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

action.

[detestable]

Having fun?

[ Seth can afford to be amused because Richie's dealing with the brunt of the bullshit, and Seth's just spectating. He has a glass of sweet-smelling alien alcohol in hand as he takes the seat next to Richie in the barracks. ]

[ophidia]

[There's a headache brewing behind Richard's temples. He'd always taken the expression of a person (or persons) giving someone a headache to be metaphorical, but apparently he was wrong. It isn't a happy discovery, and it only adds to his irritation as he opens his eyes to glare at Seth.]

You could try helping me out. Find out how much.

[detestable]

I think I'll pass.

[ For now, at least. There's no guarantee Seth will be able to stay out of it for long. Commenting on the sheer stupidity of this disorganization is tempting. ]

Is wading through all their bullshit giving you any payoff?

[ophidia]

Some.

[Pushing past the irritation to sift it through. He's already earmarked the most interesting things. The pieces that need to be followed up on. The ways that could be done.]

It sounds like they keep blood debts. As in real blood, personally let from the vein.

[detestable]

[ Ew. ]

That's right up your alley.

[ Cracks a blood joke to avoid addressing his own discomfort. ]

If you play your cards right, you could get dinner out of that as a bonus.

[ophidia]

Really.

[Flat, unimpressed. A moment ago he'd been expecting Seth to pick up on the train and follow it through, the way it should be, but now it seems obvious that he wouldn't.]

You'd rather take cracks at me than pay attention to the real potential.

[detestable]

I clocked the potential.

[ The levity leaves Seth's voice. ]

The question is whether or not you can get close enough and come up with something valuable enough to get a blood debt out of 'em.

[ Maybe whatever Richie promised wouldn't matter in the long run, but the idea of Richie being bound up in a blood debt with some alien made him uneasy no matter what they were getting out of it. ]

[ophidia]

That's where you come in.

[Unfazed, no hesitation of following it on from Seth's statement. There's details they need before they can make this solid. And Richard isn't the one who suited to going and getting them.]

We need to know how the debts work, what they give them for, and if Black ever gets involved.

[detestable]

[ Seth sighs. Of course this is the route they have to take, and most anywhere Seth wouldn't hesitate, but fucking aliens. Making nice with them isn't exactly what he wanted to be doing. ]

So I have to go out there and run my mouth.

[ But he's already committed these things to memory, considering ways to get at the information. ]

You think there's a chance anyone on this crew already figured any of that out?

[ As Seth asks, it's very clear he expects the answer to be "no." ]

[ophidia]

No.

[Face pinching like the idea was ridiculous. At this point in their experiences with this team, it was.]

Annie's the source on it, the rest just played pretty Polly on what she'd dug up. [Enough that they clearly recognised the worth of the information, but:] She says no one followed through on it.

[detestable]

I'm shocked.

[ Seth isn't shocked. ]

What the hell are they actually trying to do down here? Run out the clock?

[ophidia]

It's an amateur production.

[Which Seth already knows, but:]

One of the older ones told me this is their fourth job. Turnover's so high they're dealing with mostly fresh meat every time.

[Though from Ilde's attitude he doesn't think being here longer makes a difference either.]