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Post by dray on Jan 16, 2008 18:54:10 GMT -5
All of the talk recently of leadership had been sitting more heavily in Fa's mind than the blonde let on. Really, ever since Eddie had disappeared in the last go-through of shamblers, everybody had been acting really very good... but was that because the tension was out of the air, or because of the fact that his very absence seemed like a threat.
'If you stay up past bedtime, Eddie will come and get you.' 'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll turn into someone like Eddie.'
Zombies weren't Malton's bogiemen. They were people like Eddie.
Fa chewed her lip as she climbed the steps to reach Cassandra's room. She knew that she didn't have the strength of resolve to holler potential disputes down. She kept the pipes in the basement from bursting so that they continued to get their water-trickle shower and drinkable water. She did the rounds to see if anybody was troubled (moreso than usual) and did what she could to cheer them up. Though she wasn't as good at it as Agate was, she did her best to maintain good relations with their neighbors to keep the food and supplies flowing.
Fights... now she had never dealt well with fights. Throwing guns and death as a solution into the mix didn't help much. As much as she felt awkward about admitting it, she had liked having Eddie around for just the reason that he had loathed -- he'd been useful to keep the masses quiet and content, or rather, to help them remember what happened when things weren't quiet and contentment-filled. Fa knew that it was unfair to the big (and currently missing) man to treat him as a tool... but she'd had no other idea how to deal with him. If it weren't for the fact that they had been trapped in Malton in its current conditions, the two of them would never have been caught dead rubbing shoulders, let alone sharing 'leadership' of this dysfunctional family.
Truth be told, she wasn't much better around Cassandra. The soldier might as well have been bred to fight from birth, she was so matter of fact and... and short sighted. Fight or run, live or die. That was all that the woman seemed to know, and she had claimed from the get-go that she wanted only to do as she was told in exchange for a meal, ever since the dissolution of her Hunters.
Fa suspected the woman was more complicated than that, and today was going to try to put that to the test.
When Fa reached Cassandra's door, she gave it a polite knock. It always helped to announce ones self first, especially in the presence of potentially lethal predators.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Jan 16, 2008 22:06:40 GMT -5
The truth about Cassandra was that she hated complications. Outright loathed them. The simpler life could be, the better off they all were. Work would get done, mouths would get fed, and everything would be rainbows and sunshine. However, Cass knew there was a flaw in her perfect design; people.
People, by nature, complicated things. They threw emotions and grudges into the mix that just made a big mess of an otherwise well oiled machine. Some could be depended on, but the soldier woman was finding that kind to be in short supply these days. More often than not, people were out to help themselves. In a situation such as this, where teamwork was essential to survival, that kind of mindset made life doubly dangerous. Everyone had a breaking point. Everyday those points were pressed and stressed until the inevitable snap made an otherwise strong and determined person into a deserter. Cass had learned long ago that the best way to trust a person was to keep one hand behind your back at all times. Never let them see that while one hand is shaking their own, the other is holding a knife just in case.
She hadn't had to take out that knife yet, and for that she had to be grateful. Still, a little paranoia went a long way in Malton.
The knock at the door interrupted Cass during her daily munition check. She had to take stock of what she had and what she needed so that her next run up to Creedy would be as efficient as possible. However, given that the soldier woman hadn't made a plethora of friends since joining the Cosway crew, she'd taken to spending most of her day checking, cleaning, and firing her weaponry. It was unusual for anyone to seek her out in her room. As such, this unprecidented event warrented enough interest to divert the soldier's attention away from her guns long enough to grunt a reply through the door.
"S'open," she called, which was as good as 'why yes, Fa, I would love to have a polite and civilized discussion with you. Please do come in'.
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Post by dray on Jan 16, 2008 22:19:44 GMT -5
If Fa had had any inkling that Cass was carrying a proverbial (or literal) knife behind her back when she'd come into this arrangement all 'whatever you want' and 'if it pleases you' (or the equivalent in Cass-speak) she'd probably be a lot less likely to speak with her, let alone want her around the hotel. She was a strange mix of truster and manipulator, and though living in Malton had toughened her up more than she'd have ever expected, she still didn't expect people to hold knives to one another's throats just in case. She didn't comprehend it...
Which was exactly why she needed to speak with Cassandra in the first place.
