animal appreciator @acie-is-absentminded - Tumblr Blog

[her smile fades and she takes a step back, glancing between them and their nimpō shield. what is he talking about..?]

Don..? what do you mean? why would i lie to you about this?

[her tail unwraps and sways slightly as a way to fidget. she was clear, her mind was working again..wasnt it? she didnt understand.]

It happened in seconds.

There he is..! What could possibly be-?

One moment, they were the only two there, and the next, the lead scout was landing right beside Donatello and holding their pulse rifle up as they flared their wings around the tech expert.

“Don, talk to me. What’s going on? Are you hurt?”

Tentatively, they held their arm out to pathetically shield Don as they aimed their rifle using their other arm in Nova’s general direction.

They’d long become numb to aiming weapons at children. Better safe than sorry.

[Don’s shoulders lower as soon as Acie’s next to them, which only makes the trembling more visible. Backup. It’s been a while since he had backup.

Their visor is still screaming at them. They try their best to translate the warning, but their voice isn’t cooperating.]

I- Krang, there’s- Krang, I need- My lab. I’m not- I’m not hurt. Wait- Don’t shoot. I need… there’s a dog-

[she immediately covers her stomach, tail wrapping around her legs slightly.]

dont shoot!!

[she backs away slightly, confused on why Don had to call for *backup*. suddenly Brutus climbs out of the rock and hops over to her and she quickly scoops him up, turning around in case Donnie or Acie wanted to hurt him]

whats going on...

“Don, I can’t understand what you mean-“

She’s got both of them saying don’t shoot, but Donnie is busy mumbling on about Kraang. They- these two LOOK like Kraang- but they haven’t attacked yet.

…she can’t trust Kraang without good reason. Using children to lure survivors in for slaughter isn’t new, she can’t risk it.

Acie’s aim didn’t waver, still trained on the two with her finger near the trigger. Slowly, she shifted to crouch in front of the mutant and shielded him with her wing. Her eyes never left the children, but she spoke softly to Donatello anyway. “Donnie, I’ve got your back right now, you’re decently safe. Are they violent or not?”

[He hesitates. His- his visor is telling him to attack. Their every nerve is screaming to run.

But looking over Acie’s wing to see Nova and Brutus cowering under the threat of the gun- Shit-]

No- No, nonono, they’re not, waitwaitwait, please, that’s my daughter, uh-

I just need to get back to my lab, I can fix this- please-

His WHAT.

“Your-??” She cut her voice off with a bite on her tongue, and sighed. Even with Donnie’s reassurance, she had a right to worry.

But, inevitably, she lowered her gun and allowed the pulsar ammo to cool, the weapon whirring lowly as it disengaged. There was still uncertainty in her eyes, but she trusted Don more than she trusted her nerves. “…my apologies, kids. I won’t hurt you, now that I know you’re friendlies.” She set a careful hand on Donnie’s armored shoulder and gave it a little shake to try to take his attention.

It was interesting, how they immediately trusted Donnie’s word and dropped her tension towards the children.

[she looks back slightly, easing up but staying ready to fight. she keeps Brutus tight in her arms, aa he licks her face. she sighs]

Dad..?

[she keeps her voice soft, shifting forward slightly. was he finally calming down?]

[Acie’s shaking disrupts Don’s daze, and they inhale a sharp breath to attempt to get their breathing under control again. He moves to stand, not knowing how he’d gotten to his knees.

The second he’s standing again he turns off his visor, shaking his head, and looks around. It takes a bit of effort to recognise where he is.]

…We’re fine. We’re fine. Finefinefine. What the hell, Donatello?

…There’s something wrong, I-I need to get back to the lab. With them.

“It’s fine for now. But we have to get back to base before any hounds sniff us out.” She put a gentle hand on Don’s battle shell and does a Quick Look-over to make sure it’s not damaged. “Can you fly okay? If not, there’s a backup group waiting on my word, I can have them send a carrier, or I can carry them back myself and you’ll follow.”

After checking his shell, she held her rifle slightly out as her eyes flicked around the surrounding area. Always alert, as a scout was.

[He can’t move. He really, really needs to move, needs to get away, needs to at least put some more distance between him and the infection. A ninpō shield forms on their bō, lengthens along it, making up for the lack of their arm’s strength. Maybe they can stand a chance just until someone else gets here.]

Stop it. My sensors don’t lie, you do.

@acie-is-absentminded @echo-nova-2036

[her smile fades and she takes a step back, glancing between them and their nimpō shield. what is he talking about..?]

Don..? what do you mean? why would i lie to you about this?

[her tail unwraps and sways slightly as a way to fidget. she was clear, her mind was working again..wasnt it? she didnt understand.]

It happened in seconds.

There he is..! What could possibly be-?

One moment, they were the only two there, and the next, the lead scout was landing right beside Donatello and holding their pulse rifle up as they flared their wings around the tech expert.

“Don, talk to me. What’s going on? Are you hurt?”

Tentatively, they held their arm out to pathetically shield Don as they aimed their rifle using their other arm in Nova’s general direction.

They’d long become numb to aiming weapons at children. Better safe than sorry.

[Don’s shoulders lower as soon as Acie’s next to them, which only makes the trembling more visible. Backup. It’s been a while since he had backup.

Their visor is still screaming at them. They try their best to translate the warning, but their voice isn’t cooperating.]

I- Krang, there’s- Krang, I need- My lab. I’m not- I’m not hurt. Wait- Don’t shoot. I need… there’s a dog-

[she immediately covers her stomach, tail wrapping around her legs slightly.]

dont shoot!!

[she backs away slightly, confused on why Don had to call for *backup*. suddenly Brutus climbs out of the rock and hops over to her and she quickly scoops him up, turning around in case Donnie or Acie wanted to hurt him]

whats going on...

“Don, I can’t understand what you mean-“

She’s got both of them saying don’t shoot, but Donnie is busy mumbling on about Kraang. They- these two LOOK like Kraang- but they haven’t attacked yet.

…she can’t trust Kraang without good reason. Using children to lure survivors in for slaughter isn’t new, she can’t risk it.

