Scene #8804: Yes, Fox, There Is Power In A Union!

Owner	Pose
Angela	Fox already is engaging in some dangerous behavior by talking to Berislav about unions to begin with and now he is engaging in dangerous behavior again by inviting Father Berislav out to The City proper, getting a Outsider's Traveler's Passes with funds no doubt supplied to him from Chesed for the UFO Gang though he suggested strongly that non-human passing members of the gang might want to skip out on this particular meeting because The City is considerably xenophobic and he cannot predict how The City would treat Outsiders who aren't human. But the Day Pass will likely pass muster for anyone not clearly non-humanoid (Unzan). He explains to anyone who is a bit 'off' from normal human that any extra bits are just prosthetics. He has agreed to meet up with Father Berislav in a seedy looking dive bar in District L called Ale and Ambrosia. He has gone alone and has given the excuse to lob Corp that this is a strategy meeting to ask about the Titanomachia. He did NOT bring his EGO Gear--the EGO Gear is a company secret. He's not even supposed to be in the City proper. 5rSo he's just wearing a normal suit and tie with some black slacks. He doesn't have the armband and he isn't even wearing glasses. And he's utterly unarmed. The bar itself isn't entirely empty though Fox picked a booth to sit in that's far away from anyone else. A man with a bamboo hat sits by the window, openly carrying a sword at his side and nursing a cup of rice wine.
Father Berislav	Berislav enters the dive in a black turtleneck matched with pressed burgundy slacks and a gold waistcoat. Fox isn't hard to find, even if he's far from any other seating arrangements or patrons. The priest looks very much human, and in his admittedly sharp casual wear he probably draws less attention than in his priestly habit. A silver cross dangles from his neck, the only hint as to his calling. "Hello, Fox," he greets, as he slides into the booth. "I hope you're well." After the pleasantry is given, he inclines his head slightly backwards, motioning with the gesture towards the figure sat by the window. "Does the City allow weapons to be openly carried like that?" he asks, more softly than his greeting.
UFO Gang	BEFORE THE TRIP TO THE DIVE BAR Unzan makes an enormous :( which turns into a QoQ and leads to a silent hug with Ichirin, which seems to aid his feelings. "Hm, I see," says Shou Toramaru. "It's alright. Nazrin and I will be pleased to bear witness, and perhaps to serve as an outside perspective, and intermediary..." Nazrin opens her mouth. There is silence. Nazrin closes her mouth. Shou nods at her. NOW, AT THE DIVE BAR Shou (as usual, wearing a dark coat over her usual garments) and Nazrin (same as always, sullen) shuffle in a reasonable amount of time after the Father. Nazrin gives the man with the samurai sword a long, dubious look. Shou smiles at Fox, and bows her head. "I wish you the same," Shou says, before moving to seat herself in the immediate area. Berislav's question interests her, but she doesn't seem to have an elaboration on it!
Odette Raskins	Berislav isn't the only one showing up to meet with Fox at that seedy dive bar today. Odette shows up as well, coming in just close enough behind the priest that it'd be easy to mistake her as someone following him, but just far enough that she could have taken a seat nearby without looking too fishy about it. She's dressed in a gray jumpsuit with faded beige overalls that look like they might very well be older than she is, and she has a matching cap on that would almost make her look entirely drab if not for her hair still being an almost too-vibrant orange. At least she's got it all wrapped up in a high bun, so it's not flapping arund all over the place. Unlike Fox, she's still got glasses on, but just regular reading glasses instead of her flashier work set. Sliding into a nearby booth, Odette sets her messenger bag (also old and beige as heck) towards the inside wall with herself on the outside before leaning back into her seat. "What's the...? Oh. Um. H-hi. I'm with..." She half-murmurs to those in the booth, tapping her head once on the back of her seat as though that's supposed to be understood somehow. She pauses to gawk at Shou and Nazrin for a moment from the side, trying not to make it too obvious that she's trying to figure out what they're wearing without staring right at them. "What's the... Um. Easiest order they have here? Eggs, toast, bacon?"
