Rein Initiative
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Post by Seraphim on Oct 31, 2016 20:53:13 GMT -7
Seraphim could get the general impression of an area quite quickly, with in seconds even. Getting details took a lot longer, especially if she wanted to get a full understanding of who she needed to go after most. In that regard, the timing of the dragon attack was fortunate; it immediately told her how people felt about dragons, how they felt about fighting dragons, and who would be the most valuable assets in future fights. This meant she had a much better idea of who to be lenient on, and the people that would be most useful to persuade out of their current doings.
Her current target did well in the dragon, but showed no particular aptitude for fighting them. There were others that might be more valuable to go after first, but this one had a time limit. Like most young supers, she had no idea what she was doing or what she was getting herself into, and was horribly misguided in what she thought she would accomplish with her actions. Further, she was a Keeper, and that cell needed to be destroyed. This would be one step towards that. Seraphim's initial thought was to go after the girl directly, after what happened with the dragon she would have some leverage for it, but a better plan came to mind when her mind assimilated the thoughts of someone close to her. He would have a higher chance of success than she would, though she fully expected it to take some time and that the girl would make several bad decisions before that time came. Seraphim would be surprised if they didn't have to fight at least once, but she would make sure to get the most mileage she could out of that inevitable fight. It was unlikely that the girl's body could handle too many fights with her.
Seraphim followed her target's thoughts carefully, making sure to stay in his blind spots until she got close enough to talk. It was difficult to tell if he would run away if he saw her, so there was no reason to take any chances. She made an effort to make herself look less threatening than usual, with loose-fitting casual clothing and concealed weapons instead of what she normally carried, but she was under the impression that her face and general demeanor were worse than her arsenal sometimes. He was in an area of the docks he claimed for himself to annoy the current leader of Pandaemonium (further proof that she wasn't nearly as much of a threat as everyone seemed to think she was), so he was fortunately in an area that wasn't very crowded. It meant they didn't have to go somewhere else and if he tried to run she could focus on stopping him. Once she reached the base of the building he was on, she used one of her louder and more powerful grappling hooks. The power was far greater than what she needed here, but she picked it mostly for the sound. She didn't want to startle him too badly. Even if she could have avoided having to climb onto the roof, she did so anyway to make it clear what was happening and to show that she had little interest in fighting. Once up, she stood up and looked directly at him with a blank expression on his face.
"You want to help your girlfriend. It is in everyone's best interests if you succeed, so I am willing to aid you. Have you thought about what you want her to be like?"
It was more of a rhetorical question than anything given she already knew the answer, but it was easier to start a conversation this way.
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The Keepers
Posts 357
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Post by Geata on Oct 31, 2016 22:12:49 GMT -7
Geata was a troll.
He didn't quite understand why he was such a troll. He didn't used to be so bad, up until very recently. He supposed he could say that it was because he was getting more and more comfortable around his friends and even enemies and it wouldn't be lying, but he somehow doubted that it was the only explanation. Even if it wasn't, though, it didn't really change anything. He would still be a troll either way, so it wasn't something that actually required much thought. If any, really.
The most notable example of Geata being a troll was Geataland. That was the overdramatic name of the single block of territory that Geata had acquired. It served as his home away from homes, and it was right smack dab in the middle of the docks. He honestly had no real desire to hold any territory (even if the article in the news about it really made him laugh; he hadn't even actually laid any claim to the block until after), and the only real reason he claimed it was because the thought of Aurora being in charge of the entire area except for the one block was hilarious. He had "won" it from Pandaemonium back when he fought Giza, so it being a little extra salt in the wound also may have been a contributing factor in his decision to keep it, but he'd stick with the story of it just being a good natured jab at Aurora.