Acie’s aim didn’t waver, still trained on the two with her finger near the trigger. Slowly, she shifted to crouch in front of the mutant and shielded him with her wing. Her eyes never left the children, but she spoke softly to Donatello anyway. “Donnie, I’ve got your back right now, you’re decently safe. Are they violent or not?”

[He hesitates. His- his visor is telling him to attack. Their every nerve is screaming to run.

But looking over Acie’s wing to see Nova and Brutus cowering under the threat of the gun- Shit-]

No- No, nonono, they’re not, waitwaitwait, please, that’s my daughter, uh-

I just need to get back to my lab, I can fix this- please-

His WHAT.

“Your-??” She cut her voice off with a bite on her tongue, and sighed. Even with Donnie’s reassurance, she had a right to worry.

But, inevitably, she lowered her gun and allowed the pulsar ammo to cool, the weapon whirring lowly as it disengaged. There was still uncertainty in her eyes, but she trusted Don more than she trusted her nerves. “…my apologies, kids. I won’t hurt you, now that I know you’re friendlies.” She set a careful hand on Donnie’s armored shoulder and gave it a little shake to try to take his attention.

It was interesting, how they immediately trusted Donnie’s word and dropped her tension towards the children.

[He can’t move. He really, really needs to move, needs to get away, needs to at least put some more distance between him and the infection. A ninpō shield forms on their bō, lengthens along it, making up for the lack of their arm’s strength. Maybe they can stand a chance just until someone else gets here.]

Stop it. My sensors don’t lie, you do.

@acie-is-absentminded @echo-nova-2036

[her smile fades and she takes a step back, glancing between them and their nimpō shield. what is he talking about..?]

Don..? what do you mean? why would i lie to you about this?

[her tail unwraps and sways slightly as a way to fidget. she was clear, her mind was working again..wasnt it? she didnt understand.]

It happened in seconds.

There he is..! What could possibly be-?

One moment, they were the only two there, and the next, the lead scout was landing right beside Donatello and holding their pulse rifle up as they flared their wings around the tech expert.

“Don, talk to me. What’s going on? Are you hurt?”

Tentatively, they held their arm out to pathetically shield Don as they aimed their rifle using their other arm in Nova’s general direction.

They’d long become numb to aiming weapons at children. Better safe than sorry.

[Don’s shoulders lower as soon as Acie’s next to them, which only makes the trembling more visible. Backup. It’s been a while since he had backup.

Their visor is still screaming at them. They try their best to translate the warning, but their voice isn’t cooperating.]

I- Krang, there’s- Krang, I need- My lab. I’m not- I’m not hurt. Wait- Don’t shoot. I need… there’s a dog-

[she immediately covers her stomach, tail wrapping around her legs slightly.]

dont shoot!!

[she backs away slightly, confused on why Don had to call for *backup*. suddenly Brutus climbs out of the rock and hops over to her and she quickly scoops him up, turning around in case Donnie or Acie wanted to hurt him]

whats going on...

“Don, I can’t understand what you mean-“

She’s got both of them saying don’t shoot, but Donnie is busy mumbling on about Kraang. They- these two LOOK like Kraang- but they haven’t attacked yet.

…she can’t trust Kraang without good reason. Using children to lure survivors in for slaughter isn’t new, she can’t risk it.

Acie’s aim didn’t waver, still trained on the two with her finger near the trigger. Slowly, she shifted to crouch in front of the mutant and shielded him with her wing. Her eyes never left the children, but she spoke softly to Donatello anyway. “Donnie, I’ve got your back right now, you’re decently safe. Are they violent or not?”

[He can’t move. He really, really needs to move, needs to get away, needs to at least put some more distance between him and the infection. A ninpō shield forms on their bō, lengthens along it, making up for the lack of their arm’s strength. Maybe they can stand a chance just until someone else gets here.]

Stop it. My sensors don’t lie, you do.

@acie-is-absentminded @echo-nova-2036

[her smile fades and she takes a step back, glancing between them and their nimpō shield. what is he talking about..?]

Don..? what do you mean? why would i lie to you about this?

[her tail unwraps and sways slightly as a way to fidget. she was clear, her mind was working again..wasnt it? she didnt understand.]

It happened in seconds.

There he is..! What could possibly be-?

One moment, they were the only two there, and the next, the lead scout was landing right beside Donatello and holding their pulse rifle up as they flared their wings around the tech expert.

“Don, talk to me. What’s going on? Are you hurt?”

Tentatively, they held their arm out to pathetically shield Don as they aimed their rifle using their other arm in Nova’s general direction.

They’d long become numb to aiming weapons at children. Better safe than sorry.

Acie, I need-

It’s Donatello, help, I need- Help.

Backup. On the surface. Please.

- @genius-built-donatello

“Ah- so this is what we’re doing today-“

The second they got the message, she jumped up from the wall and snagged her pulse rifle before dashing out of the room. “SHELLDON give me a lock on his location right now please-“

Her feet pounded as she slid through the corridors and burst into the hangar, for access to the open sky.

“ACE-?! WHERE ARE YOU-??”

“No time! Get a backup crew together and follow me when I say so!”

“ON IT!”

Scrambling up to the aircraft takeoff pad, she gave their wings a good shake before diving off the building and following the coordinates given. “Don, I’m on my way, eta 2 minutes. Please hang on.”

“Sheesh…just can’t keep still.” They murmured, rubbing the back of their neck as they read over the several mission debriefs left after the trainee run. “Gotta work on that.”

Being so in charge will never not be foreign to them. Sure, they were pretty good at it, and the rest of the scouts before them were…well…it’s strange being a leader young.

As if the turtle brothers haven’t been doing this since this whole thing started.

Acie shook out their nerves and leaned their head against the wall. All the trainees were either on break or out in the field, so they were left with waiting until one of them inevitably needed their teaching again.

Checking that you’re still alive. Remaining limbs still attached? Not lying in a building somewhere?

- @genius-built-donatello

I appreciate your concern, unfortunately I’m not dying somewhere for you to dramatically save me and then never let me live it down.

Damn. I was hoping for another dramatic rescue. I NEED another tally point to lives you owe me.

Alas! Everything going fine then?

