mrjustin412
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|  | NAME: Nikola Ratimiri ALIAS: 'N' NICKNAMES: Niky, Niko, Niki, Nik, Nick, The Nikola, 'The Receptionist' CID NUMBER: #14160 GENDER: Male AGE: Thirty-Four DATE OF BIRTH: x/xx/1984 PLACE OF BIRTH: Kharkiv, Ukraine CURRENT LOCATION: City 24 EDUCATION: High School Level OCCUPATION: N/A (Formerly CMU Receptionist) |
    -APPEARANCE- On a surface level, Nikola appears sly yet confident demeanor that is contrasted by a stoic, contained tone that matches his unphasable nature. In reality, Nikola is very much phasable as he is perceptive and smart, knowing when it is a good time to flee. One can often expect Nikola to be the first to run away from action, or at least seek a high vantage point away from danger.Nikola is an adult Ukrainian male standing at 5'8" who often prefers to dress well, keeping his hair neatly combed and his clothing free of any stains. His beard is usually grown out just a little with his once dark brown sideburns showing signs of graying. His hands are almost always gloved to conceal the stunstick scars present on them while -PERSONALITY- Those who come to know Nikola discover he is not only well-mannered but quite aimable and talkative, often holding discussions about whatever is on either his mind or others. This makes him rather outgoing to both friends and complete strangers, with Nikola often taking the initiative to guide others out of danger if it has not been uptaken by someone else. As mentioned before, Nikola is not only perceptive but incredibly intelligent as he is constantly on the lookout for any little details that could keep himself out of trouble or harm's way. Combined with his experience in industrial work within City Fourteen and Seventeen, Nikola is not only a worker with plenty of knowledge on the ins, outs and in-betweens on various work related matters, but he has a keen eye that lets him get away with certain schemes of his. There is one unique quirk to Nikola's character and that is his tidiness; Nikola firmly believes one's physical appearance in not just health but clothing is of the utmost importance, and that one should always look their best no matter what. To that end, he not only carries around a spare uniform and pants, but also a set of work boots that he often changes into during particularly messy workshifts. He likewise often removes his usual nicer articles of clothing such as his jacket and blue shoes during workshifts that are bound to coat him in all sorts of residue. In recent days, Nikola's personality has taken a bit of a damper, his demeanor far more reserved and his attitude quieter than most days, even if he rarely shows his eccentric side in public. Perhaps some inner turmoil has begun to brew in the often straightforward, simple-minded head of Nikola. -LIKES AND INTERESTS- 1. Manual labor (Idle hands are the Devil's workshop!) 2. Engineering (I always keep a tool kit handy) 3. City Fourteen (Good memories) 4. Bourbon and campaign 5. Airplane model kits (Keeps the hands busy.) 6. Conversations with friends 7. Warm baths 8. The Resistance (The only true humans left in this world.) -DISLIKES AND AVOIDANCES- 1. The Combine 2. Desk jobs (So boring!) 3. Mass inspections (Always stirs up trouble) 4. Cats 5. Headcrabs 6. City Eight (Worst. Transfer. Ever.) 7. Bob Water (Six hundred grams of caffeine, really?!) 8. The Fog (You won't get me.) -BACKSTORY- Humble Beginnings The First Days When the Portal Storms hit the globe in the year 2001, Nikola's world was flipped upside down on its head as much of the surrounding civilization in Ukraine collapsed. Being separated from his family amidst the chaos, Nikola decided to do what he did best: work with his hands and his mind. For the next three years, the young man travelled across Ukraine, scavenging for supplies, fending off hostile Xenian lifeforms and making new friends along the way. A recurring event with these friend groups was that they often died in horrific ways, yet Nikola persisted and used the knowledge of what killed them to keep himself alive. Yet Nikola never saw his survival as just that, as he instead made the most of the anarchy that had come to the world. His rebellious spirit had finally be freed from the constraints that society had held it down, and nothing could reel Nikola back into a civilized society. Or so he thought.Glory to the Union Seven Hours. That's all it took. Nikola's survival skills served him well as he had managed to avoid the onslaught of the Combine when they first landed. But that didn't mean he hadn't seen it all from the sudden start to the horrific finish. The orbital strike. The synths. The dark energy beams. All of it. The war had thoroughly crushed whatever rebellion had stirred in the young Nikola as he stared upon his new masters in all their dreadful glory. It was then and there that Nikola realized the only method to survival in the brand new world the Combine- no, the Universal Union ushered in was to simply obey. Loyalty was key.Seventeen to Fourteen Like most citizens, Nikola was transferred all over the globe, or at least half of it as he saw all sorts of odd new cities he would have never dreamed about and met all sorts of strange, unfamiliar people he would eventually leave in the next transfer. Of note were his transfers to City Seventeen and Fourteen, both of which he served in the heavily industrialized sections of the city. Nikola spent more time in Fourteen than he did Seventeen and even secured a minor spot in the Civil Worker's Union there, though it didn't stop him from being transferred eventually. Regardless, Nikola often did quite a bit of work across the city, repairing pipelines, mass producing Union items, clearing out Xenian infestations, investigating the strange sounds coming from the underground drainage system. Truth be told, Seventeen was far more dangerous in regards to the last two, but that didn't mean Fourteen was any better by comparison. Nikola's skills during the Portal Storms meant he was often entrusted with weapons like Ratel shotguns and the like during these specific missions, though it also meant he was almost always one of the few workers to come back alive. All good things come to an end, however, as Nikola was eventually spirited away to...City Eight.Rising Sun Nikola's transfer to the fabled City Eight started off...odd, as his train had come from City Thirty-One , then made a stop at City Twenty Four to pick up some tourists, a concept he had never exactly heard of. Early on there was a few telltale signs that Nikola's visit to City Eight would be a memorable one for the worst reason possible, as his train had it's path cut off by a Razor Train in the middle of the Outlands beyond the city walls. After being detained for not being part of the Twenty-Four tourist group, Nikola and others had to be ferried in on a bus into the city. Once within the city walls proper, Nikola was quick to make many new acquaintances, in both fellow citizens and more shady characters. Unfortunately, Nikola didn't have time to enjoy himself often as he was caught up in mass inspections, Xenian infestations, the volatile blue crystals growing everywhere, and of course...The Resistance. This transfer marked the day Nikola came to resent the Resistance, as he had rarely experienced their presence in surveillance heavy environment of Fourteen. And yet here, Nikola was caught up in shoot-outs, raids, bombings and all sorts of nonsense! The disregard for the lives of those the Resistance reportedly sought to liberate infuriated and flabbergasted Nikola; were these uncivil terrorists supposed to be the saviours of humanity?! To Nikola, it looked like they simply wanted to take the rest of humanity down with them and the Union as well! Thus, Nikola grew to detest those under the Lambda flag for they were insurgents with not a single care of who was hurt in their attempts to achieve their goals; one of which would haunt Nikola forever. During his stay in Eight, Nikola befriended a particularly intriguing yet kind Vortigaunt, Tu'Halak; a Vortigaunt who was a particularly good friend of Nikola, and a cultured one as well. One odd day, however, Nikola witnessed one of Tu'Halak's fellow Vortigaunts, Rungh'Gall, volunteering for an experiment by a...rather odd scientist. As intrigued and resourceful as ever, Nikola followed the two closely and discovered, much to his horror, Rungh was being taken to Willard Industries. Thus, it started a frantic manhunt for Rungh as Nikola and Halak did their damnedest to find the Vortigaunt, only for Halak to eventually reveal to Nikola the whereabouts of Rungh: he had been hired by Willard to experiment on some sort of...gas-like entity. This entity, the 'Fog' as Nikola came to know it, soon presented itself to Nikola...as he was one of the three unlucky citizens to be exposed to it through a test! And to make matters worse, those ever pesky insurgents freed the Fog not an hour after the test, a test that Nikola knows no exact details on yet forced them out of one of the scientists. Thus, the Fog had been unleashed on the defenseless City Eight. Through some miracle or another, the Fog's grasp slipped from Nikola as he had managed to escape to the Nexus safe zone the moment it had opened, narrowly avoiding Overwatch soldiers under the influence of the gas. For a time, only him, Halak, two of the administrators, the scientist and two Civil Protection officers were the only ones alive and well in the entire city. And for that time, Nikola did not know what to make of the situation. For all he knew, the fog was right behind them, ready to add them to it's fold. But that was a moment that never arrived, as soon Nikola's group was joined by the other survivors of the city. And better yet, they were spirited away out of the city the day