Our story binds us like right and wrong | September Catchall

[lasergrenades]

Characters: Pepper Potts, Devin Parker, and you!
Date: Throughout September
Location: Sky Sector, KPD Headquarters, Healers Guild, and around Keeliai
Situation: Pepper is living life mostly as usual, and Devin is getting over some denial about being stuck here.
Warnings/Rating: None yet, will add as needed.


A. [Pepper] KPD | Throughout September | Open

There is, thankfully, less to do at work this month. It's still pretty warm, but not stifling like the first part of August. The heat seems to be keeping crime down, for the most part, and Pepper is glad to be a little less busy. She works more days than nights this month, patrolling in street clothes more often than not. When she is in armor, it's on those few times when she has night shifts.

B. [Pepper] Jade Dojo | Mid-September | Bakura

The first time Pepper sparred against Bakura, it did not go exactly as planned. She'd let the issue go, probably for longer than she should have, because there was a) nothing she could do at the time, and b) things had seemed quiet on the dark, scary shadow demon front. Neither of those things were the case any longer, and Pepper isn't content to sit back and let this unfold without trying to do something.

"It's been almost two years since I hit you," Pepper said quietly, brushing her thumb along Bakura's jaw where she'd struck him. "We never talked about why I did that."

C. [Devin] Water Sector | Early September | Open

Being naturally a few degrees cooler than the average human, the heat doesn't both Devin as much as it might some people. He continues his 'hobby' of learning the city, mapping and memorizing the streets. He's in Water Sector most of the first half of this month because he can find an easy place to cool off if he wants to. It's an interesting area. His irritability is still on display from last month, though the cause of it remains uncertain.

D. [Devin] Sky Sector | Late September | Open

Devin spends more time in Sky Sector the second half of the month, familiarizing himself with the gardens and occasionally asking about the old palace when anyone will answer. He also spends a little time looking at the Foreigner housing; it's been almost six months since he arrived here, and while he'd much prefer to return to his home world, he's saved up enough to transition out of the Hotel soon. Klaus may have grown more polite, but the vampire is aware he's still an object of consternation.

E. [Devin] Healers Guild | Early September | Kylo

Every two weeks or so, Devin appears at the Healers Guild to meet his vampiric needs under medical supervision, as he's requested. He doesn't allow anyone to be in the same room with him when he actually consumes the blood, however.

By now he's at least a passably familiar face in the Guild, and most of the regular staff and volunteers have learned that bothering him immediately after he's finished is an unwise idea. There's something faintly wild at the edges of him, something less restrained as he starts to stalk his way to the exit, hoping to find a quiet place to be alone.

OOC: Let me know if you want anything specific or feel free to put up your own starter!

Comments

[annihilist]

"Drugs may be as much a part of their plan as a simple business decision. They're a typical product of choice for illicit groups," Devin pointed out. "'Malicant Lives' is a fear tactic, as were the attacks. They engage in violence carefully, and they use it as a scalpel instead of a shotgun. That means they either have limited resources to commit such attacks, or they're holding back on purpose."

He gave Valdis a look of mild disdain then, though if she were so blinded by her dislike of religion that she hadn't asked these questions, maybe he shouldn't have been surprised by her answer.

"Those actions don't make her a cultist. They don't make her a good person, either, but that means she's an opportunist, not part of Malicant's harem. Don't keep letting your personal bias get in the way of objectivity."

[redlightgreenlight]

"I know that Malicant lives is a fear tactic and the drugs are most likely for income. But Red Mist...according to Sherlock it was almost as if it were based on a parasite, it was trying to..replicate or something. But it couldn't survive very long, hence why it is so volatile."

Valdis had thought about most of those things, the real issue here now was the motivation of the cultists. It seemed that they had only decided to attack because they were provoked and were otherwise quiet. Did they simply want to be left alone? Should she endeavor to leave them alone? Though she definitely hoped that they had limited resources, it wasn't a fact she knew for sure.

"Despite her lack of morality in the face of scientific discovery, Milyn helped us defeat Malicant," Valdis added, ignoring his disdain, "And I said she used to be, something which she didn't exactly deny when I asked her about it."

Besides, the woman was alive, that was due to objectivity and not blind emotional bias.

[annihilist]

"The next question then becomes whether those aspects contribute to their motivation or are only distractions. For example: the peons think that Malicant can't be destroyed or that he'll come back, yes? The leaderly equivalent of that may be to accomplish what Malicant was aiming at without the demonic assistance. Does drug development serve that? This is all brainstorming, just to demonstrate the line of thinking to consider."

Devin studied Valdis silently for a moment. She might have had enough restraint to let Milyn roam loose, but her retelling of things might not be the most reliable version of events.

"All the same, if she actually signed her name in blood somewhere, it sounds like she only did it for access to resources, not out of genuine belief," he continued at length. Again, that pointed to opportunist in his mind, not cultist. Not even properly ex-cultist, if Milyn hadn't been indoctrinated in the first place. "I've heard of graduate students doing much the same, albeit under less dire circumstances. She might be worth talking to or she might not be. If she's no longer in the fold, she can't tell us anything about their current ideals."

[redlightgreenlight]

"Even if they didn't take part in the attack, if someone aids and abets a terrorist, they are an accessory to it and therefore subject to the same scrutiny and laws."

Valdis looked at him, her tone and gaze even, any sign of annoyance or anger buried and hidden so deep that very few might sense that anything was wrong at all.

"And I'm glad you are brainstorming possibilities, it's part of your job after all."

A slight pause.

"I'll talk to Milyn about it, the window of prosecution has passed anyway."

[annihilist]

The curve of Devin's smirk was approving this time. "See, there's the law enforcement officer talking. That's the angle to come at it from, so no one can claim that you're targeting her for personal reasons."

Which Valdis probably knew already, but Devin was very good at digging into people's old wounds, and she had just presented him one straight off the bat. She ought to remember that he was not to be trusted, and not a friend, though Devin wasn't sure what they were at this point.

"You'd have better rapport with her, I'd imagine," he agreed with a nod. "It's too bad the culprits from the attacks earlier this year were nothing but foot soldiers."