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 Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:10 pm
“I will never understand how that man ever figured out how to tie his own shoes.” The woman’s voice was full of annoyance as she hurriedly walked down the street. High heels clicking, she was making her away around other members of the once grand city back towards the office with a bag of papers in one hand and her other clutching another to her chest. When the printers at work and decided to take the day off, everyone had panicked that they would not make the deadline, her boss leading the way. All Delilah had to do was sit back at her desk, make a few clicks and then shut her laptop screen with such a thud that they all stopped.
Now she was running back to the office with the printed copies, bound and ready to go. “And yet, not even a thank you….some things never change.”
Her voice trailed off as she turned the final corner back to the office building.
From where she had been, all you could suddenly see was papers flying in every which direction.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:21 pm
Erin did not enjoy her days since being called in to Tag Swagger's office and getting handed her articles to publish the next few.... However long, especially not after reading them over daily. It was smear, and it was rather... Convincing if read commonly, without knowing it was prepared in advance. Something just seemed off compared to her sources in the past, and the girl didn't enjoy having to lie for her own safety, so as she walked down the street going over articles for the following day, she didn't notice anyone coming, and promptly dropped in a snowstorm of papers, panicking immediately. "Oh god! I'm sorry!"
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:33 pm
"Oh no!" Delilah called out as she watched the papers fly and land in every which direction. Her eyes looked worried and then the face just dropped. "No no. I'm sorry." She finally said looking back at the other woman she had just smacked into. At least she didn't have coffee in her hand.
"I wasn't looking and nearly running." Dropping down to her knees, Delilah began to slowly reconstruct the piles of papers. As her hand brushed over one, she realized it wasn't her's. "I believe this is..."
Eyes stopping, she glanced at the name and then looked up at the woman. "Swagger?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:39 pm
Erin groaned, immediately terrified. She'd been about to fuss back when the woman noticed the article, and Erin seemed to slump, shaking her head. "My boss. I'm... I'm..." And Erin looked around, face full of fear. "...I'm supposed to run it under my name." She almost whispered, before covering her face in her hands, trembling, as if expecting to be hauled into his office again for another 'chat'.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:02 pm
Delilah's red eyes looked taken aback at the idea of what this woman was saying. "Why? Does he not have the guts to run this under his?" Delilah asked bluntly. It was after the words escaped that she caught herself.
The woman was terrified. "Hey, are you okay?" She dropped the papers from her lap again and stood up, her hands reaching out to touch the woman's shoulders. "Are you hurt?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:08 pm
"I... I have to do what he says or... Or he'll ruin my career... Maybe worse..." Erin's voice remained shaky and soft, the small woman shaking terribly now as she looked down. "T...The last t...thing I w...wrote.... He didn't approve, I got in so much trouble..." She fished, pulling out the article timidly. "I wrote it.... I.... Please don't tell anyone I showed you."
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:13 pm
"Hey..." Delilah tried to whisper before the was able to glance down at the papers the woman was trying to hand her. Quickly pushing them back towards the woman's body, Delilah lifted a finger to her mouth. "Come with me. It sounds like we need to talk but not in the open" Motioning towards the next building, Delilah just scooped up as many pieces of paper as she could and headed not towards the entrance but a back door around the corner. It took her a moment to make sure they weren't followed. "What do you mean worse?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:51 pm
Erin followed, swallowing. She was on the verge of tears, consistantly alert, and watching everything. "Worse. He never specified details but..." Erin shivered. "I'm scared for my family out of town. All I ever wanted was... Honest news reporting... I don't even understand what I ever did wrong. It was only mention of a true conspiracxy theory... In an article on the state of the City." And Erin whimpered.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:05 pm
Delilah's eyes perked up. "Conspiracy theory?" glancing back down at the papers Delilah had to wonder if this woman was more than just an average reporter.
"Alight. You have my interest." Delilah sighed but first, walked over to the woman and did something she had not done in a long time. She wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. "But first, it sounds like you have alot on your chest. Cry if you need to. I won't say a word to anyone."
