Scene #9430: Regrettable Favors

Owner	Pose
Distortion Dets.	Detective's Logs, 15 September 983: An unwanted guest deigned to visit today. I know his name, and he does, if he somehow reads this, but in the pursuit of record-keeping, the pest himself is none other Seven Association Vice-Director Han Hee-joon. His presence never bodes well for anything for me and mine, and I have no reason to expect this to turn out differently. I've known him since he was nearly a child. That fact frequently makes me sick. But despite everything I've done for him, the brat ensures I regret making sure he lived to see today, more so for the cost paid to do such a thing. There is no end to the trespasses he makes, knowing now, from that office as his, (if he somehow reads this, we both know he's never earned that position,) all I can do about it is complain. Still. If he keeps his habit of sitting down at my desk, in my office, as if he still worked here, as if he hadn't relinquished, spat on, and twisted under-heel any claim he once had to belonging here, perhaps I'll trap the chair with sharp pins and broken glass. No, strike that. That's too petty. I'll have Ezra throttle that betrayer on-sight, if there is to be a next time. He says he's caching in a 'favor'. From his ugly lips, there is no distinction between a favor and an order. It's to be a large change in our office's operations, per his explanation, but forgive a paranoid old woman for not putting sensative details in what amounts to a diary. I couldn't say know, even knowing that its her behind this all. "Of course, it's important that your eyes still have that funny quirk to them, isn't it? You'd be useless otherwise. Oh! Tell me, tell me! What do I look like, to you?" Even just in memory, I can hear his snivelling voice too clearly. I lied when I answered him, that he looked to be a sewn-up cadaver, his lips firmly stitched-through to silence him. He knows me too well to believe that, but he knows me too well to expect I'd say anything but. I do so despite him. "Oh? Bloated and ugly, like a corpse thrown in a river? Or, don't tell me, like the crows got to me first? My my, Captain- ah, 'Detective', I do mean- has such an acute form of insanity as yours robbed you of the fond memory of what I really look like? If it has, I'd ask the same of two-thousand and, oh, just fourty-one others? Am I special, hm?" "How could I forget the rotting lump of pus you wore above your neck?" I told him, a momentary weakness of judgement. But in truth, I have forgotten his, as I have with all the others. So, perhaps, if he reads this, he'll know that I'm sorry. - - - - - - - - -
Distortion Dets.	In the interem hours since her unwanted visit by her superior at the Seven Association, Moses has been busy- for one, she'd put out a notification to meet with other Watch assets, indicating that there was an upcoming assignment she'd require assistance for, and discussions she'd like to do about her future plans and capacities in the City, for two, she'd written her daily log early enough in the afternoon to capture her fury, for three, she'd opened up a crystal decanter of brandy, and worked at it enough to melt away the hours. As such, it fell to Moses' assistants, Ezra, and (newly-hired on retainer,) YuRia, to ensure the Detective's meeting parlor is up to snuff to host others- the task quickly becoming a competition between the bickering women, with Ezra hard at work assembling snacks she'd spent part of her paycheck on, and YuRia's workshop cranking out new decorations for the already-ornate space: new light fixtures, woven pillows for the armchairs, a gas-burning apparatus for the fireplace that truly doesn't need to be burning in the heat of a humid District 14 summer. "Heya, the Detective's inside, so go on and get in, hang a left, and bam, yep-" "You're the bunch Moses called in? Chop chop- don't keep her waiting!" The door opens up to the elites with both Ezra and YuRia standing shoulder-to-shoulder, trying to compete to be the first, diligent one (in different tones of eagerness) who ushers the guests inside, and distracting themselves by staring daggers at each other in the midst of it. It's a prickly air to be met with- and it isn't made that much better on the other side of the parlor doors. Moses stands by, not at, her desk, at the window-facing side of the parlor room, a short glass of alcohol held loosely in hand. The air reeks of tobacco- around her, it always does, given the pipe that never leaves her hands. Unlike her usual appearance, she's left her formal green jacket folded on the arm of her abandoned desk-chair, and untied the red ribbon she wears around her neck, a distinctly desheveled change. In the moment before she realizes others have entered the room, she's staring out at the window-curtains, lost in thought, and absolutely, ivisibly, brimming with unsettled anger. "Detective! Company's here..! Yoo-hoo, you hear us?" Hmph, clearly she does. Don't be a child. Ahem- Moses! "Hm? Oh. Yes. Thank you, Ezra, YuRia." Did she truly not notice that many other people walk in..? She clears her throat, and checks a watch worn on the inside of her wrist- the time seems to surprise her. Before she talks again, she puts her pipe to her lips, and takes a long drag. "Sit down, please. There's enough chairs, yes..? Yes. I don't recognize all of you. We'll get to business in a moment, but, let's be professional-" She puts her glass down, and snaps her fingers at her assistants. "Nothing I have to say today is good news, so get the guests drinks, won't you? I, at least, need another."
Regulus	Regulus is a little wary of doing anything involving the City since it seems to be the place that people go to if they want to suffer and Regulus doesn't like to suffer! She just happens to suffer a lot anyway because her life is SO HARD and she lost her ship THROUGH NO FAULT OF HER OWN but she has enough devotion to the Watch that she wants to lend a hand to her fellow Watchpeople. She'll just have to be ready to RUN AWAY if it looks like she's going to have to make some kind of horrible life or death or doom the world decision that has incredible ramifications that just shatters her heart. She can do that. she's ready to escape at a moment's notice. But this is just talking with the Detective and her assistants anyway so it's not like she's committing to anything by coming. If she can't manage it, she'll figure something out, easy peasy. "Iccck.... The weather's awful out there, I feel like I've sweated out half my body weight." Regulus complains since she is accustomed to maybe seeing the sun unobstructed by gloom and clouds once in a blue moon. She pushes her sunglasses back up her nose as she takes a look around the office lounge. "Ooh I'm positively ''famished''." She says,moving towards an armchair to flop into it, kick up her legs, and toss some snacks in her mouth. She takes a breath and waves a hand in front of her mouth and opens her mouth and-- ''brimming with unsettled anger.'' Regulus pulls her feet back quickly. "Oh no good news, huh?" Regulus grimaces. "I guess I should've expected."
