[Log] Plots and Cunning in Neo-America
WHO: Sync (as Fon Master Ion), Maria Tegawa
WHEN: Friday, February 20
WHERE: Neo-America, G Gundam Plane
WHAT: Alerted to the fact that Mohs is watching him even more closely now thanks to an encounter with Arietta, "Ion" takes steps to ensure he doesn't get betrayed, starting with talking to Maria. Maria is very receptive to what he has to say.
WATCH FOR: Ion does not in fact worship Maria the demi-goddess, spite is the spice of life, skirting around lies, and when heroes plot like villains.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: *SUDDENLY IT IS AN ION* Hello, Ms. Tegawa? Maria?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: Oh, hello Ion.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: Pardon the abruptness, but there's something I'd like to discuss with you. To be more precise, I'd like to request a favor, Ms. Tegawa. Is now a good time to talk, or would you rather we arrange a time in the near future?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: Now is, actually, good.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: Oh, wonderful! Where are you now?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: In space. Neo-America to be exact, I needed to speak with someone, but my business with him is done.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: Space...? I've-- *thoughtfully* I've actually never been to space before. Would you mind if I met you there?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: Not at all, however...
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: *Maria gives specific directions on getting a shuttle to the colony*
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: *takes notes!* It sounds a bit complicated. I think I'll be all right, though; I'll have Anise see me off.
IN THE AGE KNOWN AS THE SPACE AGE....
It was months ago here that the Devil Gundam had threatened the world. Powered by Nia, it would have consumed the Earth and its colonies were it not for the timely intervention of Simon the Digger (and the rest of the IPA). Master Asia had long since perished and Neo Japan had taken up the mantle as rulers of the Earth Sphere.
It is here on the star-shaped space colony of NEO AMERICA we find the interplanetary district attorney, Maria Tegawa. She had set out earlier in order to take care of some business with the cocky young boxer known as Chibodee Crockett. That had gone as well as would be expected between a wisecracking all-American guy and an ice queen. Badly.
For now, she waits outside a Ledo's pizza, which has a considerable amount of activity. It serves great deep dish, just like they did in New York, as far as Maria can tell.
Anise had not been particularly happy with Ion going off not just to another plane, but to another plane /in space/ to meet with Maria. Sync can't particularly blame her, considering the last time he went off on his own with the demi-goddess, they both got kidnapped. So when Anise insisted on coming along with him, the Faux Master agreed easily enough--save for the part where they actually go to meet Maria.
"It's something I need to discuss with her privately," he insists. "At least for now. If it goes well, I'll tell you the details later. Until then, why don't you take a look around the colony? It's our first time in space for both of us. I'll let you know when I'm done."
Once Anise reluctantly agreed to it, 'Ion' will take a taxi (another *vital* part of American culture, ergo it /of course/ is in Neo-America) to the restaurant that Maria described to him. He smiles when he sees her waiting outside, and jogs over to her. He's wearing the same robes as he was when they were both at the Valentine's gala; Maria may or may not see fit to remark upon this.
"Good evening!" the green-haired replica greets her. "I hope you haven't been waiting long?"
Maria wouldn't blame Ion if he didn't show up either. She did promise him that this zone MOST DEFINITELY WAS SAFE. Of course, that meant jack shit if someone decided to stalk her here which was a very real possibility. She had done her best to minimize the knowledge of her movements but in this day and age, well...
There were certain people that could track her now, wherever she went and some of those she wasn't even aware of.
"No, not long at all." she greets, then a a guilty look creeps upon her. "...come on in. I...owe you, I believe." Yes, there's still guilt over what happened to Ion. He being put through all of that hurt more than the thought of what they did to her, in fact.
Pfft, Sync's not going to let a little thing like literally scarring kidnapping (well, he *does* still have a mark on the small of his back from when the Doctor took a skin sample) prohibit him from seeing new places. Actually, the shuttle trip was genuinely fascinating to him, and he'd spent the time chatting animatedly with Anise.
"..." That's right; Maria *had* been about to treat him to pizza before the Captain and the others attacked them, hadn't they? Sync gives her a glance, before he smiles and rests a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. I've had pizza before, but I'm interested in seeing how it tastes in a place like this." Which is incidentally true for either Sync or Ion; there was that time Niari fed the seventh Pizza Hut pizza while he was tied up, back when she'd kidnapped him. Either way, Sync will enter first, holding the door open briefly for Maria before taking a look around the place.