after as Overwatch cleansed the city of the Fog and the insurgents that had released it. As Nikola looked to the now lowering sun, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself at his predicament as he was leaving the city the same he had entered it: on a bus in the Outlands. New Horizons And where did that bus take Nikola? Why, City Twenty Four of course! Nikola was quick to acquaint himself with friends both new and old, reconnecting with those he met in the disastrous transfer to City Eight while introducing himself to more of his fellow citizens. Compared to his prior industrial work related relocations alongside City Eight, City Twenty-Four was practically Heaven for a loyalist like Nikola, a sprawling city dotted in Combine propaganda, eagerly offering incentives and rewards for such loyalty. It came as no surprise that Nikola often found himself partaking in workshifts and staying far out of trouble, quickly associating the infamous Slums of the district with such danger. Among the connections Nikola had made were with Lucy Russell and Alexander Mickevic, the former a close friend of his he had met on the train into City Eight and the latter the former director of the CMU within the district Nikola and Lucy had visited. Despite being one to prefer manual labor that saw himself using his hands more than his wits, when Nikola learned that Lucy's position as the CMU receptionist was up for grabs after Alexander had promoted her after becoming the district's CMU director himself, Nikola simply had to go visit his own friends about the position; and surprisingly, Nikola's mind turned out to be as sharp as his body was strong, as he had been deemed the perfect successor as the CMU receptionist. Lucy and Alexander's trust was hardly betrayed as Nikola quickly situated himself with manning the clinic's front booth day in and day out, being one to greet incoming patients, learn of their ailments and get them the help they needed! Or in some cases, get Civil Protection to detain someone who had obviously been rotting around the abandoned metro area. Truth be told, the role was a taxing one, even for Nikola, whether that was incredibly wounded patients, aggressive visitors, or slummers hoping to get some sort of drug fix. Yet in spite of it all, Nikola turned to the family he had made among the clinic staff, hardly faltering in his duties to the Union! It was a utopia for Nikola, even if it were one interrupted by the occasional rebel attack or Xenian infestation; the latter of which, however, would soon cause his dream to come to an end.. Still Alive Suffice to say, the last thing Nikola expected was for District Forty-Three, in City Twenty Four of all cities, to be the one to fall to the mandibles of the vicious antlions. He had heard rumors of them tunneling up from the clinic floor, sure, but he never suspected they would really get so deep into Twenty Four...and with so many numbers at that. Admittedly, the details are fuzzy on just how Nikola escaped the Antlion orders amidst the havoc they caused, though by his own account he had used a shovel to ward off anything that got in his way as he ran for the district's borders. After just narrowly escaping into a neighboring district with his life and all his parts intact, Nikola spent only a small portion of time within City Twenty Four before he was relocated off to another city, once again starting a brief bout of transfers and relocations for the following ten or so months. However, whether by mistake or simple happenstance, Nikola was sent right back to City Twenty Four in more recent times, albeit not to the same district he once knew. No, this district had loothing skyscrapers, winding metal pipes digging into the very concrete all around him and a sky that the sun could barely pierce with how much smog filled the air. In other words, it was home to Nikola! The only thing that could complete his return to City Twenty Four was seeing his many, many friends again, a task Nikola knew stepping off the train would be damn near impossible. After all, ten months had come and gone so for all Nikola knew, those that he was familiar with were either dead, in another city or simply wouldn't remember him at all. Whether or not that was the case, however, was something the former Foreman would have to uncover for himself; the first thing he needed to do, however, was drop off his old CMU equipment he was still holding onto. With that first step forward, Nikola was able to uncover a bit about where his former colleagues had gone and what they were currently up to as, much to his surprise, some of his old coworkers from Geneva's clinic were working in the current district's own! Even more surprisingly, one of his closer friends Jenifer Maesroe had gone from being the director of the old clinic to a member of the Ministry of Progress in the district, if not the Minister herself! In her stead was Vivian Garner, another coworker of Nikola's who he hoped to meet, although such a reunion would grow...complicated in due time. For now, however, Nikola was happy to familiarize himself with the new clinic's current workers, namely Sam W. Bridge of the research branch and one Felix Poelking of the medical branch, the latter of whom would become a close companion to Nikola as the two saw more of each other. It wasn't long after that Nikola found plenty of other friends as well, albeit 'plenty' was perhaps an exaggeration; alas, the only people Nikola could find at first was the kind soul of Ophelie and the wise mind of Elias Siemens, both pleasant people Nikola was glad to come across. Yet they were the only company Nikola could have in the first days back in Twenty-Four, leaving him to make new friends in people like the Charity founder Joseph Holt and CCEC writer Juniper Stenhouse. Admittedly, Nikola's outgoing and social nature made these few days almost excruciating for him as the constant conversations and comfort he found in seeing familiar faces on the streets of Geneva were all but absent in the current day. It make the foreman thankful for those he still had around him...and eager to find out what happened to those he couldn't find. Crisis Hardly content in simply waiting for Vivian to come to him or vice versa because of that, Nikola soon pressed Felix more and more on her state only to discover, much to his dismay, his former coworker was apparently missing. Lost, for days, likely dead as Felix put it, though such a vague answer hardly suited Nikola. Whether out of the deep care for a friend or selfish impulsiveness to not be lonely, to be remembered by whoever could remember him, Nikola did something he could have never imagined himself doing: he did anti-civil activities. Not in the particular sense that most would assume, rather Nikola dug up the shovel he had used to escape District Forty-Three and the gas mask he had smuggled out of Industrial Seventeen before venturing straight into the heart of the underground sewers, looking up and down for any leads as to Vivian's disappearance. If she had to have gone somewhere, surely it must have been down there where no one else like Felix would be able to check, Nikola thought. It was through this journey that Nikola was able to come across rebels that he had despised for so long, holding his contempt back through silence in order to study them, learn more about their culture and happenings. And as luck would have it, sticking close to these fighters gave Nikola a way to reach the Outlands, specifically the canals just beyond the district themselves; now he was certainly closer to Vivian's trail!Alas, the most Nikola found from these excursions was a fire-axe, a medical vest and supplies he could make use of, and plenty of assorted scraps, crafting materials and more exotic chemicals. Enough for him to survive the dangers of the underground and the outlands for sure, but it wasn't the friend he was seeking. At least, not the exact one, as Nikola did come across another friend during one of his planned excursions to the Outlands: Feix. Good old young, nervous and quiet Felix, was working with the rebels. This fact came as a shock to Nikola of course, how could someone pure of heart and able to walk among his fellow citizens on the surface be so deeply entrenched in the barbaric rebellion! At least, that's what Nikola would have thought, had his opinions on the rebellion not been swayed already by how open and kind hearted plenty of the rebels he had met were. What came as an even greater source of bewilderment for Nikola was the fact Felix was not the only one of his friends to be involved in the rebellion, for Vivian all along had been working with the very same group Felix was! Supplying them with medical supplies no less until she was ousted by one John Walker. This very revelation shook Nikola to his core, causing his mind to question...everything, his loyalties, his friends, the Union, the world, everything! There was a time Nikola thought the world was simply black and white, with barely any shades of gray in it; yet Nikola might as well have been looking at a 2D canvas at that, as he could see now that the world around him had far, far more depth to it. When discovering that Vivian was alive yet afflicted with a total memory replacement, Nikola decided to dedicate himself to the cause of restoring his former friend's mind so she could be the real Vivian he remembered, who Felix remembered as well. No longer was it an effort to solely reconnect with a friend but also to help both Vivian and Felix in each of their problems, one greater than the other respectively. To that end, Nikola became involved in the infamous Dave 'York' McAllen's group of freedom fighters who were equally ready to dedicate themselves to this task and others, no matter the odds. It was through Dave that Nikola discovered