Operation 34 | [Video]

[orlokbutterfly]

[Skyhouse Suite 102]

[Gale had been in a bit of a rut in recent months, what with working another term as Guardian and all. It hadn't necessarily been a bad thing. It meant he was out and about more, and actually doing good instead of sitting around in his clubs and getting the locals plastered out of their minds. Today seemed off though. He couldn't shake some awful feeling he had. Faye hadn't shown up today. Her not showing up for deputy work wasn't right. Something had to be up.

When he found a break in work, he returned home to the Skyhouse. Maybe she wasn't feeling well. He knocked on her room door, waiting a few moments in between, but received no answer. Against his better judgment he stepped in the room, only to find it empty, with the flowers and box of candy he snuck into her room sitting untouched on the dresser. That awful feeling he had only worsened, spinning on his heel and leaving the room as he pulled out his device. He scrolled through the contacts, now looking frantically for her name. His hand began to tremble as he began to mumble "No" over and over.

His device slid out of his hand and clattered to the floor, grasping his head with his hands as he stared wide eyed at the device.]

It. It can't. No. No, no, no!

[Gale dropped to his knees, letting out an anguished scream.]

[Video]

[Gale had been staring at his phone for a good solid ten minutes. This didn't feel real. He didn't want it to be real. His hand shook as he slowly turned the video on. He was aiming for audio only, but he got video by accident, so to hell with it. He was slumped on the floor as he gave a blank, empty stare to the screen as he gave slow, shaky breaths. Then he quietly spoke.]

Faye is gone.

[His voice was strained. He didn't want to say it, because that all but confirmed it. He inhaled sharply before he gave a dry, pained laugh which completely betrayed the unreadable expression on his face.]

I guess this means Nova will be lookin' another deputy again, huh? Because why the hell wouldn't this happen?

[He gave another strained laugh. This really was his luck, wasn't it? There was nothing to do but laugh, right? Right?]

Comments

[Private Video]

[alwaysimpaled]

Get your ass over to Devil May Cry. No, you don't have a choice. I will drag you if necessary.

[Private Video]

[orlokbutterfly]

[Gale continued to stare at the screen with an empty gaze, almost as if he didn't even hear Dante's demand initially, but he finally scoffs.]

You sure I'm the kinda company you want right now?

[Private Video]

[alwaysimpaled]

Honestly? Probably not. But if you think I'm going to just let you sit over there and stew in your own misery, you've got another thing coming, buddy.

[Video]

[swordprincess]

[Karla pauses before she answers the post. Gale seems to have changed a lot. Perhaps it's because he's been serving as Guardian, or perhaps it's because she hasn't kept in touch with him, which she feels bad about. She still considers him among her handful of friends.]

...Are you all right?

[orlokbutterfly]

[Gale himself was particularly bad with keeping up with people sometimes. The Guardian work certainly didn't make him any better at it. It takes him a moment to register that someone else was talking to him and he shakes his head.]

I'm... fine. [No, he's not.] I just hate when this shithole proves me right.

[swordprincess]

...Right about what?

[She doesn't think this place is bad just because people come and go. She understands the pain of losing someone that one cares about, but is anyone really to blame?]

[Video]

[generalgrievous]

[He recognises that pain, but he keeps it business-like, not wanting to intrude in a more personal way.]

I am available to see to new recruits or take over extra duties, as need be.

[orlokbutterfly]

[Gale certainly appreciates that stance. He was one to get easily tired by the sympathy card.]

Thanks. I might take you up on it. I gotta figure out if work will be a good distraction from this shit or if it'll cloud my judgment.

[It may depend heavily on the company he keeps.]

But if you have any recruits in mind, let me know.

[generalgrievous]

Keeping busy can be a great solace to one's mind.

[Video, private]

[sleepingbagsensei]

[Well, shit.]

Hey.

[Probably the person he didn't need to see, but whatever.]

I'll buy a couple a drinks from your place, but you need to drink some too.

[Talk about an odd invitation.]

[orlokbutterfly]

[Really, Gale didn't care who he saw right now. All he knew was that none of them were Faye, nor were any of them going to be, and that was a fact that he had to make himself accept. It's not like he was the only one that would be affected by Faye's leaving anyway. It wasn't like this is some isolated thing only for him. He hesitates but laughs weakly.]

