[ A tip of his head, and he turns it only just slightly, leveling that eye on her. It's easy to see that Silco uses it in discussions and negotiations. Who can look into the Eye of Zaun directly, and come out unchanged?
Well, at least in a place where it's unusual.
Here, he's just another oddity. Eerie, but hardly as disconcerting. ]
A single concern of yours, was it? In exchange for any of mine?
[ Hands on the table, he gestures vaguely with them as he speaks, cigarsmoke trails with his right hand. ]
The way I see it, either you're a poor negotiator, or your concern carries a great deal of weight. I think I can guess what it is.
[ Takasugi is no fool, so someone who works for him much be just as crafty to keep up. ]
[ poor negotiator, huh. her ear flicks in irritation before she can catch it, but that's fine, too. he can think as he'd like. malkuth lays her hands over one another as she leans forward just a little, as if they were being eavesdropped on, and wonders if his eye is natural or a consequence of their current circumstance. nothing of her business, it just makes the fur on her tail puff just a little behind her. ]
I understand there was something of a verbal spar between yourself and my talent, or at least a disagreement which ended in a casual threat on his life. As his manager, I have to take such claims very seriously -- so I'd like to know first and foremost the validity of this incident, as well as weight of intention.
[ the truth of which her soul can at least detect, even if it might take all her willpower to ease it down from a straight out lie. this particular facet of ruminantia's soul is malkuth's trump card, unknown to the vaster part of the population due to their small numbers, and she intends to make full use of it. ]
I don't wish to put any of them at risk. They're valuable assets, so if it should be true then I'd like to know if it were simply something said in the heat of the moment -- they do have a talent for getting under others' skin -- or a far more serious threat to keep an eye on.
[ And then, blithely: ] Of course I did. He stumbled into a subject he has no business engaging with. I made certain to correct the error.
[ Threats were as easy as breathing. They come more readily than compliments to a man like Silco, whose entire life was a threat.
Then again, Takasugi had also touched up against one of those very few, very sensitive subjects. The kind that left him curling around it, protectively, like holding close over a wound. His left hand drifts, just so, to rest against his stomach. That subject, is far too sensitive for someone like Takasugi to bluster into.
His daughter, his killer, his entire world. He must hold that secret so, so carefully. ]
Now, as long as he does not touch on the subject again, he has nothing to fear.
In that case, I don't mind you threatened him. Both him and Rinne tend to say things they shouldn't for a rise... but don't hold it against him too much, since I'll ask he doesn't run against it again. And that you only wound him if he does anyway, since one can only learn by living past their mistake.
[ sorry takasugi but from what she understands beasts correct each other with snaps and this was valid. it does seem to put her at ease that he doesn't intend to strike takasugi down in sight though...
more importantly, it does seem that silco's a direct, honest man -- the latter at least in this case -- so that's good. it's easier to work with people like that than lying snakes. ]
That was my only concern. [ as far as 3kon went, anyway. ] And what others do you have with mine?
[ A pause. He promises nothing, but really... Was Malkuth surprised? He doesn't know if he could personally kill Takasugi anyway β but he'd certainly give it a go if necessary.
Or have it done by someone else's hand.
Clearly, not Sariel's, however. ]
My concerns have to do with the work I do, and your associate's potential interest in it.
If he works for you, I want assurance that our mutual acquaintance isn't put into the position of choosing who to be loyal to.
No questions about me, my business, or my associations. He's there for your work, not as a representative of mine.
[ she didn't expect any promises, but it is something she wanted made clear anyway. might appreciate him a bit more if he follows through on just injury. ]
I won't ask him anything, be it about your business or matters of loyalty -- those are things he can decide on himself, on the slim chance it becomes relevant, and that I can promise. When Sariel is working for me, if he is allowed to, the only thing he and I will be concerned about is the job at hand and nothing else. I'll ensure my associate knows this as well. All good?
[ Quite literally he won't have a choice. But he'll take credit for it anyway. ]
As long as your associates β all of them β are aware, then there will be no issue.
In fact, if he is having this much trouble, perhaps this will keep him afloat. I would much rather have him work somewhere that there is an understanding between us, than an unknown.
[ What's he doing that's so important? drugs don't worry about it ]
[ She Knows His Business thanks takasugi. it's not fine but time and place... ]
I compensate my help very well, so you won't have to worry about him looking for a third avenue either. Would you like me to draw up a contract? I'm quite versed thanks to my upbringing in these things.
