onemorebounty | Going the Distance [for Verity, Jim]

[Personally, I blame Jim's player for Big Ben not chiming anymore. And the chaos. And the dinosaurs in Ipswich.]

Verity allows herself a brief smile and drops her obviously defensive stance to turn to Jim. "Not poison, exactly. Sometimes that'd be easier to live with."

She has no allusions about whether or not people want to make their every thought known at all times. Sure, there are some people who can't help it, or who don't care to try, but most people have a sense of decorum or self-preservation. At least this one has a slight benefit of exposing only the surface thoughts without delving deeper.

"Magic gets weird around here sometimes. Like the Drake Passage in a storm. Energy from different places sometimes collide here..." She hopes he studied Earth geography enough to get the reference.

[Cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria...]

Geography and history both. He understands the analogy without any further explanation. But despite now knowing that the water isn't, strictly speaking, "safe"... he doesn't immediately go to dump it out, the move warring against all his survival training. Some of it earned through actual life-or-death experience. Water that won't kill you is still water, even if it's contaminated, and is infinitely preferable to no water at all.

Granted, this isn't likely to be a situation where he's going to be cut off from other water sources, and he will probably get rid of it eventually, but it's still not something that sits well with him. Habits of a lifetime are hard to break.

"I did wonder," he admits, a little embarrassed by his slip, but he knows damn well why he did it. And if this was a survival situation, he'd make the same choice, even knowing what he knows now. "If it was natural, like a river, it would've made more sense. Stuff like that," he adds, waving vaguely towards the fountain, "has never been unsafe back home."

*Samus raises a dubious eyebrow.*

Really, Jim? There's nowhere on Earth in your Facet that water coming out of a pipe might be bad for you? And you're willing to trust that the same quality of infrastructure exists throughout the multiverse?

*She shakes her head.*

Situational awareness. When you're somewhere unfamiliar, watch the people who know their way around. They might be so accustomed to a hazard that they forget to mention it, or they might be actively planning to betray you. Keep aware of your surroundings and, malice or incompetence, you won't be caught out.

Sorry, Jim, Ver's not buying it either. "Maybe not in your lifetime. Magic and the multiverse aside, is this good standard operating procedure when you're exploring the galaxy?"

If she knew his reason, she'd be a little gentler. But she hasn't read all the files on him she could probably dig up somewhere, so instead, she pulls out another bottle of water and holds it out to him in trade. She intends to get the tainted stuff away from him one way or another.

"Never in my experience," he clarifies, crossing his arms across his chest, a sort of subconscious self-protective gesture. He's used to having to be cagey about all the stupid habits Tarsus has left him with, since he's not allowed to talk about it, and probably wouldn't want to anyway.

He does, however, allow Verity to trade the contaminated water for a fresh one, after a few moments' hesitation. "Look, I... I do get it. I've got habits and shit I've got to unlearn." He doesn't drink from the safe bottled water, toying with the cap in an almost nervous gesture, hardly even aware he's doing it.

He can't tell them explicitly why he does stupid stuff like this, and he's wary of giving Samus an inch, because she'll take it and run with it far beyond what he wants. But he doesn't want to just let them think he's a complete idiot. It's against his better judgment, but he elaborates a little. "I've just... I've been in survival situations before. Where I didn't get to pick how safe my water was, and I'd have been dead otherwise. Kinda leaves an impression."

*Samus tilts her head to one side slightly, a shrug of concession. Jim discussed Tarsus with her a little, obliquely, before--a planet so agriculturally mismanaged that a huge swath of the population had to be culled just so there'd be enough food for the remainder to last a few months.*

Securing what resources you can, when you can, is good practice too, I'll admit, but that doesn't negate a need for awareness. Even if you do have to drink questionable water, it's better to know that going into the situation so you can account for it in your plans.

Whatever he does with the clean water is his own business. Ver's going to dump out the stuff from the fountain while he sort-of explains. If she had the sort of imagination that runs away with itself, she could come up with all kinds of scenarios with the scraps of information he's shared.

He's fidgeting. Not a good sign. Ver eyes Samus for too long a moment before shifting her gaze to the path. "Are we going further or turning back now?"

