Kismet made no sound behind her helmet, but she did cross her arms impatiently. "You recall that the rest of us were still discussing the arrangement before you left, do you not? That, of course, included a set time for Mime to have her Blessing removed. And even if it hadn't, although I do understand where you're coming from, there's a place for common sense in these things too: her surrender now is appreciated, but that doesn't change the fact that she slipped off to this party without first having the Blessing removed. I believe it was quite apparent that we did not want her moving around freely while still imbued with those powers. I appreciate the ingenuity that both of you have, but there's only so much undercutting of my authority that I'm willing to take. She can have a bigger cell if that helps and we can certainly reevaluate her status at a later date, but after she slipped out from under our noses while bound to a table and awaiting a removal that she agreed to, and considering her past history of killing our own men, you will forgive me if I'm not feeling particularly lenient on the subject of letting her go free, powers or no."
She paused when he mentioned other Mafia leadership, but her voice a moment later seemed somehow more sympathetic than worried. "I take it you haven't met many Mafia leaders yet. If you ask the others to evaluate the imprisonment of Mime, the likely response will be to ask why she isn't dead yet," Kismet stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "If there were such an oversight, you've slightly overestimated how much I value a spoken-word agreement and severely overestimated how much any other Mafia leadership would."
"Ah, but our stake in the agreement is another matter. The Blessers' agreement not to get involved further than removing the Blessing was contingent upon the very terms that CourseMan just stated being followed to the letter," BlessMan interrupted. "You can't fault Mime under the circumstances anyway, can you?"
"I already told you, it's not a matter of why she did it, it's only that she did it," Kismet snapped in response. This development seemed to aggravate Kismet to the tipping point, but she managed to stay mostly still other than clenching her fists. "I have a killer here in my hands, who's given me every reason to execute her and end the whole thing, and in my sentimentality, I have chosen not to do so. You're asking me to release her back into the shadows, after she's just shown again that she is willing to defy my obvious wishes in order to continue this asinine, endless game of bloodsport that Mime and Shok both play. I believe you are, in general, a dangerously intelligent individual, CourseMan, and yet at this moment, you are being remarkably foolish. This freedom you're talking about granting Mime is not your place to demand... and beyond that, is very likely to end up in Shok, Mime, or both of the two being killed."
Elsewhere, Jailbird gave a strained smile. "All this lawyer-talk just makes my head hurt, honestly," she answered, giving a slight shrug. "I can think of some other party games I'd much rather play. I've got a bottle if you wanna play that one..."
Mime was breathing heavily, leaning on the CourseMan who'd taken her shoulder before anyone else could manage to. She still wasn't capable of talking and it was dishearteningly hard to tell what she thought of his attempts at negotiation. Still, for now, she just seemed very weary and maybe a little ill, but she wasn't dead or injured. She gave a small nod, perhaps implying she was fine with following him into his PET, or perhaps simply showing she understood his words.
She waved one hand in response to his bow, a gesture that simply said "stop." "I understand and I assure you, I'd love to punish Shok for what she's done to all of you. There's only so much I can do while still allowing her to work for the Blessers, however. I know she's not blameless in this and that, for the most part, Mime is," she sighed, placing one gloved hand onto the surface of her helmet. "And we will look into how Shok was capable of carrying this out. I am tired of the two of them punching each other around- and through- the Mafia."
"You might want to quit while you're ahead, Champ, or there's a chance I'm not going to be able to give you that recruitment I promised," TaxidermyMan added from the background.
"We're only talking," Kismet reminded him, though it would be very interesting to see how she would actually react if he took Mime and ran or teleported. "You can visit her whenever you want, even go in the same room together, if the lack of intimacy is what you're concerned about. I'm... really giving you everything I can," she finished, drawing her cape back over her shoulders.
"Aw, what a sweetheart," Jailbird joked, then continued snacking on a sandwich.
TaxidermyMan's Museum of Restoration
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A small part of him had hoped that some careful word fencing would work, but in reality he wasn't too surprised that Kismet wasn't backing down. It wasn't too surprising either to hear that her apparent support of honourable agreement was limited in how far it went, and even then, more than most others in leadership positions were probably willing to be held to.
"It's crafty and all, but you had to know that wouldn't work, didn't you mate?" From behind the still barred doorway that kept Trace aside from the others, his second clone called out a somewhat gloating remark. The Courser standing in front of Kismet folded his arms and turned his head slightly.
"Quiet." The tone this time as serious and most of the charming overtones had leached out of it. He turned its gaze further to TaxidermyMan and inclined his head. "I appreciate your concern, TaxidermyMan, but as of this moment, whether or not I am accorded membership in this organisation is of less concern to me than other matters. I don't make flat promises easily, but I keep the ones I make. I am doing what I must, and if that means I'm refused, I can accept that." He turned his attention back to Kismet while the second decoy looked to Trace and then across to Jailbird and shrugged his shoulders in light of the reprimand.
"So, em... either of you two as on the fence about this as Pythag over there? I get that he'd rather she was someone else's problem, but you two want to make sure she's safe and free, right?" It spoke in a low murmur, a more conversational tone than anything else as though the nearby stand-off didn't really affect him. "I mean, I'd love a game involving a bottle with all three of you if you'd humour me, but you're all friends right?" It flicked its eyes back and forth between Jailbird and Trace, curious to see how they stood. The one in front of Kismet fixed her helmet with harder eyes, the polite sharpness in his expression dropping to a more serious unamused look.
"Fine. You want to cut the politics, we can cut it. You aren't getting Mime. That's an absolute. I'm not undercutting your authority right now because you don't have any authority over me in the first place. I'm not a member of the mafia just yet, and maybe I won't be, if it comes to it. That's ok with me. Right now, I'm not an insubordinate, or a rogue piece; I'm a problem that is standing very firmly between you and the woman behind me. How you solve that problem is up to you."
"If you think I'm clever, then at least do me the credit of believing that this 'foolishness' as you put it is not just me thinking with my balls. It's not like I signed on for the faction most known for their rational thinking. I could be a valuable asset for you. I could also continue to be a problem. That's your choice to make." He uncrossed his arms and let them fall low to his sides, palms out, in something of a waiting gesture as he continued.
"Shok is still a Blesser. Shok interfered here. Mime ran from the ball. We've got breach everywhere on both sides and all that really means is that what this comes down to right now is you making a decision on your own. You're not beholden to anyone. You're not 'giving all you can' while seeming sympathetic; you can do what you want to, so don't pretend otherwise. You're also not stupid enough to really believe that this would all be over and done with, and ended, if Mime dies. You know better than that."
As the Courser with Kismet spoke in far less flowery tones to her, the one down by Mime nodded back, then leaned in closer for a moment. He had said he wouldn't get Jenny involved in this, but this was important... As he whispered to Mime, he sent Jenny a quick message; she wasn't paying attention to whatever movie was on now anyway, so she'd hear it.
To Mime, his whisper was close by her ear.
"I know you're tired, Sunshine... but this could all go keel up any minute. If you don't have any emergency system connected, then I need you to connect through that address I gave you, and use mine. It doesn't have to be for long if you don't want to, but please, just do it for now if you can, so I know you're safe while we take care of this." In front of them, the other Courser was still 'negotiating'.
"This Blood Sport, as you call it, was a feud between two powered up Blessers trying to kill each other. One of them is no threat any more, and the other is your charge. Shok is not my problem, but she is yours. I will take care of Mime; I will ensure that she is no further problem to you, yours, or anyone else. You and the remaining Blessers can deal with Shok; you seem to have your hands full enough keeping her under control already, so I'm taking Mime off your hands and out of your consideration. You don't have to like that, Kismet, you just have to accept that that is what is happening now. Weigh up all of the factors involved in this; yourself, your mafia, their opinion of your capabilities, the Blessers, Shok and Mime, myself... and make your decision. Sure you could step forward and try to eliminate myself and Mime right now. You might even be able to count on some of the people in this room helping you do that. Or maybe you can't. Who knows. When you fail to eliminate either of us, however, weigh up how that will look." He didn't move into anything resembling a combat stance, but there was nevertheless an edge to the air as he stood his ground in front of her.
