station72 | mental link, day 22

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mental link, day 22

( Got some information for you guys - Annie was good enough to get some of her makeshift spycams going, and we set ‘em up with the leaders of the envoys. Activated them last night. )

[ There’s a curl of gratitude for those who went along with his plan, for those who spun stories or distractions or contributed to convincing the leaders of the envoys that the trinkets of Annie goo were part of a mourning ritual. Is he gonna talk about the fact that he basically disappeared after that until they boarded the airship? Nah. Instead, he jumps right into it. ]

( Didn’t get a lot from the Carpathans or the Meradans, unless you wanna know what the inside of Saridian Black’s room looks like or what other gifts people’ve been giving him, or see more of the Meradans trash talking each other while playing games.

Got the same Second that Annie saw last time, who’s friends with the Seconds I know, and this time he was with Ysiddia Cabrielle. He’s her son, and they were talking with a Second from one of the other Houses about the murders and the Circle having its work cut out for it when we get to the Red Coast.

And the Descendents - pretty sure we got a couple of them talking about the murders. They were wondering if “they” were discovered, who discovered them and what their intentions were - might have something to do with the last time we spied on people through Annie, and she saw the Carpathans that got killed talking about new friends. That, and blood debts and someone named Casiria, and that no one in Black’s retinue could know about it. Didn’t know this until a little bit ago, but guess what information got passed onto Black’s retinue? )

[ His mental “tone” is deliberately neutral there, but the difference from the usual warmth to his mental link is probably pretty telling. ]

( One other thing, about the circle that was found burned in the ground a while back when we were still running around on the ground and the tracks next to it - Rhan said the circle doesn’t look local, but the tracks appear Rabadocean. Hard to pin down more than that so far, except they don’t really match the Hypyrians. )

[ Is he fixating on that a little too much, to be thinking about it still? Maybe, but he's not gonna let it go. ]

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( No symbiote giving us that in the shape of someone's powers yet then. )

[ Disappointing, but expected. It's always the hard way with his work, isn't it? ]

( My dear Misato, you flatter me. ) [ A pause, and then he's switching gears right back into business mode. ]

( I'll need to know everything we have. Cultural backgrounds, traditions, political motivation, you name it. I can make a study of it, but we should all decide on timing and marks. A best opportunity would be a gala or something similar, but we've just come out of mourning, so it may not be the cards. )

[ Another pause, this one with some thought behind it. ]

( Odd question– they all do bleed? As in liquid. )

( There was someone, but he fell asleep. )

[ She would keep saying it too, that he's only sleeping. ]

( We get a party now and then. This whole thing's more of a cruise for the rich and powerful than a real pilgrimage, if you ask me. When you got a minute, find me, I'll give you the low-down.

And yes, they bleed. Why? )

( He fell asleep. )

[ He echoes it, not quite a question but one all the same. Not a death, not specified as a coma, but asleep. ]

( Well then, that's something I'm quite used to. From all of this, it seems like there's a few power grabs that are mounting up as well? I hate to be the bringer of chaos, but stirring the pot a little more might actually dredge up the muck at the bottom, if you catch my meaning. )

[ November will definitely be checking in with her later about the information. Something he just mentally acknowledges. ]

( It's unrelated to the symbiote, but I can freeze any liquid on contact, as well as control the speed in which it occurs. A skill that has proven useful, in the past. )

[ She lets the repetition pass, unwilling to start a losing argument on whether the hosts in coma will ever wake up, not when the hope itself is an imperative. ]

( We stirred the pot, and those two dead bodies are the muck that rose up. )

[ Coarse, and coarser still. As if his courteous manner of speech is an invitation for her to play the opposite. ]

( So you're like the walking cooler. )

[ There's no answer on the echoed sentence and he lets it go. Whether it's a coma or something more, he'll dig later, when it's not in the middle of planning. ]

( Something has to be buried deeper. I'd say we stir more, though it may sound callous considering the recent expense. )

[ Not that he....cares....results are what matter here, right? ]

( In a sense. As though winter has gained an avatar in the form of myself. I've not yet discovered the symbiote power that's been granted, but I suppose learning sooner rather than later will be beneficial.

Any suggestions on using them? )

[ Misato bites back more callous words, because unlike him, she can't afford to be heard saying them. ]

( Avatar of winter? Seriously? )

[ Her amusement is warm, teasing. ]

( I'll let you know when I think of something. For now, don't go freezing over the hot springs just yet. )

( I was going to say old man winter, but I don't feel quite that age yet. )

[ That's half a lie. He does and doesn't. Right now, he feels his age– young, fresh, full of energy. Nothing to weigh him down, not like his job sometimes did, with all the blood on his hands. ]

( You're a wonder. And I would never; it would be a complete waste. )

( Flatterer. You can't blame me if I start getting suspicious. )

( If it makes you feel better, I only use my powers for good. They come with an unsavory price I'd rather only pay for in necessary instances. )

[ SMOKING KILLS, HE HATES IT, HE'S GONNA LOOK OLD SOONER!!! ]

( I don't buy that for a second. )

[ To him using his powers for good. Also, what's that? A wrinkle in the corner of your eye, Mr. Simon? ]

( What's the price? )

( No? Am I not selling it enough for you? )

[ Don't tell him that, he fusses enough. ]

( I have to smoke cigarettes. It's vile and I don't fancy getting lung cancer. )

[ It's out of place, really, to laugh and laugh in the face of so many deaths already. But one takes pleasure wherever it's found, when the source is so scarce. Like now. ]

( Have you met Kaji? He'd like you. )

