mental link | day :034

[ophidia]

[The mental impression that comes with the connection is clean, precise. Confident in reaching like this, touching so many minds at once. If anything there's a desire, simmering beneath, to press and push even further than one simple stated request.]

( I need everything we have on the Carpathans. )

[And he sounds like he expects to get it.]

Comments

[ryohji]

( Oh, come on. We're allowed a little irresponsibility. )

[ stick in the mud is the tacit accusation leveled here. ]

( It'll be long over before we get anything close to a full picture. )

[ophidia]

( If we keep wasting time. ) [Which is to say:] ( Do you have anything or not? )

[ryohji]

( Don’t care to butter me up a little more? You have a wonderful way of making one feel expendable, I have to say. )

[ this sort of fastidious impatience, where the message is always more important than the messenger, all of which kaji has intimate familiarity. the word majime ripples through the link, not so tacit, not so accusatory. without skipping a mental beat: ) ( Have you heard of the Black Palace? )

[ophidia]

[No, he doesn't care to butter anyone up. Not unless it's a mark, part of a job, and while the latter might be technically true, these people are meant to be the crew. This kind of information is meant to be for all of them.

So he doesn't bother responding to that. Just skips past it.]

( Black as in Saridian Black? )

[ryohji]

( That remains to be seen. )

[ he's certainly considered it before, the question of whether saridian hails from royalty. he's been deemed trustworthy enough to represent their interests, and the carpathans never struck him as a particularly negligent bunch, so the question is probably moot. ]

( After the murders, ) [ it's not so much kaji takes for granted richard's familiarity with past events, but rather he simply expects he'll bring himself up to speed in real time. perfectly reasonable an expectation, given the strong impression broadcasted. ] ( a transmission was sent to the Carpathan delegate, most likely from their Queen. It looks like Saridian has exclusive rights to the contents of the message. Apparently he's not the sharing type. )

[ophidia]

( Sent to, not from. )

[More of a confirmation than a question. It implied that either the Queen had eyes on the pilgrimage, or the message was unrelated.]

( How'd you find out about it? )

[If Saridian wasn't sharing.]

[ryohji]

( I did what was asked of me. )

[ answered like it goes without answering, as though he should’ve known better than to ask. ] ( When people talk, it’s best to listen. The old fashioned way, I might add. )

[ in case his next question concerns the placing of slime into jars. ]

[ophidia]

[Listening makes sense. Richard's well-versed in that kind of recon. But there's still a roll of bemused judgement that comes off him.]

( You "did what was asked of you." )

[He has to wonder if this guy's ever stopped and heard himself talk.]

[ryohji]

( Ah, sorry - what was asked of you, too. )

[ richie can rest assured knowing each and every word has been weighed and calculated before it ever sees the light of day outside his mouth. for good or ill. ]

[ophidia]

( Yeah, I got it the first time. )

[And got that it was a bullshit non-answer, even if he'd followed it with something closer to what Richard was actually asking for. Maybe this guy had supplied something interesting, but he is definitely earmarking him as evasive and annoying.]