Hibiki Tachibana	THEN: Perfect. A strategy meeting about the Titanomachia. NOW: Wait, this isn't a strategy meeting about the Titanomachia at all. This is about unionizing and worker's rights! Unfortunately, Hibiki is already on her way, so she might as well see it through - it's not like she /shouldn't/ learn more about the City and the conditions at Lobotomy Corporation when she has the opportunity. Fortunately, she operates on very simple concepts as a person, so there's no doubt at all something like this could only go well. A little after the others have already made their entrance, she steps in as well, hands in her pockets and glancing around the dimly lit space of the bar. Jacket, shorts and all as per usual, which isn't especially standout in a place like this. Probably for the better. "Hey, Fox. ...You look different without glasses." Finding a seat of her own, in an adjacent booth to the one that Berislav and Fox are occupying, Hibiki matches the looks off towards the hatted individual off in their own corner of the building. She furrows her brow and tilts her head, going down to the blade at their side, and then their choice of drink. "Is that...?" Her brow furrows further, seemingly speaking to herself. "...Does the City... have its own version of an old Japan...?" Can she remember seeing anyone ever dressed close to that from here?
Angela	EARLIER "What's the deal with her?" The City Agent who amounts to a border control agent asks of Nazrin. "Custom audial bio-augmentation. Specs aren't above regulation." "...And the tail?" "Thought it would look cute. We're on official Wing business so unless you want to accuse us of something--" The Warp Gate agent says, "O-oh no. No it's fine. Just curious. Go on through. Your pass is only for 24 hours--watch your step. If you get kidnapped and stay past your time it's not our problem." Hibiki gets different treamtent too, despite appearing human. The agent whistles. "Specs are off the chart. Not our job to police augmentations but don't draw too much attention to yourself." Berislav and Odette pass through without comment or incident. NOW Nazrin takes a long look at the bamboo hatted individual. The bamboo hatted individual sips at his wine. he says, softly, "Shrewdness can be poison in excess," seemingly to Nazrin but he doesn't comment any further. "Yeah?" Fox asks Hibiki on his glasses. "I'm actually still wearing contacts but I can't take the glasses outside of L Corp." ''Does the City...have its own version of an old Japan?'' "Can't really say for sure, but District 19 seems to share a lot of similarities from what I've looked into on Japan. Sorry my research is still ongoing. Nobody here knows what 'Japan' is if they haven't explored the multiverse, though." The bamboo hatted man does not answer beyond dipping his head lightly, the bamboo hat wholly covering his face. ''Does the City allow weapons...'' "There's some places that don't want 'em strutted about like this but a dump like this isn't gonna bother with a rule like that. It ain't common to bar weapons considering what the City's like." To the comments wishing him well, he gives a small one shouldered shrug and he says, "I appreciate your advice on the matter of the union before but there's another problem--how we get our demands heard. I can't get the whole facility to make demands with me and I can't be sure Disciplinary won't just cut us down."
Father Berislav	Um. H-hi. "Hello, Odette," Berislav warmly greets. "It's good to see you getting your feet wet, as it were. I know it can seem overwhelming, at first--I certainly felt that way when I first got involved." After a pause, "As an aside, if you ever want a sympathetic ear or a place to talk about the challenges of our work, I'm happy to make the time." Berislav's back is to Hibiki, necessarily given the seat he'd taken. But she still gets a greeting, too. "Hello, Hibiki," he says, looking over his shoulder, as warm and polite as ever despite their disagreement that day on the Train and after. "I'm glad that you're here. You as well, Nazrin, Shou." Unzan was probably too conspicuous--poor guy. I can't get the whole facility to make demands with me and I can't be sure Disciplinary won't just cut us down. Berislav nods, his hands folded neatly atop the table. "In the first case, you don't need to. The union represents the interests of the workers, even if not every individual worker is a part of it. A strong first showing will be enough to start building the numbers you'd need for leverage." "If need be, I can provide a release mechanism for some of the early pressures the company will put on you. As for the Disciplinary department..." Berislav sighs through his nose. "I've had the pleasure of meeting Gebura, recently. You're right to be concerned," he admits. "But if we move swiftly and together, we'll also move decisively. Depending on how many you have, or think you can muster, there are ways to exert the will of the workers which the Disciplinary department can't obviate. Give me a rough estimate, if you would."
UFO Gang	EARLIER: Nazrin looks smug at the border-authority's explanation. "Don't worry about me," she tells the agent, regarding her risk of abduction. Then she saunters off. Perhaps this attitude towards authority is one of Nazrin's charm points... Or she's just, you know, DIFFICULT. HERE THO: Shou and Nazrin look at Odette. Shou smiles, gently. Nazrin does not. Shou offers, "Eggs are simple to cook." She may not, quite, get the whole 'bacon' idea. "It's the dose," Nazrin answers the behatted figure, "that makes the poison." "Discipline is as all things," Shou says in echo of what Berislav does: "To be too lax or too strict is unwise. The true strength and steadiness of purpose is found in walking a path in between those extremes... and perhaps it may aid you to remember 'the Middle Path' in your words, even if you may strive otherwise, with your deeds." "You should do stuff they can't just beat down," Nazrin opines, mousily. "... I don't know what," Nazrin concludes when Shou looks at her. "Put signs on those - you know - the things."
