Just Pierce

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[hello-hydro-blog]

It was the air that made people fan around them instead of trying to capture their attention. Rose’s face always had a way of speaking volumes. A stressed unsmiling Rose was probably a big red flag to stay away. You’re welcome Pierce, maybe she’ll just follow you around. You know as a break from people.

“Right. The world is full of murder, people kill people all the time. But it wasn’t like Mr. Scotsman was in the wild west with riches.” Her hands moved around her, speaking with her body was another one of those things Rose did when frazzled. Her voice kept low still, just incase.

“I don’t know I am probably just being ultra paranoid but… I don’t want to see anyone else die… And my brain is telling me that people in power will fall all over the place.” Bottom lip was chewed for a moment. Rose’s brain goes a mile a minute, overload it and it’s the grand prix in there.

There was a bit of a sigh when bottom lip was released from teeth. “Of course. Dee’s the best… Sorry for rambling, not enough sleep i’m sure.”

[justpierce-blog1]

“It’s fine,” Pierce reassures her without thinking, and he finds himself meaning the words. So many people have been bothering him today, talking and prodding and forcing him to socialize. Rose doesn’t have the same kind of neediness. Being in her presence is like having a refreshing wave of water wash over him, gentle and calming in her own way. He doesn’t say that, of course, but he finds himself minding Rose’s company a little bit less than most other people.

“I don’t think this is a one time thing. It’s a message,” His words are quiet, barely louder than a whisper as he looks over the crowd near them. Someone killed inside of the Hub’s walls to prove a point. To show that their safe haven is not as safe ans they want it to be. It’s hard for Pierce to not take the attack personally. He’s made the Hub his home, is safe place, and now something or someone is trying to jeopardize that. Pierce would kill the man, if he knew who it is, trying to threaten his home. he’d do it without hesitation or an ounce of mercy. That’s what separates people like Pierce from most of the civilians. From people like Rose. He’s killed in cold blood before and it does not bother him. It doesn’t haunt his dreams or ruin his nights. Death is a part of the new world order, and Pierce survives the only way he knows how. One day at a time.

“Don’t worry, no one is going to get to the Commander or any Council members. I’ll keep you safe.” It’s a serious commitment, but Pierce means it. None of his peers are going to fall prey to such a devious death. He’s willing to bet his life on it.

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[tcooper-thehub-blog]

He shouldn’t be asking those questions, Thomas knew that. He wasn’t necessarily prying to learn all of the details he wasn’t allowed to even hear. There was a body found in the Hub after this not-so-boring meeting and tension settled down heavily everywhere. People were scared, jittery, and talking nonstop. Was it wrong for him to assume and question the possibility of a weapon being brought in? All of the innocent were unarmed, including him, but it only made him wonder if the suspect wasn’t even within the walls anymore? The Hub is a neutral zone, it was where plenty of people sought refuge. Thomas practically crawled up to these gates for safety. Finding a body that didn’t die of natural means was… well it was just alarming.

Pierce beckons for Thomas to follow which was what he least expected, but what could Thomas really even say he did expect to begin with? Losing the bright smile he keeps up after through the emptier areas. It probably was better to venture off from other citizens, other people in clearance one. Thomas should be staying back with them, unaware and left assuming. Not that this meant Pierce was going to spill all of the details, and Thomas hoped not. That was a lot of information. He just wanted to feel safe knowing in confidence there wasn’t someone running around with a weapon.

Thomas’s posture is a little more slumped by this point. While his usual cheeriness is absent he still doesn’t appear formal in any way, but he does perk up at the information shared. “That’s good,” he sighed, then caught himself. “Not good about someone dead… I meant about the possibility of a weapon. I dunno, I was worried someone mighta snuck one in and could hurt someone else.” He still knew nothing about the identity of the body. Best guess was it involved the meeting as it just happened, but it could’ve been anyone.

“Ah, alright, thanks-” Thomas added, sounding visibly relieved while turning to part ways. He intended on leaving Pierce alone now, he did his fair share of pestering and Pierce didn’t look to be in the mood, but he said something else that stopped Thomas in his tracks.

That stupid promotion- it wasn’t the first time it was mentioned. He was a runner there for seven years, it made sense for it to be offered, but he didn’t want it. He was already in charge of his own group from Bridgewater, and only he and one other remained from it. What if it turned what he loved into a chore? Thomas shrugged his shoulders and pulled his right hand from his pocket to wave it off to the side. “Why? So I can be stressed out like you guys?” People like Pierce, Izzy and Jackson were Head runners. That close-mouthed grin was back again. “You really can’t expect me to be in charge of other runners, Pierce. I can hardly keep track of myself.”

