01-18-2018, 05:51 AM
She was surprised at how readily he answered the question, and though she was still missing vast swathes of context, she gathered up the facts to sort through later. The detective was already fading as though her concerns were the least of his; which they probably were. He was keen to tend to the burned man. Nox. But she pressed one more question. "And where will they take him?"
She didn't know Moscow, not at all, and she needed to know where to start looking.
The ambulance arrived quickly. Natalie shrugged off the suggestion that she could also do with the care, which was mostly true. By now her feet were throbbing, but the thought of a trip to the hospital only darkened her mood. When Alvis murmured something about making sure she got safely home with the tact and gentleness of a long lost friend, they hovered for only a moment more, asking Jared too if he was okay, before focusing their attention on the one who needed it. She watched numbly as they worked, rubbing her arms against the chill. In the lull she could feel the night's events circling her thoughts, threatening to overwhelm the calm she armoured herself in. But she was adept at forcing down her emotions. It might make her cold, but it didn't make her weak.
The sirens blared again to mark the ambulance's departure. As the detective made to leave she called out again, frowning. "We were in the tunnels. There were... creatures. Something to do with a rogue scientist from VaiaPlus. If that's the sort of thing your Atharim deal with."
Afterwards she turned to look at Jared. The rubble and destruction hung in her peripheral, and inside she felt kind of the same. Jared looked equally run dry; Natalie couldn't even imagine the sort of reserves it required to bring a man back from the very brink of death. "What happened? That's a good question."
A smirk lifted her lips, but even she couldn't maintain that sort of lightness; it quickly twisted to a grimace. Concern crimped her expression. She shared what little she knew, including the things she guessed. There was no uncertainty in her understanding of Jay's actions, even without all the facts. "What will you tell Danjou?"
She didn't know Moscow, not at all, and she needed to know where to start looking.
The ambulance arrived quickly. Natalie shrugged off the suggestion that she could also do with the care, which was mostly true. By now her feet were throbbing, but the thought of a trip to the hospital only darkened her mood. When Alvis murmured something about making sure she got safely home with the tact and gentleness of a long lost friend, they hovered for only a moment more, asking Jared too if he was okay, before focusing their attention on the one who needed it. She watched numbly as they worked, rubbing her arms against the chill. In the lull she could feel the night's events circling her thoughts, threatening to overwhelm the calm she armoured herself in. But she was adept at forcing down her emotions. It might make her cold, but it didn't make her weak.
The sirens blared again to mark the ambulance's departure. As the detective made to leave she called out again, frowning. "We were in the tunnels. There were... creatures. Something to do with a rogue scientist from VaiaPlus. If that's the sort of thing your Atharim deal with."
Afterwards she turned to look at Jared. The rubble and destruction hung in her peripheral, and inside she felt kind of the same. Jared looked equally run dry; Natalie couldn't even imagine the sort of reserves it required to bring a man back from the very brink of death. "What happened? That's a good question."
A smirk lifted her lips, but even she couldn't maintain that sort of lightness; it quickly twisted to a grimace. Concern crimped her expression. She shared what little she knew, including the things she guessed. There was no uncertainty in her understanding of Jay's actions, even without all the facts. "What will you tell Danjou?"