All good over here. I’ve had several troops fully trained and ready for almost anything.

Do you need anything from me?

Checking that you’re still alive. Remaining limbs still attached? Not lying in a building somewhere?

- @genius-built-donatello

I appreciate your concern, unfortunately I’m not dying somewhere for you to dramatically save me and then never let me live it down.

[It’s nearly two hours before Donnie decides the hangar is secure and in order, mechanical arms folding back into his shell. They stand at the entrance again, going over everything in their head to triple-check that they didn’t miss anything, rubbing their shoulder. Gah, their arm hurt; they should probably be taking the battleshell off soon, but not until they at least finish these jobs.]

Oookay, that’s… fine. Done. [He absentmindedly checks it off his list.] Thank you for your help, I’m sure that would’ve taken much longer without it.

@acie-is-absentminded

Acie lifts their arm to stretch, nodding at him while they replied. “Of course. Glad I could.”

Though, now with the tasks complete, hopefully now would be a good time to bring those things up. They took a second to gather their thoughts, then cleared their throat to initiate conversation.

“Don, I’m going to kind of nitpick you here, but can’t someone else do this? These jobs specifically, the small ones that have a method and routine. As much as you feel a responsibility to do everything you possibly can, you’re going to run yourself dry.” Ooooh boy, they’re pulling the big vocabulary out for this one.

They also made a mental note of his shoulder. This guy…

I’m not-

[His jaw sets. He waves away a few of his screens, turning and leaving the armoury to move towards his next task.] I’m not “doing everything I possibly can” and I’m definitely not “running myself dry”. I just need to make sure it’s done properly. And this assures it’s taken seriously.

They quirked an eyebrow at him, giving him a dry stare for a few seconds, until eventually backing off. “Sure, definitely. You’re the boss.”

Trying to argue with Sir. Purple thick skull was like trying to argue with a steam pipe. Pure unbridled stubbornness. They’d have to find other ways to relieve him of those duties. But, for now, they’d stay off his case. Maybe spending their little free time arguing wasn’t the best idea.

They kept an even pace to keep up, occasionally talking to a passersby as they went.

[It’s nearly two hours before Donnie decides the hangar is secure and in order, mechanical arms folding back into his shell. They stand at the entrance again, going over everything in their head to triple-check that they didn’t miss anything, rubbing their shoulder. Gah, their arm hurt; they should probably be taking the battleshell off soon, but not until they at least finish these jobs.]

Oookay, that’s… fine. Done. [He absentmindedly checks it off his list.] Thank you for your help, I’m sure that would’ve taken much longer without it.

@acie-is-absentminded

Acie lifts their arm to stretch, nodding at him while they replied. “Of course. Glad I could.”

Though, now with the tasks complete, hopefully now would be a good time to bring those things up. They took a second to gather their thoughts, then cleared their throat to initiate conversation.

“Don, I’m going to kind of nitpick you here, but can’t someone else do this? These jobs specifically, the small ones that have a method and routine. As much as you feel a responsibility to do everything you possibly can, you’re going to run yourself dry.” Ooooh boy, they’re pulling the big vocabulary out for this one.

They also made a mental note of his shoulder. This guy…

[They’re walking determinedly through the passages of the base, visor in front of their eyes and cloak on with his respirator around his neck: usually only the gear he wears on the surface, but he’s been back and forth between the surface and the base so often with his current tasks that it hasn’t seemed worth it to change.

Screens are duplicating and blinking out all around him as he tracks his list and messages along with the video footage he has yet to catch up on and a million different reports he has yet to read. They’re only paying the barest attention to their surroundings in order not to trip over anyone, but mostly people move out of his way easily.]

@acie-is-absentminded

Stepping out of the briefing room they’d just been stuck in for the past hour, they sighed a breath of relief. “Freedom at last.” They never truly would get used to those prolonged and seemingly useless meetings. Though, they knew how important they were.

Acie began to briskly jog down the hallway as they checked their tech for the next thing to do. While they typically never found themself with free time nowadays, it was a welcome surprise to find they only had basic tasks left on their list for the day.

Occasionally, they glanced up to be sure not to smack into someone. And when they did after rounding a corner, their eyes immediately caught the familiar shade of flamboyant, royal purple.

The scout grinned, now spiked with the instinctive want to bother say hello and check up on him. So they waited for him to pass by, and then took place on his left, having to quicken their pace to keep up.

While she followed, she grumbled under her breath due to her having to speed up. “Man, I hate being short.”

[Half a minute passes without Don even sparing a glance, gaze only flickering between his screens. After a while, though, something in the back of his mind tells him something is wrong, and it’s then that he realises someone has been suspiciously keeping pace with him for the last two turns.

He glances down to scan the crowd and immediately jumps, not expecting Acie to be right next to him-]

Jesus- I mean, Newton- I mean- Acie. A warning next time??

Said suspicious individual stopped dead in their tracks when he looked at them. They paused for a few seconds to salvage their neutrality, until their composure came collapsing down as they bit their cheek to hold in their smile and stifle the choked laugh that threatened to break out.

“Oh man, I hope the cameras caught that.” They snickered, scrubbing their hand down their face in attempt to hide their amusement. Though, the shaking of their shoulders didn’t help at all. “Of course I’m not going to warn you. Something, something, keeping you on your toes.” They shrugged, scooting to the side of the hallway to not block traffic.

[He glares at them through his visor, but there’s no malice behind it, also stepping aside and fixing his screens.] Ahaha, unamused laugh. I will be deleting that.

How are you? You’re on my list of people I need to check in with and are therefore obligated to answer honestly. Which apparently needs to be said.

They took a second to look at him, unimpressed, but then made a so-so gesture with their hand as they replied. “I’m doing well. I’ve finally caught up with most of my tasks, so that’s a plus. Left shoulder blade is still sore from a mission earlier today, but it’s not that bad.” Acie demonstrated by rolling their shoulder and immediately regretting it as they winced.

“What about you? You’re also on my check in list, plus it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you face to face, so I thought I’d come and change that.”

Good to hear. Don't be stupid with it, now.