"Or with all your skill at reading situations, you can decide on a more sensible course of action. What is it going to be, Kismet... do you want me as an asset, or as a problem?"
"Because honestly, I just wanted a party!" The decoy by Trace and Jailbird called out unhelpfully through cupped hands.
"It's crafty and all, but you had to know that wouldn't work, didn't you mate?" From behind the still barred doorway that kept Trace aside from the others, his second clone called out a somewhat gloating remark. The Courser standing in front of Kismet folded his arms and turned his head slightly.
"Quiet." The tone this time as serious and most of the charming overtones had leached out of it. He turned its gaze further to TaxidermyMan and inclined his head. "I appreciate your concern, TaxidermyMan, but as of this moment, whether or not I am accorded membership in this organisation is of less concern to me than other matters. I don't make flat promises easily, but I keep the ones I make. I am doing what I must, and if that means I'm refused, I can accept that." He turned his attention back to Kismet while the second decoy looked to Trace and then across to Jailbird and shrugged his shoulders in light of the reprimand.
"So, em... either of you two as on the fence about this as Pythag over there? I get that he'd rather she was someone else's problem, but you two want to make sure she's safe and free, right?" It spoke in a low murmur, a more conversational tone than anything else as though the nearby stand-off didn't really affect him. "I mean, I'd love a game involving a bottle with all three of you if you'd humour me, but you're all friends right?" It flicked its eyes back and forth between Jailbird and Trace, curious to see how they stood. The one in front of Kismet fixed her helmet with harder eyes, the polite sharpness in his expression dropping to a more serious unamused look.
"Fine. You want to cut the politics, we can cut it. You aren't getting Mime. That's an absolute. I'm not undercutting your authority right now because you don't have any authority over me in the first place. I'm not a member of the mafia just yet, and maybe I won't be, if it comes to it. That's ok with me. Right now, I'm not an insubordinate, or a rogue piece; I'm a problem that is standing very firmly between you and the woman behind me. How you solve that problem is up to you."
"If you think I'm clever, then at least do me the credit of believing that this 'foolishness' as you put it is not just me thinking with my balls. It's not like I signed on for the faction most known for their rational thinking. I could be a valuable asset for you. I could also continue to be a problem. That's your choice to make." He uncrossed his arms and let them fall low to his sides, palms out, in something of a waiting gesture as he continued.
"Shok is still a Blesser. Shok interfered here. Mime ran from the ball. We've got breach everywhere on both sides and all that really means is that what this comes down to right now is you making a decision on your own. You're not beholden to anyone. You're not 'giving all you can' while seeming sympathetic; you can do what you want to, so don't pretend otherwise. You're also not stupid enough to really believe that this would all be over and done with, and ended, if Mime dies. You know better than that."
As the Courser with Kismet spoke in far less flowery tones to her, the one down by Mime nodded back, then leaned in closer for a moment. He had said he wouldn't get Jenny involved in this, but this was important... As he whispered to Mime, he sent Jenny a quick message; she wasn't paying attention to whatever movie was on now anyway, so she'd hear it.
Quote ()
Jen, no time to explain. If you get a connection request from another navi in a moment, pre-approve it. This is very important. Sorry. I'll explain later.
Quote ()
??? Ok, but I want allthe juicy deets as soonas I'm out of study hall!
To Mime, his whisper was close by her ear.
"I know you're tired, Sunshine... but this could all go keel up any minute. If you don't have any emergency system connected, then I need you to connect through that address I gave you, and use mine. It doesn't have to be for long if you don't want to, but please, just do it for now if you can, so I know you're safe while we take care of this." In front of them, the other Courser was still 'negotiating'.
"This Blood Sport, as you call it, was a feud between two powered up Blessers trying to kill each other. One of them is no threat any more, and the other is your charge. Shok is not my problem, but she is yours. I will take care of Mime; I will ensure that she is no further problem to you, yours, or anyone else. You and the remaining Blessers can deal with Shok; you seem to have your hands full enough keeping her under control already, so I'm taking Mime off your hands and out of your consideration. You don't have to like that, Kismet, you just have to accept that that is what is happening now. Weigh up all of the factors involved in this; yourself, your mafia, their opinion of your capabilities, the Blessers, Shok and Mime, myself... and make your decision. Sure you could step forward and try to eliminate myself and Mime right now. You might even be able to count on some of the people in this room helping you do that. Or maybe you can't. Who knows. When you fail to eliminate either of us, however, weigh up how that will look." He didn't move into anything resembling a combat stance, but there was nevertheless an edge to the air as he stood his ground in front of her.
"Or with all your skill at reading situations, you can decide on a more sensible course of action. What is it going to be, Kismet... do you want me as an asset, or as a problem?"
"Because honestly, I just wanted a party!" The decoy by Trace and Jailbird called out unhelpfully through cupped hands.
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"Ha ha, well... That's a shame, but on the other hand, I think we've brought in folks with much more egregious offences than talking back to Kismet. No offense, Kismet; just pointing out that we have a clinically insane former NetPolice member who shoots his own allies as a faction leader" TaxidermyMan joked, smiling to show sympathy. "So maybe you're still going to be okay."
Trace spoke for the rest of them, moving to the edge of the bars and clutching them in both hands. "Sure, we all want Mime to go free. It's clear to anybody that even her quest for vengeance, which endangered other in the Mafia, was all set into motion by Shok. There's no need for her to be on the hook any more, especially considering she only came back here to try and save us," she defended.
TaxidermyMan probably would have nodded along, but there was no real way for him to nod with his limited range of movement. "Indeed," he spoke out.
"Yeah, she tried to imitate me and blow me up once, but that's all water under the bridge too," Jailbird pitched in, unhelpfully.
TriangleMan remained quiet and put down another sandwich, making an annoying buzzing noise with the blades beneath his face-plate. CourseMan already knew his feelings on the matter, anyway.
The crowd quieted again once CourseMan let it be known just how unwilling he was to let Mime's imprisonment go forward. "I admire your conviction, but it's completely misguided," Kismet sighed. "I believe in fate, CourseMan, but it's a fate guided by the strong, ushering the weak around a board like chess-pieces. I command a few; others command me and the Mafia as a whole. You command no one, least of all me," she glowered, her voice growing less and less hospitable. "I've given you the most charitable option I'm going to give. You can be part of the Mafia. You can leave the Mafia alone, though I'd hate to lose someone with your resourcefulness. Or, as you've apparently chosen, you can interfere with my decision regarding Mime and become a problem to the Mafia. And if you do, as a ranking member of the Head Family, it will be my responsibility to resolve that problem."
"Kismet, CourseMan has a point: you do have the ability to let Mime go free! You're the only Head Family member who's even keeping track of this," Trace countered. "It's like you said, the others don't care!"
"She'll be in danger from Shok. Everyone around her will be in danger. If she retaliates against Shok or anyone else does in order to defend her, they'll be putting all of the Blessers in danger. The safest option is imprisonment," the glass-helmeted navi explained. "I don't want Mime to die either, or anyone else to be caught up in their struggle. If she's imprisoned, we can defend her, just as the 'safe-house' was defending Shok from her. If she's free... wherever you're thinking of taking her for your little honeymoon... we can't provide that same protection. Shok managed to abduct and murder two of her coworkers without their operators, or any of us, finding out she did it. If you think your homepage is going to keep Mime safe, well... I won't call you foolish, but it's a misstep."