Timekeeper	Vertin hasn't personally been to the City even once. She's received reports (and more importantly, just excitedly shared stories) from Sonetto, and of course she's read up on everything she, and the Foundation, have available, but she's never actually stepped foot in it before. They're not inclined to change their fashion to adapt for the tastes of the location regardless, but there's at least some curiosity at a world where they reportedly wouldn't even need to. Much more relevantly, the City's politics have a grip on every faction in the sector, and hardly a day goes by without it being mentioned in some form. Moses personally is someone who seems extremely valuable for Vertin to establish a relationship with as well; Vertin can't disregard someone for the minor sin of being bitter and irritable, after all, and it can only be helpful to be on her good side. Sonetto might not be suited to working with the Watch, but Vertin isn't so short on manpower that she can't seed her influence around multiple efforts around the City for a more holistic perspective of it. Not that she would ever volunteer Regulus to go to the City, but when Regulus reads the message off the shared computer in the suitcase sunroom and volunteers herself, Vertin certainly wouldn't say no. Maybe a final reason for their involvement today, is that reputation of the way the City is, and wanting to see for herself what Regulus would be getting into. No one on the street of District 14 is actually wearing anything similar to Vertin. They're all wearing much less elaborate suits. "If the detective asks for your name again," She advises to Regulus on the way, "Don't feel ashamed to give it. It has no bearing on how remarkable you are; some people just have difficulty placing faces and names. ... And it may be best to keep your voice down somewhat." "Heya, the Detective's inside, so go on and get in, hang a left, and bam, yep-" "Hello Ezra. Thank you for the welcome." Vertin walks into meeting rooms with more prickly atmospheres than this one on a daily basis! She's practically relieved by how normal it is, faintly smiling. Not one to intentionally foster a rivalry, she doesn't forget to add to YuRia, "And I don't believe we've met before. I'm Vertin." "Sit down, please. There's enough chairs, yes..? "Good evening, Detective." Vertin settles (much more delicately) into an armchair beside Regulus's. Folding one leg over the other, she rests an elbow on the arm of the chair, tilting one head over her shoulder and looking out from under the brim of her hat at Moses. "Bad news, is it? A challenging assignment, or is it a hindrance to your operation in the future?" She lifts up her head to look up and over to the two assistants. "Ah, if you have tea, I'd appreciate that as well. Thank you very much."
Vantablitz Remnants	Having been sufficiently alarmed (read: shamed) at how long she's spent functionally hiding from her responsibilities after she joined the Watch just late enough to miss the exit of every single person from the faction that she went there for, Ahn has decided to be very brave. Not only has she tidied up approximately one quarter of the shelter before getting bored and distracted, she's run half the laundry, run the incinerator, glanced at the reactor diagnostics she'd been avoiding as if they couldn't be bad if she didn't look, and finally dug out some of the clothes she'd gotten over a year ago that aren't shabby. Oh, and she left the mountain too; that's important. It's heartening that she doesn't stick out much in the City. She's taller than average, but not staggeringly. Technically Vietnamese, instead of sort-of Korean. As close to a redhead as black hair, but then some people are going around with pink and blue. And really, the noticeably distressed black jeans she had to emergency fill in with just bring her punky little white and pink crop jacket and off-shoulder knit top plus harness straps and new sneakers more in line with the locals; or at least, she successfully doesn't look like a gorpcore asshole for once. It'd all work better if she played to her height and fitness, though, instead of instantly looking kind of overwhelmed once she has to deal with Ezra and YuRia being themselves. Mostly, she processes it by going very quiet and stiff, and trying to look like she knows what she's doing, which is always more effective than she fears and less than she'd hope. Unfortunately, she starts coughing at the tobacco smoke like a lame little baby, and thus isn't exactly on her game when Moses looks so angry. She freezes rather than startling, but that doesn't make her feel less lame. "Hi. I'm. Ahn. Just Ahn." is her best attempt at responding to Moses. 'I don't recognize you' means it's introduction time! That's something to grip on to. When she takes a seat as directed, she incidentally reveals an armpit holster she's not quite used to, and a chest sheath under the other side of her jacket that she is. The miserable heat actually doesn't seem to bother her enough to be worth saying out loud. "Well, if it was good news, um, I figure you'd just say it on the radio? It's pretty obviously a problem if we're all here, right?" she says, hopefully looking around the room, which doesn't contain many people. "I don't mind business. Today's a good day." she says, not explaining the mysterious logic by which those two thoughts are related. 'Iccck.... The weather's awful out there, I feel like I've sweated out half my body weight.' "Really? It's kinda muggy and stale, but it's not like the rainforest or anything. Are you from up north or something?" 'Ooh I'm positively ''famished''.' "Hey maybe you shouldn't--" Ahn winces. "You didn't even take your shoes off. Come on . . ." 'Ah, if you have tea, I'd appreciate that as well. Thank you very much.' Well at least that Vertin person is very well-behaved! Ahn looks at that suit-- no, that top hat with naked fascination. "Um, whatever's fine for me. Thanks!" she adds, like she's missing a cue. After several seconds, she decides that her logic is more or less seventy-five percent flawless, which is enough to address the massive elephant in the room. "Are you British?" Ahn asks Vertin, with the soft quality of asking someone if they're aware of the marker on their face, combined with an echo of what someone encountering a movie star must sound like.
Timekeeper	"Are you British?" The dim surprise Vertin feels at the question is almost completely invisible on her face. The multiverse is only the latest iteration in expanding out of the SPDM and coming to understand the differences between her own cultural context and everyone else's, a mission that Vertin has intentionally set out on for years. If anything, she's a little surprised to be asked that question in a world without a Britain at all. 'Nodding' isn't really in Vertin's vocabulary as anything besides a short dip of her chin. "I am." That's the end of what she has to say for nearly sixty full seconds, until considering that it might not be enough of an answer. "It's nice to meet you, Ahn."