[justpierce-blog1]

Thomas is right. The way that Scotsman died is annoying ambiguous, but it means there is no security breach to work about. There are no soldiers letting in weapons, taking bribes and looking the other way. His men did their job, the best they could with such a sudden influx of people in town. He wasn’t stabbed or shot or strangled with any kind of weapon. He was murdered, sure, in some other way. Hell, maybe with bare hands. Pierce doesn’t know at this point.

“I can,” Pierce disagrees. Tommo’s been running with them for almost a damn decade. He knows what he’s doing out there, whether he believes it or not is a different story. Thomas wants to live in his own little happy bubble. Pierce cannot fault him for that. But this, the Hub, it’s about being a part of something bigger than yourself. That’s what Pierce chooses to believe. He needs that idea, the fact that a community will function better than Pierce and Viola wandering around, to keep him grounded and focused. He can push everything else back when he knows there are people relying on him and - much more scary of an idea - that he can rely on others to keep The Hub alive. Thomas is right the more responsibility they have, the more stressful i gers  but he’s wrong, because he is capable and ready for it.

“Stop wasting my time Tommo,” Pierce says, not unkindly. He isn’t talking about (just) right here and right now, and Tommo knows it. He’s worked too long with Pierce to pretend he can’t read him. It’s time for Thomas to step up, one way or another. Pierce just hopes he can nudge hi in the right direction.

[justpierce-blog1]

[hope-zhang-blog]

Happy Feet | Pierce & Hope

@justpierce

She may have been excited then but as her steps carried her closer to their promised meeting point, she remembered more and more why she hated running. And they haven’t even started yet.

But no turning back, she wanted to do something good, and better and just laundry, and if that means she has to run till she puke her guts out, she’ll do it. Try to do it. The Sun wasn’t awake yet like the rest of The Hub, and Hope tugged the jacket on her closer, covering her running clothes, which was whatever that seemed comfy to run in. 

She let out a sigh, pacing around early as she poked and stared at the scrap metal around (maybe she could use some of these to hold more plants). It wasn’t just the running thing, the whole someone dying was making her a little uneasy too. She didn’t have to wait long till she heard another set of footsteps joining hers. “Morning!” A smile easily brightened up on her face to see Pierce, trying to take a lighter tone. “Do you think we really should still be running in the morning? I mean someone did just die probably around this time too.” She was just speculating but it was morning when all the ruckus happened that day. Now they’ll probably need a whole new meeting to argue about it.

[justpierce-blog1]

It’s awkward having someone else working out alongside him. Pierce is used to waking up in the early hours of the morning, slipping out of his shared apartment before he could wake his mother. He does it every morning, getting dressed in complete silence. It’s one of th only times a day you’ll catch him in short sleeves. The sun is still low and humble in the sky when Pierce starts his run, and it’s not cool - it’ll never be cool again - but it isn’t scorching and he takes advantage of it.

Pierce half expects Hope to bail. There’s a dead body out there, no cause of death yet, and she didn’t seen dedicated to the idea. But she’s here, ready to go, and Pierce isn’t about to go back on his word. No matter how awkward it makes him. Hope talks and it’s light and airy. He could just ignore it, taking off running as he reaches down to make sure his calves are stretched. It would be easy enough to leave her behind.

Pierce decides to humor her.

“If he had been running, maybe he’d still be alive,” he points out as he finishes up his last stretch, bouncing on his feet a couple of times. He’s ready. Let’s hope Hope is, as well. “Try to keep up.”

[theraqueltorres-blog]

Always Awake || Open

[justpierce-blog1]

“Thanks.”

Pierce doesn’t really know how the Logistics side is affected by what’s happened. Trade is important to the Hub. They have the Dam, sure, but they need clean water, food, weapons, clothing, and every other little bit and end to keep people happy. With the settlements growing more suspicious and paranoid about every misstep that’s happened. The Wasteland can be cruel and unforgiving, but humanity can be even worse. Trade agreements are fragile and now, with the dead body, Pierce has no idea what Raquel has to do to keep everything running smoothly with a dead body inside of their gates. With everything on his plate, he doesn’t even want to think about it.

For five beautiful minutes, the only sounds in the room are Raquel’s furious scribbling and typing. Pierce settles back into the chair. It doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it was in the Old World, in the New World it’s Pierce’s little slice of silent paradise. The obligation to say something to Raquel grows stronger and stronger, but Pierces resists it for now. If Raquel wants to talk Pierce will humor her, he owes her that much.

[theraqueltorres-blog]

Raquel hates dealing with other people, mostly those outside the Hub, always arguing about who wants want and how much. She’s always been good with playing people though, and she’s been doing a lot of talking. Keeping people on their good side after the current situation has been hard, they already didn’t have a lot of trust going around, everyone’s always suspicious but she’s doing what she can to keep people happy, though the civilians of the Hub would be sure to argue that, she keeps a list of luxuries people want just to prove she has one, but those requests go to the bottom of the pile in terms of what to get.