Odette Raskins	"I can't take the glasses outside of L Corp." Odette nods knowingly, glancing aside once before leaning out of her booth with her messenger bag. "I get it. Don't worry. There's a lot of things..." She trails off, just showing the inside of the bag to Fox (and everyone else) while revealing, among other things, a far fancier-looking pair of glasses with bright blue accents that don't look anything like the ones she's wearing now. "...Does the City... have its own version of an old Japan...?" "Nobody here knows what 'Japan' is if they haven't explored the multiverse, though." "Is there more than one? Huh... Wait. Is New Japan not like that?" Her gaze drifts from Hibiki and Fox over towards the guy with the bamboo hat. She looks genuinely confused, then quickly turns away when she realizes she's staring. "Hello, Odette . . . if you ever want a sympathetic ear or a place to talk about the challenges of our work, I'm happy to make the time." "Yeah? I-I mean... Yes! Er. Thanks, Fa-um. Sir." Close one. She almost blew his cover! Odette glances around briefly, then continues. "It's a lot to take in, but... I'll just learn by doing, and if that means keeping anyone from getting hurt more than they need to, even better. R-right?" She chuckles awkwardly, rubbing the back of her wrist briefly before nodding once quickly. "That's... I-I'd appreciate that, mhm. Thanks!" "I can't get the whole facility to make demands with me and I can't be sure Disciplinary won't just cut us down." "I've had the pleasure of meeting Gebura, recently. You're right to be concerned." This is where Odette's both confident and completely lacking in experience. Sucking in a bit of air through her teeth, she muffles a quiet noise before leaning back in her seat. "Do you... Um The union. Are any of you in positions that the Corporation couldn't afford to just do a... To execute people like that?" She shudders briefly, considering what Berislav implies about Gebura, but the look in her eyes suggests that she's not discounting the possibility even a little. "Or.. I-is there anyone you could get a hold that could prevent it, too? Allies higher up in management, or..." She trails off, looking hesitant to finish that thought out loud even though the growing discomfort about whatever she's thinking about is rather apparent. "Eggs are simple to cook." If someone else is agreeing, then that's probably a safe bet! Odette nods quickly and flashes Shou a polite smile, and Nazrin's lack of smiling has her gaze slowly drifting away to avoid making things even more awkward. "Eggs it is. Wonder if they're any different here compared to anywhere else." That means ordering some eggs. One set fried, one set scrambled, and whatever the cheapest drink is to help wash it down in case it's not that good.
Hibiki Tachibana	Specs are off the chart. Not our job to police augmentations but don't draw too much attention to yourself. "...Ah... yeah, thanks. I'll be careful not to." If she gets that during customs, she doesn't want to imagine someone like Persephone or Hiromi coming here... ... Can't really say for sure, but District 19 seems to share a lot of similarities from what I've looked into on Japan. "Huh..." Rumininating on this, as well as how much of a difference glasses can really make, Hibiki has a long glance at the bamboo-hatted individual before shifting her focus away again, right as they dip their head. "...The City really does have all sorts, huh?" That's one easy path to learning more about this place at large - something familiar. Is New Japan not like that? "N-New Japan...? I mean..." Hibiki isn't sure where to start. "No, it's more like, uh... stuff like that is from hundreds of years ago... at least where I'm from. I mean, some people still sort of go for that kind of aesthetic. R-Rarely. But the Multiverse is... you know..." Time. But all that's for later. Right now, she half-turns in her booth to vaguely nod towards Berislav, even though his back is turned. They've had their vehement disagreements. They've also aligned on plenty. She's listening. And listening. And listening. Demands that need to be heard, and a (very valid) threat of Gebura just putting a violent end to everything if it becomes too much trouble. She's with them so far. Hibiki Tachibana, veteran Watch agent and terrorist, does not, in fact, know what a union is offhand. "Well..." You can hear her brain working overtime already. "...just like he said, it'd be best to do things in a way that just beating you up wouldn't do anything to fix - or just not do it in a way that'd make it turn into a fight like that in the first place. Yeah?" "Gebura is just the leader of one department, isn't she? If you had at least one of the other Sephirah who felt the same way you did or was willing to vouch for you, that'd give you a lot of ground to stand on... at least, I'd think so." Lobotomy Corporation is not a normal corporation. "...What kind of demands are you looking to make, Fox?"
