2020-03-20 - Wellness Check

Summary:

Just another conversation over lunch including some nova hound intel.

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Fri Mar 20 20:19:05 2020
Location: RESCUE Campus

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

None

dominoposse

.~{:--------------:}~.

*

Perhaps it's a sign of change but Neena's been spending a lot more time around the campus ever since the nanite swarm which left one of the buildings in a sorry state. Now that there's also a laundry list of personal injuries involved She Who Lacks a Healing Factor has had a few more reasons not to stray too far from 'home.'

Naturally this has kept Karl pretty busy though all things considered those two somehow seem to be getting along fairly well.

It's a bit late for most lunch-goers but it helps to keep the space cleared out of foot traffic. The pair easily stand out with all of the available seating, each with trays in hand and a mix of whatever happened to be on the menu.

From a distance it's still clear that the albino's getting regular medical treatment. Her thermal suit is a bit tattered but that makes it all the easier for the fresh bandages to stand out like a patchwork quilt.

*

"Hey Spot, on your six." Even if she wasn't still dressed in skintight black, the snow-hue face isn't too hard to pick out of a crowd. Walking out of the cashier line with a tray of brightly-colored food, Ava offers a metal-handed wave from behind. Per her new normal, the cyborg is dressed in the loose uniform of Overwatch, unarmored, and for once she doesn't appear to be armed.

*

The albino's reaction time is still on point even if her situational awareness may have been running slightly under-par. At the call Neena turns around fast enough to have her suppressing a wince, though soon enough she's actually smiling.

Turning to her escort, she asks Karl "Mind giving us some space?"

Karl replies by way of pretending to tug down the front brim of a cowboy hat then finds a different trail to blaze.

"And just like that I am legitimately your problem" she teases the head of security. "Almost didn't recognize you. How goes the rebuild?"

*

Ava turns an almost pitiful eye to Karl as she's left alone with the lively albino, but can't help grinning at the reply she gets. "WIP," she answers back simply while walking over with half a glance towards Domino's tray. Being a hospital cafeteria, more specifically Dr. Kelsey's hospital cafeteria, there's a bright and colorful array of nutrition available to pick from and the bionic vet seems to have picked the whole rainbow in small pieces of fruits, along with yogurt and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich jury-rigged from the breakfast section.

"How goes your rebuild?" she asks back.

*

The actual fruit salad is mimicked to a somewhat lesser extent on the mercenary's tray. The selection here likely doesn't follow Domino's usual eating habits but she makes do. It's hard to go wrong with oranges and assorted berries but if meat is an option (even as a vegan alternative) then that'll be found shoved between two pieces of whole grain bread on her tray.

"Miraculously no signs of infection. I'd have some pretty wicked scars if not for the staff here being so good at what they do," she mocks being annoyed. "Bruising, lacerations, minor concussion, all the basic stuff. Think I might have dislocated something going through one ceiling then relocated it going through the second ceiling" she also suggests with a blank but careful shrug.

Neena motions with a head-bob toward an empty table then starts walking. "Hey, been keeping an eye on the forecast. Weather's getting nicer, which means it's time for me to really lay into being a pain in your ass."

Setting the tray down frees up her hands to rest atop of the table, leaning forward as she eyes Ava. "You, me, an electric bike, and some actual freaking sun. No exoskeletal onion to get in the way. Seriously, when's the last time most of that ink saw the light of day?"

*

Ava follows at an offset stagger until seating herself on the opposite side of the table. "You took a good little beating," she remarks. "And yeah, ain't that spray-on skin great? I'd look like the grand canyon if that wasn't around."

To the mention of weather, the white-haired cyborg tips her head. "Not often," she admits, eyeing the two-tone merc. "Why, you want warm sun and a breeze down your tits?"

*

Neena pulls out a chair and gently settles in before dipping her head and splaying hands to the sides. "Still kicking. Ugh, and then some. The thought of getting stitches never sat well with me."