I could be worse. Busier than I've been in a while, uhhh it seems all my luck has ran out and now I have to deal with minor injuries and multiple disturbances on top of everything, but it was bound to happen at some point, so. Shelldon's been... difficult.

“Agh. Yeah, that’s not the most fun things to deal with.” Acie commented, quickly going through their checklist.

They skimmed through them, and they mentally evaluated each one. Most if not all of those tasks could be held off, for a good while as well. It wouldn’t be a horrible dent in their schedule to do other things in the meantime.

“…do you need any help with those? I’m not as drowning in work right now. Plus, I think you need the company.”

Hmm...

[They carefully weigh their options. They've done most of the work on the defensive areas of the base, the tasks that are left wouldn't suffer from having a witness, and maybe an extra pair of eyes would be of help in some.]

...Fair enough. You can accompany me to the hangar and armoury. And then if you have time, perhaps you would be willing to assist me in time machine experiments.

Acie nodded, closing their list. They took a second to adjust their prosthetic and then straightened back up. “I’ve probably got time. So, lead the way, Othello Von Ryan.”

They’ve also still gotta get that recording, too. Hopefully Mr. Forehead here hasn’t already cleansed the entire system of it.

[They nod, and while they don’t smile, the furrow in their brow disappears as their shoulders relax.]

Fantastic.

The scout is quick to increase their pace until they’re side by side with the tech expert, keeping up with his new, slower strides.

They wait a few seconds before they start yapping, just in case he decides to start doing something on the way. Distracting him from his job is, at the moment, one of the last things they want to do right now.

[Don is listening passively, thankful for the conversation outside of work right now. Lately everything had just been reminder after reminder of what he missed and what he had yet to do. The occasional insight, quip or comment is offered, but for the most part he’s silent, just working on his screens.]

“-and so then after he finally listened when I told him the Uzi just wasn’t gonna work without the proper ammo, he gave in and switched weapons.” Acie, at first sounded relieved, only to switch their tone to exasperated when they continued. “…only to immediately choose the largest hand held one we have, which he can barely carry on his own.”

They half laughed, half sighed, as they pinched the bridge of their nose at the memory. “Love the guy. Just wish he didn’t overshoot so much.”

The scout purposefully didn’t mention their last train of thought. Because being that way could get him killed.

“Besides him, though, there’s not many large issues with the newer fighters. Leo’s damn good at his job and training them, I’ll say that.” They stated, stepping to the side to let an ammunition cart pass by.

[He hums in agreement, giving the barest grin.] Admittedly, Leo is very suited to his role. I don’t think we could’ve found a better person to fill it.

Er- don’t tell him I said that. He sucks, actually, and he’s stupid, and I would trade him for one coffee.

It sounds like you’ve been handling your job well, though, despite the newer responsibilities. I trust you’re not overwhelmed?

Acie nodded, grinning slightly from his comment about his brother. The goof. “I’m handling it better than I thought I would, I’ll say that. Since we got a few more scouts trained, I’m not required for every little mission that needs recon. Just that is enough to open a lot of time for me.”

Can’t say they’re not just a little (read: a lot) overwhelmed most of the time. But war and apocalypse is no saint for those who cannot adjust fast enough. Another thought to be silenced.

“Oh!” They’d suddenly remembered something. “You told me to bring my wings in for updates and such a little bit ago. I left them in your lab last, just a heads up.”

Ah, right. I’ll get to those as soon as possible.

[They type it into their list, scrolling to see if they’ve missed anything else. He inputs a couple more tasks after it. Ugh, it really was getting too long-

One step at a time, Donatello, it’s fine.

He steps into the hangar, getting to work on making sure everything’s in order. It’s tedious work, mostly consisting of opening and closing the exits, moving the platforms and going over the vehicle maintenance for the millionth time. It’s half apparent that it doesn’t even take any specific skill, and that he probably doesn’t even need to be doing this himself. Still, he’s putting just as much concentration into it as any of his projects, mostly quiet.]

When they started following along and doing what they can to assist, there is a few thoughts that occur to them.

This is basic maintenance, is it not? Securing this section and locking down any potential open exits, checking the vehicles, the works. Donnie is a tech expert. While he’s built most of these very vehicles, there’s other engineers on base who can do this. It’s part of their job.

…although, people are always more inclined to use something if they know Donnie did the repairs and check overs. He’s constantly one of the most reliable technicians.

They opened their mouth to speak out about it, but ultimately decided against it, clicking shut. Maybe later, after this task is finished. They’ve learned better than to start conversations like this with him in the middle of something.

[They’re walking determinedly through the passages of the base, visor in front of their eyes and cloak on with his respirator around his neck: usually only the gear he wears on the surface, but he’s been back and forth between the surface and the base so often with his current tasks that it hasn’t seemed worth it to change.

Screens are duplicating and blinking out all around him as he tracks his list and messages along with the video footage he has yet to catch up on and a million different reports he has yet to read. They’re only paying the barest attention to their surroundings in order not to trip over anyone, but mostly people move out of his way easily.]

@acie-is-absentminded

Stepping out of the briefing room they’d just been stuck in for the past hour, they sighed a breath of relief. “Freedom at last.” They never truly would get used to those prolonged and seemingly useless meetings. Though, they knew how important they were.

Acie began to briskly jog down the hallway as they checked their tech for the next thing to do. While they typically never found themself with free time nowadays, it was a welcome surprise to find they only had basic tasks left on their list for the day.

Occasionally, they glanced up to be sure not to smack into someone. And when they did after rounding a corner, their eyes immediately caught the familiar shade of flamboyant, royal purple.

The scout grinned, now spiked with the instinctive want to bother say hello and check up on him. So they waited for him to pass by, and then took place on his left, having to quicken their pace to keep up.

While she followed, she grumbled under her breath due to her having to speed up. “Man, I hate being short.”

[Half a minute passes without Don even sparing a glance, gaze only flickering between his screens. After a while, though, something in the back of his mind tells him something is wrong, and it’s then that he realises someone has been suspiciously keeping pace with him for the last two turns.

He glances down to scan the crowd and immediately jumps, not expecting Acie to be right next to him-]

Jesus- I mean, Newton- I mean- Acie. A warning next time??

