Scene #9495: Will of the Prescript

Owner	Pose
Angela	A long while ago, The Watch and the Yurodiviye/Blade Lineage alliance they've been working with in District 12 made a deal with The Thumb to get them off of their collective backs. In exchange for providing 'collection money' to The Thumb they would continue providing their 'protection' to the people under their, well, thumb in DIstrict 12. So far they've held true to their word resulting in one of the leaders of their subordinate factions, the Kurokumo, to attack the Faded Print on their own--their assault interrupted by Petra and the Reverberation Ensemble. Some of the defeated Kurokumo took the invitation to attack the Library and haven't been heard of since, the rest agreed to work with the Watch and their allies, leaving the Kurokumo presence in District 12 much reduced. The collections for the Thumb are delivered by dead drop in the middle of an alley far from the center of District 12, roughly near territory The Thumb has been looking after. On one side of the side-street is a Hamhampangpang--still open even in the midst of everything--and on the other side is a defunct store that sold 'Smoke'. The dead drops have typically been conducted by having one member of the Yurodiviye deliver the collections in a suitcase before hurrying along on their own while a second member of the alliance watches safely from a distance to make sure the Thumb picks it up. Since The Thumb isn't entirely trusted and there was always a possibility that some Rat would readily snag an unattended suitcase, it was generally a good idea to make sure the delivery went off without a hitch. rThis time, Yuri has taken up watch. She has signed on with the Yurodiviye to work with the Watch and her EGO has helped her be significant muscle for the Alliance when the Watch is busy or off with other work. She doesn't complain, she doesn't argue, she seems content with the work but she's frequently looking over her shoulder as if expecting someone to suddenly appear behind her and strike her with a blade. She sees the drop-off go off without a hitch. Nobody even bothers Chance as he slips away from the little case he left behind. And then a a pair of Soldato arrive. The Thumb always picks up in pairs. They crouch down, examine the contents of the briefcase superficially, and close it back up. And as they're turning to leave--SOMETHING drops down from the rooftop of the Smokes store, its body opening up as a pair of tendrils latch onto the Soldato carrying the briefcase and pull it into the creature's body which closes in on the man like an iron maiden--quite gruesomely. The other Soldato doesn't fair much better. Swearing under her breath, Yuri sends word to the Watch that something has intercepted the Collections. Who knows what The Thumb would do if the money didn't make it even if it were through no fault of their own. As the creature collects the briefcase, Yuri follows it from a distance, keeping the Watch updated on its whereabouts.
Angela	The 'creature' itself, judging from updates from Yuri, is eventually IDed as belonging to a Syndicate and isn't a monster (by the definition of The City) but is rather a mechanically augmented human. They have humanoid forms but wear blank white noh masks and their heavily augmented bodies make them seem more mechanical than even Angela, but by City rules--they are wholly allowed all the same. They wear long drab grey coats with oversized sleeves, threads pinning the coat shut across their upper body. Soon, the member of The Carnival is met with two other Carnival member underneath a dull grey bridge, light barely drifting in from above, that has been a contentious location between the Index and the Thumb that have fought over its location for some time. Yuri is holding back until the Watch arrives before making a move--The Carnival seems to be waiting for someone themselves. Yuri notes they haven't even so much as opened the case, indicating they either already know what's inside--or don't care. "Silly Little. Mission For Index." One says. "No Ingredients. No Silk." "Must Follow Prescript. Business Saved." Another adds in a high pitched electronic voice.
Veronica	Veronica was running an errand to the Faded Print when the call came in from Yuri, and decided it best for her to come along when she heard another Syndicate was involved. Even though she's no fan of the Thumb, some other group trying to muscle in on their territory will get people trampled underfoot in the scuffle. On the way over, she makes some phone calls to the Watch's contacts, inquiring after the Carnival's other movements and presence in the District of late; with her attention focused squarely on Firefly Dam itself, she isn't able to keep track of every last syndicate on her own. As the group nears Yuri's position, Veronica puts her phone away and turns to her more esoteric mode of gathering information: listening to the City itself. With her psychic ear to the ground, she listens for whispers and rumors of the local syndicate activities, especially those relating to the distinctively-clad Carnival agents. As much as she'd love to roll up, break some heads, and get the drop money back, she's also aware that breaking part of a larger machine is bound to make some noise. When the Elites finally meet up with Yuri, Veronica finally tunes back in to the material world, letting the psychic echoes of the City's population fade into background noise again. "I think we should jump 'em now, if we're gonna jump 'em," she says. "I'd rather not have to also deal with whoever they're trying to hand the cash off to."