Vantablitz Remnants	'I am.' Ahn is soooooo much less good at being unruffled. Vertin's confirmation makes her gasp a little bit, like seeing a songbird land two feet away, and also pumps her fist a little bit; like 'Yes! Got it in one!' "It's nice to meet you too!" says Ahn, ecstatic to get a good score in socialization. "Are you two friends?" she asks next, confidently pointing between Vertin and Regulus, now certain that she's basically almost a genius. "She's not like, your servant or anything, right? You seem way too normal." The implicit 'to be a British noble' comes across muddily at best. Oh! But Regulus has snacks and Vertin doesn't! That's so impolite and sad! Ahn stops to rifle through the inside pockets of her jacket, finding her earbuds, gauze, an electrolyte juice pack, spare batteries, a geiger counter, folding multitool, and finally, "Ah!!" she locates what is probably a premium-mediocre meal replacement bar with unreadable packaging. Making eyes at Regulus, she offers it to Vertin like she'd just had the perfect opportunity to say a line she's been holding in for years. "So what do you do? Like, your thing!"
Regulus	''If the detective asks for your name again...'' "I'm not worried at all, love, I'll make sure she remembers me this time if she forgets again." Regulus reassures Vertin. Regulus has a kind of faith in Vertin that means that she can say things like this, completely believe it, and also completely believe that it will actually reassure Vertin. Regulus definitely sticks out in The City. She's wearing a miniskirt AND she wears a jacket AS a jacket. "Oh hey Ahn, it's me, Regulus, from the radio. Good to put a face to a name, love! Guess we get to finally see each other in action, eh?" She continues to not ask for tea, she's a Dr. Pepper gal. She doesn't HATE tea or anything but she's noit really desperate about it. ''Are you British?'' "We both are, love." Regulus says to add to the dataset. ''She's not like, your servant or anything, right?'' Regulus is taken aback, "Wh-wh-whaaaat? What gave you that idea? We're mates, love, pals! I just happen to live in her suitcase. ... And do tasks she asks of me... But we're a team! That's a whole different thing!"
Distortion Dets.	'Hello Ezra. Thank you for the welcome.' "Hey-hey! It's you again, you..." Is she trying to remember a name, or something else? As friendly-smiling as ever, "Top-hat! Bet the Detective's gonna be happy to see you, she was real impressed the other day, yep!" 'And I don't believe we've met before. I'm Vertin.' YuRia hears this as she's already stopped engaging with guest-greetings, to instead lean slightly against a wall and examine her nails. "That's nice," is her response, before getting back to it. 'Ooh I'm positively ''famished''.' "Oh, yeah? You're kind of a tiny little thing, that makes a lot of sense! Here, I've got a bunch readied-up, eheh. Kind of expected more faces would show..." Half of the snacks Ezra carts in (on a frankly odd-to-use silver platter) are the type you'd expect in a convenience store, flavored chips, packaged smoked-meat-product, but also a variety of little sandwiches! She'll never fess up that staying in the kitchen to prep for this meant she could keep a bit of an ear on the Detective, while she was so obviously doing, badly. Most of the sandwiches have too much mustard on them. 'Hi. I'm. Ahn. Just Ahn.' Moses raises an eyebrow. "As in, the currency? Hm." What. 'Well, if it was good news, um, I figure you'd just say it on the radio?' Grumbled, "Perhaps." A sip finishes up the held-glass, "But forgive me for not using those links right now, you never know which line has been tapped, and I don't want to give that bastard his satisfaction." Again, what? 'Bad news, is it? A challenging assignment, or is it a hindrance to your operation in the future?' The Look Vertin communicates 'you don't know the half of it' before her words do, "Both, in ways." She puts her pipe up to her lips, the resultant smoke has flickers of oil-slick technicolor to the edges of the clouds. Moses' fingers go to a frosted-glass decanter, but before she can actually grab it, a red-felted teddy bear pops up from behind a cluttered pile of folders, to pick the vessel up and refill Moses' glass. She looks unenthused at it, but YuRia, off on the edges of the room, elbow-nudges Ezra at it. The sudden appearance of a tiny, walking stuffed animal doesn't appear to have surprised any of the office's inhabitants- maybe it's normal for the City. Despite Ezra doing her best to go and get tea, 'whatever', and a void for Regulus, YuRia's little bears beat her too it, carrying a tea-set out from a cabinet like a litter, to serve it out to the guests. She looks absurdly pleased with herself, and nearly sticks her tongue out at Ezra when she returns empty-handed, having failed to find the already in-use teapot.
Vantablitz Remnants	'Oh hey Ahn, it's me, Regulus, from the radio. Good to put a face to a name, love! Guess we get to finally see each other in action, eh?' "Oh. Right." Ahn blanches as much as she can at that. That particular (completely unremarkable) radio conversation has already been added to the doublewide file cabinet of things she cringes about in the shower. "Hi Regulus." 'Wh-wh-whaaaat? What gave you that idea? We're mates, love, pals! I just happen to live in her suitcase.' Ahn emotionally rebounds so quickly that she briefly looks ill. Holding her breath, she raises her hand to her head, dizzy, and quickly looks between Regulus and Vertin about six times, then straight down at the floor. "That's nice!" Ahn coughs, staring between her knees.
Distortion Dets.	"As you may or may not know, I've been in collaboration with Watch elements in the City for... I've forgotten the exact length of time, but it doesn't quite matter. Details like that are for accountants and historians. No, what's important, is that my capacity to do so has hinged upon funding and lax oversight by the Seven Association, of which, my Office is a subsidiary. That lax oversight is," Pipe-biting, voice noxiously sour, and smoke-rasped, Moses takes a quick sip of her glass before continuing. "Due to my direct overseer being a former subordinate of mine, who knows more about me and my working preferences than I'd ever tolerate. To 'maintain' these conditions, I've been given two demands. The first is immediately pressing." Moses takes a deep breath, and realizes, given the general unfamiliarity, she's got more expositing to do. "My choice of work has driven me to be perhaps the one Fixer in this City suited for investigating the 'Distortion' phenomenon. Stop me if you're familiar- no, truly, as I do hate to repeat myself. Something fundamental about the state of this world has changed, within the past year, and ushered in the chance for the humans of this City to change in strange and supernatural ways, as, from what I have witnessed, a result of the direst of straits. It's as if everything is in a state of transition, into messy, emotional chaos, no matter where I dare point my eyes- no, I'm getting sidetracked." Of behind one of the parlor's chairs, Ezra squeezes gloved-hands on the cushion-back, as if she's on-guard, somehow. "As it is what I investigate most primarily- instead of allowing me to choose my own assignments, I've been so ungraciously handed what seems to be a case of this 'Distortion' to investigate." An under-breath curse, "Were it not handed-down from above, per the job details, I'd assume nothing was to be unusual with it... but I can never be too wary, with him involved." "A corporate headquarters in the next District over, reporting trouble with their employees... I've seen similar things before, quite similar. I can't justify my bad feeling on this- but I won't step in there unsupported." A long pipe-drag, as fingernails tap at the liquor glass. "Hahh. That's the part where others factor in. I'd ask forgiveness for being long-winded, but..." The thought is lost, with another wrist-swirl of the drink. Then, only then, does Moses actually spend more than a moment looking out at the others, nose nearly wrinkled-up, trying to get any sort of a read on Regulus (who she's seen before), and Ahn, who she hasn't. Vertin is spared- whatever opinion Moses has of them, it's upheld for now.
