A Dream of Quiet (IC)

[Leliel]

Amelia stretches out a kink in her neck, and resists the desire to start singing to keep herself company.

Thankfully, she didn't need to wait very long.

There was a sound of an abandoned shop tent falling, followed by an angry susurrus of incredibly foul language in four dialects.

"I cannot believe that *expletive* of a *expletive*...chosen of Hell, my ass...even a gods-*minor expletive* action movie villain has more depth then that..."

[LauWren]

Amelia pauses, then walks up to Raziel. "<So we're done with stealth, then.>"

[Leliel]

"Little high-and-mighty...<Oh hi Amelia>."

"<And yes, we are. I would have preferred if we assassinated little miss Silent Windbreaker, but stealth is done with.>"

[Recaiden]

"Ten years old, huh? You must be a lot closer at ease to this world than we. Why do you ask how long she's been here?" Laurel says, as though she just now realized that it was an odd question.

[Rhyvurg]

"Because this world is very different from ours, and the longer she's been here the more time she's had to get acclimated."

[Recaiden]

"Obviously. I'm asking why it matters."

[aetherialDawn]

Orchid sees a glimmer of what Pyrus might mean, but he'd better check. It's not necessarily something he'd want to bring up in front of Laurel/'Laurel', since it might sound a bit rude...
"I have to say that I don't see what you're looking for either, at least so far."

Spoiler

Show

Trying to find out if Laurel's memories might have shocked her away from the Reclamation despite the rhetoric she had for Raziel?
Trying to find out if she's had a chance to report about Earth to the Yozis?

Those are the big two I can think of right now, but it's still pretty confusing.

[Rhyvurg]

"Laurel has...complicated and powerful allies and masters. If she has been here a long time, her demon masters could know far more about us than I find comfortable. And I remember my first days here, there were many conflicts in House Cathak caused by my inexplicable behavior. If Laurel hasn't been here long, she may still be caught up in that disorientation, giving us an advantage if we can find her quickly. But, more simply..." He stands up, leaning on his spear. "I know very little about our enemies, and it is unwise to go into battle ill-informed. As far as I'm concerned, every scrap of information about Laurel is relevant. Her favorite food, any tells she might have, every intimate detail. Everything is relevant, until it is not. It's part of what they teach you in the Corps. Always know where the exits are, never go anywhere without a knife, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. A habit I'm not about to break now."

[aetherialDawn]

"The first has an easy answer, which you may not like. Her masters, in the vaguest terms, are my masters - and they know, or rather could know. To my knowledge, they don't care, or even care to know."
"But as for the rest... we already tried coming in planning to fight, and it got us a whole lot of confusion - and it turned out that well only because we checked first instead of just leaping to combat. There are clearly things we need to know before figuring out how to kill anyone at all."
"Sorry for kind of leaving you out of that." He addresses the last to 'Laurel'


Inner Dialogue

Spoiler

Show

Orchid, don't tell him about Laurel if you can help it. I trust Laurel more than I trust a killer Terrestrial.

I think I trust him more than Laurel still, but I'm not going to deny him information if it's truly needed. I just don't think it is needed.

At least we're in agreement on what to do so far, if not the whys...

I think I'm just glad you can talk to me without shouting and freaking out again.

I still want to. It turned out well only because of luck - you made a blunder that could have gotten us killed if that was really Laurel and anyone had taken it the wrong way. What if Amelia and the other Lunar had panicked?

I think we need to go over this in full later. For now, we're in agreement: Don't tell Pyrus anything yet, unless there's a really good reason. We just disagree on the reasons that it might be needed. We can wait and see what happens.

Good. You're handling it a little better this time.

Blow the Usurper up...
Orchid and Melodies crush the errant thought. It's embarrassing having those memories in the same head at all, really, and the voice is painfully screechy as well.

[Rhyvurg]

"We were deceived, there's no shame in that if you don't let it happen again. Next time we'll know better. Fool me once and all that."

[aetherialDawn]

"The only lie she's told the whole time was in claiming to be the actual Laurel. If that's the reason, then there's a simpler question."

He turns to 'Laurel' and asks, "Why, exactly, are you here claiming to be Laurel?"