[ Well, at least she seems to be amused at his pain!!!! ]

( I believe I have. Sardonic, intelligent, and paranoid fellow? He asked me some very pertinent questions. )

[ And then, because he recalls part of their conversation: ]

( Is he your husband? Or is he government contracted? He never clarified. )

[ Laughing at someone else's misery. Truly her brand of humor. ]

( That's the one. )

[ Sardonic, intelligent, paranoid. How being her husband negates being government contracted is a question she would loathe to ask. So. ]

( If he likes you enough, he might even tell. And, he likes cigarettes. You've come prepared, haven't you? )

[ He had no doubts but it helps to have it written in stone. ]

( Useful bit of information. And you– if you liked me would you tell? I'm just trying to suss out which of his three options of people that understate he is. )

[ Somehow he doesn't think Husband, but well, he's been surprised in the past. It's not off the table. ]

( Of course. He's not getting any of my stock, though. Smoking is awful for your health. Does he smoke around you? Secondhand smoke is almost worse than firsthand. )

[ He's dead serious about this. What a hill to die on. ]

( What are the options? )

[ Husband, government contractor, women in pain? All sorts of people understate for various reasons. ]

( Honestly, lung cancer is the last thing I worry about. Did they tell you about the bug in your head? Yes, that. Not to mention whatever thing is hunting the thing in our heads. )

( Husbands, politicians, and spies. )

[ And obviously, there are more types, but those were the given categories. ]

( Let's just say I'd rather not have that on top of everything else. If he's smoking around other people, I can't guarantee the safety of his cigarettes. )

[ He honest to god means that. Heaven help Kaji if he smokes in front of November like ever. The last people that did that ended up frozen and in pieces somewhere in Italy. ]

( Truthfully, the symbiote doesn't bother me; if it's going to help my general survivability, I'll keep it. Have we made contact with any of these hunters? )

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( You're welcome to pick my brain - literally, if you don't mind using the mental links. I've been reading everything I can on culture and tradition, up to and including a whole ton of fables, romance novels, and love poems. See what the people are reading and writing, what gets them intrigued and what gets them going. )

[ There's a hum of consideration as he thinks about the rest of November's questions, filing them away as he attempts to make out the shape of what all of this is. ]

( Near as I can tell, the blood debts sound related. Far as the trash talking goes, I can show you that, too, if you want. )

( I appreciate that– I don't mind using the links. It's faster. )

[ Because logic overtakes anything else. Maybe it should be more unnerving, but he likes how easy it is to share information, to keep up to date. No more trawling through tedious databases on satellite connections or dealing with encrypted bullshit.

Well ok, not a total lack of those, but at least on the nest end, it's going to make his life easier. ]

( Right, we'll have to look into those. If you can share the gambling information, I'll look for anything we can use. )

[ There's a hum of affirmation - it used to bother Sam a hell of a lot more than it does now. It's an easier way to share information, and he doesn't mind doing it with people he likes.

He almost prefers to do it with people he's close to, if he's being honest, but he's not being that honest with himself.

But he likes November, and it's easy to open his mind up enough to pull up what they'd learned from spying, as well as easy access to the knowledge he's gained from everything he's read. For good measure, he also hovers over the memories of an overnight surveillance.

He keeps his mind open in general, focusing on anything he knows about this shitshow of a mission so far - November is welcome to all of it, as far as he's concerned. ]

[ As Sam opens up, November lets the information flow over him. It's odd to feel the tinge of differing perspective. Like watching a movie, but on a much more personal level. There's a lot to process, something he sifts through as the voices and images replay through Sam.

The game talk seems to be just that, but he tucks it away, something for use later.

There's also some of the other bits of earlier surveillance that he turns over in his head. If the Seconds are prone to answering questions and gossip, it's an avenue he's willing to explore. Ysiddia also mentioned her son, something that lines up with an earlier visit. Hm. He's a Second, so this could provide them with some insight if they haven't already gone that route. ]

( This is. I apologize, this is a lot. But thank you. )

[ He's silent for a bit, still sorting the information. ]

( Has anyone spoken to Ysiddia's son? )

( Nothing to apologize for, man, I get it. ) [ A lot is probably understating it, really. Sam’s… more used to this mental link thing than he ever thought he’d be, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how much it is to take in.

Especially when it’s a whole lot of information dumping. ]

( Not yet, far as I know. But he’s friends with some of the Seconds I know, we could probably get a conversation. )

( That may be something to explore. If the Seconds are as chatty as I've known lower ranking military to be, the gossip could be useful. Or it could be rubbish. We won't know until we're able to have a chat. )

[ And with or without Sam (ideally with, considering), he intends to talk to these Seconds. Or rather, a specific one. ]

( I don't know how anxious he is, though. Do you think it would set off any klaxons if we got him by himself? )

( Still working on figuring that out myself. I pretty much just take what I can get and pass all the gossip along, hope maybe one of us can make sense of shit. )

[ Or, you know, get people pissy at him for who the hell knows what, but it's not like that's gonna stop him. ]

( Not if we phrased it right. Maybe invite his friends and him for something, and I can get them distracted while you strike up a conversation with him? )

( That sounds like a start. Are there any people we report into for approval on planning or are we on our own as I suspect? )

[ They've already chatted about this some, but just because no one is stepping into leadership doesn't mean there's some kind of quiet ranking system. Cathaway had been rather nice. He doesn't want to upset her even if she's not here. ]

( Regardless, it may be something to loop others in on. At least one more, to keep the conversation lively. It's better to keep them talking as much as possible. )

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