At this point, she stepped forward, put down her hood, and dismissed her helmet, showing her familiar, irritated face, the upper lip curled up in a persistent scowl that didn't match the bushes of short, green pigtails sticking out from her head. "If I think about it again, I suppose I have nothing to lose personally, whether Mime lives in imprisonment in our jail or dies in your homepage. But I want you to think about this: I could erect a jack-out barrier and prevent you from leaving, forcing you into combat right now. You've seen Gala: I can and will scar you the same way if you force me to. Other mafioso will do worse. There is a whole family of our faction who would have killed you as soon as you defied them or killed Mime instead, just to prove the point and make it hurt worse. The Mafia has much to gain by your membership, and so I'll allow it, but I think we'll quickly be writing you into the names of reckless mafioso gone too soon if you don't put a cap on this self-assuredness of yours. Become powerful first, then you'll have more liberty to make demands of people. Take that tip to heart."
For her part, Mime was nodding along with CourseMan, ready to go with him, though it was still questionable if she was in the right state of mind to understand all the implications of following him right now. Still, it sounded like he was free to leave, mostly scott-free, if he wanted to. If he wanted to continue to party instead, he was probably going to need to segue into that conversation quickly, although Mime certainly wasn't in a state for partying herself. BlessMan began to wander off, headed towards the hole CourseMan had made in the wall earlier; Kismet grabbed his arm and dragged him back.
Trace spoke for the rest of them, moving to the edge of the bars and clutching them in both hands. "Sure, we all want Mime to go free. It's clear to anybody that even her quest for vengeance, which endangered other in the Mafia, was all set into motion by Shok. There's no need for her to be on the hook any more, especially considering she only came back here to try and save us," she defended.
TaxidermyMan probably would have nodded along, but there was no real way for him to nod with his limited range of movement. "Indeed," he spoke out.
"Yeah, she tried to imitate me and blow me up once, but that's all water under the bridge too," Jailbird pitched in, unhelpfully.
TriangleMan remained quiet and put down another sandwich, making an annoying buzzing noise with the blades beneath his face-plate. CourseMan already knew his feelings on the matter, anyway.
The crowd quieted again once CourseMan let it be known just how unwilling he was to let Mime's imprisonment go forward. "I admire your conviction, but it's completely misguided," Kismet sighed. "I believe in fate, CourseMan, but it's a fate guided by the strong, ushering the weak around a board like chess-pieces. I command a few; others command me and the Mafia as a whole. You command no one, least of all me," she glowered, her voice growing less and less hospitable. "I've given you the most charitable option I'm going to give. You can be part of the Mafia. You can leave the Mafia alone, though I'd hate to lose someone with your resourcefulness. Or, as you've apparently chosen, you can interfere with my decision regarding Mime and become a problem to the Mafia. And if you do, as a ranking member of the Head Family, it will be my responsibility to resolve that problem."
"Kismet, CourseMan has a point: you do have the ability to let Mime go free! You're the only Head Family member who's even keeping track of this," Trace countered. "It's like you said, the others don't care!"
"She'll be in danger from Shok. Everyone around her will be in danger. If she retaliates against Shok or anyone else does in order to defend her, they'll be putting all of the Blessers in danger. The safest option is imprisonment," the glass-helmeted navi explained. "I don't want Mime to die either, or anyone else to be caught up in their struggle. If she's imprisoned, we can defend her, just as the 'safe-house' was defending Shok from her. If she's free... wherever you're thinking of taking her for your little honeymoon... we can't provide that same protection. Shok managed to abduct and murder two of her coworkers without their operators, or any of us, finding out she did it. If you think your homepage is going to keep Mime safe, well... I won't call you foolish, but it's a misstep."
At this point, she stepped forward, put down her hood, and dismissed her helmet, showing her familiar, irritated face, the upper lip curled up in a persistent scowl that didn't match the bushes of short, green pigtails sticking out from her head. "If I think about it again, I suppose I have nothing to lose personally, whether Mime lives in imprisonment in our jail or dies in your homepage. But I want you to think about this: I could erect a jack-out barrier and prevent you from leaving, forcing you into combat right now. You've seen Gala: I can and will scar you the same way if you force me to. Other mafioso will do worse. There is a whole family of our faction who would have killed you as soon as you defied them or killed Mime instead, just to prove the point and make it hurt worse. The Mafia has much to gain by your membership, and so I'll allow it, but I think we'll quickly be writing you into the names of reckless mafioso gone too soon if you don't put a cap on this self-assuredness of yours. Become powerful first, then you'll have more liberty to make demands of people. Take that tip to heart."
For her part, Mime was nodding along with CourseMan, ready to go with him, though it was still questionable if she was in the right state of mind to understand all the implications of following him right now. Still, it sounded like he was free to leave, mostly scott-free, if he wanted to. If he wanted to continue to party instead, he was probably going to need to segue into that conversation quickly, although Mime certainly wasn't in a state for partying herself. BlessMan began to wander off, headed towards the hole CourseMan had made in the wall earlier; Kismet grabbed his arm and dragged him back.
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In the peanut gallery, trying to shrug off the tension, the Courser clone sharing the behind0bars space with Trace glanced across to Jailbird with a smirk, then flicked his eyes across to where another Courser was still kneeling down with Mime and helping support her.
"I heard something about that, Songbird... the two of you could do a mean cosplay of each other. That even makes the party games we could play all the more interesting, in some ways, don't you think?" He winked at her, though as much as his tone was playful there was still a soft expression in his eyes; joking or not, Jailbird was still hurting, and Mime herself was out of it, so neither of them were likely to be seriously interested in strenuous party games tonight, however much they might banter. He was also relieved to hear that the others sounded like they were firmly on Mime's side of the situation and generally against her imprisonment, but didn't bring that particular point up any more directly.
While the courser talking to Kismet held her gaze, the one behind him carefully helped mime around the are to take rest and sit with the others, not far from Jailbird and the bars that still restrained Trace. Given what he knew, he didn't expect that Kismet would miss the action; he was operating under the assumption that she saw everything that occurred in the room, whether she seemed to or not, but he moved while she was delivering her response to the other courser, who folded his arms and nodded as she spoke.
"You can call me foolish if you like, you know. It is, probably. Nevertheless... I command only myself and arguably not even that sometimes. I can assure you, I'd probably show you a lot more respect and deference if I were under your authority and one of the individuals you commanded. Until that time, however, I'm not, and I don't: if I am a problem that is your responsibility to resolve, then the sooner you resolve it, the sooner I can become an asset to your organisation." He shrugged and unfolded his arms to spread them apart in a more open gesture.
"What I'm seeing, however, is that it is your responsibility to contain Shok and ensure that she is not a danger to others. That's on you. You're asking me to allow someone to be imprisoned because... and correct me if I'm mistaken here... You. Can't. Do it. That is what you're telling me, Kismet. If Mime is free, you are incapable... I stress, Incapable... of keeping the woman who is your current responsibility to contain, from harming her. You are admitting that complete and utter failure of capability... an inability to uphold your responsibility on that score... as the reason why Mime must be imprisoned. So, maybe you understand why I'm more interested in keeping my promise than trusting your capabilities." He shrugged again and sighed.
"Like I said... I'd be more respectful if I was your man."
"Yeah, sure you would! You'd be just the same, only you'd dress it up prettier!" The courser clone behind the bars called out from the peanut gallery.
"Quiet." The one in front of Kismet turned his head to snap at it before returning his focus. "Hopefully when this is done, I will be, and then you can discipline me for speaking out of turn all you please."