Angela	Fox, thankfully, is unaware that Hibiki doesn't know what a union is. He wouldn't be aghast at this because so far the only person who ever mentioned the idea of a union to Lobotomy Corp is Berislav himself. He also forgot to mention anything about the food but he does say, "Yeah, omelets are good here. No human flesh in a place like this either, if Chewie got you worried." The bamboo hatted man dips his hat towards Nazrin, as if in agreement but continues to keep to himself. He continues to exist but seems to overall be a patient man. Fox continues, "A lot of folks I talked to are on the fence. People just don't make these kinds of waves here." He draws out a cigarette and lights it, taking in a deep drag "It's not a bad idea. Netzach and Chesed are down for this, at least. But no way Hokma or Binah would, or Malkuth or Tiphereth... Maybe Yesod but that's all I really can hope for." He blows smoke out to the ceiling. "Gebura is the big problem, though. Yeah, she is one Sephirah...but she could take out the whole facility on her own if she wanted to. If we get into a real fight, she definitely will take us down even if she doesn't flense us into a thin red paste."
Angela	Fox considers if anybody on the team is indespensible. "Parker is an agent up for this but she is... Well she's probably the most indispensible I've got with me on this." He gives Berislav a small nod. "Not too many people are keen on working Extraction. Yuri... supports us but isn't going to do anything dangerous. And there's some work we can't NOT do without just putting everyone at risk..." "But...We are Welfare. We run the medical facilities. And everyone in Welfare is on board. I figure we can just...not fix folks up. Do it slow. Only do the bare minimum of Works--LobCorp's weakness is that they have a quota they have to meet." Bamboo Hatted Kim is looking(?) at Hibiki wordlessly. "As for demands... I want to have a deadline for when we can go back into the City...And I want to convince them to not send us to deal with Titanomachia. Not until Petra's mech is dealt with. I've seen what it did to Rose...we are the worst person for that job. This isn't about money, its about doing my job and looking out for the WELFARE of my fellow agents." "Signs?" He asks Nazrin.
Father Berislav	You should do stuff they can't just beat down. "My thoughts exactly, Nazrin," Berislav agrees with a bright smile. I-is there anyone you could get a hold that could prevent it, too? "I could," Berislav says. "While I'm not certain I could win against her and her team, I'm confident I could make violence against the workers prohibitively expensive for her. However..." It'd be best to do things in a way that just beating you up wouldn't do anything to fix - or just not do it in a way that'd make it turn into a fight like that in the first place. Berislav nods in agreement with Hibiki, gesturing towards her with a backwards motion of his head. "'Violence against the workers' is our worst case scenario. It would demand retributive action. Given that the company's aim is ultimately for a fairer, kinder City, rather than simple profit motive, our options in that regard are limited. It's not as if Ayin or Angela have an oil field in Kuwait or an orbital gas extractor in the Sol system we could liberate to make a point." I figure we can just...not fix folks up. Do it slow. Only do the bare minimum of Works--LobCorp's weakness is that they have a quota they have to meet. Turning to face Fox again, he poses a question. "Have you heard of 'malicious compliance,' Fox? It's a form of resistance where workers follow regulations strictly to the letter, even and especially when those regulations hurt more than help the company. The strategy is particularly effective as an opening play; it establishes that the workers aren't as powerless as they may seem, without doing anything overtly punishable. 'All of Welfare' engaged in that could be very effective." And I want to convince them to not send us to deal with Titanomachia. Not until Petra's mech is dealth with. "I may have good news, on that front," says Berislav, his tone cautiously optimistic. "But I don't want to be premature, so I'll qualify it with the fact that I'm not an expert on that sort of mech. To my limited understanding... the particular eversion capability of that machine should be offline, at this time."
UFO Gang	"If they were to destroy myself and Nazrin, I believe it would upset Bishamonten considerably," Shou answers Odette, with a sort of calm consideration. She moves on to the egg question: "The eggs that I have sampled have seemed lighter in color than I was familiar with... But I do not eat very many eggs." Nazrin joins in the order. What does she get? A grilled cheese, of course. "It would seem very foolish of Gebura to take out the facility to fight you," Shou tells Fox. "Unless that means something I do not understand. I can understand that she might react poorly, of course, and you must endure that reaction to reach the space of reason." How optimistic! Nazrin looks towards Berislav. Her eyes widen as he reveals something to her. They widen quite large. She begins to look more smug - before Shou reaches over and pats her on the hand. The wind goes out of Nazrin's sails, who folds her arms and then comments, "I wanna know more about this machine thing." Nazrin explains: "I thought you were still recruiting people. When we were building up the temple we put up a lot of signs for other youkai to see. We put 'em places we knew youkai would see them, and where it'd be a pain for humans to take them down quickly."
