And that, improbably, made Raine laugh, just a little, despite the gravity of their current task. That was exactly what she'd been doing. Not a single one of her friends here could let her simply sweep things away, and she appreciated it anew almost every time it happened. "Very well," she said, following him back toward the lobby. With no Lloyd, Anton was the best choice for this, and a backup plan really was wise.

"It's personal now, but in my world it wouldn't have been. I wear a... an item that has the potential to malfunction fatally if damaged. Not instantly -- it would take weeks if not months were it damaged to that point -- but eventually. Enough has gone wrong recently that leaving details with someone who may be able to repair it or improvise a replacement may be prudent. Just in case."