"Careful, he might enjoy it! A pretty little lass teaching him a pretty big lesson, right?" The one by the bars jeered.
"I said Quiet!" His eyes only darted across this time before flicking back to Kismet. "Maybe him first, if punishment is needed?" At length, he shook his head.
"Look, I don't imagine that Mime will be safer anywhere more than anywhere else, whether it's my home or elsewhere. It's your job to ensure that Shok is contained. If you can't do that, then keeping Mime imprisoned won't really help. If Shok can't get to her directly, then she will just attempt to hurt her by harming what other friends she has left. Would you then imprison them as well? That path doesn't fix the issue and you know it." When Kismet came forward further, lowering her hood, It was to extend a grave warning and threat, along with a concession and Courser nodded to her again, re-crossing his arms.
"I'm sure you could do those things, and I'm sure many others would have tried to already. I'm sure you believe you know as much as you need to about me to make that call, and I'm also sure you're not as completely certain about that as you'd like to be right in this instant. So, I am glad that you are going to allow this, rather than... gambling with fate, shall we say. My thanks." The decoy bowed his head, then put one hand across his chest and bowed further, fading into shadows, and possibly reminding kismet that the one she'd been primarily addressing all this time was a decoy and not the genuine article. The real courser made sure Mime was still recovering and in the safe company of Jailbird and Trace, then with a small nod and a rub across her shoulders stood to approach Kismet himself. If she was going to extend him the gesture of taking off her helmet, then he could talk to her face to face as well.
"Now that we're both showing some trust, and the issue is concluded, a tip for you in return, Kismet. You're right... I don't have a lot of power, but a small amount of power applied in the right way, and on the right points, with just a little bit of leverage, can often be far more effective than having a bigger stick and swinging it wildly. In this case, you have relented and allowed me to keep my promise, and that is all I wished for. If I had believed you the sort to jump straight to a violent solution, my decisions would have been different. Again, thank you." He glanced back to the others; TriangleMan's less-than-jovial feelings, Jailbird's exhaustion, Mime's weakness, Trace's lock-in and TaxidermyMan's misfortune. Having a proper party now might be hard, but drinks and a small celebration might still be something they could wrangle, if it was subdued.
"At any rate, this was originally meant to be a small get together to celebrate Mime's freedom, amongst friends, before Shok's machinations caught up to things. We may still do that, though I'm not sure it will be anything more than a subdued raising of glasses at this stage, all things considered. I'm sure you probably need to get that one back to Jury's care before long, but if I'm still welcome, I'd be content to sign my name in your ledger. I'd invite you to stay for a drink, but it's not my place, and I don't speak for the others." He inclined his head to her a last time, then stepped back a couple of paces before turning to cross the space back to take a more relaxed seat between Mime and Jailbird, visibly relaxing himself.
"I heard something about that, Songbird... the two of you could do a mean cosplay of each other. That even makes the party games we could play all the more interesting, in some ways, don't you think?" He winked at her, though as much as his tone was playful there was still a soft expression in his eyes; joking or not, Jailbird was still hurting, and Mime herself was out of it, so neither of them were likely to be seriously interested in strenuous party games tonight, however much they might banter. He was also relieved to hear that the others sounded like they were firmly on Mime's side of the situation and generally against her imprisonment, but didn't bring that particular point up any more directly.
While the courser talking to Kismet held her gaze, the one behind him carefully helped mime around the are to take rest and sit with the others, not far from Jailbird and the bars that still restrained Trace. Given what he knew, he didn't expect that Kismet would miss the action; he was operating under the assumption that she saw everything that occurred in the room, whether she seemed to or not, but he moved while she was delivering her response to the other courser, who folded his arms and nodded as she spoke.
"You can call me foolish if you like, you know. It is, probably. Nevertheless... I command only myself and arguably not even that sometimes. I can assure you, I'd probably show you a lot more respect and deference if I were under your authority and one of the individuals you commanded. Until that time, however, I'm not, and I don't: if I am a problem that is your responsibility to resolve, then the sooner you resolve it, the sooner I can become an asset to your organisation." He shrugged and unfolded his arms to spread them apart in a more open gesture.
"What I'm seeing, however, is that it is your responsibility to contain Shok and ensure that she is not a danger to others. That's on you. You're asking me to allow someone to be imprisoned because... and correct me if I'm mistaken here... You. Can't. Do it. That is what you're telling me, Kismet. If Mime is free, you are incapable... I stress, Incapable... of keeping the woman who is your current responsibility to contain, from harming her. You are admitting that complete and utter failure of capability... an inability to uphold your responsibility on that score... as the reason why Mime must be imprisoned. So, maybe you understand why I'm more interested in keeping my promise than trusting your capabilities." He shrugged again and sighed.
"Like I said... I'd be more respectful if I was your man."
"Yeah, sure you would! You'd be just the same, only you'd dress it up prettier!" The courser clone behind the bars called out from the peanut gallery.
"Quiet." The one in front of Kismet turned his head to snap at it before returning his focus. "Hopefully when this is done, I will be, and then you can discipline me for speaking out of turn all you please."
"Careful, he might enjoy it! A pretty little lass teaching him a pretty big lesson, right?" The one by the bars jeered.
"I said Quiet!" His eyes only darted across this time before flicking back to Kismet. "Maybe him first, if punishment is needed?" At length, he shook his head.
"Look, I don't imagine that Mime will be safer anywhere more than anywhere else, whether it's my home or elsewhere. It's your job to ensure that Shok is contained. If you can't do that, then keeping Mime imprisoned won't really help. If Shok can't get to her directly, then she will just attempt to hurt her by harming what other friends she has left. Would you then imprison them as well? That path doesn't fix the issue and you know it." When Kismet came forward further, lowering her hood, It was to extend a grave warning and threat, along with a concession and Courser nodded to her again, re-crossing his arms.
"I'm sure you could do those things, and I'm sure many others would have tried to already. I'm sure you believe you know as much as you need to about me to make that call, and I'm also sure you're not as completely certain about that as you'd like to be right in this instant. So, I am glad that you are going to allow this, rather than... gambling with fate, shall we say. My thanks." The decoy bowed his head, then put one hand across his chest and bowed further, fading into shadows, and possibly reminding kismet that the one she'd been primarily addressing all this time was a decoy and not the genuine article. The real courser made sure Mime was still recovering and in the safe company of Jailbird and Trace, then with a small nod and a rub across her shoulders stood to approach Kismet himself. If she was going to extend him the gesture of taking off her helmet, then he could talk to her face to face as well.
"Now that we're both showing some trust, and the issue is concluded, a tip for you in return, Kismet. You're right... I don't have a lot of power, but a small amount of power applied in the right way, and on the right points, with just a little bit of leverage, can often be far more effective than having a bigger stick and swinging it wildly. In this case, you have relented and allowed me to keep my promise, and that is all I wished for. If I had believed you the sort to jump straight to a violent solution, my decisions would have been different. Again, thank you." He glanced back to the others; TriangleMan's less-than-jovial feelings, Jailbird's exhaustion, Mime's weakness, Trace's lock-in and TaxidermyMan's misfortune. Having a proper party now might be hard, but drinks and a small celebration might still be something they could wrangle, if it was subdued.
"At any rate, this was originally meant to be a small get together to celebrate Mime's freedom, amongst friends, before Shok's machinations caught up to things. We may still do that, though I'm not sure it will be anything more than a subdued raising of glasses at this stage, all things considered. I'm sure you probably need to get that one back to Jury's care before long, but if I'm still welcome, I'd be content to sign my name in your ledger. I'd invite you to stay for a drink, but it's not my place, and I don't speak for the others." He inclined his head to her a last time, then stepped back a couple of paces before turning to cross the space back to take a more relaxed seat between Mime and Jailbird, visibly relaxing himself.
