look-i-stubbed-my-toe, let's go check it out in one of these examination rooms here for a second', type of thing? 'cause i sure hope not. see, i was that age once too. believe me, we don't got time for that nonsense right no─"
indent"shh!" kat interrupted, lightly smacking the side of his arm with her hand. she scowled at kieran before giving an approaching jamie a rather apologetic look. "don't mind kieran. i think someone might have given him some sort of a concussion when he was gone. he hasn't been himself since he's returned."
indentthough kat could hear the older man grumble something in his own defense, she was more concerned by the sight of jamie. she eyed him suspiciously as he leaned against the counter before them, partially obscuring the mulberry colored contusion on his face, the result of a blow or two rupturing the underlying blood vessels of his dermis and subcutaneous tissue. the bruise was a nasty one by all accounts, affecting his nose, jawline, and cheekbone, and accompanied by a cut on his lip. though unrelated to his recently battered sate, the bandaged cut peeking out beyond the collar of his shirt was supposed to be well on track for healing. after all, if she could recall correctly it's been around two weeks or so since he first acquired the wound by the dagger of a volkihar cultist. jamie's almost airy attitude regarding his current state hardly surprised her. it was not uncommon for him to brush off his own discomfort as a mere nuisance or burden. can you look at my bandages for me? it's been bothering me all day and kaolis suggested getting it checked out. i mean, it's nothin' serious. still, no matter how much she expected it, kat still had to resist the urge to frown at his nonchalant demeanor. she had to hold back a chiding comment when she noticed him scratch at his bandages, too. at-least she could silently thank kaolis for managing to direct him over to the clinic. if she knew jamie guthrie at all then she knew he wouldn't have sought any help for himself if it weren't for the gentle prodding of one of his closest companions. a part of her wanted to scold him for being so aversive to asking for and receiving help, but they've probably ran through that same conversation an unholy number of times at this point, and she knew better than to think he might put aside his own reluctancies. jamie was not the sort of person to whine or complain about anything that might be discomforting him. in fact, she could bet he could go days without seeking any sort of appropriate medical care if he really wanted to. he might think himself rugged or tough for it but it only ever displeased kat. she tried to go easy on him when it came down to it, though. it was no fault of his own, being so quick to avoid attending to his own needs. jamie saw his own strength lying in his capabilities, in being able-bodied and proficient in his line of work so that he may continue serving the gang as he needs. the threat of prolonged medical attention pulling him from his usual duties seemed non-negotiable to someone like him, though in the long run his apprehension would only hinder him more than anything else. how can you make someone come around to feeling confident in seeking help? it's a difficult task, though certainly a notion she has tried to instill in him time and time before. he seems apprehensive toward exposing his own weaknesses to the world, and no amount of fluttering around him like a worried mother hen is going to change that. kat often tried to look after jamie in what ways he would let her, for his lack of inward attention worried her more often than not. because the two of them share a cabin alongside jamie's siblings, kat frequently takes it upon herself to casually check up on any of his cuts or wounds whenever she gets the opportunity, no matter his protests. if jamie wasn't going to look after himself then someone had to make sure he wasn't going to come down with nausea, chills, or a fever from leaving a wound to fester. she stopped chastising him over the matter a long time ago and simply took matters in to her own hands, quite frankly whether he liked it or not. honestly, she did not know how jamie would properly function if it were not for her, his siblings, or other members of the gang he considered dear friends constantly checking in on him. kat supposed she was long used to taking on the responsibility of looking after other people. she used to hound her younger brother lukas over his own afflictions ─ which he had a habit of neglecting, especially later in his life when he would refuse to level with kat, least of all seek her out for medical attention ─ and she's had a hard time loosening her grip on her need to control other people so that they might remain healthy. she didn't like to see jamie mask whatever pain he might be feeling either. she found it useless, especially when he had no reason to be ashamed or