[ what do you mean doesn't everyone fund revolutions with drug empires... ]
I thought the same, when I employed him. Perhaps between the two of us we can eliminate the Additional hours necessary to seek a third.
Why don't you draw it up? I'll review it for and potential issues. Not that I think you will, however... One never knows when something like this can be exploited if we aren't careful.
[ well............ they might have more in common than he thinks, frankly...... technically..... ]
I'd be happy to on both accounts, because you're certainly right. Contracts in The City, where I'm from, are taken very seriously, and tend to be pretty thorough as a result... so they can get pretty long too.
[ which is more lightly said, because she knows it sounds pretty nuts in the "is that really necessary" way that the city's extremes are viewed by others outside. truthfully, it isn't her favorite thing to do, but she was the front door of l corp for a reason. her quality control (heavy emphasis on control) was unmatched.
and
given malkuth's taking some folded papers out of her pocket alongside a pen, she'd obviously been hoping or expecting this to go as she wanted it? it isn't drawn up, she's simply gonna do it in front of him. ]
I'll try to keep it brief since it's a small matter for us both. What's your poison as far as drinks goes? My soul loves a good stout, so I've gotten pretty partial to them.
Hm. Just The City, is it? Well, I suppose I have no leg to stand on, given that I'm from simply the Undercity.
[ He watches her pull out the paper, and there's the slightest of nods. Another inhale. The barest mark of approval. Always be prepared to do business.]
I tend to prefer liquor, whiskey in general. [ He lifted a hand, indicating to the local that it was time for drinks. They'll come over and get her order, though it seems like Silco's is known. ]
Walk me through it. We don't normally have our own contracts where I am from β our legal structure is a bit... Loose.
[ oh, wonderful, she's actually gonna be able to tell takasugi she had a pleasant evening chat with silco? she huff a soft laugh at his own city name and gives her order with a smile, pinning his preference in mind. it's good to remember what business associates favor. ]
It doesn't matter if you were "blessed" to be born in the Nest of your District or damned to writhe in its Backstreets, if you break a contract you're more than likely losing something of equivalent value. There's a whole Office that specializes in ensuring the legality and consequence of each contract across the entire city, too -- they can and will track you down, no matter how well you think you've hidden yourself. And normally I'd put in a request to such an Office for the best security... but we're policing ourselves here.
First is formalities. The name and relevant business of each party, and what follows is our conditions of contract in the simplest, most direct wording to ensure a lack of sneaky loopholes. Lastly is the agreed upon consequence for the breach or break of contract, which can be the same between the parties or specific to each. For example, one might require the other to forfeit the fortune they amassed with the help of that contract and put them in a perilous position, and the other might bear the punishment of a bone broken for every line crossed. It's a deterrent. Or supposed to be. We don't need to follow through that far though, it's simply done because of the way The City has always worked.
[ dog eat dog, no matter how high you went. always someone ready to strike you down and pick at whatever remained. malkuth, manager of 3kon. silco... she taps her pen against the table, glancing up at him. thank goodness the city is so unusually thorough. ]
[ Zaun is a much more lawless place, and given that their laws are not theirs, it's understandable why it is like that. Even so, Silco's dream is that of nation-building, of making it into something more, and he notes down the small hints she gives about the place she is from. He has met a few from the City already, and each one talks about it differently. Most with some measure of...hesitance? Resentment? Fondness? All of it and more.
He files it away. Perhaps he'll ask about it later. After all, he intended to find a way back, anything he could gather here was of use. Even if it's ideas, methods, and concepts. Nobody has spoken at length to him about the structure, and he finds it all... fascinating. ]
Where I am from, violating an agreement normally ends in death. Unless you kill them first.
[ A thin smile. ] I don't make a habit of it. Contracts and agreements are useful, after all. How well you follow one speaks to your reliability as a negotiating partner or as a potential ally later on. Breaking them is a poor choice, unless one knows the right time to.
[ He watches her write it down, and then smiles. ]
I run a construction company. [ He really does. ] We haven't had much need for a clever name, I'm afraid. The license lists it as... oh, what did they say it was? S.Incorporated, I believe.
A construction company that employs a bodyguard, huh...? That's a first, even to me. You must work in some rather dangerous areas to need that kind of muscle.
