Aberrant: Nova Reality - Honorless, Masterless Ronin

[DigiGeist]

DigiGeist sits on a large ledge near the WCK HQ. It's snowing, and cold. But he hasn't noticed such things in a long time.

He's just got done clearing up loose ends where he came from. Nothing came of them, nor was of any real import.

Then there was the situation with Wakinyan. At first he thought this would be just the sign h needed to rekindle his old life. But all it was... was just an illusion.

He looks at a picture of his love, Alice, and tears the picture, letting the pieces drift to the trash-bin below him. Then he lights a cigarette and takes a long drag. Not that he notices anything, but it's more of the psychology of the matter.

He looks towards the doors, wondering if he can really go back, having lost his honor.

((If anyone wishes to jump in that are in the WCK roleplay go for it.))

[April Rice]

April flies the streets of downtown Chicago, leaving her apartment and keeping even with the fiftieth floor as she shoots through the cold, concrete canyons, headed for HQ.

A bubble of force keeps the snow out, and she doesn't really feel the cold, but navigation is tricky. The snow obscures her sight, and the weather is leeching the heat out of everything - she can see people fine, but seeing the heat difference between air and an exposed granite parapet is difficult at best.

So the world is a confused blur of impressions whirling by as she flies - squares of infrared leaking from building windows, the texture of concrete and glass fed back to her by the telekinetic fields washing over her vicinity. It's half roller-coaster and half gym routine, and she loves it.

One of those fragmentary impression catches her attention just as she reaches the tower, and she pulls up to figure out what it was. DigiGeist can see her arrive - a familiar blur resolving into April's figure as she stops thirty or forty meters away.

She's not exactly sure what stopped her ... maybe a scent, or a sound, or her enhanced hearing echolocating DigiGeist's body, or her telekinetic fields running over his face. Regardless, she's sure that he's around somewhere, and she quickly locates him - his body heat standing out against the cold of the building behind him.

She's instantly hanging in the air in front of him, her force bubble expanding to shelter him from the wind and snow. She is, however, uncharacteristically slow to speak:

"Um ... hi. How are things?"

[DigiGeist]

"Hello April."

He's admittedly fond of not being immersed in the elements.

"I... Haven't been having a good time these past few months. Lots of things. I came back to talk to the gang. To tell them a few things I think they should know."

He takes a drag from his Cigarette.

"That, and Carver. I want to see how she's been doing, too."

[April Rice]

"Oh! Well, come in, then. Want a lift? Or, no, you can fly ... that was stupid. Sorry. Um. We're ... there's not that many of us around right now. Just, well, four really. Why do you want to, um, talk to Carver, in particular? [atypically long pause] So, are you coming back, or just, like ... stopping by?"

April's visibly uncomfortable - she's never been good at covering up her emotions. At least, not in one-on-one conversation, nor to DigiGeist's trained eye.

[DigiGeist]

What's in her right now... is she crushing on me, or is she just plain nervous? What the hell has happened now? What's the new disaster?

"Looking from your behavior..." He hops down. "Something is amiss. As for Carver, she can wait untill I'm appraised as to what is going on."

Jeeze, I'm not invited back yet, and already I'm acting like Jager's second in command...

"Yes, I'm back in. Seems I'd do better to stay here and help you guys keep from getting in more trouble than turning tail and running home to Minneapolis."

DigiGeist's appearance turns very stern.

"But again, I'll appraise everyone regarding what's going on, at least who is left, inside..."

He walks in. Holding the door for April.

[April Rice]

She coasts down alongside as DigiGeist drops to the ground, hesitating in the air as he mentions her behavior. Gliding beside him as he crosses the street she answers him:

"Oh, no. Nothing's wrong. I mean, ok, at the moment the police are handling eight traffic violations, three possible B&E, a domestic dispute call ... um. Nevermind. It's been pretty quiet these last few days, since Vali left."

Flashing a sudden grin at DigiGeist's gentlemanliness, April flicks through the open door. As he steps into the building after her, she broadcasts briefly on the team's radio frequencies (hearing Julian's by-now-customary grumble at her hacked signals): "Digi's back, everyone."

Her force bubble melts away as DigiGeist enters, and she informs him:

"I just told Sandcaster and the guys you're here, so whoever's around should show up ... though, like, with Alchemist in his lab and Jager being Jager, I hardly ever know who is around. Heh, yeah ... so, I'm really glad you'll be back, Digi. I, um, kinda missed having you around."

[DigiGeist]

DigiGeist looks around the front foyer. It looks cleaner than one would expect for being walked on my messy feet. He can tell it was quiet.

"Yeah... but I expect Jager to read me the riot act when he shows up. He WANTED me to stick around."

He pauses for a moment.

"Besides, one of the reasons I came back, is to uphold that order. Another thing..."

He turns towards April.

"I have a bad feeling we won't be seeing eachother like this very soon. With Waki locked down, and we've probably caught the attention of every loonie and nutcase in this city... We're going to be busy."

He looks down at the ground.

"I almost becaome one... That's something I gotta talk about. To get off of my chest. Someone helped me clear my head and get me set right. Made me realize what's important in life. Especially when it's gone."

He holds a small necklace locket. Rubbing it gently in his palm, with his thumb.

"When my Mother passed, I becaome alone. Left with no family to talk to... you... you guys are all that I got left. Then when Alice left me... Something about how we couldn't be together with me having a node and all... That and what I've done recently... Well... I'll lay it all out to you guys. I know you guys have that safe room still. That's where we'll talk. No cameras, no microphones. Just me and your ears."

[April Rice]

April swoops in closer, gingerly touching his shoulder as she says with genuine sympathy:

"Oh, I'm sorry Samuel. I didn't even know you still had family ... let's see about getting the others together, so we can talk."

[DigiGeist]

"I don't have a family anymore... And now that Alice no longer wishes to see me either... after what I've done..."

DigiGeist feels cold for the first time in a while.

"I feel I've let too many people down."

He starts walking for the elevator that leads to the saferoom.

"You know... I wouldn't be suprised you guys have deleted my security access codes as well..."

[Jager]

"Deleted? Nah," Jager says as he falls to the ground from the rooftop above. "We wait til your dead, first ... or in your case, Digi, when we're sure your dead. You told us you needed some personal time and didn't know if you would be back, but we left you in the system, just in case."

Jager nods to April.

"Patrol going okay?"

Jager stands there imposing in his all-white suit, tanned skin and white-blonde hair cut moderately short. His glacial blue eyes seem to add to the cold, even as they shine with an inner fire.

[DigiGeist]

DigiGeist turns towards Jager.

"Well... thanks for the vote of confidence."

He straightens out his black coat, and leans next to a wall, waiting for others to show up.

"Besides, I think I'd do better for you on site than wandering around. I get better direction that way, right?"

He smiles, bearing a fang, like always.