another one of his friends had turned to the rebellion as well, the meek yet humble Ophelie; a fact that only astonished the already rattled Nikola further. Alas, with how early he was into associating with actual rebels, Nikola hesitated in stepping up to the task to retrieve Ophelie when Dave required her aid, resulting in Dave's close friend Rhea partaking in the task; a mistake that would prove to be disastrous as the woman was detained by Civil Protection, long before Dave could get her back. It was then that Nikola was able to acclimate himself with Ophelie's own involvement in the rebellion upon retrieving her himself, which ultimately led to a crisis of faith; one that Ophelie said was not a matter of picking sides, but simply weighing the options to each. It was there that Nikola decided that, ultimately, humanity mattered more than unity. To that end, Nikola dedicated himself to aiding Dave closely in the coming days to liberating Rhea from the Combine's grasp, providing him information on not just the happenings on the surface but also about other matters in general that the foreman was more knowledgeable on; one such topic being the mysterious infestation festering on the beach. As Nikola would discover through a joke to Dave's second, Hunter, the infestation was in reality an offshoot of a very same strain that Nikola had personally encountered in Geneva, that being the Thanatos Strain. It certainly fit the bill, white biomass, orange and purple glow, release of orange spores, and the ability to create creatures from its shape. Worse yet, Nikola had instilled ambitions into Dave upon informing him of these similarities and the danger it spelt for the Combine, giving him more of a reason to allow the infestation to spread towards the city. Yet what Nikola failed to realize at the time was that something, or rather someone, else stood between the infestation and the devastation it could bring upon the Combine. At first Nikola was content to allow Dave proceed as he did, after all it was the man's business and Nikola figured Dave would have some contingency to allow the Combine to clean up the infestation once it had run its course. As the days passed and the infestation only grew and grew, however, Nikola discovered from Bridge that not only was the infestation indeed Thanatos, but it was spreading at an accelerated rate due to the abnormal mutations present in it. Upon recognizing the very real danger that was plaguing City Twenty Four a second time and what may happen were it not stopped, Nikola tried his best to convince Dave otherwise, to allow him to spare the city of the Thanatos strain's wraith and to allow the CWU to eradicate the infestation for good. Alas, these pleas fell on deaf ears as Dave was not only determined to have some footing against the Combine, but eager to obtain what he saw as just revenge for Rhea's fate. To that end, Nikola continued to help Dave in getting Rhea back, not in the hope that it would pull Dave away from the destructive edge he was teetering off of but out of genuine sympathy for the man's plight as it was one Nikola himself could relate to; after all, it was Vivian's own situation that had brought Nikola to Dave in the first place. In the coming days, Dave was fed all manner of information about Rhea's condition and new identity as Veronika to Dave and his fellow rebels who wished to similarly get her back, even escalating to Nikola leading Veronika to the rooftops of the city so Dave and the Vortigaunt Sam could ambush and retrieve her in an attempt to undo the total memory replacement the woman had been afflicted with. It was the height of Nikola's time with Dave and his group...which only made the fall that much more devastating. Downfall Despite all that Nikola had done to aid Dave in retrieving Veronika to finally reawaken the dormant Rhea inside of her, her state was...simply too grave and the resources too little. It was a fact that pained Nikola to hear, knowing that his efforts were for naught and that he had put Veronika and Dave each through more pain than they each deserved; one by distress of her situation, and the other by hurt of knowing his friend truly was gone forever. Thus, Dave and Veronika's chapters in Nikola's life ended when one returned to the city and the other was caught, captured and executed for the entire city to see, yet Dave had the last laugh in allowing the infestation to be empowered by the Vortigaunts enough to breach the city. As much as Nikola had come to recognize the Combine's cruelty through their distortion of the minds of those he knew and the torture of many others, the danger the infestation posed to all was...far, far too much. Nikola had to uphold the legacy of those long gone who fought to stop the first Thanatos strain, lest he wanted a true repeat of City Eight's own crisis. The information that Nikola was able to provide to the city's administration and its various branches indeed helped organize their efforts and boost their knowledge of the infestation itself, yet as Nikola came to recognize, his damage was already done. The infestation continued to spread at a rapid rate and even with the aid he provided, he knew words alone could not mend the havoc that the infestation and by extension himself had wrought onto the district. If only that were the only pain Nikola had to bear, however, as the worse had truly yet to come. Those he had left who he cherished so dearly were either dead, despondent, or entirely different people as it were. The last hurt came when Nikola came across his dearest friend Ophelie, now bearing an eyepatch no different than what Veronika had worn when she was initially released into the city with her new identity. And just like Veronika, something was...different about Ophelie. The way she spoke with resentment, the way she stood with anxiety, and the way she looked at Nikola with...what? Fear? Anger? Sadness? Whatever the case was, Nikola had grown too accustomed to these predicaments, these situations, these...crimes. And yet it was still all too much for him to bear. Thus, Nikola ultimately decided that now, it was time to disappear again. Will he ever be seen again? How long shall it be until then? Will he even want to return? And will the world be the same as when he left it? One that remembers him, and therefore resents him? Time can only tell what path lies for Nikola Ratimiri, the forlorned foreman from Fourteen. -FAMILY- MOTHER: Ulyana Ratimiri; deceased (Your hand was the only thing the bullsquid left me to hold) FATHER: Oleksiy Ratimiri; deceased (It took three days but I found you under what was the house.) -RELATIONSHIPS- LOVES ADMIRES RESPECTS BEST FRIEND FRIEND ACQUAINTANCE DISTRUSTS DISLIKES HATES DECEASED/UNKNOWN Tu'Halak You were the nicest Vortigaunt I've ever met, so outgoing and full of energy. You truly were my best friend and I hope I can see you again. I'm sorry I lost the journal you gave me. Jack Rackin A bit of a goof but I like someone who can stay positive. You made my transfer bearable even if I had to babysit you sometimes. I don't know if you survived, but I hope you're in a better place now. Klaus Hydrich Had a level of intelligence and craftiness that could rival my own, and I respect that. Sometimes I saw you as a bit of a loony but now? You're a mastermind. Can't believe I never reported you, but you never did any harm to anyone, not that I know of anyways. Knowing you, you probably survived the Fog. I hope. "Handy" I never got your real name but honestly, your nickname fits you well. In hindsight I don't blame you for complaining a lot about Eight, though you might have inflated my expectations of Twenty Four a little. I haven't seen you around recently, I might have to ask around; I enjoy it when we talk, you remind me of a youth I've yet to re-experience. Thanks for showing me the underclass aren't as bad as they seem. Jethro Jarrod Jeremiah IV A friend of Halak is a friend of mine, and you're a great friend. You have as much energy as Halak, it rubs off onto me when we talk. Also, you're right about the turtle plushies. I hear you're still alive and well after Geneva fell, which gives me hope that I'll see you again. I still have a few turtle plushies, heh.. Lucy Russell You were the first person I met on the train, and I'm glad we did. I'd like to think I had no hand in the strength you gained near the end of City Eight, but...I'm disappointed you started drinking again recently. And I'm ashamed I haven't been able to speak with you as often. I need to find more time to do that when you aren't on your shift, but I can never find you outside of work. Congratulations on the promotion! You really have improved since your relapse, which fills me with hope. Normally I wouldn't consider undertaking a desk job, but since you're looking for your replacement...I might have Mickevic send in a good word for me. Somehow I've yet to ask anyone what happened to you or to Alexander. I hope your demons didn't take over and caused you to end it all. Stay strong, Lucy, you're brighter than you know. May Ache Your words stuck in my head, about the brain in a jar. I like to think our loyalty to the Union wouldn't bring about such a horrendous fate. Still, I'm here to keep you safe, May, I always am. I hope you're getting better, I wish I could check on you. William Brown A civilized discussion about the world around us is something I enjoy and you're one to give me it. I'm glad you decided to strive towards Union loyalty than living among the underclass. You're just the kind of man I am, outgoing and quick to jump into action to save others; you just do it better. I should take up that job offer, but...I hate desk jobs. You shouldn't be the one cleaning up after my mess. I'm glad you're taking charge once again but what I did is my mistake.
