nobody wants the midgecams to change their minds

[thornsofmalkav]

Okay. Okay, fuck. I've had some weird conversations and I'm pretty sure they're ones I need to fill you guys in on, because... well, I'm spooked.

So the first thing happened with Daneel or rather not-Daneel, because he's Infiltrating and he doesn't have a name yet. And he's a Seer, right? He's got the knowledge of making water wheels in his noggin. But he's got other stuff in his head too. Like a drawing of God's Isle and these symbols he doesn't understand--he drew them for me and they looked a whole fucking lot like letters, numbers, and typographical symbols--and, like, being in sticky water and someone telling him to remember.

That would be freaky enough, but then the shit with not-Jackie happened.

So you know the strange creature, the actual mythical human? He says he remembers me--that is, me-as-Thorn-the-weaver--and he called me 'Char' and said I already had a kid? He's a little confused--sunstroke will do that to you--but I don't think he's lying. I think he's involved with this. Somehow.

So, like, I dunno but I think maybe it would be a really good idea to, like, pool information about people who might be... fuck, I don't know? Significant to something being rotten in the state of Home? Because it's not like we can round up every single person and march them to the latrines to be interrogated--it'll take too long and there's always a chance that the midgecams will change their mind about not wanting to see us shit--but if we can at least narrow it down to a couple people, maybe we can focus our detective work. Or something.

Comments

[dragoonrouge]

Gil's overlay knows something, I think he has a memory of before arriving on the God's Isle or he knows something because his behaviour does not make sense otherwise.

...I could deploy Justice's Aura if we think that is needed.

[thornsofmalkav]

That's basically zone of truth, right?

But yeah, I think so too. I had a conversation with him where he was dropping a lot of shade about the gods.

[dragoonrouge]

I know not what zone of truth is but the name sounds similar to what it does. He could alter his wording to get out of it but I figured that if he knew not that I had cast it...

I shall have to apologise to Gil whe he is himself again, 'tis not something that should really be done to others.

[thornsofmalkav]

Hopefully he'll understand.

[dragoonrouge]

He should, if not a have a lot of grovelling to do when we return from here.

[It is quiet for a bit before Q'uila speaks again, except this time there is a deliberateness to her speech, her voice carefully level to reign in the emotions she truly wants to express.]

I have just had a response on my Analysis into where the Foundling's come from before they arrive on God's Isle. [Her voice starts to shake in anger.] 'Tis a *Twelve's damned science experiment. Everyone here comes from a bloody lab!

[leftbehindagain]

...I really hadn't wanted to be right about those parallels.

Psy Protect 1

[levelthreehooligan]

[There's silence, and then it starts, a deranged kind of laughter that comes out in short, sharp bursts.]

And here I was hoping, against all odds, that the Allegans were only inflicted on our star.

[The words are spat in anger, a familiar rage bubbling to the surface.]

We shall be giving them the usual treatment, then? [It is not a question.]

[cameracoded]

I-I... that's-

-=actually, he's not sure what to say to that. it hits all sorts of buttons that he didn't need to have hit all at once and he's gone before he manages anything else=-

[helborn]

From a...

[Casper's mental voice goes faint.]

N... no!

[leftbehindagain]

You know what's fun about alcohol? People talk. Sometimes more than they mean to.

[Rather than try to recount Kai and Branch's conversation, Naoki shares the memory of it.]

Circe needs to be watched, as subtly as possible until we can figure out what she's up to and how to remove her from the equation. Anything drastic will probably just get us all killed. I suspect Branch is losing his patience with his apparently-assigned role in all this, and will make a good ally once we have a plan.

I'm not above de-infiltrating Anafiel-san if we think we need a Traveler ally on the inside, but that should probably be a last resort. I didn't want to put him on the spot with those damned camera everywhere, but it sounds like he's already got a role within a role. [Not that he thinks Delaunay couldn't juggle it, but... well.]

[dragoonrouge]

Removing those that were there to experience the history of this Isle and pass down the stories that she does not approve of?

That sounds like a grab for power to me. And if she is the one who 'cares' for the elders then in the eyes of many that would put her above reproach and a position of great trustworthiness.

[leftbehindagain]

Believe me, I really wanted to ask about that description of the oral historians as a 'racket,' but following him to the latrine when Kai's ignored similar grumbling in the past would've been awkward, and difficult to explain besides.

I'm not sure if it's a grab for power here or directions from whoever's behind the cameras. Whichever it is, I'm not up for doing nothing while she sends people off to die because she can't see their continued usefulness - especially when half the overcrowding problem she's citing will be gone in a few weeks anyway.

There's a Animal Farm reference in all this somewhere

[dragoonrouge]

...Does your overlay have any memory of someone returning to Home after being sent back to the God's Isle? Because Ceder said the The old and those who cannot contribute to Home because of their physical health are sent their and the gods return them in a whole body, and there is so many concerning parts there that I know not where to start but maybe that is also playing into her plan.

Twelve, I hate this Jaunt.

[leftbehindagain]

I can tell you Kai's sister hasn't returned yet. He's beginning to doubt she ever will. [Naoki is more certain on that point, but then, this is far from his first dead-older-sister overlay.]

Ike - I think it's Hajime-san, he has a green-and-pink jaguar thing going on - feels more strongly on the topic, but raise it carefully. He lost a child.

This is not one of the more fun ones, no.

[levelthreehooligan]

If I am playing my cards correctly, I think I shall be able to make an ally of Branch yet.

He and I like to make 'Useless Noises' [it is said with a degree of amusement, but noteably some frustration that music has been called 'useless' at all.]

I will try to keep you updated.

[leftbehindagain]

He already sounds about at his wits' end with everything. I don't think it'd take much.

Thank you, though.

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. Shit. And you're right, he probably doesn't need to be three levels of bullshit deep for this.

[Privately she adds,]

... I hope he's going to be okay after this. Anafiel's actually pretty religious in his way--all our d'Angelines are, really--so it's probably going to screw with his head if the gods he follows here are such creepers.

[leftbehindagain]

This is a real peach of a jaunt already, isn't it.

[private, double protected]

'Gods' may be a metaphor for whoever's pulling the strings, depending on what those cameras are for - granted, entertainment's already been cited, so that doesn't leave a lot of options.

If he's all right, he's all right. If not, we'll pull him out of his own head.

Private x2 protected 5eva

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah, that's a good point. But man, I still suspect that even having to work with the 'god' metaphor might feel weird to him when he's back to himself.

[leftbehindagain]

That's very true. Still, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

[helborn]

That Acantha guy knows stuff. Hang on, let me play it...

[Give him a second... and then he plays a memory for the network.]

[thornsofmalkav]

... oh my god.

[Sorry, she's just... emotions. Many emotions. Thorn-the-weaver and Acantha have a history, including her trying to be his family for a while. To know that he's been secretly struggling against the gods...]

[helborn]

... You okay, Thorne?

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. Just... Thorn-the-weaver and Acantha were close once and she never knew any of that about him.

[helborn]

I'm sorry. But maybe he can help?