Odette Raskins	"But the Multiverse is... you know..." "Cool... I mean, I guess that makes sense. Too bad it's not just both at once, but that much change over just a few hundred years is still really something." Odette murmurs in obvious awe as she looks from Hibiki to the bamboo hatman again, noticing that look(?) he's giving Hibiki as well. She might not know what that all means, but she'll have to keep an eye on both of them in case it develops into something else. "Yeah, omelets are good here. No human flesh in a place like this either, if Chewie got you worried." "... What." She stares at Fox wordlessly for a good half minute as she struggles to comprehend what she's just heard, then looks over at the bamboo hatman. Is Chewie his name? Or is Chewie the owner of this store? Odette suddenly feels much worse about not actually paying attention as to whether or not there was a sign out front, or if such a sign did identify this place as 'Chewie's or not. Fox starts going into who is and isn't on the potential union's side, and a lot of those names go right over her head. She recognizes Hokma and Malkuth, at least, but deflates a bit when they're mentioned as part of the no-support group. "Y.. Yeah, we definitely don't want this coming down to an actual fight. Just making it.. Um." She nods towards Berislav when he mentions making it prohibitively expensive, and then Shou provides a few more names that Odette can't quite place, either, although she vaguely recognizes Bishamonten as something from her shows! There's a brief look of disbelief on her face as she tilts her head slowly while staring at Shou, then furrows her brow as she considers how that could fit into Berislav's ideas. "Th.. That, yeah. I don't think anyone would really care if I got hurt in there, but..." Awkward pause. "... W-well, having some big names on this side should help a lot. Or even hos-um. No, that's a last resort, too." Odette shakes her head quickly, then continues. "Whoever's there and whatever the union's demanding has to sound kinda reasonable, though, so we don't scare off any potential members from joining. Or... A-at least more reasonable than whatever Miss Gebura might do?" She rubs her head lightly as she leans back in her seat again. Odette snaps her fingers once when Berislav mentions malicious compliance, then quickly ducks down as she realizes that might draw attention her way. She waits a little bit to just let that possibility die down, then turns in her seat back to the conversation at hand. "Do you have to document anything? Supply use, treatments, getting authorized to do any.. Um. Medical procedures? M-maybe your department could be more strict about all that, especially if you haven't for a while."
Hibiki Tachibana	Gebura is the big problem, though. Yeah, she is one Sephirah...but she could take out the whole facility on her own if she wanted to. "'Violence against the workers' is our worst case scenario. It would demand retributive action. Hibiki nods in her own agreement - to the surprise of no one, she'd also prefer if Lobotomy Corporation didn't have even more excessive violence go on in its walls than already exists. Least of all because of simple disagreements between people rather than anything involving Abnormalities. That'd be... She remembers the sight of clerks rushing to get Enkephalin, even in the middle of a Meltdown and Ordeal. Her lips press together tight. "I don't think it's impossible to make them understand what you need and come to an agreement without it coming to anything like that. Angela and the Manager aren't unreasonable, either... although they probably won't appreciate dealing with even more problems than they already have," she admits, before her voice braces up some more. "...Still. You guys working in there deserve a lot better than you get. More than just the Agents, too. Lobotomy Corporation has enough hurt in it already." Just from the Sephirah alone, honestly. There's no reason all the employees have to go through it so much too, is there? ...And I want to convince them to not send us to deal with Titanomachia. Not until Petra's mech is dealt with. I've seen what it did to Rose...we are the worst person for that job. To my limited understanding... the particular eversion capability of that machine should be offline, at this time. Hibiki's throat goes dry, shuffling in her booth. She remembers Rose during - and after, when she visited her. When she speaks up again, she's not especially looking at anyone. "But we can't take the chance it's not. And even if it is, the mechanical half of it is still more than anyone should have to throw themselves into. Disciplinary are all trained under Gebura, right? Nonon and the rest of them? If it has to be any Agents, shouldn't it make sense they'd be the ones to fight a military like them?" Her own personal feelings for Rose are definitely part of it - but not all of it. Her voice lowers a little quieter. "It's not right for you guys to suffer through that mess when none of it is your fault." And then picks back up, as she focuses back in a little. "...Like you said, since there's the whole quota to worry about, they can't exactly have the whole medical squad barely doing their job. As long as it's reasonable, I think they should listen," she ostensibly agrees with Odette. Bamboo Hatted Kim is looking(?) at Hibiki wordlessly. While it's hard to tell if eyes are actually on her, her instincts are telling her that's the case-- which soon leads to Hibiki glancing back, equally wordlessly. Jii.