"Yeah, point taken." He's just grateful she's not prying deeper, at least not right now. She hadn't before, and even though he's embarrassed himself a couple of times already, he's been working at picking up all sorts of useful tips on dealing with the Nexus. Or life in general, really. It'd be a shame to have to derail it all because of... that.

The shift in topic does help ease his fidgeting a little, the focus taken off his snafu, though now he's partly wondering if this is part of a test too. Seems to be a lot of those today. One thing's for sure, though, the thought that he himself might be a reason to call an end to things early doesn't sit well with him, and it's not entirely because of his ego. "I can keep going if that's the plan."

((Sorry for the long silence.))

*Samus gives Jim an appraising look, then nods. If he wants to push, she'll oblige.*

Onward it is. Verity, you choose the path and the goal, I'll shadow and harry. Two minutes' head start.

*She turns her attention then to a timepiece, letting Verity and Jim collaborate and get going.*

[Hey you know what's fun? Closing a shop with less than a month's notice and the boss going on vacation for most of the last week.]

Ver's not as willing to oblige someone pushing themselves too far, but she's clearly been outvoted. Her expression settles into a too-familiar frustrated frown as she scans her options. If they're not going back, she settles on the smoothest path forward. The fewer the chances the path has to trip them, the better. Samus will be more than distracting.

"C'mon, this path. There's a surf shop that should serve as a good goal." She glances to Samus for confirmation, but waits for Jim to go first. He's not the one who's supposed to be getting harried so she'd rather have some distance between them.

[Jeez, it's like your boss is trying to be the biggest jerk possible. D: Would it help to drop or wrap up the thread? Sounds like you've got plenty on your plate as it is and the last thing I want to do is contribute to that.]

Jim's stubborn like that. Has been pretty much all of his life. One of the best ways to get him to do something is to tell him that he can't, and while he's learned fairly recently how dire the consequences can be for leaping without looking first, it's difficult to break lifelong habits. Plus he hates to be a buzzkill, if he can avoid it.

The mention of a goal does mollify that competitive impulse a bit, though. A goal is a tangible endpoint, something to strive towards and complete a task, rather than simply running until his common sense overrides his pride, or stopping early because he's managed to screw up the exercise routine for everyone else.

It's a small lifeline, but he'll take it. "Sounds good to me." He waits a moment or two, but when it becomes clear Verity's not planning on leading the way, it's not a far leap to what she's expecting of him. "I'll take point, then." He's not sure what the surf shop looks like or what it's called, but it stands to reason that it won't be that hard to figure out, as long as he follows the indicated path.

Edited 2017-09-10 00:37 (UTC)

((Your boss sets records for bullshit. Real life comes first, take the time you need and we'll be here. Slow play is good play, and we've got shoulders if you need 'em.))

*Samus meets Verity's glance and nods, accepting route and destination both. Or destination, at least--she doesn't know yet whether Verity will keep them to the straight and simple path or plan some kind of evasion once they're out of earshot. As she watches the seconds ticking away, she considers what she knows of the terrain, the opportunities for ambush and whether she'll do better to follow the same trail or try to take another route to get ahead. For now, though, they have some time to plan without her eavesdropping.*

[Fortunately-ish, the shop's closed now, and he's ignoring me so there's not much I can do. Hurrah for free time? I'd like to keep going if you guys are still up for it.]

The path Verity chose is wide and clearly marked. It shouldn't be hard for Jim to follow without a guide. Their goal is going to be obvious when he sees it, being a shack surrounded by surfboards. They still surf in the future--she hopes. Assuming Samus continues to not target him as more than a distraction for Ver, she's pretty sure they'll be okay even if she falls behind.

Again with the protectiveness from the misanthrope.

Once they have some distance and won't be overheard, she slows down slightly to talk. "Can you keep going without worrying about me?"

[I'm fine with continuing! Hopefully your job search turns up good results soon.]

Jim gives Verity a side glance, unsure of what she's planning. Setting up an ambush, maybe? Or circling back to turn the tables on their pursuer? "Sure. Am I being bait?" So far, Samus has refrained from involving him in the more strenuous physical activity, probably out of deference for his healing back, but he's under no illusions that that'll last once the risk of easily reinjuring himself has passed on future runs. Or that her arsenal of combat maneuvers is so limited that she doesn't have any moves that would take that into consideration and come after him anyway, if he lets her lack of targeting him lull him into a false sense of security.

