Encounterlogs
Sams Odd Encounter Sr Dahlia 241223
On a chill afternoon at the crossroads of Prospect Street and Cromwell Avenue, Sam finds himself engaged in a revealing conversation with a man named Richard. Their dialogue unfolds in the warmth of a local bar, where Sam, a recent but evidently committed member of the Haven branch, shares insights about the organization's new leadership under Lucien Arkwright. Sam paints Arkwright as a revolutionary leader, valuing the ideas and contributions of each member and rewarding them for aiding the organization's cause. Throughout the conversation, Sam emphasizes the principle that giving up is not an option, and relates his own experiences and the personal satisfaction he derives from his role in the organization, subtly hinting at the darker aspects of their operations.
Richard, revealing himself to be a former Inquisitor for the organization, reminisces about his days enforcing its will and gathering intelligence, hinting at a sense of disillusionment with the path his life has taken. Despite proclaiming to have retired due to growing soft, the conversation with Sam seems to rekindle a spark in him. As they talk, the idea of returning to the fold under a new regime begins to appeal to him. By the end of their encounter, Richard appears to seriously contemplate rejoining the organization, tempted by the prospect of working under Lucien's leadership and alongside passionate members like Sam. The exchange ends with Sam offering his contact details, leaving the door open for Richard to step back into the world he thought he had left behind, signaling a possible new chapter for both of them within the organization.
(Sam's odd encounter(SRDahlia):SRDahlia)
[Sun Dec 22 2024]
At Prospect Street and Cromwell Avenue
It is afternoon, about 17F(-8C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky.
"Me? Two months." Sam taps his chest. "Trust me, man, I've been there." He chuckles. "I've left... almost six times, almost." He shrugs lightly. "In the end, ya gotta make yer own path, yadig?" He smiles. "The new President of the Haven branch, though? He gets that." He looks to the man, and leans onto the bar, settling into having actual conversation. "I say giving up is for chums, though, dontcha agree?"
"Pivoting isnt the same as giving up." Richard says casually. "Leadership's changed? Nothing new there. Feels like there was a new leader every few months or so for a while there." He speculates. "Tell me about the new guy."
"Lucien Arkwright. Three guesses as to what he is." Sam chuckles to himself.
"Yeah, pivoting is part of whatcha gotta do as a guy in Haven, yeh?" He pauses. "Lucien? He listens. He actively asks about your ideas, and tries to place ya in a spot where ya can do your thing, and aide the Organization." He looks over the man slowly. "I'm working on my own things, and every time they aide the Hand, I get a reward. Feels good, yeh?"
"Lucien Arkwright." Richard repeats with a shake of his head, clearly familiar with the name and perhaps the man himself. "I did my thing for a very long time. Helping the Hand get where it is now. No stones left unturned, no minds left untouched in pursuing the tasks they gave me." He takes another sip of whiskey, contemplative. "The highs are high, Sam. The rewards feel nice in the moment but..." His voice trails off, as if in thought and then comes back around to the conversation by saying, "What would you say your spot is? Your place."
A chuckle escapes Sam's lips, and he looks to the man. "My spot? It's where I am fulfilling my destiny. God shit." He shakes his head, then looks to the man, a grin crossing his lips. "Where the Hand comes in, is, I get to pound down upon those who piss me off..." He looks across the bar. "And because they are also against the Hand? I get a little bonus on top of the satisfaction."
"But yeah, The Hand, they are good for me. But they have a lot to prove. But at least? They ain't pretend to be holier than thou, or something they ain't, yadig, man?" He smiles.
"I was an Inquistor." Richard says after a beat of quiet, contemplating Sam's words. "I'm sure you know how that goes. Someone causes a problem they can't fix, breaks a law that can't be ignored, you send in someone like me to to an investigation and clean up the mess. When I wasn't cleaning up a mess, I was gathering intel or helping out in operations."
He finishes off his whiskey. "I told myself I hung up my hat because I was getting bored, but the reality is I was going soft." Richard scowls. "The Hand has room for plenty of people, but in my particular line of work? Being a hardass is how you keep your wits in tact."
Leaning forward, Sam smiles. "An inquisitor, huh? Fucking about time." He nods in approval. "I'm actually trying to set something like that up in The Hand, because some motherfuckers need to wise up, before we are all made to wise up." He smiles, and looks over to the man. "Shame ya hung up yer hat, I could really use a tough motherfucker like yourself." He pauses just long enough for the man to take the bait, if so inclined. "It is what it is..."
Richard considers Sam for a longer moment behind those tinted shades, the pitch he's providing. There's a low hum as he takes out some money to lay it on the counter to cover the whiskey and a generous tip. "It's becoming a lost art, teaching people a much needed lesson." He agrees. "I'm in town for the week, like I said, tying up some loose ends but maybe I'll rethink my choice about a temporary stay." He starts to rise up from his seat. "If Lucien's running things the way you say he is, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get back in the fray with a renewed perspective."