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"Triangulating... If you like pale girls with haircuts that looked like the barber got lazy, who wear nothing but black and white stripes, and who have average or frankly a little below average busts where navis are concerned, then I suppose you'll be a very happy man," the previously silent, triangle-headed man droned, sounding a little vindictive for whatever reason. Jailbird smirked and rolled her eyes; Mime wasn't in much of a mood to retort.
Kismet shared none of the humor the others were feeling. "You keep prodding me, CourseMan. You're like a man with a death wish," she spoke frankly. "I've been trying to resolve you in a way that leaves you an asset to anyone and not a data-stain on TaxidermyMan's wall, and believe me, it's tiring. Just as tiring is your bothersome maneuvering: yes I am admitting that the best I can do is to try at protecting her with the resources of our jail. It's going to be a lot better than your piddly homepage, believe me. No one can fully promise to protect Mime from Shok because she's a twice-damned Blesser, which, you must have come to realize by now, means she does not operate within normal rules and with predictable navi capabilities."
"Shok? Well, she's special alright," BlessMan agreed with a mirthful smile, as if he'd entirely missed the context of Kismet's growling. "Suffice to say, she's an essential linchpin of the-"
"You two are both making me want to hurt you," Kismet sighed deeply herself with a lack of diplomacy, turning the debate into a sighing match between the two of them. BlessMan looked confused, but kept his mouth shut. "I'll happily punish all of you at once if that's what you're asking for." She either didn't realize or didn't care that such a statement probably worked into the double entendre intended by the clones perfectly well. By the time he was ready to give her thanks for at least doing the courtesy of stopping butting heads, she was thoroughly fed up, and her glower seemed even stormier than usual; he'd probably burned through whatever favor she felt like she owed him from the original diplomacy mission. "Do what you will with Mime. You are indeed correct that keeping BlessMan here, away from the guidance of his daughter, is a poor idea. I will take him away; enjoy whatever festivities you have planned, to what extent you still can."
She grabbed a hold of BlessMan's hand and vanished in a beam along with him, still glaring at CourseMan as she left. From what he knew of CourseMan so far, she was a bit of a pessimist, short-tempered when it came to jokes, and not one for sentimentality, so it probably stood to reason she was irritated by him on all accounts.
"Whew... that's finally over. Hey, are you really taking Mime into your PET? You're a nutty guy, you know that?" Jailbird asked, leaning back against the wall in a sitting variation of her familiar standing position.
"You don't have to... Simon's actually still got Mime's old PET. We can take her back and put her into it, if you want. That way, she'll be operated again, free to jack in and out... It might not save her from the kinds of creatively terrible things Shok may have planned, but it would at least mean that if she comes into regular peril, she'll be protected by the EJO mechanism. I probably should have mentioned that earlier," Trace pointed out. "Simon would probably like to catch up with her, too. They haven't had much of a chance yet. Of course, if you two already have something worked out, feel free to do that... Maybe Mime can tell us more about what she wants once she gets back on her feet."
"Yeah, yeah... for now, a toast to, uh, still being able to toast things. Bring us something to toast with!" Jailbird encouraged Trace.
The other girl gave her a pouting frown. "What am I, your prisoner?"
Jailbird looked at the bars still encasing that room, then back to Trace, smiling and shrugging.
The others all seemed to have settled into at least a remotely peaceful state, save Mime, who was still looking as though she'd have difficulty standing or carrying on a conversation (even in pantomime). The two girls who would be best suited for sharing a victory kiss with were both pretty beat up... he could try to steal something more off Trace if he wanted to bring her into his expanding group of girlfriends, but otherwise, any advances would probably have a hard time going anywhere given the physical state of the girls.
Kismet shared none of the humor the others were feeling. "You keep prodding me, CourseMan. You're like a man with a death wish," she spoke frankly. "I've been trying to resolve you in a way that leaves you an asset to anyone and not a data-stain on TaxidermyMan's wall, and believe me, it's tiring. Just as tiring is your bothersome maneuvering: yes I am admitting that the best I can do is to try at protecting her with the resources of our jail. It's going to be a lot better than your piddly homepage, believe me. No one can fully promise to protect Mime from Shok because she's a twice-damned Blesser, which, you must have come to realize by now, means she does not operate within normal rules and with predictable navi capabilities."
"Shok? Well, she's special alright," BlessMan agreed with a mirthful smile, as if he'd entirely missed the context of Kismet's growling. "Suffice to say, she's an essential linchpin of the-"
"You two are both making me want to hurt you," Kismet sighed deeply herself with a lack of diplomacy, turning the debate into a sighing match between the two of them. BlessMan looked confused, but kept his mouth shut. "I'll happily punish all of you at once if that's what you're asking for." She either didn't realize or didn't care that such a statement probably worked into the double entendre intended by the clones perfectly well. By the time he was ready to give her thanks for at least doing the courtesy of stopping butting heads, she was thoroughly fed up, and her glower seemed even stormier than usual; he'd probably burned through whatever favor she felt like she owed him from the original diplomacy mission. "Do what you will with Mime. You are indeed correct that keeping BlessMan here, away from the guidance of his daughter, is a poor idea. I will take him away; enjoy whatever festivities you have planned, to what extent you still can."
She grabbed a hold of BlessMan's hand and vanished in a beam along with him, still glaring at CourseMan as she left. From what he knew of CourseMan so far, she was a bit of a pessimist, short-tempered when it came to jokes, and not one for sentimentality, so it probably stood to reason she was irritated by him on all accounts.
"Whew... that's finally over. Hey, are you really taking Mime into your PET? You're a nutty guy, you know that?" Jailbird asked, leaning back against the wall in a sitting variation of her familiar standing position.
"You don't have to... Simon's actually still got Mime's old PET. We can take her back and put her into it, if you want. That way, she'll be operated again, free to jack in and out... It might not save her from the kinds of creatively terrible things Shok may have planned, but it would at least mean that if she comes into regular peril, she'll be protected by the EJO mechanism. I probably should have mentioned that earlier," Trace pointed out. "Simon would probably like to catch up with her, too. They haven't had much of a chance yet. Of course, if you two already have something worked out, feel free to do that... Maybe Mime can tell us more about what she wants once she gets back on her feet."
"Yeah, yeah... for now, a toast to, uh, still being able to toast things. Bring us something to toast with!" Jailbird encouraged Trace.
The other girl gave her a pouting frown. "What am I, your prisoner?"
Jailbird looked at the bars still encasing that room, then back to Trace, smiling and shrugging.
The others all seemed to have settled into at least a remotely peaceful state, save Mime, who was still looking as though she'd have difficulty standing or carrying on a conversation (even in pantomime). The two girls who would be best suited for sharing a victory kiss with were both pretty beat up... he could try to steal something more off Trace if he wanted to bring her into his expanding group of girlfriends, but otherwise, any advances would probably have a hard time going anywhere given the physical state of the girls.
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While the final negotiations were being cleaned up, the remaining decoy, still hanging with Trace on the far side of the bars, shared Jailbird's reaction to TriangleMan in something approaching unison, though his smirk was accompanied by a slight lowering of his head a glint in his eyes.
"Careful there, my angular companion.... your courage is showing. Wouldn't want people to think you were acting out of character, after all." The look was gone a moment later, replaced by his more usual social grin. "At any rate, if you're done judging your friends by their physical appearances, it sounds like all of the back and forth is about wrapping up. Maybe you'll feel a bit more charitable once we get some alcohol into you, hmm?" He ended the response with a wink, but otherwise didn't chat any further until Kismet was done with the other CourserMan.