"Have you been to this restaurant before, or did you simply receive a recommendation from the person you were meeting with, Maria?" he asks after a moment, partly as polite preamble and partly because he's actually curious.
Her duties have carried her many places before and space was not the strangest. Still, it was always a fascinating experience for Maria. The weightlessness, the speed, the /science/.
"The individual I was meeting with pointed me in this direction." Maria says with a trace of aggrivation. Really, that had to be the only part of the conversation she enjoyed. "It smells like they know what they're doing at least." she waves after him but finds that he has moved ahead and decided to hold the door open for her.
A few things battle it out in her mind 'oh he's worshipping me, how lovely <3' 'I don't need people to hold the door for me!' 'Oh, what a charming, polite child. He respects his elders.' A mix of human and immortal thinking, smashing together and nearly overloading her circuits in the process. After but a moment of deliberation, she steps past Sync and walks inside.
Immediately, she seeks out a booth and rushes him over, snatching one of the paper menus from a stack on a small table near the door in the process.
SCIENCE. No wonder Maria loves it so, it sounds just like SCIONS.
Sync glances at the demi-goddess with slightly raised eyebrows at that hint of aggravation in her voice. "That was nice of--him? Her?" The sex of this individual hasn't really come up, after all; they've been using gender-neutral pronouns up until now. "It *does* smell good in here, so if the taste lives up to that, please send my compliments their way."
No, Maria, this little green replica does not worship you. He's just being polite, not so much because it's an Ion thing to do (though it is), but because Sync knows that he's going to be asking a rather large favor of Maria, and you don't act like a jerk to someone you want to do something for you. He does give her a quizzical look as she just stands there for a moment, but shakes it off when they head on over to their booth, and takes a menu of his own.
"They have quite a selection here," Sync notes, looking over the hot sandwiches and strombolis and calzones as well as just freakin' pizza. "Would you like to talk before or after we eat, Maria?"
Lies, Maria loved science before she knew she was a scion! On the other hand, science is practically in her blood. "Him. He was Chibodee Crockett, the Gundam Fighter of Neo America." She speaks a little strangely when she says this too, as if trying to pronounce each word /epically/. The /correct/ way.
"Let's talk before, it'll take some time for them to make our pizza anyway." The restaurant isn't that crowded from the looks of it, so they probably wouldn't have /that/ long to wait before whatever they ordered came. Meanwhile, Maria eyes the menu and immediately settles on the offering they have designated as their 'supreme deep dish'. This is, of course, the monster pizza with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, mushrooms, onions, the works, on it. "Order whatever you wish, this is all on me, of course."
Not that she expects Ion to contest her bill or anything. That'd be silly.
If Maria says she wants to pay, Sync is willing to let her pay. He's lightened up some since adopting Ion's life, but he's still not the soft-hearted dope that the seventh is. "Oh, thank you," he thus says with a smile, perusing the menu and thinking he might try one of these calzone things. The Italian one, maybe, because Sync enjoys ("enjoys") exercising his sense of irony.
"Oh, I see," the replica adds. "Is it all right if I ask what you were meeting with him about? Of course, I understand if it's a confidential matter; I wouldn't want you discussing our business openly, either." In which Sync both asks politely about Maria's other goings-on and also makes it clear what he's asking her is between just them. The nice thing about restaurants is that there's low-level conversation all over the place, so it masks your own conversation as long as you aren't too noisy about it.
"In any case... I don't know if you'll be able to help me out personally. But since you're in charge of the IPA, I think if anyone would be able to help me find someone who *can*, it's you." Sync lowers his menu and gives the demi-goddess a slight frown. "Strictly speaking, it's not me with the problem--it's Anise. More specifically, it's her parents, Oliver and Pamela Tatlin. They are in a *very* large amount of debt."
Maria can probably see where this is going.
Again, paying is the least Maria can do in this situation. And it wasn't as if she was hurting for cash at all. Novels pay well, as does being a lawyer. A good portion of that wealth usually tended to get reinvested in the future.
"Just business." Maria says dismissively, "Confidential matters, really, it's nothing you need to get involved with." Shrugging, she waves a dismissive hand. And Maria knows that very well, Sync! It's also why she picked a booth to speak in since he wanted something a bit more private. Of course, people could still listen in if they wanted to.