Vantablitz Remnants	'That's nice,' Ahn can't help but sympathetically whisper "Ouch." at that one. 'As in, the currency? Hm.' And that one finally gets her back on topic; or at least looking in the right direction. Staring at Moses, dazed and blinking, Ahn wheels out "Huh? Why did you give the money a name?" on stunned autopilot. 'But forgive me for not using those links right now, you never know which line has been tapped' "Oh okay." Ahn nods, placidly accepting this as fact. Wiretapping is something that happens in American movies, where it's always a huge problem for the hardboiled detective, so that just makes sense. She thinks about asking how Moses got a landline to connect to the Watch radio, but decides that it'll just make her sound stupid if she does. Instead, she asks "What-- Ohmygosh!" Teddy bear! Ahn pops halfway out of her seat, hands clapped to her mouth, then reaching partway to touch it, then squeezed right back down into her lap as she seats herself again. "Thank you!" she says, to the bears and not YuRia. 'Due to my direct overseer being a former subordinate of mine, who knows more about me and my working preferences than I'd ever tolerate.' Now paying rapt attention, back straight against her chair, staring over the rim of a teacup as she drinks without paying attention to the flavour, Ahn remembers to blink in order to show she's paying attention, and lowers her cup enough to say, "Huh? If he's an old employee who got higher up the chain because of you, isn't it common sense to be grateful? Do you mean you're making demands of him? You mean you're calling in a favour and not . . . right?" Ahn's lips compress into an unhappy squiggle. That's not how office politics are supposed to go. Moses is totally older too. She's sure of that automatically. 'Something fundamental about the state of this world has changed, within the past year, and ushered in the chance for the humans of this City to change in strange and supernatural ways, as, from what I have witnessed, a result of the direst of straits. It's as if everything is in a state of transition' Ahn not only shuts up for the first time since getting in the room, but actually clams up so thoroughly that it's nearly disconcerting; in that it'd be charmingly comical if she looked lost or embarrassed by something, but the expression sliding right off her face and her eyes instinctively flicking towards the window is neither. If Moses wants a read, in the social and emotional sense, it can only be that Ahn is trying very hard not to think about something, and that in a state of conserving mental resources, she has defaulted to vigilant silence. 'I'd ask forgiveness for being long-winded, but...' "Mmm? No it's fine, that's what we're here for." says Ahn, defrosting her attention span once more. "The Watch. That's the point." She glances up at Moses again. Her gaze is unremarkable. "Bad feelings you can't justify are the worst kind. That means your body knows something for sure, and your brain isn't trying to trick it. It's good that you called for help. There's definitely something wrong." If there's anything strange about that, it's how firmly, and how seriously, she has just taken a near-stranger's gut intuition as gospel. The restless shiver that comes over her is nearly imperceptible.
Regulus	''You're kind of a tiny little thing.'' "And you're real tall, does that mean you had loads of snacks?" Regulus blurts ou but this isn't going to stop her from eating a bunch convenience store junk food and, sure, some sandwiches to act as a side dish for the fritos. She gives a bit of a cheeky grin as Ezra calls Vertin Top-hat, but she's not really surprised that Vertin and Moses get along. That makes sense to her from what little hse knows of the detective. ''I don't want to give that bastard his satisfaction.'' "That bastard?" Regulus asks. sHe was nodding along until that the 'that bastard' because she thought Moses was talking, in general, about 'the government'. She'd probably have difficulty consuming ''void'' but she's very determined so she'll give it her best shot. ''That's nice!'' Regulus gives Ahn a bit of an odd look. "I'll admit the suitcase is a bit odd to say but once you're inside it's actually surprisingly roomy." Some of this stuff does sound a little familiar, but Regulus doesn't stop Moses because she's busy shoving snacks into her mouth and there's enough in there that's new that she can't really say she's heard all of it before. She's reminded of what she heard about people saying about their time at L Corp over the Watch band and she grimaces. ''With him involved.'' "The bastard?" Regulus guesses. "I suppose that ''does'' sound strange. If you're already investigating Distortions on your own it's a bit odd to go 'oh and do this one too while you're at it'." Regulus takes a moment to look at YuRia's bears. From what she heard of The City she wasn't expecting ... adorable teddy bear helpers. She barely manages to resist the urge to pat one on the head, though that's mostly because she has her hands full of food.