She continues working, her people know her enough to keep their notes detailed and signed so she knows just who to go to when she has questions, never one for small talk her people know to simply give her the full details without softening anything or giving anything beyond the truth. She knows Pierce has been bothered and questioned non stop about the recent find in the Hub and she decides not to add to his stress of the situation, “if you would, pass on my thanks to your crew, the runners found some good supplies and the guards have kept those kids away from my wall.”

[justpierce-blog1]

“Yeah,” he grunts out, nodding in her direction. The guards and runners know they have Raquel’s thanks, but it won’t hurt to remind them of the fact. Everyone can use a morale boost with a dead body being dropped in the middle of their peaceful settlement, and Pierce isn’t known for his pep talks. That’s more of a Maxwell thing, the happy, pleasantries of a confident man with no worries. Pierce is all worries. His skin and muscle are made of them.

Pierce didn’t sign up for this. He didn’t sign up for anything, really, but Eva’s persistence chipped away at him, wore him down. Now Pierce is up to his ears in it, with no real clue how to do his job. It’s not like he can flip on a switch and have all of the answers at his fingertips. He needs to figure out why Scotsman died, and that in itself is going to be the toughest part. Pierce knows nothing about him. He’s never been to Bridgewater a day in his life. Yet one of their leaders is taking up a slab in his morgue, and Pierce has to figure out why, fast.

“Couldn’t have dropped dead outside of the gates,” he mutters under his breath, loud enough for Raquel to hear. It’s dark humor, razor sharp and unforgiving, but God, is it true. If Scotsman had just dropped yar a hundred yards to the West, it wouldn’t have been of his concern.

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[hello-hydro-blog]

It was in the air, thicker around Pierce then anyone else. Maybe because it was so close to the action. Poor Pierce, really the tall one needed a break sometime.

They all deserved one, the runners and guards, the guys with the guns in a sense. They worked their asses off, maybe one day they could all get drunk together, celebrate the night away. Even if there was not a whole lot to celebrate.

“Walk with me to Hydro?” It was a simple request, though if the guy was busy she would surely understand. The papers she had been reading were folded up and tucked into a small satchel at her side. They could wait for later.

“I’m worried Pierce.” Understatement. “Death isn’t a thing that scares me… But this death was political. That scares me.” Politics were a sticky thing, corrupting those that played it’s game. Rose kept her voice low and stride closer than usual to the other.

[justpierce-blog1]

He walks with Rose, falling in-step without so much as another word. Thankfully, people stop approaching him. Whether it’s because they’re in the middle of a conversation, or the idea that one Council member is approachable but two are just intimidating, Pierce doesn’t know. He doesn’t need to know to be grateful for the small cone around them as people seem to be moving out of the way, whispering as their backs fall into view. That suits hi ust fine. As long as people stop trying to talk to him, Pierce is happy.

“It wasn’t death, it was murder.” Pierce had been one of the first at the scene. Frank Scotsman’s skin was tinted a shade too pale and his lips were an unnatural blue color. He was face down in the bushes, as if he just couldn’t bear to walk one more steps. And the foam that had been near his mouth was sizable. It’s death unlike anything Pierce has ever seen before. Radiation and raiders are the two biggest concerns for safety. Pierce has seen gun shot wounds, he’s seen stabbing and dismembered bodies. But Scotsman’s death struck a nerve with Pierce. It felt deliberate and like an attack against his home.

“Dee is doing the autopsy now. We’ll know more when she’s done.” 

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[izzy-logan-deactivated20180816]

Keeping up with Pierce never cost her much. He was a fast man, and much taller, but Izzy walked alongside him with ease. In fact, if she thought about it, it suited them both; she liked to move, and Pierce didn’t like wasting his time. 

“More guards,” she repeated. She could do that. The guards were always stretched thin, but now, she only imagined how difficult it had become. If Pierce okayed it, she’d throw on a guard uniform. To be apart from her team and limit their excursions, as an idea, made her chest ache. She lasted less than a week without trips outside the Hub. But Izzy wanted to help, and Pierce needed guards. With any luck, she could convince some of her team to take on the role of a guard until things calmed down.

“I can do that,” she said, definitively. Confidence coated each word, even without Pierce’s official approval. Izzy knew the extent of her abilities, and while she didn’t brag often, she prided herself on them. Finally, she looked at Pierce. “Temporarily.” She could find a handful of reliable Runners to serve as guards, too, but she quietened to wait for Pierce’s response.