Help? This gets a raised eyebrow. "...really? She's never said anything about this." She doesn't like the sound of that at all. Her own mother was in debt most of her life while she grew up. She was in debt to the /wrong/ people too and she witnessed this first hand. "That is a bad position to be in. Debt is an effective way to get a person to do something they normally wouldn't consider."
She narrows her eyes. "So you come to me asking to do something about this debt, then."
They could, yes, but the type of people who are stalking Maria could potentially listen in on them no matter *where* they go, and they're Sync's allies anyway (and actually /know that/ by now), so no point in letting a little well-founded paranoia get in the way of a nice meal.
"It's not something that Anise likes to broadcast," Sync replies, shaking his head slightly. Really, who would, with idiot parents who honestly think that if the guy who sold them this cheap bridge needed the money badly, it's for the best that they gave him all their money? And then, when they get their regular stipends from the Order, basically donate it all back to their religion, not as a way to pay off their debts, but just because they're such pious people. It's a wonder that such stupid people ever survived long enough to breed, but now it's Anise's cross to bear.
Well, hell if Sync will just sit back and let her suffer, not in the *least* because he knows Mohs is highly likely to use them to force Anise to act against him. It's cold logic as well as warm emotion.
"Yes," he confirms, nodding to the demi-goddess. "I haven't told Anise I meant to come to you about this; I think her pride wouldn't allow it." Never mind that she's freely searching for a rich man to sink her gold-digging claws into. "But her parents are *extremely* gullible, and have very little financial sense. They were originally tricked into their debt. They're managing to get by now because someone helped them out; that someone is Grand Maestro Mohs."
The shape of it should become clearer now, with what 'Ion' told Maria before about Mohs.
Of those possibly listening...yes, some would already know about Sync-Ion.
"I could imagine, that would be pretty embarassing." And Maria asssessed that the IPA didn't have that sort of level of trust with Anise. The level of trust, at least, that would prompt her to share such problems with the rest of them. Given who makes the IPA, several people probably would have offered their help before a single pillow even hit the garage sale. "...ah, Mohs, the man I've heard so much about yet have yet to meet. I don't think he would be a very pleasant person to be indebted eto either."
Anise is, for a thirteen-year-old girl, fairly slow to give her honest trust to people. She's also the one who is the hardest on traitors, which is hilarious considering her position. But yes, if Anise *did* make her problems known, at the very least, Ninten would probably be offering to give her ludicrous amounts of money saved up from all those times his faceless father sends him money. Or maybe Ness could, in preparation of seducing her from Sync out of sheer spite.
A faint smile. "Mohs is... a very dedicated clergyman," the replica says. "But in his dedication to the Score, he tends to value the big picture over the small lives affected in the short term." Sync shakes his head. His tone is kept calm and neutral, but Maria might be able to sense his dislike for the Grand Maestro more than when he had told her about Auldrant's issues. With her truth-sensing abilities, she'll also be able to hear both sincerity and concealment in his next words:
"In this sense, I fear Anise and her parents may become casualties to his dedication. It's something I have considered doing something about for some time, but as I encountered someone recently who confessed to being sent by Mohs to spy on me, I feel that I should put thought into action as soon as possible."
Teenagers are like that. Maria would know! She had one in her band in the form of BOWEN. Granted, he was more upbeat than the regular teenager and never seemed to have gone through that whole 'emo' phase (no, that came AFTER the scion of Tezcat killed his mother). In a way, he too turned out to be a traitor, though the commonalities between Anise and Bowen end there.
She /immediately/ picks up on his dislike, though his words concerning his trouble with Mohs as of late ring true. How interesting, a priest trying to put a leash on not only the iconic religious figure of their order, but of someone so closely connected to him. Why, Mohs could easily manipulate Anise into spying on Ion, couldn't he?
A smile, a not very /nice/ smile slides across her face and Maria taps her fingertips together. "Oh, we can indeed take action." she grins, "I must thank you for alerting us to this, I'm sure you realize what a serious problem this could develop into."
It's not even that Sync dislikes Mohs for being a murderous bastard, but then, he wouldn't actually come out and say 'oh yeah and i hate mohs because he made a replica of ion, i.e. me.' Though to Mohs' credit, he wasn't actually the one who came up with the brilliant idea of disposing of the reject replicas by throwing them still alive into the mouth of a live volcano. That was, you know, just his aides, which is almost as disturbing. Seriously, you have to be a freaking sadist to think that's a good idea. At least euthanize the poor little bastards first, geez.