[ silco, of s. incorporated then. she'll pen it down along with the brief, direct points of their agreement. no funny business here... it's very much word for word. ]
It sounds like we don't hail from too different of worlds though, our protocal aside. Karteria reminds me a lot of it too. [ a wiggle of her pen. ] The same kind of hopelessness.
Oh, I am never one to ignore the potential dangers. Especially here. Between Patho-Gen, the government, and of course our fellow augmented from time to time, there are plenty of hazards that one must be wary of.
[ His lips twitch into the barest tightening, that could almost be called a smile. Almost. ]
Quite so. It's something I noticed when I arrived. How... hopeless everything was. How dire. The people here want for more, and they hunger for it. [ Oh boy, Malkuth. You stumbled into it now. ] The impoverished and lower classes here are somewhat similar to me and mine where I am from. No hope, no power, and every time someone tries to attain even a shred of it from their betters...
[ He taps at the skin below his eye, though covered in makeup, it is still mottled and scarred. ] They are quick to remind us of our places, aren't they?
[ she is exactly where she wants to be no one help her ]
They are.
[ that she can agree on, finishing off the final touches and turning it around for silco's approval as she leans back with her drink. ]
I work to help them too, not so much in my spare time as... alongside my work with 3kon, nearly split despite the few hours a day offers. As performers, they give the people a moment of distraction from the often harsh reality of the world, and I decided to make use of that and their manpower in repairing the houses of those in need -- especially before winter really hit. The people there appreciate action over words, so when I showed up for them they showed up for me.
[ and that's with a soft smile, the first and probably only of the night that silco's seeing. ]
I'll continue doing that too in the longterm, since you can only build up with a sturdy foundation. [ a sigh. ] The city sure is big though, huh... with no shortage of "I want to help, but where do I start" from a handful of our fellows.
The problem is that many of them want to simply fix it.
[ he says it idly, before he picks up the paper, and starts reading it over. He's looking for pitfalls, tricks. The sorts of words that leave for ambiguity and the ability to side-step consequences, were one or the other to cause problems.
Things that would harm him, in the long run. ]
Charity. Altruism. None of that solves the problem. You fix it β the homes, the lack of food, the medical β but in the end, that is a salve. It is hardly the cure for the disease.
When one is in a position of powerlessness, what motivates them, more than anything, to claw their way out of the hole?
[ A few annotations, but not many. He pulls out his own pen, and points them out in tight script. Someone who writes and keeps books for a living. ]
The possibility of reversing that powerlessness. Their own sort of power.
Hand it to them, and they do not know how to ascend the next hurdle.
[ Turning it back over, for her to see what he has marked. ]
[ he's a shrewd one, alright. the contract office would be proud to have him... and she can appreciate the attention to detail besides. she adjusts what he points out and rewrites it on the sheet beneath it, turning it once more. there's certainly a fine balance in ensuring they're both secure on both sides. ]
I like to think of it this way: the less someone has to worry about losing, because they have others behind them to catch them if they fall, then the more they can focus on moving forward how they see fit. A lot of people ended up where they have in my city because they had no other choice -- you give them a second path, and they're likely to take it.
But I'd like to clarify that I'm only speaking of my own world. Karteria is different, and what works one place might not work elsewhere. [ silco's own thoughts included, but she isn't here to blow things up. ] There's no harm in trying lots of different things to see happens though, even if it might seem useless or just a salve from the outside. Right?
[ He takes his time to review it again carefully, his eyes scanning it. Another annotation here, or there. Much more minor.
Back and forth. ]
People are going to do what they wish to do. I certainly can't stop them.
[ Can't or won't. But he shakes his head. ]
I've seen what having that... buffer does to people. The moment they stop feeling what they lack, they begin to lose the fire necessary to change a fortune. Once they lose that, they become...compliant. It's easier to accept that which may otherwise be unacceptable.
And when that settles in, and that...comfort is established. It becomes much more difficult to push, and fight for what one is due. Especially when the barest of needs are met.
[ A tip of his head, a tightening of his lips. ] At least, where I am from, that is how it has so often gone.