[justpierce-blog1]

Izzy says she can and Pierce knows, right then and there, that she’s right. If he would throw her a uniform she could fall in with the best of them. It would take training, on what exactly procedures were and how defenses are set up, but she could do it. Pierce doesn’t doubt that for a second, and he’s surprised at his own confidence in her. That’s not the issue, though. If he didn’t have faith in her, she wouldn’t even be a runner. He’d pawn her off on Raquel or Maxwell, to do jobs that are just as important, but less risky.

“Don’t need. temporary guards, Iz.” Pierce gives her a look. God, does Izzy remind him of himself sometimes. Shes more social, more personable, and possibly - somehow - more restless in a sense. Izzy’s wild fire burns deep, maybe too deep and that kind of restlessness with the status quo and life in general can be dangerous. When he’s offering her the job, this job, it’s a test in a way. Not on purpose, but he needs to know if she can commit to what the Hub is about. Adventure is nice, and peace and quiet out in the Wastes is even nicer, but Pierce has learned a lot in his years at the Hub. And one of the most important lessons that’s been drilled into his head is that sometimes what you want to do isn’t what’s the best for everyone. And that means sacrifice, on some level, conformity.

“You can do both, you know,” he adds belatedly, looking back over towards her. He leaves off the second line, I did both, because that doesn’t matter. Pierce’s life is not some standard to live to, and the idea of someone wanting to be like him is a complete joke.

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[tcooper-thehub-blog]

Not boring, which is Thomas recalled correctly was exactly what Pierce didn’t want. It didn’t help the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. As much as hoped and internally wished for the universe to just deliver them all peace and cooperation it was clear that would never be the case. If it were someone wouldn’t have blown the planet into a thermonuclear whatever-it-was that he learned about growing up. Maybe he shouldn’t feel so lax considering the tension and whispers sifting through the Hub, but he was doing all that he could to shove his own worries far far away into the corners of his mind.

“No shit they die!” Thomas exclaimed in response, a bit loud and boisterous enough for a small group mingling nearby to glance over. Pierce is definitely in a mood for a million reasons he could only guess. At first, seven years ago, Thomas thought he was a little bit scary. He was tough on the outside, all business, and everything Thomas was not. When the time came that Thomas grew used to it he didn’t feel intimidated like he did when he was still one of the Hub’s newbies.

Pierce stopped walking entirely, his eyes were dead set on Thomas, and although he wasn’t so quick to match that he slowed and turned to face Pierce entirely. “Confirmation, which I got. Thanks.” The rumors weren’t rumors, someone did die within the walls. He looked up to meet Pierce’s eyes, but his lopsided smile never left his face, nor did his hands ever leave his pockets. Where Pierce looked stern and tense Thomas appeared more casual. Looking as such helped him feel more relaxed.

But relaxed or tense it didn’t change the fact someone died, and that maybe the person who killed them could still be around. Maybe it made him a tad bit hypocritical to turn down all of the opportunities to move up in the ranks but still be curious and questioning information clearance ones never got their hands on. A second passed in silence, then another, and Thomas let a few more before, with the slightest tilt of his head and squint of his eyes, he asked Pierce, “I thought all of our weapons were checked and surrendered at the gate?”

[justpierce-blog1]

Pierce flinches at how loud Thomas’s voice is and gives the area a quick look around. He’s drawing attention to them, which is the opposite of what Pierce wants and needs. Any other day he’d be grateful for Thomas’s crooked smile but Pierce doesn’t have the patience to deal with his childishness right now. If Tommo wants to know more, he can get to clearance two. But he’s damn persistent, asking questions he knows he shouldn’t be, and it grates at Pierce’s nerves as he stares at Tommo.

“Not here, comon.” Pierce doesn’t land hands on Thomas, he knows that  his curiosity will make him follow. His office is a few, short steps away but Pierce veers off in the opposite direction, away from the swarms of people and shuffling guards that are switching duty right now. A recruit nods at him as he walks by and Pierce gives a terse nod back. Just two months into training and thrown into the open flame; Pierce makes a mental note to check in with all of the guard recruits later to find someone else to give them a pep talk. He turns, passing ab abandoned picnic table that was probably used at the old park there, and finds his way under a giant white basswood, enjoying the shade and privacy.

“All weapons are surrendered at the gate. Primary investigation shows no knife or gunshot wounds. The body is in medical right now, alright?” It’s technically illegal for Pierce to be telling Thomas details of the case, but he doesn’t really care. He wants Thomas in the now so he doesn’t follow him around like a lost puppy begging for scraps.