Said suspicious individual stopped dead in their tracks when he looked at them. They paused for a few seconds to salvage their neutrality, until their composure came collapsing down as they bit their cheek to hold in their smile and stifle the choked laugh that threatened to break out.

“Oh man, I hope the cameras caught that.” They snickered, scrubbing their hand down their face in attempt to hide their amusement. Though, the shaking of their shoulders didn’t help at all. “Of course I’m not going to warn you. Something, something, keeping you on your toes.” They shrugged, scooting to the side of the hallway to not block traffic.

[He glares at them through his visor, but there’s no malice behind it, also stepping aside and fixing his screens.] Ahaha, unamused laugh. I will be deleting that.

How are you? You’re on my list of people I need to check in with and are therefore obligated to answer honestly. Which apparently needs to be said.

They took a second to look at him, unimpressed, but then made a so-so gesture with their hand as they replied. “I’m doing well. I’ve finally caught up with most of my tasks, so that’s a plus. Left shoulder blade is still sore from a mission earlier today, but it’s not that bad.” Acie demonstrated by rolling their shoulder and immediately regretting it as they winced.

“What about you? You’re also on my check in list, plus it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you face to face, so I thought I’d come and change that.”

Good to hear. Don't be stupid with it, now.

I could be worse. Busier than I've been in a while, uhhh it seems all my luck has ran out and now I have to deal with minor injuries and multiple disturbances on top of everything, but it was bound to happen at some point, so. Shelldon's been... difficult.

“Agh. Yeah, that’s not the most fun things to deal with.” Acie commented, quickly going through their checklist.

They skimmed through them, and they mentally evaluated each one. Most if not all of those tasks could be held off, for a good while as well. It wouldn’t be a horrible dent in their schedule to do other things in the meantime.

“…do you need any help with those? I’m not as drowning in work right now. Plus, I think you need the company.”

Hmm...

[They carefully weigh their options. They've done most of the work on the defensive areas of the base, the tasks that are left wouldn't suffer from having a witness, and maybe an extra pair of eyes would be of help in some.]

...Fair enough. You can accompany me to the hangar and armoury. And then if you have time, perhaps you would be willing to assist me in time machine experiments.

Acie nodded, closing their list. They took a second to adjust their prosthetic and then straightened back up. “I’ve probably got time. So, lead the way, Othello Von Ryan.”

They’ve also still gotta get that recording, too. Hopefully Mr. Forehead here hasn’t already cleansed the entire system of it.

[They nod, and while they don’t smile, the furrow in their brow disappears as their shoulders relax.]

Fantastic.

The scout is quick to increase their pace until they’re side by side with the tech expert, keeping up with his new, slower strides.

They wait a few seconds before they start yapping, just in case he decides to start doing something on the way. Distracting him from his job is, at the moment, one of the last things they want to do right now.

[Don is listening passively, thankful for the conversation outside of work right now. Lately everything had just been reminder after reminder of what he missed and what he had yet to do. The occasional insight, quip or comment is offered, but for the most part he’s silent, just working on his screens.]

“-and so then after he finally listened when I told him the Uzi just wasn’t gonna work without the proper ammo, he gave in and switched weapons.” Acie, at first sounded relieved, only to switch their tone to exasperated when they continued. “…only to immediately choose the largest hand held one we have, which he can barely carry on his own.”

They half laughed, half sighed, as they pinched the bridge of their nose at the memory. “Love the guy. Just wish he didn’t overshoot so much.”

The scout purposefully didn’t mention their last train of thought. Because being that way could get him killed.

“Besides him, though, there’s not many large issues with the newer fighters. Leo’s damn good at his job and training them, I’ll say that.” They stated, stepping to the side to let an ammunition cart pass by.

[He hums in agreement, giving the barest grin.] Admittedly, Leo is very suited to his role. I don’t think we could’ve found a better person to fill it.

Er- don’t tell him I said that. He sucks, actually, and he’s stupid, and I would trade him for one coffee.

It sounds like you’ve been handling your job well, though, despite the newer responsibilities. I trust you’re not overwhelmed?

Acie nodded, grinning slightly from his comment about his brother. The goof. “I’m handling it better than I thought I would, I’ll say that. Since we got a few more scouts trained, I’m not required for every little mission that needs recon. Just that is enough to open a lot of time for me.”

Can’t say they’re not just a little (read: a lot) overwhelmed most of the time. But war and apocalypse is no saint for those who cannot adjust fast enough. Another thought to be silenced.

“Oh!” They’d suddenly remembered something. “You told me to bring my wings in for updates and such a little bit ago. I left them in your lab last, just a heads up.”

[They’re walking determinedly through the passages of the base, visor in front of their eyes and cloak on with his respirator around his neck: usually only the gear he wears on the surface, but he’s been back and forth between the surface and the base so often with his current tasks that it hasn’t seemed worth it to change.

Screens are duplicating and blinking out all around him as he tracks his list and messages along with the video footage he has yet to catch up on and a million different reports he has yet to read. They’re only paying the barest attention to their surroundings in order not to trip over anyone, but mostly people move out of his way easily.]

@acie-is-absentminded

Stepping out of the briefing room they’d just been stuck in for the past hour, they sighed a breath of relief. “Freedom at last.” They never truly would get used to those prolonged and seemingly useless meetings. Though, they knew how important they were.

Acie began to briskly jog down the hallway as they checked their tech for the next thing to do. While they typically never found themself with free time nowadays, it was a welcome surprise to find they only had basic tasks left on their list for the day.

Occasionally, they glanced up to be sure not to smack into someone. And when they did after rounding a corner, their eyes immediately caught the familiar shade of flamboyant, royal purple.

The scout grinned, now spiked with the instinctive want to bother say hello and check up on him. So they waited for him to pass by, and then took place on his left, having to quicken their pace to keep up.

While she followed, she grumbled under her breath due to her having to speed up. “Man, I hate being short.”

[Half a minute passes without Don even sparing a glance, gaze only flickering between his screens. After a while, though, something in the back of his mind tells him something is wrong, and it’s then that he realises someone has been suspiciously keeping pace with him for the last two turns.

