KARTERIA INBOX

[zauneyete]

SILCO

CONTACT

TEXT ✘ VOICE ✘ ACTION ✘ VIDEO

© TESSISAMESS

Comments

message.

[opposed]

[ A written message on a napkin is left for Silco in the Valentia bar, as promised. It's in flowing, neat script, and the bartender gives Silco an odd look when he comes to get it. ]

I'm looking for somewhere with a view, away from busy streets. Perhaps you know of a place that's quiet?

[ It's not signed, but who else could it be? ]

return message.

[zauneyete]

[ Silco knows who it is.

A day later, Mel will receive a return note. The bartender looks perturbed, but he'd eventually acquiesced when Silco lifted something to line his pocket with. ]

Go to where Patho-Gen and the upper crust ignores. Where the streets look like what you wouldn't spare a thought towards before.

You should think about investing in something for working. I've heard there's a workman's wear shop that should cater to you. Look for the Cat.

[ And if she heads to East Sophia, she'll find a workman's wear shop, with a cat on the sign. Some cute cat pun that I'm too tired to come up with rn, and if she enters, the shopkeeper will send her to a private back room. ]

TEXT; @FIREFIST

[flamebears]

Hey, you know anyone who might want some work?

TEXT; @eyeofzaun

[zauneyete]

I've heard some rumblings, yes.

Any work in particular that you are looking for?

[ i see u pax ]

text; @j.talis

[wondrously]

[ A week after their injection incident. ]

Still breathing?

TEXT; @eyeofzaun

[zauneyete]

Oh, I'm not in the business of delivering disappointing news. Do you really want know the answer?

text; @b.mads

[fallingsand]

Did you know that shapeshifting is a thing here????
That you can just DO??? Or maybe just me I don't know but
I have no idea if this is normal?

[ And, unfortunately, Silco is the only one Bruno knows well enough to report this surprising new turn of events, thanks to the barrier at Kelesis.

Wait.. he's never texted Silco before now. Or anyone, actually. ]

This is Bruno by the way. I don't know if thing tells you that or not.

TEXT; @eyeofzaun

[zauneyete]

[ He hadn't actually been able to guess, but Bruno introduces himself anyway. ]

I have met some who can, yes. It depends on the soul.

I do not shapeshift, for example.

[ That he knows of. Yet. ]

What did you turn into?

@entei

[firebrander]

( a random request that seemingly comes completely unprompted — but really there are about twelve adhd steps missing from point a to point silco. it makes sense to him, okay. )

I was hoping you could help me procure something.

@eyeofzaun

[zauneyete]

[ Staring.

Staring.

?? Well, nothing has ever been gained from not seeing what a random message is for. ]

I'm rather talented at procurement. What is it you need?

a place to put Harry’s reports

[tequila_sunset]

Harry’s handwriting is compact, the notes he passes to Silco’s people are dense with information, the edges frayed where he’s torn them from his notebook. Every now and then a particularly detailed observation spirals down the side of the page, he clearly wasn’t able to keep his eyes on the paper while writing.

Observations are split equally between people and places. The upkeep and age of buildings are noted, with several in East Sophia noted to be in need of repairs lest the damage over time dangerously compromise the structure’s integrity. This is clearly an area of some expertise for Harry.

Observations are occasionally non linear- with Harry having to go back and mark where certain notes connect to each other. A description of a classic style Basileios manor house and occupants is interrupted by the recollection of a family in East Sophia who might be sympathetic to the cause. Her husband was injured in a construction accident and their eldest daughter vanished sometime ago. They have two more children to feed. Then the manor notes continue. A possible infidelity is noted.

Observations sometimes lack proper names, included instead are repeated descriptors: Hooded Man, Tired Housekeeper, Yellow Dress, Shady Doctor, The Old Woman Across The Street, and so on.

Families, their happiness, their unhappiness, status, and health appear frequently.

[zauneyete]

[ Bless you, Harry.

He'll find whatever account he has well compensated, and if he finds that he stops by a dealer for anything he uh. Needs. He'll not only be provided with a large "sample" but prices that would be considered next to nothing. Pretty much enough to keep the dealer compensated for the trouble, and that's it.