Oh, Maria. You're a horrid, cunning, perceptive bitch. Sync likes that about you. He hadn't wanted to say directly about just how much Mohs already has Anise under his control, so the fact that Maria takes the pieces and fits them together after a few minutes of conversation has him very pleased indeed. He smiles back--not the sweetest expression ever, either--and folds his hands on the edge of the table.
"No, I just want to be sure Anise and her parents are safe," he reassures her, which is half true; he *does* want Anise and her loved ones safe, but that's certainly not *all* he wants. "I'll speak with the Tatlins directly. Is there anyone for you who comes to mind at the moment who might be able to help them with their debt issues, as well as teach them how to manage their money--and charity--more wisely?"
A half-truth, why, is that a bit of /spite/ Maria is picking up there? There were several strong indicators that there was definitely internal trouble with the Order of Lorelei. "Well, I do know a few CPAs that could use the business. The IPA has several contractors as well that could be of assistance. As for Anise's parents...well, they've been working so hard lately, I'm sure, and probably wonder and worry about where their daughter has run off to."
She quiets as the waiter drops by and she passes on their orders. When he leaves, she resumes.
"I think they should both take a vacation in the near future and see the sites of the Hub."
That *is* some spite there. Spite is the spice of life! It would seem, though, that Ion isn't as sweet as he seems on the surface. Perhaps it's a result of his recent traumatic experiences at the hands of Millennium, and his own stated desire to become stronger. (At least, that's the impression that Sync wants to convey.)
"That sounds like a fine idea. I'll insist upon it, in fact. Anise is important to me, so of course I want to be sure that her parents are well taken care of. Of course, they'll need very careful, very *tight* budgeting," the Faux Master replies once the waiter is gone. "So perhaps they'd do well with a competent guide? So they make the most of their vacation, of course."
He smiles. "Since Anise is a proxy with the IPA, I think it would be reasonable for them to take up some temporary work in the Hub for the IPA on behalf of the Order as they work on their debt problems. It would be more convenient for the CPAs and contractors to not have to travel all the way to Daath once their vacation is over. *And* it would allow them to spend more time with their daughter, and it would be a great help to me as well. What do you think, Maria?"
He looks so innocent, doesn't he? Maria knows better though. She already knows he's a liar to some degree-about small things too, like his age, which was a bit suspicious. Why would he willfully do that /anyway/? Perhaps even this young child had plans of his own.
"Oh, we will keep an eye on them. As a member of the IPA, we can afford to at least offer the loved ones of our agents some protection. It's just best practice considering the enemies we're up against." And Maria already knew that the Syndicate was not above putting out hits on people such as her own interns.
"Travel is expensive." she concurs in regards to the moving CPAs. It wouldn't be good to send them in there given the world was a bit on the hostile side and Mohs probably wouldn't appreciate such overt workings against him. No, a situation such as this needed a more delicate approach. "Sending a CPA there would not be a wise move. I will extend my invitation and offer to speak with them as soon as possible.If I can not do it in person, then I will at least have someone in the finance department take over in my stead."
Plans? Oh yes. All sorts of different plans. At least she knows that 'Ion' only tends to lie about small details, and aside from the occasional whopper (such as "I am 14 years old") is otherwise honest. Of course, the devil is in the details, but...
"Yes. The Syndicate, and the Black Alliance..." Sync replies seriously, nodding once. Then he smiles. "I'll pass along the invitation on your behalf if you like, Maria--explain to them my wishes in the matter, so that the offer doesn't seem to come from nowhere. I think the Tatlins would be honored to do what they can on behalf of the Fon Master."
Hopefully that will include 'listen to your CPA when he tells you "don't spend all your money on tourist junk, geez"'. This is a matter that Sync hopes will get resolved ASAP--in a week's time or less, ideally, given as it *is* a rather last-minute decision, and Mohs is sure to interfere once he gets a whiff of it.
That prompts Sync to think of something else, and he adds, "I may have Locrian Colonel Asch assist in seeing the Tatlins safely across the Gate. He is a God-General, but we get along fairly well, and he is handling a couple of other minor tasks for me as well, currently. I don't believe it would be out of line to request his presence in protecting the parents of my only Fon Master Guardian as they do proxy work for me in the IPA--but I'll speak with him myself. We have something else that needs discussing, regardless."