The first of a half dozen grapes gets popped into her mouth, vanishing from the world a second later. "Won't say the idea isn't appealing but I seem to remember a certain cyborg chick complaining about having so many layers to deal with. Keep going the way you have been and you'll be as pale as I am," she teases.

"C'mon. Right here," she points at both of her eyes while meaningfully watching Ava. "Tell me that a ride without all of the techy bits wouldn't boost your spirits. You own a tricked out dirtbike so anything counter to the notion'd be a lie."

*

Ava tucks into her sandwich while Neena talks, and sure enough the inside reveals the distinctive dual tones of peanut butter and jelly, nothing added. Swallowing as the merc finishes, she smiles wistfully and points to her eyepatch with her blinking arm. "I could use one, but I'm down a headlight. Not clear to ride 'til I get that fixed."

*

Neena's not about to be swayed by such an answer. "Luckily for you, I happen to know someone with two working eyes who happens to appreciate bikes and is going rather stir-crazy around this joint. Give the word and I'll fling her your way."

*

"I wonder who she might be," Ava grins slyly across the table. "What's she like?"

*

"Snarky bleached white stupidly well armed pain in the ass" Neena replies with a smirk to match. "Definitely your caliber."

*

Ava takes a sip from her drink as she pretends to consider that. "Sounds like she'd be popular. What's her headspace like?"

*

Neena gently dips her head to one side. "A little flakey up front. Hooked on adrenaline. May need the occasional reality check to keep her honest. Loyal enough once all of the edges are worn in. You'd be good for her" she suggests before eating a raspberry.

*

"Hmm… You think she'd keep up with me?" the bionic woman questions, eating whenever Neena speaks and seeming to keep her eye as much on her food as the woman across from her.

*

"I do" Neena replies with sincerity rather than sarcasm. "Change can be a real bitch, but give her some time to come around and realize that she's got a really sweet gig and maybe the questionable stuff won't seem so important anymore." With a light smile, she adds "Just don't forget about me when you're off chasing the next bad girl."

*

"You kidding me? Put on some fake glasses. We'll make it a threesome," Ava jokes casually, showing approval in her own way before a glance is given to Domino's bandaged arm. "How about her PT score?"

*

A soft chuckle comes from the albino before switching to take a bite out of her sandwich. "Seriously, you gonna ask for a referral next? Maybe some tax records? If you're gonna play twenty one questions then make 'em count."

*

"I'm just thinking if she wants payback on some hounds, she better know she'll have to keep up," the bionic chief of security quips as she makes eye contact again, holding a steady gaze. "Overwatch doesn't move at casual speed."

*

Neena slowly shifts a brow skyward, her head lilting to one side as if suddenly unbalanced by the motion. "Does it look like I live in the slow lane to you? Seriously, Av. I'd be back in active combat if I could. Sitting around makes me all jittery, time wasted."

Thinking about it a little further brings out a lopsided grin. "It's been a long time since anyone asked -me- if I could keep up."

*

Ava smiles quietly to that. "Just makin sure your head's in the game. You know my standards and we've not got much time to train up. You have any practice operating in a squad with all that lone-wolfin you did?"

*

"Sir, yes sir" Domino jokes. "I've been rather fond of your standards thus far." Then the amusement wanes slightly. "A little. Not much of any 'official' capacity so much as the 'herding cats' variety, but… I have enough time logged with following individual instruction." The last part is spoken in a soured tone.

*

"Forget instructions, I mean instincts. Bounding overwatch, stacking up, overlapping sectors of fire," Ava clarifies, grinning a little at the joke. "Do you know what doctrine you learned that from?"

*

"Instinct I have" Neena confirms before destroying another grape. "A little here, a little there. Been on plenty of runs where I -had- to back a team because none of the other dipshits had an ounce of survival instinct among them. I've got your back, Ava. And Overwatch. Flexible on role, just put me where you want me" she suggests with a sly glint in her eyes.

*

"Expect 2nd spot then," the cyborg reveals while she finishes her sandwich. "It'll be sensors in front, maybe Hank, and sensors in back. Third slot's got suppression. ISR willing we'll roll with a platoon but a squad minimum. Drones are working on intel."