[ she can, and can't, see why takasugi has such a hard time with silco. it's sound in a way that she understands, given the city's... everything, and it's exactly why the city is the way it is to prevent the very same pitfalls that the man opposite of her speaks of. if everyone is on a tightrope, if everyone is in danger of slipping off the razor's edge, then there's no complacency; it's efficient, and easy to control.
an extreme version of it, of course. honed by centuries of use. even having the freedom to think of a different future than what lays ahead of someone is a form of treason, of revolution for her home in a general sense... while even in the worst worlds elsewhere they aren't punished as thoroughly as those from the city are. so it makes sense, silco's concerns and points, and she nods as she continues to rewrite.
back and forth. ]
Some of our views might differ, but the core is the same: Karteria needs change. The wealthy are too secular and don't see the problems below as anything they need to be concerned about, while the ones at the bottom struggle to see beyond their own problems -- not for a lack of want, but because they don't have the energy or mind to do so. Direction is good for them.
You are right, though. In The City... when someone managed to get to the station they wanted, they didn't seek to fix the problems that'd held them back in the first place, or to help someone else that wanted to escape just as badly.
[ a sip of her drink, ears laying back. ]
They were happy just to have left the circumstances they were in before. Even if they could lose it in a second, and they'd do everything they could to prevent that... Why would they risk the comfort they'd gained just so everyone else could have the chance at it too? Better that they keep their heads down and move along in their new spot on the wheel, grinding away their days.
That is what they want. They dangle it like a prize. Something hard-earned, and so terribly easy to lose.
[ Honestly? Silco wonders how this girl is working for Takasugi, and he is also wondering how to steal her away. Ah, but she said she is fond of those singers they prop up; and fondess so often is the downfall of individuals; or so Silco's paranoia reminds him.
Though it tells him something about Takasugi, too. He wonders if the man also indulges in fondness, and whether he allows it to be a weakness. ]
Why would they bother to do more when they are so terribly comfortable? When they have finally made their way out of the muck and mire, and into the sun? [ The way he says 'sun', sounds so terribly derogatory. ]
I fear that Karteria will take this next step, when ignoring the lower classes does not work. Elevate a few, if only to give them hope that they can find their way out.
[ The way he says it, perhaps he suggests that he would be willing to prevent it. ]
You prefer to see the safety of the worst that could happen over hope for the better, huh? It's a familiar pattern you've seen, so I don't blame you.
[ but it's not said dismissively or anything, more observant as she watches him watch her. takasugi has nothing to worry about. maybe if she were still on her first life, maybe if she could cast aside her dignity like she did then for "the greater good" and an end that "justified the means"... but she's not, and her smile remains pleasant. ]
We do need people like that in the world, since fools like me have to be reminded of the dangers... but there's nothing wrong with hedging your bet on the thought the people will do better with what they're offered. Karteria's already in a far better state than my terrible world, after all. They're willing to stand up against a force like Patho-Gen and make their voices heard -- that'd be unthinkable at home.
[ so why not believe in the unthinkable otherwise? ]
Besides, there is a guilt that's terrorizing some of the wealthier portion of Karteria -- they're people who're at risk of wandering outside, or so I've found, but they just need a direction to put their efforts towards too. That's also different than home, where people lock away any feeling that would put them at risk. [ a small shrug, resting against her sest. ] I don't mind leaving things better than when I found them. It's my duty as an architect. Leaving choice in the hands of others has its risks, but they don't lack for empathy here.
I have found that hoping for the better is a fool's errand. Perhaps that is my pessimism at play, hm?
[ After all, Silco has tried for better. Tried hard, and what had it gotten him? Nothing. Betrayal. Death. Mutilation. What good did it do when the powers that be were so willing to simply look down upon them and tell them "no". What good did that do? ]
I'm surprised to hear you say that they don't.
[ Honestly? Silco almost couldn't believe it. Didn't they lack for empathy? Now, this is where the problem lies. Silco... has a true issue with projection. It would not truly matter, whether they expressed guilt to him or not. He would always see them as the enemy. How did one live othered as he had for so long, fighting and raging against a system that saw him as nothing, and not come to this conclusion?
Karteria was not Piltover. Though the similarities were enough that Silco feels it curdling in him, gestating just as it did before. The lower classes, left behind by golems and the machines they built? What few wins they got in Zaun were being overrun by Hextech. It was so easy to place them over one another.