Silco knows how to inspire "loyalty", after all. ]

🎁

[totalize]

[ When Silco heads to his subterranean retreat, he’ll find a very simple box and note waiting for him. There’s no wrapping, and the note itself is very brief, though written in a very elegant script. ]

A token of my appreciation for your recent assistance—



[ Inside the box is a quite handsome knife. It’s well weighted and clearly expensive, even if the design is overall subdued. If that raises some questions about where it came from, that’s a good impulse, naturally. Yet, since there’s nothing in the papers or even talk in the police force of a thief, maybe Hugo is as good as he’d claimed. ]

@ mockingbird (hi jill)

[totalize]

So, I've learned something rather interesting, and you'll understand why I feel it's relevant to share it with you.

However, before I get to that, I'd like to correct what I believe is a slight misconception between us. I don't take any offense, mind you, since it's somewhere between a compliment and a reasonable perception because of elven genetics, but.

Mr. Silco, I'm 35.

HEHEHEHEHE

[zauneyete]

[ Silco, who calls the actual whole man Jayce Talis "boy", actually stares at this for a long minute. ]

Alright? I'm far older than that, mind you.

[ LIKE??? ]

forward-dated to september 20 (more or less)

[mantlebearer]

[ it is rare for silver to come to the underground tunnels when silco is not there; he aims his visiting hours, so to speak, to coincide with silco's, to give his reports, to be updated on any new developments, any new allies to the cause, anything to watch out for.

today, though? today, silver is there before silco. he sits in the chair silco had drawn for him, the first time he'd seen the tunnels — there is a terrible stillness to him, an ocean of grief and horror and something else that is near tangible. it laps at his feet at the same time as blood drips from his clothes, one drop at a time.

his hair is a mess. his eyes are red. he seems entirely unharmed.

and, as he hears footsteps, he looks at silco with quiet desperation, like the tether he has to the cause, still, is the only thing keeping him afloat. ]

I didn't know where else to go.

[ home? no, there is a corpse in his room, the body of the man he cares for more than he can put to words. and he knows, oh, he knows there are others who would offer him sympathy — palamedes, tifa, liem. but he has never done well with goodness, kindness, and it is not what he seeks out, now. instead, he is here, looking at the mismatched eyes of a man he believes has endured much, too much, and hardened himself as a result. and, as such, can perhaps tell him how to do it, too. ]

SICKOS.JPG

[zauneyete]

[ Silver knows Silco's comings and goings enough to know he comes by when Silco isn't present. It leaves the man paranoid, when he notices it, the signs that his sequestered, hidden little corner of the underground has been invaded. He slips deeper in, his fingers seeking out one of the knives he's started to carry on him, before he stops, as soon as he not only sees who it is, but...

The state of him is what stills his hand from bringing the blade out. His hand drops, and he looks him up and down.

Silver knows that he will not get sympathy from the man. He is a sharpened blade, but he also understands something that perhaps sympathy will not get him. What it is to change; and what it is to move in the face of this. He moves instead to his desk, and pulls out a bottle of liquor. ]

Didn't you? What happened?

[ He looks fine, he doesn't look fine. Something is wrong, but he comes to Silco. The man knows enough; but perhaps he doesn't know enough. To come to him is to come to quicksand, and beg it to let him pass.

The answer, will always be the same, unyielding. ]

October 15, post-kidnapping

[fallingsand]

[ A week and a few days have passed since nearly half the Augmented population vanished, and Bruno had stopped showing up for work, undoubtedly amongst the missing. It put a dent in the tunneling work; the other workers, suddenly missing their giant badger friend to shoulder the brunt of the digging, left with only human hands and shovels to carry on, assuming they hadn't been given other orders while waiting to see what would happen.

And they'll still be left wondering about where Bruno is as he slinks back into the tunnels in the other form he's practiced often: a mouse. He can get by quickly, unseen, his nose tracking down wherever Silco has set up his office. If it's still out in the open, if it's been moved somewhere more private, wherever it is, he can find it with ease.

He'll pause nearby, though, ears perked, listening for the man, trying to discern if he's there, if he's alone, if he's, well, anything. He wonders if Silco would even notice a little mouse in the shadows, even with how Bruno's eyes glow a bright green while shifted like this. ]

[zauneyete]

[ He's been making efforts to move his workspace (and let's be honest, also living space) somewhere more secluded. There had been a dent in the work without some Augmented he'd employed now gone, and his mind turned to other things. Of course, the latent paranoia, the righteousness of being Correct about all of this, and the need to go to ground, as it were. He knew what this kind of thing led to, and he understood that it would always lead to more deaths, more captures, more subjugation.

