INBOX for Consignment

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braun.reiner@cdc.org
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[sweeptheleg]

Is keeping them a mission objective?

[ The reply is sent almost immediately. Should she be concerned he'll fail in the eyes of their superiors? ]

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no

[So is his. He doesn't want her to worry about it.]

they came from that planet with the moving mountains

i don't know if you got sent there

[sweeptheleg]

[ Not a mission, but... there's a point to it, she imagines. ]

Okay.

Need any help?

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if you aren't busy

maybe you could just come hang around for a while

or i could come find you

[sweeptheleg]

Location?

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rover 028

[sweeptheleg]

Got it.

Action!

[panzerung]

[Alpha is inside the rover, asleep and hopefully out of trouble for the time being. Reiner's sitting outside, his thumb gently stroking the prone hatchling resting in his palm. He's watching it quietly, already knowing what will inevitably will happen. Maybe he should put it out of its misery.

He can't quite bring himself to do that, though.]

[sweeptheleg]

[ It's not long before Annie comes by. She spends much of her time at her outpost assignment, keeping entirely to herself, but her regular return to base camp doesn't do much to change that. Reiner's the only one she's gone out of her way to talk to all day. Really, he's the only one that she wants to interact with now.

She's quiet on her approach, bundled up with her hands tucked in her pockets. ]

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[He glances up at her silently, and despite his stoic expression, he is glad to see her. She looks as well as one can expect, and though he doesn't get up to greet her, there's a seat next to him if she wants to sit. The hatchling is still cradled carefully in his palm, close to his chest. The warmth of his body is more than sufficient... but the baby doesn't seem to be getting any better.]

[sweeptheleg]

A runt?

[ She asks the question quietly before she settles down beside him, her gaze watchful and alert. It's a strange little creature. Weak.

It was always a flaw of Reiner's, wanting to look out for weak and fragile things. ]

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It's my fault.

[The little rock dragon doesn't move, still taking in shallow breaths.]

I think I hurt it.

[sweeptheleg]

And?

[ It's just a prompt for a little more information. Yes, it's an injured, small animal. And what else was there to it? She doesn't mean to be callous. She is concerned in a roundabout way for Reiner, at least.

Sympathy isn't something that came easily for her. ]

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I should have done something.

[Anything. He should have stopped it from happening.]

[sweeptheleg]

I'll do something.

[ It's a fledgling attempt at showing her care for him. She's not exactly good at this, but she's trying. ] If you want.

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[He looks at her for a long moment, mulling her offer over. He isn't shocked or indignant by it. If anything, he feels guilty that she even has to offer.]

It's my fault. I have to be the one who takes care of it. [He appreciates it, Annie. He just can't put anything else on her shoulders.]

[sweeptheleg]

Alright. If that's what you want.

[ She wouldn't have minded, but she'll respect his decision. If that's what he wants, there's no point to argue it. Reiner could handle whatever he was responsible for.

(No, he couldn't.) ]

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[He really couldn't. They both should know better by now.]

I want to ask you about someone. Big Boss.

[sweeptheleg]

That old man? What?

[ Annie's terrible at volunteering information, but Reiner well knew that. She's not unwilling to tell him what she knows, though. He's the only person that gets that treatment now. ]

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He keeps asking stuff. [It's a descriptive statement, to be certain.]

He says he knows you. I don't know if I can trust him.

[sweeptheleg]

You shouldn't trust anyone.

[ Simple as that. Still, she continues to speak. ]

He's shown me some moves. Hand-to-hand. I've never seen anyone fight like him.

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[That's how it has to be now, huh? Reiner's quiet at that before he just offers a nod. She's right, after all.]

Maybe I'll ask if he can teach me.

[sweeptheleg]

[ This is how it's always been for Annie. Welcome to her world. ]

He'd be... not a bad ally, maybe. [ An awkward pause, then she adds: ] He can take me down no problem.

[ In short, she's utterly amazed by his technique. ]

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[Reiner actually looks surprised at that, but he recovers eventually. Sort of.]

Really? ...I guess that's not a surprise. [He'd kicked Reiner's ass pretty easily.]

[sweeptheleg]

What the hell's that mean?

[ There's a soft undercurrent of tension. It's not too serious, but she's a little disgruntled that he'd say that. ]