I'm not sure my stock has anything strong enough to get me smashed, but I can sure as hell try.

[Sure it was an odd invitation, but he's in no position to refuse right now.]

You sure you want the potential of a drunk cyborg on your hands?

so late it hurts.....

[sleepingbagsensei]

Meh. Not the first time I've drank people with metal in their system.

[Gale, weird stuff is normal in his world. At this point he doesn't care.]

If I start mistaking objects with people, it's safe to assume I'm done.

Video

[priceofmagic]

Guardian Gale...

[Satou isn't sure what to say. She remembers Faye, and never once considered that she might someday be gone.

She also remembers losing Katsuki, so knows this must hurt.]

Would you like for me to send one of my Deputies over, temporarily..? Bulla knows a lot about Nova...

[orlokbutterfly]

[Gale knew it would happen someday - shit like this always happens, especially to him - but he let himself get blinded long enough that he wouldn't be prepared for the inevitability. He slowly shakes his head.]

No. Don't worry about it. I'm not gonna leave your side short handed.

[He pauses briefly, his eyes gazing away from the screen.]

I'm... sure there's plenty of good candidates to replace her.

[Saying "replace her" just felt wrong, even if "deputy" was just an empty title that would be carried by any schmuck in this place.]

[priceofmagic]

I'm not talking about the longterm, Guardian Gale. However, I precisely chose to hire four Deputies-- one for each archway,-- so we could provide assistance when necessary. So if you need Bulla's help, until you find a substitution, I will pass the message.

I'm sorry about your friend.

video;

[om_nom_namur]

Damn it. That girl never gets time t' enjoy shit when 's good.

[orlokbutterfly]

[He hesitated in responding. Were things really good for her? He sure as hell didn't know.]

This shithole is a little too good at bein' able to ruin everything, huh.

[om_nom_namur]

[As far as Namur knew they had been- for a little bit, right there at the end. She'd gotten what she was looking for, after all.]

Seems like it don't try too hard most a the time. There's shittier places t' be. But the random comin' an' goin'... that always happens.

..... Y' gonna be okay? Look a li'l more shook up than normal...

(Video)

[decisiveconquest]

We will survive without one for the time being. (Her voice is soft and soothing.) This is a time for you to mourn.

[orlokbutterfly]

[Was it though? Could he even allow himself that luxury?]

I'd like to think so, but I'm still one of Nova's Guardians. I can't get complacent on my duties.

[Or maybe he was trying to trick himself into thinking that to try to lessen the pain.]

[decisiveconquest]

Leaders must have a balance. We are human and you need to find a way to relax.

(She has cried in private and felt the crushing weariness of grief. Pretending anyone is above it is...a waste of time.)

[Video]

[fashionably_strong]

[Well, damn. Though Bulla hadn't been as close to Faye as Gale had, Faye was a friend and will be missed.]

I'll mainly be doing deputy work in Genessia, but if there's an emergency, I can help out with it. Flying means I can get there pretty fast and I do live in Nova, so I know the neighbourhood.

[orlokbutterfly]

Thank you. We should be fine still. We won't fall apart without her.

[He is but the rest of the team won't.]

We'll just. Have to find a replacement for her, is all.

Action

[coldstar]

[ Andy has become a busy woman, with two jobs and a growing hyperactive dog to take care of. Even as an Archon, her mind and body can still get exhausted. Sleeping in her room, her eyes open wide with a sharp jolt kicking her body awake upon hearing Gale's scream from the other room. She pulls her gun from under her pillow to storm out of her room to Faye's, seeing Gale on his knees and holding his head. With Faye not in the room and Gale's reaction, it was obvious what just happened. Andrea puts her gun behind her, tucking it on the band of her shorts to approach Gale and kneel beside him ]

Gale? Hey. Hey, talk to me.

[orlokbutterfly]

[Gale almost didn't seem to register Andy's presence immediately as he stared blankly towards the floor. His body trembled as he gripped his hair, crumpling further towards the floor while he let out shaky, uneven breaths.]

She's... she's gone, Andy. She's just... gone.

[His voice cracked. Saying it out loud like that hurt. He had to come to terms with it, but goddammit, why her? Why now?]