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 4:26 am
Erin swallowed, nodding but mostly clung, trtembling quite violently. She took the time to compose herself, deep breath as for several moments her mind played Castle Wolfenstein with a few Negaverse Agents she particularly disliked. A few mental headshots and she nodded. "Not everyone thinks what's going on is - right. One of my long-running past times is Conspiracy Theories - it's why I'm in media and want to research every story. There's a chance for the truth, or at least more possibilities to crop up, and I can report honestly... Normally. I loved what I do. But some of my sources - they think something isn't right. Wonder about some things going on because the Negaverse appears to hide information. Why do some of our officials not report certain information? Hide their names? Why do some people disappear?" Erin adjusted her glasses. "Not every theory makes sense - one person I spoke to says before old age got them ttheir grandparent thought it was liker Nazi Germany, and we should watch for that because they ask for a good bit, but at the same time, we never ear details about the terrorist's methods - the... Ah... Senshi." Erin swallowed, looking around warily. "We know less about terrorists abroad." And her mind drifted to Angel, the injustice of a friend taken away.... And a tiny spark of flame jumped in her eyes. "Why i that? Why such secrecy? The signs are very suspicious, don;'t you think? We only get told to donate, they're 'protecting us' but not enough else. Ity's almost like history is playing the conditions of Germany in World War II, or the USSR. Something's not right. But I can't report it properly or put a finger on it, right now."
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:20 pm
While at first Delilah nearly wanted to question the woman about why she did not choose to work for one of the tabloids if she wanted to write about conspiracies and other random topics, the woman decided at this point, it was best to keep her mouth shut and listen.
And the more she listened, the more she smiled.
"You have found yourself at the mercy of those in power. Only able to show what they deem acceptable, am I right?"
Stepping back, Delilah crossed her arms under her chest. "So what do you think it going on then...Oh, I didn't catch your name."
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:31 pm
"I'm - I'm Erin. Erin Stradler." The girl said, tone still soft. "And you'd be correct." She frowned promptly. "Whomever they are, they're planning something. Anything I can theorize is gimmicky and like a comic, but they want power, and control." Erin hesitated, motioning. "A lot of news is obviously being censored, something often practiced in he Soviet Union and other communist regions to control people. Keep them only informed of what you want, not the truth. China and Cuba are good examples of edited news as well. Whatever they're planning is probably not for the city but rather themselves. What, I'm not sure." She hesitated. "But I'm not sure people are behind the right organization. I had... A friend taken away by them, when they began hunting the 'terrorists' in earnest... I haven't seen her since. And people seem to disappear often... Isn't that odd?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:01 pm
"I have a sneaking feeling that thinking of them like a comic book might not be too far off." Delilah sighed as she took in what Ms. Erin was saying. This woman was on to something and she wanted the ability to find out what was going on.
"They say history tends to repeat itself. If that is the case, we better start praying a third party is going to come in and save us. Considering I doubt anyone is going to challenge our 'fearless leaders', I will write that option off."
Eying Erin up and down, "Erin, why haven't you tried publishing your ideas online under a pen name or something? Or are you being watched that closely?" Delilah's hand reached out in comfort at the mention of a friend being taken away. "We have all lost someone. Be it physically or emotionally."
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:18 pm
"Oh, I hope not." Erin sighed, looking around. If the woman was one of them anyhow, she knew she was in trouble, but.... "Right now, I don't know how closely watched I am. I can't risk it yet, though." She admitted, then frowned. "That's the thing. A lot of people lost loved ones... It's odd. And it isn't the terrorists doing it." And at that, Erin's face darkened. "I don't think they're terrorists, but I don't have much information. It's understandably hard to learn, especially with the smear going on... But it reminds me of one horrible thing... Along with your comment." Erin seemed to shiver. "Germany. Nazi party. I heard someone online mention camps once. It's a rumour, and it's terrifying. If it's true..." Erin swallowed. "We need to find a way to shake them. But I'm... I'm not good at planning those things. I'm good at research, but planning? aaah, might as well hand me Castle Wolfenstein and let me be. But... If any of the rumours are true..." She frowned. "We'd need something similar to the Allies in World War II to hit them at their core. Aim for the heart. Remember the air raids of Berlin? Something like those." Erin hoped Deluilah wasn't bored of her history comparisons yet. "It might help."
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:27 pm
"As long as we don't end up blowing ourselves up..." Delilah stopped. Who was she kidding. Of course something was going to blow up. Something ALWAYS did when it come to the Negavurse. "Erin, what if I could get your information to people who could use it?" Delilah leaned her head to the side. It was too dangerous for her to publish it herself, that much they both knew. But Delilah, no, Eternal Sailor Phact, had the ability to. "You would need to stay where you are. Continue doing what Mr. Swagger asks of you, even if it is 'edited'." Delilah picked her words carefully. "I cannot promise anything but I can tell you that I am very interested in everything you have said. If those camps are true, especially if that is where they are taking our loved ones, I think people need to know..."
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