wary around her. kat knew jamie had faith in her, for he certainly seemed to trust her in managing his wounds, but nonetheless, his skepticism toward helping himself paired with that awful tendency to dodge any external assistance made him a difficult patient sometimes. still, it wasn't nearly enough for him to successfully evade kat's concern. the woman absentmindedly stirred the contents of the bowl in her hand with the pestle, keeping her blue eyes trained on jamie. "don't be silly." she simply chided him, not bothering to acknowledge his deflecting antics. if jamie thought he was going to be able to weasel his way out of this he was sorely mistaken. kat glanced at kieran, who she noticed was still regarding the younger man almost skeptically. unlike kat he was less eager to filter his response. his dry sarcasm was nothing new. "well, valerian root and goldenseal are very important, yes. good observation lad. i see you've learned a thing or two from creeping around here like a curious cat all these years. certainly act as though you got nine lives sometimes, at-least. anyway, do you really think sorting herbs is a three person job now? imagine if we just went around turning everyone away, claiming we're too busy sitting on our asses tying up roots and leaves to deal with you lot. psh." kat tried not to reveal the hint of amusement she could feel tugging the corner of her lips into a light smile. kieran looked away from jamie and to kat. "go on. i know you're itching to volunteer yourself as tribute to check up on those bandages of his. and what the hell am i to do about it? just go and get it over with, will ya? try not to dawdle either, or else i'll be obligated to make sure you two are staying on task. shoo, go ahead."
indentkat was quick to take advantage of kieran's approval, temporarily relieving her from her sorting duties alongside him and talisa. fortunately for them, the new delivery of gauze and bandages kieran brought back to camp with him this evening would certainly prove useful if she needed to replace jamie's old bandaging. with the mortar and pestle balanced in one hand and a newly acquired medical kit in the other, kat carefully stood up from where she was sitting, making sure to avoid disturbing either kieran or talisa while she shuffled around them. the pair watched her maneuver herself around the counter to where jamie himself was leaning. kat set the mortar and pestle on the counter beside him, her free hand reaching out to settle on his forearm. "come on. before he changes his mind," she whispered into his ear jokingly, nodding her head in the direction of the hallway branching off from the main lobby of the clinic. jamie was no stranger to the layout of the clinic by now, even despite not actively working within its confines. she found it endearing if not somewhat humorous how kieran treated them as though they were teenagers looking to get into some sort of trouble. he acted as though they were prone to sneaking around under his nose and doing things they best not. of course, she knew he was only being joking but given how serious he can be at times his remarks sometimes leave people doing a double take. kat has come to know kieran better than she knew herself though. the two of them met under some strange, unconventional circumstances. she came from a medical background derived from the teachings of the bringers of salvation who relied heavily on traditional medicine to aid their followers, but before her mentorship under kieran, kat never held the traditional role of a medic in society. that's why instead of meeting kieran as a colleague working at an old wasteland hospital facility, she met him after trying to swipe some bottles of pills and tablets out from under his nose. back then, when she was living out in the wasteland after spending her entire life in a cult, kat would do what she had to in order to swindle other people and sell their goods at a higher price to the most interested buyer. she frequented local markets but when she started wronging people setting up shop there too, she began to resort to back alley dealings and hushed exchanges in questionable towns. it was only a matter of time before she got caught in her rather successful business of thieving, and one day kieran was the person who disrupted her. strangely enough, he was also one of the few people who did not judge her based on her ties to the bringers of salvation. catching her by the sleeve he managed to reveal a set of her tattoos, the most prominent reminder of her time spent as a zaohr cultist. she didn't want the markings but she did think them a high honor back when she first received them. kat must have been around ten years old when she was granted her first set of tattoos, a series of black lines running from her right shoulder down all the way down to her wrist, meant to indicate her successful undertaking of the cult's initiation