Alexander Mickevic Once I saw you as a powerful, influential yet benevolent minister of the CMU in Eight. Now you're an ordinary citizen, even if a loyalist, among the crowd here. Yet your spirit has been humbled by the experience and you're more casual than I would have expected. I consider you a role model. Thank you for giving Lucy a chance. I guess some things go full circle, you became the CMU Director of Twenty Four's district too. I've had the pleasure of working under you and you haven't changed a bit. You're less of a boss to me and more of a good friend, one I can trust and one who I know will listen to me. I wish you came around more often. Jenifer replaced you, it's sad to see you go. I hope I can learn what happened to you, as I have with others. Thank you for giving Lucy a chance, Alex. Lukas Stevenson You're a young, nice man, You're dead. What else can I say about that? You were my friend, Lukas, I never gave a damn about anything you did, I turned my back on the Union to watch out for you and care for you because you mattered to me. You needed me and I needed you, through thick and thin, through our toughest battles. Whatever happened to you, I hope it's just a rumor. You never deserved any of this, Lukas. Ophélie Eulalie Latourelle A kind if not meek lady who works at the Pint, and a friend of Lukas. I've gotten to know her well after helping her back to her apartment after a night of drinking, though I also suspect she trusts me due to both of us having ties to Lukas. Regardless, much like Claire she often stops by to give me gifts. With the changes to ration distribution, I certainly appreciate your outgoingness, Ophelie. One of four, maybe five at most people in the current District, and the only one of the two I've had the chance to reconnect to. I can tell you haven't really changed, though considering you're a Civil Worker, I can assume you've gotten braver. You thought I had died, for some reason that...warmed my heart a lot, knowing that someone missed me. I'm glad I have you as a friend now more than ever because of that, though.. You proved me right on being stronger, those people underground seem to trust you a lot. I've been going down there more often to find out what happened with Vivian, and I just so happened to get dragged into...whatever it was they needed you for. God, this world is complex for me, first Vivian, then Felix, now you... I know you said you hold me in high regard for being brave enough to go underground, to get equipment for myself, to acquaint myself with the people there and more importantly seek out Vivian. But I can't help but feel I've made a horrible mistake, even if you seem to already have ties with these people. If anything happens to you in the coming days, Ophelie, I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself from feeling some sort of blame for it. At the same time...you're more in tune with the world than I am, your words to me about where my loyalty lies made that clear. There is no black and white, there are pros and cons, positives and negatives to what life you choose. At the same time, though...I can't wrap my head around any of this. I'm glad you didn't sway me into one side or the other, but...maybe it was for the better you did. I'm lost, Ophelie. When Felix told me about how you had treated him with nothing but sheer contempt, spitting at him and decrying him as a monster, I held out hope that maybe that part of you was the only part they had changed. That you'd be no different around me, maybe a little tense, a little blissfully ignorant, something unlike your usual self yet hardly a far cry compared to how you treated Felix.
I guess I can say I was right, when we last saw each other you indeed recognized me, yet you were colder than before, you didn't look at me with fierce judgement and venom but...fear. You feared me no different than you would fear a bullsquid, or a manhack, or the barrel of a gun. Seeing the same patch over your eye just like Veronika horrified me, more than I let on even if I suppressed my shock. Perhaps this is what Elias meant by you being 'safe', about things happening to you he couldn't tell me about. I wish I could press him more about it, but I know he probably won't budge. I'll admit, I feel...terrible for the way I reacted to that. I can't imagine the hurt I brought to you through that alone. Yet you seem to know more than I do on how else I've hurt you, on why we can't be near each other anymore. I...know this isn't the real you, Ophelie, but it hurt so bad to see you and listen to you in this state. I can't blame Felix for being so broken by his encounter with you, and I'll admit if my mental fortitude was any weaker from recent events I would have been the same way. This isn't the real you, though, that I have to keep reminding myself. Even then...I can't ward off the feeling of helplessness, and of hopelessness. I fear after all the peace I've made with myself, I'm becoming lost once again, Ophelie. Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again. Daniel Jelczuk At last, a fellow patron of City Fourteen! Off the bat I must confess I envy you slightly, you're the man I would have been had I not picked the Civil Medical Union over the Civil Worker's Union. That being said, I'd hardly let that pride overtake the admiration I have for your accomplishments, I believe we first met when you were speaking to Ophelie about joining the Union; and when we first properly spoke, you had been promoted past Journeyman. It's an achievement that earns my humble congratulations! That aside, you're a bright and knowledgeable man no doubt, in fact I can see why you have climbed the ranks in the CWU so quickly; after all, that much experience certainly should amount to easy learning. Speaking of experience, your mental fortitude is...I suppose I could describe it as 'strong' as well, considering how much more you've been through. The fact you've killed in the double digits and seem almost...dismissive of that fact with that cold stare unnerves me, I must admit to that too. But as we both agreed, that business is yours, and I'll gladly keep it that way. Fleur Whatever you say, it somehow turns out to be right. And I thought I was the smart one, heh. I hope whatever happens to you, I'll be around to help you; I couldn't care less about what they said to do to French people like you. In hindsight, maybe you were pushing me a little to think like those in the Slums. I wish you were around, I'm terrified of what I've been doing. And you come back right when I think I need you most, funny how life works like that. It's nice to meet a familiar face in these trying times, one who is no different than when we last met. Part of me thinks you're the same way, that you're equally as eager to reconnect with me. Alas, I hope I never get you involved in all the business I've gotten myself into. Seeing you hurt by it would...truly ruin me. Elias Siemens Originally a bookstore owner I was well acquainted well, I can safely say we're companions now, Elias. You're a man of class like me but you hardly let that get to your head just like me, you're freely speak your mind but in good tastes. I miss the bookstore but I'm glad you plan on reopening it soon. Good luck on becoming Chairman, I know you'll be able to make a true difference. Juniper Stenhouse Part of the 'Committee of Civic Duty and Engagement', which is to say you're one of the people who write the newspapers I often read, heh. That explains why I like talking with you so much, you're rather eloquent, chatty and have something of a strong attitude that I feel reflects my own. Then again, maybe my hubris is getting the better of me but what I enjoy your company and your conversations. Hopefully we get to have more of them in the near future when we bump into each other again. Andrew Wilson The first new coworker I met at the CMU, he left a nice lasting impression. A bit easy to irritate but I don't blame him, he's a nurse doing more than what's asked of him. It's also why I respect him deeply, he's willing to undertake the tasks that he shouldn't be expected to. You're troubled, exhausted, I can see why, I would be too if I were in your shoes; after all, I have to check in the patients you tend to. Maybe the research wing is better for you, though...I can tell Heilag's passing has really hit a nerve. It has for me, but please, Andrew, I hope you haven't done anything stupid while I was away. Jenifer Maesroe My coworker at the Civil Medical Union, which explains how we met. I've had the chance to converse with her more outside of work and she's certainly a fun, bright person to be around. She's welcomed me well into the job. You've been very kind to me, Jenifer, and have made the job certainly entertaining when I'm not busy. Thank you. You went from a nurse, to a doctor, to the director and now to the Minister of Progress! Congratulations Jen! I wish I could see you again, though I feel like that will be a...long, long shot with your current position. I've heard you're...not the same person I know, that you're no better than some unsavory loyalists back in Geneva. I want to say that isn't the case but with all that's gone on...please Jen. Please tell me these aren't your true colors. Dr. Chung One of the two doctors I regularly see here at the CMU, and certainly the most energetic of the two. I can see why William has gotten to know the man. Dr. Andrey The second doctor here at the CMU, and the more serious one. He gives me quite a bit of respect, and I've gotten to know him somewhat personally. He's an honest man who isn't afraid to speak his thoughts, thoughts I tend to agree with considering they're his frustrations. Yann Stephan Yet another doctor here at the clinic, albeit one I rarely see. Regardless, when we are able to meet it's for quite a while, and your work is quite admirable at that. You really know what you're doing, Yann, and you're a rather gentle soul at that, humble and quiet but welcoming at the same time. I can't help but smile around you, you never seem like you're having a bad day. Makes me wish I could see you more often. Apparently you're somewhere around this new industrial