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Post by ThRevanchist on Aug 24, 2016 1:12:52 GMT
Distracted by the newest arrival, in the form of... some Pokemon, Thoron almost leapt into questions concerning it. He did stop himself before any could be spewed forth, though. It was as Omega had said, they shouldn't get hung up on lesser crimes right now. Never mind that possession of a Pokemon was a serious crime itself. Although on that note, he had to wonder, were Pokemon involved in the creation of the Prescient Powder, or were they that successful that they could equip people in this way... or maybe Requiem had a Pokemon for an entirely unrelated reason? Soleil was already questioning her, so for now, Thoron got out of Silas' way and observed the duo. If Requiem explained 'the story' of Angel, so much the better, but he wouldn't get his hopes up. PokeEdu: 8
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Post by Moriya on Aug 24, 2016 3:05:00 GMT
When Soleil grabs Silas's arm, a portion of his anger is converted to paralyzing fear. Now he can't fight, can't hidecan'trunonlyDIE. Her words fall on deaf ears. As Thoron says... something, Silas realizes he's not dead, the one in front of him isn't that demon, and his mind starts to recover. While Requiem's next words are patronizing, that she's trying to communicate at all causes Silas to hear a different message. He's not simply an insect in her eyes, and she's trying to avoid a fight. That means fighting back is a threat. Despite the fear, there is something he can do. And Silas can work with that.
As Silas returns to rational thought, the anger also flows back. It's no longer a hot rage, but a cold loathing. Incidents like this are exactly why those things are a problem. They're casually trespassing in other people's minds, then acting like they didn't do anything wrong just because most people can't notice their crimes. Using that information to gain more power over others is simply unacceptable.
He can't do anything about it yet, so he leaves his team to their attention on the... is that a Pokemon? Something had come out from under the bed, but that's not what he expected. Even better, they now have an excuse to arrest the woman.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 24, 2016 5:12:03 GMT
When Leslie kneels down to the Pokémon's level, it looks at her, languidly blinks once, and then proceeds to steadfastly ignore her, going back to winding around Requium's legs pausing only when it seems like it briefly bumps into something. At least it wasn't trying to eat Leslie's hair. Maybe the what seems to be a gemstone in its head is worth something... ƓƤơƪŜƵƫƱŜưƫƱƟƤŜưƤơŜƪƫƯơŜƫƢŜưƤơŜƟƮơƝưƱƮơŜƳƥưƤŜƵƫƱƮŜƳƥƪƠŨŜƥưŜƞƮƥơƢƨƵŜƯưƫƬƯŨŜƨƫƫƧƥƪƣŜƝŜƨƥưưƨơŜƟƫƪƢƱƯơƠŪØ "Oh, Angel?" Requiem responds to Soleil, "Well, he's my little companion, and... I guess you could say that he helps guide me. He's a sharp little thing, even if he doesn't exactly say a lot." She gives a little smile at that, as if she'd made a joke. "But, I'm sure you don't really want to talk about him, or me, for that matter." She keeps her gaze mostly on Silas, although it briefly flits about to the others. "You said you're here about the powder. And I know you want to stop it, however much you might want to convince me otherwise. All in the name of protecting the system." She sits down on her bed, Angel jumping up onto her lap. "And that's admirable, I suppose. You only have so much information. I'm sure you've been able to dismiss the flaws that you have seen." She looks at everyone in turn. "But they are there. They force you to do some work that benefits the system. They cast down any signs of improvement amongst humanity. They hoard all of the Pokémon and information that they find, only gifting them to those that wish to uphold the system." She shrugs. "All I'm doing is spreading around a chance to change things. Is that so bad?"
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Post by Major on Aug 24, 2016 5:24:06 GMT
Soleil looks away from Angel and looks back at Mistress Requiem. She was surprised the woman felt no desire to hide anything. She seemed to know why they were there and who they were, yet at the same time she wondered if it could be a bluff to test them. It seemed foolish either way as opposed to playing along and trying to trick them. "Does the powder's preco...precogn...early sensy stuff tell you that?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "Besides, I think its less about change and more about money. That's why its so expensive. What are the side-effects?" She asked again moving the wind this time to tap the pokemon on the tail.
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Post by ThRevanchist on Aug 24, 2016 5:53:49 GMT
Scrutinizing the Pokemon, Thoron was very deeply annoyed that he couldn't recall the blasted thing's species. Of all the times to draw a blank, it had to be when that woman exposed their pla-... That was bad...