“If you want to know more, take the goddamn promotion kid.” More frustration seeps into his voice. It may be petty, but it’s also true. Thomas needs to stop acting scared.. They don’t have time for that kind of indecision any more. Maybe in the Old World he could have mindlessly wandered from job to job and relationship to relationship. Maybe he wouldn’t have had to take responsibility for anything. But this is not the Old World and Pierce needs to know he can be reliable. Thomas has proven he’s a good man on the ground, but Pierce needs people to step up as leaders. And hell, if he could do it, anyone else can, too.

[justpierce-blog1]

Ahead of the Game [Pierce && Dee]

The morgue smells awful. There’s something about death that you can never scrub clean no matter how many cold showers you take. Pierce feels it crawl down his spine and he shivers as he walks into the operating room and dons a surgical mask and gloves. There is only one person assisting Dee, one of her most trusted medical supervisors that Pierce can never seem to remember the name of. This whole ‘dead guy’ thing really sucks. Pierce has never to been to Bridgewater, and he doesn’t care too much about it. But now one of their five council members is dead, on Pierce’s turf, and he has to figure it all out.

The body looks worse than it smells. There are giant stitches in the man’s chest in a giant Y’ and Pierce’s eyes narrow in on the portion of his skull that’s been sawed through. Dee looks so small standing next to the tall man on the makeshift operating table. They aren’t going to give the good operating tables to dead guys. But Pierce knows how deceiving that looks can be when it comes to the head of Medical.

“Do we have a cause of death yet?” Pierce asks, his voice unwavering in the face of a death body. Pierce has seen, and done, much much worse. He tries to keep the hope and impatience out of his voice; Pierce knows that Dee is working as fast and she can.

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[hello-hydro-blog]

Meetings anyways made her nervous, it wasn’t the speaking in front of people nor was it the act of being around people… It was the theme of the meetings they often had. Unhappy people raised through voices, it made her hair stand on end. Tension was a thing that bulged under a thin veil of peace. Peace, that word rarely had meaning. Not in this world.

The events following… Rose couldn’t say she wasn’t surprised. The man though, an odd choice. Though Rose’s knowledge of him was mostly second hand. A seemingly nice enough man now dead and whatever, whoever, had done it was still somewhere. In the Hub? Did it leave? That aforementioned tension was even thicker on the ground then before. Great.

Death was a thing she knew, that part didn’t bother her. It was the unknown that did.

She hated the unknown.

Her nose was buried in a stack of papers, eyes watching the lines of text instead of the people moving around in front of her, usually they side stepped the blonde, leaving her unharmed and about her business. Maybe it was a coincidence that she would run into Pierce, a man she was sort of wondering about. A hand was pushed out to stop herself from fully running into the guy, palm pressed to his shoulder.

“Pierce! Oh man… Do you have a second? I could use a friendly friend.” Even with the tension Rose was always one to flash a smile, a bit forced but a smile nonetheless.

[justpierce-blog1]

Rose. Rose is nice. Pierce doesn’t ind Rose as much. he’d rather talk to her than another civilian, that’s for sure. He flinches away from her touch, feeling too overwhelmed. People have been talking to - at him, really - all day. The idea of someone touching him after all of it makes his skin feel too tight, like he’s going to climb out of it with a wrong twist. It’s an awful itchy feeling, and if he had just made it a little bit further, he could have locked himself into his office and ignored the world for the night. He’s up to his ears in paperwork, and even Pierce isn’t sure how to launch a criminal investigation. There’s no one here to teach him, so he’ll have to made due.

Rose has a stack of paperwork with her. He wonders, briefly, if it’s for Hydro or recent events. Rose has been briefed, they were in the same room with Commander Wilson after all. He doesn’t know how much the trade issues or the dead body will change Hydro. The Hub still needs to keep on running, n matter what.

“What do you need?” The smile doesn’t reach her eyes. Normally, Rose’s face is aglow when she smiles but not this time. Pierce has been around her long enough to be able to see that. If she’s asking for someone in all of this madness, well, t’s probably important. And even if it isn’t important, it’ll be a nice distraction for Pierce.

[justpierce-blog1]

Bright && Early [[Open To All]

[dci-daisy-blog]

A debriefing is a good idea. It’s always better to have an official line of communication instead of letting everyone gossip so hard they make up their own stories. Things like that can quickly spin out of control, and the place is tense enough right now already. He can practically taste it in the air. “Will do. I’d rather hear it from you anyway. At least I know you know what you’re talking about.” He punctuates the sentence with a ghost of a grin, just slight enough for Pierce to pick up on the gently playful gesture.

He doesn’t notice how animated he gets when talking about Hyuna. As far as he’s concerned, they’re two sides of the same coin. They’re the most important thing in one another’s lives, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s flattered by Pierce’s interest. A lot of people assume a lot of things about him. A stoic face and dominating stature will do that. But there’s a good heart that beats in Pierce’s chest.