"You know your way around night optics and other whizz-bang stuff, right?" she asks with a glance, just in case.

*

Domino nods once upon hearing the spread. "Hank's good at what he does but it's hard to see through him. That said, the reverse is true. He makes for a helluva shield."

Regarding fancier field tech she nods again before suggesting "May not need the tinted goggles. I'm seeing pretty damn well in pitch these days. Your call. I know your hands are tied in a not fun way lately so however you want to roll."

*

"He is but if you're trying to see through him you're breaking SOP. We can stagger to sight down a long hall, but he's point because he's got the keen senses and the only chance in a melee. We'll be rolling better gear than you've got, vampy. Infrared to start, and I'll work with the egg-heads on tuning our overlays for tunnel ops. Sonar, thermals, and ground-pen radar should spot everything with a pulse before it spots us," Ava explains. "Besides," she adds with a teasing grin, "Your bone-white face would sparkle in NOD-green."

*

Neena glances about as if to ask 'who, me?' "I like to keep my options open is all" she suggests at breaking procedure. "It's that 'instinct' thing."

There's something of a visible flinch with the 'vampy' nickname but she doesn't audibly protest. "Hey, if you want to shower me with fancy expensive tech then I'm not going to complain. With any luck your tricks won't make it such a pain in the ass to get a proper sight picture."

Sparking face? "I could always black it out. Oldschool options still have their place."

*

Ava takes a fresh look at the albino's face and snickers at the mental image that produces. "Oh yeah, I want to see that. We can dunk you in some black paint to save time." The white-haired vet snickers further before turning back to her tray, cleaning out her yogurt and drink.

*

"We do what we have to," Neena offers, "though I'd be fine skipping the paintbrush experience if it can be helped. Oh, since you're putting together a team to hunt down the last one I'd suggest packing the team with some punchy APs. One of the damn pups completely deflected a solid brass slug out of my twelve gauge. Had to hit the bastard square on to get through."

*

"Good intel," Ava answers gratefully, and just like that the albino subtly but unmistakably has the green-eyed woman's full attention. "I'll get autopsy details from Roni to add to that. What were those things like?"

*

"Tough," Dom offers with a hardening of her expression. "Fast. Relentless. Pack behavior. Hopefully that part won't be a factor anymore. It's possible to cut through their hide but you've gotta be properly mad and fully committed to the cause. Not sure about intelligence, Hank posed the bigger threat so he became their focal point but I'm pretty sure the pups had set up an ambush for me to walk into. Damn sneaky for their build, too. Ideally we'd tag any remaining ones from a healthy distance then pick them off with large caliber solutions."

*

The cyborg resumes eating while she listens, but manages to do so while barely lowering her head. It makes for an almost unnerving eye contact. "Any bead on their senses?"

*

Neena takes pause to consider the question. "Other than staring one of them down before it went for my face, negative. Most of our introduction had been a mad maul fest. What I do remember is that the ambush diner reeked to high hell with rotting corpses and indoor gunfire didn't seem to disrupt them by an appreciable amount."

*

"If we're lucky they adjusted to it. Roni's screamers are a little more effective than a flashbang too," Ava considers. "Any signs of intelligence?"

*

"Other than having a trap set?" Neena asks. "Again, hard to say. They went for the bigger louder target. When it was us against mother dearest I went for flanking moves..with some success. She was too focused on the Blueberry to notice my approach but she sure made me regret trying as soon as contact was made. When her back foot caught my harness I'm -pretty- certain that was dumb luck rather than a conscious effort, but..it's hard to say."

*

"Something else for the autopsy. Roni knows brains," Ava concludes as she finishes eating, though without touching the two pieces of fruit on her plate. The cyborg's hands find the edges of her tray as she moves to stand. "Thanks for the intel. I've got more to do - sync with you later, Spot?"

*

Dom passes a casual salute toward Posse while picking at the remaining scraps on her own plate. "Good talk, Anodyne. Guess this means it's time to go find my watcher."

*

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