Rather than speak and likely antagonise the diminutive lady any further, Courser was content to accept the concession as made and duck his head to her in a respectful gesture. He knew he'd pushed hard, but in the long run he had to rely on Kismet understanding that whatever difficulty he might be for her now would ultimately be a tool she could turn on other difficult problems in the future, so as long as she was still willing to let him be and accept him, it would work out or the best overall. Just as long as he didn't reach too fr right now. Politely, he remained until Kismet took her leave, then drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly in a slightly dramatic fashion.
After another second he spun on his heel, clapped his hands together and faced the rest of his gathered companions; as he did the other courser clone dissipated into shadow to stop him giving himself more of a headache. About to speak up, Jailbird was the first to shoot him a question, and Courser rubbed at his neck.
"At the moment, it's more a matter of whatever Mime needs or wishes, while she's recovering. To be frank, I didn't know how safe she was. I know a bunch of you have the tools to throw up barriers, so it wasn't much of a safety net, but better than nothing as long as I could keep anyone for putting on up again, you know?" He shrugged then walked back to join the group, sitting back beside where Mime was resting, and relaxing once more. He glanced at the drained woman to see how in touch with the conversation she was, but continued either way, directing his words as much to the others as her.
"The offer is there, now that things are less fraught, if it's wanted. If there's someone else that she'd prefer to go or would feel safer, I'm not going to push. Just... Like I said to Mintkiss, I don't make promises often, not serious ones, but when I make a promise, I keep it." At this point, and waiting for any extra reactions that may have come about from him settling on a nickname for Kismet at last, Courser looked across to Jailbird.
"Like when you were in trouble earlier... I was worried, and I got a bit dark about it to that... thing. I said I was going to make sure you were safe, and that we'd get you fixed up and better, and when I didn't know how to, there weren't very many lengths I would not have gone to to find out and see it done, nor that I wouldn't have considered pursuing if you'd come to true harm." He attempted to let the more serious moment break with a smirk and a shrug.
"Besides which, I owe you a proper date still at some point, and I can't be letting some crazy data remnant or mad electro-therapist get in the way of that now, can I?" His eyes flicked across to TaxidermyMan "Er, not meaning any offence to present company of course; whatever that thing really was it was wearing the guise of your predecessor and that can't have been comfortable for you. For that matter, how long is all of this mess going to take to fix up for you? I'm sorry it went down as destructively as it did. Any luck springing these bars yet? I'm kind of worried that you've not got your rights back even now, if I'm honest." Regardless of how things played out, courser was happy to relax and chat, and generally debrief with the others for a few minutes of general solidarity. If they could actually get some drinks for a small toast, and more importantly, for drinking, all the better, but until they could get the bars open for Trace, she'd be stuck having to run the kitchen duty back and forth.
"So anyway... I think I managed not to annoy Mintkiss too badly, which means she's not vetoing the application. Guess that means I won't be having to turn my most potent secret weapons on any Mafia members in the near future. Well, unless they want me to of course." He was, of course, referring to his skilful tongue and disarming smile, but such things went without saying, as fr as he was concerned. "So... I'd still like to make a nice evening of this, even if it's a more restful one, all things considered. Thoughts anyone? I'm guessing strip twister is off the cards..." He let himself laugh at that point; given the states of both Mime and Jailbird, and potentially Trace if they still hadn't gotten her free, a game like that was certainly a no-sell.
"Careful there, my angular companion.... your courage is showing. Wouldn't want people to think you were acting out of character, after all." The look was gone a moment later, replaced by his more usual social grin. "At any rate, if you're done judging your friends by their physical appearances, it sounds like all of the back and forth is about wrapping up. Maybe you'll feel a bit more charitable once we get some alcohol into you, hmm?" He ended the response with a wink, but otherwise didn't chat any further until Kismet was done with the other CourserMan.
Rather than speak and likely antagonise the diminutive lady any further, Courser was content to accept the concession as made and duck his head to her in a respectful gesture. He knew he'd pushed hard, but in the long run he had to rely on Kismet understanding that whatever difficulty he might be for her now would ultimately be a tool she could turn on other difficult problems in the future, so as long as she was still willing to let him be and accept him, it would work out or the best overall. Just as long as he didn't reach too fr right now. Politely, he remained until Kismet took her leave, then drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly in a slightly dramatic fashion.
After another second he spun on his heel, clapped his hands together and faced the rest of his gathered companions; as he did the other courser clone dissipated into shadow to stop him giving himself more of a headache. About to speak up, Jailbird was the first to shoot him a question, and Courser rubbed at his neck.
"At the moment, it's more a matter of whatever Mime needs or wishes, while she's recovering. To be frank, I didn't know how safe she was. I know a bunch of you have the tools to throw up barriers, so it wasn't much of a safety net, but better than nothing as long as I could keep anyone for putting on up again, you know?" He shrugged then walked back to join the group, sitting back beside where Mime was resting, and relaxing once more. He glanced at the drained woman to see how in touch with the conversation she was, but continued either way, directing his words as much to the others as her.
"The offer is there, now that things are less fraught, if it's wanted. If there's someone else that she'd prefer to go or would feel safer, I'm not going to push. Just... Like I said to Mintkiss, I don't make promises often, not serious ones, but when I make a promise, I keep it." At this point, and waiting for any extra reactions that may have come about from him settling on a nickname for Kismet at last, Courser looked across to Jailbird.
"Like when you were in trouble earlier... I was worried, and I got a bit dark about it to that... thing. I said I was going to make sure you were safe, and that we'd get you fixed up and better, and when I didn't know how to, there weren't very many lengths I would not have gone to to find out and see it done, nor that I wouldn't have considered pursuing if you'd come to true harm." He attempted to let the more serious moment break with a smirk and a shrug.
"Besides which, I owe you a proper date still at some point, and I can't be letting some crazy data remnant or mad electro-therapist get in the way of that now, can I?" His eyes flicked across to TaxidermyMan "Er, not meaning any offence to present company of course; whatever that thing really was it was wearing the guise of your predecessor and that can't have been comfortable for you. For that matter, how long is all of this mess going to take to fix up for you? I'm sorry it went down as destructively as it did. Any luck springing these bars yet? I'm kind of worried that you've not got your rights back even now, if I'm honest." Regardless of how things played out, courser was happy to relax and chat, and generally debrief with the others for a few minutes of general solidarity. If they could actually get some drinks for a small toast, and more importantly, for drinking, all the better, but until they could get the bars open for Trace, she'd be stuck having to run the kitchen duty back and forth.
"So anyway... I think I managed not to annoy Mintkiss too badly, which means she's not vetoing the application. Guess that means I won't be having to turn my most potent secret weapons on any Mafia members in the near future. Well, unless they want me to of course." He was, of course, referring to his skilful tongue and disarming smile, but such things went without saying, as fr as he was concerned. "So... I'd still like to make a nice evening of this, even if it's a more restful one, all things considered. Thoughts anyone? I'm guessing strip twister is off the cards..." He let himself laugh at that point; given the states of both Mime and Jailbird, and potentially Trace if they still hadn't gotten her free, a game like that was certainly a no-sell.
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"Triangulating... Am I supposed to be afraid? Of you, or Mime, or Jailbird? I'm a genius, CourseMan. It ought to take more courage to tell lies than to tell truths, oughtn't it?" TriangleMan answered, annoyingly bringing things back to the ping-pong match of half-threats that had been going with Kismet a moment ago. It ought to figure that no mafioso would let what they interpreted as a threat go without firing back... maybe that was just part of the game. "Although... there are three of you. I respect those who come in threes," he murmured, as though that made sense and warranted no further explanation.
"Triangulating... and I think we'd all appreciate something to drink," TriangleMan added, expanding the mystery from how he enjoyed his sandwiches with no apparent tongue or stomach to how he'd enjoy alcohol with, again, no tongue or stomach.