Father Berislav	It seems like a lifetime ago that Berislav learned about the different fingers of the Backstreets. His plan to pry them one by one off of the common people requires leverage and strength; to replace them, the Five Fingers must be broken. This is no meager task; the Thumb was chosen as the starting point because it was the least difficult, rather than because it was the easiest. The two aren't the same. In his initial research, he discovered that the Index was, among all, the most inscrutable, the least predictable and the worst to get entangled with. He's never seen a member of the Index, and wouldn't know if he had. Frankly, his hope--and he knew that it was a slim hope--was that he, the Watch and their alliance here wouldn't have to run afoul of the Index until the dissolution of that finger could be made a formality. The Watch doesn't always have the luxury of things going according to plan. Here, one has their wits, their talents and strengths, and occasionally, their allies. No government will condone them, no angel investors will fund them. Which is why when something goes wrong it has to be addressed wholly and immediately. I think we should jump 'em now. I'd rather not have to also deal with whoever they're trying to hand the cash off to. Berislav is not a master or even a journeyman of stealth, but he knows the value of an ambush, and knows that his name is increasingly on the lips of people in the City. He responds to Veronica not from a position shoulder-to-shoulder with her, but on the opposite side of the street, with his back against a wall, spoken sotto voce into the local broadband. "I don't intend to let them leave and tell their friends how easy it was to steal from us, nor give the Thumb reason to look more closely at our arrangement until I've had time to poison their riches. But we have an asset here who saw it happen. Yuri, what should we expect from these two? Any idea who they're with?" He hadn't heard them, owing to his distance compared to her and Veronica.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...It sounds like they're unhappy with the job. One of them, at least." Hibiki, also no journeyman of stealth, murmurs to herself as they watch from afar. Her eyes are narrowed and perhaps somewhat baggy, though maybe that's no surprise when they're having to deal with the murder of two of their prospective associates in the Thumb, and the strange assailants responsible for it. As ever, her greatest difficulties come in matters of having to fight other living and thinking beings - no matter how mechanical or alien they might be. The fact of the matter is though, they definitely can't let their packages be intercepted like this - and not just for the obvious reasons. Even she of all people can tell things like this have far-reaching ramifications... actually, her usual inability to proper grasp 'the big picture' just makes the concern of what might happen if this sort of thing keeps up that much more worrying. Still... "...They mentioned 'the Index'... does that mean they were sent to do their dirty work...? I can't help but wonder if this is like the Kurokumo Clan working under the Thumb..." All these inter-gang conflicts and using smaller gangs as middlemen really is a messy web.
Tamiel Luxis	Tamiel's come to haunt the Faded Print more and more, lately. She likes the cozy feel of the place, and the people put her at ease. When she recieves news that something's gone wrong--first came relief--then guilt. And she was gone. Noon was not her time--the sun hovering overhead drew the shadows in short, squat angles, with little room to hide and even less room to maneuver. But luckily, the choice of hiding spot, underneath a bridge, was a choice that left them engulfed in darkness. A two-dimensional, sourceless angel shadow hugged close to the bottom of the bridge, above the trio. She sent little shades of her own, to venture down to the sides, to risk a closer look--and to get within earshot. "Yeah...They're talking about the Index. And something about a prescript?" Tamiel speaks into her radio, jumping desperately at a chance to answer one half of Berislav's question. "This must be part of their feud..."
Angela	Yuri is not getting too close--though she's not exactly out of sight either. She's lingering near the sidestreets with her back to a wall while periodically lifting up a pair of binoculars to her eyes to keep tabs on them but is hesitant to get into a three on one fight on her own. Of course, once Veronica arrives she feels much more comfortable with the idea of seizing back the briefcase with the collection money and is inclined to agree. "We can probably take it back, but we still don't know why." ''What should we expect?'' Yuri gets on comms. "They're with the Index--The Index doesn't have a lot of sub-Syndicates in the same way that The Thumb does, but they've got ''some''. My guess is they got a Prescript telling them to take the case--I didn't see them even look inside so I doubt they're doing it for the money themselves. Failing to do a Prescript results in pretty harsh punishment from the Index Proxies. The Prescripts from what Sonya told me can be pretty ridiculous and require interpretation, but you're expected to have faith in the Prescript and do what they say." Yuri gives Hibiki a nod, agreeing that despite the differences between the two groups, in this particular case--this is definitely a case of using middlemen as an avenue for conflict. "Far as I can tell, they are heavily cybernetic and they don't strictly fight like human beings do. I'd be prepared for attacks from unexpected avenues with them. Tentacles exploding out of their body--that sort of thing." A young man with snow white hair except for some dyed black strands approaches the Carnival. He is wearing long white robes with gold trimming, a black dress suit with gold cufflinks, and black slacks. He holds a large two-handed sword in his hands that is locked in its scabbard by golden chains, a large keyhole near the shaft. His eyes are closed but he seems able to navigate the landscape without any issue. "Well done on fulfilling your Prescript for the Week. I have brought along your next Prescript with me." "Another Prescript? We Must?" "Yes. One a week." The young Index messenger says.