[Recaiden]

The fake nods slowly. "I think the complications are working the other way, actually. The old Laurel was a reluctant servant of the Yozis at best, said once that her service to the Shadow would be turning and keeping him locked up forever. But the new Laurel is a tireless champion of the reclamation, a bottomless well of hate. Adorjan has calmed her down a bit, but most of ours were just glad she was showing proper dedication to the cause. And now that she's recovering the light, there is disappointment, yes, but no suspicion yet."
"Pretending to be her? I was instructed to do so that she could continue her search uninterrupted." 'Laurel' sighs at having been found out so easily. Curse She Who Lives In Her Name for such insistence on truth.

[Rhyvurg]

"Looking for what?"

[LauWren]

"Little high-and-mighty...<Oh hi Amelia>."

"<And yes, we are. I would have preferred if we assassinated little miss Silent Windbreaker, but stealth is done with.>"

"<Uh...huh. I'm gonna guess you found some new information in there, then?>" I hope.

[Leliel]

"<Well, Pyrus and Orchid might have. And speaking of Orchid...>"

Raziel wheeled around, looking even more heated.

"<Your brother freaking abandoned me! I mean, what the hell!? We aren't even in there for a few minutes and he just up, turns around in the middle of Laurel's first answer and vanishes! Um, hello? Your ringmate is in a room with a woman who may or not be a serial killer plotting to destroy a city! I mean, come on!>"

"<GAAH!>"

And like that, another abandoned stand requires repairs.

[Recaiden]

"She is keeping that information well hidden even from us-me, but something she thinks is very important. I gather she's of the opinion that it's protecting Gem or something, because Laurel's last incarnation was supposed to destabilize Gem so that everything could move to the next phase. Which, although we don't know the details, is sure to be bad; it is the Shadow's plan, after all." Laurel gives a half-shrug and smiles. It may be the end of the world at hand, but it's certainly interesting.

[LauWren]

"<Yes, he can get a little...improperly focused, sometimes.>"

"<GAAH!>"

And like that, another abandoned stand requires repairs.

Amelia winces at the crack. "<Raz, is there any chance of one of these things belonging to your-->" How would this translate? "<--flock?>"

[Leliel]

It didn't-the stands weren't in a district where immigrants had work-but the reminder did snap him out of his rage.

Slowly, he messaged his neck artery while muttering "cinnamon" under his breath (a calming exercise his therapist taught him) and sighed.

"<I'm...I'm sorry.>"

"<If you want the truth, she reminded me of a person I knew once-a person I don't really like.>"

"<He was always so...myopic, is that the right term? I don't really know-but he caused me a lot of pain, and he would justify it by saying it was 'teasing' when he did it. And he hated everyone-to him, you either were a winner or you were useless.>"

A thought struck him. "<Tell me. Do you want to go back to Earth?>"

[LauWren]

Amelia starts at the question, mostly because she can't answer. It's fairly important, she really should have thought about it...but she's just been doing one thing after another. Not a lot of introspection.

"<I...don't know. I suppose I do miss my other life, but...it's not like it's my only life anymore. I have memories, and people here.>" She thinks in silence for a moment.

"<...No. Not yet, at least. I miss people back on Earth, but I don't have any dependents back there. I have people who might be better with me, but no one who actually needs me. And you?>"

[Tavar]

Odd, it's almost the reverse for me. I don't really have any connections here, but back home I did. I guess I would like to go home, just haven't really thought much about it. I've only been here a few weeks, after all.

[Leliel]

Amelia starts at the question, mostly because she can't answer. It's fairly important, she really should have thought about it...but she's just been doing one thing after another. Not a lot of introspection.

"<I...don't know. I suppose I do miss my other life, but...it's not like it's my only life anymore. I have memories, and people here.>" She thinks in silence for a moment.

"<...No. Not yet, at least. I miss people back on Earth, but I don't have any dependents back there. I have people who might be better with me, but no one who actually needs me. And you?>"

That wasn't the answer he was expecting. Truth be told, he was expecting something along the lines of what Wing wanted.

But in any case?

"<Never have. It was scary, at first-I'm in service to a demon, why not?-but in time, I've grown to quite enjoy being Raziel.>"

"<Here, I'm someone people look up to. Here, I'm a hero. Here, I can be someone...someone who isn't John Fieldsman...>"

"<But that's enough about me.>"

That last line is more than a bit rushed, almost as if he was trying to nullify the previous sentence.

[Rhyvurg]

"Who else in Gem works for her?"

[Recaiden]

"People. She has a following like Raziel, though with a different tack, and others like me, as well as demons she conjures. I can't name names, you understand."