So easy to hate them, as he always did. ]
Perhaps if they showed it, I would have an easier time seeing it, hm?
at the very least, it's something takasugi'd call her an idiot to suggest. but malkuth is someone who is for doing over simply speaking, and so the next glance silco gets is an interested, curious sort. the kind that predates a question that's more of a gamble than not. ]
In that case, if you have time to spare in the daylight hours, why don't we make this a regular thing? I'm fond of debates and understanding others' point of views, since you can only broaden your own horizon by seeing what another sees... and you can see for yourself what I'm talking about, too.
[ no, karteria isn't perfect nor will it be in the next few years. neither will her own city. but if there's people in her world willing to push against the expected, to hope and hold out a hand, then there's people here, too. malkuth's positive of that -- their treatment of her is proof, even as the incident faded from societal memory.
final product, turned for his approval. she spins her own pen in hand. ]
I don't mind a rejection, but at least consider it.
[ It's...not a great thing to agree to, from Silco's perspective. Talks like this always have the added likelihood of loose lips, and though he trusts himself, he also... understands that there are crafty sorts here. Some that are on his level β or even better.
That's dangerous for him.
However, he's also aware that if some of his staff is going to work for them, it's best to keep an eye on the people he works with. Understand who they are. Understand what it is that they do. Understand how they work. Silco in his soul is a recluse. He is truly happiest when he is left alone.
Unfortunately for him, his passions have always drove him to dealign with people. Go figure. ]
Hm. I'll consider it. Besides, if one of my people is going to be working with you... it's never to either of our disadvantages to keep in touch.
[ I'll consider it, in this case, is going to be a yes.
At the very least, the place she is from sounds harsh. Rough. Somewhat like Zaun, and that means there's likely an iron core there that he'd be interested to see. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Well, at least in a place where it's unusual.
Here, he's just another oddity. Eerie, but hardly as disconcerting. ]
A single concern of yours, was it? In exchange for any of mine?
[ Hands on the table, he gestures vaguely with them as he speaks, cigarsmoke trails with his right hand. ]
The way I see it, either you're a poor negotiator, or your concern carries a great deal of weight. I think I can guess what it is.
[ Takasugi is no fool, so someone who works for him much be just as crafty to keep up. ]
So tell me, what burdens you?
no subject
I understand there was something of a verbal spar between yourself and my talent, or at least a disagreement which ended in a casual threat on his life. As his manager, I have to take such claims very seriously -- so I'd like to know first and foremost the validity of this incident, as well as weight of intention.
[ the truth of which her soul can at least detect, even if it might take all her willpower to ease it down from a straight out lie. this particular facet of ruminantia's soul is malkuth's trump card, unknown to the vaster part of the population due to their small numbers, and she intends to make full use of it. ]
I don't wish to put any of them at risk. They're valuable assets, so if it should be true then I'd like to know if it were simply something said in the heat of the moment -- they do have a talent for getting under others' skin -- or a far more serious threat to keep an eye on.
no subject
[ And then, blithely: ] Of course I did. He stumbled into a subject he has no business engaging with. I made certain to correct the error.
[ Threats were as easy as breathing. They come more readily than compliments to a man like Silco, whose entire life was a threat.
Then again, Takasugi had also touched up against one of those very few, very sensitive subjects. The kind that left him curling around it, protectively, like holding close over a wound. His left hand drifts, just so, to rest against his stomach. That subject, is far too sensitive for someone like Takasugi to bluster into.
His daughter, his killer, his entire world. He must hold that secret so, so carefully. ]
Now, as long as he does not touch on the subject again, he has nothing to fear.
[ At the moment. ]
no subject
[ sorry takasugi but from what she understands beasts correct each other with snaps and this was valid. it does seem to put her at ease that he doesn't intend to strike takasugi down in sight though...
more importantly, it does seem that silco's a direct, honest man -- the latter at least in this case -- so that's good. it's easier to work with people like that than lying snakes. ]
That was my only concern. [ as far as 3kon went, anyway. ] And what others do you have with mine?
no subject
Or have it done by someone else's hand.
Clearly, not Sariel's, however. ]
My concerns have to do with the work I do, and your associate's potential interest in it.
If he works for you, I want assurance that our mutual acquaintance isn't put into the position of choosing who to be loyal to.
