futurology | VIDEO; UN: HAWKEYE

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VIDEO; UN: HAWKEYE

[Instead of any person, the scene presently on the screen is of a backpack lying in the snow, overflowing with child leashes in a variety of different colors and patterns. The voice that pipes up has about as much warmth as the chill tundra wind and is just loud enough to cut through the continued wailing of infant squidges nearby.]

It appears that some of our superiors question our ability to properly watch over these small creatures.

[Though if the delivery was sent in earnest rather than as a practical joke, she can't say she disagrees with the assessment, at least not with regards to a certain subsection of Team Audentes. (Fortune might favor the bold, but it certainly won't favor anyone lacking basic common sense as far as she's concerned.)

Regardless, she presses on.]

While I should hope that none of you will need one at the moment [judging u if you put a leash on ur infant squidge tbh] some of you may find them necessary at a later point in this mission. There seem to be enough for each recruit to have one.

[Unfortunately.

A brief pause follows, enough time for a resigned sigh.]

With that said, if you are concerned about caring for a living being, I'm sure there are several of us willing to provide advice.

(ooc: i bought a bunch of child leashes as an ac reward as i was completely out of ideas, feel free to handwave your character grabbed one.)

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[He gets a nod in reply before her end goes dark. The camp isn't all too large but with a squidge, two backpacks, and a dog in two (who, thankfully, is capable of walking himself at a reasonable speed) the journey still ends up taking a good fifteen minutes. When she does finally arrive, Shizuo gets a quick nod of greeting.]

Thank you for offering to do this.

[It's a better use of these things (in her mind) than their actual purpose.]

[The feed cuts, and Shizuo settles to wait; he and his squidge have ended up sitting near one of the larger fires in the camp, which probably goes a long way to helping Riza locate them now. It's also warm right here, at the very least, so the fifteen minute wait is hardly an issue.

Spotting a familiar face approaching at length, Shizuo pulls himself to his feet to greet her properly. He's layered a couple pieces of the ALASTAIR uniform over his bartender's suit (and it honestly probably looks pretty silly...but it's warm!! whatever), squidge tucked underneath in his waistcoat, its head poking up under his bowtie to stare at these proceedings. Shizuo tips his head a bit in return at the nod of greeting, mouth quirking for a moment around his unlit cigarette at the sight of the bags and...oh, a dog. Another dog?? Just how many people have dogs around here, anyway?]

Uh--yeah, like I said. It's not a problem. [Tearing his attention away from the dog before the pause gets too awkward, ah. Aki babbles something equally even in tone but utterly unintelligible at the new squidge in vicinity; Shizuo pats at it gingerly.] Shouldn't take too long either, hopefully...how many of those leashes did they actually give you, anyway?

[(Hey man, hers was the original dog.)

The babble from Shizuo's squidge is met with a low trill from Riza's own; nothing quite like seeing one's closest of kin (at least when compared to two-legged humans and four-legged dogs) to cheer a baby squidge up.

As for the question...Riza lets the extra backpack fall to the snowy ground, nose wrinkling.]

Too many. [But actual numbers might help, so she sifts through the bag with a free hand.] I'm guessing there's more than enough for all of us.

[(Did you start the cool dog trend with your cool dog Riza...you should be proud....)

As their squidges promptly start up their own equivalent of pleased squidge conversation, Shizuo draws forward, peering into the bag's contents from above while Riza begins sifting through it.]

That many? Hah, I'm not even sure how many people there are on this team thing, but I'm guessing it's a lot...

If only half of them are animals or something this still shouldn't be too bad, at least.

[(You bet she is...)]

It looks like closer to a third....

[But even so, that's a lot of potential stuffed animals. Carefully, she sorts them by type, piling all the useful ones next to Shizuo.]

Are you sure you won't need any tools for this.

[She's still a little dubious, sorry.]

[Riza sorts them out, and Shizuo moves to pick them up accordingly, straightening with arms full of animal leashes. He blinks at the question, craning his head down to peer at the lot of them. But eh...]

Nah, it'll be fine. It looks like the leashes are pretty much just sewed on? That's easy. [He looks back up, pausing for a moment's thought before tilting his head vaguely in the direction of the nearby campfire.] Uh...you can hang around for a bit while I'm at it. If you want? Might have these done in about an hour, so we could sit over there where it's warm.

[This is how you invite people to things...right.....he rocks back on his heels, neutral expression shifting to something very nearly sheepish for a moment as another briefly awkward pause sets in.]

Though, if you're busy with other stuff that's fine. It's fine either way. [Nailed it.]

