Re: !! Try to Understand

[Rendaz "Flammy"]

Knowledge and purpose.  His brows raised, intrigued at the challenge.  Had she come to the belief that he'd lacked it? Yet, her honesty was welcoming; many others were deprived of it in the field of persuasion.  Nothing she said assured him that he could trust her... But at the same time, he wouldn't need to.  If push came to backstabbing, then he knew how to bite back. He made remark on it, but simply, quietly nodded.

"Very good," he said, as if praising a child. He didn't answer the latter question right away, but instead allowed his hand to drop to her chin, holding it lightly as if to coax her to face the surrounding stacks of machinery. "Why don't you count them yourself?"

At the offer, a few of the spider-like machines squirmed into life, metallic limbs squirming beneath the bodies of their brethren.

[Kale]

Her brow twitched, as if it were want to furrow but decided against it. She didn't care for the tone, but reigned herself in. There was much she was knew she would have to be prepared to swallow in working with this man. Instead, she was quite as the hand guided her chin, and her vision observed the area. Her good eye was quick to pick up the movements and immediately her wings tensed and pulled in and away from leaning against what she had thought were just walls of junk. Her body nearly flinched with the action back away into Rendaz's chest, arm up around his neck grabbing onto him a bit tighter. The motion may have been mistaken for thinking to find some sort of protection there, but she wasn't that naive. There was none anywhere, least of all within the arms of the ruckarl Rendaz. 

Well, shit. She had walked right into a nest. Her lips pulled up into a sneering smirk with a bitter 'Ha'.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't question their competence while I'm enclosed in the very midst of them..." Her tone was sarcastically jesting. "But you should know that appearances do make one doubt them. They look a little....squished." And for all her relaxed air, her body was tense. "What brought on your decision to start this little project?"

[Rendaz "Flammy"]

At Kale's sudden movement, he remained still, shifting back an inch as the hand latched onto him. Though her closer proximity was anything but welcome, even he couldn't hide the vague sneer of amusement at her surprise.  It was worth it, in his book.

He was about to compliment the apparent wisdom of her words, that is, until he heard the following words.  Disguising his twinge of annoyance under a well-intended smile, he shook his head, tutting to himself. "Maybe in here, they are.  But out there, I'll have eyes all over the castle." There was a sense of triumph in both his tone and his smirk.

"Do you really think this place is safe, Kale?"
He glanced down towards her, curiosity in his eyes.  "Do you really feel secure here? In this... sanctuary?" The spanner against her neck was pressed harder.  "There's those here who really think humans are the only enemy here. They're wrong." His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "You lay yourself vulnerable to those you allow into your boundaries. It's those who are closest who can cause the most pain, you see?" After a pause, he sighed, returning to normal.  "There could never be a unity here. A prison like this, teeming with outcasts and monsters. They're the ones more dangerous than those maggots at the shore."

He gestured towards the machines again.  "Security is what I....  we'll need."  His devilish grin grew at the correction.

[Kale]

"Of course not." She nearly hissed sharply, teeth gritting as the spanner reaffirmed its threat to her windpipe. "But one doesn't need to feel safe to feel unafraid, Rendaz." Her gaze glanced over the mechanics again before turning back up to him.

She scanned his expression and how it morphed with his correction of pronouns, her own expression changing little until her lips quirked. The smile cracked, parting lips, as she sighed a small laugh and closed her eye, turning her head forward again. 

"That, my dear, is exactly the point. That's exactly why I want them all here together. Let them think that, let them close. That vulnerability works both ways, combined with the fact that there are a great many talents accumulated here attached to weaker, trustful minds..." She hoped he would see where she was getting at. "We'll just have to be a few steps ahead. I like to think we're capable." She paused a moment before speaking again, opening her eye.

"So, these machines will be your eyes. What else will they- can they - be?"

[Rendaz "Flammy"]

The glance Rendaz gave her was skeptical, but he didn't question it.  There was a line to be drawn - the line between courage and stupidity. And in his modest opinion, it was stupid to allow things to continue the way that they were. If Kale wanted to accept the risk, he would let her. In fact, it could turn out advantageous.  

However, her latter remarks had his expression turning to vague interest, getting her implication though.  The question was, would it work?  And it would it even be worth it? Such things were frustratingly indeterminable, but it was clear that Kale had a plan. Whether or not he agreed with it was another matter entirely.

"Weapons... decoys... gatherers.  They'll be whatever I want them to be. I'm sure you've already acquainted with the prototype." He glanced back towards them.  "Of course, they'll be destroyed. But," he snapped his fingers, "I'll make more. Simple as"

"There's no such thing as executing too much caution, lest one find oneself in an undesirable situation. How does the saying go again?" He blinked to her, faking curiosity.  "'Better safe than sorry', was it not?"

[Kale]

A noncommittal scoff sneaked it's way from the woman's throat. She had doubts for Rendaz's methods. The man could only make so many, and they were all robots. They could not move beyond the realm of technology, and that made her wary of their prolonged usefulness despite being unwilling to completely doubt the potential of said technology. However, that being said, she thought the sole reliance on these machine's a folly. At least she was pursuing both organic others and these synthetic helpers. She would have to watch this man for more than one reason, it seemed.

"Right well, you have fun with that. Let me know when you run out of material, you'll need a lot of it based on what I'd gathered from the prototype." Her tone was a bit dry, giving him a side-glance. "And, I would disagree with you. It is opinion what is an undesirable situation. Sometimes, a near-blind risk is necessary. Unless you're content in stagnation, of course. For example...this entire situation, however, I do not believe you have made such a poor outcome of it."