Unable to hide his shock, Thoron stammers, "You...? How- He must ha-! Ahem.", before recomposing himself. Shutting up so he could hink rationally, it wasn't likely that Chris had sold them out, if he wanted to escape... If nothing else, he probably wasn't smart enough to succeed at both, if they had this much information, but he was smart enough to know which was more important. Which left the question of "How in Arcadia does she know what we're doing?!" as a massive grey area. With what they knew about the powder, its use was almost certainly not how she had discovered them... unless they were about to reveal such anyways? But why would they do that? Could she have tricked them into slipping up based on something she was about to do, gained the knowledge therein, and aborted that action having achieved her result? Was it feasible to even conceive of such a thing, let alone attempt it, really? Frustrating as it was, Thoron couldn't make any headway on just how Requiem had come by this knowledge.
He had spent enough time gaping, so after straightening his expression, he commented, "By your own explanation, isn't the information you somehow possess, not to mention Angel, over there, chief among those very flaws you've pointed out?" While the situation had definitely changed, he couldn't yet be certain it was going to escalate to violence. Or, more specifically, he was loathe to be the one to start an... altercation. For now, it would be best to (try to) get a sense of Requiem's standpoint...
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Post by Gear Skitty on Aug 25, 2016 19:13:28 GMT
Leslie is kneeling on the floor. This is her life now. She's not even bothering to look up toward Requiem, Angel is just as good a subject to stare at.
She's also thankful the woman isn't directly talking to her. To say that Leslie is disillusioned with the state and future of Arcadia would be putting it mildly. There's a half dozen things wrong with the whole system she can pull just from the top of her head; chief among all would either be the disastrously lacking amount of available public transit, or the fact that the system chose someone like her to police the city. Until the system changes though, one fact is clear to the slacker.
In order to stay in the system, she needs to do her job. If she keeps her job, she has a job. If she has a job, she stays in the system. If she stays in the system, she reaps whatever benefits it doles out.
Benefits like not living in a horribly cruddy place like the Under.
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Post by Moriya on Aug 26, 2016 3:07:57 GMT
Silas isn't surprised by Requiem's display of knowledge. She used her power to gain power over the group, then wasted no time in using that power to advance her goals. The manipulation is sickening once you see it, and it is exactly why people can't be trusted with a power so different from normal capabilities.
What does surprise Silas is Requiem's little speech about the system. As she continues to speak, Silas looks at his team members for any trace of additional psychic interference. There's no way anyone would believe that she's selling addictive drugs out of idealism, so she has to be doing something to make herself more convincing.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 26, 2016 6:47:13 GMT
You could say that, something along those lines, at least, Requiem replies to Soleil. "But, regarding the money? It's simply because people tend to look gift horses in the mouth. When I tried giving it away, or selling it cheaply, people asked questions. They were suspicious." She gets a sly smile. "But as soon as it got this high in price, most of those evaporated. As for side effects, well," she gestures to herself. "Do I look like a doctor? You're welcome to come and take a look at the creation process if you want, though. Maybe if you find nothing, then you'll see that it's doing no harm. Besides," she gives a smile towards Soleil in particular. "I always enjoy company. And," she glances down at Leslie, "my furniture is probably more comfortable then that floor down there."
żƯśƯƣƠśƯƜƫŧśƯƣƠśƞƜƯŢƮśƯƜƤƧśƯƲƤƯƞƣƠƮŧśƜƩƟśƤƯśƮƯƜƭƯƮśƢƧƜƩƞƤƩƢśƜƭƪưƩƟŧśƮƠƠƨƤƩƢśƯƪśƧƪƪƦśơƪƭśƯƣƠśƮƪưƭƞƠũØ "I'm afraid that I don't understand what you're saying," she replies to Thoron. "But Angel has been a very helpful companion for me. At the very least, he's kept me from being lonely. Isn't that something that every citizen could benefit from?"ƋƶŢƦƱƧƵưũƶŢƵƧƧƯŢƮƫƭƧŢƶƪƧƴƧũƵŢƣưƻŢƣƦƦƫƶƫƱưƣƮŢƲƵƻƥƪƫƥŢƣƥƶƫƸƫƶƻŢƩƱƫưƩŢƱưŰŢƐƱƶŢƶƪƣƶŢƻƱƷŢƥƣưŢƶƧƮƮŮŢƣƶŢƣưƻŢƴƣƶƧŰØ
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Post by Major on Aug 26, 2016 7:11:46 GMT
Soleil sighed at her two male teammates. First Thoron had turned into a stammering idiot, gaping like a fool. Then there was Silas who hadn't spoken since his random tripping out. Soleil glanced back at them for a moment before looking back toward Requiem and her pokemon. She lightly snickered, which probably looked odd since it seemed so random, before she used the wind to tap the pokemon on the back of the head.
