setting: the beach when it's too cold for that

[telephony]

[Matthew feels hollow in a way he always is whenever he's out of reach of a city. The countryside has it's own power, but it's one he doesn't recognise and out here he can't feel his heart beat in time with the traffic or walk in time with the natural rhythms of city life. All things considered, the beach isn't high up on his list of places to visit.

But it is theirs. They're curious about everything and want to experience things first hand. It's a risk to be away from their source of power, but they so wanted to know. Precautions were set up of course. A few Aldermen were standing around close enough to see him, but far enough that it wasn't immediately obvious they were here with him and if it came down to it, the angels could burn what his sorcery couldn't.

It's a cold gloomy day and he almost looks like someone who woke up hungover on the beach if not for the way he's running around in bare feet, enjoying the feeling of sand between his toes.]

If we could we would spend all day here. So why is it so empty here?

Comments

[independantservant]

If you want me to refute it, sorry, but I'm not that kinda guy.

I take it you hate your job.

[telephony]

It's fine, I agree anyway.

[He pauses. It's not a great job and it has very few perks, but at the same time if he was given the chance to walk away he'd hesitate.]

I might like it more if we got a company car out of it.

[independantservant]

[Scoff.] Material goods, huh? Doesn't seem to take a lot to make you happy.

[telephony]

You'd think a job description of 'protector of the city' would compensate appropriately.

[He doesn't really want anything out of it, but for a position that's so highly coveted, it has very few benefits.]

[independantservant]

Being a hero sure is thankless. The least it could do was give you a choice.

So, what sort of things do you do to protect your city?

[telephony]

[Curiosity is not the usual reaction he gets. It's normally screaming in fear because he's bringing his mystical wrath down on people or that very distinct expression of disappointment that someone with such an impressive job title looks like him or even rolling their eyes if it's Penny.

He is a little thrown off by it.]

We fought beings such as the death of cities and Blackout.

[independantservant]

Conceptual enemies, huh? Tricky. You're not associated with a Church, by any chance?

[telephony]

Religious types don't tend to like us.

[independantservant]

Oh, is that so? Not that I'm thinking of signing up, but by "us," do you mean an organization?

[telephony]

No.

[There's a long pause and it's not until it looks like he isn't going to elaborate any further that he speaks again.]

I am we and we are me.

[independantservant]

I can't understand unless you explain....

But if you don't want to talk about it, let me ask something else. What are you doing here?

[telephony]

[As far as Matthew and the angels are concerned, that was an answer and being told that it wasn't is off-putting.]

The circus wasn't in town, but we wanted to play and I wanted a day off.