[ She doesn't realize that she's actually holding her breath, waiting for Deirdra's reaction, but the Riskbreaker goes on to comment on things as if the time in-between were as mundane as the weather, and Cisco finds that she can finally breathe.

She runs her fingers through her hair, looks away and then back, offering a sheepish smile. ]

Pretty much. [ It's a vague enough response without it taking away the truth of things. She still does things for Halo, seeks out wandering Changing Breed, offering them safe places to stay or potential new homes -- it's a job that demands for her to be ready to pack up and move out, so she has been busy.

She nods in the general direction of the main office where she'd checked in just half an hour before. ] Just finished checking up with Halo, my hunting grounds are solidly within the Southeast Asian continent, but it felt right to check in given the way things are everywhere else.

[ There's a moment's hesitation before she ventures forward, voice soft: ] Is everyone-- [ Okay? Deployed overseas? If so, then where? These are the things she should be able to ask without it feeling like she is asking too much. But eight years is eight years, and with the exception of Gi-- Elias, who checked up on her yearly after promising to keep silent about what he knew of the direction her life had taken, she had cut herself off effectively from the others. ]

How bad is it?

[ Her gut knows the answer. She'd seen the news about Africa and Russia when Grendal had first reared their ugly head. But she has to ask. ]