Timekeeper	"That's nice," Well, that's fine. Vertin isn't put out by this at all; it's just a relief that the bickering isn't escalating. Ezra's friendly enough! "She's not like, your servant or anything, right? You seem way too normal." What kind of abnormal could Ahn possibly mean here? Vertin tries to consider what forms of normality she's expressed that could give off an impression that she doesn't have servants, as opposed to the implicit alternative that there's a way she could have acted that would've led Ahn to the opposite conclusion. If Sonetto was here, would Ahn have assumed that? 'Servant' is such an unpleasant word, isn't it? "She's not my servant. Regulus and I are friends." Anticipating questions coming from Regulus mentioning her suitcase, Vertin taps the suitcase beside her armchair with the back of her heel. "My suitcase is enchanted," She says, "To hold a considerable amount more space than it would otherwise. Think of it as a portal to a manor I own. I've recently established it as a Watchtower as well." "So what do you do? Like, your thing!" It's actually not unusual at all for Vertin to be mysteriously handed a food object upon someone meeting her! The fact that there's sandwiches being brought out by Ezra at the same time doesn't seem to factor into the equation when she accepts it gratefully with a "Oh, thank you." It's hard to tell which one of them is treating the other as a small stray animal more. To actually answer her question, Vertin attunes to some sort of Vibe in Ahn, and incrementally adjusts her attitude, tilting her head with her knuckles resting her under cheek, causing her hat to slide diagonal. "I'm the Timekeeper of the St. Pavlov Foundation. It's somewhat complicated to get into without diverging from Detective Moses's purpose in gathering us here, but my employers and I are working to mitigate a recurring worldwide catastrophe." "As for what I do, personally..." A small shake of her head. "Paperwork and field missions, mostly. How about yourself?" "But forgive me for not using those links right now, you never know which line has been tapped, and I don't want to give that bastard his satisfaction." Vertin can't really judge the paranoia. Especially because, "It's true, you can never be certain who's listening. I suggested that TTT search around for any digital recording programs that may be attached to the frequency, and she hasn't found anything, however. The Watch seems to take security quite seriously, if that's any reassurance." "Both, in ways." Ah, yes, the Look. Any miserable meeting begins with the same one, if it's mutually miserable rather than just one sided. The teddy bears are cute, but, not really unusual for Vertin. There's no magic powering them that she can sense, so they must just be little robots. Cool, but not her thing! On the other hand, Regulus is right there. "Those bears... are they technological?" The sidelong glance to Regulus to keep up the conversation topic is palpable. "No, what's important, is that my capacity to do so has hinged upon funding and lax oversight by the Seven Association, of which, my Office is a subsidiary. " "Ah. You have my sympathies." Vertin is in a similarly precarious position herself, only spared by the fact that hardly anyone besides Madam Z wants to take 'direct oversight' over her. To have higher-ups collaborating with her in the Foundation... it's hard to say whether it would be more or less of a comfort.
Timekeeper	"Stop me if you're familiar- no, truly, as I do hate to repeat myself." Vertin shakes her head. She takes the teacup and saucer, sipping carefully away. "I've only heard small mention here and there. Nothing comprehensive." "I'm confident in trusting your intuition on the subject." The word 'intuition' has a faintly bitter taste, but there's none other for the voice whispering in her ear either. "With your history with that overseer, do you have any idea of what sort of trouble you could expect to face? Lethal, or inconvenient? Is the animosity between you mutual enough that an assignment could be arranged to get rid of you, would that outcome be a happy accident, or do you believe you're indispensible to them?"
Vantablitz Remnants	'She's not my servant. Regulus and I are friends.' Ahn nods, affirmative with her mouth tightly shut. Her hands are still squeezed down in her lap. That's good! It's not that weird! 'I'll admit the suitcase is a bit odd to say but once you're inside it's actually surprisingly roomy.' 'My suitcase is enchanted...Think of it as a portal to a manor I own. I've recently established it as a Watchtower as well.' ". . . Oh!" Ahn exhales, with some relief, and slumps forward a few degrees in her chair. 'but my employers and I are working to mitigate a recurring worldwide catastrophe.' Ahn smiles, finally, but it seems like a little bit of a strained one; fatigued not by forcing the appearance of sympathy in its absence, but by familiarity. "It must feel great to be able to do something about it." she says. It's a little . . . 'off'. Like the movie skipped and fast-forwarded through several of her lines. "I'm sure it's difficult, and maybe you feel like it's not a lot, but it has to be a lot better than nothing, right?" Her eyes look a little more grey than they already were before. Like the followup question took something out of her. "I help out around the village I guess. Research and cartography, if I have to name something else." <<Ah. My head's itching again. That's no good.>>
Timekeeper	"It must feel great to be able to do something about it." Vertin's eyes study Ahn for a few seconds. It's impossible to read much off of her face, which probably makes the stare uncomfortable, but that's just the way she is; her voice is sympathetic when she speaks. "Is your world unwell also?" A small shake of her head. "It's my mission above everything else to do anything I can to see the world through the Storm. However little I can save from each era... you're right, that each success is worth it. Regulus's era ended just several months ago, and it was only by a razor's edge that she survived it at all, on a gamble I took when I had no other choice. If I have my way, I'll save more each time." "Research and cartography, if I have to name something else." Sensing the downturn in Ahn's energy, Vertin decides to leave following up on that to later. They're here for Moses, anyways! If Vertin said something wrong, or if Ahn's work is a touchy subject, or she's got her own troubles back in her world, Vertin can't know which, but maybe she'll figure it out later. "I'll be looking forwards to working with you in the future, then."
Distortion Dets.	'My suitcase is enchanted to hold a considerable amount more space than it would otherwise.' At first, that's a normal statement here- it's normal for containers to get bigger on the inside, there's a dozen brands and varieties of that around every neck of the woods in the City. But, for that type of function, more magical, and extravagant, that gets YuRia's aggro. "Show it to me," Vertin hears, uncomfortably close, from YuRia leaning over their shoulder from behind the chair. "Go on, open it up- wait, hold on a second," She pauses, and slides tiny goggles over her eyes, then gives Vertin's shoulder a little pat- "Okay, now! How's it work? What type of house is in it? You know, I've got something pretty similar myself, oh- the name's YuRia, Workshop Meister, it's good to meet you! So? Don't keep a girl waiting, let me see it! If you've made it into a whole safehouse, that's not something you can just tease and not follow up on, hmm!" "I've got an ongoing project with this sort of item, you know! I'll tell you about it someday..." A few of her bears cluster, climbing up her, to look over her shoulder as she looks over Vertin's. "Mine's the basement right now," Not 'in', "-Oh, but Moses won't want me to distract... hm! We can be quiet!" "No-ope! Forbidden, gotta hear the Detective out!" "Psh, says who?" "Eh- says me, your senior here, even the Detective says you've gotta listen sometimes-" Fingers snap, and both Ezra and YuRia shush up, as Moses gives them a Stare. "Behave." Both nod, and go back to staring daggers at one another. 'Those bears... are they technological' "Nope, they're me. Poke 'em and it's all fluff, see?" She pops scissors out of a dress-pouch, and cuts the seam on one- it poses, demonstrating its construction, before it starts to tie itself closed again. Huh??? 'Huh? If he's an old employee who got higher up the chain because of you, isn't it common sense to be grateful? ' "He should be grateful to me that he's still alive- for more reasons than can be counted, truly. No, no, that's how it would be in a perfect world, but this one, I'm afraid it's rotten nearly-through. He played a game of politic beyond my interest, and it's me who pays for that- I couldn't say if it is pride, or envy, but it's clear he learned lessons from me I'd never wish now to teach. Oh, how I hate his smug gaze-" A ragged cough stops her in her tracks. "No, no, that's another thing. In truth... he's somewhat of a puppet. As for who pulls those strings..." Pipe to her lips, slow-drag. She does not get back to that thought. 'The bastard?' "Call him that another time. I like how you say it." Moses exhales, the closest thing to a laugh she'll give.
