Uh, yeah, fuck no. "Import"? Do you even hear yourself fucking talk? You're talking about kidnapping children from the surface so Pinocchio can have friends.
I would happily pass these duties onto you, Mr. Reynolds.
[Saying Riley's name mentally brings him back to the start of this conversation. He's calm now.]
Zetta. Perhaps I was wrong to involve you in my personal affairs. My apologies. My vendetta against the Brotherhood of Steel is, perhaps, something I will need to resolve for myself.
[Zetta folds her arms across her chest again. She's sure it'd be polite if she explained her mood in turn, but like fuck she's going to. It's not for him to know. She doesn't owe him anything.
But she'll at least keep her voice from being clipped when she answers.] Yeah, and how were you planning on doing that, exactly? Sneaking up to the surface yourself? Doing something else stupid? We're the obvious and most practical choice.
Dr. Virgil, you mean? He was in bioscience. He didn't understand the coursers' vulnerabilities like I do. I know their tech; I designed their weapons.
As for strategy when going against an army, I imagine I'd take the same approach that I suggested to you. Get myself accepted as an initiate and bring them down from within.
[Riley doesn't know how to explain why it bothers him. This is the person who is looking after him, who has been seemingly raising him -- and after being bullied just for existing, for not being human... having his caretaker just up and vanish like that...
Zetta, though, is cutting back in.] You realize just knowing how their guns work isn't going to be enough to fight coursers, right? I mean, shit, they're killing machines even without guns. Combat training or not, I'm pretty fucking certain a courser could kick your ass.
You'd need to be able to hide, better than most people in the Commonwealth. And that's pretty damn hard to do when you don't know the land or have any allies.
Well, yes, allies would be most helpful. That's why I asked you. But if you're unable or unwilling, I'm not simply going to shrug and give up just because I'll have to do it alone and it will be difficult. And I don't see anyone else lining up to help me.
[... Alright, no, she's making a decision now. This is going to be useful for the Railroad. But letting him run off and fuck up the Brotherhood on his own wouldn't be. This would give them control over what's happening.]
Oh, don't bother. This is a huge goddamn nuisance. Apparently I get to babysit everyone in the fucking Commonwealth. Next, the goddamn raiders are going to come out of the hills to crown me queen or some shit. Fuck the Commonwealth.
[They should've used the device to run away to paradise while they still could.]
I hardly need babysitting. And if your help comes so grudgingly, I'd rather not have it. A reluctant ally is worse than no ally at all. Enjoy being the raider queen. I'll deal with the Brotherhood myself.
No. Sit down and shut up. You'd fuck it up. This would fall in my lap anyway so I may as well just get it over with.
Don't take it too personally, [Riley says, an apologetic smile on his face.] She's trying to take it out on you because you're the one available. She wouldn't have agreed if she didn't mean it.
Do you think you're the only competent person in the entire Commonwealth? Oh please. I wonder how confident you'd feel when the Brotherhood's super weapon is bearing down on your friends and family.
[He remembers Liberty Prime's attack at the Jefferson Memorial. It was a massacre.]
It doesn't really matter what I think when every single major faction is knocking on my goddamn door. Or when I'm being sent to theirs. Fuck. Crawl out of a vault and apparently I exist to fix everyone's fucking problems.
[Riley turns away from Nathan to walk over to Zetta, but she's unfolding her arms to hold her hands out, palm up, in the universal gesture of stay back. Riley ignores her and comes closer, and she doesn't try to push him away or step back, but when he settles his hands on her elbows and kisses her forehead, that's when she tries to pull away.] Don't. Do not.
It's alright.
No, it fucking isn't. [And this is why she didn't want Riley to try to comfort her. Her voice is pitching up. She barely manages to bite down a tirade. I don't want this, I don't fucking want this, I don't want any of it -- ]
[He flings up his hands and stalks over to the credenza and plants his palms flat on the top, his back to his house guests. When he speaks again, his voice is low.]
I don't want your help anymore. I will not accept it. I rescind my request.
[Lurking in the corner, Ferran rolls his eyes and mutters.]
Riley kisses Zetta's forehead again, this time murmuring to her,] Go to Ferran. I'll take care of it, alright?
Goddammit, [she mutters, but does as she's told. Fuck, she wishes Deacon could be here. This is such a fucking mess.
Riley, meanwhile, turns and goes to Nathan, though he maintains more than a healthy amount of space. He doesn't come to his side, but stays a boss' desk width away. They just met, he can't breach personal space. He sticks his hands in his pockets.] You don't have to. She's feeling overwhelmed, but she's right. We'd probably be going up there anyway. The Brotherhood's a threat to the Railroad, too, you know? So if we're going to be up there, we may as well help you at the same time. We can keep you in the loop. And if there's any help you can offer, I know we'd need it.
You aren't adding more pressure. This isn't an extra burden. It's an extra opportunity, for all of us. You know?