"Well, I know she's happy to have a friend like you, CourseMan, even if she can't show it. If he wasn't mad as a hatter as of his recent revival, I know my predecessor would be happy to see that she's got someone looking after her. What do you think, Mime? Do you want to go back to live with Simon for a while or would you rather be CourseMan's roomie?" he asked, keeping his arms crossed behind his back. CourseMan might not like him pushing her, but he seemed to believe they needed an answer to wrap things up. When she still couldn't answer, he tilted his head slightly and asked again. "I'm sure CourseMan will be willing to spend plenty of time with you, whichever answer you choose," he reminded her.
Mime nodded, then pointed back at Trace across the bars. It seemed she'd decided to return to Simon's PET for now, though it was hard to read anything from her expression but "exhausted".
CourseMan expressed similar concern for Jailbird, which caused her to return a sympathetic smile, an expression that seemed a bit backwards. "Hey, are you sure you're joining the right faction? There's being a team player, and that's all fine and dandy, but chivalry's a little weird for a Mafia guy, ain't it? Look at the rest of these shmucks," she joked, looking, maybe, a little more affected and less aloof than she usually did.
TriangleMan was not discreet with his criticism and spoke up. "Triangulating... That kind of niceness is a waste here, rookie. She should be grateful that we stepped in at all, given that she's done nothing but stand around in that jailhouse for years," he complained, sounding almost sulky.
The other mafia man couldn't help but cough and turn his head aside, perhaps realizing that he'd dropped the ball as the gentleman among the group. "It's nice of you to be concerned. Don't make me fall for you too!" he teased, though the idea of dating a mostly inanimate taxidermist with giant needles on his fingers and a pick sticking through his torso probably wasn't sitting as well as some of the other relationships CourseMan had set up so far. "But the situation is only as bad as it is because... I never really imagined this happening. I'll get someone from Techari who's a little more knowledgeable about sercurity bypass and a little less about taxidermy, and I'm sure they'll get it resolved for me quickly," he chuckled.
The group looked at him vacantly for a moment as Trace returned with drinks, then offered them out: a variety of several staples and weirder concoctions. "Th-That's your idea of not annoying Kismet too badly?" she asked, soliciting a small peel of laughter from the others who were thinking similarly. "Still, she must really see something in you... A-And it goes without saying that strip twister was never on the table," she murmured, blushing again and looking irritated.
"I'm surprised you have the stamina! At any rate... a toast to our newest Mafia member, a new old friend who can finally stretch her legs outside of a jail cell, and to, apparently, many upcoming dates," TaxidermyMan finished, raising one of the strangest drinks among the bunch, a pale, piss-looking yellow concoction that one might be forgiven for suspecting was formaldehyde. The others toasted as well. "Ah, I hate to rush you all out, but I think it's best if we finish our drinks and then I get this place cleared out. Trace excluded, of course, while I figure out how to get her out without tearing down yet another wall," he suggested.
Trace looked only moderately offended that she wasn't going to get a wall torn down for her, after what had been done for Jailbird. "Fine..."
"Don't worry, someone will be along soon to help. I've put a call in," TaxidermyMan reassured her. "Most importantly Mime and Jailbird probably need to get straight to resting."
"Can't argue with you there," Jailbird agreed, rubbing a leg that was apparently bothering her. It sounded like the party was unfortunately going to have to take a rain check. "How about you, Mime? Ready to meet your maker? Not in a bad way," she asked, looking both ways to see if anyone was taking that badly.
"I'm sure she is, but she has to follow me out. Don't worry, CourseMan... We'll handle it. You should check back in with your operator... I'm sure she's worried sick," Trace suggested.
"Huh? How do you know his operator's a girl?" Jailbird asked, around a swig of the cheapest, laziest beer one could acquire a taste for.
"... I don't think most boys would make a navi like CourseMan, is all," Trace coughed with her pale face reddening slightly, as it seemed to do easier than she'd like.
"Triangulating... and I think we'd all appreciate something to drink," TriangleMan added, expanding the mystery from how he enjoyed his sandwiches with no apparent tongue or stomach to how he'd enjoy alcohol with, again, no tongue or stomach.
"Well, I know she's happy to have a friend like you, CourseMan, even if she can't show it. If he wasn't mad as a hatter as of his recent revival, I know my predecessor would be happy to see that she's got someone looking after her. What do you think, Mime? Do you want to go back to live with Simon for a while or would you rather be CourseMan's roomie?" he asked, keeping his arms crossed behind his back. CourseMan might not like him pushing her, but he seemed to believe they needed an answer to wrap things up. When she still couldn't answer, he tilted his head slightly and asked again. "I'm sure CourseMan will be willing to spend plenty of time with you, whichever answer you choose," he reminded her.
Mime nodded, then pointed back at Trace across the bars. It seemed she'd decided to return to Simon's PET for now, though it was hard to read anything from her expression but "exhausted".
CourseMan expressed similar concern for Jailbird, which caused her to return a sympathetic smile, an expression that seemed a bit backwards. "Hey, are you sure you're joining the right faction? There's being a team player, and that's all fine and dandy, but chivalry's a little weird for a Mafia guy, ain't it? Look at the rest of these shmucks," she joked, looking, maybe, a little more affected and less aloof than she usually did.
TriangleMan was not discreet with his criticism and spoke up. "Triangulating... That kind of niceness is a waste here, rookie. She should be grateful that we stepped in at all, given that she's done nothing but stand around in that jailhouse for years," he complained, sounding almost sulky.
The other mafia man couldn't help but cough and turn his head aside, perhaps realizing that he'd dropped the ball as the gentleman among the group. "It's nice of you to be concerned. Don't make me fall for you too!" he teased, though the idea of dating a mostly inanimate taxidermist with giant needles on his fingers and a pick sticking through his torso probably wasn't sitting as well as some of the other relationships CourseMan had set up so far. "But the situation is only as bad as it is because... I never really imagined this happening. I'll get someone from Techari who's a little more knowledgeable about sercurity bypass and a little less about taxidermy, and I'm sure they'll get it resolved for me quickly," he chuckled.
The group looked at him vacantly for a moment as Trace returned with drinks, then offered them out: a variety of several staples and weirder concoctions. "Th-That's your idea of not annoying Kismet too badly?" she asked, soliciting a small peel of laughter from the others who were thinking similarly. "Still, she must really see something in you... A-And it goes without saying that strip twister was never on the table," she murmured, blushing again and looking irritated.
"I'm surprised you have the stamina! At any rate... a toast to our newest Mafia member, a new old friend who can finally stretch her legs outside of a jail cell, and to, apparently, many upcoming dates," TaxidermyMan finished, raising one of the strangest drinks among the bunch, a pale, piss-looking yellow concoction that one might be forgiven for suspecting was formaldehyde. The others toasted as well. "Ah, I hate to rush you all out, but I think it's best if we finish our drinks and then I get this place cleared out. Trace excluded, of course, while I figure out how to get her out without tearing down yet another wall," he suggested.
Trace looked only moderately offended that she wasn't going to get a wall torn down for her, after what had been done for Jailbird. "Fine..."
"Don't worry, someone will be along soon to help. I've put a call in," TaxidermyMan reassured her. "Most importantly Mime and Jailbird probably need to get straight to resting."
"Can't argue with you there," Jailbird agreed, rubbing a leg that was apparently bothering her. It sounded like the party was unfortunately going to have to take a rain check. "How about you, Mime? Ready to meet your maker? Not in a bad way," she asked, looking both ways to see if anyone was taking that badly.
"I'm sure she is, but she has to follow me out. Don't worry, CourseMan... We'll handle it. You should check back in with your operator... I'm sure she's worried sick," Trace suggested.