He glances down to scan the crowd and immediately jumps, not expecting Acie to be right next to him-]

Jesus- I mean, Newton- I mean- Acie. A warning next time??

Said suspicious individual stopped dead in their tracks when he looked at them. They paused for a few seconds to salvage their neutrality, until their composure came collapsing down as they bit their cheek to hold in their smile and stifle the choked laugh that threatened to break out.

“Oh man, I hope the cameras caught that.” They snickered, scrubbing their hand down their face in attempt to hide their amusement. Though, the shaking of their shoulders didn’t help at all. “Of course I’m not going to warn you. Something, something, keeping you on your toes.” They shrugged, scooting to the side of the hallway to not block traffic.

[He glares at them through his visor, but there’s no malice behind it, also stepping aside and fixing his screens.] Ahaha, unamused laugh. I will be deleting that.

How are you? You’re on my list of people I need to check in with and are therefore obligated to answer honestly. Which apparently needs to be said.

They took a second to look at him, unimpressed, but then made a so-so gesture with their hand as they replied. “I’m doing well. I’ve finally caught up with most of my tasks, so that’s a plus. Left shoulder blade is still sore from a mission earlier today, but it’s not that bad.” Acie demonstrated by rolling their shoulder and immediately regretting it as they winced.

“What about you? You’re also on my check in list, plus it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you face to face, so I thought I’d come and change that.”

Good to hear. Don't be stupid with it, now.

I could be worse. Busier than I've been in a while, uhhh it seems all my luck has ran out and now I have to deal with minor injuries and multiple disturbances on top of everything, but it was bound to happen at some point, so. Shelldon's been... difficult.

“Agh. Yeah, that’s not the most fun things to deal with.” Acie commented, quickly going through their checklist.

They skimmed through them, and they mentally evaluated each one. Most if not all of those tasks could be held off, for a good while as well. It wouldn’t be a horrible dent in their schedule to do other things in the meantime.

“…do you need any help with those? I’m not as drowning in work right now. Plus, I think you need the company.”

Hmm...

[They carefully weigh their options. They've done most of the work on the defensive areas of the base, the tasks that are left wouldn't suffer from having a witness, and maybe an extra pair of eyes would be of help in some.]

...Fair enough. You can accompany me to the hangar and armoury. And then if you have time, perhaps you would be willing to assist me in time machine experiments.

Acie nodded, closing their list. They took a second to adjust their prosthetic and then straightened back up. “I’ve probably got time. So, lead the way, Othello Von Ryan.”

They’ve also still gotta get that recording, too. Hopefully Mr. Forehead here hasn’t already cleansed the entire system of it.

[They nod, and while they don’t smile, the furrow in their brow disappears as their shoulders relax.]

Fantastic.

The scout is quick to increase their pace until they’re side by side with the tech expert, keeping up with his new, slower strides.

They wait a few seconds before they start yapping, just in case he decides to start doing something on the way. Distracting him from his job is, at the moment, one of the last things they want to do right now.

[Don is listening passively, thankful for the conversation outside of work right now. Lately everything had just been reminder after reminder of what he missed and what he had yet to do. The occasional insight, quip or comment is offered, but for the most part he’s silent, just working on his screens.]

“-and so then after he finally listened when I told him the Uzi just wasn’t gonna work without the proper ammo, he gave in and switched weapons.” Acie, at first sounded relieved, only to switch their tone to exasperated when they continued. “…only to immediately choose the largest hand held one we have, which he can barely carry on his own.”

They half laughed, half sighed, as they pinched the bridge of their nose at the memory. “Love the guy. Just wish he didn’t overshoot so much.”

The scout purposefully didn’t mention their last train of thought. Because being that way could get him killed.

“Besides him, though, there’s not many large issues with the newer fighters. Leo’s damn good at his job and training them, I’ll say that.” They stated, stepping to the side to let an ammunition cart pass by.

[They’re walking determinedly through the passages of the base, visor in front of their eyes and cloak on with his respirator around his neck: usually only the gear he wears on the surface, but he’s been back and forth between the surface and the base so often with his current tasks that it hasn’t seemed worth it to change.

Screens are duplicating and blinking out all around him as he tracks his list and messages along with the video footage he has yet to catch up on and a million different reports he has yet to read. They’re only paying the barest attention to their surroundings in order not to trip over anyone, but mostly people move out of his way easily.]

@acie-is-absentminded

Stepping out of the briefing room they’d just been stuck in for the past hour, they sighed a breath of relief. “Freedom at last.” They never truly would get used to those prolonged and seemingly useless meetings. Though, they knew how important they were.

Acie began to briskly jog down the hallway as they checked their tech for the next thing to do. While they typically never found themself with free time nowadays, it was a welcome surprise to find they only had basic tasks left on their list for the day.

Occasionally, they glanced up to be sure not to smack into someone. And when they did after rounding a corner, their eyes immediately caught the familiar shade of flamboyant, royal purple.

The scout grinned, now spiked with the instinctive want to bother say hello and check up on him. So they waited for him to pass by, and then took place on his left, having to quicken their pace to keep up.

While she followed, she grumbled under her breath due to her having to speed up. “Man, I hate being short.”

[Half a minute passes without Don even sparing a glance, gaze only flickering between his screens. After a while, though, something in the back of his mind tells him something is wrong, and it’s then that he realises someone has been suspiciously keeping pace with him for the last two turns.

He glances down to scan the crowd and immediately jumps, not expecting Acie to be right next to him-]

Jesus- I mean, Newton- I mean- Acie. A warning next time??

Said suspicious individual stopped dead in their tracks when he looked at them. They paused for a few seconds to salvage their neutrality, until their composure came collapsing down as they bit their cheek to hold in their smile and stifle the choked laugh that threatened to break out.

“Oh man, I hope the cameras caught that.” They snickered, scrubbing their hand down their face in attempt to hide their amusement. Though, the shaking of their shoulders didn’t help at all. “Of course I’m not going to warn you. Something, something, keeping you on your toes.” They shrugged, scooting to the side of the hallway to not block traffic.

[He glares at them through his visor, but there’s no malice behind it, also stepping aside and fixing his screens.] Ahaha, unamused laugh. I will be deleting that.