Father Berislav	Tentacles exploding out of their body--that sort of thing. "That's unfortunate," says Berislav. "But not unmanageable. I want to take that advantage off of the board, if it becomes an issue." <J-IC-Scene> Tamiel Luxis says, "I think..." <J-IC-Scene> Tamiel Luxis says, "...We need to stop them taking the case. Even if the Index blames us completely." <J-IC-Scene> Father Berislav says, "I agree." <J-IC-Scene> Veronica says, "Let's try to get the Index mad at the Thumb about this, if we can. We don't look like Thumb goons but we do look like people they could've hired." <J-IC-Scene> Yuri says, "Index and the Thumb are already at each other's throats. And uh. Technically we are hired by the Thumb." <J-IC-Scene> Father Berislav says, "If you would, I'd like for the rest of you to fan out and close in on them while I head straight for them." <J-IC-Scene> Veronica says, "Works for me." <J-IC-Scene> Father Berislav says, "Tammy, I'd like for you to approach from above. Veronica, Hibiki, from either side of me, like the spokes on a wheel. Yuri, whatever angle you're most confident with. We'll try to surround them so that we spread out their extra limbs and keep too many from focusing on any one of us. If the third one becomes a problem, I'll handle him." "There's no need to rush--not at first. I'll get their attention. If you hear me shoot, that will be your cue." Berislav pushes off of the wall, rounds the corner and strides confidently towards the bridge. The three figures beneath it grow steadily closer, and his pace is as constant as the small, polite smile on his face. "Excuse me," says the so-called 'Mad Father.' "I understand you're in conflict with the Thumb, which doesn't particularly bother me. But that briefcase is part of something much larger than any of us. I'd like to have that back, please."
Veronica	After a brief discussion on the radio, Veronica sets out from the alleyway to circle around the site of the impending confrontation. She stays on foot until she's just around the corner from the meeting between the Index and their Carnival underlings. Then she holds out her arms to either side, and many hands emerge from her jacket to embrace and uplift her, sprouting into brickwork and concrete as Baker and Seventh rises, fully as tall as the bridge itself. Veronica can technically see from any point on the EGO's body, but her view is still the best from its head, and she wants to make an imposing entrance anyway. Crouching down, Baker and Seventh lurches around the corner and into the view of those under the bridge itself. "'Sup," is all she broadcasts from her speakers, when one of the Carnival agents looks in her direction. She is playing the role of a brick wall, and will do so effectively: Baker and Seventh is lighter on its feet than it looks, and will stride to place Veronica right in the path of any attempted escapes in that direction.
Tamiel Luxis	There's a dip on the bottom of the bridge, easily missed, a portrusion of black, as Tamiel allowed gravity to tug at her, preparing for the worst. "I'll make sure they're alone...!" She shut her eyes, sending more eyes around them, flitting from shadow to shadow around them, trying to gather more information while Berislav makes the confrontation below. Were there any other members of the Carnival waiting in the wings...? Or...Maybe more importantly...Were there any other agents of the Index?
Hibiki Tachibana	"...I'd prefer if we didn't have to shoot at all. Especially with what I guess is an actual member of the Index there, but..." "...Right." Fighting mechanical humans-turned-murder-machine is somehow less of a concern for her than the possibility of having to potentially put them - and a much more obvious person - down. Lord knows she's had enough scuffs with Berislav in the past about such things, and she's sure neither of them particularly want to have more. Still, there's no argument on the fact that they need to get their drop back, or there'll be much more trouble to deal with than a back-alley brawl. After an off-screen transformation, she makes a leap to an adjacent street to come in at the requisite off-angle from the priest; with the meeting taking place beneath a bridge as it is, there definitely shouldn't be any escape that either she or Veronica can't cover. Though-- she doesn't really expect them to try it, truth be told. If these 'Prescripts' are ordering it...
