endgames | 027 -- [Voice || Written || Action] Backdated to the 6th

[It's been two days now, since the mission at that hospital. It feels awkward coming to the journal like this... he didn't even know Precis all that well, outside of two missions. But reviewing journal conversations, it didn't seem as if she knew anyone well on the last one either. A village-wide announcement seems callous.

In the end, he winds up crafting a wide filter, based off of her journal responses and the two mission experiences he's aware of. Tl;dr: if you've ever had a public thread with Precis, or went on a mission with her, you're good to be included in the filter.]

[Filtered to Associates of Precis F. Neumann || Unhackable]

On the fourth of September, Precis Neumann died participating in a mission outside the enclosure. No doubt she saved countless lives, but...

[...]

If you knew her, I offer my condolences for your loss.

[/end filter]

[For the rest of the day, Shikamaru will be in the forest surrounding CH1. Looking back over the journals revealed something else too. You'd think with the way he memorizes things it'd have hit him sooner, but he was never so good with dates.]

Two years... Tch. How troublesome.

[He'll be out here, training primarily with his shadow, but watching clouds too. Not for too long. Within the hour, he's cracking out another filter on the journal.]

[Filtered to Uzumaki Naruto || Unhackable]

Let's take care of that thing we discussed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Gregor reins in and squints into the shadow, then gives a polite nod.]

Good morning, Shikamaru-san. [Closest he can come to what must have been Old Japanese etiquette is by reflecting on his studies of Kibou-daini. Provided Shikamaru is, in fact, Japanese.] I'm glad to run into you.

[He swings off the horse.]

[Shikamaru looks amused at the honorific, but stays crouched where he's at.]

That so?

Mm. [He lets General Alys munch on a nearby shrub that seems palatable.] I wanted to approach you with an idea.

Hooo... [He closes his eyes. It's only in an instant, but the darkness in the shadows seems to lessen, like a trick of light. His posture relaxes, and he leans against the tree as off in the distance a flock of birds take for the sky.]

Then shoot.

I think Luceti needs its own intelligence. Or at least a group of analysts.

Ones who would actually work together, you mean.

I think you could make them work together.

Why's that?

Because people in this village already listen to you. I saw it at the town meeting when Bil was being threatened.

I wasn't the only one there talking. It was a group effort, and some voices were louder than mine was.

There are almost always louder voices. The loudest ones are usually the zealots. It has nothing to do with being loudest. It has to do with making everyone else listen. People respect you here.

You say this, but we've had a handful of conversations. [He's not denying the points here, but for now it's all conjecture.] You haven't told me your plan, much less why I could carry out your vision for it better than you could.

You engineered the stunt that saved Bil, didn't you?

I modified it.

[Gave it structure, and a back-up plan or two. A group had plans already, with or without him.]

Many engineers go into making a machine. You oversaw it as well. Your points during the meeting were good ones. I think you generally know what you're doing, at least. And I'm pretty sure you want to know exactly why you and the other decoys were released.

Considering they had no qualms killing one of us.

Considering that what?

[It's a prompt for a continuation of the thought.]

You heard it. [Someone died. Besides getting facts straight though, he's not up for talking about it.]

Facts are there's a lot of questions. I don't disagree with you - there's a lot we could learn with all the minds here working together. But I think you're misjudging just what kind of circles I run with.

[He leans forward, against his knees.] So my question is what are you planning to do with this?

[Indeed, he heard it. It had been a prompt, not a request for clarification.]

I'm enacting my plan, actually. Back to the subject, I haven't heard you deny your leadership capabilities so far.

I know better.

An ability to see things others miss?

That's perception. This is me knowing when someone isn't going to let up.

[It takes Gregor a second to work out what he means.]

Sorry, that was actually something of a non-sequitur. I'm pointing out the reasons I think you're right for the job.

[Shrug.] I got what you mean.

[Maybe it would've been better to say he knows by now when he won't be able to convince a person otherwise.]

...Well. It's just an idea. I'm not running it by anyone else. Do it or don't do it. It's entirely possible I've made a mistake.

[It's not reverse psychology. Gregor has personnel who study other potential personnel. He doesn't have to do his own talent-scouting back home. And Shikamaru is too young and inexperienced to really be a good choice, but he knows how this world works. He's respected. That makes him about the best choice Gregor has really come up with on his own.]

[action]

endgames - 2012-09-13 05:13 (UTC) - Expand

vor - 2012-09-13 14:35 (UTC) - Expand

endgames - 2012-09-14 02:14 (UTC) - Expand