It's not what they're offering to us. It's what they're offering to them.
[ He says it simply. The lower class. It's an illegal trade, pharmaceuticals. It's all too expensive, for them to obtain otherwise.
But she is right, it's a scheme. Silco doesn't know how to operate without them. He doesn't understand how. He doesn't have a method. A way. That isn't what Silco knows. That's the thing that Mel will come to understand by working with, interacting with Silco. He has spent so long in the shadows, underneath those who would look down their nose at him, that it can hardly be surprising, can it? That he would opt for what he knows.
Silco is an old man.
Who teaches an old dog new tricks? Or if they do, he'll have to be coerced, and tricked into it.
Will you, Mel? Try to learn the method to tricking Silco into doing things a different way? ]
They may start doing so now, to see how we react. But no, I don't have a way to test it. Unless you do. I'm not interested in pushing poor product onto the streets, or putting out what will make people sicker.
What I do know is that nobody has been able to consolidate this yet. I suspect that if they do, Patho-Gen will see them as a threat. It's why I don't intend to do so until I know things are in place.
[ He knows better, than to jump without looking. Silco had not gotten where he was by being sloppy. ]
[ It's telling that she immediately thinks of Jayce and Viktor. It's equally likely Silco knew she'd consider them, as she'd been the benefactor of their projects. If anyone could uncover what these drugs do and what they're made of, it's them, and the limited equipment they have from Patho-Gen. She'd just been discussing how they should find better equipment for their projects.
Patho-Gen likely has a supplier for the tools they use. It wouldn't take too much effort to find the distributor, though the cost would likely be high, and doing so would put a target on her back.
Under most other circumstances, she wouldn't want to volunteer that sort of service. But knowing what the medications are before Silco has his hands on them will at least allow her to know what he's working with, and devise strategy from there. ]
I don't, personally. But I can ask around and see what is accessible.
[ A little money can help, and she has some in reserve. She can also ask some of her acquaintances who have been in the poorer districts to see if anyone can simply tell them what medications work and how. It won't be as precise, and it won't allow them to break down the ingredients, but it's a start. And she'll consider approaching Jayce and Viktor between their other projects. ]
And what measures are you taking in terms of Patho-Gen? You said it yourself: once you do this, they will come looking for you. Someone will come looking for you. [ Maybe an outside hire. ] And considering we all have these augmenters, I don't imagine it would be difficult to look for us.
Hm. That would be useful. It would also prevent us from handing out anything that makes them worse off. They're already giving what little coin they have, after all.
[ It's true. Normally, that wouldn't be a concern for Silco, but a chembaron's reputation was built on their product. Poor product? Poor reputation, and that was a stain that would never truly wash out. He knew it as well as Mel did, that the sort of flippant actions would lead to their demise. ]
You're correct that they will. From what I've gathered, nobody has been able to link them, and that's a curious question. I'm sure people have tried. This is an avenue for greed, after all. So what would be the reason...
[ his fingers tap on the table. ]
It is not mere weakness. This is not a novel idea. It is something deeper. Such as the fact that they haven't been able to truly control the product. Either Patho-Gen pulls it, or they introduce a new one, or they take them down from the inside.
But they can't remove it entirely. If the people become too sick, they will start dying, and that will gather as much attention as anything else. If the lower-class are gone, the middle class are next.
[ All that is to say... ]
For how I will prevent it, well. I have a few areas of exploration. Safe houses, places they won't go. Places I can protect. I'm not going after the pharmaceuticals immediately, either. That would be foolish. No, I'm waiting.
I won't act until I have the right pieces in place.
[ He's careful, after all. Think about all those years of shimmer bubbling from below. How long had Silco kept it all in check.
He does not intend to let this lie, but he also won't act quickly. There's no need. ]
[ What is the purpose of distributing pharmaceuticals randomly into a population? Control, yes, but if you don't have ways to track who is receiving which drug or how they're reacting, how precisely will you be able to know what's happening? Unless they all do the same thing or have similar targeted reactions... Now she's curious, and as much as she doesn't want her hands involved in any of this, she recognizes this has a thread she wants to keep hold of.
Her mind flits again to the missing people, the suits. She'd wondered if they worked for Patho-Gen β or if they're contractors β but now she's beginning to consider if the pharmaceuticals are at play for what's been happening with the disappearances.
