The Trick to Falling in Style

Memory

Avicular was a reporter who surfaced on the internet a couple of years ago. From the beginning, Avicular took an interest in writing about the political and economical landscape of Logstedshire. They were the only reporter who ever wrote completely unbiased reports on the district. This resonated with the people. They were so used to people singing their praises to the kingdom come or people faulting them for everything that was wrong with the world. Avicular was the balance. They never let the people of Logstedshire get a big head, but they also didn't leave the people stuck in the dirty mud. Avicular believed that the people of Logstedshire could overcome their struggles if only they were made aware of what exactly was wrong. This garnered them popularity that Avicular used to spread the news about Logstedshire even further.

One day, Avicular posted a particular interview on their website. It was one they had done with the mysterious Red Angel, Vermillion. It attracted attention because Vermillion had never done an interview before. Vermillion was the people's hero, but he never engaged in useless conversations. He would always say that there were people that needed to be saved, that he couldn't waste time. The people understood, of course, but they were over the moon when they were finally given a glimpse into the ideals and personality of their personal angel. In the interview, Vermillion mainly stayed focused on reminding the people to stay safe and abide by the laws.

Avicular continued their usual content, but it became more often that Vermillion would make a guest appearance for an interview. If someone wanted firsthand knowledge about the angel, Avicular was the reporter they needed to follow. After a few interviews, Vermillion began to grow out of his shell. He became a little more personal. He revealed how hurt he was by the state of the district. He told the people about some of his favorite places to visit and places to get something to eat. Vermillion never revealed personal information, but there were moments when the audience could really tell that he was upset about the topics he was discussing with Avicular. There were moments when he would laugh at something Avicular said or make a joke that Avicular would laugh at him for. They were quite the pair, and it was clear that they were becoming friends, if they weren't already.

When Vermillion disappeared, Avicular was the one to tell everyone about it. They swore that Vermillion wasn't dead, just missing, and the people believed the reporter's words. Even though the media should never be trusted, Logstedshire's people believed in the reporter who their Red Angel had trusted and who believed in them. Avicular was the one to keep up with the anniversary. They did a fundraiser the two years Vermillion was missing, donating all the money to the college and other organizations meant to help Logstedshire thrive once more. If Vermillion was their Red Angel, Avicular was their prophet who spread the words of the angel to those who needed that kind of hope. Even to those who weren't religious, Avicular was nearly on the same playing field as Vermillion in terms of importance.

People continued to read Avicular's stuff, so they were the first ones to know that the sightings of Vermillion were being confirmed. Avicular posted an interview earlier that morning with Vermillion. The vigilante had not discussed his disappearance. He had not told anyone what his plans moving forward would be. He just talked about Origins, a new place being run by Nemesis and Prescient. He told everyone he'd taken a personal tour of the new district, and that he believed it would be good for the people of Logstedshire. Avicular backed him up, telling everyone about the statistics they had found to prove Origins was alleviating a lot of the crises that existed within Logstedshire.

People were eating that up, and Tommy was trying his absolute best not to think about it. He avoided the conversation topic when Sam brought it up. He ignored the way Mamacita was practically dancing as she checked in for work that morning. He didn't look at the newspaper left on the counter by MD. He didn't listen to any of the people checking out as they discussed what they believed to be a confirmation that Vermillion was coming back. Tommy didn't get himself involved with any of it. He knew that if he did, he would be tempted to return to his old position. He knew that he couldn't, but these people were making him think breaking the rules would be worth it. At least more people were going to Origins. That was the whole point, after all.