342/An Unwilling Helper

An Unwilling Helper
Date of Scene:	04 August 2014
Location:	The Citadel - Ward 17 <CW>
Synopsis:	The snake witch of the Confederacy calls a young meister to her office to prepare for a sinister plan to be set in motion.
Cast of Characters:	22, 127
Tinyplot:	The Hunter's Curse

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Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    When a witch asks you to arrive at her office, it isn't wise to ignore such a request. And certainly Kilik won't forget certain words that were said when he first joined the Confederacy, right?

    Medusa herself can be easily found in her office, the door open and inviting anybody in, a sign that the head nurse of Ward 17 isn't working on a task that she minds being interrupted in. The patients are stable for now and require little attention from her, and the other matters are something that the workers on the ward can focus on while she handles... far more important business. Paper is strewn about her desk as she writes, strange witch letters filling the pages as she concentrates, flipping between the pages. At least the last months it's been easier to get work done when there is no need to conceal her true nature as a witch.

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    Kirikou has several reasons to be attentive to Medusa's requests. He doesn't much like her and doesn't trust her, but it's wise for him to remain on her good side. He can keep an eye on her that way, and protect the Confederacy a little better if she turns out to be a betrayer ... again. More than that though, they're both Confederates. They're allies, and if anyone's going to harm their joint cause it's not going to be the young Meister. Besides... when Medusa's not being actively malicious, there's something admirable about her. Not something to like perhaps, but something that can't be easily dismissed.

    It turns out Kilik doesn't have the Twins with him after all. One thing about having a large Confederate salary, you have lots of options. It's not hard to hire a babysitter on short notice, one with good qualifications and a strong incentive to not screw up where Elites are concerned.

    Kilik knocks on the open door and enters without waiting for an invitation. He peers at her writings casually, not wanting to appear to be snooping but still curious. To no avail, of course. The writings appear to be utter nonsense to him. "You wanted to see me, Miss Medusa?" he finally asks, putting on a brave front.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    It's a good thing that the translation effect does not work on written text. After all, a witch's secrets are meant to be well protected from prying eyes. And how fortunate that witches from their world are rare in the multiverse. Which means that anything Medusa writes for herself can only be read by herself. How lovely.

    The knock is heard, but the snake witch doesn't look up from the paper just yet. Instead she smiles warmly, jotting down a few more letters. "Come on, Kilik. How nice of you to not keep me waiting~" Her left hand gestures to one of the seats. Sit down while she finishes up.

    Then a few seconds later she puts down the pen, raising her gaze to watch the young meister where he sits. "I trust you have been keeping busy?" she inquires. Her mood seems... good today. As always there is a knowing look in he eyes, and she pushes herself up from her chair as she moves around the desk towards the small kitchenette. "Can I get you something to drink? This won't take long, but you know me. I would hate to be a bad hostess."

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    "You know me, Miss Medusa." Kirikou says with a cheerful grin. Also probably a calculated one. "Always willing to help out an ally!" he claims. He does NOT say 'friend', but perhaps that meaning can be taken as intended.

    He sits down, ever the diligent and obedient student. His easygoing and pliant nature is part of his strength as a Meister after all. "Busy as always, you know how it is. Not so bad right now after getting knocked out of the tournament early. As for drinks, sure? Some soda, or tea or coffee if that's what you got." he agrees. Trust. Once you can fake that, you're set.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    At least nobody can fault Kilik for his courage and ability to play along. Medusa smiles warmly, a practiced gesture that the teenager should easily recognize as she passes by him, patting his shoulder. That's a good child.

    She would hate to have to deal with a disobedient child right now. It's such a bother.

    The water boiler is easily turned on, and the witch begins preparing two mugs with tea. Apple flavoured, with just a bit of honey added to it. "Yes, too bad about the tournament. There is always next year, isn't there? I find myself far less busy this year... I can't help but wonder why~" Hey, she's got a sense of humour.

    As the water boils, she turns around, resting her arms across her chest as she peers at Kilik's back. "I am in need of a little... assistance. How well have you been keeping up on your east-European studies?" she asks, her eyes narrowing in amusement.

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    "It's not the win that matters, though I would've liked to get a few more... you know, friendly matches in?" Kirikou says. Sure, the friendly matches don't have the adrenaline-fuel of a battle to the death, but Kilik's not a pure adrenaline junkie. He's in it for the competition more than anything else, and there's plenty of top-quality competition in the WMAT to get his heart pumping.

