*** - Relationships
It's about damn time I did one of these, anyway. Poke me if you want a listing and hopefully I'll have something to say! This is very much a work in progress; don't think your absence means you're not noteworthy. I've got a lot of Spherians to go through!
A note: Admittedly, it (usually) doesn't take a lot to get Reed to trust someone if he has no reason to suspect the contrary. It almost borders on naivete. But, by contrast, a combination of inquisitiveness and- more recently- suspicion makes him very wary if he starts seeing what he considers signs of trouble or betrayal. He keeps a close watch on his friends, both for their safety and his own.
The true:
Paladin. Reed's housemate and currently his closest friend-slash-surrogate brother. The two have confided plenty in each other already, as well as aiding each other many times. Paladin stirs some very fond and very sad memories in Reed, ones he can't quite recall but longs to feel again. Reed would call him brother, but feels the title would not do him justice.
Kitty. Was kind, talkative, and came to his aid plenty of times in the past. Moreover she taught him much of what he knows about the deeper workings of the sphere. Reed was miserable to return after the fires only to see she was no longer there, though he kept his tears to himself. He has a few scattered mementos of her, but her greatest legacy was the questions left in her wake.
The respected:
Handmaiden. A fellow member of the watch and a capable combatant. In spite of the formal, largely-work-based relationship they share, her words carry a great deal of weight to him, largely due to pings for a former teammate. Zealous and cold, but just, and while distant as an acquaintance she seems to be a good person.
Youth. Frankly, Reed finds Youth a bit silly and more than a bit immature. In spite of this, he lives up to his namesake in infectious exuberance, his heart is securely in the right place, and his skills need not be called into question. Reed still thinks someone should keep an eye on him, but thankfully there is an abundance of people who do so.
Stoneface. As Reed's superior Stoneface has earned a certain amount of trust by default, but through the commands and words he's seen from him- least of all the words they've shared, as few as they may have been- Reed sees Stoneface's views and morals are much like his own. Reed doesn't see him as a close friend or someone to whom he'd tell his secrets, but he certainly trusts and respects him greatly as a leader, and without doubts that- should worst come to worst- he would do the right thing.
Sky. He hasn't seen Sky face-to-face very often outside of work, but he's heard much of his exploits. He's clearly done a great deal for many people, and that alone gives Reed reason to trust him. Reed's especially interested in seeing his abilities firsthand.
Cara. Reed has visited her shop in the past and read her words many times in his journal, but their trip to the fourth floor showed her to be a kindred spirit in so many ways. He's since made a point of talking to her more often.
Kazahana. She seems a bit brittle and petty at times from what he's read, but she's also done much work at Wellspring and her little rabbit-illustrations stick out in his mind. More importantly, she'd singlehandedly sought out her evil twin and disposed of her in retribution for the damage she'd caused, an endeavor and success that caught Reed's attention and interest.
The undecided:
Gene-1. Reed's spoken with him through paper, and in their most recent talk the two had shared some intriguing questions with each other. He seems inquisitive and scrutinizing, which is the most he could hope for in your average person. He wouldn't mind meeting him sometime.
Ghost. A bit crude, a bit blunt, but his actions speak for themselves. He doesn't know him particularly well, but he's seen his irreverence and humor upon his pages. He seems interesting, if only due to the cultural canyon between them.
Bell. Youth's babysitter, or more politely his better influence. Seems wise, but nigh-unreachable and disinterested.
Night. Definitely not a bad person, but definitely not a sane one either, and one who seems a bit too interested in Reed for his own comfort. Reed finds him more confusing than anything else.
The suspect:
Eternity. He looks like one of Reed's most hated adversaries from his canon. That ping combined with his strange, brooding, aloof nature makes Reed very uneasy in his presence. Reed isn't proud that he dislikes Eternity right off the bat, but he can't deny he does.
Lezard. This is a strange one for Reed. At best, he's a callous, ghoulish eccentric who commands the medical staff of Edensphere. At worst, he's a manipulative madman who's made a living and alibi off of the vulnerable. He's proven himself to be capable and at times even benevolent, but Reed can't help but wonder just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Reed greatly respects his work but, all the same, can't quite bring himself to trust him yet.
Crow. Another strange case. On the one hand, Reed has long since figured out that Crow had been stalking him for months and can't help but find an unsettling air about him. On the other hand, Crow has had plenty of opportunity to strike yet never has, and he seems both devoted and knowledgeable in spite of Reed's unsavory experiences with him. There's far more to him than meets the eye; definitely worth watching one way or the other. Pings him for Malik, a ninja who stalked and fought Reed through misguided devotion only to eventually join his cause.
Justice. Reed has had very little contact with Justice outside of the journals, and he seemed mostly cold and aloof. His apparent clout in Edensphere sets him apart from others of his temper, however, and the combination of the two evokes faint pings of his oldest brother- something Reed finds uncertain and dreadful. And similar to his older brother, he sincerely wants to find the goodness and sincerity in Justice's deeds, especially with the advent of the upcoming laws. But, for now, Reed sees Justice with a degree of gut-wrenching trepidation he's at a loss to understand.