Geataland honestly wasn't much; he didn't have a whole lot of funds for furnishings fit for a benign dictator, so it was pretty bare bones. The buildings themselves were unaltered beyond the repairs done to the whole of the docks (Geata took special care to be around to help out with that), and Geata's additions were few: a lawn chair on the top of the tallest building on the block, a portable television and accompanying cable box and extension cord, and a white flag fluttering high in the wind. The design was fairly simple, just a rainbow split in half, the arch passing through portals, with the ends of the rainbow in the center of the flag next to each other with a small gap in between. The symbolism was apparent, in his opinion.
He had been lounging in the lawn chair, admiring the view from a few feet back from the ledge of the building, when suddenly a loud noise from behind and below him rang out. His first thought was that a Panda decided that Geataland was a personal insult for whatever reason and decided to try and take over by force. Geata decided to wait and see what was going on before acting, though, and was soon rewarded for his reason. The person that ascended to the rooftop realm of Geataland wasn't a Panda, but instead the mind reading lady from the dragon. Seraphim's deadpan expression was slightly unnerving, but Geata had dealt with Anon multiple times and a lack of expression was nothing new. Figuring if she wanted to fight she'd have already started, guns blazing, Geata gave her a courtesy friendly wave and listened to what she wanted to say. He was rewarded for using reason once again.
He skipped the step of freaking out and/or asking "how do you know" crap. Instead he simply pondered her question. And bluntness. Either she desperately needed social practice or she blatantly didn't care. "That's pretty simple. Less wanton murder, probably less obvious attempts at seizing power that'll only really make her a bigger target." He paused as he sat up in the chair.
"I'm assuming you already know that I have no clue how to go about doing this successfully. I'll cut right to the chase - you have any ideas?"
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Rein Initiative
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Post by Seraphim on Nov 6, 2016 21:59:56 GMT -7
Seraphim was glad he remembered her well enough from the dragon to skip any confusion he might have had on how she knew things. There were ways to disguise that and lead people into the conversations she wanted them to have, but that was inefficient. There was no reason to employ such strategies in this case. She simply nodded to his question.
"Yes. I can't say exactly what you should do without more information, but there is an obvious starting point. If it fails, I will have a better idea of what will work as well. Azoth shows signs of being misguided, and you have a great deal of influence over her that you're not making use of." Seraphim paused for a moment as she tried to think of the best way to convert Azoth's thoughts into words. "To an extent she fears that if she does not become what she thinks she needs to, that she does not gain power, she will end up being what she was before she got her powers, before she gained any power. She doesn't seem to be entirely sure of what she wants in general, and is going with the first thing that sounds like a good idea. She thinks that once she gains a certain amount of it that all her problems will disappear and everything will be clear. This is obviously not true.
"So what you need to do is get her away from these thoughts. Make her explain why she wants power. She won't be able to. She might be answer a few questions, but keep asking her why. Don't let her be vague, don't assume anything, try to get as many details as possible. It will at least put the idea that she doesn't quite know something important into her head. From there, you will have to use your influence over her to its fullest extent. You might be able to convince her to live a quiet life with you and all of your friends and that everything she's trying to do right now is unnecessary. That all she needs are people she enjoys the company of, the ability to do the things she enjoys, learn about the things she's interested in, and to life comfortably without much worry. That should end the behavior you want to get rid of without much sacrifice.
"It will likely be a slow process. I will be surprised if we don't fight at least once. I, by the nature of my very existence, am many of the things she fears, and I can exploit that. As long as you can convince her to stop, I would be a very safe enemy to give her. There will be no reason for me to pursue her once she is no longer disturbing the peace, and I do not hold grudges. You are free to use that to your advantage as well. I will know of any plans you make even if you make no effort to communicate with me."
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The Keepers
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Post by Geata on Nov 7, 2016 13:33:43 GMT -7
Geata could appreciate the fact that Seraphim obviously didn't need much persuasion to give her input on the situation. He wondered briefly what it would be like if everyone was like that, but quickly dismissed it. Certain people were probably already too close to that for their own good. It was probably for the best that only certain individuals be quite on Sera's level as far as that was concerned.