    "Next year, yeah. And huh, I can't imagine why people aren't coming to you this year." he shrugs. "So you're a witch. I don't figure they came to get healed by you because you were NICE." he says with a sarcastic smirk.

    Small talk seems to be over though. Kirikou frowns, shrugging. "East Europe? Well enough, I guess, like any other Shibusen student. I'm not exactly top of the class or anything, but I won't embarass myself either." he claims. "Kishin Egg?" he asks, looking interested. Or ... could it be a witch? He'd be intrigued by that, but decides not to seem TOO eager to hunt down a witch. Besides, any witch Medusa wanted hunted down would either be someone like her sister, or someone like Kim or Betty or Tiffany. Someone who, in short, Kirikou probably wouldn't want to mess with.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    "Kilik..." Medusa chuckles a bit, canting her head and squinting her eyes in amusement where she stands. "Even if I have more knowledge and skills than most medical professionals can learn due to their limited time alive... they will still be the ones who will get the most visitors. Especially from the Union." Why, even some of her fellow Confederates avoid her. How peculiar indeed.

    The question earns a soft shake of Medusa's head, and she is about to answer when the water boiler gives a soft 'click' as the water finishes boiling, and she then turns around. "Not exactly. Kishin eggs I will leave for Crona to handle. You could call this an... extra curricular activity. I am afraid that there are some things I won't be able to handle quite on my own. Oh, I have /tried/, but sometimes you just need the help of others, I guess. I trust you are familiar with one of the Unionites... the man they refer to as 'D'?"

    Somehow her tone seems a bit different. Softer, with something underlying it.

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    Kirikou can't imagine why people wouldn't visit Medusa for healing. No really, he can't. Some things are just too creepy to be imagined, at least by someone still clinging to some degree of innocence.

    He's a bit disappointed Medusa would send Crona after Kishin Eggs. Crona doesn't need to feed corrupted souls to Ragnarok after all. Then again, that's hardly what she means by 'handle'. She seems more into using the Kishin Eggs rather than destroying them, Kirikou suspects. Not that he can do anything about it. Even if she's doing evil things on their world, it's not against Confederate law. He can't sell her out for it, and even feeding information to Shibusen agents would be a betrayal of a Confederate officer. Not a good idea at all.

    Kilik nods at the question. "Of course I know of him. I'm not familiar or anything, but he's the guy you fought a duel with." the Meister says. Anyone Medusa shows open interest in, Kirikou at least makes an effort to check out... just in case. Safe to say, he knows most of what there is to know about D within the open Fed records. "What about him?"

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    "I'm glad you're paying attention," Medusa chuckles. "Indeed, we fought in an exhibition match. Sad to say, he has decided that my company is undesirable and has chosen to ignore me." A heavy sigh leaves the nurse, and she picks up the two mugs of hot tea as she turns around and walks back towards her desk. One of the mugs is handed out to Kilik.

    "Careful."

    There is an amused glint to Medusa's golden eyes as she peers down at Kilik. "Don't burn your tongue."

    That said, she walks over to her own desk, sitting down and then takes a long sip of her tea. "The man is not without his weaknesses, however. And you can be useful in exploiting one of those weaknesses. We are going to finish what the Field Marshal began and was unable to complete."

    Her expression is calm. Perhaps too calm for somebody who just admitted that something sinister is going to go down. Does Kilik remember the mess with D breaking out of Dracula's dungeons? The mess that followed?

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    Kirikou smirks at the warning. Perhaps he figures he's too tough to burn his tongue. More likely, he's just trying to assert that he's no idiot child. He doesn't reply on the subject, nor does he immediately drink. He wraps his hands around the mug and stares at it, considering things deeper than the bottom of the mug.

    Kilik shrugs. What's it to him if terrible things are to happen to this D guy? He doesn't know the man, has no reason to be interested one way or the other. If this is a mission where Dracula has taken a personal interest, then it's got to be to the Confederacy's good for the mission to succeed. Whatever Medusa's personal interest - and despite rumour he just can't picture her actually HAVING a personal interest besides that of malicious intent - the mission can't be a terrible thing. Which begs the question, why him? And what is it he's expected to do, to exploit this Hunter's weakness?