"Uh huh..." Soleil said raising an eyebrow, "So you clearly don't want money, but alas, you sadly must take it for the good of everyone! Oh woes! And since you aren't a doctor you can't list any side effects, but you still feel entitled to hand it out not having any idea?" She asked. "You can't hide behind not a doctor and yet want to hand out drugs like a doctor." She noted.
"Not to mention it seems amusing that you are just helping yet you let creepy guys go out and solicit young adorable girls in an attempt to sell it." Soleil shrugged. "However, looking at the creation process would indeed be nice." Soleil said. Well that was even easier than expected. She'll take us right to the creation and mission success! And then depending on what the idiot duo want to do we can maybe play a game of checkers and head back to base.
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Post by ThRevanchist on Aug 26, 2016 18:25:56 GMT
While Thoron couldn't rightly discount most people needing a companion, it was very clearly not right to seek companionship from a Pokemon. Even if she had successfully tamed that one - probably outside of legal channels - it still presented a serious risk to Arcadia. There was a reason only specific people could handle Pokemon! Granted, if Requiem was willing to cooperate, upsetting her would be a poor choice, so he answers, "I suppose that is correct. Your decidedly unorthodox taste in companions was... surprising."
He wasn't certain she was being completely honest, with her story detailing why they had to sell the Powder at such an extreme price, but at any rate, it didn't seem entirely relevant. Especially in lieu of her offer. Soleil was having a much better time at dealing with Requiem, though, so Thoron refrains from commenting further.
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Post by Moriya on Aug 28, 2016 2:57:43 GMT
When he doesn't see any attempts at mental manipulation, Silas is confused. Even without using their powers, a telepath should understand people's minds well. She should know that no one would believe her, and the whole team thinks she's lying. Maybe she was fooled by someone else? Her mind reading should prevent that. Maybe she's just an idiot? That possibility is almost frightening. Someone with that power, not using it for predictable motives, and forcing her ideals on others might be harder to deal with than a cold-hearted criminal.
Since Silas was offered a massive hole in her argument, he finally goes on the offensive. The man they talked to before showed clear signs of addiction and seemed pained by the side effects, and it's impossible that she doesn't know something. "Doctor here. We don't know the long term harm of the drug, but I can tell you this for sure: the stuff is addictive." Silas narrows his eyes as his face bears a mocking smile at her 'idealism'. "You have a good business though. Thanks to the drug, addicts can afford their habits"
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Post by Gear Skitty on Aug 28, 2016 14:42:12 GMT
"The floor is jusssst fine."
Leslie figures there's little reason to say more. The other three are inquiring just fine. And even if they weren't, Ms Requiem was offering information of her own accord. She was also being a gracious host, as she saw it. Seeing how this stuff was made would be nice though.
As far as the slacker is concerned, this woman is making a lot of sense. Leslie is intrigued by her ideas, and wishes to subscribe to her newsletter.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 28, 2016 16:46:37 GMT
"Is it still a problem if I warn people?" She asks, shrugging. "They take the risks upon themselves. Caveat Emptor, and all that. Some people here are desperate to improve their situation, it doesn't matter to them. As for my distributors... well, I can't control what they get up to. So I'm sure some of them go beyond what could be considered acceptable. I expect that someone like you could more than handle yourself though, no?"ƺǎNjƆljLJǚƆǙNjNjǓǙƆǚǕƆLjNjƆǍNjǚǚǏǔǍƆǘLJǚǎNjǘƆLJǔǔǕǟNjNJƆLJǚƆLJǒǒƆǕnjƆǚǎNjƆǝǏǔNJƒƆLJǙƆLjNjǙǚƆǟǕǛƆljLJǔƆǚNjǒǒƒƆLJǔNJƆǏǙƆǔǕǝƆǙǚLJǘǏǔǍƆǙǚǘLJǏǍǎǚƆnjǕǘǝLJǘNJǙƒƆǔǕǚƆǒǕǕǑǏǔǍƆLJǘǕǛǔNJƔØ Turning to face Thoron, she replies, "I can see why it would be surprising. But, have you considered why there's the reason of limitations? I mean, beyond the whole 'government says it is'. If we can coexist, why should we not? Just food for thought. Because, as you can see, Angel hasn't been harmful to me at all." "Well, Doctor," she says, in a similar tone to Silas, "I'm offering you a chance to come and see what, exactly, the side effects are. And, if you were stuck in a dark cage, with only brief glimpses of light, you too would probably do whatever you could to see that light again. I imagine that's what's happening. I only wish that I could open the cage, and let them fly free."
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Post by Gear Skitty on Aug 29, 2016 0:16:59 GMT
"I think seeing the process would be nicccccce. I mean, it wouldn't hurt... would it? I mean, a trap would hurt, and suuuuck. Unless the trap was the other kind of trap, that'd be greaaaat. Unless part of the trap was the other trap, that'd still suuuck, but it'd be cute too."