[The unsteady phrasing of his offer doesn't go unnoticed, and she glances sidelong at him for a long moment as she assesses the intent of his offer. Seems harmless enough, not to mention Remington's staring brightly at Shizuo's squidge, as if demanding squidge playtime.]

There's not much to do currently. I was planning on mapping some terrain, but it looks like Remington wants to play.

[Yes, she did in fact name her squidge after a gun, don't judge.]

[GOOD THING HE KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT GUNS INCLUDING COMMON GUN NAMES...judges in spirit instead....

The long moment that Riza takes to consider his offer certainly feels like an uncomfortably drawn amount of time, for sure--almost enough for Shizuo's awkward fidgeting to get a bit more pronounced, while he casts out for a way to reassure her that it's fine if she doesn't want to stick around, totally cool, don't mind him, he's just really bad at this sort of thing--

--Though her eventual response ends up being a lot more positive than expected? Shizuo blinks, and glances down before the bit of relief gets too obvious on his face; he tries to pass it off by addressing the squidge under his chin.]

Yeah? Aki might be interested too, in that case. Ah, what do you think, huh? [Aki stares up from Remington to Shizuo, offering a quiet babble of a response. Shizuo nods slowly as if this response was not, in fact, an indecipherable babble.] Sounds like a yes...guess that settles things, then.

[Shizuo straightens, offering Riza a very brief smile before he turns and starts towards the campfire with the armful of leashes in tow.]

[Ah....thanks.....

But the truth of the matter is, while there isn't much for her to do save for watch Shizuo take apart child leashes, she's never been one to place her needs first. What's more important right now is making sure they successfully complete this mission, and that means keeping their squidges happy and content, mostly through further interactions with their fellow squidges.

(She has to admit though, it's nice not to be alone all the time. Maybe she needs this as much as her squidge does.)

His smile's met with a faint one of her own, though her tone quickly turns practical as she follows behind.]

I can keep them entertained while you work on the leashes. It seems only fair.

[Once they've reached about where Shizuo was sitting before Riza arrived--close enough to the fire for the warmth to wash comfortably over the area, most of the patchy snow in the vicinity dried away--Shizuo settles down and dumps the pile of leashes onto the ground beside him, before moving to unbutton his waistcoat just enough to free his squidge from inside it.]

Well, if you want. I have a feeling that job's going to be a lot more difficult than mine, though...not sure if that's going to be fair or not. [It's a wryly humored response, at least.

With a rather unnecessarily slow amount of care, Shizuo lifts Aki from himself and very gingerly sets it onto the ground in Riza's direction; honestly, he's still more than a little nervous about touching the squidge too much, and that probably shows about now. Unfortunately, though, Aki also doesn't like straying far from him generally, and almost immediately sidles up against Shizuo's leg as soon as it's on the ground, even as it stares over with intent curiosity at Riza and her squidge. Shizuo sighs.]

Aki's kind of shy I think, sorry. Doesn't like wandering too far at all--kinda weird for a kid, if you ask me. Go on, be rebellious like you're supposed to... [This last bit directed more at his squidge, Shizuo nudges it with his leg, bumping it towards Riza and Remington. While Aki begins its first wobbly and tentative steps in that direction, he leans over to take up the first child leash in the pile.] How's it going with yours? Seems like everybody's got their hands full...

[Dryly:]

I've done my fair share of babysitting.

[Admittedly of only adult men and not oozing balls of clear gelatin, but surely there must be some similarities between the two? (If anything, surely the squidges won't be inclined to intentionally earn her ire...) It's a fact she's quick to make clear, her usual stoic expression faltering some.]

But never of kids [things??] this young. I raised Hayate, but training a dog is very different from raising a child. [Almost thoughtfully:] I never thought I'd have to.

[Remington watches Aki with wide eyes, though it leans forward with interest.]

[Aki wobbles to a halt about half a foot away from Remington, evidently not entirely certain what to do now that it's actually gotten this far. It hesitates for a long moment, before finally extending a stubby arm in Remington's direction with a practically apologetic burble.]

Yeah? That puts you a step ahead of me, then...I've never done any babysitting at all. Unless you count a cat once, maybe.

[And that wasn't even for longer than a few hours at most...never mind how utterly different from a cat these current charges are. Shizuo punctuates the remark with a small sigh, absentmindedly, arranging this first leash in his lap and then very deftly starting to pluck off the leashes.