Fa opened the door and stood in the short hall for a moment, surveying the room with observant eyes. Somehow, she'd expected to see Cassandra with her guns in one respect or another. If she hadn't, she might as well be walking in on the woman naked. The civilian gave a short smile to Cassandra and closed the door behind her as she said, in no uncertain terms, "if I may, could we talk for a minute?" She anticipated a 'yes', but her hand was still on the knob if Cassandra told her to f*ck off. It wasn't likely, but Fa had never been completely certain around Cass in the first place.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Jan 16, 2008 23:05:34 GMT -5
"Yeah, sure," Cass replied after a moment of pondering what, exactly, Fa would have to talk to her about. Fa had been the one to extend the invitation to her in the first place, but aside from the odd, friendly greeting, they really hadn't exchanged many words. Almost from day one that division of civilian and soldier had kept them apart, as it had with most of the other group. Which was fine and dandy for Cass. She felt as uneasy around civvies as they did around a gun-toting ex-military woman.
To show her respect for Fa (or just because she was so curious about why Fa was here), Cass put aside her weaponry. The magazines she had been counting up were placed on a dirty rag next to the gun they belonged with and pushed to the opposite end of the bed. Or mattress, as it was. Other than a few blankets and a mat to sleep on, Cass' room was mostly empty. Anything she needed was small enough to stuff in her pack when she went on patrol.
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Post by dray on Jan 16, 2008 23:33:51 GMT -5
Fa's hand came off the doorknob and the woman entered the room proper. When she was close enough to feel comfortable to talk, she settled into an easy crouch. "So it's gotten quiet again and we haven't been able to find Eddie since the last horde came through," she launched, trying to get as straight to the point as she could, "and I'm starting to think that he got killed and swept away with them... or something. Really, you'd think somebody his size wouldn't be so hard to find, dead or alive." Fa looked somewhere under Cass' left shoulder, her lips twisting as she continued, "even asking around hasn't turned up anything useful so far, which has been troubling me. I didn't really understand or get along with Eddie very well, but he was helpful, I guess. Maybe he didn't have training, but he seemed to know how to get people to stand in line for a while..."
She took a breath, frowning. Alright, so she was rambling... she could practically see Cassandra's expression changing along with Fa's words. "I just wanted to say that you seem to appreciate Eddie's brand of thinking. Even if I didn't understand it sometimes, in the end... I did -- do -- too. The last thing I want to see is someone waving guns around," her gaze inevitably flickered to Cassandra's stash before it came back to the woman -- though this time she was looking at the woman instead of around her, "especially when Casey's around. I... have been very bad at persuading people to give up when they should know they're beat. Or even to keep people from getting it into their head that behavior like that is okay." Pausing again, Fa cast the soldier an earnest look. "Cassandra, I was wondering if you would be interested in helping me keep the peace, should newcomers try to bull in, or if something happens and I need backup. I mean, I know that you already do look out for out well-being, and you're very good at it. What I mean is, would you be interested in doing the same in a more official capacity?"
Fa stopped to think about her rambling speech. Was she being too hasty? Should she have maybe asked Kay instead? But no, the redhead was asocial by nature and even if Fa didn't like to admit it, Kay would draw a gun to settle a problem, even if she wouldn't draw one to start it. Fa knew for a fact that a peace like the one that the Cosway was observing wouldn't last for long, and Cassandra had already proven that she knew what she was doing when she had brought Kin and the others back from their terrible research in the north. At the very least, the soldier would help to decide quick and efficient routes of escape if another group of shamblers came through. Fa had come to think that Cassandra would, for whatever reason, be as blunt and firm about Eddie's sit-down-and-shut-up policy as Eddie had been.
With conflict inevitable, it helped to have the gun-show at her back as well, Fa might think somewhere in the back of her mind.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Jan 17, 2008 13:43:53 GMT -5
For a long time after Fa had stopped talking, there was silence in the room. If Cass had less self control, there would've been the clicking and clunking of gun parts as she took them apart to occupy her hands. She really hated not having the reassuring weight of a gun on her hip, or back, or anywhere that she usually carried one, but she was trying to portray a reassuring image here. It wouldn't look right for the gun-show to fidget under the spotlight when her crew was concerned. Her crew, she rolled the thought through her mind as one would roll a name off the tongue. They'd been her friends for a while, but her crew now? The new title still felt awkward and unwieldy.