Angela	"Sure," Fox agrees with UFO Gang. "If she thinks it's not worth fighting over, that's actually ideal? I'm only saying we can't actually win if it gets to a fight." He looks back to Berislav as he brings up the idea of malicious compliance. "Haven't heard the term before..." He admits. "But I can kinda get the idea from the words you smushed together there. But there are definitely shortcuts we're taking to keep the facility moving. IT's a good idea." He hesitates at the cautiously optimistic mention of 'that machine' no longer having the capacity to just turn any strength of a Lobotomy Corp agent against it in one shot but Hibiki's right in that it might still be well beyond an Agent's paygrade. "Well ...irrespective of that, none of the Agents in the facility are going to freak out too much over having to risk life and limb--that's how it goes with most work in the City but..." He trails off. It turns out this not actually a talk about the Titanomachia does have SOME Titanomachia talk in it which should help cover the actual purpose of this event. "There's some other folks too, a bunch of clerks I can get--but I can't check with too many people without being pinned for it anyway." He nods to Berislav. "And even getting out is tough. It'd be nice if we could make that a little easier, even if obviously I don't expect to be able to take our equipment out with us." He smiles al ittle at Nazrin getting a grilled cheese but doesn't comment on it. He catches Odette's stare. "Oh--shit, you didn't know. Yeah, there's one district in particular that likes to serve human flesh as part of their meals. It's considered normal there but like--most places do just serve food and this isn't the Backstreets." He settles his gaze on Odette for a moment and adds, "We didn't get to talk much but--thanks for coming along anyway. You don't know us too well and you're already hear hearing me out. It means a lot to me." He bobs his head in acknowledgement. "Yeah, we track most of that stuff. Good thinking, Odie." Hibiki doesn't think it's impossible and Fox nods again, "Yeah, best case scenario... It'll all work out without anything harsher than some tough talks. I'd appreciate if you can help keep it from getting violent but...well, I think I can put forward a solid argument--like you've been saying, this could actually be better for the facility." There is a jiii right back to Bamboo Hatted Kim. He stands up and starts making his way over to the group. "...The Watch." He reaches into one of his sleeves and offers a card, face down, with a thin blade emblazoned on the back of it towards Father Berislav. "When your business is concluded, come see me." He then turns to leave. Fox watches after him a moment. "...Don't know him. Course I wouldn't know, it's been ten years. But I've heard of Blade Lineage. They're a Syndicate. Used to be look after some big shots but they've fallen since one of their number..." The BAmboo Hatted Man stops for a moment at the door and that gets Fox to clam up until he actually is completely out the door. "Careful, you might get pulled into a bigger situation than you mean to." Fox says.
Father Berislav	I wanna know more about this machine thing. "Imagine a hermitage," says Berislav to Nazrin. "A place of quiet contemplation and discovery, unique to the hermit that lives there. Her ways might not be your ways, but the remoteness of that place allowed 'her ways' to exist in the first place. Maybe she needed that hermitage, because the city was too noisy, too confined, and the temples there weren't quite the kind of quiet she needed to discover what 'her ways' were." "Now," he says, frowning, "Imagine that same hermitage, packed up board by board, stolen. Imagine its quiet perverted into the quiet of the grave, its walls made into shields for a merciless invasion force." "Something meant for self-actualization and emotional exploration was perverted into a weapon of mass destruction; a dream, mutilated and stitched onto a war machine, by people who are so fanatically devoted to a deranged notion of 'purity' that they take pains to avoid even breathing the same air as us, let alone making eye contact." He takes a steadying breath--it isn't hard to see the spark of genuine anger that flickers up in his silver eyes, nor to see him snuff it out with that breath. "After... significant exertion by a select few, the 'mass destruction' should no longer be a concern, even if it may still be quite effective as a conventional weapon, as Hibiki notes." He pauses, for a brief aside to Fox, on that subject: "Maybe Hibiki and I can convince Angela to send the Disiciplinary team, if anyone needs to be sent at all." Back to Nazrin: "If you have an interest in machines made for contemplation, functioning as they should, I might suggest seeking out someone at Sapient Heuristics or Applied Ontology." I don't think it's impossible to make them understand what you need and come to an agreement without it coming to anything like that. Berislav nods. "Neither do I," he says, one leg crossing over the other. "I'm happy to be present alongside you," he says to Fox, "Or anyone, who'd like to represent the union, in a preliminary discussion with Angela, Ayin, and whoever else in the facility should need to be present. If Hibiki and I are right in our thinking, then that's as far as it needs to go. If not, we have our countermeasure drawn up." When your business is concluded, come see me. Berislav nods. "I will," he says, pocketing the card. Careful, you might get pulled into a bigger situation than you mean to. The priest smiles. "It's sweet of you to worry," says Berislav. "But I want it to be easier for people to be good. That's about as big a situation as someone can be in, isn't it?" And if I can't make life in the City kinder from inside the company, then I'll need to make war on its sin from the outside.