district, still working for the CMRU and still often being absent, heh. I'm glad that you're around, though, it makes me hope I get to see you in person sometime soon. Whether or not you'll be the same person I remember you being as I have for so many others is another question, but...I'm holding out hope you'll make me smile regardless. Funny how our reunion came in possibly the worst circumstances possible, me getting shot in the gut while that infestation broke through the gates. It must have come as more of a shock to you to see me on the operating table than it did for me to hear you in the room. Still, I'm glad we met once more, Yann, you're as soft and humble as the day we first met. At the same time, I'm as worried as any friend would be, you said you have a concussion and, well, you're definitely a bit more...loopy in the head. Then again, maybe it's an eccentric side I've yet to fully see. Emiyo Marcum Truthfully I was intimidated by your presence at first considering you were a superior I had no prior experience with, compared to Lucy and Alexander; But I've come to see you as a friend and approachable co-worker. I'm glad I can turn to you for assistance on work matters, or company when things get boring. Miss you too like everyone else, you always had a level head but in a relaxed manner. I think Felix or one of the other CMRU workers said you're around, maybe we'll see each other again. And what do you know? You really are around, in the booth I would be if I had stayed with the clinic no less, heh. You seem a bit colder and dismissive, but I'd amount that to perhaps whatever happened between when we last met and now; after all, I'm more used to seeing you in a nice suit or a medical coat, not a citizen jumpsuit. I had to correct you on what my name was but I can't blame you for that, you got it close enough with 'Nicholas'. Memories tend to just...bleed together or fade altogether anyway. Vivian Garner One of the newer interns at the CMU when I worked there, you were a bit on the quiet side but I still got to know you well enough. I still consider you a friend, Vivian, even if we don't know each other too well. I was in for a shock upon learning you had become the district's CMRU Director, I guess ten months really do make something of a difference. Like I said, I consider you a friend and I was eager to meet you, yet when Felix told me you were missing...I was distraught, maybe I overreacted, maybe I was desperate to reunite with you after how few people I had found, but I ran into the underground to look for you. I even made it into the Outlands, found a fire-axe and medical uniform with armor on it just to keep myself safe while I looked for you. I've started gathering resources that are all but contraband, just to make sure I have more items to protect myself when I get the chance to make use of them. Imagine my shock then when you turned up alive, well, and without a single memory of your old self despite all that apparently happened. Imagine my confusion when Felix said you had flatlined in the OR and your body was taken away. Imagine my astonishment when I discovered you had been supplying the Resistance with medical supplies before Walker uncovered the effort and sold you out. Maybe I don't know you as well as I do. Maybe all of this is my selfish attempt at not being lonely, not being forgotten, not being some...ordinary citizen wandering the streets. All I know is I can't see the world the same way ever since this, even ever since Heilag passed. Even still, I hope you get your memory back at some point, just so I can look you, the real you, in the eye and say 'It's been a while, Vivian.'. Of course you didn't remember me, what else was I expecting? I would have stood by and let Felix try to reach out to you, to get you to follow him, but I couldn't help myself when it started to fall apart. Admittedly I stepped in to help him, not out of my desire to finally see you...though I'll admit that was still part of the reason behind my decision.
I won't lie, it did sting to hear you say you never worked with me back at Geneva, but I hid that away in the moment, there was other work to be done. I wish that Italian bastard Luca hadn't scared you off, maybe then we would have made some progress in...whatever plan Felix had ready. But when Luca stepped up to you, with that dead stare inches away from your face, I saw something in your own gaze when you shoved him back. Fear, panic, remorse, as if you had done some cardinal sin or irremediable act. The speed at which you took off running after Luca tried to grab you and you slapped his hand away only reinforced that, though what it all means is...hard for me to figure out. The implications, though, have kept me up a little. Are you...truly gone, Vivian? Is this an act? Is some of you still in there? Fighting? Or is there more to what the Combine have made you into that I just...don't understand with my limited knowledge? Once I was content with helping Felix, and with regaining a friend in an age where the loneliness from the absence of many more bright faces from the past is crushing for me, yet now...I think what I want most is to free you of whatever existence you currently live. I just hope Felix and Dave can figure it all out, if their own matters don't swallow them whole first. Heilag Vagga Another Vortigaunt I've come into contact with, this time through the CMU. We don't interact all too often as he is rarely around, but he has had the chance recently to share some of his knowledge with me. Things that I don't think I would have known without him. 'Black Mesa', I'll have to see what else I can find out about that name.. Your death was something I never had the chance to witness, nor was I able to see you one last time before then. Maybe it's for the better, but I can't help myself in thinking it's for the worst. But it wasn't fair, you shouldn't have had to die for protecting the city, we both knew how dangerous that strain was.
I like to think that those executed by the Union had what was coming to them, that they deserved it, that it was for the betterment of the city. But I can't bring myself to say you deserved this, Heilag. Most of all, I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I won't entertain the fleeting hope I alone could have stopped it, but I know my comfort would have gone a long way in those last moments. I'll never forget you or your teachings. Your memory will live on in mine as it will with the rest of your kindred. Rest well, Heilag; the receptionist booth will feel a little emptier without you.  Kal'Ragh One of the other Vortigaunts I work with at the CMU, a bit reserved but that's likely because I rarely actually speak with him. But regardless, Kal is the janitor and a fine one at that, willing to do his job at a moment's notice. I hold a fair amount of respect to him because of that, and I've made sure no one replaces his role; underclass may come and go asking to clean the floors, but I trust Kal to get the job done. Heinrich Tischer Yet another intern at the CMU, unsurprisingly, but one who I can call a friend nonetheless. You seem to put quite a bit of trust in me, almost like you want to be around me, and I won't push you away because of it. Sure, you seem a little air-headed at times, a bit unsure of what to do, but I have high hopes for you. You're a bright mind, Heinrich. Maybe I'll see you again in this new district. Felix Poelking One of the (former) workers at the CMRU here in Industrial Twenty-Four, I met you when I came to drop off my old equipment and I began to speak with you more and more. I appreciate the information you've given me about everything, good and bad, though...I feel like I've been a terrible friend with how I've let my emotions get the better of you. You have your own troubles, Felix, more than I ever will and I can see you barely hang on sometimes. You don't need someone like me making you feel any worse, and for that I...don't think I deserve your continued companionship. I ran into you and Rhea underground one day and...well, it's opened my eyes up quite a bit to the world, and how strangely it seems to work. Once again I'm glad you've been a lot more transparent with me ever since, though I'll admit you've gotten me questioning....everything. Maybe there is merit to some of the things you've said that I've turned down and ignored for the sake of the Union...or my own selfish beliefs. I just hope we'll be able to get Rhea back. You're going through so much pain that I'm surprised you haven't backed down, haven't let it consume you. Then again, you seem to grow more and more despondent by the day with each new blow, physical or mental. I'll admit, I was shocked that you wholeheartedly embraced Dave's idea of letting the infestation run loose, you sound a lot like him. At the same time, you've gone through the same hurt as him, maybe even more. I'm not sure if you're losing touch with yourself and have fallen into despair, or if you're simply eager to help out against the Combine. All I know for a fact is that I'm glad you still keep an eye out for Ophelie...though I wish I've done a better job at looking out for you too, Felix. Rhea Ilyava/Veronika Rosenblum A friend of Felix's who I've sparsely met, I can't say I know much about you. Dave told me not to blame myself but I do for not keeping up with you two and the others when you went out to the Construction Zone in preparation to get Ophelie. I should've paid more attention and stepped up to go grab her instead of you, maybe then you wouldn't have been arrested. Dave told me he was going to turn himself over to Civil Protection and then shoot his way out to save you; I just hope his plan works and I see both of you again. If not...I'll try to keep Felix safe. Ophelie seems to think you're alive and well, just a new person entirely just like Vivian right down to the name and hair. Dave seems to think you were dead, him and the others claim they buried your corpse. I don't have the full story on that nor have I been able to see you in person, but I like to believe you are indeed alive. And frankly, I hate to admit that maybe you being dead would be a mercy.
