Office Hours - We Could Be

[shieldof]

[Faith's door remains closed, the brass "PRIVATE" plaque silent and unyielding. Trying to force the door yields no results, but- she said you could contact her here, so just go ahead and knock. Worst case scenario, you're no worse off than before, right?]

((OOC: Please tag your top-levels with the appropriate week and day.))

Comments

[shieldof]

This is likely to take quite a bit of time, Lady Shannon- is there anything you can offer to help narrow the search besides his name?

cw implied child drowning

[reflectsdargent]

[ Her jaw clenches a little. ]

He's black. He's ten. He has a dog named Vincent. We were on the same damn plane crash. He might be soaked in ocean water and speaking in tongues, is this helping?

Re: cw implied child drowning

[shieldof]

Yes, actually-

[She's taking careful notes, then pauses.]

...is the ocean water RELATED to the tongues-?

[reflectsdargent]

[ Shannon leans forward on the desk, clearly on her last nerve and frankly Faith deserves only like. 5% of this. ]

I don't know, Faith, I only started getting the visions four days ago, it's all a little unclear.

[shieldof]

Such visions often are.

[She's either missing the ire in Shannon's tone, or is attempting some kind of diplomacy in her response. Either way, her tone seems at least sympathetic.]

The path of a prophet is rarely easy to understand.

[reflectsdargent]

[ Her nostrils flare, eyes get a little wide. ]

I don't want to be a prophet, I just want to make sure this kid isn't dead, or-

[ She swallows. ]

All alone.

[shieldof]

I will- I AM doing my best to find him, I promise.

[She shifts a little uncomfortably, glancing at the covered orb for just an instant.]

Were you with him before arriving here?

[reflectsdargent]

[ A moment. ]

I saw him. But...then he was gone, and I...

[ ... ]

Do you know what happened to me?

[shieldof]

Broadly speaking.

[She's a little hesitant.]

You were, ah. Rather badly injured, prior to arriving, I believe.

[reflectsdargent]

Did you save me? Or was it...your god?

[shieldof]

Restorative magic is beyond my purview.

[somehow despite the acolyte thing she's not a cleric]

It would have to have been my god that healed you.

[reflectsdargent]

[ She bites her lip. She should be focused solely on Walt. But... ]

Why? What makes me so special?

[shieldof]

[Faith is quiet for a long moment.]

You don't believe yourself to be?

[reflectsdargent]

Answer the question.

[shieldof]

[She's quiet for another long moment, then carefully reaches over and lifts the cloth she was adjusting when Shannon entered- beneath it is a glassy orb on a small metal stand. It's alight with flickering images- young dark-skinned men, often in the presence of water or beaches. Rapidly changing from image to image.]

Even among the infinite fragments of existence, you are unique. None other exists with your own memories and experiences.

[reflectsdargent]

[ It's not quite the interpretation she would take of the question, but it stops mattering immediately, as her eyes glue to the orb instead. ]

...How long does it usually take?

[shieldof]

...I'm afraid I can't say for certain. It could be within seconds, it could be days or weeks. Infinity is quite a large place.

[reflectsdargent]

[ It occurs to Shannon then, as the weight of weeks presses down on her... What did she plan to do anyway, when it finds him? It's not like Faith or her god will let her leave to bring him back to the group. ]

Am I just supposed to...wait, then? Is that what you're saying?

[shieldof]

I'm saying-

[She chews her lip for a moment.]

This may be another situation in which both of us shall have to be buttercups.

[reflectsdargent]

[ It's then and only then that Shannon turns away. She's dangerously close to bursting into tears again, after all. ]

What- [ She can hide her face, but she can't hide the way her voice hitches. ] What am I doing here?

I can't even find a little kid, what—

What the hell could your god possibly want with someone like me?

1/2

[shieldof]

2/2

[shieldof]

Per- perhaps your altruistic and selfless nature-? Ah- I mean, showing such concern for young Sir Walter, despite your own situation- many people would be focused only on their own safety?

[reflectsdargent]

[ Shannon lets out a wet, choked laugh. ]

You really don't know much about us, do you? No one would describe me like that.

[shieldof]

Yes. Well. I have chosen to do so regardless, Lady Shannon.

[reflectsdargent]

[ For a long few moments, Shannon's just quiet. She can tell... She's not going to get anything she wants out of being in here. Not tonight. ]

I'm coming back tomorrow. As many times as I need, until you can tell me where Walt is, and if he's okay.