Too much speculation. She doesn't allow herself down the rabbit hole. She focuses on the information he gives her: he has safe houses β or will soon β and has the means to protect them. Guards, perhaps, or ways to prevent entry. Not for the first time, she wishes she'd visited the Undercity even once during her time in Piltover, so she could at least have a frame of reference for what he is capable of...and what kind of playground he's used to using and the kinds of methods he employed.
People always return to what's familiar. He's showing her that right now. For seven years, she'd heard of Shimmer. Does Silco think he has that much time? ]
I would not discount that Patho-Gen is the only player in the city. I spoke of those people in suits. I don't know that they aren't Patho-Gen, but I would be prepared for the possibility that they are working with or in parallel to them. People who can make others disappear off the streets are not to be underestimated.
[ He may not care. And she isn't going to act like this is out of recognition for his safety, per se. But his work might encounter snags if the people he's dealing with start going missing. ]
I can be in touch if I receive any other information on them if it's pertinent to your work.
[ This is where Silco is best. Strategizing. Thinking. Mel is smart, and it's better to have her focused on the future, on what they can do, rather than the high-minded principles that Piltover indulges in. They think they are the superior ones, but he knows better. He thinks Mel is starting to put that together as well.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be here. ]
If we can investigate it, and discover who they are, then that is something we can use. I doubt that Patho-Gen would be all that interested in allowing them to stay on, if given the opportunity. And they would likely jump at the chance to leave their mark on Patho-Gen.
[ Oppositional. Keep them focused on one another, all the meanwhile...
Well.
That's what Silco was best at. ]
Please do. I will, of course, continue to provide information from the whispers I hear close to the ground. You would be surprised what secrets drunkards know, councilor.
Unless they are contracted by Patho-Gen in an effort to subvert a technicality.
[ To claim these people are technically not Patho-Gen. But the fact that they have a presence that is disputed while the consequences of their actions ripple through the lower districts... They must have some kind of power, whether it's monetary or influence, or even magical in nature.
Regardless, they'll cross that bridge when more information is uncovered and better assess at that time. Mel can be the gold that catches people's attention; let Silco remain the knife in the dark for when it is necessary. (So long as it continues to be necessary, and never more than that.)
Although, something he says piques her interest enough, and she tilts her head. ]
Perhaps I need to wander into those areas more often. [ The problem, of course, being that she can't hide all of her markings. ] Do you have any recommendations on where to visit?
[ And no, she isn't fishing for his haunts. They shouldn't be seen together anyway. But if he wants her to see the truth, if he wants her to understand the extent of suffering and need, then she wants to hear it from the source as well, drunkards and otherwise. ]
You want to see them, do you? Do you think it will help you understand?
[ She'd always ignored them, before. It's implied in his tone, but not in an unhelpful way, as if he is pointing it out. They had always ignored them before. Why would it be different now? Why now, when even trying β Trying to change things β had been enough to have them beaten down and shot on the bridge.
Did she even know the history? ]
I would tart with the Crow Bar β a little place. Look for the crow on the sign.
[ A wave of his hand. ] They are disenfranchised. They're looking for a way towards working out of this.
[ A beat, and then, because he has to know: ]
What will you do, when the government and Patho-Gen choose the same path that Piltover did? Peaceful resistance is always met with violence.
What will you do when that day comes? [ A beat. ] You do not have to answer now.
Were you not the one saying we did not understand, that I could not understand and could never hope to? Are you surprised that I want to rectify this?
[ Perhaps he'd be shocked to know the remorse that is buried in her chest, festering like rot. Perhaps it wouldn't matter to him. Perhaps all he wants is for someone to place blame on, especially now that he is away from Zaun. In the end, it doesn't matter; this is a decision she is making for herself, with or without his blessing. But the recommendation is helpful, and Mel gives a tip of her head into what passes for a nod. She'll head there when she has time, once she knows how to properly disguise herself so as not to attract real attention.
Mel starts to stand. They may not have fully fleshed out their terms but, in this, they have some direction. She pauses once she uncrosses her legs, both feet on the floor, considering him. Whether the question lands poorly or not, there is no change to her expression, not even a flicker across her gaze.
It's possible she already knows her answer. It's just as likely this isn't the first time she's been asked a similar question, even if the context was ever so slightly different. What will you do when your mother refuses to back down? What will you do when she chooses the same path, again and again? ]
It's possible I won't need to tell you. You'll see it for yourself.
