00:00   Hazard  Tesla steps out of the shower, and towels off, wrapping her long, black hair to help it dry. She steps out of the bathroom of this cozy apartment, and walks over to the kitchen, opening up the fridge for a bit of a snack. She had just finished a bit of a workout, and that always left her a bit peckish. Crackers and cheese it is. Vittles in hand, she plops dow
00:00   Hazard  down on the couch.
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00:06   Reikim  "This isn't a regulation bunk." Hikari pokes her head in. "Tsk tsk. What did our sergeant say? Give us an inch and we'll pull down a mile?"
00:10   Hazard  "Oh! Commander!" Tesla pops up to her feet, barely managing to keep the towel wrapped around her. "No, uh. No, it isn't. I just figured... since I didn't have anybody with me here, I'd just link up my apartment... for tactical reasons. You know... If we get into a scrape, I can bring civilians straight here... and stuff..." She is beet red and trying desperat
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00:10   Hazard  desperately to straighten up rogue magazines on her coffee table.
00:14   Reikim  "I'm messing with you. You're not the only one; at least I don't have to find an excuse to go down to the Wand to see you." She looks around, nonplussed. "Nice place, by the way...Do you have a minute?"
00:17   Hazard  "Uh... yeah." She looks down and awkwardly positions her arms, but eventually gives up, sitting on the crescent-moon shaped couch that formed the foyer of her apartment. Around the outside of the couch, a pair of low stairs curve back behind a tall, tiered fountain. The one on the right branches off into the open kitchen, while the one to the left curves to a
00:18   Hazard  curves to an average wooden door. Behind the fountain, the two stairs cross, curling up to the loft bedroom above. The entire concept is airy, open, and full of light. "What did you want to talk about?"
00:21   Reikim  "I need your advice on something." Hikari eases in. She's wearing the same outfit as usual, of course; though she's considerate enough to take off her boots and coat before going further in. Instead of going over to Tesla, she wanders a bit, getting a view of the place from several different angles. "...A fountain? Really?"
00:23   Hazard  "It's for Alstaka. It's away with its little friend right now, but normally it likes to have water around to form a body from." She smiles, sheepishly. "Like a cat condo for a puchuu with no physical form."
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00:27   Reikim  "And a pet, too. You're really living it up, huh." Hikari wanders back and leans against the couch without properly sitting down on it. "...Business first. How's training coming along?"
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00:31   Hazard  "Well, I've been putting together possible teams from the list of fresh meat the Assistant Commander gave me. I..." She stands, pointing at the wooden door. "I've got them on my desk over there. I've also been trying to write down all the drills they had us doing in that field base. See what resources we'll need that we don't already have."
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00:37   Reikim  "Mmmm." Hikari leans down and snags a cracker. She nibbles on it a bit, while a frown gradually works its way onto her face. "...Damn. I'll just get right to it. I'm sorry Tesla, I don't know who else to ask...I think Kali's lying to me."
00:39   Hazard  Tesla's face scrunches together, trying to work its way around what she's hearing. The muscles relax, and her expression softens. "Kali? That's Indra's sibling, right? What about?"
00:45   Reikim  "Well, lying's a bit of a stretch. I think she's hiding something, though." She snaps the rest of the cracker in her mouth. "Not telling me everything. I'm used to it; but I think it has to do with Pascale, and Indra." She rubs her forehead. "Maybe I'm just on edge; that case has turned into a real headache."
00:48   Hazard  Tesla looks at the front door for a moment, then stands, walking up one of the stairs. The slender girl beckons Hikari to follow her, as she ascends to the loft bedroom.
00:52   Reikim  Hikari follows along, of course, hand stuck in her pocket. The knotted sleeve on her left arm bobs up and down as she ascends. She doesn't ask why.
00:55   Hazard  The stairs curve up and into the bedroom, which has a good-sized bed. The entire room is decorated in soft, frilly fabrics and sheer lace. Pink pillows grace the head of the bed, and a television is on an entertainment center on one side. A doorway opposite you leads into a bathroom with a walk-in closet. The open wall gives a perfect view of the apartment, w
00:56   Hazard  with its fountain and potted plants. "It'll be harder for people to overhear us from this side of the fountain. Besides, I should get dressed."
00:59   Hazard  ||
01:01   Reikim  "Oh, I thought you just felt more comfortable like that." Hikari flicks some frills. "I never pictured you for a frills girl. Well, I guess you're technically...fourteen now?"
01:05   Hazard  "Around there." Towels drop to the bathroom floor, and for the briefest moment, a gymnast's body stands out against the tile backdrop, smooth, ivory skin and graceful curves. Her hair tumbles down, cloaking the form in a river of inky blackness. She opens the closet and looks around. "And no, I'm not getting dressed for you. You know that. Planning on going
01:06   Hazard  going out a little after. See some of these newbs in their natural, less professional environment."
01:09   Reikim  "Aren't you a bit old to be partying?" Hikari snickers. "...Or young, I guess. Not that I can talk, though." She looks sixteen max, after all.
01:11   Hazard  "Not partying. Observing." She turns to Hikari, a hand touching her chest in feigned offense. "Besides, I partied until I was well into my seventies, thank you. I've matured a bit since you knew me."