Distortion Dets.	'Is the animosity between you mutual enough that an assignment could be arranged to get rid of you, would that outcome be a happy accident, or do you believe you're indispensible to them?' Moses stays staring for a solid few seconds at that wide, unblinking moon-like eye, the wispy clouds moving slow-motion- at Vertin's face. "I'm certain that he holds no intention to have me killed. That has no bearing on potential danger, of course, but if he could make such a call, he'd do it, and only come to gloat once my throat is cut." Moses pauses for a second, and puts the drink down. Maybe she's had enough of that for now. "Mm. No, that brings me to the second point- I saved it for last, because the detail, yes, just one, that I have, is that a meeting has been scheduled to discuss my 'reassignment'. I am, to be quite honest, far more concerned with what that will entail than an abrupt and insisted-on mission. For a decade, I've built a life back up from nothing. For shorter, I've tolerated the conditions here, in this Nest, I've kept Ezra well, here, and I've formed the reputation I want, but as to whether what this turmoil brings, I can't yet say if it can be but one more thing to weather." "And yet, I'm bound to see it through. I need to see my work through in this City, to get to the bottom of this phenomenon. There are people who keep eyes on me, who could put a stop to this all, should I not dance to their tunes, no matter how maddening it is..." Moses pinches the bridge of her nose. "No matter. What will come, will come."
Regulus	''...That she survived it at all...'' Since Regulus's stubborness is one of Regulus's best qualities she's going to pretend that Regulus's stubborness didn't almost get Regulus reversed. Instead she says, "I guess it just goes to show you that sometimes trying something weird or desperate at the last moment seizes the progress you've been looking for." ''Cartography'' "Cartography...! That's incredible, I'd love to hear more about that sometime!" Regulus adds. She's had enough of snacks for now so her hands move to doing air guitaring as she makes 'bowww wowww' noises with her mouth. ''Go on, open it up-'' "Woah you can't just ask a girl to open up her suitcase like that..!" Though she's actually kind of thrilled by this because she's kind of hella interested in the suitcase's operations herself. "Oh you're a Workshop Meister, though? I guess it's fine then." Regulus might be getting a little too comfortable with the suitcase as 'her home' lately... "It actually gets electricity somehow!" Regulus adds. "You gotta wonder how it does that, right??" ''Behave.'' Regulus looks a bit disappointed but doesn't argue. ''The bears...ARE ME.'' "...Uh." Regulus says. "...You're both bear and lady?" YuRiaKuma...! ''Call him that another time. I like how you say it.'' Maybe Moses speaks Vertin's language TOO well because Regulus is immediately eager to please. "The bastard...!" She says, even shaking her fist a little bit. She is nothing if not willing to join in talking shit about someone she's never met who seems like a tool for the purpose of cheerleading an ally. ''If he could make such a call...'' Regulus quirks her head. "...So he can boss you around and throw you into danger but he can't just get you killed cause he wants to get you killed." She wonders if that's Association policy or something. She supposes if every boss could just throw their subordinates' lives away whenever they wanted, that could quickly become real problematic if half of the grumbling she heard about this world is real. As Regulus listens to Moses more, she is starting to consciously get some Vertin vibes here. Both two people with a singular ability leaving them singularly suitable for dealing with some disasterous phenomena with no clear solution. "Reassignment... And I guess you can't just say no?" Regulus frowns. Having a job seems rough.
Vantablitz Remnants	'Is your world unwell also?' Somehow, Ahn doesn't really know how to respond to that. The same smile still stuck on her face, she tilts her head to oe side, far enough for her fluffy if-still-lazy ponytail to escape down her shoulder, and says "That's such an odd question. What does a healthy world look like?" 'Regulus's era ended just several months ago, and it was only by a razor's edge that she survived it at all, on a gamble I took when I had no other choice. If I have my way, I'll save more each time.' Bit by bit, Ahn seems to come to. Focusing on the present enough to realize that Vertin isn't talking in the grand abstract, but about events that they were there for, recent and probably raw. Her smile finally shifts towards the realm of apologetic. "Sorry. I'm being weird. Who'd think it's nice to have to do something like that?" she says, and shakes her head; then she decides to be more serious about it, clapping both hands to her cheeks and taking a big breath. "I don't think it's my place to say if the world is better or worse just because it'sdifferent. All I know is that change is scary and it's hard to not want to help if you can. I hope everything gets better for you. Oh, and Regulus!" 'Show it to me' Ahn jumps in her seat. Now she's right back to looking quietly overwhelmed. "A-ah, and you even made a new friend too! Right away! You'll do great, Vertin!" she says, a little shakily. And only barely doesn't clap for the teddybear posing. She has to squeeze her thighs against her hands to keep them in place. 'No, no, that's how it would be in a perfect world, but this one, I'm afraid it's rotten nearly-through.' Her face falls a little at Moses. Her eyes lower, but no further than the detective's mouth. "That's how it would be in a normal world, Miss Moses." Ahn says. Even sitting in that posture, she projects the words just fine. "That's not because of your dharma or something. It means he's a disappointment." 'the detail, yes, just one, that I have, is that a meeting has been scheduled to discuss my 'reassignment'.' Ahn frowns. This is different from freezing up, because she's actually expressing her dissatisfaction, and looking thoughtful about it too. "So, you're allowed to bring assistants or bodyguards, right? If you aren't, then we're going to have to sneak there. If someone was gonna kill you, they wouldn't even make up an assignment or anything; they'd just do it once they got you there alone." she says, fairly level-headed about it, all things considered. "A mission is one thing. We can just come along and help you complete it. It sounds like you're more worried about the reassignment to me." <<And why wouldn't she be? As long as you have your home, your purpose, and a lead, everything else is just something to get through. Starting all over again . . . Giving up and leaving and starting all over again like nothing happened at all would just be-->> Ahn scrunches her eyes shut and holds her breath as Moses talks, only to suddenly give up partway through. Succumbing to some kind of compulsive habit, she wrenches one of her hands free from her lap and digs her fingernails into her scalp, visibly agitated, scratching roughly at a spot above and behind her ear; just under where she's woven or pinned another fresh lotus blossom in the usual place; her fingers get under the petals.