Angela	Yuri isn't really sure how best to approach the Carnival, but while other people in the Watch may be 'journeyman' of stealth, Veronica is like a -100 modifier because she has a frickin' EGO that stands out like a sore thumb and, of course, she's the one the Carnival notices first. Hard to say with the Index Messenger who doesn't seem to be looking at anything since his eyes are closed. They twist their bodies to look at Veronica. They don't immediately lunge at her and their expressions are impossible to read as their faces are literally noh masks. Still, the body language itself is tense. "Sturdy. Strong." "We could make good use of that material." "And that one..." The third Carnival member says, eyeballing Hibiki. "Wait... Does new Prescript forbid?" They turn to the Messenger who takes the case from them and offers the lead Carnival member what is quite cleary an invitation to the Library. "...No. Your Prescript is simply to visit the Library." The messenger says. "Whether you consume these people or not is up to your own will." This leads to the three Carnival members turning back around. According to Tamiel's hidden eyes, the messenger seems to be the only member from the Index around which might be a bit curious in of itself. Maybe they didn't think there'd be trouble? Or maybe something else. Hibiki looks the most obviously delicious while also the most obviously bite sized. Veronica looks like she'd be a good meal but she's big and would probably be best saved LAST. Two of them lunge towards Hibiki, tendrils exploding out of their bodies as they attempt to seize hold of hers while the other puts their body in between Veronica and the rest of their ilk's hunt. Yuri starts approaching too, but she's not quite as fast as HIbiki so it's going to be a moment before she can provide proper backup. "From these. New Weapons. New Thread. Business Booming." Berislav meanwhile approaches the messenger. Technically speaking, this isn't the first time the messenger has met Outsiders. In fact, he's even been off world. But he doesn't recognize any of THESE Outsiders.''Excuse me. I understand you're in conflict with the Thumb, which doesn't particularly bother me.'' "Strange words for a sub-syndicate of the Thumb to say." The messenger says. "I know you as the Mad Father Berislav. A man of faith that runs counter to the City's flow. My name is Yan. I am a messenger of the Index. It is my job to deliver Prescripts as the Prescripts will." ''I'd like to have that back, please.'' "My Prescript said I must receive the briefcase. I received no such Prescript saying I must keep it." Yan says, extending out the briefcase, offering it right back to Berislav. This may be the first time in Berislav's dealings with The City that he asked nicely for something and got what he asked for so promptly. Of course, this means there's still a BRAWL going on because the Carnival wants to eat everybody but that doesn't seem to be Yan's concern. "If you do not care about The Thumb, then I would suggest you break ties immediately. The coming conflict between the two Fingers is business as usual for them, but you can choose to follow the Prescripts and avoid such a conflict."
Veronica	Veronica doesn't really pay much attention to Berislav's interaction with the Index creep, not when there's cyborgs attacking Hibiki! Unfortunately, one of the Carnival goons is playing goalie against Veronica, preventing her from just reaching under and pulling the other two off the magical girl - that'll have to be someone else's job for now. In the meantime, Veronica sweeps Baker and Seventh's left hand side-to-side near ground level, extending her power-cable lash to try to entangle the third Carnival agent. Once she has it wrapped up in the cables, they electrify, running a powerful current through her foe to disrupt its mechanical augments and possibly cook it entirely!
Tamiel Luxis	Tamiel pressed further outward, until the dark under the bridge formed a droplet with no sheen, plummetting down toward the street below. She hit the ground between the Carnival, and the dark on the ground rippled--once--twice--and great blades of ink-black rose from the ground like the outward roil of a great impact--and while they roll off of Yuri and the Watchmen like rain, the Carnival would find them both solid and sharp. Tamiel's form resolved in the midst of them, and she's taken some creative liberties. The identifying colors of her usual outfit are gone, her hood is pulled up over her head, shrouding her in shadow, and her scarf is a wisp of dark smoke coiling around her, wings and halo both hidden. "...If you devour people just like that...Then I guess there's no working together." She says, to the carnival. Something dark whorls in the shadow beneath her feet, like currents in deep water.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...Heh?" Oh. Well, she wasn't really expecting to get sized up as a meal. That makes it a lot less hard to decide to at least beat the brakes off of them, thinking beings or not, because she's really not a fan of being eaten. After taking a moment to get her bearings back, perhaps a 'bweh' of panic escaping her, she squares up and gets her act back together, fists up and brows furrowed. "Me and my Symphogear aren't just something for you to take--!" Tamiel's solidified darkness coming down hits first, and she seizes the chance to attack while they're still dealing with that; flailing tentacles and vicious tendrils might be the anathema to her genre of fighter, but she has her own ways of dealing with such things. Specifically, while they lunge at her from various angles, trying to get a good hold on her... ...an arm of hers swipes out to /grab/ onto several at once, bunching them up into one hand. With that legendarily strong grip of hers, she tightens down until the mechanical limbs might threaten to begin buckling and crunching under the force - and then attempts to use the leverage to /swing/ the two massive mechanical Carnival members. A whole 360-degree spin, Mario taking Bowser for a spin style, and then slam them straight into one of the underbridge's walls.