She spoke surprisingly speedy, considering her current state. Though not quite as she did before with Chris. (For all)DC 8 General Edu to remember/see if you know what the heck she's talking about.
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Post by ThRevanchist on Aug 29, 2016 0:52:50 GMT
Thoron very much wanted to argue that "most people wouldn't be, and often aren't, as fortunate as her when it came to attempting to tame a wild Pokemon. That there was a reason they were so feared, and that it was a well-deserved reason"... especially since he had become one of the few qualified to deal with them... if Requiem was of the opinion anyone could handle them, then- Enough of that! Requiem was, in more ways than one, apparently, anomalous, a fluke. After all, wasn't she hesitant to talk about Angel's origins? There was probably some dark history there, as well... while the lady may be persuasive, putting any stock into what she said was dangerous. Better to focus on what was important, instead of arguing in circles with a would-be terrorist.
After pausing to parse Leslie's statement before consenting to see how the Prescient Powder was made, Thoron says, "That entire situation would be bothersome. But yes... seeing the process would be, 'nice'.
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Post by Major on Aug 29, 2016 1:14:51 GMT
Soleil sighed. Maybe if her teammates had let the lady take them when she first offered they would already be there instead of sitting here stammering and derping.
"Alright, lead the way Miss Requiem." Soleil said with a smile. She moved closer to Requiem so that if she did lead the way Soleil would be right next to her
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Post by Moriya on Aug 30, 2016 0:53:55 GMT
Silas's first instinct is to send another verbal barb at the woman. Anything she could show him likely wouldn't be proper science, and something as small as this drug cannot hope to make significant change in Arcadia. Fortunately, he has calmed enough to recognize that this is a bad idea. As his teammates speak, Silas suppresses his emotions. His 'business mode' was created to deal with emotions like fear and distaste, so he may as well use it.
Though he's loath to admit it right now, a view of the production facilities was one of Silas's main hopes for the mission. He tries to accept the invitation without conceding the argument. "Sure, I'll give it a chance." Still, the odds of a trap are very high, so he continues speaking. "I'd advise against doing anything rash though. You don't know how much backup will come if we call." Neither does Silas or his teammates, but the higher-ups would have to send something if they encountered the production facility, right?
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 30, 2016 1:25:24 GMT
"Well, of course," she replies, silkily, to Silas. "I do happen to enjoy living, you know. And acting rashly is one of the best ways to cut that short." With that, she gets up, puts on a black coat hanging on the wall, and moves towards the exit. Rather than turning back towards the entrance, though, she t turns the opposite way, going through a door at the end of the hall, which leads into a similar - though different - corridor to the one you entered the establishment in. Once again, the air out here is clear... well, as clear as it could reasonably be expected.
Requiem leads you through a twisting maze of the back corridors. There are a few other people using the streets, but everyone seems to just not notice one another, except for the occasional tentative glance at Angel. Eventually after a ten-minute walk (or, to Leslie, an hour) you arrive at a door, which Requiem unlocks and subsequently ushers you inside. It's rather spacious, and actually fairly well furnished, in contrast to Chris' domicile. However, it still seems to follow the format of having a singular main room, with an attached kitchen. Unlike Chris' there's a pair of doors leading to the back, one of which is clearly locked. Other than those two doors, and the one you came in thorough, it doesn't appear that there are any other exits.
"So, would you like to sit and rest a moment?" Requiem asks, glancing significantly at Leslie. "I would be an ungracious host if I didn't offer you anything to eat or drink, also. Or, if you'd prefer, we can proceed into the back"
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Post by Gear Skitty on Aug 30, 2016 3:11:47 GMT
Leslie flops onto the furniture. Sofa or couch? That's her's now. No couches? She puts two chairs together side-by-side and flops onto that, armrests and all. She's not a slob though, her feet hang off a edge and not on a cushion. She is a guest after all. She repositions after a handful of seconds so she's not laying directly on the taser in her cargo capri pants pocket... and so the data bracer wasn't being smooshed into her face.
With her face pressed into a spot normally reserved for butts, Leslie responds with a muffled reply. She probably said "I'm gooood, thankssss",.... right?
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Post by Major on Aug 30, 2016 3:20:36 GMT
"Ohhhhh whatcha got to eat?" Soleil asked as she looked around. "I mean we should look in back first anyways, but I never turn down cookies." Soleil moved close to the door as if waiting for it to open, however her real goal was to get closer so she could use her wind sense and feel around as much as possible for any people, traps, or whatever else. Reminder: 8m
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