Vantablitz Remnants	'No matter. What will come, will come.' "No no no I get it I get it." Ahn rambles back, twitching eyelashes betraying two dozen rapidly failed attempts to look at her. "It's too import and and moving isn't an option so we'll take care of it. We'll handle it. It's-- nnnnn--" Ahn forces her eyes open, breathes out, and lets her hand back down again. Curling her fingernails between her lips, then seemingly resisting the urge to bite, the little moment of frenzy passes, and everything goes back to normal. "Don't act like you've already given up like that, okay? What's going to come is what all of us can do together." 'Cartography...! That's incredible, I'd love to hear more about that sometime!' Ahn smiles sheepishly. "It's not that exciting. I just have a lot of free time and I live pretty far away."
Timekeeper	"Show it to me," Vertin blinks in surprise at YuRia's sudden appearance, but... this is how it goes! This must be YuRia's thing, and so Vertin sees this as an opportunity to farm positive emotional rep with someone who otherwise is disinterested in allowing that to be an option. She bends over to pick up the suitcase, unclasping it and flipping it open. It's a little too big to fit comfortably on her lap, so it's an awkward balancing act to keep it from tilting over. "I won't be able to show you the inside without interrupting the Detective, so it'll have to wait until after. But the incantation...." The interior of the suitcase, when she opens it up, is just pitch black space scattered with stars. Upon saying the incantation, in a language that evades the Understanding and slides around phonemes in a garbled mess, the stars inside arrange themselves into the silhouette of a stairway down. "Ne iru milde en tion bonan nocton." "I've got an ongoing project with this sort of item, you know! I'll tell you about it someday..." Vertin smiles at Yuria, pleased with herself that she's gone from 'that's nice' to this. "It's an art deco style manor, with space to house around one hundred people if I were to strain its capacities to the maximum. I've mostly decorated it myself over the years, aside from the basic construction of the building itself-- there's space for a greenhouse, Watch-related storage in the basement, individual flats and accompanying living necessities such as electricity and kitchens... it's an entire production." And now, for the final deathblow. "It has an entire slew of arcane properties I'm hoping to learn more about, actually. If you're an expert, I'd be happy to hear about your project and show you mine in more detail when we have the chance." "When we have the chance, of course." Vertin reiterates, to reassure Moses, with a small smile on her face. "Nope, they're me. Poke 'em and it's all fluff, see?" "Is that so?" Vertin doesn't know what this means at all, and she watches YuRia butcher one of the bears with distant interest. She has done her research, though, but even though the concept of 'EGO' floats by her mind, it's way too abstract to link to this. "Is that typical for the City, or are you a special case?" "In truth... he's somewhat of a puppet. As for who pulls those strings..." Vertin quietly sips her tea while Moses rants. She's not unhappy with the unmitigated vitriol spewing out of her mouth at all, and if anything, she's pretty sympathetic to what's clearly a very emotionally taxing position for Moses to be in, but she's not really able to summon up any emotion in reponse. "Mm. No, that brings me to the second point- I saved it for last, because the detail, yes, just one, that I have, is that a meeting has been scheduled to discuss my 'reassignment'." Vertin tilts her head to the side, looking intently at Moses. "Do you feel that it's likely that 'reassignment' will uproot you? From the Seven Association, or perhaps from the Watch?" That 'one who pulls the strings' is implicitly present in Vertin's question. "If it's possible, I'm willing to provide whatever preemptive measures you think are appropriate to mitigate that so that you can continue your work."
Regulus	''It's not that exciting.'' "Well... ''I'' think it's exciting. I have to imagine in a multiverse where new worlds are showing up all the time, cartography is even more important now than ever before!" Her eyes sparkle with interest. "I'm certainly real interested in seeing how many seas we're up to now... One day I'll have a ship again and it'll be really important...! Though if APPLe were here he'd probably be able to get real technical with the verbage." Regulus can understand technical terms and the like, of course, but if she's too obvious about what she knows she might be mistaken for a nerd instead of the ultra cool rocking dj that she is so she'll just have to underplay it. A floating apple comes out of the suitcase. "Oh, Miss Vertin," He says, mistaking this as a summons or maybe even a ten pull. "Did you have something you needed?" "First Mate!" Regulus exclaims. "Captain...!" APPLe responds. Regulus and APPLe hold hands and do a little dance together. Regulus is still seated, but she's still wiggling about like she's grooving. "Woah--you don't think it could go that far, do you Vertin?" She bobs her head furiously. Preventive measures!
Timekeeper	"What does a healthy world look like?" There's only normal smiles between Ahn and Vertin. Distant, rather than strained, Vertin's faint smile back is proof neither of them know how to respond to each other. "I suppose I wouldn't know. Nevermind, then." "I hope everything gets better for you. Oh, and Regulus!" "Thank you. I'll be continuing to work hard." After a few seconds, Vertin uncrosses and then recrosses her legs, having gradually tensed her way out of the lounging position she started in until she was sitting fully upright. "I don't think anything you said was weird, for what it's worth. It's smart to take comfort in the work you can do." "That's not because of your dharma or something." The prompt for 'are you Buddhist?' appears in Vertin's mind, but she lets the response time out without saying it. It'd sound exactly the same as 'are you British', but less defensible. The mention of a 'normal' world so soon after Ahn's comment about healthy worlds catches her attention, but she doesn't say anything about that either. "Did you have something you needed?" "Ah, hello, APPLe." Vertin isn't surprised when a floating apple pops up off of the suitcase in her lap and begins dancing with Regulus, though she is a little apologetic. It's only a little bit, though, mostly she's just fondly smiling at the pair. "No, I only meant to show the suitcase to YuRia here. Sorry for disturbing you." You can hear the capitalized R. "Woah--you don't think it could go that far, do you Vertin?" "If it could, I'd like to be as prepared as possible."