There's no visible effort or particular strain whatsoever. He doesn't even try to tear at the seams or anything; he just snaps the leash parts in themselves clean off, leaving stubs where it's sewn behind. Not the tidiest thing ever, but hey...

Thoughts visibly only half on the task at hand, Shizuo glances back up at Riza at her clarification.]

Dogs are probably really different. Easier, I bet. Ah...but that makes two of us. Never thought I'd ever be taking care of a kid like this either. [He glances down again, a small frown creeping onto his features.] Always figured it wouldn't be very safe for any... [Another piece of leash is torn off as if it were a blade on a piece of grass instead of a fabric weave.]

[Her attention's drawn to the work at hand, eyes carefully watching the efficacy and ease with which he completes his work. Even after ten months, the ubiquity of such skills like magic and inhuman strength and resilience still trigger a small blip of surprise. But maybe that's not so much of a surprise, after 26 years of an otherwise normal life.

Idly, she picks up on of the now-separated plushes, turning it around in her hand so that its goofy eyes and smile are peering back up at her. Like but not like the toys she'd had growing up, more present in her life than her father than been.

Speaking of fathers—]

No plans on becoming a father?

[He seems around the right age for it, as far as she can tell.]

[Shizuo starts on another plush, unaware of the attention being bent to his process in getting the leashes off here. He's only more sidetracked when Riza asks that particular question too--it clearly catches him off-guard enough that he nearly drops the harness he's holding, fumbling with it and glancing up at Riza in surprise.]

--Huh? Oh, no...no, don't think so. That'd be pretty unfortunate. [For the kid, that is. In entire honesty, the idea in and of itself isn't...terrible? But he doesn't think he could ever bring himself to risk something like that. (What if the kid inherits his strength? His temper? ...No, he wouldn't wish that on anyone.)

Shizuo's small frown deepens as he stares back down at his leash and, after some pause, resumes breaking things off. With an exhale of air rather close to a very small and dry laugh:] Besides, you ought to be married for something like that, and that's definitely never going to happen. So it's not anything I'm worried about.

'Unfortunate'?

[It's an echo of his statement but colored by surprise. Not the descriptor she would have expected, from the impression she's painted of him so far. (An overall kind man, and responsible at that if his behavior around his squidge is any indication.) Her own interest in serious dating and marriage is near non-existent, but she can see why others might show an interest in him.

Dryly:]

You don't seem like that bad of a marriage prospect.

[Behind them, Remington and Aki have started up a game of fumbling pattycake.]

[It's really a very cute game of fumbled pattycake. Aki is losing somehow, but that isn't stopping it from trying its (polite) best anyway.

By all means Riza's remark could almost qualify as a compliment. In fact, it's alarmingly close enough that Shizuo actually visibly winces a little. Automatically folding in on himself a bit where he's sitting, he shifts to set aside another freed plushy and takes up a new one, averting his eyes all the while and rather thankful for the shades he's currently wearing all of a sudden.]

--Well, that's a surprise, then. [It's almost a mumble, half to himself. He prods at the fabric ear of the cat-shaped harness he's just picked up, twisting it a little between his fingers.] ...But yeah, 'unfortunate'. I'm not a good person for any of those sorts of things.

[Oh, right...he starts on the leash parts now, belatedly.] Guess that's probably a weird thing to say, but it's true.

[Wow, and here she was just trying to be nice....

His discomfort's surprise enough that her smile fades, replaced by a frown. She's met plenty of men in her life, the majority of whom have always preened at the slightest hint of approval. It's a surprise to hear her statement rebuffed, and even stranger to hear it entirely contradicted. She probably ought to leave things as they are, but ALASTAIR's taught her a little bit - that people arrive and leave quick, rather than stick around for the long haul.

Her hands still in her lap, the plush forgotten.]

Why do you say that? You don't strike me as particularly abusive or extremely irresponsible.

[Sorry Riza he's kind of allergic to the complimentary form of nice....the woes of rock-bottom self-esteem.

Which, yeah, his rock-bottom self-esteem is really not helping this conversation get any more comfortable at the moment; the discomfort is very clear and growing in Shizuo's features as he glances up from the leash to Riza again, caught off-guard yet again by the question.

Ah...he doesn't usually talk about things like this. He doesn't really like talking about things like this. ...And nobody's ever been brave enough to ask? Even Tom-san would usually drop this sort of topic, around this point...

It leaves Shizuo a bit at a loss on how to proceed, returning Riza's frown with a troubled one of his own. But at length, he ends up deciding to proceed how he usually does. ...Which is honestly.]