It won't be the first time he's been alone and tracked by hostiles in unfamiliar territory. If nothing else, it's good practice, he supposes. And it's probably a good idea to be a little more paranoid than he has been in the past, regardless of whether or not Samus is on his tail.

One thing he's not worried about is whether Verity can handle herself. She's clearly had a lot of practice at it, she knows the area well enough to know its landmarks, and she's familiar with their opponent's tactics and skill set. She may not be one of his crew, but he'd be a shitty captain if he didn't trust other people to know the extent of their own training and ability. Whatever she's planning, if she thinks she can handle it solo, he believes her.

((Onward and upward, away we go!))

*Life isn't fair, and Samus tends to put that imbalance into her training, but she's not going to go chasing her pupil early. She's not. And her pacing isn't just to be a few steps closer to the start of their trail when the head start runs out.*

*Keeping limber for the chase? Perhaps.*

"Honestly?" Because there's another kind of answer Ver's likely to give? "It's easier to deal with an attack when I don't also have to keep track of you. She's not going to go after you until you're ready for it, but I've known enough of you strong heroic types to know your impulse will be to jump in despite whatever injuries you're recovering from. And the sooner you're recovered, the sooner you can take your share of her attention, so really it's in my best interests to make sure you don't hurt yourself." She ends the explanation with a smirk and a teasing note in her voice, trying to take the sting out of the words. A little trick she picked up somewhere and is still perfecting.

She'd be flattered he thinks she's thinking about being the one setting the ambush or anything so strategic. If he's agreeable to her plan so far, she might go further with it, but right now her priority is making sure he's okay.

If there was an insult in there somewhere, intentional or not, Jim certainly doesn't take it that way, shooting a knowing sort of grin in her direction. He's used to taking all sorts of shit from people that his sense of what's actually supposed to sting is... skewed, to say the least. "Gotcha, you're eliminating a distraction," he says, more lightly amused than insulted. Wouldn't be the first time he's been considered distracting, for oh so many reasons.

Though really, he hasn't been dumb enough to jump into combat thus far, so he feels he deserves a little credit. Still, if it makes her job easier, it's not like he's been helping anyway. Besides making Samus split her attention, that is, but two targets is probably well within her limits.

He's still kinda getting used to the whole other-people-caring-about-whether-he-gets-hurt thing, though, even after the handful of years he's spent around Bones. It's hard to break habits of a lifetime, and he's used to having to look after himself, no matter how good or bad of a job he does at it sometimes. Still, he appreciates that she's thinking of his safety, even if it's to save him as a future target. "Good luck."

*Annnnd two minutes. Samus doesn't just go pelting down the path Verity named--she's a hunter. She approaches the trail with care until she can pick out the traces left by the pair's passage, then takes to the trees, springing from branch to branch, pausing occasionally to read the trail and confirm that she hasn't lost it. Always, always strike from the unexpected angle.*

[Boy howdy, organizing the fun things I like to do can take a surprising amount of work... but! Done for this month.]

There was nothing meant to be an insult, but some people get insulted by the truth. Nobody knows that better than Verity Willis. It's another mark in his favor that he's taking it so well. "Something like that," she admits.

He gets full credit for his restraint thus far. Her life of loving extremely reckless people has taught her to be overly cautious. That, and her general sense of being a failure, are what got her started on this crazy path of training with Samus. Watching her best friend getting beaten and being unable to even make the assailant pause broke something deep inside her. No matter how much she dislikes the training and the violence, she keeps coming back because she cannot bear the thought of being in that position again.

"Thank you." With that (and him) out of the way, she turns more of her attention to their surroundings. The trees and bushes lining the edges of the path provide cover, and she's not familiar enough with the local fauna to know when the rustling is unusual. One might think the bright blue Samus favors in her wardrobe would stand out, but Verity's never found that as helpful as she'd hoped. She can't outrun Samus--she will never manage that--so she has two choices: to put her head down and focus on covering as much ground as possible, or conserve her energy for the inevitable attack. She's either chosen the second option or is dithering over the choices, but either way, she's not going to be hard to catch.