"d*mn," she started with a swear. It wasn't a sign, good or bad. It was just the way Cass often started talking. "You really don't waste any time, do ya? Heh..." Her laugh was weak and half-hearted, dead before it left her throat. The soldier woman darted a glance up at the lanky blonde by the door, then switched her attention to her boots again. One hand snuck up to rub the back of her neck.
"I dunno, Fa. I mean, I appreciate the offer and all, but do you really think this is a good idea?" she asked after another minute ticked past. A lot of Fa's own concerns were running through Cass' mind. Her pale brown eyes darted up to meet the other woman's, this time settling in for a long look over. "You guys are all civvies and I'm still a soldier-type, even if I used to be more like you. Gets rewritten in basic, yanno. I'll help you out if you still want it, but I'll be doing it the only way I know how."
She didn' touch on the subject of Eddie; mostly because she wasn't ready to admit it yet. The big, looming gangster had made such an impact on this group that not having him around seemed surreal. Some small part of Cass' mind still held onto the hope that he'd come strolling back in someday, or that she'd find him on one of her patrols. Nevermind the fact that she'd been gone for over a month to check out a good portion of the city and hadn't seen hide nor hair of him. In truth, she was a little depressed. The only guy she'd made a connection with (or really ever could make a connection with) was gone.
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Post by dray on Jan 17, 2008 14:32:57 GMT -5
Fa held out a hand and began the inexorable list off, "well, Agate and Kay are caring for the baby right now, so they've got different priorities. Red and Kin aren't the kind to lead people, Rio and Drake neither. The rest of them area just kids, really, they need guidance and discipline." Fa smiled awkwardly, the gesture holding less mirth than it could have. "My dad always said a good military learning would do kids good... I don't know if anybody ever thought they'd be living on the bottom of the food chain for the rest of their lives, but if we're staying here until we rot -- or even if somebody, some day, for whatever reason finds a way out -- it's important to stay together and keep some form of society."
Fa had long since rejected the idea of living on an individual basis. She'd tried it with Kin and without Kin, and she saw others scraping by on their own, and she shuddered at the thought of returning to such an existence. The cobbled together family they'd made had caused existence to become bearable again, most days. "All I'm saying is that you've had experience on all of the different sides of life, Cass. Maybe this isn't something permanent, if you don't want it to be. All I know is that if somebody wants to break up this household, it shouldn't be tolerated... and I'm bad at that.
"I know we're all not soldiers, but regardless of training and backgrounds, we're all in the same boat, now. It's having the different, um, experiences that are keeping us alive now. Am I making sense?" she added, hoping that her rambling hadn't gone off track.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Jan 17, 2008 18:02:35 GMT -5
"Yeah, yeah..." Cass responded immediately. She didn't want Fa thinking she was losing her mind while the soldier woman mulled over her choices. There was really only one she could make, but it still didn't feel quite right. These people hadn't really had the chance to see her as a friend, and now she was supposed to lead them? Or, the way Fa was describing it, babysit them. That's what it came down to in the end. When the little chill'uns couldn't see fit to resolve their differences pleasently, she would have to step in and mediate. Preferrably not with a gun.
Cass let out a heavy sigh and pulled her hand away from her neck. Any more rubbing and she'd rub it raw. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there in thought, but it had to be over a minute at least. All this stuff was whirling around in her head so fast, but the sheer quantity of it took some time to sort through. Eddie was gone, Fa needed help, these people were civvies, Cass had to keep them in line. That was the jist of it. No matter how many angles she looked at the problem from, it always boiled down to the same conclusion; there was no one else around any more to take up the mantle of the Big Bad.
"Alright, I'll do it." She tilted her head to fix Fa with a sidelong glance. "But you get to tell the troops. And I do this my way." Maybe with some luck she wouldn't turn out quite as Big and Bad as Eddie had made himself out to be.
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Post by dray on Jan 17, 2008 20:41:11 GMT -5
"I'll, um, see that they understand." Fa agreed, rocking on her haunches a little. Funny that the thought of choosing a leader democratically hadn't even entered her mind. Maybe once she broke the news to everyone else, that little detail would be brought into the light.
Fa tapped her hands on her knees and then cast Cassandra a less serious expression, one that she hoped would be seen as more companionable. "I was also going to ask how your patrols were going. It's been a while since our paths crossed, after all."