“I’m trying to make do. He grows out of clothes as quick as I can find ‘em. Keeping him stimulated is hard sometimes. I don’t find many kid’s books out there to teach him to read and write. Kind of have to improvise.”

[justpierce-blog1]

Pierce smirks for less than a second. There are some people in the Hub who can beat around the bush; Pierce is not one of those people. He doesn’t see the point in wasting anyone’s time. The briefing won’t be long, depending on what happens. What could a couple of politicians possibly get up to, after all?

“Next week I’ll get up a voluntary running crew. There’s a small plaza around five miles out that has a bookshop in it.” Pierce remembers the plaza. There’s a sporting goods store that is more than ransacked and a small time mom and pop thrift shop not too far away. There’s a couple other runners who will volunteer. These runs don’t need to be logged; anything found out there is up for takes. The settlement could use more clothing, more books, more ‘luxuries’ in the new world. Jackson’s brother deserves a good upbringing and, unfortunately, there are no schools at the Hub. Not yet, at least. He has no idea what Eva has planned for their settlement in the future.

“I’ll post it in the runner room. The list will be filled by dinner. Make sure you have a babysitter next Wednesday. We’ll go at night.”

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[izzy-logan-deactivated20180816]

The information fell through to the people in tiers. Izzy expected as much, though she couldn’t say she agreed with keeping so much quiet. But she had a bias, because when she showed up to watch the ambassadors leave, there was one less member of the Bridgewater caravan. Izzy kicked herself for underestimating the level of tension between settlements. She should have kept a closer eye on the ambassadors. Did she know this dead person? Was Bridgewater being targeted specifically? Why?

Whatever the answers to her questions, Izzy knew a murder meant tensions rising further, and the likelihood of another body being found. She tried to bargain with some Level Threes, but they gave her nothing. She grew increasingly impatient. If people went around killing each other, they were no better than Gutshot and his bloody crew. And what use was she in all of this?

Out in the marketplace, she stopped a guard she recognized and asked after Pierce. He pointed her to the mess hall, where she saw the Head of Guards and Runners leaving the building. Exchanging slaps on the back, she parted with the guard and jogged after Pierce. As she came closer, Izzy paused to remind herself of the type of man Pierce was, then walked patiently the rest of the way.

“Pierce,” she started, falling into step beside him. “I want to help. I’m quick, I’m a good shot, I know the settlements. I can be useful.” She wondered again if he meant it when he offered to make her a temporary guard. The position suited her, anyone who knew her for more than a day knew that, but Izzy loved to be on the move, always doing something, supplying the Hub with resources. Now, though, she could warm up to idea if it meant keeping somebody else from getting killed. “What do you need?”

[justpierce-blog1]

It could be worse than Izzy. It could be some clearance one rattling off gossip at him like they’re friends. Like they talk on a regular basis and gossip. They don’t. Pierce doesn’t gossip with anyone. Izzy falls in line and Pierce doesn’t bother to slow down. She can keep up with him.

Izzy wants to help. Pierce wants Izzy to help. But this is a guard matter, not a runner matter; with her current job, there is nothing she can do. Izzy’s got the temperament, the skill, and the commitment to go great things in the Hub. Hell, Izzy could be the next Council member. She’s partial to running though, to being free outside of the wall. Pierce can’t blame her. Setting down at the Hub is something Pierce did out of necessity. Some days, he wonders if it’s the right decision. Most days, Pierce knows it is.

“More guards,” he states, voice blunt with no room for pleasantries. It’s the only thing he needs right now, more reliable people through training that can handle what he needs. Out of all of the jobs in the Hub, the guards are always the most understaffed position at the Hub. The training is long and grueling, and people die outside of the walls. A lot of the guards are stuck inside, unless there are caravan missions or trade routes that need guarding. It’s not glamorous, like runners or fancy medical workers (although medical workers are the second lowest population at the Hub) and Pierce knows it. It’s why he had to double up when he was younger to help out.

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

[justpierce-blog1]

dtcooper-thehub:

Thomas was a clearance one citizen. He didn’t gain any knowledge of what happened in the meeting, he never did when it came to important official things. He quite liked it that way. The business side of the world today could be grim and gritty, and he wanted to remain blissfully ignorant. Unfortunately, he was too smart for that, he knew a bit of the tensions, just enough to be aware that the world wasn’t peachy, but that was all he needed to know.

However, the news of death traveled fast and no matter how much Thomas tried to remain clueless he heard about the murder. Rumors were rumors, and he’d already heard countless ways this man died. Some said there was one guy, a few stretched the truth and insisted there had to be more that were covered up. Death by stabbing, gunpoint, and many other ways were circulating around the clueless clearance ones. Thomas didn’t want to ask, but it would be better for his nerves to just do so.