No questions about me, my business, or my associations. He's there for your work, not as a representative of mine.
no subject
I won't ask him anything, be it about your business or matters of loyalty -- those are things he can decide on himself, on the slim chance it becomes relevant, and that I can promise. When Sariel is working for me, if he is allowed to, the only thing he and I will be concerned about is the job at hand and nothing else. I'll ensure my associate knows this as well. All good?
no subject
As long as your associates β all of them β are aware, then there will be no issue.
In fact, if he is having this much trouble, perhaps this will keep him afloat. I would much rather have him work somewhere that there is an understanding between us, than an unknown.
[ What's he doing that's so important?
drugsdon't worry about it ]no subject
I compensate my help very well, so you won't have to worry about him looking for a third avenue either. Would you like me to draw up a contract? I'm quite versed thanks to my upbringing in these things.
no subject
I thought the same, when I employed him. Perhaps between the two of us we can eliminate the Additional hours necessary to seek a third.
Why don't you draw it up? I'll review it for and potential issues. Not that I think you will, however... One never knows when something like this can be exploited if we aren't careful.
no subject
I'd be happy to on both accounts, because you're certainly right. Contracts in The City, where I'm from, are taken very seriously, and tend to be pretty thorough as a result... so they can get pretty long too.
[ which is more lightly said, because she knows it sounds pretty nuts in the "is that really necessary" way that the city's extremes are viewed by others outside. truthfully, it isn't her favorite thing to do, but she was the front door of l corp for a reason. her quality control (heavy emphasis on control) was unmatched.
and
given malkuth's taking some folded papers out of her pocket alongside a pen, she'd obviously been hoping or expecting this to go as she wanted it? it isn't drawn up, she's simply gonna do it in front of him. ]
I'll try to keep it brief since it's a small matter for us both. What's your poison as far as drinks goes? My soul loves a good stout, so I've gotten pretty partial to them.
Malkuth is a girl after my own heart
[ He watches her pull out the paper, and there's the slightest of nods. Another inhale. The barest mark of approval. Always be prepared to do business.]
I tend to prefer liquor, whiskey in general. [ He lifted a hand, indicating to the local that it was time for drinks. They'll come over and get her order, though it seems like Silco's is known. ]
Walk me through it. We don't normally have our own contracts where I am from β our legal structure is a bit... Loose.
[ it's crime city ]
she loves a hearty pull off the tap
It doesn't matter if you were "blessed" to be born in the Nest of your District or damned to writhe in its Backstreets, if you break a contract you're more than likely losing something of equivalent value. There's a whole Office that specializes in ensuring the legality and consequence of each contract across the entire city, too -- they can and will track you down, no matter how well you think you've hidden yourself. And normally I'd put in a request to such an Office for the best security... but we're policing ourselves here.
First is formalities. The name and relevant business of each party, and what follows is our conditions of contract in the simplest, most direct wording to ensure a lack of sneaky loopholes. Lastly is the agreed upon consequence for the breach or break of contract, which can be the same between the parties or specific to each. For example, one might require the other to forfeit the fortune they amassed with the help of that contract and put them in a perilous position, and the other might bear the punishment of a bone broken for every line crossed. It's a deterrent. Or supposed to be. We don't need to follow through that far though, it's simply done because of the way The City has always worked.
[ dog eat dog, no matter how high you went. always someone ready to strike you down and pick at whatever remained. malkuth, manager of 3kon. silco... she taps her pen against the table, glancing up at him. thank goodness the city is so unusually thorough. ]
And what should I put down for you, Mister Silco?
π€
He files it away. Perhaps he'll ask about it later. After all, he intended to find a way back, anything he could gather here was of use. Even if it's ideas, methods, and concepts. Nobody has spoken at length to him about the structure, and he finds it all... fascinating. ]
Where I am from, violating an agreement normally ends in death. Unless you kill them first.
[ A thin smile. ] I don't make a habit of it. Contracts and agreements are useful, after all. How well you follow one speaks to your reliability as a negotiating partner or as a potential ally later on. Breaking them is a poor choice, unless one knows the right time to.
[ He watches her write it down, and then smiles. ]
I run a construction company. [ He really does. ] We haven't had much need for a clever name, I'm afraid. The license lists it as... oh, what did they say it was? S.Incorporated, I believe.