Ophelie told me about how Luca may have been allowed to pick your new hairstyle, a perverted mimicry of Ophelie's own, a lustful reflection to satisfy his desires as your new 'handler' before Luca was relocated. Dave told me about how you spoke of all their secrets, of the cave, of the underground, and I see it as no coincidence that the beach and sewers have been reduced to rubble everywhere. I can't help but admit I fear you because of that, you've seen my face, you know my name. When will the Combine pull that from your brain, if they haven't already? When will they make me into a soulless husk with a new name, a new look, a new life? I shouldn't have told Dave what Ophelie told me about you. This has caused him enough hurt as it is, especially with how I could have very well prevented any of this by taking your place when they needed Ophelie. Had I known you better, maybe all of this would have hurt me as much as it likely does for Dave, with how well you two know each other. But I know your situation well enough to dread every part of it, and you. Stay away from me, Veronika. Despite my fear of you, of what you know, I still tried to help Dave get you, the real you, back. I lured you to the top of the housing block where you and Dave used to smoke under the lie of needing to tell you more about the infestation, you were apprehensive when I mentioned the spot but you went along anyway. I have a hunch you knew I was going to cause trouble, and that was probably confirmed when Sam and Dave showed up to knock you out and take you to the cave.
I should have stayed in the city after that, left Dave, Sam and the others to figure out how to bring Rhea back, but I couldn't help myself. Part of me was invasively curious, the other half simply worried and anxious. I know now from what I've seen and what you've told me that I made a grave mistake, agreeing to help Dave. In the moment I didn't regret it, helping Dave get a little closer to freeing you of what the Combine has done. Yet with all the suffering his obsession brought you and the dismay it brought him, I truly do feel sorry. Which is why I told you that when I finally had the chance. Did I expect to be easily forgiven? No, of all the things I was and wasn't expecting, immediate forgiveness wasn't one of them. Your anger was justified and I wouldn't have blamed you for telling the Combine of my part in your kidnapping. What I did was reckless and I got away scot-free while you were tied-up, threatened, beaten, even branded. In spite of all that, you kept quiet not out of fear, but as an acknowledgement to my own character, that you saw more good in me than the Combine would have if you did mention my name. You gave me a second chance so I can help the city fight back against the infestation Dave helped to fester and unleash, and I'm truly thankful for that. I think you already know I won't take it for granted. Goodbye, Rhea. Perhaps it's time we let you go, for good. David Andrew "York" Mcallen Again, can't say I know you too well, just that you're a friend of Rhea, Felix and Ophelie. More important, you're an actual rebel, one I didn't think I'd actually meet for once in my entire life. Rhea's lucky to have you as a friend, I can tell you that much. I'm not sure if you've told anyone else about your plan, going to Civil Protection to turn yourself in for Rhea's freedom and then shooting your way out. If you have, it saves me breaking the news. If you haven't, then I'll be sure to pass the word along. Good luck and Godspeed, Dave. I don't know why I'm wishing that for a rebel, but...it only feels right to. I have turned my back on the Union and risked so much for you because I sympathized with you, with your plight, your people, your position. You're right about the Combine, and I can never refute that. Humanity does need people willing to continue our legacy, to strive towards our liberations and freedoms they are taking away.
What I can not stand by is Heilag's actions and legacies being trampled by your action in order to force the Union into inaction. What I can not stand by is you allowing that Thanatos infestation on the beach to grow and mutate day by day, threatening to breach the city gates where normal, innocent people live ignorant to the war beneath their feet. What I can not stand by is your dismissal of those very same people, the people who you should be fighting for, fighting to save, to protect, to liberate, to inspire. Allowing that infestation to breach the city gates will mean death to so many lives, and suffering for many more. And I know this because I have seen this exact scenario before in City Eight. And I have seen exactly what this strain of infestation does to those it infects, what it does to your body, to your mind. Or rather, what it doesn't do to your mind; your body will melt and morph, degrade from flesh to fungus, skin to spores, yet your brain, your consciousness, you will be awake through the entire process. And you won't die. I'm sorry, I'm...sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me, my words have merit I continue to stand by but the delivery of them...I'm not sure if I'm overreacting or not. Despite my passionate objections that came from me losing my cool, you...don't seem to have let it sully our bond, you're welcoming me deeper into the Resistance now even. You told me that a mind like mine is vital, one that you seek from all your men, one who doesn't pick sides and speaks for all of them at the same time. Hearing that threw me in for something of a curveball, a loop, I expected to hardly see you again, let alone hear you speak to me despite everything I said. Is this...some kind of trick? Or is there more to you than I thought there was in my anger? Part of me yearns to give you an apology for what I've said after you've stuck by me as if nothing happened when I was ready to cut you out entirely. At the same time, though, I think you'd be prouder if I stuck by what I said, after all it's why you seem to respect me more. What I will take back, though, was my thought of no longer helping you. I still regret what I've done, that much is apparent, but I can see you care for people we both know as much as I do, if not more. Letting something happen to Felix or Ophelie would be a weight on your shoulders I know you'd be nearly crushed by, as would I. In a sense, I'm all you have in order to keep you updated and keep them safe. So, I'll stick by you, York, for your sake and for theirs. Strange how life works, that I was the last person to ever see you alive and free of the Combine's grasp before everyone else saw your demise. I went down into the sewer to see you, and all I got were three Overwatch soldiers who frisked me and knocked me out, leaving me behind in the dust. No detaining, no beating, not even some kind of punishment or warning. How I wish you were as stupidly lucky as I was. When I woke back up, I was in a daze, unsure of what to do or where to go. If I ran deeper into the sewers, would they find me again? Or would I find you first and be able to warn you if I were fast enough? Would we have both been caught? I'm not sure, but I know I ran the other way back to the surface when you and the squad ran into each other with me in the middle. I thought in that moment you would escape, that luck would be on your side as always and this would be another escapade of yours. Really, what I had just seen was your capture. I didn't know what to really think or say when I saw you on the monitor in the plaza, tied down to a chair in rags with your head in a glass box, shouting for mercy within. At first I thought it couldn't have been you, that it was some look-alike, a body double, just like how Civil Protection had lied about arresting you those few nights ago when you met Rhea for the last time. Yet after they dropped the headcrab into the glass box and you began screaming in Dutch while it latched onto you remorselessly, I realized that it was indeed the real Dave McAllen. That I had just watched your death, right before my very eyes. For all your faults, for all your descents into anger and plunges into danger, I can't help but deeply respect you even in death. Your emotions often got the better of you, that you could be swayed by loved ones, by hated enemies, by...anyone at all. You never stopped, and you never slowed down for even a moment. What you were was the pinnacle of being human, Dave, your best and worst qualities included. You didn't deserve such an undignified end, nor did you deserve to be taken from us at all. I'm glad that I was able to help you as much as I did, in what would be your final days alive, and I'm glad my aid hardly went unappreciated. It's a shame I won't be able to take you up on that offer to join your group anymore, Dave, but...I know your legacy will live on through others. Don't go easy into that gentle night, York. Keep on fighting, like you always do. Vladimir Petrenko At first I figured you were a fellow citizen, and a friendly Russian at that who I immediately got along with. Of course then I found out that alongside Felix and Rhea, you were part of the underground too. At least I assume that was you, sounded like you for sure under that gas mask but with the trenchcoat and helmet on, maybe I really had confused someone for you. Or maybe you didn't trust me back then, not that I blame you. Still, I consider you a friend through and through, even more now that you've told me about how Civil Protection are bearing down on Ophelie and Felix. I also appreciate you comforting her and giving her some advice, such companionship does go a long way. Dave seems to think you're better off staying underground and while I met you on the surface, maybe it would be safer if you followed his advice in the current era. Still, thanks for being by my side, Vlad. You give your fellow rebels a good name. 