And with a smirk, Kale reached a hand to pat Rendaz's arm as if affectionately. As if to prove the benefits in such an alliance with her, she let slip some of her influence to Rendaz. It would feel a bit like an electric charge, foreign but not entirely misplaced, and while it was far from painful as her first such contact with Rendaz was, she was hoping it more to leave him feeling a bit more energized.

"Now...if you do plan on holding me this close all night, I suggest we move to a more comfortable location in the least. If not, I do think now might be an appropriate time to release me."

[Rendaz "Flammy"]

Gathered--- That was quite the literal word there, and he noticed it with a careful leer. As she finished, he barely noticed the influence at first, but did find a sudden alertness creeping into his mind, not entirely unlike the first swig of coffee. While such a sensation was hardly unwelcome, he was tentative to accept it from the harpy, recalling the last time something like that had occurred,

At her final words, he finally drew himself away from Kale; she was not the only one who no longer desired such close contact. His concentration remained fixed on her regardless. "Stagnation is not the same as losing," he insisted with a leer. "I believe there's another word for it... They call it patience." And patience he believed he had - he'd outlasted many things before. Near-blind risks were all but reckless, unless one was prepared to accommodate for said risks. Of course, the matter could be avoided completely with a little foresight. Planning.

With a grin creeping into his face again, he inclined his head. "Was that all, dear? The company was lovely - but I'm not made of time."
Still gripping his spanner, he smacked the head of it into the palm of his other hand, never once removing his gaze from the harpy.

[Kale]

The effect of moving away was clear. Without the body contact, the slight energy transfer was lessened and cut off. She didn't care to keep it up at distance either, so much more difficult. Kale herself, once released, did not immediately move until she heard the ruckarl still. Then, she turned partway, just to have him in sights and give him a slightly raised eyebrow. She wasn't exactly keen on that expression or his own fondness for that spanner.

"Exactly. You're not made of time. I just wonder how much of what you do have, you will wait patiently away for something to happen." Her tone was accusing, slightly, but had a sadder note to it. She was not pitying, she didn't pity, but it would be such a shame for such potential to go unused. The harpy stepped forward, nodding her head to the door behind Rendaz, as if reminding him she had to pass through the narrow space he occupied to leave. "Also, so you know, I will be taking over Everly's old rooms since mine are gone and hers recently vacated. But, I am keeping my office. Just in the event you need to find me, you know where I'm set up. I expect you wont even if you do, but we should talk about the future of the school at some point."

[Rendaz "Flammy"]

The newfound energy dwindled away as he moved, which he noticed with vague disappointment. Yet, he tried to supply it manually - mentally forcing himself to be more alert as he looked to Kale.

"What I decide to do with my time is none of your business," he countered, brows creasing with mild annoyance. He had little regrets of the time he'd wasted waiting for something, but many more of the times that he'd taken a needless risk. Though, Kale's side did seem to suggest that she'd experienced otherwise. But with ambitions that demanded danger, one would be a fool to expect coming out unscathed. He leered slightly at her scar. It'd be hypocritical to pry.

Soon, Rendaz realised that he was blocking the way to her much-called-for exit. Turning, he swiftly unlocked the door, before yanking it open with just enough space to allow the harpy to leave. "Please, when wouldn't I ever want to visit you? You know I enjoy our conversations so," he said, his words laced with thick exaggeration. His tone settled into something more serious as he continued. "You meant to say, we will talk." He pinned an expectant look on her.

[Kale]

A light shrug, a small smirk at which a knowing and amusement played. To be honest, she so enjoyed the frustration she brought Rendaz. As the door opened, she straightened her posture.

"Of course dear, then how about we get together sometime. Have coffee, a snack, a heart-to-heart." The harpy strolled forward, and as she neared, the energy increased, spiking as she brushed by before it dropped again with her passing. "We'll just pretend we both still have one."

Slipping through the doorway, the woman gave a rather bright smile and a small wave of the fingers.

"I'll be expecting your call, then."

[Rendaz "Flammy"]

His look turned into a wry grin at her playful remarks - she certainly couldn't have hit the truth any harder than she did then. Humming with vague agreement, he allowed her to pass, feeling the familiar sensation creeping in again, before it faded again. There was absolutely no mistaking it there.

Squinting at her bright smile, he failed to return the same pleasant look. In fact, he doubted his ability to do so without blatantly faking it. So he simply gave in to his inner instincts and leered. "Of course, dear. Anything you say. Now if you don't mind," he readjusted his poise, gripping tightly on the door as if to express he was moments from slamming it into her face, "I have some unfinished business to attend to."

[Kale]

She didn't stop walking, but merely did so slowly, letting one step hesitate as she cast a glance up and down back at him.

"I'm sure you do." Her head tilted slightly. "Best get it done before I start sending more your way." And with that, the harpy turned sharply, as if dismissive with chin raised slightly, and strode off. Talons clicked where they tapped the stone flooring and wings held high.

She had his attention, in the least. And that was all she needed at the moment. Gaining his something of an agreement to at least somewhat cooperate was a huge bonus. Though she wouldn't put too much stock in it, she wouldn't rely on him...
But for now, she wanted his gaze on her. Let him think he sees, rather than let his mind wander to chance too close to a truth. Paranoia was warranted if the delusions weren't really all that delusional, after all.

[Rendaz "Flammy"]

Was that a threat? He narrowed his eyes, unamused, and he didn't bother with adding any more comments before she turned and started to walk away.

With that, he was happy to shut the door, as well as most of the outside world. Phase 2 could start. The test had been a moderate success, although he still intended to retrieve the initial prototype. Despite it all, there was still always the constant nagging in the back of his mind - the part that just did not trust Kale at all. It wasn't as if he trusted many people at all, but he'd put himself into an especially familiar, vulnerable position.

He turned to continue the work on his unfinished project. He could assume some things, and let others lie in the dark. He could cope. Things could still get better.

[Sponsored content]