People don't lie unless they have something to /hide/ of course.
"Good good, I was about to suggest that actually. Me simply appearing to make that offer would not be so convincing, I'm afraid, especially since the IPA isn't that well known an institution on your plane." Or on most planes. The whole 'plz suppress your presence so the general populace is not aware that alternate worlds exist' is a pretty popular request. Complete suppression often isn't that necessary, in most cases the law enforcement was the only ones really involved in IPA matters.
"Very well." she nods, on the subject of Asch. "Do send him my way at some point so I can meet him?"
It's a request that, if Mohs were in charge, would have been sent Maria's way already. Sync, on the other hand, *wants* Auldrant to know about other planes. Other planes help wreck everything--although he's already seen one instance of someone from another plane appearing in the Score... Well, in fairness, it could be a coincidence, but Sync doesn't believe in there being coincidences in the Score. It's made everything more complicated, but why not? Let's turn the whole damn /works/ pear-shaped.
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not certain how much of her current duties Anise has explained to her parents, so it would be much more convincing if the Fon Master himself spoke with them," Sync replies, nodding in agreement. As for Asch? "I'll be sure to do that. He's been very involved in other planes--especially the one where the Luke you know hails from--so I imagine he may have his own things to discuss with you as well. However, I'll leave that to his discretion."
Maria goes silent again, this time as the pizza and Ion's calzone come. They are steaming hot and they smell very good. After the waiter has left, Maria listens, then smiles a wry smile.
"Other planes? Other planes that /aren't/ time-shifted versions of his own?" Because seriously, Maria honestly thinks that those are two different camps. The latter would involve nasty dealings with fate that could have serious (or good) reprocussions.
"Of that much, I'm not certain," 'Ion' replies wryly after thanking the waiter with a polite smile for the food. The calzone smells *delicious*, and it reminds Sync of how many hours it's been since he last ate. Still, the calzone is pretty big, so he's fairly sure he'll have *some* leftovers. It's just about time for him to check up on Staccato, too; maybe afterwards, he'll take those leftovers to him, if he's still in as good a mood now as later. Otherwise, he can just give it to Anise. Either way, he picks up the cutlery rolled in the napkin and removes the fork and knife, then begins to cut a small piece out of the end.
"That's why," he continues, "I said I'll leave it to his discretion." Then the young replica smiles. "Shall we leave the rest of this discussion until after we've eaten? I think we've said what needs to be said, but it should give us time to mull over matters and remember anything we might have forgotten." Not likely in Maria's case, what with her perfect memory, and Sync is quite sure he's touched on everything he wanted to. Still, better to leave it open-ended, at least until the end of dinner.
Maria purses her lips but decides to abstain on making the catty comment on the tip of her tongue regarding Asch and...well, a good deal of people from 'Ion's set of worlds. Carefully cutting a slice of her pizza, the use of silverware ends there and Maria carefully scoops up one of the thick slices of pizza in her hands.
The food is devoured with what appears to be considerable experience in eating deep dish pizza. "That would be advisable." she says, after carefully chewing and swallowing a big bite. "It's rude to talk while eating, after all."
WHEN: Friday, February 20
WHERE: Neo-America, G Gundam Plane
WHAT: Alerted to the fact that Mohs is watching him even more closely now thanks to an encounter with Arietta, "Ion" takes steps to ensure he doesn't get betrayed, starting with talking to Maria. Maria is very receptive to what he has to say.
WATCH FOR: Ion does not in fact worship Maria the demi-goddess, spite is the spice of life, skirting around lies, and when heroes plot like villains.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: *SUDDENLY IT IS AN ION* Hello, Ms. Tegawa? Maria?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: Oh, hello Ion.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: Pardon the abruptness, but there's something I'd like to discuss with you. To be more precise, I'd like to request a favor, Ms. Tegawa. Is now a good time to talk, or would you rather we arrange a time in the near future?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: Now is, actually, good.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: Oh, wonderful! Where are you now?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: In space. Neo-America to be exact, I needed to speak with someone, but my business with him is done.
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: Space...? I've-- *thoughtfully* I've actually never been to space before. Would you mind if I met you there?
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: Not at all, however...
[RADIO] To Sync, Maria Tegawa radios: *Maria gives specific directions on getting a shuttle to the colony*
[RADIO] To Maria Tegawa, you radio: *takes notes!* It sounds a bit complicated. I think I'll be all right, though; I'll have Anise see me off.