UFO Gang	'Disciplinary are all trained under Gebura, right?' Shou muses, "Do you share your trainings amongst each other? Are there common foundations? Or are you more concerned that they will be loyal to Gebura...?" Nazrin, meanwhile, mills about -- at some point she has obtained her grilled cheese sandwich. ("Huh," she says. "Bread." She eats it nonetheless.) Shou listens to what Fox has to say, and nods along; and nods ever deeper with an appreciative look to Hibiki when she speaks of a peaceful approach. Probably. Unless it's a question of 'we definitely can't win a fight at all.' And then Berislav speaks. Shou's head turns to look at Berislav. Nazrin stops chewing as he speaks. He probably notices if he's watching either of them that they don't, apparently, need to blink. After he finishes, Shou closes her eyes and breathes in - breathes out - breathes in - breathes out - breathes IN - breathes out - and says, with her usual calm steadiness, "I believe that I can imagine what you refer to." "Who made such a thing, if I may inquire?" "uhhhhhhhhhh" Nazrin says then while pointing her grilled cheese at Shou. "Ma'am?" "Oh, yes, those both sound quite fascinating," Shou continues with regards to Sapient Heuristics & Applied Ontology, having regained something like good grace and cheer as well as simple CALM. "The most recent thing I'm familiar with, other than those little things people have been keeping in their pockets lately (the latest fad, perhaps) are prayer wheels... and these sound far more sophisticated than that." "If, perhaps, used for evil," Shou concludes, turning her head slightly to not really be looking AT anyone. Breathe in; breathe out. Nazrin resumes eating her sandwich rather than comment further.
Odette Raskins	There's definitely something going on with Hibiki and Hatman. Odette can feel it in her bones! Rivals, perhaps? Destined enemies, even? Or is it...? Well, she can't really tell just by staring at both of them, but she sure as heck isn't just going to ask. She'll just have to keep an eye on whatever that's all about the next time they meet. As Fox speaks more about the Corporation and the facility it's based in, however, Odette starts to remember that she doesn't really know much about Lobotomy Corp at all. She remembers hearing that it's some kind of energy company, but that can't be the whole story. Why else would talk of a union lead to a talk about people dying? Or the entire medical team leading that whole unionization effort. Or- "And even getting out is tough. It'd be nice if we could make that a little easier, even if obviously I don't expect to be able to take our equipment out with us." "... Just like the stations, then." Odette closes her eyes, letting out an uncomfortable noise before finally starting to dig into her meal of eggs, eggs, and coffee or whatever it is. She's not sure what drink she ordered, but at this point, she's too afraid to ask. Fox does at least reassure her that this place isn't the Backstreets (whatever that is), so there's good chance this egg isn't actual human meat, and that grilled cheese Nazrin has... Odette puts in an order for a grilled cheese, too. Might as well, while she's here. "Y-yeah, definitely... Um. Keep your head unless you gotta. Getting this union put together is important, but getting through the day alive is more important. You can't really enjoy any of the changes you're trying to make without that much, you know?" "We didn't get to talk much but--thanks for coming along anyway. You don't know us too well and you're already hear hearing me out. It means a lot to me." That, meanwhile, gets a bashful chuckle from the EMT in semi-disguise. "It's the least I could do, right? I-I mean, I'll... If anything big happens, I'd probably end up there on Company business, anyway. This is just making sure more people stay safe than if I showed up blind, you know?" She chuckles lightly, looking between Hibiki and Shou and Berislav like she's sizing them up for a moment. "I can't really fight, but when it comes to keeping people alive? I-I think I'm pretty good at that." When Kim finally speaks up, Odette doesn't actually know where his voice is coming from. She just sees him moving and jolts in her seat, watching closely while scarfing down more egg. She peers at the card, then over at Berislav, then at Fox when he issues that warning. "Syndic...? Wait. With the...?" She looks back over at Bamboo Hatman, watching him as he leaves and a little after that before remembering to breathe and slumping back in her seat. "... Huh. That might be... Yeah. Might be worth it, if things can't change any other way." She murmurs, half to herself, and half in agreement with Berislav's declaration.