[ Because she has already anticipated that Patho-Gen and the government will stop taking so kindly to the Augmented. The clock is ticking on their changes, on their humanity. He'll likely see her answer before she has time to voice it. Whether she makes the right choice, however, is another story.
Mel rises at last. ] I appreciate your hospitality and your perspective, Silco. You've given me a great deal to consider.
[ And with that, she heads for the door. They'll be in touch, one way or another. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ He says it simply. The lower class. It's an illegal trade, pharmaceuticals. It's all too expensive, for them to obtain otherwise.
But she is right, it's a scheme. Silco doesn't know how to operate without them. He doesn't understand how. He doesn't have a method. A way. That isn't what Silco knows. That's the thing that Mel will come to understand by working with, interacting with Silco. He has spent so long in the shadows, underneath those who would look down their nose at him, that it can hardly be surprising, can it? That he would opt for what he knows.
Silco is an old man.
Who teaches an old dog new tricks? Or if they do, he'll have to be coerced, and tricked into it.
Will you, Mel? Try to learn the method to tricking Silco into doing things a different way? ]
They may start doing so now, to see how we react. But no, I don't have a way to test it. Unless you do. I'm not interested in pushing poor product onto the streets, or putting out what will make people sicker.
What I do know is that nobody has been able to consolidate this yet. I suspect that if they do, Patho-Gen will see them as a threat. It's why I don't intend to do so until I know things are in place.
[ He knows better, than to jump without looking. Silco had not gotten where he was by being sloppy. ]
no subject
Patho-Gen likely has a supplier for the tools they use. It wouldn't take too much effort to find the distributor, though the cost would likely be high, and doing so would put a target on her back.
Under most other circumstances, she wouldn't want to volunteer that sort of service. But knowing what the medications are before Silco has his hands on them will at least allow her to know what he's working with, and devise strategy from there. ]
I don't, personally. But I can ask around and see what is accessible.
[ A little money can help, and she has some in reserve. She can also ask some of her acquaintances who have been in the poorer districts to see if anyone can simply tell them what medications work and how. It won't be as precise, and it won't allow them to break down the ingredients, but it's a start. And she'll consider approaching Jayce and Viktor between their other projects. ]
And what measures are you taking in terms of Patho-Gen? You said it yourself: once you do this, they will come looking for you. Someone will come looking for you. [ Maybe an outside hire. ] And considering we all have these augmenters, I don't imagine it would be difficult to look for us.
no subject
[ It's true. Normally, that wouldn't be a concern for Silco, but a chembaron's reputation was built on their product. Poor product? Poor reputation, and that was a stain that would never truly wash out. He knew it as well as Mel did, that the sort of flippant actions would lead to their demise. ]
You're correct that they will. From what I've gathered, nobody has been able to link them, and that's a curious question. I'm sure people have tried. This is an avenue for greed, after all. So what would be the reason...
[ his fingers tap on the table. ]
It is not mere weakness. This is not a novel idea. It is something deeper. Such as the fact that they haven't been able to truly control the product. Either Patho-Gen pulls it, or they introduce a new one, or they take them down from the inside.
But they can't remove it entirely. If the people become too sick, they will start dying, and that will gather as much attention as anything else. If the lower-class are gone, the middle class are next.
[ All that is to say... ]
For how I will prevent it, well. I have a few areas of exploration. Safe houses, places they won't go. Places I can protect. I'm not going after the pharmaceuticals immediately, either. That would be foolish. No, I'm waiting.
I won't act until I have the right pieces in place.
[ He's careful, after all. Think about all those years of shimmer bubbling from below. How long had Silco kept it all in check.
He does not intend to let this lie, but he also won't act quickly. There's no need. ]
no subject
Her mind flits again to the missing people, the suits. She'd wondered if they worked for Patho-Gen β or if they're contractors β but now she's beginning to consider if the pharmaceuticals are at play for what's been happening with the disappearances.
Too much speculation. She doesn't allow herself down the rabbit hole. She focuses on the information he gives her: he has safe houses β or will soon β and has the means to protect them. Guards, perhaps, or ways to prevent entry. Not for the first time, she wishes she'd visited the Undercity even once during her time in Piltover, so she could at least have a frame of reference for what he is capable of...and what kind of playground he's used to using and the kinds of methods he employed.