How are you? You’re on my list of people I need to check in with and are therefore obligated to answer honestly. Which apparently needs to be said.

They took a second to look at him, unimpressed, but then made a so-so gesture with their hand as they replied. “I’m doing well. I’ve finally caught up with most of my tasks, so that’s a plus. Left shoulder blade is still sore from a mission earlier today, but it’s not that bad.” Acie demonstrated by rolling their shoulder and immediately regretting it as they winced.

“What about you? You’re also on my check in list, plus it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you face to face, so I thought I’d come and change that.”

Good to hear. Don't be stupid with it, now.

I could be worse. Busier than I've been in a while, uhhh it seems all my luck has ran out and now I have to deal with minor injuries and multiple disturbances on top of everything, but it was bound to happen at some point, so. Shelldon's been... difficult.

“Agh. Yeah, that’s not the most fun things to deal with.” Acie commented, quickly going through their checklist.

They skimmed through them, and they mentally evaluated each one. Most if not all of those tasks could be held off, for a good while as well. It wouldn’t be a horrible dent in their schedule to do other things in the meantime.

“…do you need any help with those? I’m not as drowning in work right now. Plus, I think you need the company.”

Hmm...

[They carefully weigh their options. They've done most of the work on the defensive areas of the base, the tasks that are left wouldn't suffer from having a witness, and maybe an extra pair of eyes would be of help in some.]

...Fair enough. You can accompany me to the hangar and armoury. And then if you have time, perhaps you would be willing to assist me in time machine experiments.

Acie nodded, closing their list. They took a second to adjust their prosthetic and then straightened back up. “I’ve probably got time. So, lead the way, Othello Von Ryan.”

They’ve also still gotta get that recording, too. Hopefully Mr. Forehead here hasn’t already cleansed the entire system of it.

[They nod, and while they don’t smile, the furrow in their brow disappears as their shoulders relax.]

Fantastic.

The scout is quick to increase their pace until they’re side by side with the tech expert, keeping up with his new, slower strides.

They wait a few seconds before they start yapping, just in case he decides to start doing something on the way. Distracting him from his job is, at the moment, one of the last things they want to do right now.

[They’re walking determinedly through the passages of the base, visor in front of their eyes and cloak on with his respirator around his neck: usually only the gear he wears on the surface, but he’s been back and forth between the surface and the base so often with his current tasks that it hasn’t seemed worth it to change.

Screens are duplicating and blinking out all around him as he tracks his list and messages along with the video footage he has yet to catch up on and a million different reports he has yet to read. They’re only paying the barest attention to their surroundings in order not to trip over anyone, but mostly people move out of his way easily.]

@acie-is-absentminded

Stepping out of the briefing room they’d just been stuck in for the past hour, they sighed a breath of relief. “Freedom at last.” They never truly would get used to those prolonged and seemingly useless meetings. Though, they knew how important they were.

Acie began to briskly jog down the hallway as they checked their tech for the next thing to do. While they typically never found themself with free time nowadays, it was a welcome surprise to find they only had basic tasks left on their list for the day.

Occasionally, they glanced up to be sure not to smack into someone. And when they did after rounding a corner, their eyes immediately caught the familiar shade of flamboyant, royal purple.

The scout grinned, now spiked with the instinctive want to bother say hello and check up on him. So they waited for him to pass by, and then took place on his left, having to quicken their pace to keep up.

While she followed, she grumbled under her breath due to her having to speed up. “Man, I hate being short.”

[Half a minute passes without Don even sparing a glance, gaze only flickering between his screens. After a while, though, something in the back of his mind tells him something is wrong, and it’s then that he realises someone has been suspiciously keeping pace with him for the last two turns.

He glances down to scan the crowd and immediately jumps, not expecting Acie to be right next to him-]

Jesus- I mean, Newton- I mean- Acie. A warning next time??

Said suspicious individual stopped dead in their tracks when he looked at them. They paused for a few seconds to salvage their neutrality, until their composure came collapsing down as they bit their cheek to hold in their smile and stifle the choked laugh that threatened to break out.

“Oh man, I hope the cameras caught that.” They snickered, scrubbing their hand down their face in attempt to hide their amusement. Though, the shaking of their shoulders didn’t help at all. “Of course I’m not going to warn you. Something, something, keeping you on your toes.” They shrugged, scooting to the side of the hallway to not block traffic.

[He glares at them through his visor, but there’s no malice behind it, also stepping aside and fixing his screens.] Ahaha, unamused laugh. I will be deleting that.

How are you? You’re on my list of people I need to check in with and are therefore obligated to answer honestly. Which apparently needs to be said.

They took a second to look at him, unimpressed, but then made a so-so gesture with their hand as they replied. “I’m doing well. I’ve finally caught up with most of my tasks, so that’s a plus. Left shoulder blade is still sore from a mission earlier today, but it’s not that bad.” Acie demonstrated by rolling their shoulder and immediately regretting it as they winced.

“What about you? You’re also on my check in list, plus it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you face to face, so I thought I’d come and change that.”

Good to hear. Don't be stupid with it, now.

I could be worse. Busier than I've been in a while, uhhh it seems all my luck has ran out and now I have to deal with minor injuries and multiple disturbances on top of everything, but it was bound to happen at some point, so. Shelldon's been... difficult.

“Agh. Yeah, that’s not the most fun things to deal with.” Acie commented, quickly going through their checklist.

They skimmed through them, and they mentally evaluated each one. Most if not all of those tasks could be held off, for a good while as well. It wouldn’t be a horrible dent in their schedule to do other things in the meantime.

“…do you need any help with those? I’m not as drowning in work right now. Plus, I think you need the company.”

Hmm...

[They carefully weigh their options. They've done most of the work on the defensive areas of the base, the tasks that are left wouldn't suffer from having a witness, and maybe an extra pair of eyes would be of help in some.]

...Fair enough. You can accompany me to the hangar and armoury. And then if you have time, perhaps you would be willing to assist me in time machine experiments.

Acie nodded, closing their list. They took a second to adjust their prosthetic and then straightened back up. “I’ve probably got time. So, lead the way, Othello Von Ryan.”