Father Berislav	Strange words for a sub-syndicate of the Thumb to say. "'Strange?' I'm glad to hear that," Berislav smiles. I received no such Prescript saying I must keep it. "Thank you, Yan," says Berislav. He takes the briefcase and then drops it--into a burning orange tear in space that opens promptly beneath it. "Yes, I'm the so-called Mad Father." If you do not care about The Thumb, then I would suggest you break ties immediately. "I appreciate your advice," he says with a respectful nod of his head. "It's kind of you to offer. I don't intend to bleed or to ask my people to bleed for the Thumb, but I'm afraid I can't follow the Prescripts, either, precisely because of my faith. 'Have no other gods before me," he quotes. "At the moment, I don't see any reason for you and I to fight, and I hope the Prescripts don't make enemies of us later. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have to see to my flock." A twist draw made in the same motion as his turn to the left has one of his massive revolvers ready. His thumb coaxes the cylinder two notches to the right, resting on the frame just as Hibiki sends her entangled opponent flying for a wall. The roar of the big frame revolver is amplified by the underside of the bridge. Flame spews from the nose of the gun as a high-explosive round pulverizes the section of wall ahead of the impact, and a high-power incendiary turns the falling rubble to red-hot, molten slag.
Angela	The Carnival seem encouraged by the strength of their opponents rather than discouraged though judging that they are taking orderes from the Index suggests that they are capable of some degree of caution. Veronica can unleash her cables which wrap around the third Carnival's waist. An electronic current pulses through the Carnival's body, smoke pouring out of its body before its face splits up and attempts to chomp down on the cable and rip it free from the rest of the EGO, its body gradually distending and growing more bulbuous. Its movements are certainly jerkier--still ferocious, but inconsistent. One of the Carnival attempting to harass HIbiki bounces off the wall of shadow, getting cut up in the process, though not too significantly just yet. It paces around the darkness and tries to be looking for a path past it--allowing Tamiel plenty of time to catch up--and Yuri a chance to slice into it with Frost Splint, a surge of mist erupting out of the blade and freezing one of its tendrils solid. The others lash out, two around the EGO, the rest for Tamiel. Tamiel can see many sharp spikes within the opening up body of the Carnival member. "N..no! I need that... to escape my fate...!" Yuri insists in a panic, kicking out at the cyborg with her foot. The Carnival member on Hibiki isn't having much luck, however, as she takes hold of numerous tendrils and spins around until it's sent flying past Yan and into one of the underbridge's pillars holding it up, visibly cracking it. The Carnival member slowly clambers up into a crouch, more wary than before. ''I can't follow the Prescripts, either, precisely because of my faith.'' Yan doesn't seem bothered by this admission at all. "And what is different between your faith and that of the Index's? Your commandments and ours?" Yan's head follows Berislav's movements, singularily focused on him. The Prescripts don't say they have to keep fighting either, since it's a fight they chose. Berislav sends molten slag tumbling down upon the Carnival member and it hisses as several tendrils get crushed by the molten rock. It pulls free by detaching the tentacles from its body like a lizard abandoning a tail. "Too strong. Get power. From Library. Try Again." The cyborg lets out a shrill electronic warble before pulling away from the battle. The other two try to finish their respective meals first. "I heard you wish to bring freedom to the City, but the City incorporates criticism of itself into its fold as well as any Syndicate. What makes you different?" There's no heat behind the words, like it's genuine curiousity--perhaps his goal is to learn more about the Alliance more than it is to disrupt it.