Her thoughts on Azoth's reasoning for her actions gave Geata pause. Was that really all that it was? It was hard to believe; Azoth seemed sure of what she wanted and how to go about getting it. It sounded more like what his reasons for joining the Keepers were. Hell, that was arguably one of the reasons he joined the Keepers: he wanted to the ability needed to pursue any goal he wanted, even if he currently had only the one goal and really didn't need the Keepers to pursue it. He was just hoping that by the time that he obtained the power necessary, he'd have thought of a goal that he could pursue. If not, he was fully aware of and prepared for a fiery blaze of destruction as everything inevitably collapsed around him.
"Yeah, obviously not true," he chuckled nervously, fairly confident that the words were somewhat directed at him. "It'd take an idiot to believe that'd work well. Moving away from that, do you really think I have that much sway over her? I'll be blunt, I can't say that I'm confident that you're right in that regard. If you say it's worth a shot, though, I'll play along."
He thought for a moment before continuing. He knew she already knew exactly what he was about to say was, but it seemed strange to act on that knowledge. "I was considering possibly trying to get Aurora Disicio to help me with this. They have certain shared personality traits that might make her helpful, among other reasons." Those reasons included the fact that, if it worked, Azoth wouldn't have to worry about Aurora trying to go after her anymore for whatever reason; and that Azoth and Aurora working together could potentially come up with a plan that would probably be better than "supers take over Emerald City", one that might not have to do with a super revolution. "Do you think that it would be worth the attempt?"
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Rein Initiative
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Post by Seraphim on Nov 8, 2016 18:42:20 GMT -7
"Of course she doesn't seem that way, she thinks she knows exactly what she's doing. As long as she continues to think that way it's unlikely that anything will change. At the very least, she will listen to you and take what you say seriously. However, I think where you'll be most effective is in showing her that she doesn't need all that to be happy. There's enough that she enjoys that you should have little trouble keeping her happy; the hard part will be keeping her distracted long enough for her to realize this." Seraphim paused for a moment. "Just to make things clear, I do not expect her to stop using her powers, only to stop using them destructively. She is free to use them to stay fabulously wealthy, though it would be much appreciated if she didn't use her powers to crash the economy."
Seraphim had to take some time to think about the next question. It was such a stupid one that it was difficult to respond to, especially given he knew about the situation between Aurora Disicio and Azoth because of Azoth's whining. She wanted to keep this conversation positive, so saying it like that would be counter productive, and it was possible there were ways she could help.
"There may be ways Aurora Disicio could help, however I don't think having her talk to Azoth directly is one of them. They had a disagreement, and Aurora Disicio is generally rude and violent. If she got violent with Azoth she could hurt her quite badly if she got caught up in the heat of the moment. She could be another person for you to talk to in order to reassure yourself or for thoughts on things to do with Azoth." Seraphim paused for a moment. "She will give better dating advice than Limen at the very least."
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The Keepers
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Post by Geata on Nov 11, 2016 13:28:40 GMT -7
Geata frowned slightly when Seraphim started talking. He couldn't say that he wasn't expecting it, but having someone respond directly to your thoughts was a strange feeling and not something he was likely to get used to anytime soon. Still, beyond the strangeness of it, the woman made some probably very valid points. "Got it," he said. "Keep Azoth focused on hobbies, get her to try and explain why she wants what she does, and as long as she stops killing people and trying to become world ruler she won't come to harm by you." It was a simple synopsis, possibly oversimplified, but he thought it apt. He just hoped it proved even a fraction as easy to do as it sounded on paper.
