[closed] the branch reaches out

[valr]

Who: Kara, Itsuki, Ignis, an RAC agent mayhaps
Where: Westerley, out and about
When: Week 5 & 6
Summary: Catch-all for team branch!
Restrictions/Warnings: n/a

Comments

NPC

[valr]

[Taking orders is something that Kara grew used to in the military, but it sits differently coming from an anonymous email that won't respond to her questions and only provides her with a map that refuses to disappear from the screen of her burner cell no matter what she does. Still, ignoring it doesn't seem like the best option, not when someone has clearly put effort into contacting her, so she goes.

With her sword and gun at hand, because she isn't stupid, and before she even enters the apartment itself she scouts out several blocks in each direction, making sure there's no hidden snipers or Enforcers waiting for it. When she's satisfied that nothing is about to leap out at her, she takes the stairs up to the apartment indicated on the map.

Inside the apartment is far more interesting, she spends a little while checking it all out, frowning at the strange windows and desk, before finally taking the plunge and selecting yes. When the desk opens, she takes a step back, hand on the hilt of her sword as she waits, then draws it when she hears the door lock behind her.

It takes a second before she sees the dossiers projected on the wall, and promptly groans.]

What the fuck is this?

[thenine]

An invitation, my dear.

[ The voice resonates before the image appears, a slightly tinny edge to it to give away its electronic nature. The model renders a few moments later, a woman that stands long and lean, red hair tucked into a hood that overshadows most of her face. Her mouth, faintly smiling, is limned with wrinkles and years of laughter and sorrow alike.

She stands with her arms neatly lined against her back, head dipped down. Her image flickers at random, suggesting the broadcast comes from a very long distance.

When she speaks again, the voice sounds richer, thicker. Almost human. ]

To the end of the Quad. One which I daresay you'll accept, though they--

[ A pale hand lifts, indicates the projected dossiers. ]

--might require some convincing.

[valr]

[Calling Kara rude would not be much of a stretch or much of a lie, but she didn't last as long as she has by being unnecessarily so, and when facing off against a woman with access to highly advanced technology and hard to get information, Kara is going to keep her mouth shut.

So she doesn't say I'm not your dear, or what the hell do you think you're doing or leave me the fuck alone. She doesn't say anything, at first, regarding both the woman and the files with a skeptical eye for a few moments, weighing up the words and the situation. A large number of questions spring to mind, but she wants to prioritize the most important ones.]

For what purpose? What's your allegiance?

[If she's some rat of the Nine looking to expand her interest, technology or not, she's getting told where she can shove it.]

[thenine]

[ The woman lifts her hands again, lowering her hood to bring light to her eyes. While her face speaks of a softness, her gaze is sharp like a well-placed poniard, ready to strike out at anything that might draw her ire.

Then she chuckles, a sweet sound, as if in thanks to the restraint Kara is undoubtedly exercising. ]

Good questions, both.

[ She half-turns, surveying the wall herself as if it's her first time to see the individual dossiers. ]

As for my allegiance, we are allied to nothing but change. The people of Westerley have spent too long under the gilded heels of the Quad. We will see those ankles broken.

[ She pauses, laughs again, righting her posture. ]

I suppose that answers the purpose, as well, doesn't it? We would like you--and the members of your team--to lead the procession of change. There's a war on the horizon, Kara. We want to make sure there's something left of Westerley when it's over.

[valr]

[The Resistance is a tree with many branches, and Kara highly doubts that she knows the faces of every single member, let alone the important ones, so it doesn't come as too much of a surprise that this woman talking of war and revolution doesn't seem familiar.

Something is still off, though. This technology level isn't anything she was aware of the Resistance having, hell, she didn't even know tech of this level existed. But she's not going to accuse someone of lying straight away, and the answer does sound genuine, as well as something that Kara can agree with. She isn't going to wax poetic about breaking ankles, but there's a set in her stance and an understanding in the little nod she gives that shows she's heard what the woman is saying.]

My... team- [It's been a long time, but it's almost automatic to say unit.] They've been picked for a reason.

[It isn't a question and yet it somehow still manages to be; she isn't asking for confirmation, she's asking the why.]

[thenine]

[ She reciprocates the nod, a short, courtly movement, the bow of her head shifting the red ringlets enough to reveal the start of intricate inking on the concealed neck. As if self conscious, she reaches up to adjust her collar, hiding the black marks in the draw of her cloak.

Fortunately, Kara need not elaborate on her curiosity to be understood. Waving her hand over the waiting pool of programmable matter, the projection flickers again while the material begins to vibrate and coalesce, reshaping itself into a divine.