01:15   Reikim  "Should hope so. It'd be really inconvenient if you didn't." Hikari sighs. "...Just to clarify, I'm not asking you to rat her out or anything. I just...need some advice. I don't think the usual approach will work here."
01:17   Hazard  "What kinds of things have you been asking her?" She asks, stepping in to some underwear. Black, silky, no frills or frippery.
01:21   Reikim  "I asked how she was feeling after Indra's death. She seemed to be taking it really well. That's not...really why I'm suspicious; Kali's a tough girl. It's more..." Hikari waves her hand in an abstract motion. "...A gut feeling, I guess. Watching her reaction, I got the feeling she thought about telling me something...but didn't." She smiles, slightly sad. "You know how good my gut is for
01:21   Reikim  these things."
01:22   Hazard  "Yeah. As if she knew Indra wasn't really dead?" She shrugs, "Maybe she come back like I do? But why not tell you if that were the case?"
01:30   Reikim  "And if she did that'd be on her record anyway." Hikari frowns off to the side. "...If Indra's not dead, that changes a lot of things, Tesla. If she's trapped and hurting somewhere...you know how I work. And...it could be worse. Not everyone who comes back does it your way. We both know that well enough."
01:33   Hazard  She makes a strange hand gesture, one that seems to have more significance to a small group of insiders. "Calista. Yeah. But if Indra is in a worse position, why wouldn't Kali tell you about it? Wouldn't you think she'd gather all her power to get Indra back?"
01:36   Reikim  "Maybe she just doesn't trust me." Hikari leans against a dresser and laughs weakly. "...I couldn't blame her. I'm not cut out for this, Tesla. I was always meant to follow orders, not give them. Now I'm nearly at the top of the pyramid, and I have no idea what I'm doing."
01:39   Hazard  "The best leaders are the people who remember what it was like to follow. Besides, you were our Commander before you were ever a commander." She steps out of the closet, dressed in a simple, slinky black dress with a powder blue sash across her hips. "You will lead the Lantern well. Of that, I have no doubt. Besides, you know how to delegate, and you ask for
01:39   Hazard  advice when you need it. Those are more hallmarks of a great leader."
01:46   Reikim  "But you give better pep talks." It...feels like she has something more to say, but she opts not to. "Speaking of advice, I still don't know what I'm going to do. I've got some ideas, but... Oh, nice dress."
01:49   Hazard  "Thanks." She frowns. "You can't force her to spill the beans. If she doesn't trust you, forcing her hand will only make that worse. Have you tried talking to Alex from the Wand? She seemed rather close to Indra. Showed up in her Bright Tower vision. She might know something."
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01:53   Reikim  "That was idea number one." Hikari lifts her index finger. "...And the other reason I came to you. I know you're close with her and she probably trusts you more than me. This is a request, not an order; can you ask her for me?"
01:55   Hazard  "You got it. I'll ask." She sits down on the bed, pulling an illuminated makeup mirror and a caddy of various implements to her side from a dresser. "Anything else?"
01:56   Reikim  "I think I want to duel Pascale."
01:57   Hazard  "Reeealy?" Concern pulls up at her eyebrow. She drops the foundation that she had just picked up, and focuses on her superior. "And you're planning on doing this alone?"
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01:59   Reikim  "That's what duelling someone means yes," deadpans Hikari.
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02:08   Hazard  "That is not going to happen, Commander." She pulls out a broad, soft brush and begins tamping it against the pan of a foundation. "If that monster took out one of ours, we should round up a team and exterminate her. I don't like the thought of you going one-on-one against another of those crazy pink ones."
02:11   Reikim  "It's like you've forgotten who I am." Hikari grins rakishly. "Pascale couldn't kill me if she tried." She sobers up. "Though I couldn't kill her either. ...I want to know what kind of things my girls have been fighting. I want to know what it was like for Indra to face this girl down. And...I want to make sure I'm okay with ordering her execution. Even if I've already done it. I can't
02:11   Reikim  think of a better way of doing that."
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02:15   Hazard  "But you won't go alone. Even if you fight her, just the two of you, you will have backup. I will see to it." Tesla stands up, placing the brush down on the foundation pan, and walks over to Hikari. Her hand cradles the missing arm, long fingers gracing Hikari's shoulder blade. "We need you. I won't let you get killed for us. That's bad leadership."
02:20   Reikim  "If she thinks it's a kill squad she won't come out." Hikari brushes her off and heads for the stairs. "Besides, I'm supposed to be around when you die next, right? I can't die before that. So you've got nothing to worry about."
02:22   Hazard  "Commander." Worry crosses her face, but she shakes it off. "No, you're right. One other thing before you go?"
02:23   Reikim  Hikari pauses and looks back. "Yeah?"
02:26   Hazard  "This place? It isn't somewhere that the base surveillance can reach. You..." Her eyes search Hikari's for a moment. "If you ever need to unwind, let your hair down... Watch TV, play a board game... whatever. You can be yourself here. If this job starts to stress you out, come on over."
02:32   Reikim  Hikari smiles. "I'll keep it in mind. But you know I'm never more myself than when I'm bleeding out for someone else." She waves over her shoulder as she heads down the stairs. "...Thanks for listening. Keep me update about Alex."
02:33   Hazard  "You got it, boss." She picks up the brush again, continuing to put on her makeup.