'Hunter' Speaking of rebels who give the group a good name, you're one of Dave's finest men, an experienced one at that as far as I can tell. Again, we haven't interacted that much but you seem to at least see me as...not below you, you hold as much trust as Dave does in me. I hope that's the case anyway. Regardless, I appreciate you trying to get me out of my bad mood when I learned Lukas was dead, even if I didn't express that at the time. It meant a lot to me, you could have ignored me but you didn't. Stay safe down there, Hunter. Oliver Fournier/Ahn'Kallah'Lurr I can't say I've ever met someone with a name more befitting of a Vortigaunt than a human, but it seems like you have a good reason with all the...strange spiritual stuff that goes on around you. We've only met sparsely but you seem like a well mannered person, well rounded and maybe a bit nervous. Hopefully we get to know each other better, though with how things are going, I might be seeing you alongside the rest of the underground less and less. Sam On the topic of names, Sam is the...last name I'd expect from a Vortigaunt of all people, considering how many I've become acquainted to in the past. But like many of them, you have an open mind and a kind spirit, I can tell you associate as often with people like Dave's group as much as your tribe. It makes me happy to know you're liberated and can do more to help others whenever possible. I was even worried you had perished in the empowering of the infestation, but I saw you afterwards in a...more irate mood. I guess there's more going on than I know of, but I'll leave that to you. Scook Only met you once but when I did, it was in the cave beneath the lighthouse and you accidentally clobbered me so hard I think you knocked most of the blood out of my body when that invisible...thing attacked us. I exaggerate but still, you obviously seem hesitant to trust me and I don't blame you. I'm the exact same way, after all...I had to clobber plenty of your brothers to escape Geneva. Joseph Holt One of the kinder faces I've met in Twenty Four upon my return, you and the Charity remind me of Cole a lot, something I dearly respect. Just like Cole's, the Charity burned down, but unlike her's, your's hasn't gotten back up yet. Civil Protection told me illegal activity was going on and not to talk to you again, but with all that's gone on...I feel like I need you more than anyone else right now in my life. Thank you for offering that spot in the Charity, Joseph. Please don't be dead. "Royce" In spite of your intriguing thought process, I can tell you don't mean anyone any sort of harm or to do any bad. I don't distrust you at all, I just like to edge on the side of caution. Truth be told, I may come off as harsh but that's to keep both of us out of trouble; you more than me, heh. Samuel Lacrose A man I can rely on to get an infestation under control, and one of the only Infestation Control workers I see about. He has quite the strong nerve, quick wits, but willingness to follow along than take charge. I think that last trait is a positive rather than a negative, he always seems ready to follow orders and properly asses the situation with those around him. He doesn't let any hubris get to his head. I hope to interact with you more, Samuel. Claire A regular who visits the CMU staff quite a bit, and I can see why; you're a very lovely person full of gifts to give! I hope I get to know you more with each visit, considering I'll be up here at the front desk each time. Thanks for the treats, you really do spoil me a lot. Ren Yi We've only just met and haven't gotten the chance to speak all that much, but I've been around you enough to consider you an associate. I can see why Cole or Lukas hired you onto the shelter team, your big heart goes a long way even if you don't the vocabulary to express yourself with. Ilya Zima I can't say I know you all that well, nor can I say the incident in Eight has helped with any of that. Regardless, you're a good man in spite of what you did. You seem to be avoiding me but I can understand why. I'm glad I don't remember what happened. I've gotten to know you a bit more, you truly do mean well and I see you as more of a friend. Thank you for expelling that...thing from me in Industrial Seventeen, I thought I was going crazy. Maybe we'll see each other again so we can discuss more about the events that happened there, if you remember me. At the same time though...maybe it's best to let some things finally rest. Callum Crown One of the city administrators, I forget if I've ever met you back at Geneva; your name does ring something of a bell to me. Regardless, I hold a deep reverence for you as you were one of the few city officials I could find amidst the infestation's outbreak, and likely the only one who would listen to me about what I knew regarding the Thanatos strain. I'll admit, a lot of what I had to say I had already told Doctor Bridge and were properties the rest of the CWU likely already knew about the infestation, yet...you listened nonetheless, you encouraged more and more meetings, you helped me spread the information to all the necessary branches. I suppose that's a sign that not much of the infestation was known among the branches, or at least not communicated enough to the point it was common knowledge. Yet my work helped lead to new discoveries like the fact the infestation has a source, a 'heart' much like the one back in Geneva. You and William Taylor seemed ecstatic about that development, for good reason of course. I'm happy you'll reward me in due time for my continued aid, but...seeing the city rid of this damned infestation will bring me enough satisfaction. Thank you, Callum, for giving me a chance. Jury-Two/"Synth Cop" Rarely, I don't talk about our protectors, as while they do a grand job at keeping us safe from insurgents, some of them can be a bit...brash. But not you, not at all; you're very approachable for a metrocop and I enjoy the casual conversations I find myself in with you. It would be nice to know your name, but I'm content with finding you by your radio. "Raspy"/Vendor Cop/Eight We met quite a long time ago when you were doing your 'We sell, you buy?" joke. It wasn't until more recently when you did the joke again that I recognized you, which also explains how you've remembered who I am. At least I think you're the same officer, you've been climbing the ranks quite rapidly. I've given you the name 'Raspy' after you visited the clinic for that asthma attack of yours, I know you didn't need my company but I felt it was for the better. You're a lot like Synth Cop in the aspect you're approachable and friendly, though unlike him you tend to goof around a lot more (and you actually remember my name). I'm glad I've earned your trust and respect; I'll try my best not to let you down. Edoardo Puritano A father to his men in the MAA, something I respect dearly. For all the controversy I've seen come the organization's way, I haven't lost my respect for you. We haven't spoken much, admittedly, but you've given the MAA a good name. Amirbek Iskakov One of the MAA members who I believe is a higher up, we've only met once or twice offhandedly. Still, he seems like one of the more reasonable, level headed and straight to the point members. I have a hunch I'll see him more often where I see Sven and William. Sven Aalto A man I've met just prior to his rise in the MAA, someone who like his peer Amirbek is headstrong and prepared to serve the Union. He's a brave man who definitely earned his position in the MAA, though I have my lingering doubts about his ulterior motives. Billy Heraldson While I can tell you mean well and William sees potential in you, I don't have the greatest trust in you because of your wits. Or lack thereof. I don't see you as inferior, though, I'm actually quite worried for your safety; someone as good intentioned as you shouldn't be lost to an avoidable mistake. I've gotten to learn you more and you're starting to lose the good intentions I once saw in you, making you more of a delinquent like an average slum-dweller than a proper citizen. I'm still worried for you but I'm aghast at the fact you've managed to avoid trouble. I won't be around to get you out of it, however. How am I not surprised your death was caused by idiotic circumstances you could have avoided. It doesn't bring me any sorrow that you're gone, however, you were a danger to everyone around you and even yourself. I never wanted to burn this bridge, and I'm sure you didn't want to either, but...in a way, you were the one who severed our bond. I should feel glad you're gone and got what you deserved, but I don't. I think it's better that way.