(A silent reminder that the walls in this room are not beyond her reach--) ]

As we all are, my dear. Please, sit. It will not deprogram until you instruct.

[ Whether her invitation is accepted or not, the woman turns her head back to the wall, the light of the projection washing away the fine lines around her mouth to make her look a little younger, a lot sharper. ]

Itsuki Kagami. Petty drug dealer with aspirations for something better. He will try your patience, but his connections as an information broker will be invaluable to carrying out your mission. His ambition will blind him at times, but he will be a useful resource.

He will not come willingly. That does not matter.

[valr]

[Programmable matter able to be controlled from a safe room miles away is unsettling to say the least, and not because of the potential way it could be used against her, right now, but because of the implications in war, in espionage. But Kara sits, on the edge of the seat with her sword across her lap, not ready to sheath it just yet.

And then she listens, only making a little of a face at the thought of working with Itsuki. She wants to argue that there are other info brokers, ones that aren't so damn annoying, but if a woman with so many resources decided on Itsuki, then there's likely a reason beyond just the info brokering.

Also the drug dealer thing is interesting.]

I can handle Itsuki. I'm not above blackmail.

[Does the woman know of their connection, as vague as it is? Maybe that's part of the reason. She also assumes the woman knows she's not above blackmail, but sometimes there's a point to confirming things.]

itsuki; w5d7

[valr]

[The absolute last thing that Kara wants to do is rely on Itsuki; not because he isn't good at what he does, but she doesn't know him well enough to trust that he'll keep his shit together. Blackmail might be a viable option, but it only goes so far, especially if a dangerous situation comes up.

Still, she has her orders, and she doesn't think ignoring them would be smart. Sending a text to Itsuki is easy enough, picking the location was a little trickier, just because she wants to avoid any attention. Calling in a favor with a sexter she helped out once gets her a private room for an hour, free of spying eyes or eavesdroppers. The location, time, and date are all sent to Itsuki.

Kara arrives a little bit early so she can check the room, before settling in to wait. One of the girls downstairs will direct Itsuki to the right room.]

[nightchild]

[Itsuki comes later, a few minutes after the appointed time, and with surprisingly little trouble considering how much he's accidentally fallen into since the start of the protests. But he's nothing if not resilient, and he knows his way around Old Town enough to avoid both Company attention and the worst of the mobs. He might look a little banged up, (his face is bruised, but otherwise all his other injuries are concealed behind his standard clothes) though considering how everyone's looking by now, he probably fits right in.]

[He does appreciate the coos of sympathy from the brothel girls though, and that's enough to lift his spirits as he follows one of the them to the private room. The girl pokes her head in first, 'your guest's here', then pulls back and leaves Itsuki on the threshold.]

Hey, [Itsuki steps in and closes the door after him, glancing around the room.] it's not that I don't appreciate the location, but this place seems new.

[he's amused, but he's not under any impression that meeting at a brothel could actually mean anything besides official business. Itsuki's in the habit of using sexter rooms himself, so he knows their value.]

[valr]

[Usually, even on business, there's a languid nature to the way Kara moves, the way she holds herself, that suggests everything is a little bit boring, as though she doesn't give much of a shit about anything, even if it's trading information that could leave someone dead.

Now, though, there's an edge to her that Itsuki likely hasn't seen. It isn't tension, just a readiness that betrays the fact she's taking this a lot more seriously than she appears to take most things.]

Had to be somewhere private, this isn't usual business.

[nightchild]

[The smile stays on Itsuki's face, but his eyes sharpen -- not just with the way Kara feels right now, but with her words too. So it's not a regular info trade, hm. He can't really guess what else it could possibly be, besides obviously important.]

Alright.

[He looks around the room once more, then flops onto an available chair. Maybe the idea that this might be some kind of set-up to a terrible murder crosses his mind, but honestly, if Kara wanted to murder him then he'd have no way of escaping, so he might as well sit down and rest while he has the chance.]

It's not the usual, but I'm guessing it's something I can still help with.

[valr]

[Kara drops her elbows onto her knees, hands clasped between them as she watches Itsuki, still going over exactly how she wants to approach this. Leading with the blackmail isn't her preferred method, not when it puts them at odds with each other, creates friction that doesn't necessarily need to be there.

She doubts appealing to his good nature will have any success, but it's likely there's a middle ground to be found. And if all else fails, money talks.]

I'm part of the Resistance. [No bullshitting around that, even if this isn't entirely Resistance aligned.] And much as I hate to say it, I need your particular expertise.

[It isn't pride that makes her hesitance to compliment or admit she needs him, it's knowledge that his own pride is going to love hearing it.]

