oo2. text

[01101110]

Hello!!!!!!

[Name] knows it is not supposed to talk to you anymore but this unit has accessed memory from before the infection! The Null had asserted that the majority of the people of Hadriel wanted to go home and said that they'd help you, is this correct? Is this still true? Because I think I can help you!

I do not want anything in return, except maybe for you not to kill [Name].

The city has moved around so much that getting concrete data is difficult but my scanning capabilities are at 79% and I'm beginning to get results from my efforts.

[Retrieving Data. . .]

I have found the ninth god.

The parasite is at [x,y], twenty-four feet underground, beneath what you would call the Colosseum. It is kept in a small room underground, hollowed out from the earth. The body is circular, six feet in diameter, and is constantly moving.

Fragments of its body are also on the ocean floor, within a four hundred mile radius. Two complete pieces, one in multiple pieces. Fragments do not have the same energy signature as the parasite but is composed of the same material which has not been located anywhere else in this city or on the surface of this planet.

Locations are [x,y], [x,y], and [x,y][x,y][x,y][x,y][x,y].

[End]

There! I hope that helped!

Comments

private.

[circumitus]

just the kind that come through dimensional portals and fuck shit up until you kill them until they stop.
they were a pain in the ass but nothing that we couldnt handle.

the demon youre most likely talking about isnt like that tho, youre right. she'd probably just get off on the attempts alone.

[smoketendrils]

Exactly.

[that means so little to him, but it gets the point across.] Well, I can't say that I didn't offer. I like this deal. I think it could be beneficial to us all. Just please don't make me regret agreeing to it. I imagine that could go poorly for both of us.

private.

[puzzlingly]

「His reply comes a little delayed, there isn't much he can say or do, specially when Rey seems to know what she's doing and is not being overly naive about it...」

be careful rey

「Surely it's redundant and probably useless, but it doesn't hurt to say it.」

private.

[circumitus]

will do, no worries.
nick knows what's going on as well. why do you think i keep my involvement with the guard on the down low?

[The HQ is where they first met, but Rey doesn't openly stake any claim that she has much to do with the Guard other than that she's got friends in it, which is only half true.]

private.

[puzzlingly]

「He remembers that, but it is true that he sees her more often at her bar than at the HQ. At least now it makes more sense. But there is something in the way she says it that makes him smile a little. She's trusting him with this information, no that maybe she'd hide to to whoever asks... It's good enough for him.」

got it

private text;

[nonscriptum]

[Nate knows better than to leave his correspondence lines open, now.

Still, he's ecstatic to hear the news. Not necessarily because it's related to a god, but because it means he has the opportunity to follow his hunch that something was hidden explicitly in the island chain. People are always discounting caves.]

hey buddy, glad you're improving

[They're on buddy terms, right? Since Nate saved Name's bacon, and all.]

quick question: are you equipped with gpr?

sorry, ground-penetrating radar

private.

[hot_mes]

oh? you doubt my strength and cunning? [well screw you too] good to know I'm just a toddler who can't handle himself in your eyes, rather than an adult who is fully cognizant of the variables in his plan.

if you can't believe in me then I have no reason to tell you any of my plans.

private.

[puzzlingly]

im not... law... have you actually ever fought a demon?
this is not a fight of muscles or abilities
shell get in our mind and twist your very soul!
cant you see that?

private.

[hot_mes]

no, because demons aren't real. species of creatures with powerful abilities that may be new to me are real.

what makes you think she can actually possess my mind in such a way?

private. ➝ voice

[puzzlingly]

「He starts typing, furiously, but before he even finishes, he realizes it won't do. He needs Law to listen.」

After everything we've gone through, dare you say that? You sound like him, Law, just like Doflamingo! Demons are real! I had to fight one! And lost! I lost everything to a demon before and I will not let history repeat again. I will not take any chances!

[hot_mes]

[his response to the voice feed is a huge, tired sigh]

You don't know him, so don't say that. Your experiences are not mine. You're making assumptions that may or may not be true in this place, at this time.

I'm not asking your permission. I will choose who can be of the most use to me right now. This isn't about making friends, this is all business.

[puzzlingly]

「What the...」

Whoever said this is about making friends? It's clearly not about that, why are you being so stubborn?

「Was he too late...? Had the demon convinced him already? Law has never been one to disregard his every words just like that, he'd at least take them in consideration.」

All what I'm saying is that you should not trust it!