Veronica	The Carnival at the end of Veronica's cable grabs on to the electrified wire and, only somewhat diminished by the powerful current, tries to take a bite or two of the EGO. "No you don't!" Veronica half-shouts, and yanks the cable backward, pulling the Carnival out into the open- -where Baker and Seventh's hammer is waiting to drop on it. CRUNCH. The blow leaves a sizeable crater in the sidewalk. Someone's gonna have to put up some cones. Maybe a little caution tape. "I heard you wish to bring freedom to the City, but the City incorporates criticism of itself into its fold as well as any Syndicate. What makes you different?" "What do you mean what makes him different from you?" Veronica broadcasts, incredulity in her voice. "Just because you both follow rules from somebody else? The Father's committed to his rules. He understands the assignment, and doesn't just carry it out unconsidered. And it's not about criticizing the City - it's about turning it upside down."
Father Berislav	And what is different between your faith and that of the Index's? Your commandments and ours? "I can only tell you what my own tells me, and let you determine the difference for yourself." I need that... to escape my fate...! Berislav doesn't believe that Yuri needs the EGO to escape her fate. But he can hear the panic in her voice all the same, and knows how important it is to her. His aim snaps to the ground behind the Carnival member's heel, and with a third roar, another high-explosive bullet craters the ground beneath Yuri's assailant. Capitalizing on the moment of imbalance that'll cause, he swings the pistol in an arc and twists at the last minute, his triggerpull sending a curving bullet on a parabolic arc towards Ice Splinter. The full-metal jacketed bullet travels perfectly parallel to the surface of the blade, piercing the tendrils which grasp it enough to allow Yuri to pull it free. What makes you different? Berislav answers without taking his eyes off of the Carnival. "The difference with me, personally? That I don't criticize abusers. I give them the chance to stop. If they refuse, or backslide, I kill them." "If you mean 'what makes us different,' it's the same. We don't want to change the City; to change it is to accept that it will still be the City, in the end. It has to starve, and die, for something new to be born."
Hibiki Tachibana	"To the Library..." Hibiki repeats with a narrow of her eyes, straightening back up after sending one of them flying. Member by member, even if the Carnival is absolutely terrifying, they can handle them without too much trouble, but if it's just to go become a certain someone else's problem, that's not great either... damnit. But rather than worry about that... ...while Berislav works on freeing Yuri from one of the remaining two, she doubles-up on the assist by coming in after the fact - launching herself in feet-first to /smash/ into the offbalanced prosthetic-user's center mass and topple them with the impact. There's very little that a dropkick can't solve, including this. Getting back up afterwards, Yan gets her attention-- if only because the lack of argument in his tone is... somewhat unexpected. "...What /is/ the Index's faith? That makes everyone so damn stuck on it? That everyone so damn stuck on these Prescripts, to follow them without blinking?"
Tamiel Luxis	Tamiel had bought them all some space--but not much more than that. Her eyes tracked the one she'd most blown wide, still on a course to seize Hibiki--with Yuri on the intercept. Tamiel turns into a blur, roiling across the ground in a line, come up at a lunge-- This close, the tentacles weren't possible to dodge. Not completely. But, her scarf curled up to intercept one of them on a collision course with Tamiel's neck, and the rest found themselves trying to dig through her costume--shadow-made-solid, firm enough to bring powerful bullets to a sharp stop. But there weren't bullets, and they cut through. But every inch they win is a constant struggle to not be thrown back out. I need that... to escape my fate...! Berislav and Tamiel both hear Yuri's desperate plea, and both of them try to answer it. While Berislav's onslaught tears through the...Thing, Tamiel held out one of her hands like a knife, lining it up with the tentacles binding Frost Splinter, even as tentacles threatened to burrow deeper into her body. Night coiled around that hand, taking shape around it, made a blade, long and sharp, that Tamiel brought down clean through the tattered remains of the thing holding Yuri hostage--Before Hibiki's blow gave Tamiel the leverage she needed to pull AWAY. She was left with one foot back, breathing hand, hand over a bleeding wound in her side.