The response to his vocalized question gave him pause. The last thing said especially made him wonder exactly how much Sera knew about him, and such a train of thought was unnerving. He quickly decided to ignore it for favor of worrying about it later. Instead, it was best to simply carry on the conversation. "The disagreement was exactly why I was considering it," he said quietly. "If I succeed, Azoth would still be a target for Aurora unless she actually found out about Azoth 2.0. I doubt she'd really believe me if I were to say anything on Azoth's behalf, but if she were to see it herself or actively help make it so, there'd be no problem with that. As for her being violent, yeah it's an issue, but it's not like I wouldn't be there to keep an eye on things. Aurora's power I can probably keep from getting near Azoth, and I doubt Azoth would go on the attack if I ask her not to."
He paused a moment before grinning absently. "Besides," he chuckled to himself. "I don't think I could picture Aurora in a healthy, functioning relationship. Not for long, at least."
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Rein Initiative
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Post by Seraphim on Nov 12, 2016 20:30:00 GMT -7
Seraphim simply nodded to confirm that he had the right idea. It was simple in theory, but would be difficult to execute. She had little doubt that Azoth would want to continue what she was doing, but that's ultimately what her own end was about: to hopefully make those ideas seem like less palatable. Of course, there was still one more piece that was just as important as the rest.
"Of course, you have to do the same. If you want her to stop seeking power, you can't start doing it yourself; you also have to live a simple life with her. It wouldn't do much good if you started making the same decisions yourself, even if you did handle them less violently."
She paused for a moment before answering his next question. It was difficult to translate someone's thoughts into words. Even if Seraphim described peoples' thoughts as voices, and even had difficulty telling the difference between telling if someone was talking or thinking sometimes, it wasn't quite the same. People often did the same thing, which was why the phrase 'can't hear yourself thinking' existed among other things, because it was simply the closest comparison people had. What thoughts were actually like were different and not always easy to translate into words. On top of that, she had to find the right words to translate them into, which was especially difficult with someone like Aurora Disicio.
"I don't think the vendetta will go away unless Azoth suddenly became poor, completely cut her ties to any form of organized crime including her friends involved in it, and completely vanished off the radar. Aurora Disico doesn't know Azoth very well, she just saw some signs that singled her out as part of her ultimate enemy: the corrupt elite. I am not sure if you'll get such a drastic change that she will stop seeing that in Azoth. As long as Azoth doesn't interfere with or otherwise hurt Pandaemonium I think she's unlikely to attack her directly. She has some goodwill towards you still, so I suspect she'd stay away as long as you asked her to and Azoth didn't bother her, or anyone she deems her responsibility or under her protection. She understands how difficult it can be when peoples' friends don't get along with each other, so she won't hold it against you."
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The Keepers
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Post by Geata on Nov 18, 2016 11:46:27 GMT -7
Geata let out a surprised, nervous chuckle at Sera's added item to the plan. He couldn't quite say he wasn't expecting something to be said about that, but he hadn't been paying it much mind until it was actually stated. "Hypocrisy isn't something that'd apply well to the mission, yeah," he sighed. "I suppose it'd be better that way, anyway. Figuring things out isn't exactly my forte. A simple life would probably suit me better."
Even so, he wasn't particularly happy about it. He had lived a simple life his entire life, and it sucked. It was absolutely terrible, in his opinion. He had been looking forward to a change of pace. And yet, he was still fine with it. If it meant helping Azoth, he could stand to deal with it. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone. He was aware that Sera probably knew his feelings on the matter, but he still wouldn't confirm it. Before anything could possibly be said, though, he decided to change the subject.
"So, you don't strike me as the sort to take special interest in anybody," he said (it was because of the lack of any sort of emotion). "I'd imagine Azoth isn't the only super around town that you're intending to sway away from their current path. There anything else I could help you with?"
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Rein Initiative
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Post by Seraphim on Nov 19, 2016 18:59:48 GMT -7
"No it wouldn't," she agreed before addressing his unvoiced concerns. "Living a simple life doesn't mean living a boring life, it means eliminating all the unnecessary things in it and focusing on the things and the people you enjoy. Even the most benign forms of power don't always go that well for the person seeking it. If you look at how celebrities or politicians act or are treated you'll have some idea of what to expect. It would be different for both you and her though because the path you're walking down is a much bloodier one. It would be a life of constant battle with little to no time to relax or enjoy the life you were trying to create. The pain inflicted by you, and on you, will begin to mean less and less, and after awhile you won't be able to feel much of anything at all."
