You're talking to creepy old men on the murmur, I didn't want to interrupt through our tether... but I also needed to make sure you weren't getting abducted.
I am not going to get abducted. Do I look like a child to you? Though if you have anything more insightful to offer on the "creepy old man," there is no point in keeping that information to yourself.
[ Especially before Sunday has to find out the hard way about said man's creepiness. ]
[ His feathers flare a bit at that as his eyes narrow. ]
Are you implying you are attracted to virgin church girls then? And everything and everyone in this world is alarm bells to me, which is precisely why I am getting involved. If there is any evidence of malfeasance, I will deal with it swiftly.
[ since he's been caught, he's coming in anyway?! and will go to casual drape himself on Sunday now, whispering a bit salaciously ]
...Well, if they're like you... absolutely~.
[ but he'll get more serious as he continues, although he won't pull away from Sunday. ]
That guy's daughter yaps regularly about how she wants to kill me and babbles the gory details thinking she's going to scare me. And she definitely learned it from someone. I'm worried you and Caelus are going to wind up in a mess.
[ He has a half a mind to nudge Aventurine off of himself after that comment, but he doesn't. ]
As flattered as I am that you would actually extend an iota of concern towards me in spite of all we have been through, I can handle one old man myself.
[ He has plenty of experience with deranged father figures. ]
Avoiding him and turning a blind eye would only give him grounds to take advantage of others –if that is indeed his plan.
I'm just getting you back for being worried about me.
[ Aventurine sighs a little bit. ]
It's absolutely his plan. He's presenting a solution to a problem that doesn't actually exist. This is the classic warlord or gang leader taking over a territory after law and order is gone. Get all the underlings to do the hard work and build up weapons, food, supplies, safe-housing and, etc.
Then use all that you got people to create and gather against them but forcing people into more subservience for their "fair share." The joke's on everyone, though, because they're now "paying" for the things they themselves made possible in the first place. Want some of that food you collected? Collecting the food doesn't get you entitled to that, you need to do something else. That's "fair exchange." Want to stay in the protected area that you helped build and made safe and protected? Go do more things every day to "earn your keep."
The trick used here is making it appear like a fair give and take relationship of equality and fairness. In truth, it's not even a give and take relationship at all, nevermind a fair or otherwise equal one. The leader takes and takes because all he's "giving" is what he took from everyone to begin with while still taking more.
I was not...that worried about you. [ He was. ] And I assume you only recognize this pattern because it is not at all dissimilar from the IPC's regular activities.
Though, in the IPC's case, they supply the resources in exchange for labor and influence over another new colony. If that is the case, then it is even more pertinent I keep an eye on matters.
[ He doesn't want the people here to end up exploited for another's gain. ]
It'd take forever to explaining the complexities, but the concept is similar enough. Usually it's a mutually beneficial relationship, but the IPC obviously has its public reputation and then also it's shadier reputation where these tactics can more closely align. Obviously, the IPC never seeks nor cares to lend a hand with a zero-sum collaboration of any kind. Some are more fair than others, but the IPC always intends to be the one that comes away with more than it gives.
The other difference here is that the IPC has the money, weapons, manpower, and influence already. So when the IPC says it's going to protect or supply food or whatever, it isn't just one single man with nothing to their name promising a bunch of other people he'll see to it that they're safe. In principle, it's still a matter of trust, but... at least you can see the IPC can do what it claims [ he trails off before finishing more quietly with a bit of venom. ] ... when they want to, anyway.
[ he'll continue after a moment more normally. ]
The IPC regularly also has to clear people like Silco out from colonies or broken worlds. I've infiltrated enough of them to know how they got themselves to where they are. And the playbook rarely changes.
[ He knows enough about what happened on Sigonia-IV not to press the IPC issue, especially when Aventurine is acting out of concern at the moment. ]
What alternative would you propose? You and I may approach the situation with immediate misgivings and suspicions, but the same cannot be said of Caelus and the rest.
Is it not more strategic to keep a potential problem close and under surveillance?
...That depends, how are your tuning powers and your overall sensitivity to that sort of thing?
Silco is a Merrow. I don't know much about them, but I know at least one of their potential abilities is similar to Compulsion. I don't know if it's outright mind-control, but if he has an ability like that, even if he's still relatively weak compared to us that have been here longer...
[ he won't be that way forever.