ceremony. the bringers of salvation utilize the practice specifically for those born into the gang. considered the purest of their followers, the tattooing they enforce is essentially a form of branding meant to permanently tie and identify a person to the cult. in this way, the cult ensures those born into their ranks feel special or valued, taking a route different than that of the average acolyte forced into the bringers of salvation. all things considered, it is a smart tactic. due to her warped way of thinking back when she was younger she used to look forward to progressing her set of tattoos to indicate her importance within the cult. since her initiation ceremony she went on to gain a set of black inked bands encircling each of her wrists, each signifying a three year period of leading the ritual of sastesh as a priestess, an extremely sacred semiannual rite outlined in the black scriptures. she also gained a few different lines on her fingers that when pressed flush together form a straight line across her three innermost fingers. each individual band marked a period of atonement in her life. the bringers of salvation call it skin stitching, a practice that requires hand-poking a persons skin with needles of bone coated with suet and thread-like material made from animal sinew. though kat does not go out of her way to hide the markings while roaming their camp ─ such as right now ─ the tattooing closely associated with the bringers of salvation have become something of a well-known symbol in the wasteland. considering the cult's mandatory tattooing is reserved for people who grow up to become some of the most gruesome, frightening, and horrific people known to scourge the wasteland innocents, it's no surprise that kat often takes heed to cover her own tattoos when she does set foot in a public space. she knew from experience just how easily the geometric lines on her arms and hands could make her a target for people looking to exact revenge for family members lost to the cult or even zaohr devotees skulking around different towns looking for people like her. so-called defectors of the cause are not spared any sort of mercy. kat fled the cult on a night of a sastesh ritual, a time where most of her fellow cultists were under hallucinogenic influence from certain plants themselves. she knew fully well just how impossibly dangerous it was to leave on foot that evening. that night she marked herself as a target the bringers of salvation would quickly dispose of should they ever come across her in the wasteland. fortunately for her, the zaohr cultists do live an isolated lifestyle, but she knew never to be too comfortable. they are rather keen on bringing to justice those who have abandoned the draelyn prince, and it's something that she has seen firsthand too. catching wind of deserters would often mean nighttime excursions to eliminate the ex-cultists in question, but she's also seen some bringers of salvation take it upon themselves to tear down the people closest to them who defected from the cult. hell, her cousin valerie murdered her own sister solveig in cold blood after she tracked her down across the badlands for months on end. that woman was possessed by a feverish need to obliterate the people who stood in her way or those who might risk dragging her reputation into the mud. as a member of the high council, she was not looked upon favorably for having a sister who managed to flee the clutches of the cult. it made her seem weak, lesser, and even a potential defector herself just by association. well, valerie certainly proved to them that she was nothing like solveig. kat could distinctly remember when valerie pulled out her sister's severed head out from a battered old knapsack and dropped it at her feet. the other woman did not say a word to her that night. she simply left her sister's head on the grounds of zaohr's inner sanctum and let kat deal with the proceeding rituals. that look in valerie's eyes, though. it was something kat would never forget. to think back on it would be near enough to send a chill right down her spine. it was almost like valerie could murder kat right then and there and she wouldn't have had a single reservation sending her to the grave alongside solveig.
indentkat's thumb stroked jamie's arm in a reassuring sort of caress before her hand dropped away from him to pick up the mortar and pestle from the counter. she led him down the short hallway and came to a halt before one of the examining rooms. she could hear kieran and talisa's hushed whispering behind them even as they broke away from the duo. the door of the examining room was left half-open, and inside she could spot a few lamps flickering to ensure the space was well lit. kat allowed jamie to enter the small room before she did, taking heed to close the door behind them, pushing it shut with a shoulder. the door creaked on its worn hinges.
