video | un: wooden sword & un: widow

[vdovy]

[ It is late in the night when the video feed goes live. The scene: a spacious, gilded room in one of the lux summer villas where Messalina's infiltrators have been stationed. Warm candlelight illuminates Yelena, standing with her hands on her hips in front of Natasha, who is seated (if you can call it sitting) in a large, ornate chair with her legs hanging over one of the chair's intricately carved arms.

The pair of them have looked better. Yelena's crisp patrician attire is wrinkled and in some places torn and Natasha only seems presentable because her clothes are dark enough to mask bloodstains. Their faces are smudged with dirt and their hair, once carefully braided back, now resembles a bird nest, complete with loose leaves and small twigs. ]

We've just finished cleaning up after Alir. Again. [ Natasha runs a hand through her hair and makes a face when her palm comes back streaked with blood. Next to her, it's Yelena's turn to address the network. ]

He could have been exposed tonight, or any other night, the way we've all had to cover for him.

He's a problem. So the question is, what are we prepared to do about it?

(OOC: Default color dialogue is Natasha, red dialogue is Yelena. Tag around, threadjack at will. Alir is the shapeshifting demon impersonating Senator Maximus Faustus. Nat and Yelena are opening discussion up between Messalina's infiltrators, most of whom have had to pick up after Alir's appetites, but other party members are welcome to chime in.)

Comments

perma-private.

[redhourglass]

What do you know about a woman named 'Vanessa'?

[rehandle]

[ Oh. Well, here we go then. ]

You're asking for her full file? Why.

[redhourglass]

( inward eyeroll )

If you have it. Didn't know we kept files here. ( but — ) She's offering to help with Alir. I don't know much about her and while the rest of the people here might think us traveling together is enough for 'trust,' that's not the way I operate.

[rehandle]

[ Hm. A moment spent deciding exactly how much to offer, what his own answer even is, but... ]

You can trust her with that much. Her story isn't mine to tell, but her help is worth accepting if you think the nature of it suits your needs.

[redhourglass]

It's not my needs.

( well — as the one who is currently covered with viscera — maybe it is at this exact moment. but still. )

Can she handle Alir on her own?

[rehandle]

[ Alone? Hm. ]

Most likely. Has she given you any specifics on how she intends to handle him?

[redhourglass]

Specifics? Not exactly.

( a heavy sigh over the audio connection. )

She mentioned trying to 'communicate' with him. Then subdue him, if that doesn't work. I'm still going to be there, but if she pisses him off, I won't be able to stop her from becoming his next meal.

[rehandle]

[ That's what he thought - if Vanessa had been loathe to let him even create a pen for a carnivorous creature before, she wasn't about to take down Alir without first attempting to reason with him.

But given the context, his next answer seems firmer. ]

You won't need to. She'll be alright.

[ And if she isn't, he's fairly sure it'll only be through the burden of her own choice. ]

[redhourglass]

( hmm. none of this is convincing her that she shouldn't be there - if only just to bear witness. but at least she's not sending vanessa to an ugly death. \\

still... )

If we weren't out of options, I'd say we pull the whole operation. But we need him, for now.

[rehandle]

I'll keep an eye on him in senate from now on. Intervene as subtly as I can if I catch him in the act and you're not around.

[ It's not much, but it's an extra pair of eyes and hands in the place it'd be most destructive for him to accidentally reveal himself. Better than nothing if they're going to have to keep him around for the time being. ]

[redhourglass]

Thanks. From what I can tell, he's keeping it together, but I don't know how long that'll last.

( and she can't be everywhere. least of all the senate, where it's obvious she doesn't belong. )

[rehandle]

Hopefully long enough. But at least now we have a fail safe.

[ It's a role he's more than familiar with. ]

If it comes to it, I'll do what I can to bring him back to you in one piece.

[ But he's not making any promises. ]

[redhourglass]

Or close enough to one piece that he's still useful.

( ever a pragmatist, natasha. )

[rehandle]

Gratefully noted.