Thomas Carter I worry for you as much as I do for someone like May, considering you're an underclass. But that doesn't mean I don't respect you, because I do. Try to raise those loyalty points, alright? I can always get you another jacket. I found out you apparently died, so no wonder I haven't seen you. It's a shame I couldn't know more about you, or get you a new jacket. Jaime Velasquez Should I even say anything about you? About the threat you pose to the integrity of the civilized society? About how much of a menace you are to everyone else? Or should I just keep silent? Then again, knowing your demented mind, you might be fixing up some more false memories of us arguing. Frankly I was surprised you managed to survive that fall, and even more surprised when you decided to take your life anyways. I can't say I intended for things to end like this for you, or that I feel any pride from what happened. Yet your death was the least important outcome of my actions.
KevinCampbell Sometimes you direct your anger towards others. Sometimes you give me the utmost respect a loyalist like myself deserves. But that doesn't mean I support how you treat people, Mr. Campbell. Quite the opposite. Loyalty should not put you above the rest. The Fog I was one of your victims, but I hardly remember it. I don't know if you remember me, or if you care. Regardless, you died in that Hellhole of a city while I escaped, free from your grasp...yet you took two of my closest friends with you. I hope I never see you again, Devourer.  Frontal Lobe Scan
But despite all the time that's passed, I was ignorant to the fact I had never left you, or rather...you had never left me. I became your...host? Container? Something dreadful that I was hardly aware of up until you made your presence known. First it was just whispers. Sounds slithering into my ear, of things that weren't there. Then the voices began speaking, words, saying my name, telling me things I'm glad I don't remember. Then the visions.. You locked me in the CMU and tormented me with visions, ones meant to terrify me, to mock me, to break me. You showed me blood drenched patients with mad looks in their gazes and weapons in their hands. You showed me corpses, inviting me to sit down next to their flayed, maggot infested forms. You showed me...Hex? Drakk? At this point I'm not even sure who it was you were taunting me with, just that you led me into that damn infestation study room. The same one I had so many patients put down for the very same Xenian infestations I had. Then you shut the door on me and locked me in for all of a few minutes. I feel some shame in admitting you had gotten the better of me, you made me fear you once again. If I hadn't ran into Hex again during my relocation to City Seventeen, I don't know what would have happened. Even then, when he scanned my frontal lobe, he saw something that made him leave the room instantly and to this day I don't know what. All I know is that the moment he did, you finally left my body and I passed out from shock. I guess that answers that question, on whether or not you remember me. It keeps me awake at night sometimes, wondering how you stayed with me for so long, why me in particular. Did the other two 'volunteers' in that dreaded experiment pass? Were you not able to infect others like Alexander, Lucy and Jethro? Is there something about me that made me an enticing host? I don't put myself above others, I rarely do, and I don't want to entertain the idea I'm...somehow special. Regardless, I hardly take pride in allowing you to take up residence within me. Leave Zima alone, Devourer. If there's one thing I know for certain about all of this...it's that you're the manifestation of all the universe's evil itself.    -Faction Relationships- FAVORED LIKED NEUTRAL DISTRUST DISDAIN The Combine And yet in recent days, I find my loyalty towards you swayed by my own humanity. Do you...really mean well for our race? For me? I see now what your true colors really are. I can no longer ignore the wounds and wrongs you have wrought onto those around me. I'll play your game for now, Combine. I'll play for as long as I can uphold this act, much like you have upheld yours.  Civil AdministrationI don't see you around too often so I am unsure of what your members are like. Regardless, you have my loyalty. Civil Protection My stomach twisted in on itself when I saw how bruised and battered Ophelie was, and how much Felix lost of his own chest from being shot by you. I always turned a blind eye to your brutal ways, or simple believed that those who drew your attention deserved your ire. Now I'm starting to see how ruthless you really are...and it's sickening me.  Civil Worker's Union Good work and good pay. I should join you but I prefer to be part of the workforce than lead it. Civil Medical Union What can I say? I have friends in there, it's a bias I can't shake; even more so because I'm part of the crew now too. Overwatch Some admire to become just like you, but I know for a fact I may want to steer clear of such. I was once fired upon by you, though out of your control. I'm glad you're on our side. 24th MilitantArm-Arteria I don't pay too much attention to them, truthfully speaking, but they seem like an...odd bunch. I wouldn't say violent but I had to admit one with PTSD and a friend of mine who joined them has tried to kill herself thrice in a single day. Sven seems to have a gung-ho approach to the city's problems, for better or worse. Vortigaunts Halak and Rungh have painted your kind well, as have others. You're a strange race, but...a well meaning one. I can't bring myself to dislike you, as much as the Union wants me to.  Loyalists More and more often lately, I find more reasons to distrust those of you higher up than most. Some let power get to your head, others perversions. Was this what I could have become had I worked a little harder? Had I been a little less human? Citizens The biggest mixture one can have in a bag, though I've had good experiences with them. I don't see them any lesser or higher than myself, I'm always happy to help them. It's how I make allies. Underclass/Slummers Once I detested you, but I have to acknowledge that perhaps your community is far more complicated than the administration would want me to believe. Not that there aren't trouble makers among you, but otherwise, you have my respect. Resistance On second thought...maybe all of you aren't as bad as I once thought...I feel like I'm becoming more and more like you the more I visit the underground.. At the same time, I have my continued lingering doubts. Are my hesitations vindicated, or vilified?  Xenian Creatures Oh blyat, I've seen too many of you back home for comfort.  | |
I might add updates from time to time but otherwise, I hope you enjoy!
Comment if you want to be added to the list of relationships!
Characters mentioned:
Tu’Halak: @Sev
"Handy": @Bi-Em
Lucy Russell: @SifTheAI
Alexander Mickievic: @Kappatalist
Fleur: @alessiodoomboy
Ilya Zima: @ZeroPants
Callum Crown: @Garratz
William Brown: @Deagantio
Lukas Stevenson: @VinylStorm
Ophélie Eulalie Latourelle: @RileyTheRoomba
Daniel Jelczuk: @Shady Prism
Andrew Wilson: @Kayl
Heilag Vagga: @HadeZord
Dr. Chung: @Goofbelly
Dr. Audrey: @HealthAngel
Yann Stephen: @Serhan
Emiyo Marcum: @RedHotGinger
Heinrich Tischer: @Cengiz
Vivian Garner: @quarter
Elias Siemens: @MarvGaming
Juniper Stenhouse: @villeneuve
Felix Poelking: @FelixPius
Rhea Ilyava/Veronika Rosenblum: @Killian
Dave McAllen: @Zebra
Vladimir Petrenko: @Jfish
'Hunter': @Furnaxx
Olivier Fournier/Ahn'Kallah'Lurr: @Kranky
Sam: @Tuki
Scook The Antlion: @Petski
Joseph Holt: @Equinox
Edoardo Puritano: @The_Grass_Man
Amirbek Iskakov: @Dr0pex_
Sven Aalto: @Niklas
Jenifer Maesroe: @Rabithunter
Royce: @Max vice
Claire: @ERS-01
Jaime Velasquez/Billy Heraldson: @LeSpanksz
Ren Yi: @Official_KP
Will add more as I grab names!
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