IN THE AGE KNOWN AS THE SPACE AGE....
It was months ago here that the Devil Gundam had threatened the world. Powered by Nia, it would have consumed the Earth and its colonies were it not for the timely intervention of Simon the Digger (and the rest of the IPA). Master Asia had long since perished and Neo Japan had taken up the mantle as rulers of the Earth Sphere.
It is here on the star-shaped space colony of NEO AMERICA we find the interplanetary district attorney, Maria Tegawa. She had set out earlier in order to take care of some business with the cocky young boxer known as Chibodee Crockett. That had gone as well as would be expected between a wisecracking all-American guy and an ice queen. Badly.
For now, she waits outside a Ledo's pizza, which has a considerable amount of activity. It serves great deep dish, just like they did in New York, as far as Maria can tell.
Anise had not been particularly happy with Ion going off not just to another plane, but to another plane /in space/ to meet with Maria. Sync can't particularly blame her, considering the last time he went off on his own with the demi-goddess, they both got kidnapped. So when Anise insisted on coming along with him, the Faux Master agreed easily enough--save for the part where they actually go to meet Maria.
"It's something I need to discuss with her privately," he insists. "At least for now. If it goes well, I'll tell you the details later. Until then, why don't you take a look around the colony? It's our first time in space for both of us. I'll let you know when I'm done."
Once Anise reluctantly agreed to it, 'Ion' will take a taxi (another *vital* part of American culture, ergo it /of course/ is in Neo-America) to the restaurant that Maria described to him. He smiles when he sees her waiting outside, and jogs over to her. He's wearing the same robes as he was when they were both at the Valentine's gala; Maria may or may not see fit to remark upon this.
"Good evening!" the green-haired replica greets her. "I hope you haven't been waiting long?"
Maria wouldn't blame Ion if he didn't show up either. She did promise him that this zone MOST DEFINITELY WAS SAFE. Of course, that meant jack shit if someone decided to stalk her here which was a very real possibility. She had done her best to minimize the knowledge of her movements but in this day and age, well...
There were certain people that could track her now, wherever she went and some of those she wasn't even aware of.
"No, not long at all." she greets, then a a guilty look creeps upon her. "...come on in. I...owe you, I believe." Yes, there's still guilt over what happened to Ion. He being put through all of that hurt more than the thought of what they did to her, in fact.
Pfft, Sync's not going to let a little thing like literally scarring kidnapping (well, he *does* still have a mark on the small of his back from when the Doctor took a skin sample) prohibit him from seeing new places. Actually, the shuttle trip was genuinely fascinating to him, and he'd spent the time chatting animatedly with Anise.
"..." That's right; Maria *had* been about to treat him to pizza before the Captain and the others attacked them, hadn't they? Sync gives her a glance, before he smiles and rests a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. I've had pizza before, but I'm interested in seeing how it tastes in a place like this." Which is incidentally true for either Sync or Ion; there was that time Niari fed the seventh Pizza Hut pizza while he was tied up, back when she'd kidnapped him. Either way, Sync will enter first, holding the door open briefly for Maria before taking a look around the place.
"Have you been to this restaurant before, or did you simply receive a recommendation from the person you were meeting with, Maria?" he asks after a moment, partly as polite preamble and partly because he's actually curious.
Her duties have carried her many places before and space was not the strangest. Still, it was always a fascinating experience for Maria. The weightlessness, the speed, the /science/.
"The individual I was meeting with pointed me in this direction." Maria says with a trace of aggrivation. Really, that had to be the only part of the conversation she enjoyed. "It smells like they know what they're doing at least." she waves after him but finds that he has moved ahead and decided to hold the door open for her.
A few things battle it out in her mind 'oh he's worshipping me, how lovely <3' 'I don't need people to hold the door for me!' 'Oh, what a charming, polite child. He respects his elders.' A mix of human and immortal thinking, smashing together and nearly overloading her circuits in the process. After but a moment of deliberation, she steps past Sync and walks inside.
Immediately, she seeks out a booth and rushes him over, snatching one of the paper menus from a stack on a small table near the door in the process.
SCIENCE. No wonder Maria loves it so, it sounds just like SCIONS.
