nysalogs | [closed] Those that I fight I do not hate, those that I guard I do not love

[So far, things seem to be going well enough. No obvious attempts at murder or subterfuge first thing on the journey, which probably meant whoever the traitor in the group was, they weren't a complete idiot.

But setting up camp for the night opened up the door for mischief of all kinds. It's been a minute since Shura actually had to help with the manual labor part of things, but she can help take care of a fire. It gives her an excuse to keep her hands busy while pretending that she wasn't paying attention to anything else.

But really, though she can guess at who might be planning to shank who, it's mostly still just a guess. A rich lady, an old man, and a doctor who seemed dodgy--that must be an Institute thing.

And you know what, since the three they're escorting happen to be out of earshot, Shura will just grumble about it out loud.]

Does that Institute hire people based on how sketchy they are? Jeez.

[It's good timing; Lancer's headed over to the fire just then with a kettle of water to heat, just in time to catch that. It's the first moment he's spent away from Ashem in about an hour, and it's a welcome reprieve. Lancer may not be in any danger here—the odds of one of these people being able to hurt him aren't zero, but they're not something he's going to consider too deeply—but there's still a level of stress that comes with bodyguarding work. The constant vigilance, not to mention having to be diplomatic around idiots like Ashem. He's been working on teaching the man some of his favorite games, including several unknown to this planet or even to modern-day Earth, and while it's not unfun . . . the company could be better.

It could be Shura, for instance!

He crouches by the fire to set up the kettle to boil, flashing her a smile. There's a certain edge in it. Like he's about to tell a bad joke.]

Tried talking to any of 'em about socks yet to see what they've got to say?

[There it is.]

[At first, Shura doesn't understand. Just what kind of opening line was that?]

Socks?

[That was random. Just what was he trying to get at--some secret code word?

Oh.

The moment she realizes just what he's referencing, she lets out an agitated hiss. That fox bastard...]

I'll kill him for that.

[Is she viciously stabbing at the fire with a stick? Yeah, just a little. Good thing she wasn't trying to enhance the fire with a sutra or else the fire might have flared a little with her temper.]

I always heard foxes were supposed to be smart, but that guy's one of the biggest idiots I've met.

[He starts laughing, loudly enough to draw a glance from their inauspicious company, but the way he sees it, better look like they're joking around than conspiring in any way. Also, it's hilarious.]

I had a little run-in myself with him on the boat trip. Now, I like people who're straightforward, but he's the kind o' person who'll get himself killed someday with how simple he thinks. Maybe even by you, huh? Did you at least get your chocolates?

[They may as well lead into the more serious discussion with something less suspicious first. Besides . . . he wants to know. They'd looked like good chocolates.]

More like he'll get me killed.

[Shura can play this game. It's easy enough to keep up banter like this for a while. As soon as the others can figure out that they aren't obviously colluding with each other, they'll turn back to their own business.]

But he hasn't actually found me yet. I didn't want to give him my contact information, so I tried to pretend I was an acquaintance who could arrange a meetin', but then he decided that he wanted to pay that person back for helpin' him out--it's a mess.

[seriously, she didn't expect it to get so complicated!!]

[With the conversation rolling, Lancer settles in to set up the kettle to boil, digging out a few metal mugs and the strainer for the tea leaves. His voice drops casually; strains of it can probably still be made out by their companions, but it sounds natural. Let them get used to not being able to hear much while what they can hear is perfectly innocent.]

That was you all along? He mentioned that "acquaintance" to me. He didn't suspect it, so neither did I. You're a tricky woman, ain't you? Tricky women and men that're too straightforward don't mix. . . . That's true the other way around too.

[Which is potentially relevant to this situation they're in now. He glances back over at the others, quickly.]

Ain't any more tricky then the next girl~

[Really! It's mostly true. Mostly. Spending most of her time avoiding commitments necessitated a little bit of cunning, and that was going to be a hard habit to break.]

If he didn't suspect anythin', that's on him!

[seriously, what a dumb fox. How had he gotten so far in life with that sort of mentality?? And then how had Passei gotten so far with a tricky doctor and a numbnut business partner?]

I wonder~ We gotta pass the evening somehow, don't we? Think they'd wanna play a game?

[She doesn't have to follow his gaze to know who he's talking about.]

You got something in mind? I've been at it with the old man all night. Beginning to think he'd try his hand at any game we taught him. . . . I don't hate people like that, but the things that come out of his mouth, that's something else.

[By now his voice is low enough that it won't be overheard unless someone approaches, and while he's doing an excellent job playing at being off his guard, his ears are still wide open for any sign of that.]

That doctor doesn't seem like the playful sort, though.

That Institute only hires suspicious people, it hasta' be a requirement or somethin'.

[That's probably not a fair assessment considering that she only knows one other person who works for them, but still.]

Maybe if I faked having woman problems he'd talk to me for a bit and I could see what kind of things he's carryin' with him. But I don't get why that woman has a doctor travelin' with her at her age, though. She ain't an old lady or anything.

[Maybe she was paranoid, or maybe she really had experienced an attempted poisoning before. Either way, if she really wanted them to protect her, she had to be a bit more open.]