indentthe inside of the examining room was not much different than the lobby of the clinic itself. a few small torn posters illustrating medical education decorated the walls, as well as a faded painting of a cartoon giraffe etched with measurement ticks down its neck, essentially a long ruler on the wall once intended to measure the height of a child. pushed up against one side of the room was an old examination table used to support patients during medical examinations, often the epicenter of the patient and clinician experience during a medical assessment. two foldable chairs were positioned across from the examination table on the opposite side of the room and tucked beneath the surface of a desk, bordered by a sizeable wooden cabinet storing a number of different resources that may or may not be relevant to them depending on the state of jamie's wound. the different examination rooms in the clinic were supplied with the appropriate antiseptics, cotton swabs, gloves, thermometers, needles, tweezers, and even stethoscopes. standing at the entrance of the room, kat offered jamie a small smile. "hey." she greeted him quietly. now that they had some privacy she figured it would be easier for her to reach him at-least. careful not to bump into him, kat moved to set down the poultice she was working on atop the desk as well as the medical kit, silently pulling out a chair for jamie and then one for herself. considering she only wanted to take a look at his bandages, jamie would be just fine joining her at one of the chairs rather than the examination table itself. the woman took a seat, resting an elbow on the desk adjacent to them, using her fist to prop her chin up. she observed jamie for a moment, eyeing the exposed bandages peeking out from the collar of his flannel in particular. after a moment passed her eyes flickered back up to meet his own. "...be honest. how long has that wound been bothering you lately?" she inquired gently, searching his features for some sort of confession. she was not going to drill him for not informing her sooner if he has in-fact been purposefully neglecting the cut but she wasn't so sure he'd readily admit such a thing anyway. kat knew better than to try and linger on what limited desire jamie had concerning the topic of his wound so for his sake, she was going to try and keep matters light. still, that didn't mean she wasn't worried. maybe she could get him to open up a bit more during the course of their time in here. kat shifted in her seat, reaching out to grab the mortar and pestle to display the contents of the bowl to jamie. she smiled at him a little. "either way, you got lucky today mister. as you can see, i've got a promising comfrey-ginger amalgamation brewing right now ─ just in time for my most special patient." she joked, giving him a wink. the bowl in her hands was filled with a thickening mush of green and brown from the different plants she had been in the process of pestling into a paste before jamie's arrival. the innermost sides of the mortar seemed to be stained with crushed herbs once stuck to the internal circumference of the bowl. the woman pressed the pestle against the unrecognizable comfrey and ginger once more, soaking up what bits of moisture still remained within the mortar. after a moment passed kat carefully set the bowl down in her lap, keeping a hand hovering around its rim so that it wouldn't topple over. she used her other hand to help pull her own chair closer to jamie, her knees fleetingly brushing against his own. all things considered, kat was eager to get a closer look at what was going on under those bandages of his. she figured jamie would appreciate some celerity too. now that they were in close enough proximity, she could reach a hand out to him, her fingers delicately trailing along the collar of his button up flannel. "so...as requested, how about i check those bandages for you?" her eyes met jamie's own as though looking for some sort of authorization before proceeding any further. regardless of the fact she was itching to change his bandages out right now she wanted to make sure he was comfortable first. it was not going to help him much with his reluctancy if she suddenly began unpeeling his bandages and poking around his cut without fair warning. as kat observed jamie's countenance she couldn't help but recall kieran's near scolding earlier. her expression lightened into something more amused at the thought of the older man. her ginger touch turned into a slight tug at jamie's collar, teasing. kat leaned forward in her seat a little, her face drawing near to his own. "and before you get any smart ideas, you're not going to try and charm your way out of this, yeah? and no, these walls are not soundproof either, wise guy. or did you forget?" the corner of her mouth turned upward into a playful smirk. she loosened her grip on his flannel, but the moment jamie gave her the confirmation she needed kat was quick to center her attention back to his wound. her hand trailed from where it remained hovering at his collar and to the front of his shirt. as she began to work on undoing the topmost buttons of his collar, the pale red material of his flannel fell away, revealing the majority of his bandages. though kat remained focus on the task at hand, she did make an effort to try and coax jamie into a conversation that may distract him from his impending discomfort. she placed the poultice on the desk next to them so that she could take his hand in one of her own. she searched his umber eyes as she undid the final button at his collar, giving his hand a slight squeeze. "hey, why don't you tell me all about your little hunting trip today, hm? speaking as a proud freeloader, i sure hope you lot brought back more than just a few scraggly vermin. oh, and jamie?─" she interrupted herself, pulling back the side of his shirt to fully reveal the bandages along his collarbone and extending down his chest. her eyes flickered back to his own though this time around, her expression was not a particularly enthused one. "what did i tell you about messing with your bandages? i saw you earlier, you know. that better not become a bad habit, baby."
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