    "Sounds fair enough." Kilik agrees neutrally, without actually committing to doing Medusa's will without question. He wants to try to give Medusa the impression he's wary, which he is, but willing to work with her as necessary... which he does. It should be an easy enough impression to give, all considered, and he hopes it allows him to mask his deeper concerns and intents. "So, what's my role gonna be in all this?" he asks.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    If Kilik was all too eager to accept, then something would be wrong. Instead Medusa just continues smiling, looking content with his wariness for now. "You're a meister. Just like Crona. You are young. Just like Crona." Her eyes study Kilik closely. "Besides, D should be able to deduce that you know Crona. Even if you might not have spent much time together the short time my child was a student of Shibusen, there is no way for D to know that. Which makes you a prime agent for this mission. And your particular... skills can ensure your survival." The woman takes another sip of her tea, then she leans forward to pick up a page from the many others, leaning forward to hold it out to Kilik. An initial glance at the text should reveal that it's fortunately written in English.

    "I want you to read up on this to prepare before we head to Hungary in our world. When the time comes, you will contact D and draw him in. It's important that he is given a sense of urgency, and his nature will not allow him to stand by while innocent children are in danger. Especially not Crona."

    A smirk plays at her lips as Medusa leans back again, looking quite content.

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    "He'd have to be an idiot to consider Crona or me innocent children." Kirikou says wryly, well aware of the irony. D *is* from the Union, and one of those crusader types besides. "So. My role's to lure him in... probably not him alone, if I know those types. Get him in position for an assault. Then survive if they're angry enough to take it all out on me."

    He snorts, considering plans quickly, only half-glancing at the words on his page for now. He doesn't really want to play the role of the betrayer. Maybe it'd be better to play the role of the well-meaning dupe? Let Miss Medusa take the blame for any treachery? Yeah, he likes that idea... though he's not sure how he'd pull it off. "You don't mind if I use my own ways to draw him in, right?" Kirikou asks, testing. He doesn't like the plan as outlined, but that's okay. Plans don't survive first contact, and all that. He can probably come up with something, given enough time to consider. He also has to read over Medusa's directive here, to see if there's anything else he might need to consider. "Should be enough for him to know Crona's a friend of a friend, or to let him think we're both your victims or something." he muses, not quite daring to smirk.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    "Perhaps he /is/ an idiot~" Medusa comments, her tone soft nonetheless.

    "And no, it's just him. We don't want interference. Which is why I need you to call him when the time is right. Too many people, and this will not go according to plan." Will she mind if he uses his own ways to draw him in? "It all depends on your methods. What matters is that there's a sense of urgency to it... and that D feels compelled to help. And if I'm correct," which she always is, "then the plan will just be a baseline. Other contributors to this plan are far less willing participants than you are, and well... not as easy to predict~"

    The tea is quite delicious. The witch takes another sip of it, then smiles. "Just be ready to get a few bruises and cuts, I can't promise that it will be easy. But I do promise that it will be interesting, especially if the result is what I imagine it will be~"

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    Kirikou snorts at that, not bothering to give the statement the obvious reply. He thinks pretty little of the brains of the Union in general. There's more than a few individuals he respects, but he doesn't know D. He has no reason to believe D's worthy of respect, other than the purely physical. Anyone who can match Medusa and Crona, who can escape from Castlevania, is worthy of wariness if nothing else.

    "You know you can always count on me." Kilik says with a mocking grin, knowing well that Medusa knows otherwise, and knowing she knows that he knows. He's mouthing off at her, just to show off that he's the same boy he always has been. "I'm not afraid of a few bruises. I think I'll be able to make him come running in. You set it up so he doesn't have backup when he does, we should be able to pull it off." he says. Cocky, sure, but maybe not entirely without cause. This might not be easy, but his own part ought to be straightforward enough. And of course, what's the fun in having everything be easy?

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    "I know~" comes Medusa's pleased reply, and she crosses one leg over the other as she leans back in her seat, closing her eyes. "Be prepared for combat and to use the knowledge Shibusen has given you. There might not be witches where we are going, but you can still be killed if you aren't careful." That would just be too bad.

    "I will not keep you any longer. Read over the page so you are prepared. I will let you know when to contact D. Until then... I have work to do, and I do believe that the colonel needs to return to her duties as well~" And Castlevania needs some peace and quiet.

Kirikou (127) has posed:
    Kirikou pffts dismissively at Medusa's cautions, though of course he thinks much the same. Multiversal situations are, in general, MORE dangerous than taking on a witch. Or at least just as dangerous, and considerably nastier than fighting Kishin candidates. He just doesn't want to be SEEN to be giving undue caution. "I'll try to avoid causing too much extra work for you, Miss Medusa." he claims snarkily. "A little injury happens, especially in this sort of thing, but it'd be a shame to get mauled and make you have to take care of me." he grins. "See ya. I'll give this a look-over after I've reclaimed the Twins." he says, waving the paper in the air between them.