People always return to what's familiar. He's showing her that right now. For seven years, she'd heard of Shimmer. Does Silco think he has that much time? ]
I would not discount that Patho-Gen is the only player in the city. I spoke of those people in suits. I don't know that they aren't Patho-Gen, but I would be prepared for the possibility that they are working with or in parallel to them. People who can make others disappear off the streets are not to be underestimated.
[ He may not care. And she isn't going to act like this is out of recognition for his safety, per se. But his work might encounter snags if the people he's dealing with start going missing. ]
I can be in touch if I receive any other information on them if it's pertinent to your work.
no subject
[ This is where Silco is best. Strategizing. Thinking. Mel is smart, and it's better to have her focused on the future, on what they can do, rather than the high-minded principles that Piltover indulges in. They think they are the superior ones, but he knows better. He thinks Mel is starting to put that together as well.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be here. ]
If we can investigate it, and discover who they are, then that is something we can use. I doubt that Patho-Gen would be all that interested in allowing them to stay on, if given the opportunity. And they would likely jump at the chance to leave their mark on Patho-Gen.
[ Oppositional. Keep them focused on one another, all the meanwhile...
Well.
That's what Silco was best at. ]
Please do. I will, of course, continue to provide information from the whispers I hear close to the ground. You would be surprised what secrets drunkards know, councilor.
no subject
[ To claim these people are technically not Patho-Gen. But the fact that they have a presence that is disputed while the consequences of their actions ripple through the lower districts... They must have some kind of power, whether it's monetary or influence, or even magical in nature.
Regardless, they'll cross that bridge when more information is uncovered and better assess at that time. Mel can be the gold that catches people's attention; let Silco remain the knife in the dark for when it is necessary. (So long as it continues to be necessary, and never more than that.)
Although, something he says piques her interest enough, and she tilts her head. ]
Perhaps I need to wander into those areas more often. [ The problem, of course, being that she can't hide all of her markings. ] Do you have any recommendations on where to visit?
[ And no, she isn't fishing for his haunts. They shouldn't be seen together anyway. But if he wants her to see the truth, if he wants her to understand the extent of suffering and need, then she wants to hear it from the source as well, drunkards and otherwise. ]
hangs my damn head in shame at how long this took
[ She'd always ignored them, before. It's implied in his tone, but not in an unhelpful way, as if he is pointing it out. They had always ignored them before. Why would it be different now? Why now, when even trying β Trying to change things β had been enough to have them beaten down and shot on the bridge.
Did she even know the history? ]
I would tart with the Crow Bar β a little place. Look for the crow on the sign.
[ A wave of his hand. ] They are disenfranchised. They're looking for a way towards working out of this.
[ A beat, and then, because he has to know: ]
What will you do, when the government and Patho-Gen choose the same path that Piltover did? Peaceful resistance is always met with violence.
What will you do when that day comes? [ A beat. ] You do not have to answer now.
Just think on it.
shhh it's fine
[ Perhaps he'd be shocked to know the remorse that is buried in her chest, festering like rot. Perhaps it wouldn't matter to him. Perhaps all he wants is for someone to place blame on, especially now that he is away from Zaun. In the end, it doesn't matter; this is a decision she is making for herself, with or without his blessing. But the recommendation is helpful, and Mel gives a tip of her head into what passes for a nod. She'll head there when she has time, once she knows how to properly disguise herself so as not to attract real attention.
Mel starts to stand. They may not have fully fleshed out their terms but, in this, they have some direction. She pauses once she uncrosses her legs, both feet on the floor, considering him. Whether the question lands poorly or not, there is no change to her expression, not even a flicker across her gaze.
It's possible she already knows her answer. It's just as likely this isn't the first time she's been asked a similar question, even if the context was ever so slightly different. What will you do when your mother refuses to back down? What will you do when she chooses the same path, again and again? ]
It's possible I won't need to tell you. You'll see it for yourself.
[ Because she has already anticipated that Patho-Gen and the government will stop taking so kindly to the Augmented. The clock is ticking on their changes, on their humanity. He'll likely see her answer before she has time to voice it. Whether she makes the right choice, however, is another story.
Mel rises at last. ] I appreciate your hospitality and your perspective, Silco. You've given me a great deal to consider.
[ And with that, she heads for the door. They'll be in touch, one way or another. ]