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"So he's decided to become a pet? Just give up." Richard made a grumble of disgust. Moreau had chosen well, Jordan was probably someone who was supacceptable cult like thinking to begin with. Jordan didn't stand a chance against a chemical cocktail. "I wish I could say I was surprised."

After Awen's last question Richard was silent a long time. She, who kept a territory and marked her duplex with her scent to feel more at home, wasn't exactly the most human of islanders. She stared at the graves. She could see her own besides them.

"Because I'm not going to make it easy for him. I want this story to end in the same way as that one." Richard points the large tombstone in the back of the cemetery. "Eventually that tower's going to explode under the weight of that man's ego. And I will be there to appreciate the day." Richard could have coated the sentiment in honorable words. Talked about justice and that they were human at the core but she didn't. This struggle could spread beyond the island but that wasn't why she fought.

Richard snorted at Awen's insistence on Jordan's fighting it but made no more comment.

"Why fight?" She seemed confused by the question. The exact reasons had shifted since she had gotten here, the focus of her efforts had changed but actually giving up the struggle had never really been considered. She had taken breaks, vacations when her changes seemed to much to bare. But even after giving up much of what had been Richard and ceding to the demands of her shape and gender she was still here, plotting, acting, trying to make a measurable difference. She studied Awen for a long time before replying, then finally smirked. "I haven't heard a compelling reason to stop Awen. I don't have much left to lose. There are as many reasons as there are villagers. I'm still here, despite everything. I'm different but I'm still here. So are you." She ruffled Awen's hair in a grandfatherly manner.

"Your not a puppet," She scolded Awen lightly then softened, "puppets arn't nearly as stubborn."

She dropped her tone to a whisper, dropping her head closer. "Yes we wait, go to Sabin with what you have. Try to find more. Try to get Jordan on a recording. Look for any crack you can find that might cause some trouble for the tower."

Richard was unable to suppress a snarl at Awen's out burst, she pulled back. "I've given you my reasons. Both the big ones and the small ones." She hissed the words at Awen. She stopped and visibly forced the snarl from her face and breathed a few times to calm herself. "I can't give you a purpose Awen," her voice much calmer. "I need your help, I want as much help as I can get. Why are my reason not good enough? This is not hopeless struggle here, already you can feel the lab's grip starting to slip. It will get worse." Richard looked away at the ground, ears' drooping slightly, tail still and a slight pout on her thin lips. Frustrated and hurt. Richard wanted an ally she could actually trust, she managed to bully Awen into it last time but the struggle had become tiring to Richard as of late. Nothing seemed to be working.

Richard blinked, surprised at her sudden capitulation. "You haven't slept in a week?!" the concern driving her voice up an octave. Was that even possible? She must be exaggerating, she hoped. She watched Awen intently, now alert for the signs of stress.

"As for what do next maybe we can talk about that on the way back."

Richard fell into step beside her, matching Awen's shuffling with her own awkward tiptoe gait. She didn't touch Awen but watched her carefully, ready to catch her if she stumbled. Some distance from the gravesite Richard awkwardly asked, "So what did you friend say exactly." She couldn't contian her curiousty any longer.

Richard shook his head in disbelief, "He has a lot of nerve to call you naive." She licked her handpaw and ran it through her hair. "So he admitted it was a loyalty serum then?" There was a slight eagerness to her voice.

"Hopefully that will be enough to convince Sabin, he'll want more proof. Hopefully he can do some of his own digging too." Richard smiled, happy she was at least vindicated in her suspicions.

She sobered as to what to do. "What do you mean Awen? We still have the laptop to worry about. And there is Sabin..."

Richard almost stumbled but caught herself. Save Jordan? The thought had never actually occurred to her. "Well..." She fumbled to find a way work that in among her agenda. "If the staff acted against Moreau and succeeded in removing him from power..." Hopefully by killing the b*****d and not just sidelining him. "Then that would at least save Jordan from additional doses. Right?"