[ He hadn't pressed the issue. It's a front. ]
no subject
[ silco, of s. incorporated then. she'll pen it down along with the brief, direct points of their agreement. no funny business here... it's very much word for word. ]
It sounds like we don't hail from too different of worlds though, our protocal aside. Karteria reminds me a lot of it too. [ a wiggle of her pen. ] The same kind of hopelessness.
no subject
[ His lips twitch into the barest tightening, that could almost be called a smile. Almost. ]
Quite so. It's something I noticed when I arrived. How... hopeless everything was. How dire. The people here want for more, and they hunger for it. [ Oh boy, Malkuth. You stumbled into it now. ] The impoverished and lower classes here are somewhat similar to me and mine where I am from. No hope, no power, and every time someone tries to attain even a shred of it from their betters...
[ He taps at the skin below his eye, though covered in makeup, it is still mottled and scarred. ] They are quick to remind us of our places, aren't they?
no subject
They are.
[ that she can agree on, finishing off the final touches and turning it around for silco's approval as she leans back with her drink. ]
I work to help them too, not so much in my spare time as... alongside my work with 3kon, nearly split despite the few hours a day offers. As performers, they give the people a moment of distraction from the often harsh reality of the world, and I decided to make use of that and their manpower in repairing the houses of those in need -- especially before winter really hit. The people there appreciate action over words, so when I showed up for them they showed up for me.
[ and that's with a soft smile, the first and probably only of the night that silco's seeing. ]
I'll continue doing that too in the longterm, since you can only build up with a sturdy foundation. [ a sigh. ] The city sure is big though, huh... with no shortage of "I want to help, but where do I start" from a handful of our fellows.
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[ he says it idly, before he picks up the paper, and starts reading it over. He's looking for pitfalls, tricks. The sorts of words that leave for ambiguity and the ability to side-step consequences, were one or the other to cause problems.
Things that would harm him, in the long run. ]
Charity. Altruism. None of that solves the problem. You fix it β the homes, the lack of food, the medical β but in the end, that is a salve. It is hardly the cure for the disease.
When one is in a position of powerlessness, what motivates them, more than anything, to claw their way out of the hole?
[ A few annotations, but not many. He pulls out his own pen, and points them out in tight script. Someone who writes and keeps books for a living. ]
The possibility of reversing that powerlessness. Their own sort of power.
Hand it to them, and they do not know how to ascend the next hurdle.
[ Turning it back over, for her to see what he has marked. ]
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I like to think of it this way: the less someone has to worry about losing, because they have others behind them to catch them if they fall, then the more they can focus on moving forward how they see fit. A lot of people ended up where they have in my city because they had no other choice -- you give them a second path, and they're likely to take it.
But I'd like to clarify that I'm only speaking of my own world. Karteria is different, and what works one place might not work elsewhere. [ silco's own thoughts included, but she isn't here to blow things up. ] There's no harm in trying lots of different things to see happens though, even if it might seem useless or just a salve from the outside. Right?
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Back and forth. ]
People are going to do what they wish to do. I certainly can't stop them.
[ Can't or won't. But he shakes his head. ]
I've seen what having that... buffer does to people. The moment they stop feeling what they lack, they begin to lose the fire necessary to change a fortune. Once they lose that, they become...compliant. It's easier to accept that which may otherwise be unacceptable.
And when that settles in, and that...comfort is established. It becomes much more difficult to push, and fight for what one is due. Especially when the barest of needs are met.
[ A tip of his head, a tightening of his lips. ] At least, where I am from, that is how it has so often gone.
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an extreme version of it, of course. honed by centuries of use. even having the freedom to think of a different future than what lays ahead of someone is a form of treason, of revolution for her home in a general sense... while even in the worst worlds elsewhere they aren't punished as thoroughly as those from the city are. so it makes sense, silco's concerns and points, and she nods as she continues to rewrite.
back and forth. ]
Some of our views might differ, but the core is the same: Karteria needs change. The wealthy are too secular and don't see the problems below as anything they need to be concerned about, while the ones at the bottom struggle to see beyond their own problems -- not for a lack of want, but because they don't have the energy or mind to do so. Direction is good for them.
You are right, though. In The City... when someone managed to get to the station they wanted, they didn't seek to fix the problems that'd held them back in the first place, or to help someone else that wanted to escape just as badly.
[ a sip of her drink, ears laying back. ]
They were happy just to have left the circumstances they were in before. Even if they could lose it in a second, and they'd do everything they could to prevent that... Why would they risk the comfort they'd gained just so everyone else could have the chance at it too? Better that they keep their heads down and move along in their new spot on the wheel, grinding away their days.
