[i][/i][center]
[h2][color=a0410d]V E N S E R   S I T O L[/color][/h2]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/380809272616943618/522926121055027218/horizon_zero_dawn_by_guzzardi-db12wss_2.png[/img]

[color=fff79a][sub][i]HELSTON[/i][/sub][/color]  [color=a0410d][b]|[/b][/color]  [color=fff79a][i][sub]FRIDAY[/sub][/i][/color]  [color=a0410d][b]|[/b][/color]  [color=fff79a][sub][i]26 OCTOBER[/i][/sub][/color]
[color=a0410d]▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂[/color][/center]

	Brisk night air danced around Venser as he huddled in his jacket, a muggy, wet sense of autumn rising from the cityscape. The wind was saturated with that familiar melancholic tone; a calm that held no storm. Fall had always been his favorite season for this reason, this soft murmur of subtlety and indifference contrasting the constant whir of machines and thoughts and people.

	[i][color=a0410d]"My mind wanders too much."[/color][/i] the ginger said aloud, responding to his own stream of introspective consciousness. It was really more of a brackish river at this point, though, his awareness swelling beyond its banks with an empowering down-pour of insomnia. His eyes had been glazed yet alert all night; Restlessness drove him to grab his thick wool coat and head to this place in the dead twilight. His breath felt warm against his snug face mask; his hair flowed like a waterfall out of his loose beanie. He gave a quick glance to the display on his phone; 3:02 AM. The perfect time for late-night thoughts on the rooftop of a grocery store. At least, it was for Venser. He unlocked the device with a quick, rhythmic sequence of taps on the screen, and pulled up the text he had sent to Ezi. It was more of a habitual, time-wasting check than an actual examination of what he wrote.


[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]
[indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent]

[sup][i][color=00a99d]1:15 am[/color][/i][/sup]
[code]I went out while you were asleep. Taking a break. Keep a watch on the tappers,
focus only on picking up resistance shit pls. Don't mess around while I'm gone.[/code]

[sup][i][color=00a99d]1:16 am[/color][/i][/sup]
[code]The gun and extra power cells are in my top bedroom drawer.[/code]

[/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]
[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]

	Ezi would see the messages in the morning, their contents secure between him and his guardian; private servers in Dedana and Venser's own make-shift brand of VPNs made sure of that. Careful attention to detail in the process of ensuring anonymity was Venser's work, after all. It was also the reason he couldn't sleep a lot of nights, so many nebulous variables and ongoing projects crowding his mental space. Night terrors, of increasing frequency, didn't help either. They were the reason he sat out there, looking out into a dim and messy skyline of Helston. He stared at those stout buildings to rid himself of that shaky feeling that comes from waking up in a cold sweat. It was like washing your hands after butchering beef; grease and blood scrubbed off of Venser's mind by the fall air. Silence was therapeutic to the red-head.

	And in the dead quiet that deep night brings, Venser found himself becoming drowsy. Lost sleep culminated its debts and pushed them upon the ginger, his eyelids becoming heavy as he gazed out into a blurry, tranquil night. He laid down on the cold, course roof and closed his eyes for a few minutes, the minutes soon expanding into a prolonged rest that covered hours.

[center][color=a0410d]______________________[/color][/center]

	A dull, electronic buzzing aroused Venser from his slumber, the overcast sky above casting patchy shadows across his body as he brought himself up to a sitting position. He reached into his baggy pockets, taking out his phone and revealing Ezi to be the one calling him. He answered quickly, greeting his companion with a groggy [color=a0410d][i]"Is there a problem?"[/i][/color]

	[color=a36209][i]"Nah, its good news this time Ven. Not like last time."[/i][/color] Ezi chimed, the wheezing of machines and hardware audible in the background. [color=a36209][i]"We finally got some stuff coming from the resistance. Radar information; they're tracking the trajectory of something pretty high up. Or, I assume thats what all these degree signs mean."[/i][/color] the boy continued, the typing sounds of a keyboard joining the cacophony of noise originating from Venser's phone. [color=a0410d][i]"Alright, download the info as it comes up and,"[/i][/color] the ginger rubbed his temples as his grogginess began to fade, [color=a0410d][i]"and I guess start sending it over to Foxtrot 11. He pays us by the gig, so this should nab us a few credits."[/i][/color]

[color=a36209][i]"Did you sleep well Ven?"[/i][/color]

[color=a0410d][i]"As well as I can. You?"[/i][/color]

[color=a36209][i]"Fine. You're getting too good at slipping out without me noticing, though."[/i][/color]

[color=a0410d][i]"You're 12. Don't keep tabs on me,"[/i][/color] Venser concluded, quickly ending the call and stuffing the phone into his pocket. It was around noon now, the sun high in the sky but still soaked up by a thick blanket of whispy, mist-like clouds. Down below, the grocery store had now begun filling with a moderate crowd of customers, the community of Helston waking from its catatonic state to serve the needs of the individual. Posters clung to the establishment's broad, white front wall. Many advertisements were present, but none as recognizable as the ones publicizing both the [i]Lunar Hail[/i] and its accompanied [i]Festival of the Quiet[/i]. Venser thought that perhaps he should attend these popular, city-wide celebrations this year; at the very least to capitalize on cheap drinks and food. Perhaps Artemis would like to join him, since she's been rather cooped up in that bakery lately. It might do them both some good.

	Venser thought of many little things like that as he descended from the roof and blended into the crowd below, his lanky form slowly strolling through into the concrete and metal mass of the supermarket. At around 1:15 Venser had satisfied himself with his idol window-shopping and finally procured all he was interested in; a pack of cells, little enough to power a phone or small radio, and some chewing gum for Ezi. Both were nearly dropped when the building began to shake, an unexpected jostle that rocked shelves and emphasized the sudden, dramatic flare of light seen outside. Hanging lights swayed overhead as small screams and gasps came from those around Venser, the impact fading as quickly as it had come. Regaining his composure, Venser began to stalk towards the front of the store as others around him discussed this curiosity with an air of worried gossip.

[i][color=c2abab]“What was that? The unions at it again?”[/color]

[color=b89383]“I’m not sure. Missiles surely don’t light up the sky like that,”[/color]

[color=c2abab]“Yeah, maybe you’re right. But, what do you think? Call to Arms or Gen-Alert?”[/color][/i]

	Venser's phone buzzed once again, a quick text from Ezi conveying a simple message:

[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]
[indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent]

[sup][i][color=00a99d]1:30 pm[/color][/i][/sup]
[code]Resistance is preparing a Gen-Alert. Active in 10 min. What the fuck was that?[/code]
[/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]
[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]
[indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent]

[sup][i][color=00a99d]1:33 pm[/color][/i][/sup]
[code]I don't know. I'm gonna use the gen-alert to my advantage. Go out and see what it was, maybe bring back some cash. Hold the fort down and keep downloading all the shit you can while the resistance is pumping it out.[/code]
[/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]
[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]
[indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent]

[sup][i][color=00a99d]1:34 pm[/color][/i][/sup]
[code]Alright. Be careful Ven.[/code]
[/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]
[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]

	An excited Venser hastily began walking out of the supermarket, his jacket pockets laden with power cells that had been extracted from their now disabled, alarm-triggering packages. He held his phone in his right hand, texting one last person before he visited Venito and asked to borrow his hand-pistol.

[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]
[indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent]

[sup][i][color=00a99d]1:38 pm[/color][/i][/sup]
[code]Hey Artemis, you coming?[/code]
[/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]
[center][code]______________________[/code][/center]