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Post by Sarah the Bullet on Jan 18, 2008 2:07:03 GMT -5
((Maybe when Fa's done with Cass, she could see Sarah's reaction to a Eddieless world? ))
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Jan 18, 2008 10:52:52 GMT -5
"They've been good," she admitted after a short chuckle. Getting business out of the way had reduced some of the tension in the air. "Got Jonny set up in a little place by himself. It's close by, so if he needs help he only has to hollar. Neighbourhood was rough out there for a while, but either they've all frozen or moved North so it's nice and quiet now." Cass braced her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands between them. This served the dual purpose of giving her something to stare at and stopping her knee from bouncing irratically. "So -hey- yanno, even with this promotion of mine, you're still the Big Boss Lady. You ever need me to scout around, just give the word." Cause I ain't gonna be able to set my own schedule no more.
Despite having agreed, Cass was still asking herself why. There were the obvious answers such as Fa had given; they needed someone to keep the peace, they needed someone who could dole out the tough love, and so on. And while Cass could take these reasons for what they were, that pit of unease in her stomach wasn't satisfied by them. What had made her agree in the end was a little, often ignored, voice of logic in the back of her mind. No matter how they made the decision, it would've had to have been her. She had already been setting herself up for the spot anyway, taking on Eddie's rules and styles of "management" before she ever knew he was missing. The big lug had left her with orders. As a good soldier, it was her duty to follow them. It just hadn't occured to her at the time that by doing so, she was essentially taking charge.
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Post by dray on Jan 19, 2008 16:38:13 GMT -5
Well that was what field-promotions were all about. If only Fa and the rest of the Cosway crew were military run and trained, this would probably be a smoothly operating system for Cass'... or maybe not. It seemed like people survived longer in Malton when they relied on their varied backgrounds. Most military outfits, narrow-minded as they were, had a tendency to... well, die.
Fa tilted her head and asked, "how's Jonny doing? He's welcome to hole up here any time, if he wants." She was still curious as to why he decided to live in solitude. The idea was completely alien to her.
As an afterthought, she added, "as for this whole boss thing..." she shrugged, bouncing a little on her haunches as she considered what to add, "I'll definitely keep it in mind. You keep doing what you're doing. You're the best scout we've ever had." Mostly because when she did a circuit of the neighborhood, she actually reported. As diligent as Red and Theokor and Mock and the others were about keeping the streets patrolled, Fa didn't usually hear much out of them unless danger was imminent. She'd prefer to have updates all the time, even if they were 'nothing today,' or 'I ran into a buddy'. Sometimes the less macabre reports were a good boost.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Jan 21, 2008 0:01:02 GMT -5
Cass shrugged in response to the comment about her scouting abilities. Really, it was more of an excuse for her to get out on her own for a while. Much as she cared for the group she'd holed up with here, she still felt out of place. No matter where Cass had gone in life, she'd felt out of place. The best way for her to relax and feel comfortable was to be on her own for a bit. Scouting just gave her an easy out.
"He's doing good," she reported after a minute. Now her hands were getting fidgety, so she began going through her pockets to find a whet stone. She'd picked one up just the other day. Question was; where did she put it? "I think that whole thing with Eddie kinda put him off the idea of staying here long. Jonny's even more of a lone wolf than I am. He's fine so long as he's got a roof over his head, food in his pack, and bullets in his gun. Nothing to worry about there."
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Post by dray on Jan 21, 2008 0:58:08 GMT -5
"So long as he doesn't feel like he's going to get shunned or anything," Fa smiled and returned the conversation to the soldier in front of her. "Will you be coming down for supper tonight? I can make the announcement while you're around, or I can do it when you're not here. What'd you like better?" Fa would prefer to have everyone together for a 'hey, yous guys listen to the new big boss 'round these parts' announcement... but Cassandra's 'lone wolf' comment seemed to apply to Cass as much as it did to her friend.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Jan 22, 2008 20:27:19 GMT -5
"Think it'd be better if we had ourselves a little pow wow over dinner. Give the natives a chance to question my integrity openly," she retorted, showing Fa a lop-sided grin. Though Cass had reasoned herself into accepting the job, she didn't once hold a doubt that others would question her ascension. As far as she could see it there would be only two outcomes; rejoicing over Eddie's departure and griping about his replacement.
At a time like this she would've liked to have Jonny's looming, detached presence at her backside. The man was asocial and uninterested in petty problems, but he was a good man to have on your side. Cass had even grown to like his somewhat abrasive personality. It went well with her own.
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