Hibiki Tachibana	Well ...irrespective of that, none of the Agents in the facility are going to freak out too much over having to risk life and limb--that's how it goes with most work in the City but... That just being how it is really lends credit to why Lobotomy Corporation has worked so hard and is making so many sacrifices to force a change in the first place. Hibiki grimaces. Yeah, best case scenario... It'll all work out without anything harsher than some tough talks. I'd appreciate if you can help keep it from getting violent but... If Hibiki and I are right in our thinking, then that's as far as it needs to go. If not, we have our countermeasure drawn up. "We'll do our best," she doubles up on the reassurance with Berislav. Despite originally only being here for a (sort of) misunderstanding, "I don't got any plans to not be around to make sure everything is okay. I can't imagine it'll go over great at first... but between you Agents coming together, and Outsiders who've been helping pitching their word in too, I'm sure they'll hear us out." She really hopes so, anyway. She hasn't forgotten about Fox's thoughts on Angela, and how she's seen within the company... but she's seen enough of her to know that the appearance she puts on there is hardly all there is to it. Even if she's no good at handling this kind of thing, she at least thinks she understands that well enough. ...The Watch. But I've heard of Blade Lineage. They're a Syndicate. Used to be look after some big shots but they've fallen since one of their number... "...That guy..." When Kim approaches, and then moves to leave just as quickly as he came, Hibiki watches him. Unlike Fox, she doesn't lock up at his deathly still freezing at the door - if anything, she looks to be some combination of even more curious, and maybe... sympathetic? Even without Fox finishing, "...'Blade Lineage'. You make it sound like they've had it hard." She turns back forward in her seat, which puts Berislav and Fox at her back, and her focus down on the table surface. "I'm coming with when you do," she mentions back to the priest, as if it wasn't even in question. "What's one more big situation when we're already this deep in with Lobotomy Corporation, anyway?"
Angela	"Well," Fox says on the matter of the Titanomachia. "Seems like other places suck ass even more." But he seems to be content to letting the matter of the non-war-machine-turned-war-machine aside because if it isn't going to get someone to partially meld with a monster of the collective unconciousness's psyche--well, it's just a normal killing machine. Not great, sure, but not exactly something that's outside the normal scope of work. "I'll represent it. No reason to put a target on anyone else's back--but I could use the support in bringing the case forward because ... well, to be perfectly blunt--Outsiders like you have way more sway than I do even if I was way smarter than I actually am." He doesn't press harder on the idea of what the countermeasures are. He feels like he might chicken out but ... the alternative is to do nothing, to be given this joke of a job and make no lives better He can't live with that, not without trying. The card does have some contact information on the back, though it's pretty sparse and is just a phone number (unlabeled). "...Yeah, they... uh, they have taboo hunters after them because they fucked with one of the S Corp guys, that's all I really know but--well I guess you guys can handle thsi shit." He looks to Shou and says, "ACtually most training is done by the Training Department--under Hod. Disciplinary gets some extra training with Gebura but I don't know if training is the best word for it, really. Being trained by a legend when you're a chump when that legend never actually learned how to teach is maybe less helpful than it might sound... The people who go for Disciplinary tend to be those that are fascnated with the Legend or--they already love and are good at fighting. Most LobCorp Agents only have middling Fixer experience if any--actually, I'm from the Nest so--I'm not even a Fixer. But student loans are expensive." ''Just like the stations, then.'' Fox blows out another plume of smoke. Folks out there, they've got their own problems and that's why they go out to lend a hand with 'em, right? Part of a compact to help each other through each other's shit. Some folks probably do that instinctively but with Lob Corp it does feel a little more coldly calculated. Maybe it's the same with those stations. "Hey, if this goes through--whenever my contract's up--I'm not the kind of guy who forgets my debts." He bobs his head again quietly at the mention of Odette's medical training. Yeah, that could help. The Watch is dangerous, he thinks again as he sees just how willing they are to accept a Syndicate's invitation. It might've been a bad idea to ignore it too but it's the ease of it that is perturbing more than the choice itself. City is bound to change, he thinks, one way or another. Best to try and make it change in a more positive direction. "Just be careful. You're good people and you're still new to the City. Dangers I couldn't begin to warn you about. ... But I'll leave it at that or I'll be insulting you and that ain't right either. Thanks for coming out with me like this. We'll make our move soon and when we do--you'll be the first to know."