[hot_mes]

No, a moment ago you were flipping your shit about losing things to a demon and insinuating that I could be possessed or mind-controlled. At no point have I said that I have placed my unerring trust in her. Just that she has useful skills for this purpose.

You're jumping to outrageous conclusions and making this about you. It has nothing to do with you.

[puzzlingly]

「Well, that certainly makes him go silent for a moment. Maybe... maybe Law is right. He is not so blind to see he often makes things about himself, and that sure, he only has his own experiences to speak for themselves, but in truth everything the demon has done so far doesn't help at all to make him see that Law is heading towards disaster at full speed.

At least this time he under full control of his emotions (as much as Atem usually has anyway) and choses to take a deep breath before going on.」

You're right, this is not about me, it's about you. The fact that you're willing to work with it at all is bad new all over, Law... What will you do when it's over with you? Do you really think that it will let you live when you're no longer useful? It's not in their nature to have mercy, once it gets what it wants, something that you're so willing to help it with, it'll get rid of you. You're risking everyone.

[hot_mes]

[there's a long pause before he responds]

The fact that you view it that way means you don't understand me at all. You're not listening to a word I say.

[and that's all he's going to say, but he's not hanging up like a rudebutt. He's used to people misunderstanding him, underestimating him, and assuming the worst of him, and it's fine. It makes it easier to carry out his plan without liabilities piling up around him.]

[puzzlingly]

Honestly, Law, whose fault is that? Help me understand.

[hot_mes]

I can't explain to someone who has formed his opinion already and won't deviate from it because he values his feelings over the facts.

You texted me because you believed me talking to Caedra about a crew meant we were friends now or I like her better than you. That's rather juvenile, but I was willing to let it slide until you started yelling. You're leaping to the wrong conclusions out of anger and not listening to me when I explain. I'm done explaining.

You're free not to want any part of my plan because I might be recruiting a lot of unsavory assholes, but I will gladly take a competent, skilled asshole anytime because they get shit done and listen to orders and don't spend their time wanting to talk about feelings. That is all this is and if you believe you see something else in it, the delusion is all on you.

[puzzlingly]

...

「Atem listens and in truth, he's absolutely speechless. He never said anything about he believing the demon was his friend to start with, at all. Nor it did cross his mind that he could like her better than him, and quite frankly after how their last encounter went, Atem had doubts that Law liked him at all.

It also is ironic, but he hadn't mentioned his feelings at all either, it was just what happened to him, losing everything wasn't just a juvenile way to say he had been left alone, no, his country got devastated, his people were killed, and all, because of a demon. If he cannot understand that, if Law cannot see how worried he is about him, then... What is the point?

Atem has to wonder, who is the delusional one here? Maybe it's him after all, thinking that he could understand a pirate like Law.」

Heh... 「It's clearly not a happy chuckle, but more like a pained one. They had a good run...」

Please, as if you even considered me part of your plan. Have it your way... I truly hope you're not wrong, Trafalgar.

「And the feed comes to an end.」

[aroundthecoroner]

[Damn. That's old. Probably.]

Maybe... the other gods did this?
Or others of their species, from before they went almost extinct.
I know you can't answer that, I'm just speculating.
Anyway, don't you think it's kind of dangerous for you to be on the network like this?

[HINT HINT.]

What if the gods see this?

private.

[circumitus]

[Look at that, he even gets the rare emoji on Rey's end that she almost never uses. At least he gets the point -- she doesn't suspect Atem to be the type to nark on her motives to anyone and everyone, so they did good.]

[01101110]

Stays, yes. Maybe 'shifting' is the right word. It's moving in on itself.

[01101110]

They all seem to have their purpose...

I think that sadness is my favorite. It makes me feel more different than I've ever felt. Regret and guilt and insignificance all seem to come from sadness. I think that without it, an emotional society could not function.

[01101110]

Your species value youth. That a youth was killed angers you more than it would if it had been an adult.

It seems counterproductive. If a being has less experience and capabilities, is it not less valuable?

[01101110]

You don't kill me and I continue helping you?

It seems like something that would be very difficult to regret!

[synthedick]

[That answer gives Nick some pause.]

I have to admit that sadness isn't the one I expected you'd pick, but I think you're right. Sadness is one of those things that allows us to empathize with each other and really understand what someone might be going through, even if we don't know them personally.