I thought either it was some fussy modern thing, or maybe they were lovers.

[This planet is hardly modern by the standards in which he was summoned to Japan, but it is modern by his own standards. Maybe people these days are obsessed with doctors!

He has to appreciate the suggestion there, though, and shakes his head with a smile.]

Can women really fake that? I thought it was pretty obvious when it started.

[A particular memorable event in his own history involved that, in fact. Some things a guy never forgets.]

Might not be a bad idea if you can, though. When it comes down to it, the two of them bein' attached at the hip's gotta mean something. You're right, I didn't think young people got that buddy-buddy with their doctors.

Nobody should that close with their doctor, that's an ethical thing.

[For all that Shura plays at being irresponsible, she's actually pretty professional when it comes down to it.

But Lancer, oh, Shura knows how to make the most of PMS when it came to the average man. If she whined, the doctor might just give her something to shut her up so he didn't have to hear about her uterus.]

Fake it? Nyeheh~, what do you think I'm goin' to ask him about? I can just say I'm a little crampy, and he won't question me much. Probably.

[That might bring up different problems later on, but hey, it was worth a shot.]

[Ethical . . . thing . . .

Lancer just looks confused when she says that, as if she'd abruptly come out with a sentence that was in Russian or something in the middle of all the other parts he can understand. Now's probably not the time to pursue it, so he doesn't, but his befuddlement is evident on his face for that moment. Modern ethics. Geez.]

All right, that doesn't sound so bad. You think that'll work? I can't actually tell if that doctor's a man or a woman in that getup they're in. . . . Maybe you can find out for us if you try this. A man's gonna react differently, right?

[don't hurt yourself thinking too hard, bro]

Who knows, might be a troll under alla' that. But I'll try and see if I can't get some reaction. Even if I just keep him distracted, it might help out.

[What was some of her dignity when it came to getting paid??]

[He laughs, loud enough to be heard by the others, surely. And so he doesn't follow that up by saying anything too telling, but he nods and makes eye contact: go for it.

Then he holds out the bottle of whiskey he's got resting on the ground by his hip.]

Come have a drink with me when you're done! Nothin' like it on a cold night. I'll be treating our guests too, if they take it.

[Ah... booze... She sees that eye contact and catches his drift, but whiskey... She wants it, and her gaze lingers on the bottle. Sigh, fine, she'll be a good girl for once and wait until she's done playing at being fussy to drink. But that doesn't mean she won't pout a bit.]

Don't have too much fun without me, 'kay?

[Just going to give the fire one last stab with the stick in her hand before letting it go and slowly rising to her feet. Time to get to work. If she can get a handle on this doctor and get a peek in his things, then she'll consider it a success.]

I'd rather have it with you, but now ain't the time or place!

[He calls that out after her with a snort, and no consideration for any TMI there, and then turns back to the fire and his kettle. Here's hoping he can get the old man even more loose-lipped with a drink or two . . . or, failing that, too sloshed to act on any potential murder plans tonight. Alcohol has many uses.]

[Once Lancer managed to pick up on Ashem's gaming proclivities, so to speak, it was pretty obvious to him where his particular talents would come in handy. The ones other than killing people. That talent was why he'd signed up for this gig in the first place; seems like it could be useful in case of any open assassination attempts, right? But the whole thing is much more sensitive and diplomatic than he'd expected, and not quite his bag as much as executing people for betrayal is.

Gambling, though, that's something he'd enjoyed plenty in life, and that hasn't changed as a spirit. Any excuse to have some fun on the journey is one he's thrilled to take. Sure, Ashem is an idiot, and as the night goes on, Lancer's patience is wearing thin—but teaching someone various board games and card games (it's a good thing William taught him about how card games work!) is a good distraction. Not to mention a good way to get a suspicious character to open up. They need that right now.

At the moment, Lancer's working on boiling some water over the fire. There's tea, good enough on its own, and whiskey, good with the tea for warming up on a cold night, especially over a game. Anyone checking in with him will be rewarded with a drink of either sort and some murmured gossip. I mean, planning their next move.]

You hearing this guy?

[He's got to start with that. Ashem's ramblings are . . . unique.]

[ Garrus is many things. a gambler is definitely not one of them. while he'd call himself a "bad turian", he still wasn't the sort who liked lying and with a lot of more human games, lying was an essential part of them.

but that doesn't mean he doesn't like gossip. particularly when they're trying to figure out who the hell was the one planning the assassination. ]

Sure. He's not suspicious at all.

[ the sarcasm in his voice. it's palpable. ]

Who would suspect the shady business partner or someone who completely disguises themselves?

Any chance they're both trying to kill her? It's hard to pick one to interrogate when both of 'em come off like criminals.

[Sigh. He'd really been hoping this would be more obvious. In a way, it'd be easier if both of them came off innocent. Like this, the waters are just muddied with constant suspicion that has more than enough to latch onto in every direction.]

If you ask me, she needs to start keepin' better company all around. Find out anything interesting about her doctor yet?

