A slightly smaller Mess

"Aaaaaaaaanyway"

"Yeah lets just move swiftly on from that."

Shrike: "I THOUGHT YOU BEYOND SUCH THOUGHTS OF ONCE BORN. WILLIAM."

*turning back towards the door.* "Go back to sleep shrike. I'll have work for you soon."

Shrike: "THE USUAL PAYMENT?"

"Do i ever disappoint?" *he stands by the open door, gesturing to diana.*

*Shrike lays back down on his slab, hands by his sides, looking at the ceiling.*

"Such thoughts, 'William'?"

Laurence: "We are not on first name terms missus."

"Alright L man, still didn't tell me what these 'thoughts' are"

"Yeah we're not talking about that."

"....Ok now I'm curious....*eyebrow raise*"

*he gestures her to leave the room*

she sighs and does so

*Laurence closes the door behind them, with a series of heavy clunks.* "Shrike was referring to my... cordial tone."

"go on?"

"He considers humans largely worthless, just doesn't care. For quite some time i agreed with him, he's noticed my change in outlook."

"I'm flattered" *obvious sarcasm, along with a grin*

"For your information, you. Had nothing to do with it."

"I figured"

"Maybe I've gone soft in old age who knows."

"Got a lil buddy L man? Is that it?"

"....Yes. Actually." *he raises an eyebrow at her*

"...huh, wild guess"

"I am not going to go into details. not exactly appropriate for company shall we say."

"....But the renegade guardswoman, and the cyborg heretic warlord are?"

"My near mental breakdown is perhaps worse than those." *he looks down at her, like he was looking over a pair of glasses*

"Riiiight. I'm sure he's great. Or she."

"His... Blankness. was more useful. That and having arms to slap me with. Because, well, loss of willpower on a psyker's end. well. that goes brilliantly for all involved."

"...didn't know you were into that"

*moderately stumped by this. Its rather evident noone has ever really sassed him before*

"...Did I break you a bit?"

*breathes out through his nose, then starts walking back along the corridor, assuming she will follow.* "I'm not used to that sort of. comment."

she has a little chuckle and follows

"The last person who made that sort of comment... I gave her a stroke"

" 'oo 'err"

"You know exactly what i meant."

"I know" *chuckles* "Should I be scared?"

"I've gone to far too much effort keeping you alive."

"Well, looks like I get to keep going eh?"

"Oh i don't know about that. There's an army of iron warriors coming for us."

"...yaaay"

"If you want off world before that happens. Just say."

"And go...where?"

"I've got plenty of safehouses. This one is probably the nicest... well except for the apartment on terra. But i'm guessing you'd rather not."

"A tad. And yeah, move to some other cavalcade of quirky characters five minutes after moving in here? No thanks"

"most of my safehouses are just boltholes for me. So, i'd just be you. on your tod." *he stops with his palm on the false wall.* "You gonna be able to deal with, yknow. being on the other side?"

"Well, the way I see it, Either I leave, or I don't have to stay with you lot. Win win."

"i'm not planning on loosing." *he knocks on the concrete wall with his knuckles.* "This place is gonna be just fine."

she shrugs

"What im saying is, if they make it this far, and you see the front garden covered in dead olympians, are you going to flip your shit."

"the fuck choice do i have"

"I'm offering you that choice. Right about now. go hide out in a nice apartment on another planet for... however long."

"Don't patronise me"

"I don't see how i am. You probably don't want to see your people getting killed."

" 'go hide in a nice apartment while we do all the tough fighting stuff' "