Pierce was on foot leaving the cafeteria, he looked like he was angry and frustrated. Thomas couldn’t blame him, but the scowl on his face wasn’t enough to keep him at bay. Thomas just wanted to see if it was true, and what parts were also true. With a bounce and a skip in his step, Thomas caught up to Pierce’s mission-paced stride and he settled into walking right beside him as to not slow him down to his destination. “I take it the meeting went well?” His hands shoved into his pockets to appear as casual as possible, and all he tacked onto that was, “So, a dead body, huh?”

“Not boring, that’s for sure,” Pierce says with a sigh, referencing their other conversation just the other day. God, why couldn’t it have been a boring, boring meeting, full of sunshine and rainbows. Instead, Pierce nearly had to hold someone back when the argument got too heated. It had been the opposite of boring. Pierce feels like he’s jinxed it, the whole entire damn thing, and now the aftermath is his fault.

“People die.” It’s not Tommo’s fault that someone is dead and it’s created an insurmountable amount of work for him. It’s also not Tommo’s fault that Pierce is stressed out and done dealing with people. But Tommo get the brunt of his frustration, with his short answers and lack of explanation. He slows his pace to a standstill and turns to lok at Tommo.

“You know I’m not authorized to tell you anything. What do you want Thomas?” Tommo is nearly bouncing as he walks, and Pierce remembers he’s a clearance one. It’s just another reason that he should take the promotion. If Tommo was a head runner, or an even higher clearance, he would know what is going to happen. But he isn’t, and that tiny little detail normally doesn’t bother Pierce. Today, it does, because it’s just something else petty that Pierce has to deal with.

[theraqueltorres-blog]

Always Awake || Open

[theraqueltorres-blog]

Her office has always been cluttered, but for her it’s an organized clutter. She knows where everything is and her people know if they take anything they have to put it back where they found it. When Pierce enters the room the small amount of tension leaves her, she’s been glad for her work keeping her away from others, not interested in dealing with the many questions she’ll be getting from those outside the loop. When he sets down the coffee and lifts in thanks, taking a long drink and enjoying the warmth and thankful for the caffeine.

When he takes a seat she leans back in her chair and watches as he rubs at his forehead. Things are tense around the Hub, and Raquel knows the tension is some of the worst for Pierce and his guards, all the demands for attention, she’d seen the people around his office when she’d stepped outside for a short moment.

“I saw the crowds, you’re welcome here as long as you like, it’s a little cluttered but not many people come knocking.” She knows it’s her personality, her interactions with civilians that leaves most of them avoiding her office, many know she won’t really have time given that she often ignores the knocks when she gets far too distracted by her work.

[justpierce-blog1]

“Thanks.”

Pierce doesn’t really know how the Logistics side is affected by what’s happened. Trade is important to the Hub. They have the Dam, sure, but they need clean water, food, weapons, clothing, and every other little bit and end to keep people happy. With the settlements growing more suspicious and paranoid about every misstep that’s happened. The Wasteland can be cruel and unforgiving, but humanity can be even worse. Trade agreements are fragile and now, with the dead body, Pierce has no idea what Raquel has to do to keep everything running smoothly with a dead body inside of their gates. With everything on his plate, he doesn’t even want to think about it.

For five beautiful minutes, the only sounds in the room are Raquel’s furious scribbling and typing. Pierce settles back into the chair. It doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it was in the Old World, in the New World it’s Pierce’s little slice of silent paradise. The obligation to say something to Raquel grows stronger and stronger, but Pierces resists it for now. If Raquel wants to talk Pierce will humor her, he owes her that much.

[theraqueltorres-blog]

Always Awake || Open

Raquel leans back in her chair and rubs at her eyes, looking at the clock on her wall with a glare the late hour stares back at her. It’s nothing new to her though, always up when the sun rises, or well before it does, her work needs her attention. Especially now that her plans seem to be in motion, the wall is one of the most important things about the Hub, if you ask her it’s the most important thing. If it falls the Hub fails and that’s not going to happen while she’s around. The new supplies they received are just one more step in the right direction, the wall is ever changing, parts always need checked and she wants to be prepared for the worst to happen. Thankfully she won’t have to worry about stupid kids messing things up now that Pierce is in the know.

Stretching the knots out of her body she stands for a moment and begins to pace the small room. She really should sleep, just getting a few hours will keep her going to a long while, never needing much to stay alert. Instead she moves back over to her desk and sits down, booting up her compute to go over her logs again and make sure her blueprints are accurate again, just to make sure she hasn’t missed anything important.