Angela	Perhaps Yan's closed eyes take on a different meaning when he says, "Faith is blind. Even in the Faiths of the multiverse, it is rare that the god steps to earth and shows you their paradise. You see the proof of one's faith in the world around you. The kindness of brothers and sisters. Or in our case, being saved because a Prescript said you were not to die. Because unknowingly, it gave you the path to live. The Prescripts know, so the Prescripts are obeyed." ''Just because you both follow rules from somebody else? ... He understands the assignment.'' "Do you understand... 'The assignment'? To me it looks like you thrash blindly. Not out of faith--but out of hate." ''To change it is to accept that it will still be the City, in the end. It has to starve, and die, for something new to be born.'' This attracts Yan's interest. "What is... ''something new'?" What do you believe will be born from this corpse?" THUNK. The hamemr from Baker and Seventh slams into the back of the Carnival member. It is wounded enough that it has to flee at a crawl on all fours, abandoning the meal. The last Carnival member on Yuri is knocked off balance thanks to well-timed bullets and it stumbles back, though it seems eager to consume the EGO, though it's grip is slackening from the imbalance--until one last bullet severs numerous tendrils from the EGO, Hibiki's running double-kick slamming into the side of the last Carnival member and sending it flying away from Yuri. It scrambles back, bumping into Tamiell who slices the blade through the last Carnival agent, cutting through and ripping it mostly in half. But somehow it still moves, slowly crawling away in an attempt to escape as its body distends, the back half slowly running to catch up with the front half which then pulls itself forward. "I appreciate you answering my questions so far." The messenger adds.
Veronica	"Or in our case, being saved because a Prescript said you were not to die." Veronica grumbles in exasperation. "What, some- I bet even you don't know where the prescripts come from, any more'n I do. Some dude with a book or a crystal ball or whatever says he's not gonna kill you today, and you thank him like you owe him your life? Just because a Syndicate thinks you're more useful alive than dead? You're more useful because you're part of their machine, man! You're out of touch!" "Do you understand... 'The assignment'? To me it looks like you thrash blindly. Not out of faith--but out of hate." "I know who I'm thrashing, creep. I know who my friends are, who my enemies are... gettin' better at knowin' when to fight and when not to. 'Sides, faith is the Father's job. I'm here to stand up for my people." A pause to catch her breath, a glance in the direction of the fleeing Carnival agents. "That's what's real to me, more than ideals. The people we're showing up to protect. There's a lot in this City'd see them hurt - that means there's a lot for me to hate."
Tamiel Luxis	Tamiel shudders, visibly, as the bisected Carnival member pulled itself along, the stirring void around her only resting when each and every one of them were gone. "...There aren't any more of them," she said to the others. "I'll make sure they don't double back..." She avoids sharing that Yan had come alone though, with him right there. Sharing that he'd come alone felt like something...Hostile. "I...Know you didn't ask me. But. Your preceipts...They might order someone to die one day, when they ordered that person saved the last. And all the while. No one will know why. No one will understand what they did wrong. If they did anything wrong." Tamiel let the blade fall away from her hand, pulling her hood back to show her face--and her halo, still holding her wound with her free hand. "But...the Father tells them exactly what's wrong. Exactly what it will take to be spared. And to be saved, too."
Father Berislav	What do you believe will be born from this corpse? "Something beautiful," says Berislav, with a smile that reaches his eyes, even as tired as they are. Even as much as he's seen, he still has faith. "Something warm, like a summer breeze with the scent of flowers carried on it, that draws people together to enjoy it. That kind of thing can't exist in the City, because the City is a cold place that smells like dried blood and smoke. It pushes people apart, alienates them, and quietly encourages them to kill and eat each other. Some of them even take that literally, because they know it isn't discouraged." He dispassionately snaps his aim towards the crawling Carnival member's center mass and pulls the trigger a final time. "A place will be born from the corpse of the City where love runs free, where a tragedy will see people running to help each other instead of running to fatten each other on the bones of their neighbors." "There won't be any invisible swords to butcher the innocent. There won't be any merchant princes to wield them. They won't be able to buy the air from under our noses and sell it back to us. There won't be any bloody thrones which outlive their kings, to keep the whole system going. No shadowed kings will come to inherit those thrones. The people in that new place will know how precious life is, how vital kindness and love are." "In that place, 'The City' will be a distant memory; a terrible monster that ate and ate and ate, no matter how many of its heads were cut off, until a few brave people put their blood, sweat and tears into starving that monster. Bit by bit, they worked, so that the people could breathe, and the monster couldn't." Berislav doesn't look back until the Carnival member stops moving. "Does that answer your question?"