[nightchild]

[Okay, that's]

[Not what Itsuki was expecting. Kara's always kept things curt and professional, but Itsuki likes to think he's picked up enough about her to guess at what she might need. Evacuating Westies, maybe? Helping out with the riots? He'd been all set to agree -- too much about the situation was a powder keg ready to explode (or exploded) -- but the admission takes him fully by surprise.]

[No one readily volunteers information like that without wanting something in return, sure, but Itsuki figured that Kara would be the last person to tell him that all the same -- even if she really did need something. Information's as precious as joy these days, and just as damning. It must be really serious -- especially if she's admitting that she needs his help with it, and he's as prideful as they come but]

[The Resistance?]

As much as you hate to say it, huh. [He's just buying time now. still smiling a little, but with a shift to his expression that's more guarded now and wary.] Man. The one time someone needs my help specifically.

[He doesn't have anything against the Resistance -- from what little he knows about it. But the Resistance symbolizes a cause and a strength of will that's too impulsive for Itsuki's tastes, especially since he's always been a man who's been content with half-measures and mouthing off. he'll run his mouth against the Nine and rest of the Qreshi and the True Leithians time and time again, but doing something about it? Working with a group determined to fight till the bitter end?]

[That's getting a little dramatic there, Itsuki thinks, and as if realizing his uncharacteristic silence, he just. sighs.]

Well, I'd love to ask what about exactly, but I'm getting the feeling that if I do, then that's as good as me saying I'll do it.

[He's supposed to be curious, but he's not going to be stupid. You don't fly into someone's else cause and expect them to let you backpedal after hearing all the details.]

Look -- I'm just an info broker. And not particularly better than the rest. There's nothing I can do that someone else can't do just as well, so why don't you let me give you a couple of names? Free of charge, even -- and I won't spread what you just told me around either. How about that?

[he's just a humble info broker with absolutely no side-occupations or side-connections that could possibly be of interest! He's worked that angle before, surely it'll work this time.]

[valr]

[Despite her curt nature most of the time, Kara knows the value of patience and is more than willing to let Itsuki go over everything in his head rather than rushing him for an answer, knowing that if she pushes, he's more likely to push back.

She lets him talk through it all, not responding until she's sure he's done, since she has a feeling most of what he's saying is rhetorical, not looking for a response, just a way for him to think it all through, work out where he stands.

The answer, when it comes, doesn't surprise her, though it's better than it could have been. She'll take it for now.]

I don't know shit about those other brokers. I want someone I can trust, in a way.

[Not trust trust, but she knows how Itsuki works, knows that she can at least trust his discretion and his sources, which is more than she can say for a bunch of strangers.]

It's a job like any other, I ain't asking you to do this outta the kindness of your heart. I'm paying.

[Hyperion didn't suggest this as a method, so she doubts they'll foot the bill, but that isn't an issue. Kara has plenty of Joy.]

kara; w6d1

[equerry]

[ It's difficult to focus on something so simple as bartending with the protests going on and the current status of his home as a go-between house. It puts him on edge, knowing how violent things have become, that he is far from safe which means the people that come and go through his apartment fall into the same category. A cover story will only get one so far.

Nevertheless, his distraction doesn't drive him from performing excellently at his jobs. It was no small feat landing himself the positions he has and being dismissed for being sloppy is the last thing on his schedule. The streets are far from quiet and those moving in and out of the bar are strung high with tension. Somehow, Ignis still manages to appear both unflappable and magnanimous to each of his patrons. For all intents and purposes he seems almost unaffected by what's going on outside the doors of the bar.

When another customer comes to sit at the counter in front of him Ignis turns toward her, his glasses black and reflective under the low light. He doesn't look directly at the woman, his gaze seeming to go somewhere over his shoulder. ]

What can I get for you?

[valr]

[Ignis Scientia, the name on the display had read, and one of the first things Kara had done upon leaving the safe house was to investigate this man she's apparently going to be working with. Touching base with some of her Resistance contacts who hadn't been rounded up during the riots was fruitful, in that they directed her towards his bar, and more importantly, informed her of the fact he's aligned with the Resistance.

Which is how she's found herself at his bar, claiming a spot at the counter so they can have a chat.]

Whatever's on tap, thanks.

[equerry]

[ Ignis tips his head graciously and turns away from her to deliver. He doesn't look at what he's doing, his attention remaining fixed mostly forward even as his fingers blindly skim across the chilled glasses and to the tap. The pour is perfect and he sets the glass down noiselessly in front of her with a napkin. There is no suggestion that she is anything other than a regular customer, and so Ignis treats her no differently than he has anyone else up to this point. ]

Would you like to start a tab? The day is still young.