Sync glances at the demi-goddess with slightly raised eyebrows at that hint of aggravation in her voice. "That was nice of--him? Her?" The sex of this individual hasn't really come up, after all; they've been using gender-neutral pronouns up until now. "It *does* smell good in here, so if the taste lives up to that, please send my compliments their way."
No, Maria, this little green replica does not worship you. He's just being polite, not so much because it's an Ion thing to do (though it is), but because Sync knows that he's going to be asking a rather large favor of Maria, and you don't act like a jerk to someone you want to do something for you. He does give her a quizzical look as she just stands there for a moment, but shakes it off when they head on over to their booth, and takes a menu of his own.
"They have quite a selection here," Sync notes, looking over the hot sandwiches and strombolis and calzones as well as just freakin' pizza. "Would you like to talk before or after we eat, Maria?"
Lies, Maria loved science before she knew she was a scion! On the other hand, science is practically in her blood. "Him. He was Chibodee Crockett, the Gundam Fighter of Neo America." She speaks a little strangely when she says this too, as if trying to pronounce each word /epically/. The /correct/ way.
"Let's talk before, it'll take some time for them to make our pizza anyway." The restaurant isn't that crowded from the looks of it, so they probably wouldn't have /that/ long to wait before whatever they ordered came. Meanwhile, Maria eyes the menu and immediately settles on the offering they have designated as their 'supreme deep dish'. This is, of course, the monster pizza with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, mushrooms, onions, the works, on it. "Order whatever you wish, this is all on me, of course."
Not that she expects Ion to contest her bill or anything. That'd be silly.
If Maria says she wants to pay, Sync is willing to let her pay. He's lightened up some since adopting Ion's life, but he's still not the soft-hearted dope that the seventh is. "Oh, thank you," he thus says with a smile, perusing the menu and thinking he might try one of these calzone things. The Italian one, maybe, because Sync enjoys ("enjoys") exercising his sense of irony.
"Oh, I see," the replica adds. "Is it all right if I ask what you were meeting with him about? Of course, I understand if it's a confidential matter; I wouldn't want you discussing our business openly, either." In which Sync both asks politely about Maria's other goings-on and also makes it clear what he's asking her is between just them. The nice thing about restaurants is that there's low-level conversation all over the place, so it masks your own conversation as long as you aren't too noisy about it.
"In any case... I don't know if you'll be able to help me out personally. But since you're in charge of the IPA, I think if anyone would be able to help me find someone who *can*, it's you." Sync lowers his menu and gives the demi-goddess a slight frown. "Strictly speaking, it's not me with the problem--it's Anise. More specifically, it's her parents, Oliver and Pamela Tatlin. They are in a *very* large amount of debt."
Maria can probably see where this is going.
Again, paying is the least Maria can do in this situation. And it wasn't as if she was hurting for cash at all. Novels pay well, as does being a lawyer. A good portion of that wealth usually tended to get reinvested in the future.
"Just business." Maria says dismissively, "Confidential matters, really, it's nothing you need to get involved with." Shrugging, she waves a dismissive hand. And Maria knows that very well, Sync! It's also why she picked a booth to speak in since he wanted something a bit more private. Of course, people could still listen in if they wanted to.
Help? This gets a raised eyebrow. "...really? She's never said anything about this." She doesn't like the sound of that at all. Her own mother was in debt most of her life while she grew up. She was in debt to the /wrong/ people too and she witnessed this first hand. "That is a bad position to be in. Debt is an effective way to get a person to do something they normally wouldn't consider."
She narrows her eyes. "So you come to me asking to do something about this debt, then."
They could, yes, but the type of people who are stalking Maria could potentially listen in on them no matter *where* they go, and they're Sync's allies anyway (and actually /know that/ by now), so no point in letting a little well-founded paranoia get in the way of a nice meal.
"It's not something that Anise likes to broadcast," Sync replies, shaking his head slightly. Really, who would, with idiot parents who honestly think that if the guy who sold them this cheap bridge needed the money badly, it's for the best that they gave him all their money? And then, when they get their regular stipends from the Order, basically donate it all back to their religion, not as a way to pay off their debts, but just because they're such pious people. It's a wonder that such stupid people ever survived long enough to breed, but now it's Anise's cross to bear.
Well, hell if Sync will just sit back and let her suffer, not in the *least* because he knows Mohs is highly likely to use them to force Anise to act against him. It's cold logic as well as warm emotion.
