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[This is Sylvie and she looks scared. She also looks to be in a nightgown.]

T-Tim? Ah – I would hate to disturb you this late, but... oh, I'm probably being so silly.

[Her laugh is nervous, and seems moments from turning into a sob.]

—I just, if you see this, would you mind giving me a ring? Just to make sure... you're all right.

[She swallows hard, tucking hair behind her ear. Then her fingers linger over her mouth, and she looks offscreen for a few vacant seconds. Then she reaches out and ends the feed.]

[Tim doesn't get the message until the next morning. He's not in the habit of checking the EZWave before work, doesn't even check it daily usually, but now that both Jay and Alex are both locked up, he sort of feels a duty towards them, to check for new posts, to see if ToTheArk has graced them with his presence again, or worse, if that dreaded static, that faceless figure, is in the background of any of the broadcasts.

Instead he's faced with Sylvie, looking more than a little distraught, and in her nightwear. Tim's face clouds over with worry - something has happened, she's hurt. He doesn't care that it's still early, that he looks worse the wear for sleep and days on end of overtime. He needs to know if she's all right.]

...Sylvie? Of course I'm all right. Are you okay?

[Sylvie's had a fitful night herself, although she's donned a bathrobe by the time he responds. Relief washes over her face.]

Oh, thank goodness!

[She puts her face in her hands, trying to hide the blush she can feel creeping up there.]

Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm so sorry. This is so embarrassing, of course it wouldn't be you. I just panicked last night, that's all.

[This doesn't change the fact that "Timmy" is still someone she probably knows. And the person broadcasting about him has some motive she can't understnd.]

Wait, who's not me, what's going on? [He rubs at his eyes to try and force himself to wake up a little. Then his mind makes a horrifying conclusion, and he sits bolt upright, suddenly very alert.]

...Did I do something?

[Not to her, please not to her. But if anyone would recognize him under the mask, he's sure Sylvie would.]

No no, of course you didn't. I'm awful for jumping to conclusions, I truly am. You're not that sort of man, I don't know why I even thought...

[This has bypassed embarrassing and taken a turn toward mortifying. How insulted might he be when he realises she mistook him for a felon?]

I was just very confused. I heard... something... on the EZWave last night, and it spooked me. I shouldn't even bring it up again. I should just forget all about it. It's just more rabble-rousers trying to stir up trouble. The whole thing could have been faked for all I know.

[He looks very relieved, and then very confused.]

Hold on a second.

[The feed ends abruptly as he continues to check back through the EZWave entries that he hasn't got to yet. It occurs to him that he shouldn't be this unfazed by hearing someone being tortured, but he's just so relieved that it's not the Operator - or him - at work here that he doesn't really have time for anything else.]

Yeah okay, I can safely tell you that I had nothing to do with that.

[She knows it can't have been him since the moment he called back. He wouldn't be speaking to her right now if it had been. But just the affirmation from him makes her a little teary.]

I'm sorry for bothering you over something so ridiculous.

[She laughs again, although it's so tightly wound for a moment she might start crying instead. She pushes the hair out of her face and her hand is shaking.]

I-it's just. I know Mr. Sullivan, the chief of security. He comes to Fighting McDonaghs sometimes. And the man, whoever he really is, I might have met him there too. And then—

[The terrorist. Speaking only in text. Warning of impending chaos he was likely planning to cause himself.]

I know nowhere is completely safe. But just seeing something like this, right on the EZWave... I-I don't know. [She wipes hurriedly at one eye.] It just seems a little too real, all of a sudden.

[Oh god she's going to cry and Tim has no idea how to comfort her, he's always been so awkward about things like this, but this is Sylvie and he wants to be able to make her feel better and he really doesn't know how.]

You're not bothering me. It makes sense that you'd be upset. I want to help if I can.

[He's actually kind of flattered that she'd confide her worries about this to him.]

Yeah. It's not good. And whoever decided that this sort of thing was okay to broadcast over the EZWave is completely out of order.

[That last part's said a little vehemently. Just like Jay and ToTheArk, deciding what parts of a person's life to broadcast for everyone to see without so much as getting permission, especially for something so horrific as that.

He sighs, not wanting to have this conversation really, especially not this early in the morning.]

Look, I know you're not going to want to hear this. But there doesn't seem to be much in Rapture that is safe, from what I've seen. Just ... make sure you look after yourself, okay? I worry that something might hurt you.

[She smiles at him in gratitude.]

You're sweet, Tim. But I know no place is completely safe, not even Rapture. I just... I suppose I'm not accustomed to having it thrust in my face. That's the risk of progress. We become entirely too aware of the dangers in the world.

[She sighs deeply, and to her credit she doesn't cry, despite her misty eyes.]

Oh, don't worry about me. I'm tougher than I look. But you ought to look after yourself. Especially as a newcomer to the city, I worry... I don't know. People tend to fear what they don't understand. If uncertain times are coming, well...

[She shrugs helplessly. She's seen it happen before, the post-war xenophobia.]

Edited 2013-02-23 18:39 (UTC)

[He bites his tongue as she talks about progress. Sure, some of the scientific advancements in this town were amazing, but as far as the social policies went, it felt like he'd stepped back into the dark ages. He doesn't feel like it's his place to lecture her, though. He doesn't know her all that well.]

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the new guys ended up as scapegoats for anything that happened. But don't worry about me. I've been looking out for myself for a long time now. [From anything far more dangerous than this city could throw at him.]

[She nods, and her smile is sad.]

I know you have. You seem very independent.

[A little too independent, sometimes. He seems distant at times, as if he's the type used to not having anyone to rely on.]

Well. I'm sorry again. I'll let you go. Thank you for – for talking to me.

It's not a problem. If you get upset again, for any reason, you can talk to me.

[THAT MAKES HER FEEL RATHER WARM AND FUZZY INSIDE YOU HAVE NO IDEA...]

I will. Thank you.

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