[Riley sighs. He takes one of his hands out of his pockets to run it through his hair. He knows he should probably just let this go. He wonders if it'd be better if he did, at least for now. But he'd feel bad just leaving it as it is.
At least he actually understands what's going on in Zetta's head now.]
No, she's really not happy about it. But I'm pretty sure if she had the choice, she'd drop all of this and never leave home. But that's why she's upset. She has family who isn't going to turn away from this, and she can't leave them.
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[He pinches the bridge of his nose.]
This isn't my area of expertise.
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[There's a beat. Then,] But... I appreciate that you took my concern seriously. Thank you.
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[His hands go behind his back again.]
I've never spent much time around children before S9. It's been a unique challenge.
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[Saying Riley's name mentally brings him back to the start of this conversation. He's calm now.]
Zetta. Perhaps I was wrong to involve you in my personal affairs. My apologies. My vendetta against the Brotherhood of Steel is, perhaps, something I will need to resolve for myself.
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But she'll at least keep her voice from being clipped when she answers.] Yeah, and how were you planning on doing that, exactly? Sneaking up to the surface yourself? Doing something else stupid? We're the obvious and most practical choice.
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True, I haven't used those skills in a very long time, but I'm sure they'd come back to me.
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[... this could be useful. This might actually be really useful.]
Not to mention, you'd have coursers after your ass like the last scientist who defected. You wouldn't be able to do it alone.
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Dr. Virgil, you mean? He was in bioscience. He didn't understand the coursers' vulnerabilities like I do. I know their tech; I designed their weapons.
As for strategy when going against an army, I imagine I'd take the same approach that I suggested to you. Get myself accepted as an initiate and bring them down from within.
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What about S9? Who would take care of him?
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Zetta, though, is cutting back in.] You realize just knowing how their guns work isn't going to be enough to fight coursers, right? I mean, shit, they're killing machines even without guns. Combat training or not, I'm pretty fucking certain a courser could kick your ass.
You'd need to be able to hide, better than most people in the Commonwealth. And that's pretty damn hard to do when you don't know the land or have any allies.
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Fine. Alright, fine, we'll do it.
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Oh.
[There's something else he should say...]
Thank you. [That's it.]
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[They should've used the device to run away to paradise while they still could.]
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I hardly need babysitting. And if your help comes so grudgingly, I'd rather not have it. A reluctant ally is worse than no ally at all. Enjoy being the raider queen. I'll deal with the Brotherhood myself.
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Don't take it too personally, [Riley says, an apologetic smile on his face.] She's trying to take it out on you because you're the one available. She wouldn't have agreed if she didn't mean it.
Shut up.
See?
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[He remembers Liberty Prime's attack at the Jefferson Memorial. It was a massacre.]
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[Riley turns away from Nathan to walk over to Zetta, but she's unfolding her arms to hold her hands out, palm up, in the universal gesture of stay back. Riley ignores her and comes closer, and she doesn't try to push him away or step back, but when he settles his hands on her elbows and kisses her forehead, that's when she tries to pull away.] Don't. Do not.
It's alright.
No, it fucking isn't. [And this is why she didn't want Riley to try to comfort her. Her voice is pitching up. She barely manages to bite down a tirade. I don't want this, I don't fucking want this, I don't want any of it -- ]
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Well then bloody say no!
[He flings up his hands and stalks over to the credenza and plants his palms flat on the top, his back to his house guests. When he speaks again, his voice is low.]
I don't want your help anymore. I will not accept it. I rescind my request.
[Lurking in the corner, Ferran rolls his eyes and mutters.]
Amazing.
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Riley kisses Zetta's forehead again, this time murmuring to her,] Go to Ferran. I'll take care of it, alright?
Goddammit, [she mutters, but does as she's told. Fuck, she wishes Deacon could be here. This is such a fucking mess.
Riley, meanwhile, turns and goes to Nathan, though he maintains more than a healthy amount of space. He doesn't come to his side, but stays a boss' desk width away. They just met, he can't breach personal space. He sticks his hands in his pockets.] You don't have to. She's feeling overwhelmed, but she's right. We'd probably be going up there anyway. The Brotherhood's a threat to the Railroad, too, you know? So if we're going to be up there, we may as well help you at the same time. We can keep you in the loop. And if there's any help you can offer, I know we'd need it.
You aren't adding more pressure. This isn't an extra burden. It's an extra opportunity, for all of us. You know?
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Nathan keeps his back to Riley as he talks and Nathan answers.]
"Opportunity." Oh yes, she's clearly thrilled by this wonderful opportunity.
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At least he actually understands what's going on in Zetta's head now.]
No, she's really not happy about it. But I'm pretty sure if she had the choice, she'd drop all of this and never leave home. But that's why she's upset. She has family who isn't going to turn away from this, and she can't leave them.
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