Seraphim paused for a moment, both to let her words hang in the air and to ponder his next question. He had a few connections, but not many she could actually use. He still lacked clout with in the Keepers, so she couldn't push him too hard there and expect him to survive. He had a few friends, but most of them weren't dangerous, and the ones that were she already had plans for.
"In all likelihood, no, however you may be able to help your friends. Keep an eye on Aurora Disicio, she will not find the answer she's looking for. If you can help her moderate her views so she doesn't deal in absolutes so much, and push her away from working herself to death, I suspect she will be happier for it. Pushing Unhallow away from the Keepers would be good for her. Her current views on the organization are unhealthy to put it mildly. She needs to find a place in the world, but isn't sure how to do it, she's using them as a substitute." She paused again. "Try to keep Limen's destructive activities to a minimum. I don't normally deal with people like her, but if she becomes too much of a nuisance I will have no reason to keep her alive."
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The Keepers
Posts 357
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Post by Geata on Nov 22, 2016 21:05:36 GMT -7
Geata found that having his thoughts responded to was creepy and he didn't like it. He had always felt that his thoughts were a safe haven, and having somebody pry into them without a moment's hesitation was highly unnatural. It didn't help that the more time that he spent talking to someone whose expression didn't change, the more that his instincts were sure that fleeing was his best course of action.
Still, he stuck around and listened anyway. He wondered briefly if Seraphim was speaking from experience when she was discussing the effects of searching for power, but he realized it probably didn't matter. Even if she wasn't, it wasn't like it was impossible for her to have read the mind of somebody who had lived that sort of life. Either way, she probably knew what she was talking about. He wasn't too difficult to persuade, especially when she mentioned not having time to relax and enjoy the finer things in life (he was aware he was already paraphrasing what had just been said). A life of constant struggle was something he had accepted when he came to terms with the fact that he had powers. A life of constant struggle with no time for hobbies? That was too much.
Her thoughts on how to best help his friends was met with a few moments of silence as he planned out exactly what he was going to say. He was again aware that Sera already knew, but he felt the need to put it into words anyway. "I'm in agreement on Aurora, but I'm not somebody she'll likely listen to. I haven't got the slightest idea of how to approach that with Unhallow, as I don't even have much in the way of secondhand experience on how to handle zealots. And Limen, I'll see what I can do. If I manage to be around if you try to harm her, though, I feel it's only fair to warn you that I'd do my best to stop you. I have no doubts that you're aware that I won't kill you, but my statement stands."
He paused and sighed before giving a small, tired smile to Seraphim. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to make your exit, I'd be highly appreciative. You've given me a lot to think about and, frankly, you creep me out and make thinking difficult. It's nothing too personal, I assure you. Not that assurance is really necessary, I'm sure."
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Rein Initiative
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Post by Seraphim on Nov 23, 2016 21:22:38 GMT -7
"That is why I said it was unlikely you could help me," Seraphim nodded. "You will fail. And Limen is unlikely to be enough of a problem for me to intervene."
She started turning before he even finished voicing his desire to have her leave. She said what she needed to say, so there was little point in staying longer if he needed nothing more. Seraphim's expression didn't change, nor did she show any signs of any kind of emotion as always. Such small things were never enough to get any kind of reaction out of her anymore. As she walked and started working out the optimal way back down to the street level, she gave him a few last parting words before worming her way down the side of the building using various dents in the wall and misshapen bricks.
"No offense taken," she paused. "I cannot tell the difference between a voiced thought and unvoiced thought in most contexts. I mean nothing by those comments."
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