The hall out side her office is quiet, the early or late hours of the day don’t bring much life to the Hub just yet, not many people are willingly up at this hour, most choosing to sleep, and those that aren’t are on their shifts wherever they require them to be. A knock at the door causes Raquel to jump slightly, cursing quietly to herself she waits a moment, hoping whoever is there will simply leave thinking she wasn’t around and forgot her light but when it happens again she sighs, “it’s unlocked.”

[justpierce-blog1]

“I’m going to sit,” Pierce almost growls out. His voice has never had this much use in a single day before. His vocal chords are not used to it, and Pierce hates it. A lot. He’s sick of looking at people, talking to people, existing next to people. He went to his own office, only to have a line of people milling around his door. Pierce takes one look of them and turns in the opposite direction. Somehow, he finds himself in front of Raquel’s office. Good enough.

The coffee is his hand is set onto Raquel’s desk. He grabbed it at the cafeteria without thinking, just wanting something to occupy his hand. Caffeine will only make his headache worse, and Raquel prefers her coffee black, so it works. His hands hold the warmth from the cup, and Pierce wipes his palms down his pants in an effort to distract himself.

“Here.” He points at the uncomfortable chair with a fraying padding and stiff, slanted back. It looks like freaking heaven after his day. Pierce throws himself down in it, ignoring the creaking under his large frame in the small chair. His head lolls back and he rubs at his forehead out to his temples, circling around the pressure point there.

[justpierce-blog1]

Brain Stew [[Open Event Para]]

A dead body is literally the last thing Pierce could want. He had doubts, of the meeting, doubts he did not voice to Commander Wilson. Now, Pierce is wishing he did, because this sucks. Someone dying within the Hub’s wall really sucks. He’s already swung by medical and they aren’t ready for him, so Pierce can do just about nothing until thy get results. Every available guard is posted on duty, and Pierce has recruited a crack investigation team. They’re out surveying the death scene, trying to put the pieces together. Pierce wishes there was just a goddamn bullet in his skull. It’d make things easy.

It’s not the first dead body Pierce has seen. He’s killed people before, point blank range. It is, however, the most troublesome dead body he’s seen. Frank Harold Scotsman seems like he was an okay guy. Probably. But now he’s a real pain in Pierce’s neck. His lips were blue, the foam was dried and crusted, and man, did he smell bad. Pierce had him delivered to the medical wing for whatever they do with dead bodies. Pierce doesn’t think about it.

The worst part is the people. Everyone keeps approaching him, asking for details he is not allowed to give out. People want to know who is he, why he’s at the Hub, how he died, where he died, and who killed him. If Pierce had the answer to half of those questions, he’d be a happy man. He turns, leaving the cafeteria with a scowl on his face. He can feel people watching him. What an awful feeling. It leaves him twitchy, angry, and jumpy. He’s halfway back to his office - somewhere with a goddamn lock- when he feels and hears someone approach him. What now?

[hope-zhang-blog]

Loads of Fun [Open]

[hope-zhang-blog]

Hope was ready to start bouncing in her seat, already prepared to get up even earlier than now. As much as she hates running, she put her focus on reaching the point where she’ll be able to actually help others, and pick up plants and animals to save them from the monstrous conditions out there. “I’ll be there,” she promised, a little too quickly and with a little too much enthusiasm.

As Pierce started to take his leave, showing his uneasiness with what he may have just gotten himself into, she blinked and nodded, mind still processing what was said, “Yeah, yeah of course.” Hope got up and rushed in to wrap her arms around Pierce, carefully keeping her wet hands out of the way, “Thank you.” Her words muffles into his shirt with her small figure trying to give this towering man a hug. She held on to the embrace for a while longer before taking a step back and looking up. “Well, you better get going, big guy. Have fun with your rounds.”

She wasn’t sure how this would work out or whether she’d just be there to infuriate one more person, but it was a step in a direction. May not even be in the right direction but who knows? Maybe it’ll just be fun for them to see herself struggle over running again.

[justpierce-blog1]

Pierce wonders how much of Hope’s enthusiasm will be still present at the end of their five mile run at six in the morning. If he was a gambling man, he wouldn’t bet in favor of it. But if Hope truly is dedicated, he could make a runner or guard out of her yet.

The hug catches Pierce off guard. He tenses for a long moment, his fists curled up tight and his body rigid. Hope is small and wwarm, completely forieng to him. The only person to hug him is his mother, and Viola isn’t a particularly affectionate person. Even in his childhood, he can count on both hands the amount of hugs he shared. Viola isn’t cruel. She’s sensible and logicial, two traits that Pierce has inherited that have kept him alive in the New World. After a moment his big arms wrap around her, his movements jerky and awkward. Hope pulls back and Pierce releases her, relief flooding his system as he takes a step back.

“Yeah,” he mutters out and spins on his heel. He’s regretting all of this far too much and it hasn’t even happened yet.