"Huh? How do you know his operator's a girl?" Jailbird asked, around a swig of the cheapest, laziest beer one could acquire a taste for.
"... I don't think most boys would make a navi like CourseMan, is all," Trace coughed with her pale face reddening slightly, as it seemed to do easier than she'd like.
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The only response that courser gave to TriangleMan's retort was another grin that was mostly a smirk at the side of his lips, followed by a vaguely cheeky wink. The self-proclaimed genius would have to work that out on his own. Instead, he continued his conversation with the other members of the room, though at the end of the day Mime's preference was what they took the time to wait for. Along the way he shrugged and spread his palms to the side briefly as Jailbird questioned his sentimentality.
"What can I say? Respect where it's due; care where you're able; play while it's fun and dance on the table." When Mime made what gesture she could, though, Courser nodded in a calmer way, the twinkle in his eyes softening when it turned to her in her current state of exhaustion. "No worries then, Sunshine, as long as you're staying safe. Keep in touch and let me know when you're feeling better, ok?"
The conversation moved about their other various concerns for a little while as courser didn't bother with ribbing TriangleMan's rudeness to his friends; as long as that one continued to view such niceties as wasted it was a fair shot that he'd never really have anyone in his life that could be called anything above an acquaintance. The others had already admitted that he was hanging out with them because they were the closest things to friend she had, and he didn't seem particularly friendly towards them. He nodded to TaxidermyMan, and raised the glass he'd been offered — his selection looked something like a strong port, possibly. the small murmur of laughter made him arch an eyebrow.
"What? I mean... I assume her bite is worse than her bark, right? That she let me have my way and didn't paste anyone in the process makes me assume I didn't rub her button the wrong way too much..." his grin left it up to the others to decide whether he was mixing metaphors... or cheekily not. "But the game's more fun when you push close to the edge for a bit without tipping over." This time he winked to go with the comment.
The rest of the drink wrapped up quickly and those who were leaving made ready to go, while those who had to wait were stuck. Courser waited, for his part, and waved away Trace's concern about his operator.
"She's in school still, and she's young enough that I don't want her getting involved in any of the details of what I may be doing with this particular organisation. As far as she needs to be concerned, I'm her flirty eye-candy navi that sometimes needs some time to go out and do his own thing for a while, and I mean to keep it that way for as long as I can." For his part, Courser waited around until he could at least see Mime off safely, chatting quietly with those who also had to remain. Once he'd seen her safe departure, though, presumably with Trace, courser said his last goodbyes to TaxidermyMan and whoever else remained before taking his own leave.
((Courser, Returning To -> Rachel's Home))
"What can I say? Respect where it's due; care where you're able; play while it's fun and dance on the table." When Mime made what gesture she could, though, Courser nodded in a calmer way, the twinkle in his eyes softening when it turned to her in her current state of exhaustion. "No worries then, Sunshine, as long as you're staying safe. Keep in touch and let me know when you're feeling better, ok?"
The conversation moved about their other various concerns for a little while as courser didn't bother with ribbing TriangleMan's rudeness to his friends; as long as that one continued to view such niceties as wasted it was a fair shot that he'd never really have anyone in his life that could be called anything above an acquaintance. The others had already admitted that he was hanging out with them because they were the closest things to friend she had, and he didn't seem particularly friendly towards them. He nodded to TaxidermyMan, and raised the glass he'd been offered — his selection looked something like a strong port, possibly. the small murmur of laughter made him arch an eyebrow.
"What? I mean... I assume her bite is worse than her bark, right? That she let me have my way and didn't paste anyone in the process makes me assume I didn't rub her button the wrong way too much..." his grin left it up to the others to decide whether he was mixing metaphors... or cheekily not. "But the game's more fun when you push close to the edge for a bit without tipping over." This time he winked to go with the comment.
The rest of the drink wrapped up quickly and those who were leaving made ready to go, while those who had to wait were stuck. Courser waited, for his part, and waved away Trace's concern about his operator.
"She's in school still, and she's young enough that I don't want her getting involved in any of the details of what I may be doing with this particular organisation. As far as she needs to be concerned, I'm her flirty eye-candy navi that sometimes needs some time to go out and do his own thing for a while, and I mean to keep it that way for as long as I can." For his part, Courser waited around until he could at least see Mime off safely, chatting quietly with those who also had to remain. Once he'd seen her safe departure, though, presumably with Trace, courser said his last goodbyes to TaxidermyMan and whoever else remained before taking his own leave.
((Courser, Returning To -> Rachel's Home))
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"Fun motto, but I'm too lazy to dance," Jailbird responded with self-depreciating humor; hopefully, she was just joking, or else, CourseMan would need to go ahead and cross that off his date itinerary. Mime gave another nod, still weary to a worrisome degree, but hopefully this would all be a memory by the time they next met.
"I'd caution you about pushing your luck, my friend, but I think that particular warning's been issued at least thirty times tonight," TaxidermyMan chuckled in response, not changing his standing position.
On that note, the others probably had more advice to offer about how wise or foolish it would be for a navi to hide their profession from their operator, but they managed to hold it in for the sake of not piling on yet another piece of unwanted critique.
CourseMan would hang around to see Jailbird leave first, then TriangleMan almost immediately after her. Another masked navi, who seemed remarkably familiar from his toxic control suit and lanky stature, appeared to evaluate how to best get Trace out from where she'd been trapped. The answer: blowing through the wall, which didn't seem to suit TaxidermyMan very well judging by his sour reaction. His geniality had its limits where blowing up his museum was involved, apparently.
Once Trace was out, she left along with Mime, to the safety of her operator, Simon. That's leave just TaxidermyMan and CourseMan to enjoy a bounty of mostly untouched, cold finger foods before he departed the scene. "Also, I should add... if I'm extending the recruitment again, the rest ought to go with it. Please, take it. I've added in another 1200 zenny, for your trouble with Kismet... although I might should be asking you to pay me. I think we all have a few more gray hairs after watching that," he joked. Soon after, CourseMan would run out of reasons to hang around, and would presumably be on his way.
((NetMafia Teksqp recruitment obtained, along with 20 faction points, 4200z, and AquaNeedle2 x1... NOTE: this is not in addition to earlier rewards))
((FXP to come))
"I'd caution you about pushing your luck, my friend, but I think that particular warning's been issued at least thirty times tonight," TaxidermyMan chuckled in response, not changing his standing position.
On that note, the others probably had more advice to offer about how wise or foolish it would be for a navi to hide their profession from their operator, but they managed to hold it in for the sake of not piling on yet another piece of unwanted critique.
CourseMan would hang around to see Jailbird leave first, then TriangleMan almost immediately after her. Another masked navi, who seemed remarkably familiar from his toxic control suit and lanky stature, appeared to evaluate how to best get Trace out from where she'd been trapped. The answer: blowing through the wall, which didn't seem to suit TaxidermyMan very well judging by his sour reaction. His geniality had its limits where blowing up his museum was involved, apparently.
Once Trace was out, she left along with Mime, to the safety of her operator, Simon. That's leave just TaxidermyMan and CourseMan to enjoy a bounty of mostly untouched, cold finger foods before he departed the scene. "Also, I should add... if I'm extending the recruitment again, the rest ought to go with it. Please, take it. I've added in another 1200 zenny, for your trouble with Kismet... although I might should be asking you to pay me. I think we all have a few more gray hairs after watching that," he joked. Soon after, CourseMan would run out of reasons to hang around, and would presumably be on his way.
((NetMafia Teksqp recruitment obtained, along with 20 faction points, 4200z, and AquaNeedle2 x1... NOTE: this is not in addition to earlier rewards))
((FXP to come))