[ In that the sun hasn't set yet, at least. ]

[valr]

[The ease of his movement doesn't surprise her, not after Hyperion's briefing, so she accepts the glass without so much as a stray blink.]

Sure, I ain't got anywhere to be. Name's Amber Silvins.

[This is, of course, not Kara's name, but the name of the woman in the Resistance who told her about Ignis; she's hedging her bets on him knowing the name and figuring that it means Kara is part of the Resistance, too.]

[equerry]

[ He doesn't do a double-take at her, but Ignis does lift his head to "look" directly at her. She most certainly is not Amber Silvins. Which left two possible outcomes: she was posing as this individual, or she was purposefully offering up her name with the assumption that Ignis would know exactly what she meant by using it. He smiles at her. ]

Well, well, to what do I owe the honour? If this is about spices, I'm afraid my supplier has his hands full these days.

[ "Spices" here meaning "weaponry". Ignis isn't a trafficker by any means, but he is one of the people to pass on the information when certain handlers come through town. ]

[valr]

[Kara sips her drink as he speaks, the relaxed demeanor of someone who knows exactly what they're doing, rather than the edge of nerves that often comes with subterfuge.]

Thought I'd catch up with an old friend, have a chat if you got the time.

[The implication there is clear, that she wants to speak with him somewhere private, but she's leaving the ball in his court. It would have been easy to approach him at his home, or even catch him leaving the bar late, except that could have put him on edge, felt like an intrusion. This lets him have a degree of control.]

[equerry]

I suppose I am due for a break.

[ Ignis sees the trail of crumbs she's leaving him and can come to no other conclusion than this resistance fighter has something to share with him. He's been around the block a few times, and is rather sure of his sixth sense regarding these things. He excuses himself from her to wind his way back behind the bar to another employee. Through the din it's impossible to see what he says but a few minutes later he's coming around the front of the counter and someone else has taken his place. ]

Shall we?

[nekoshunshin]

[It's not uncommon for Yoruichi to receive requests for private blessings - though, usually, they're in the form of local Company workers erring to the side of caution rather than locals.

So color her curious as she waits, a mug of steaming tea in one hand as she sits on the windowsill of the rented second floor sexter's room, the hood pulled to hide her features in shadows as she watches the salt-of-the-earth mesh of humanity ebb and flow on the streets below.

Golden eyes narrow as she watches a squad of Company enforcers push and shove their way through the crowd, golden eyes narrowing in disgust... even as she marks the path of their mini-reign of terror.

Later, she can absolve them of their own sins.

For now, she simply waits.]

[valr]

[Neutral ground, somewhere private. It's the safest bet that Kara has, a similar play to what she did with Itsuki, although this time there's not a whole of familiarity to rely on. She's seen Yoruichi before, on the fringes of various gatherings which are always small and always careful, the only reason Kara takes the risk to attend. But it's not the same as knowing how someone operates, or having a complete blank slate like she did with Ignis.

Yoruichi is resistance, though, and that should makes things easier.

She's left both her gun and sword at home, partly as an olive branch and partly because the increased company activity makes them risky items, even if Kara mostly sticks to the tunnels these days, as much as she can.

It means she's running a tiny bit late, getting her to the sexter's room after Yoruichi has arrived, so she's sure to knock on the door to announce herself before entering. Despite being Resistance, Kara doesn't really spend a lot of time around Scarbacks (she doesn't get the whole pain thing) so it's always kind of novel to meet one.

Still, she's not gonna make a big deal about it.]

Hey, don't think we've ever been formally introduced. I'm Kara.

[Obviously, but occasionally manners are important.]

[nekoshunshin]

[Canting her head at the knock, Yoruichi watches the door open with a relaxed form of wariness... a wariness that does not entirely fade at the sight of someone she's seen drifting in similar circles, though it does go a long way to reassuring her that this one, at least, isn't a Kendry agent.

Setting the mug down, she pushes to her feet with a graceful nod... and an almost playful grin.]

Kara, huh? Nice to meet you. I'm Yoruichi.

[A beat as she steps closer, one hand reaching up to push the silken hood back off her head, indigo locks fallinf down a shoulder with the move.]

But you can call me Auntie, if you like.

[valr]

I'll stick with Yoruichi, if it's all the same to you.

[Even if it's a Scarback thing, Auntie implies a familiarity that Kara isn't particularly inclined to encouraging, even if maybe it'd work in her favor for this.]

Did I keep you waiting long?