And... well, Sunday and Aventurine know this sort of mind-control thing quite intimately, don't they?
At the same time, Aventurine's concern accidentally slips through the tether: is Sunday in danger of being more susceptible due to how his tuning powers were acting without him being able to connect to the Harmony in this place? ]
It would be easier to deflect the influence if I were in Sleep's Dreamscape. Outside of it, I have only my powers as a Seraph to rely on.
[ Which aren't all that weak either, though Sunday would have to strike first if he wants to avoid the risk of being manipulated against his own will. ]
I also have the advantage of experience, having spent my years around the Family. I would not approach the situation entirely vulnerable.
[ he doesn't like it, but Sunday does have a point. ]
Well, if this is what you really want to do, I won't stop you. You came back from the tunnels in one piece, so...
[ ... and this is definitely more Sunday's element. Will slowly pull back now, going to idly fuss with straightening and smoothing out Sunday's clothes. ]
But... don't mention your connection to me even in passing. Better yet, you'll probably get further with him if I ever come up saying that we're on bad terms.
[ ok listen... for once he was trying to be helpful. ]
I hurt his daughter's feelings. [ he's just really bad at the whole supportive patience for people he has no stake in and openly dislike him. ]
She's hung up on it to the point she likes to publicly talk about wanting to kill me. While I know she's being dramatic, and I'm trying to sort things with her slowly, he's the one who made her this way. I don't see how else he'd be viewing me except as something to pick off, you know?
[ pouts a little in response even as gives a kiss to the tip of Sunday's nose. ]
You know what I mean. He's definitely going to try and pry—your connections will definitely be something he tries to fish around for with casual conversation.
[ His nose scrunches slightly as his feathers twitch. ]
Because she despises you, you believe her father that she has a terrible relationship will target you. I am not sure how your logic arrived there, but I am also certain we can deal with it if it comes to that.
You have Caelus, Jing Yuan, myself, and others in this hotel who would assist if matters became that dire.
The relationship is clearly a terrible and toxic one from her behavior alone, but she loves and adores him. And I'm pretty sure, for all his failings, he's very protective of her.
Normally I wouldn't care either way. People wanting me dead isn't anything new, and I'm perfectly capable of handling it.
I just... [ his shoulders slump a little as his voice falls to barely above a whisper. ] ...don't... want any of you being judged or treated badly because of being associated with me.
[ ...and that feeling is something he's not used to at all. ]
[ His hand cups one of Aventurine's cheeks as he leans over to kiss him fully. ]
I am no better even if I once thought I was. I did something terrible, something I find regrettable now, and I hated you before for trying to stop me. Being associated with you will not earn me any worse judgment than what I myself did of my own volition.
I am sure I will give him plenty of reasons to despise me without you in the equation.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ Especially before Sunday has to find out the hard way about said man's creepiness. ]
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You could pass for a virgin church girl, yes.
[ as for creepy old man: ]
None of that was alarm bells to you...?
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Are you implying you are attracted to virgin church girls then? And everything and everyone in this world is alarm bells to me, which is precisely why I am getting involved. If there is any evidence of malfeasance, I will deal with it swiftly.
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...Well, if they're like you... absolutely~.
[ but he'll get more serious as he continues, although he won't pull away from Sunday. ]
That guy's daughter yaps regularly about how she wants to kill me and babbles the gory details thinking she's going to scare me. And she definitely learned it from someone. I'm worried you and Caelus are going to wind up in a mess.
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As flattered as I am that you would actually extend an iota of concern towards me in spite of all we have been through, I can handle one old man myself.
[ He has plenty of experience with deranged father figures. ]
Avoiding him and turning a blind eye would only give him grounds to take advantage of others –if that is indeed his plan.
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[ Aventurine sighs a little bit. ]
It's absolutely his plan. He's presenting a solution to a problem that doesn't actually exist. This is the classic warlord or gang leader taking over a territory after law and order is gone. Get all the underlings to do the hard work and build up weapons, food, supplies, safe-housing and, etc.
Then use all that you got people to create and gather against them but forcing people into more subservience for their "fair share." The joke's on everyone, though, because they're now "paying" for the things they themselves made possible in the first place. Want some of that food you collected? Collecting the food doesn't get you entitled to that, you need to do something else. That's "fair exchange." Want to stay in the protected area that you helped build and made safe and protected? Go do more things every day to "earn your keep."