Thus, he is already behind a locked door, his desk and couch moved back where others could not see. A ticketing office, perhaps. He still had something rudimentary for the floor — people worked best when the boss was present, but Silco kept odd hours, and worked long into the night, and he had ensured that he would be difficult to take without a great deal of trying.

Enough lead time that he could go to ground, if needed.

So Bruno finds him, staring at a sheaf of paper, a cigar burning away in his ashtray — comically drawn on, of all things, it's surprisingly cute — and he's focused on that, instead of —

His eyes snap to the dark, his lips peel into a grimace. His eyes look into the dark with a sharp awareness. Of what this means, of what this was. ]

Finally come for me, have you?

[ He pulls the knife from the wood of his desk, where he'd impaled it some weeks ago, in his anger. ]

text during celiagate;

[opposed]

[ oh, for goodness' sake. ]

You're practically begging for them to try to find you, Silco.

text; hehehehehe

[zauneyete]

I want to see them try.

I want to see their capabilities and what they are able to do. I want to see how far they will go, and what price they will pay.

You realize I am one of the few who live surrounded by their own people, yes? Do you not think that is an opportunity?

text. @lauralae

[rakta]

[ Casual, as if she hasn’t been obsessing over it - ]

are you hungry?

[zauneyete]

[ suspiciously looking at his syntrofos right now like — ]

Who is this?

[ She might have been, he, however...


Is Silco ]

TEXT — @SET

[redsoil]

Are you free to discuss a matter or two with me, Silco?

TEXT

[zauneyete]

I can make time for you, yes. I assume you want this off the machines?

bow on one thread means me slamming my glass and going ANOTHER

[totalize]

The factory is legally mine now, by the way. I'd like to thank you for your assistance, so why not drop by one evening? I have a surprise (that you'll be pleased by) to show you, and besides.

What do you drink? Let's share one in my "penthouse".

(And because I can guess your distaste, it's not actually a penthouse. I've just made my apartment the top floor, since why pay for two places, right?)

HEHEHEHE

[zauneyete]

A surprise?

[ SUSPICIOUS ]

I'll bring the bottle. Hopefully you don't mind whiskey. Thankfully, I haven't developed to finding that distasteful yet.

text; @wurmfren

[wormkin]

Hello, friend Silco. I am sorry to disturb you, but I am afraid I do not know where you live. May I have your place of residence?

text; @eyeofzaun

[zauneyete]

You know that is intentional, I hope? I make it difficult to find me on purpose.

What's the nature of your intended visit?

late december.

[opposed]

[ A simple box is left for Silco in his underground one day, brought to him by the man she's met before. The one who guards the door. Inside is a set of cigars and a small bottle of whiskey. There's no note with it. There is, however, an initial at the bottom of the box for the keen-eyed: ~MM ]

@mockingbird

[totalize]

Just to let you know, since I imagine you would have been of a similar mind. The Kelesian pigments don't seem to work outside of that city.

A shame, since they could have been useful. Alas.

[zauneyete]

Been experimenting with them, have you?

A shame, but like with most things from Kelesis, perhaps it is best if it remains precisely where it is from. I don't need their gains to find my own.

merry christmas you old bastard (dec 25)

[totalize]

[ Unlike most of the gifts that Hugo gives, Silco’s is much more understated. Being too showy is something that Silco would surely balk at (and/or complain about), so Hugo’s gift is presented simply. It’s a long, cardboard tube, and inside of it is a large format map. Without looking at its notation, it’s confusing, since it doesn’t really look like streets… But closer inspection makes it clearer that this is a map of the Karterian sewer system. Rolled up inside it is a brief note. ]

It’s an old version, but no less useful. Considering the state of things, I severely doubt they’ve undertaken construction to expand recently.

Delivered on December 25th

[queenofkur]

[ For Christmas, Silco receives a book titled:

"The Reality of Death: How to Prepare"

There is a letter with it. ]

Dear Silco,

I felt both bad and exasperated after the conclusion of our discussion. I have given it some thought, and rather than accept our views are irreconcilable, I have decided to do what I can to help you understand and accept the inevitability of life. This book had very high ratings and I read it myself to make sure it is of good quality. I hope it will help you find peace.

Merry Christmas!
Ereshkigal, Goddess of Death and Queen of Kûr

delivery. post-revival.