[Lancer hasn't been doing much talking to the doctor himself. Let the others take care of the sneaky one.]

Seems like something they'd do.

[ not that he knows either of them well, but... ]

The Doctor was from the Institute. Seemed really interested in me and my "physiology" and wanted to know everything about the colony I was from. That was a fun time.

[ look, he really hates lying but he'll take one for the team. ]

If anything they seem more interested in "science" than anything else. But those are the ones you need to watch out for. Back home, I worked this one case where a doctor was growing organs in his patients to sell on the black market.

[Eugh. It takes a whole hell of a lot to gross out Lancer, but that's pretty up there, yeah; he makes a face at the thought. That's the kind of thing you hear once and then it gets worse the longer you think about it . . . ]

Sounds like some magic users I could think of myself. They're the same types o' people in the end. But I ain't from a place with much science. You think this doctor's taking a little too much interest in the client? Shura was sayin' something about that being immoral.

[He doesn't come from a place or time with much morality, either.]

[ don't worry, he won't judge you at all, Lancer. it was really not a pleasant thing.

needless to say, while he's definitely appreciative of most doctors (some of his best friends are doctors), the shadiness of this one isn't really endearing them much to him. ]

We didn't really have anything that would count as "magic" where I come from, but I get your point. Some people are just driven to see what they can do, rather than just what they should do. But again, I can't say much about that doctor one way or another. Which just makes it worse.

[ as to the client. ]

I don't know about immoral, but it does make them more suspicious.

[He's subtle as he can be about taking another look over at the doctor as that sinks in: none of them can say much one way or another. Put that way, it does make the suspicion of that obvious.]

. . . Taking medicine from someone who won't show their face or tell their name. Maybe I was wrong about who in this group's the biggest idiot. She's got some deep trust in that doctor, and hell if I know why.

[But the thought of that just makes the suspicion taste more bitter. Someone's betraying a deep relationship here, or one Passei thinks is deep.]

Trust in the Institute, or wherever the doctor came from? [ regardless, he sounds really skeptical. ] If you ask me, none of this makes any sense. Back home, we have a few species that have to wear full-body suits for environmental reasons when they're off their homeworld, but something tells me this doctor's as local as they come.

[ it's just all really shady. ]

Whatever her reason is, it's obvious her "illness" has something to do with that doctor.

[Olivier doesn't mind being the one that two of their guests mostly shy away from - it keeps her from dealing with the stupidity up close.]

The man is either completely stupid or one hell of an actor. Passei seems to believe the former is true.

[Of course, that's what they were left trying to figure out.]

Makes you wonder why she bothers with him in the first place. Come to think of it, that's gonna bug me. Suspicious and an idiot? Where's the catch?

[If it's just acting and she knows it, why wouldn't she worry about it being turned on her too? Lancer pokes at the fire with a little frown. That's something to think about.]

Idiots can be useful. Particularly if they're the kind that underestimates you.

[The voice of experience speaking.]

For some reason men seem to forget that to get where she is, a powerful woman couldn't have been some stupid, fragile thing. They focus on the wrong part - her being a woman more than her success.

[Still speaking from experience.]

So you're saying she's using him because he's an idiot who underestimates her. Could be, but I'm havin' a hard time figuring out his use. Maybe I oughta ask her myself.

[There's the potential of that being suspicious, but they need to get somewhere. All night he's been hoping the old man would let something more obvious slip, but all it's been so far is incompetent rambling. Useful for getting something of a bead on him, not as useful as Lancer had hoped. Things were probably never going to be that easy, though.]

Possible. It can also be useful to have a man around when you come across others who mistake a woman as too weak or fragile for business. Then again, she could just be using his money.

[All practical uses of the man, although as far as she knew there could be others.
The woman was rather vague with her answers even with her life on the line. ]

Now there's a thought. Money doesn't need competence. As a matter of fact, the dumber he comes off, the more useful his money'd be to her.

[He takes the kettle off the fire to add tea leaves so those can steep, keeping his voice down.]

You pick up on anything else useful yet?

[Forget the tea, she's going to reach for the alcohol.]

Unfortunately, they don't seem too willing to be friendly where I'm concerned. Not necessarily a bad thing, a lot of people are nervous when it comes to guards or other authority figures, but it doesn't help with our task either.

[He doesn't stop her; when she's done, he'll take a little himself to spike the tea with. Plain tea is boring, especially when a little drink might loosen some lips.]

What we need is a little . . . what's that called, huh? Good Cop Bad Cop?

[This is maybe half joking, and he says it with a wide smile. But only half, at that.]

[He could have tried to stop her. Try would have been as far as it went, however.

She takes a drink and then gives him a pointed look.]

I hope you aren't suggesting I be the good cop.

[He'll get a hint of a smile in return.]

Now I know you're having me on. I may not know you all that well yet, but even I know better than to suggest that one.

[He sneaks a sip of the whiskey straight, as long as he's got it out. His due for preparing the drinks, and for babysitting the old man. But by now the tea's steeped, so he puts the bottle away and pours that next.]

[closed] Those that I fight I do not hate, those that I guard I do not love

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