They’ve also still gotta get that recording, too. Hopefully Mr. Forehead here hasn’t already cleansed the entire system of it.

[They’re walking determinedly through the passages of the base, visor in front of their eyes and cloak on with his respirator around his neck: usually only the gear he wears on the surface, but he’s been back and forth between the surface and the base so often with his current tasks that it hasn’t seemed worth it to change.

Screens are duplicating and blinking out all around him as he tracks his list and messages along with the video footage he has yet to catch up on and a million different reports he has yet to read. They’re only paying the barest attention to their surroundings in order not to trip over anyone, but mostly people move out of his way easily.]

@acie-is-absentminded

Stepping out of the briefing room they’d just been stuck in for the past hour, they sighed a breath of relief. “Freedom at last.” They never truly would get used to those prolonged and seemingly useless meetings. Though, they knew how important they were.

Acie began to briskly jog down the hallway as they checked their tech for the next thing to do. While they typically never found themself with free time nowadays, it was a welcome surprise to find they only had basic tasks left on their list for the day.

Occasionally, they glanced up to be sure not to smack into someone. And when they did after rounding a corner, their eyes immediately caught the familiar shade of flamboyant, royal purple.

The scout grinned, now spiked with the instinctive want to bother say hello and check up on him. So they waited for him to pass by, and then took place on his left, having to quicken their pace to keep up.

While she followed, she grumbled under her breath due to her having to speed up. “Man, I hate being short.”

[Half a minute passes without Don even sparing a glance, gaze only flickering between his screens. After a while, though, something in the back of his mind tells him something is wrong, and it’s then that he realises someone has been suspiciously keeping pace with him for the last two turns.

He glances down to scan the crowd and immediately jumps, not expecting Acie to be right next to him-]

Jesus- I mean, Newton- I mean- Acie. A warning next time??

Said suspicious individual stopped dead in their tracks when he looked at them. They paused for a few seconds to salvage their neutrality, until their composure came collapsing down as they bit their cheek to hold in their smile and stifle the choked laugh that threatened to break out.

“Oh man, I hope the cameras caught that.” They snickered, scrubbing their hand down their face in attempt to hide their amusement. Though, the shaking of their shoulders didn’t help at all. “Of course I’m not going to warn you. Something, something, keeping you on your toes.” They shrugged, scooting to the side of the hallway to not block traffic.

[He glares at them through his visor, but there’s no malice behind it, also stepping aside and fixing his screens.] Ahaha, unamused laugh. I will be deleting that.

How are you? You’re on my list of people I need to check in with and are therefore obligated to answer honestly. Which apparently needs to be said.

They took a second to look at him, unimpressed, but then made a so-so gesture with their hand as they replied. “I’m doing well. I’ve finally caught up with most of my tasks, so that’s a plus. Left shoulder blade is still sore from a mission earlier today, but it’s not that bad.” Acie demonstrated by rolling their shoulder and immediately regretting it as they winced.

“What about you? You’re also on my check in list, plus it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you face to face, so I thought I’d come and change that.”

Good to hear. Don't be stupid with it, now.

I could be worse. Busier than I've been in a while, uhhh it seems all my luck has ran out and now I have to deal with minor injuries and multiple disturbances on top of everything, but it was bound to happen at some point, so. Shelldon's been... difficult.

“Agh. Yeah, that’s not the most fun things to deal with.” Acie commented, quickly going through their checklist.

They skimmed through them, and they mentally evaluated each one. Most if not all of those tasks could be held off, for a good while as well. It wouldn’t be a horrible dent in their schedule to do other things in the meantime.

“…do you need any help with those? I’m not as drowning in work right now. Plus, I think you need the company.”

[They’re walking determinedly through the passages of the base, visor in front of their eyes and cloak on with his respirator around his neck: usually only the gear he wears on the surface, but he’s been back and forth between the surface and the base so often with his current tasks that it hasn’t seemed worth it to change.

Screens are duplicating and blinking out all around him as he tracks his list and messages along with the video footage he has yet to catch up on and a million different reports he has yet to read. They’re only paying the barest attention to their surroundings in order not to trip over anyone, but mostly people move out of his way easily.]

@acie-is-absentminded

Stepping out of the briefing room they’d just been stuck in for the past hour, they sighed a breath of relief. “Freedom at last.” They never truly would get used to those prolonged and seemingly useless meetings. Though, they knew how important they were.

Acie began to briskly jog down the hallway as they checked their tech for the next thing to do. While they typically never found themself with free time nowadays, it was a welcome surprise to find they only had basic tasks left on their list for the day.

Occasionally, they glanced up to be sure not to smack into someone. And when they did after rounding a corner, their eyes immediately caught the familiar shade of flamboyant, royal purple.

The scout grinned, now spiked with the instinctive want to bother say hello and check up on him. So they waited for him to pass by, and then took place on his left, having to quicken their pace to keep up.

While she followed, she grumbled under her breath due to her having to speed up. “Man, I hate being short.”

[Half a minute passes without Don even sparing a glance, gaze only flickering between his screens. After a while, though, something in the back of his mind tells him something is wrong, and it’s then that he realises someone has been suspiciously keeping pace with him for the last two turns.

He glances down to scan the crowd and immediately jumps, not expecting Acie to be right next to him-]

Jesus- I mean, Newton- I mean- Acie. A warning next time??

Said suspicious individual stopped dead in their tracks when he looked at them. They paused for a few seconds to salvage their neutrality, until their composure came collapsing down as they bit their cheek to hold in their smile and stifle the choked laugh that threatened to break out.

“Oh man, I hope the cameras caught that.” They snickered, scrubbing their hand down their face in attempt to hide their amusement. Though, the shaking of their shoulders didn’t help at all. “Of course I’m not going to warn you. Something, something, keeping you on your toes.” They shrugged, scooting to the side of the hallway to not block traffic.

[He glares at them through his visor, but there’s no malice behind it, also stepping aside and fixing his screens.] Ahaha, unamused laugh. I will be deleting that.

How are you? You’re on my list of people I need to check in with and are therefore obligated to answer honestly. Which apparently needs to be said.