[Here's hoping you get a good break soon!]

It's a bit weird, carrying on alone, but Jim doesn't slow his pace when Verity turns her attention elsewhere, settling in to a steady trek in the indicated direction. He's half tempted to use the opportunity to ease up the pace a little and give himself a break, but then he wouldn't be pushing himself, would he? He's stubborn like that.

Still, he doesn't completely tune out to his surroundings, either, not like he would on a starship treadmill. He keeps an ear out in Verity's direction, regardless of whether he can actually hear anything she's up to, and stays alert to any other unusual sights or sounds elsewhere around him. Even if he's not a target, it certainly doesn't hurt to be vigilant, especially not after the mistakes he's made so far.

((And enjoy the fun when it comes, always.))

*Samus approaches Verity among the branches, some fifteen feet above the ground. She notes with approval that her student is alert and aware, but is she remembering to look up? She approves, as well, of Verity's decision to remove the potential for distraction and collateral mishap from the field by sending Jim on ahead. Also, has Verity chosen ground far enough from the trees that Samus can't reach her with a single leap? They'll both find out. The raptor-cry as she lunges may possibly be for Jim's benefit.*

Jim's constant vigilance is a credit to his better sense. It's a good trait for an explorer. Finally, he can enjoy some of the scenery they've been running through.

Verity's got a lot to keep track of, considering she doesn't know which direction Samus is coming from. She doesn't discount the idea of a frontal assault, given that she knows full well how much faster Samus is. Given the number of places she has to pay attention to, is it a surprise she's not paying enough attention to any of them?

The raptor-cry is a nice touch. She'd congratulate Samus for it if she weren't busy getting jumped, trying to throw Samus off before they both hit the ground, and also swearing. Girl knows some colorful language.

While Jim's expecting to hear the sounds of some kind of attack, the scream still catches him a little off guard, maybe a little closer than he'd expected, but far enough back that the source isn't within sight. Not that it's hard to figure out who dunnit.

His pace falters at the noise as he pivots, and for a brief reflexive moment, he seriously considers looping back to help. It's a habit that's hard to stomp out, part of his command training to be mindful of the safety of his crew... but he knows damn well that he's more of a liability than a help right now, no matter how much it rankles him to acknowledge. And Verity's shown an ability to handle herself well so far.

Part of being a captain also means trusting other people to know their jobs, and while fighting off ambushes isn't exactly Verity's career or anything (as far as he knows, anyway), this is something she volunteered for, with the credentials to back it up. It's no different than sending security to deal with a threat without him needing to micromanage.

So after a moment's hesitation, he sets to the path again, picking up the pace to match the rhythm that Samus set before, keeping a listening ear turned towards the direction of the raptor-cry, even as he puts more distance between them.

((Sorry, sorry, work's irregular beat has left me brain-fried lately.))

*Jim's passing a test while Samus isn't even there to proctor it. Well done. Verity, meanwhile, is getting a thorough exam on tactical maneuvering. Her every maneuver is aimed at getting past Verity to pursue Jim; her pupil will have to counter--or catch up.*

Good choice of goals--a reasonably straight route, so I couldn't catch you at a switchback, far enough to be a good challenge, but not so far that Jim would overtax himself trying for it. And a route simple enough to let you send him on ahead. So: what do you make of him so far?

*Of course, the assessment and question fall casually amid a rain of strikes, kicks, and evasions, but that's proven to be par for the course.*

Verity's so relieved that Jim hasn't coming rushing back to try to help. But she's also looking forward to future days when they can team up against the crazy chick and maybe sometimes get ahead a little. Someday, someday.

The attacks are expected, if not always predicted. The evasions are expected and predicted both. The fact she's playing some odd sort of goalie position is unexpected. There would have been better places to do that... better for her, not for Jim. The questions are a little frustrating.

"Thanks." She's not great at talking and fighting at the same time. Low marks for witty banter every time, Spider-Man would be so disappointed in her if they ever teamed up.

"I like him." Each sentence is punctuated with a pause and usually a little sound of frustration or pain. She's getting tired. "He's smart. Determined. Not stupid about it. The future's in good hands."

Going the Distance [for Verity, Jim]

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