...Well, I try not to be those sorts of things, no. I don't want to be. But I'm not a very safe person to be around. [His eyes drop down to the leash; it snaps free effortlessly.] My temper isn't very good. I don't want a family that would have to stay away.

[No....they're gonna work on this!!

Which, frankly, is a bit unlike her usual self. She's never been one to pry or step over the line from polite to overly personal, but clearly ALASTAIR's had more of an impact on her than she would've expected. (Funny what ten months of near-constant life or death situations will do to a person.)

The reasons he gives, after some silence - during which she turns to watch the squidges play - makes sense, even if they also make her frown.]

I haven't seen much of a temper from you yet.

[Though she can imagine how a temper combined with extreme strength might cause problems. Carefully, she sets the plush in her hands off to the side before lifting her chin to stare straight at him.]

If you didn't have that temper, if things were safer....would you want a family?

[What...how do you work on this....nobody's ever wanted to work on this??

The level of interest Riza seems to be taking in this is certainly more than a little odd to be on the receiving end of too. Without the benefit of having known Riza as she was before ALASTAIR's impact, Shizuo is assuming this is simply the sort of person she is. But it's still...something else. Aside from the immediate discomfort of the topic at hand, Shizuo isn't quite sure what to make of it yet. She isn't being obnoxious about it, or pushing too hard or too carelessly--novel things. He never talks about this sort of thing back home because there are so very few people to talk about it with without the heavy weight of risk hanging overhead. But it's...weird around here. Different. Riza remarks on Shizuo's absence of temper thus far, and Shizuo has to huff a small laugh at that himself.

He's surprised too, honestly. He hasn't attacked anyone in weeks now...]

Yeah, I guess you haven't yet. It'd be good if it stayed that way...

[But surely it isn't going to last. It never does--which is why the suggestion Riza brings up now is such an odd one. Shizuo stares back, frowning and uncertain. If he didn't have this temper...?]

...I don't know? There's not much of a chance that's ever going to happen--so I've never thought about it. [Not a good enough answer, though, is it? Freed of its leashes, he turns over the plush animal in his hands, frowning down at it. He thinks about Tom-san, easily confident about the fact Shizuo might find a cute girlfriend someday despite everything. Then, for some reason, he thinks about little Akane--small and cheery, surprisingly easy to get along with when not trying to murder him. Sort of endearing. He'd always wondered if that was what having a little sister might be like--or maybe even a...

Hm.]

...Maybe. [This is surmised a bit quietly, his frown taking a brief, almost wistful curve. Shizuo sets the plush down next to its slowly growing pile of fellows, looking back up to Riza.] What about you?

It's not to late to start, if that's something you want.

[A 'maybe' is good enough for her, and all the affirmation she needs to save this particular train of thought away for another time. Another time, because it feels innapropriate to push so hard so early, and because somewhere in the game of pattycake Remington seems to have started banging its flippers into the snow and inadvertantly gotten one stuck.

Oh dear.

Shizuo's question goes ignored a minute while Riza picks herself up and goes to unlodge Remy's flipper from the snow. Then, once that's done, she turns back.]

I gave up on the idea of having a family a long time ago.

[Her expression's accepting, though colored by faint wistfulness. Not for any forsaken family, but over the number of future paths closed to her now.]

Well. It's not really a matter of lateness, yeah...

[He's back to an awkward half-mumble again, as he opts to sort of agree with this. Just admitting having a family wouldn't be half-bad was already weird enough, after all, and the topic is certainly edging into something a little bit much on his end. Shizuo's already half-wondering if he should have asked at all, too, as Riza shifts to rescue her squidge first and a pause settles.

Shizuo reaches for another leash while he waits, wondering if it's too late to apologize and try taking it back. Aki, as oblivious to the heavy conversation at hand as Remy's been up to this point, sits back and giggles quietly as the latter squidge's flippers are freed from the snow.

And then that crisis is averted, and Riza's turning again. --She answers after all. Ah...

It's Shizuo's turn to frown a little at Riza's expense, this time, fiddling at the leash portion of a round panda harness.]

I kind of want to say it isn't too late for you either, but I'm figuring it's probably more complicated than that... [So he ventures at length, tugging at fabric. His eyes drop; Shizuo sighs, half a laugh hidden somewhere in there.] Guess that makes two of us either way. Ah, even if it's probably for really different reasons...

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VIDEO; UN: HAWKEYE

migrates over to action now

sounds good!!

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ohhh my god i'm so sorry for this delay

wow how dare u, never tags again

nooooo forgive meeee

nah it's too late, pls accept your fate

:'(

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