The trick used here is making it appear like a fair give and take relationship of equality and fairness. In truth, it's not even a give and take relationship at all, nevermind a fair or otherwise equal one. The leader takes and takes because all he's "giving" is what he took from everyone to begin with while still taking more.
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Though, in the IPC's case, they supply the resources in exchange for labor and influence over another new colony. If that is the case, then it is even more pertinent I keep an eye on matters.
[ He doesn't want the people here to end up exploited for another's gain. ]
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It'd take forever to explaining the complexities, but the concept is similar enough. Usually it's a mutually beneficial relationship, but the IPC obviously has its public reputation and then also it's shadier reputation where these tactics can more closely align. Obviously, the IPC never seeks nor cares to lend a hand with a zero-sum collaboration of any kind. Some are more fair than others, but the IPC always intends to be the one that comes away with more than it gives.
The other difference here is that the IPC has the money, weapons, manpower, and influence already. So when the IPC says it's going to protect or supply food or whatever, it isn't just one single man with nothing to their name promising a bunch of other people he'll see to it that they're safe. In principle, it's still a matter of trust, but... at least you can see the IPC can do what it claims [ he trails off before finishing more quietly with a bit of venom. ] ... when they want to, anyway.
[ he'll continue after a moment more normally. ]
The IPC regularly also has to clear people like Silco out from colonies or broken worlds. I've infiltrated enough of them to know how they got themselves to where they are. And the playbook rarely changes.
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What alternative would you propose? You and I may approach the situation with immediate misgivings and suspicions, but the same cannot be said of Caelus and the rest.
Is it not more strategic to keep a potential problem close and under surveillance?
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Silco is a Merrow. I don't know much about them, but I know at least one of their potential abilities is similar to Compulsion. I don't know if it's outright mind-control, but if he has an ability like that, even if he's still relatively weak compared to us that have been here longer...
[ he won't be that way forever.
And... well, Sunday and Aventurine know this sort of mind-control thing quite intimately, don't they?
At the same time, Aventurine's concern accidentally slips through the tether: is Sunday in danger of being more susceptible due to how his tuning powers were acting without him being able to connect to the Harmony in this place? ]
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[ Which aren't all that weak either, though Sunday would have to strike first if he wants to avoid the risk of being manipulated against his own will. ]
I also have the advantage of experience, having spent my years around the Family. I would not approach the situation entirely vulnerable.
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Well, if this is what you really want to do, I won't stop you. You came back from the tunnels in one piece, so...
[ ... and this is definitely more Sunday's element. Will slowly pull back now, going to idly fuss with straightening and smoothing out Sunday's clothes. ]
But... don't mention your connection to me even in passing. Better yet, you'll probably get further with him if I ever come up saying that we're on bad terms.
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[ Typical IPC, but there's no vitriol to his words. He leans over to kiss the corner of Aventurine's mouth as a soothing gesture. ]
Contrary to what you may believe, I am capable of having many conversations without bringing you up.
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I hurt his daughter's feelings.
[ he's just really bad at the whole supportive patience for people he has no stake in and openly dislike him. ]
She's hung up on it to the point she likes to publicly talk about wanting to kill me. While I know she's being dramatic, and I'm trying to sort things with her slowly, he's the one who made her this way. I don't see how else he'd be viewing me except as something to pick off, you know?
[ pouts a little in response even as gives a kiss to the tip of Sunday's nose. ]
You know what I mean. He's definitely going to try and pry—your connections will definitely be something he tries to fish around for with casual conversation.
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Because she despises you, you believe her father that she has a terrible relationship will target you. I am not sure how your logic arrived there, but I am also certain we can deal with it if it comes to that.
You have Caelus, Jing Yuan, myself, and others in this hotel who would assist if matters became that dire.
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Normally I wouldn't care either way. People wanting me dead isn't anything new, and I'm perfectly capable of handling it.
I just... [ his shoulders slump a little as his voice falls to barely above a whisper. ] ...don't... want any of you being judged or treated badly because of being associated with me.
[ ...and that feeling is something he's not used to at all. ]
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I am no better even if I once thought I was. I did something terrible, something I find regrettable now, and I hated you before for trying to stop me. Being associated with you will not earn me any worse judgment than what I myself did of my own volition.
I am sure I will give him plenty of reasons to despise me without you in the equation.