Regulus	APPLe, having sympathetic resonance to names that have strangely positioned capitalizations, tilts his body a bit as if bowing. "A pleasure to meet you, madam." He says to YuRia. "It is no problem at all. I had just finished up today's crossword and organized the records alphabetically by artist, disregarding words such as 'the' for consistency's sake."
Distortion Dets.	'If you're an expert, I'd be happy to hear about your project and show you mine in more detail when we have the chance.' A promise to get her hands dirty with the suitcase at a later date is almost as good as now- "Hmmmm, okay. Pencil me in when you can!" She gives Vertin another pat on the shoulder, and detaches from hovering over her. Off on her own, she tries (and fails) to pen down a rough assessment of the words Vertin used to open it, doubling-back, crossing over scribbles, and trying to fill in blanks, overall completely perplexed (and thus, interested). 'Is that typical for the City, or are you a special case?' "Oh, not at all! I'm just that special and unique, just one-of-two to get this strange, far as I've found, and," Raising a hand up to the side of her mouth to stage whisper, "You've been chatting with the other, actually-" "Mm." Moses' noise comes with a Stare, but, while YuRia does stop talking, she truly does not look concerned at that overstep of Moses' privacy. As Apple floats up out of the suitcase, a teddy bear waves at him- and another pounces at him, like he's a floating balloon. YuRia makes no comment. 'That's how it would be in a normal world, Miss Moses.' "Mm." Moses's fingers tap at the metal end of her pipe, as she holds it. "You'll have to forgive me, then. I've never quite known one." 'So, you're allowed to bring assistants or bodyguards, right?' "I don't plan to ask, I'll be bringing who I do regardless. If this is an elaborate plot to have me killed... well, that would be unfortunate to follow along with." Moses coughs. "I've taken the liberty to already cash in favors owed to me by some other Offices I've worked alongside- a personal friend of mine negotiated a way in to perform an additional level of assessment on the job to which I've been handed, so, in a near day, I'll have a slightly better understanding. I'll follow up on that when I can, of course." 'It sounds like you're more worried about the reassignment to me.' "Yes, I suppose that's true." A sigh, like Moses is measurably deflating. "It's funny how that works." 'Do you feel that it's likely that 'reassignment' will uproot you?' Moses blows pipesmoke out, slow and tired. "Without saying more than I'd like, I have ideas as to where I may be pulled, but not what I'll be torn from. You know what they say, though- prepare for the worst." No second part of that statement. "My work will continue, if I continue, at the very least. Still, I've too much fondness for comfort to enjoy uncertainty like this, less so when it involves the well-being of those under my care." Ezra shifts how she's standing, her first motion in long minutes. Even her breathing has been hard to notice. 'If it's possible, I'm willing to provide whatever preemptive measures...' Moses', again, pinches the bridge of her nose. Muttered, "You're too young to be talking that way, younger still to do so honestly... No, no matter. I'll no doubt be reviewing options and plans with my office until trouble knocks at our door again, you won't be discounted as a resource. That's all I can say for now." "Ezra? YuRia? Put on another pot of tea- I need something to clear my head a bit." With that shift, it's quite clear Moses is considering this meeting concluded- not evicting others, but going back to her ruminations, as she was at the start.
Vantablitz Remnants	'It's an art deco style manor, with space to house around one hundred people' Well now Ahn just feels kind of put out. Vertin described hers as a manor. And she can carry it around in a suitcase, too. Not that Ahn ever makes much effort to make the place nicer than she found it, but that's not for lack of wanting to! She'll get it presentable one day! Today in fact! Right when she gets back! It's been long enough! This is a sign! Her mind is set! Of course she won't actually, but the feeling of resolution buoys her enough to finally tear her eyes away from the suitcase full of swirling stars. 'I don't think anything you said was weird, for what it's worth. It's smart to take comfort in the work you can do.' "That's a relief." Ahn tries to laugh. "I'm not that practised at talking to people, so sometimes things that sound normal in my head come out too fast to realize they'll sound weird as words." She succeeds the second time. "I'm sure it's better, feeling like you're part of the solution, instead of just . . . tossed around by the waves, right?" 'in a near day, I'll have a slightly better understanding. I'll follow up on that when I can, of course.' "Oh, do you need my--?" Ahn begins to say, then blushes when she clearly remembers they share the Watch frequency. She coughs into a loose fist. "K-keep me informed. Then." 'Well... ''I'' think it's exciting. I have to imagine in a multiverse where new worlds are showing up all the time, cartography is even more important now than ever before!' Ahn raises both of her hands; palms out, defensively; and leans back in her seat. "W-whoa, I'm not making maps of whole worlds! That's crazy!" she replies hastily. "There's already tons to still explore closer to home!" 'Oh, Miss Vertin' Ahn's eyes suddenly shoot wide open. She'd intended to yelp or scream at first, judging by the way her lips froze just as she looked down; instead, she's leapt out of her chair, reached under one side of her jacket, and ripped out an offbrand ka-bar before she could so much as blink. Pupils dilated, fingertips trembling, heart rate so elevated that it's actually audible, Ahn stares at APPLe for at least three seconds longer than it should take anyone at all to perceive a funny little guy in a tie, and the finally eases her weight off her back foot, breathing back out shakily, when Regulus jumps in to start doing a little dance. 'It is no problem at all. I had just finished up today's crossword and organized the records alphabetically by artist, disregarding words such as 'the' for consistency's sake.' Curling her empty hand up against her forehead, Ahn presses the bridge of her nose down into her thumb, exhales a shuddery wheeze of frustration, then forcefully sits right back down, snapping the knife back into its upside-down holster and tugging her jacket back over her chest. She presses the heel of her curled fists into her thighs, and stares intently out the window until she calms down. 'You're too young to be talking that way, younger still to do so honestly...' "If you get picky about age, you'll only get old fogeys too set in their ways to want to do anything." Ahn says. Ostensibly, she's being cautioning, or chiding, but her tone falls flat while she won't break sight from the window to actually look at Moses. "The earlier we can start preparing, the better. That's true no matter how old you are."