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[ Honestly? Silco wonders how this girl is working for Takasugi, and he is also wondering how to steal her away. Ah, but she said she is fond of those singers they prop up; and fondess so often is the downfall of individuals; or so Silco's paranoia reminds him.
Though it tells him something about Takasugi, too. He wonders if the man also indulges in fondness, and whether he allows it to be a weakness. ]
Why would they bother to do more when they are so terribly comfortable? When they have finally made their way out of the muck and mire, and into the sun? [ The way he says 'sun', sounds so terribly derogatory. ]
I fear that Karteria will take this next step, when ignoring the lower classes does not work. Elevate a few, if only to give them hope that they can find their way out.
[ The way he says it, perhaps he suggests that he would be willing to prevent it. ]
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[ but it's not said dismissively or anything, more observant as she watches him watch her. takasugi has nothing to worry about. maybe if she were still on her first life, maybe if she could cast aside her dignity like she did then for "the greater good" and an end that "justified the means"... but she's not, and her smile remains pleasant. ]
We do need people like that in the world, since fools like me have to be reminded of the dangers... but there's nothing wrong with hedging your bet on the thought the people will do better with what they're offered. Karteria's already in a far better state than my terrible world, after all. They're willing to stand up against a force like Patho-Gen and make their voices heard -- that'd be unthinkable at home.
[ so why not believe in the unthinkable otherwise? ]
Besides, there is a guilt that's terrorizing some of the wealthier portion of Karteria -- they're people who're at risk of wandering outside, or so I've found, but they just need a direction to put their efforts towards too. That's also different than home, where people lock away any feeling that would put them at risk. [ a small shrug, resting against her sest. ] I don't mind leaving things better than when I found them. It's my duty as an architect. Leaving choice in the hands of others has its risks, but they don't lack for empathy here.
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[ After all, Silco has tried for better. Tried hard, and what had it gotten him? Nothing. Betrayal. Death. Mutilation. What good did it do when the powers that be were so willing to simply look down upon them and tell them "no". What good did that do? ]
I'm surprised to hear you say that they don't.
[ Honestly? Silco almost couldn't believe it. Didn't they lack for empathy? Now, this is where the problem lies. Silco... has a true issue with projection. It would not truly matter, whether they expressed guilt to him or not. He would always see them as the enemy. How did one live othered as he had for so long, fighting and raging against a system that saw him as nothing, and not come to this conclusion?
Karteria was not Piltover. Though the similarities were enough that Silco feels it curdling in him, gestating just as it did before. The lower classes, left behind by golems and the machines they built? What few wins they got in Zaun were being overrun by Hextech. It was so easy to place them over one another.
So easy to hate them, as he always did. ]
Perhaps if they showed it, I would have an easier time seeing it, hm?
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at the very least, it's something takasugi'd call her an idiot to suggest. but malkuth is someone who is for doing over simply speaking, and so the next glance silco gets is an interested, curious sort. the kind that predates a question that's more of a gamble than not. ]
In that case, if you have time to spare in the daylight hours, why don't we make this a regular thing? I'm fond of debates and understanding others' point of views, since you can only broaden your own horizon by seeing what another sees... and you can see for yourself what I'm talking about, too.
[ no, karteria isn't perfect nor will it be in the next few years. neither will her own city. but if there's people in her world willing to push against the expected, to hope and hold out a hand, then there's people here, too. malkuth's positive of that -- their treatment of her is proof, even as the incident faded from societal memory.
final product, turned for his approval. she spins her own pen in hand. ]
I don't mind a rejection, but at least consider it.
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That's dangerous for him.
However, he's also aware that if some of his staff is going to work for them, it's best to keep an eye on the people he works with. Understand who they are. Understand what it is that they do. Understand how they work. Silco in his soul is a recluse. He is truly happiest when he is left alone.
Unfortunately for him, his passions have always drove him to dealign with people. Go figure. ]
Hm. I'll consider it. Besides, if one of my people is going to be working with you... it's never to either of our disadvantages to keep in touch.
[ I'll consider it, in this case, is going to be a yes.
At the very least, the place she is from sounds harsh. Rough. Somewhat like Zaun, and that means there's likely an iron core there that he'd be interested to see. ]
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