A note: Admittedly, it (usually) doesn't take a lot to get Reed to trust someone if he has no reason to suspect the contrary. It almost borders on naivete. But, by contrast, a combination of inquisitiveness and- more recently- suspicion makes him very wary if he starts seeing what he considers signs of trouble or betrayal. He keeps a close watch on his friends, both for their safety and his own.
The true:
Paladin. Reed's housemate and currently his closest friend-slash-surrogate brother. The two have confided plenty in each other already, as well as aiding each other many times. Paladin stirs some very fond and very sad memories in Reed, ones he can't quite recall but longs to feel again. Reed would call him brother, but feels the title would not do him justice.
Kitty. Was kind, talkative, and came to his aid plenty of times in the past. Moreover she taught him much of what he knows about the deeper workings of the sphere. Reed was miserable to return after the fires only to see she was no longer there, though he kept his tears to himself. He has a few scattered mementos of her, but her greatest legacy was the questions left in her wake.
The respected:
Handmaiden. A fellow member of the watch and a capable combatant. In spite of the formal, largely-work-based relationship they share, her words carry a great deal of weight to him, largely due to pings for a former teammate. Zealous and cold, but just, and while distant as an acquaintance she seems to be a good person.
Youth. Frankly, Reed finds Youth a bit silly and more than a bit immature. In spite of this, he lives up to his namesake in infectious exuberance, his heart is securely in the right place, and his skills need not be called into question. Reed still thinks someone should keep an eye on him, but thankfully there is an abundance of people who do so.
Stoneface. As Reed's superior Stoneface has earned a certain amount of trust by default, but through the commands and words he's seen from him- least of all the words they've shared, as few as they may have been- Reed sees Stoneface's views and morals are much like his own. Reed doesn't see him as a close friend or someone to whom he'd tell his secrets, but he certainly trusts and respects him greatly as a leader, and without doubts that- should worst come to worst- he would do the right thing.
Sky. He hasn't seen Sky face-to-face very often outside of work, but he's heard much of his exploits. He's clearly done a great deal for many people, and that alone gives Reed reason to trust him. Reed's especially interested in seeing his abilities firsthand.
Cara. Reed has visited her shop in the past and read her words many times in his journal, but their trip to the fourth floor showed her to be a kindred spirit in so many ways. He's since made a point of talking to her more often.
Kazahana. She seems a bit brittle and petty at times from what he's read, but she's also done much work at Wellspring and her little rabbit-illustrations stick out in his mind. More importantly, she'd singlehandedly sought out her evil twin and disposed of her in retribution for the damage she'd caused, an endeavor and success that caught Reed's attention and interest.
The undecided:
Gene-1. Reed's spoken with him through paper, and in their most recent talk the two had shared some intriguing questions with each other. He seems inquisitive and scrutinizing, which is the most he could hope for in your average person. He wouldn't mind meeting him sometime.
Ghost. A bit crude, a bit blunt, but his actions speak for themselves. He doesn't know him particularly well, but he's seen his irreverence and humor upon his pages. He seems interesting, if only due to the cultural canyon between them.
Bell. Youth's babysitter, or more politely his better influence. Seems wise, but nigh-unreachable and disinterested.
Night. Definitely not a bad person, but definitely not a sane one either, and one who seems a bit too interested in Reed for his own comfort. Reed finds him more confusing than anything else.
The suspect:
Eternity. He looks like one of Reed's most hated adversaries from his canon. That ping combined with his strange, brooding, aloof nature makes Reed very uneasy in his presence. Reed isn't proud that he dislikes Eternity right off the bat, but he can't deny he does.
Lezard. This is a strange one for Reed. At best, he's a callous, ghoulish eccentric who commands the medical staff of Edensphere. At worst, he's a manipulative madman who's made a living and alibi off of the vulnerable. He's proven himself to be capable and at times even benevolent, but Reed can't help but wonder just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Reed greatly respects his work but, all the same, can't quite bring himself to trust him yet.
Crow. Another strange case. On the one hand, Reed has long since figured out that Crow had been stalking him for months and can't help but find an unsettling air about him. On the other hand, Crow has had plenty of opportunity to strike yet never has, and he seems both devoted and knowledgeable in spite of Reed's unsavory experiences with him. There's far more to him than meets the eye; definitely worth watching one way or the other. Pings him for Malik, a ninja who stalked and fought Reed through misguided devotion only to eventually join his cause.
Justice. Reed has had very little contact with Justice outside of the journals, and he seemed mostly cold and aloof. His apparent clout in Edensphere sets him apart from others of his temper, however, and the combination of the two evokes faint pings of his oldest brother- something Reed finds uncertain and dreadful. And similar to his older brother, he sincerely wants to find the goodness and sincerity in Justice's deeds, especially with the advent of the upcoming laws. But, for now, Reed sees Justice with a degree of gut-wrenching trepidation he's at a loss to understand.