[Rhyvurg]

"Miss, I'm really starting to not want to kill you. Please don't make me regret it."

[aetherialDawn]

Orchid snaps, speaking quickly, "Pyrus. Is that information worth shooting yourself in the foot that badly? We'll find it some other way if you need it so much."

[Recaiden]

Laurel sighs. "Because I don't know them. I try not to bother with Reclamation business, and she keeps everything important secret even from us."

[Rhyvurg]

Pyrus is silent for a moment. "My offer for a place to stay still stands. Come by my townhouse tonight and a servant will take you there." He heads outside.

[aetherialDawn]

For all that he'd like to trust 'Laurel'... Orchid dearly wishes he could confirm if she really doesn't know without showing himself to anyone observant - and if she is lying, revealing it might only cause more problems just now.

"Sorry, I think I'm going to follow him. Let Laurel - your mistress Laurel - know that I'm sorry for the trouble."

He pauses for what 'Laurel' might say, and to collect a few thoughts, before even starting after Pyrus.

So, Laurel has a cult, can summon demons, and has more than one impersonator.
Exactly. If we're forced to investigate, we know what to look for.
All on top of looking different from how she once did, and apparently having adopted yet started to move back away from her own abhorrent brand of ethics.

Which way has she moved on that philosophy since discovering other people with their own lives from Earth, then?

[Rhyvurg]

As soon as they're outside Pyrus rounds on Orchid, almost uncomfortably close. "Don't ever contradict me when we're interrogating someone again. Ideally we can make a game plan before we question someone, but even playing it by ear if we start contradicting and arguing with each other they'll think we're weak, divided. And whether we like it or not, it's us vs them. I wasn't going to start torturing her, but it would help if I could make a threat or two without being instantly contradicted."

[Drascin]

(Fast-forwarding the travel to the Convention, to save time and get this wreckball going )

In the meantime, Drake arrived to the Celestial Gate a while ago. However, lacking the spells to just go through on his own (which annoys him more than it should), he's been forced to spend a while giving a set of passwords so the guarding god dematerializes him inside, and then another two minutes identifying himself to the Celestial Lions on the inside of the door. This does not help Drake's mood, given his current haste.

So by the time he gets through, he's in no mood to appreciate the splendor of Yu-shan - instead simply scanning the streetline for an empty flying taxi. He finds one, and runs to it before anyone can take it away from him, downright jumping into it without opening the side door. "To the Bureau of Destiny, resident Convention of Fire offices. Tab it to Cerulean Lute accounting. Twice your rate in Quintessence if we arrive before ten minutes" he orders the small god piloting, caste mark shining on his forehead as the only identification he needs.

As they liftoff, Drake's thinking. Okay, first, talk to Nazri. Let's see if we can manage to get him to see that these Infernals could be a great asset. I'm going to need his help to keep them from being ganked by the Bronzes. Then send a Loom message to Pyrus telling him whatever the result of this conversation was. Then visit Ichi to let her know I'm okay in the end because I ran away. That if I don't get processed for consorting with enemies of Creation, of course, which is a very real possibility if Kejak catches wind of this... I hope I was inconspicuous enough.

He breathes deep, closing his eyes, ignoring the reckless driving of the air carriage as the god's greed empowers its speed more than a tail rocket would. Okay, Drake, calm down. Calm. Down. You're getting too nervous. No time to be nervous, right now. Have to give your best.

...man, I want a vacation. he thinks, wistfully. Why does he always have to live in interesting times?

In any case, since even if the small god rushes, he has a few minutes, Drake wonders whether to to burn a little more Essence to make sure he's going about this the right way. Never hurts to be sure. But on the other hand, he's almost run out of inner Essence reserves, and outer reserves are kind of gaudy - it's always a horrible faux-pas to visit your boss with your anima blazing. Plus, in his case, the continuous bird chirpring is not exactly conducive to smooth talking. Nah, better to save up in case some more is needed...

And in this, they land with a skid. Six minutes flat, and no crashes with anything that might bring him trouble. Impressive. Drake makes sure to thank the pilot god and get his name before jumping out and trotting to the door of the Convention, stopping on the reception counter and bowing politely to the receptionist god, a squidlike being by the name of Portus.

"Good day. Drake Unending, attache for Gem, you might have seen me around. I need to see Nazri as soon as possible, if you could solicit an audience for me? I know I don't have a premade appointment, but it's really kind of very important"