Angela	''I bet even you don't know where the prescripts come from.'' "...I am but a Messenger." Yan says, though there's a sense he's holding something back. "But it won't be you who pays the price if you continue to be careless with your venom. One day someone might take it personally. I have drawn no weapon." And he doesn't seem to be counting the Carnival as a drawn weapon. ''Your Prescripts...They might order someone to die one day, when they ordered that person saved the last.'' "That is an accurate description of the Prescripts." Yan tells Tamiel. "But it seems your faith is in the Father," He doesn't use the prefix 'Mad'. "That is different than faith in a God or a Prescript." Berislav kills a Carnival member. It takes more than one bullet--their bodies are built to withstand punishment--and it crawls, keeps crawling, to try and get out of here, but eventually enough concerted effort will kill it just fine. The other slithers away in the meantime though if they're going to the Library, odds are they're not long for this world either. Yan doesn't seem inclined to get involved, though. Now that his job as Messenger has been completed, he has no reason to intercede on their extracurricular activities. But he listens to Berislav, seemingly impassive--his head bobbing along an indication that he is listening. ''There won't be any invisible swords to butcher the innocent.'' Yan's grip on his blade's hilt tightens ever so slightly. "It does. Thank you, Father." Yan says. "To thank you for your answer, I will give you another warning. The Index and the Thumb will move to all-out war soon as their subsidiaries that have been fighting on their behalf are being taken by the Library--or taken out by others." Berislav is an ''others'' apparently. "You may not see yourselves as servants of The Thumb, but the Index sees you as such. Survive this test and you may get your chance to build something beautiful after all." Yan turns and says, "The Prescripts haven't said I couldn't warn you." And then he moves to leave.
Father Berislav	You may not see yourselves as servants of The Thumb, but the Index sees you as such. "I'll pass that along. Thank you, Yan, and may God be with you." It isn't great news that the Index considers them affiliates of the Thumb. But... PHONE: Phoning Father Berislav, Petra Soroka says, "Actually, er, this might be important for you to know." PHONE: Phoning Father Berislav, Petra Soroka says, "I don't think it'll come up, since I've already bought out the Office myself, but there's a legal Office that was hired by Warp Corp to seize some amount of P.E. that they were owed. Like, again, I've already done a whole scheme about it, but if Warp Corp or any of those lawyer Offices come sniffing around your place, then you should probably treat that as a really big deal." PHONE: Father Berislav says, "That's excellent news." PHONE: Father Berislav says, "I had wondered how I'd deal with a certain detail about our arrangement with another Syndicate. I think that settles it. Thank you, Petra." PHONE: Phoning Father Berislav, Petra Soroka hesitates before elaborating. "I think Warp Corp is sensing that they're in big trouble, and they're getting desperate. It might get to the point that they'd just raid any place they see that has power. If that seems like it'll happen, I've got ins with them, so." PHONE: Father Berislav eagerly, "Really? That's wonderful." PHONE: Phoning Father Berislav, Petra Soroka says, "Which part?" PHONE: Phoning Father Berislav, Petra Soroka says, "I can't tell you all the details, but, yeah. I've got them in my sights at this point." PHONE: Father Berislav says, "Both the part about them being desperate enough to pick fights and the fact that you're working on them from the inside." It isn't something that can't be turned to the Watch's advantage. "Yuri," Berislav says. "I have a favor to ask you. I think, based on the advice that Yan has kindly given us, it might be time to make some adjustments." "I'd like you to take two capable samurai with you, just for safety's sake, and..." He takes a few steps closer, cupping one hand over his mouth, and whispers the next part into her ear: Deliver the payment from our Enkephalin stores rather than with Ahn. You can be a little generous; we want them to get careless with it. Use it, in other words. We'll fend off the Index with their help when they come for us, continue using the diesel generators and, with luck, we'll point a certain Wing towards the Thumb and sit on our hands when they ask us for help. He leans back. "Do you think you could do that for me?"
Angela	"With me..." Yan murmurs. Yuri is so accustomed to being used as a sword that she doesn't think twice when Berislav has a secret mission for her. She leans in. He murmurs to her. She hesitates, just a moment, but ultimately--like--okay. Being under the Thumb is no way to live. She gives Berislav a small nod. "Yeah. I don't think it'll make me unable to sleep at night." Yuri says. Of course, she doesn't know about W-Corp's interest in the Enkephalin specifically but any Wing going after a Finger--the Wing is the one she imagines has the advantage but even if The Finger wins, it's bound to be in a rough state after. Well, Yuri thinks, that's an understandable hope at least. But with all these forces interested in taking over this District, who knows how it'll shake out? The only thing that seems certain is that a lot of enemies of The Watch are going to hurt each other. And hey, maybe that's a win.