It's not- fair. [His expression turns bitter.] Just to have what's tossed our way…
[He shakes his head for a moment, furious, and then draws away a little.] Though. I did find this, when I… woke up. [He takes off his boot, and shows Fuu the drawing of a sun on his ankle.] And I remember seeing someone with long hair in the sunlight… I don't know what it means, but Croix said he saw someone's hair, too. The same person, I'd be willing to bet.
[She nods her agreement.] It's so frustrating that we can't pursue our own clues...
[She gives a start at seeing the image on his ankle.]
This has to be orchestrated. [Quickly, she rolls down her sock and shows him the flame on her ankle.] I wondered why flame, when my element is wind. But perhaps it will become more clear if others have designs like this.
I didn't get an image of a man, but... I did get this... [Her voice suddenly uncomfortable, she brings out her Guide to show Hawk the pictures she'd taken of her hands before removing the purple nail polish.]
It's the same as Miss Audres' in the video. Ichijou confirmed it.
I doubt it's personally tailored to us… the Thieves' Guild worked in the shadows, after all. [He nods.] It's probably part of a theme. A flame and the sun… heat, perhaps? We should ask after that, too.
[He leans over for a better look.] That's… a little disturbing. Doing that while… [He stops, choking on the words.]
Mmm, a theme... Good thought! All the same, I've started carrying a lighter with me. I don't know what good it might do, but... I suppose I just took 'flame' literally.
[(Tell her about it.) She makes a dissatisfied sound in her throat to echo Hawk's sentiment.]
But if the nail polish is a clue... I suppose it gives some validity to the theory of there being two of Miss Ardes? Somehow it still feels like a stretch, but it fits the facts we have.
[He shrugs and smiles.] It seemed like the most likely thing… but I suppose we might need more to figure out what the theme really is. I just… I hope no one else has to die for it.
[He laughs, a little.] You know… I could probably do some fire magic if we needed it. But I don't think that's a bad idea either.
Mm. I can't quite work it out, but it doesn't make sense to apply polish when it wasn't on her body. It would draw attention to the differences, after all.
[She nods grave agreement - no one should have to die for their hints. But it seems to be the dark theme now.]
[At his slight laugh she smiles back at him. Ah, it's been a while since she's heard a laugh.]
Unless drawing attention to the differences is what they - our benefactors? - want to have happen.
[With a sigh she shakes her head.] But what does all the rest of it mean? [She starts ticking off points on her hands]
The hyper-surveillance and the CATs malfunctioning. The young man who warned us to keep an eye out for a message. Those two mysterious men - one of them mentioned finding someone, but it was such a patchy transmission... The cards, which practically could have been given us by friends and foes. Miss Ardes, proving that she was an ally and that there is another in town who will help us. But her message was rather thin on details, but that PL is in charge and Plan B happened.
Then, those two men again. One is called Proctor. They both knew Miss Ardes, but they reacted differently to her. Miss Ardes was acting rather strangely in that video too, though. That darn chart. Then, Miss Ardes... so suddenly appearing here. At the same time, the townspeople disappear. And now... others of us are being killed, but come back with clues. The hair, the symbols, the nail polish.
[Looking at her ten spread fingers, she frowns at them.] All I get is that they're messing with us horribly. And like you said, I'm tired of it.
I feel that it's more extreme too, somehow. Perhaps it's the... emotion of it all. This has been emotionally so difficult.
As for the Plan B... [She fingers the journal on the seat beside her as she casts her mind back to it.] The Plan B that was both the Mayor's and doctor Resarci's was a 'clean slate' protocol. But Resarci's own Plan B...
[She picks up the journal and takes a moment to skim some pages.] I thought it might have to do with him taking control of the Luministi Research Labs, but now being here again, it seems that there may have been more to it than that.
[She suddenly shivers.] I hadn't quite thought of it that way before. If he did take control, he probably has like-minded people around him, and above him.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
[He shakes his head for a moment, furious, and then draws away a little.] Though. I did find this, when I… woke up. [He takes off his boot, and shows Fuu the drawing of a sun on his ankle.] And I remember seeing someone with long hair in the sunlight… I don't know what it means, but Croix said he saw someone's hair, too. The same person, I'd be willing to bet.
no subject
[She gives a start at seeing the image on his ankle.]
This has to be orchestrated. [Quickly, she rolls down her sock and shows him the flame on her ankle.] I wondered why flame, when my element is wind. But perhaps it will become more clear if others have designs like this.
I didn't get an image of a man, but... I did get this... [Her voice suddenly uncomfortable, she brings out her Guide to show Hawk the pictures she'd taken of her hands before removing the purple nail polish.]
It's the same as Miss Audres' in the video. Ichijou confirmed it.
no subject
[He leans over for a better look.] That's… a little disturbing. Doing that while… [He stops, choking on the words.]
no subject
All the same, I've started carrying a lighter with me. I don't know what good it might do, but... I suppose I just took 'flame' literally.
[(Tell her about it.) She makes a dissatisfied sound in her throat to echo Hawk's sentiment.]
But if the nail polish is a clue... I suppose it gives some validity to the theory of there being two of Miss Ardes? Somehow it still feels like a stretch, but it fits the facts we have.
no subject
[He laughs, a little.] You know… I could probably do some fire magic if we needed it. But I don't think that's a bad idea either.
Mm. I can't quite work it out, but it doesn't make sense to apply polish when it wasn't on her body. It would draw attention to the differences, after all.
no subject
[At his slight laugh she smiles back at him. Ah, it's been a while since she's heard a laugh.]
Unless drawing attention to the differences is what they - our benefactors? - want to have happen.
[With a sigh she shakes her head.] But what does all the rest of it mean? [She starts ticking off points on her hands]
The hyper-surveillance and the CATs malfunctioning.
The young man who warned us to keep an eye out for a message.
Those two mysterious men - one of them mentioned finding someone, but it was such a patchy transmission...
The cards, which practically could have been given us by friends and foes.
Miss Ardes, proving that she was an ally and that there is another in town who will help us. But her message was rather thin on details, but that PL is in charge and Plan B happened.
Then, those two men again. One is called Proctor. They both knew Miss Ardes, but they reacted differently to her.
Miss Ardes was acting rather strangely in that video too, though.
That darn chart.
Then, Miss Ardes... so suddenly appearing here. At the same time, the townspeople disappear.
And now... others of us are being killed, but come back with clues. The hair, the symbols, the nail polish.
[Looking at her ten spread fingers, she frowns at them.]
All I get is that they're messing with us horribly. And like you said, I'm tired of it.
no subject
[He listens to her, nodding as she ticks off the points.]
Keeping an eye on everyone and what we're saying… I suppose they're really trying to keep out moles this time.
Plan B- the mayor said that was a kind of reset, didn't he?
It all seems more extreme than last time. Maybe since I arrived later… but still.
no subject
As for the Plan B... [She fingers the journal on the seat beside her as she casts her mind back to it.] The Plan B that was both the Mayor's and doctor Resarci's was a 'clean slate' protocol. But Resarci's own Plan B...
[She picks up the journal and takes a moment to skim some pages.]
I thought it might have to do with him taking control of the Luministi Research Labs, but now being here again, it seems that there may have been more to it than that.
[She suddenly shivers.] I hadn't quite thought of it that way before. If he did take control, he probably has like-minded people around him, and above him.
no subject
So he probably set that off, then… something different, more in his favour.
[He nods, and reaches out to touch her hand again.] It'd make sense to do that. But we'll sort it out. Can't let things just go on like this.
no subject
You're right. On all accounts.
no subject
no subject