(Hayden and Leenie are trapped in separate corners contending with a few sleepers that they'd managed to pull over to the house. Echo is perched up on the overhang nervously watching and trying to stay out of reach. Hayden ends up throwing a flashbang down on accident, and there's a lot of stupid noises and shouting as the three are booking it to somewhere safe.)
HAYDEN: [shouting] I did /not/ mean to do that!
TID: WE ALL HAVE OUR MOMENTS.
(A bit of nervous laughter from Hayden, and an abrupt cackle from Leenie.)
TID: HAYDEN. YOU ASK ME OF MY STRENGTH.
HAYDEN: Oh! Hi! [sharp inhale] Yeah..
(The Shape appears. It's just really bad timing.)
LEENIE: "You ask me of my strength" - Hayden, you..! I'm blaming this on you!
HAYDEN: [referring to the Voice not being SAO] It's Thee-I-Dare, you little..!
TID: THAT IS NOT MY DOING, TROUBLEMAKERS.
(The group manages to get somewhere relatively safe, slowly drawing closer together to huddle on one of the rooftops with The Shape circling around a bit aways. Everyone's a bit more calm.)
HAYDEN: Oh, before I forget - I meant to ask you. What do you prefer we call you?
TID: ANYTHING BUT DAD. I GET THAT A LOT.
LEENIE: How about "Brother"? Is that okay?
TID: CERTAINLY. NOW…
LEENIE: [quietly, to herself] Why. Why. [pained] Ooohhhohh. [pause] About to eat a snack bar.
TID: WHEN I AM NEAR TO DESPAIR…
(The group keeps an eye on a few lucids getting a bit too close for comfort, with some quiet muttering.)
TID: I PAY ATTENTION TO THE VERY YOUNG. [pause] NO LONGER BABIES, BUT JUST AFTER.
LEENIE: [genuinely] So.. toddlers? Or like just after being born?
TID: I HAVE SEEN THEM IN SAFE HOMES… [pause] AND IN WAR ZONES…
(The group is really quiet. Really hit the nail on the head there, TID.)
LEENIE: I think I'm.. I think I'm gonna move to a different roof. Just real quick. [nervous laugh]
TID: CODDLED, OR BEATEN DOWN. [pause] THE NEXT DAY, BACK IN TROUBLE.
HAYDEN & LEENIE: Yeah..
TID: DEFIANT. SURE OF THEIR COURSE. [pause] SOMETHING IN YOUR KIND…
HAYDEN: [quiet laugh]
TID: IT JUST WILL NOT ACCEPT DEFEAT.
LEENIE: We're tenacious beings.
HAYDEN: [laugh][quietly] Very.
TID: OH DEAR. I SOUND LIKE A FATHER.
LEENIE: [wheezes]
HAYDEN: [laughing] That's not necessarily a bad thing!
LEENIE: There's nothing wrong with being uh.. a paternal figure. Apart from being called "Dad" I guess.
TID: WELL. THERE WENT THAT PLAN.
(A bit of laughter from the two of them. Echo's a bit further away, still quiet and shifting around.)
TID: THEY HAVE NO GUILE.
HAYDEN: Hey - Echo, you alright over there?
LEENIE: He's just hanging out on a roof.
TID: IT IS OUR SPIRIT. BEFORE THE WORLD. [pause] GIVES ME HOPE WE WILL RISE AGAIN.
HAYDEN: [quietly] I believe so.
LEENIE: We will. We will rise again. [pause] Or you will. We'll be sure of it.
TID: EVEN THERE, YOU SEE. I SAID WE… [pause] AS IF I WERE ONE OF YOU. BROTHER. YES?
HAYDEN: [enthusiastic, affirmingly] Yes! Very much so.
LEENIE: Yes. Gladly. [laughing] With open arms.
TID: THIS QUIET WAR…
(The group continues to keep an eye on The Shape, keeping close together and listening to Thee-I-Dare quietly.)
TID: THE YOUNG ON THE FRONT LINES. UGLY.
HAYDEN: [discomforted noise] Yeah.. Yeah. It shouldn't be like this.
LEENIE: [somewhat sadly] It shouldn't be this way. But it is.
TID: BUT THAT SPIRIT, IN YOU? WE NEED IT. [pause] MY TIME HAS BURNED AWAY, BUT… I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL AGAIN.
HAYDEN: Same to you! Thank you so much for sharing that - and visiting us.
LEENIE: We hope to hear from you too! [quiet laugh] Thank you for visiting us. We'll make you proud!
HAYDEN: Damn right. Take care!
TID: GOODNIGHT. SURVIVE. BE ANGRY BABIES.
(That prompted a lot of loud laughter.)
HAYDEN: You can count on it!
LEENIE: We will! We'll be throwing tantrums no one will hear the end of.
HAYDEN: Goodnight!
ECHO: Fourteen months and furious.
(A lot of laughter yet again.)