[rakta]

[ One small box is left for Silco, with his name in scratchy handwriting.

› Various blends of tea, with notes for their intended uses - like sleep, or relaxation.
› A potion that has a label that states 'for protection', whatever that means.
› One very fine leather-bound notebook, with a fancy ink pen.

Left with it is a note: - L. That's it. ]

@mockingbird (just a quick one before i write a starter)

[totalize]

I have something that I need to deliver to you in person. Half for the explanation with it, half because it's probably best to not sit around.

Will you be in your "office" tonight?

@eyeofzaun

[zauneyete]

That much of a rush?

Yes, I'll be in my "office" after midnight. I'll be busy before then.

[ He has to move and shake around the city before it gets too late. ]

@ lauralae

[rakta]

silco.
i want to make a bargain with you.

[zauneyete]

A bargain?

Over what?

ACTION.

[redsoil]

[ More and more often, he declines the use of the Syntrofos, preferring the use of his acute senses and Soul's ability to read the land itself to locate the connections of his choosing. That includes Silco, whom he passes written script to via the courier services — it's better to keep some matters out of the digital realm, after all. Right now, he's just looking to catch up with Silco a little bit — further their understanding and needs. ]

Physical healing and mental effects are where I have found that I excel the most, compared to some others. The psychoactive properties of my body causes euphoria and hallucination, should we care to fixate on utility. I imagine sowing discord among the elite is a step we ought to take, and soon.

[zauneyete]

[ Silco doesn't enjoy the Syntrofos either. He keeps it locked away in his desk, where he can't access it, where it can't activate randomly.

The letter is welcome, as a form of communication. Set even receives something back, in Silco's neat script.

The courier went to where he was, which happened to be the surface, so the instructions to Set seem odd: ]

Face to face would be best. Water's Edge, near [landmark]. Look for the blocked door.

[ This sort of business should be in person. ]

@onestepforward, text (backdated to late jan)

[ignoreher]

[ it's certainly not a username that's interacted with him before, but malkuth's known of silco for almost as long as she's been here. thanks to their poetic mutual... takasugi. it'd only been for warning, but she's not eager to press those matters. there's no need to get her boss into trouble he can get himself into. ]

Hello, Mister Silco!

I'm sorry about the sudden contact, but I received your information from a mutual of ours in hopes of speaking with you regarding someone in your employment. My name is Malkuth, and I act as the manager of 3kon (rising Augmented stars, I'm sure you're familiar with my loudmouths); the reason I'm reaching out to you today is in hopes of contracting Sariel from time to time to act as our security during planned events due to an incident which caused distress to my talents last month.

I hadn't wanted to simply snatch him up after he'd mentioned he was looking for added work on top of your own, so I thought that meeting his boss would be the best course of action as well as the most polite. Would you prefer to speak face to face, or would you rather settle the matter as-is?

[ over text, she means. though malkuth is hoping for the face to face option... she isn't certain that a ruminantia's detection works over text, but she knows it does in person. her trump card. yes, sariel might be a lost cause as far as takasugi's desire to take him from silco, but her own desires are more to keeping an eye on her tall friend to ensure he stays off a bad path. ]

@eyeofzaun

[zauneyete]

[ he sure does look at this suspiciously, because Silco is nothing if not extremely paranoid, but the bonus is, of course, that she's also going to get exactly what she wants. Silco hates these devices and doesn't trust that they aren't being tracked one bit. ]

I've heard some mention of your group. [ barely... this old fuddy duddy aint listening to music ]

Polite of you to reach out. Normally, poaching comes with not even a word. [ she didn't say she was poaching, silco ] In person will suffice. Hopefully you don't retire too early. Meet me at a bar called The Rusty Nail in Water's Edge. After sundown.

[ It is going to be a real fucking dive of a bar. Part of this is a test to see if she'll show, and some of it is to see how serious she is, that she'll arrive, and if she'll be comfortable with a rougher crowd. Yes, everything is a plot with silco, sorry malkuth ]

@ vivant (before the event)

[totalize]

[ so after ADORABLY!!! making bread with the man and learning that he doesn't want to hurt people. well, ]

What kind of work do you have Sariel doing, out of curiosity?

[ sorry silco this angel has like 82397423 defenders ]

[zauneyete]

[ damn u give a guy a job and everyone wants to give you the third degree ]

Work for my organization. Why?

[ PARANOID ]