Smiling, Sam takes a coaster, and scrawls two numbers onto it. "Top one's mine. Give us a call, yeh?" He ticks a two-fingered salute, and inclines his head. "Come visit any time." He takes that empty glass, and starts to rinse it, the bartender returning to his cleaning duties.
Richard, revealing himself to be a former Inquisitor for the organization, reminisces about his days enforcing its will and gathering intelligence, hinting at a sense of disillusionment with the path his life has taken. Despite proclaiming to have retired due to growing soft, the conversation with Sam seems to rekindle a spark in him. As they talk, the idea of returning to the fold under a new regime begins to appeal to him. By the end of their encounter, Richard appears to seriously contemplate rejoining the organization, tempted by the prospect of working under Lucien's leadership and alongside passionate members like Sam. The exchange ends with Sam offering his contact details, leaving the door open for Richard to step back into the world he thought he had left behind, signaling a possible new chapter for both of them within the organization.
(Sam's odd encounter(SRDahlia):SRDahlia)
[Sun Dec 22 2024]
At Prospect Street and Cromwell Avenue
It is afternoon, about 17F(-8C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky.
"Me? Two months." Sam taps his chest. "Trust me, man, I've been there." He chuckles. "I've left... almost six times, almost." He shrugs lightly. "In the end, ya gotta make yer own path, yadig?" He smiles. "The new President of the Haven branch, though? He gets that." He looks to the man, and leans onto the bar, settling into having actual conversation. "I say giving up is for chums, though, dontcha agree?"
"Pivoting isnt the same as giving up." Richard says casually. "Leadership's changed? Nothing new there. Feels like there was a new leader every few months or so for a while there." He speculates. "Tell me about the new guy."
"Lucien Arkwright. Three guesses as to what he is." Sam chuckles to himself.
"Yeah, pivoting is part of whatcha gotta do as a guy in Haven, yeh?" He pauses. "Lucien? He listens. He actively asks about your ideas, and tries to place ya in a spot where ya can do your thing, and aide the Organization." He looks over the man slowly. "I'm working on my own things, and every time they aide the Hand, I get a reward. Feels good, yeh?"
"Lucien Arkwright." Richard repeats with a shake of his head, clearly familiar with the name and perhaps the man himself. "I did my thing for a very long time. Helping the Hand get where it is now. No stones left unturned, no minds left untouched in pursuing the tasks they gave me." He takes another sip of whiskey, contemplative. "The highs are high, Sam. The rewards feel nice in the moment but..." His voice trails off, as if in thought and then comes back around to the conversation by saying, "What would you say your spot is? Your place."
A chuckle escapes Sam's lips, and he looks to the man. "My spot? It's where I am fulfilling my destiny. God shit." He shakes his head, then looks to the man, a grin crossing his lips. "Where the Hand comes in, is, I get to pound down upon those who piss me off..." He looks across the bar. "And because they are also against the Hand? I get a little bonus on top of the satisfaction."
"But yeah, The Hand, they are good for me. But they have a lot to prove. But at least? They ain't pretend to be holier than thou, or something they ain't, yadig, man?" He smiles.
"I was an Inquistor." Richard says after a beat of quiet, contemplating Sam's words. "I'm sure you know how that goes. Someone causes a problem they can't fix, breaks a law that can't be ignored, you send in someone like me to to an investigation and clean up the mess. When I wasn't cleaning up a mess, I was gathering intel or helping out in operations."
He finishes off his whiskey. "I told myself I hung up my hat because I was getting bored, but the reality is I was going soft." Richard scowls. "The Hand has room for plenty of people, but in my particular line of work? Being a hardass is how you keep your wits in tact."
Leaning forward, Sam smiles. "An inquisitor, huh? Fucking about time." He nods in approval. "I'm actually trying to set something like that up in The Hand, because some motherfuckers need to wise up, before we are all made to wise up." He smiles, and looks over to the man. "Shame ya hung up yer hat, I could really use a tough motherfucker like yourself." He pauses just long enough for the man to take the bait, if so inclined. "It is what it is..."
Richard considers Sam for a longer moment behind those tinted shades, the pitch he's providing. There's a low hum as he takes out some money to lay it on the counter to cover the whiskey and a generous tip. "It's becoming a lost art, teaching people a much needed lesson." He agrees. "I'm in town for the week, like I said, tying up some loose ends but maybe I'll rethink my choice about a temporary stay." He starts to rise up from his seat. "If Lucien's running things the way you say he is, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get back in the fray with a renewed perspective."
Smiling, Sam takes a coaster, and scrawls two numbers onto it. "Top one's mine. Give us a call, yeh?" He ticks a two-fingered salute, and inclines his head. "Come visit any time." He takes that empty glass, and starts to rinse it, the bartender returning to his cleaning duties.