"Yes," he confirms, nodding to the demi-goddess. "I haven't told Anise I meant to come to you about this; I think her pride wouldn't allow it." Never mind that she's freely searching for a rich man to sink her gold-digging claws into. "But her parents are *extremely* gullible, and have very little financial sense. They were originally tricked into their debt. They're managing to get by now because someone helped them out; that someone is Grand Maestro Mohs."
The shape of it should become clearer now, with what 'Ion' told Maria before about Mohs.
Of those possibly listening...yes, some would already know about Sync-Ion.
"I could imagine, that would be pretty embarassing." And Maria asssessed that the IPA didn't have that sort of level of trust with Anise. The level of trust, at least, that would prompt her to share such problems with the rest of them. Given who makes the IPA, several people probably would have offered their help before a single pillow even hit the garage sale. "...ah, Mohs, the man I've heard so much about yet have yet to meet. I don't think he would be a very pleasant person to be indebted eto either."
Anise is, for a thirteen-year-old girl, fairly slow to give her honest trust to people. She's also the one who is the hardest on traitors, which is hilarious considering her position. But yes, if Anise *did* make her problems known, at the very least, Ninten would probably be offering to give her ludicrous amounts of money saved up from all those times his faceless father sends him money. Or maybe Ness could, in preparation of seducing her from Sync out of sheer spite.
A faint smile. "Mohs is... a very dedicated clergyman," the replica says. "But in his dedication to the Score, he tends to value the big picture over the small lives affected in the short term." Sync shakes his head. His tone is kept calm and neutral, but Maria might be able to sense his dislike for the Grand Maestro more than when he had told her about Auldrant's issues. With her truth-sensing abilities, she'll also be able to hear both sincerity and concealment in his next words:
"In this sense, I fear Anise and her parents may become casualties to his dedication. It's something I have considered doing something about for some time, but as I encountered someone recently who confessed to being sent by Mohs to spy on me, I feel that I should put thought into action as soon as possible."
Teenagers are like that. Maria would know! She had one in her band in the form of BOWEN. Granted, he was more upbeat than the regular teenager and never seemed to have gone through that whole 'emo' phase (no, that came AFTER the scion of Tezcat killed his mother). In a way, he too turned out to be a traitor, though the commonalities between Anise and Bowen end there.
She /immediately/ picks up on his dislike, though his words concerning his trouble with Mohs as of late ring true. How interesting, a priest trying to put a leash on not only the iconic religious figure of their order, but of someone so closely connected to him. Why, Mohs could easily manipulate Anise into spying on Ion, couldn't he?
A smile, a not very /nice/ smile slides across her face and Maria taps her fingertips together. "Oh, we can indeed take action." she grins, "I must thank you for alerting us to this, I'm sure you realize what a serious problem this could develop into."
It's not even that Sync dislikes Mohs for being a murderous bastard, but then, he wouldn't actually come out and say 'oh yeah and i hate mohs because he made a replica of ion, i.e. me.' Though to Mohs' credit, he wasn't actually the one who came up with the brilliant idea of disposing of the reject replicas by throwing them still alive into the mouth of a live volcano. That was, you know, just his aides, which is almost as disturbing. Seriously, you have to be a freaking sadist to think that's a good idea. At least euthanize the poor little bastards first, geez.
Oh, Maria. You're a horrid, cunning, perceptive bitch. Sync likes that about you. He hadn't wanted to say directly about just how much Mohs already has Anise under his control, so the fact that Maria takes the pieces and fits them together after a few minutes of conversation has him very pleased indeed. He smiles back--not the sweetest expression ever, either--and folds his hands on the edge of the table.
"No, I just want to be sure Anise and her parents are safe," he reassures her, which is half true; he *does* want Anise and her loved ones safe, but that's certainly not *all* he wants. "I'll speak with the Tatlins directly. Is there anyone for you who comes to mind at the moment who might be able to help them with their debt issues, as well as teach them how to manage their money--and charity--more wisely?"
A half-truth, why, is that a bit of /spite/ Maria is picking up there? There were several strong indicators that there was definitely internal trouble with the Order of Lorelei. "Well, I do know a few CPAs that could use the business. The IPA has several contractors as well that could be of assistance. As for Anise's parents...well, they've been working so hard lately, I'm sure, and probably wonder and worry about where their daughter has run off to."
She quiets as the waiter drops by and she passes on their orders. When he leaves, she resumes.
"I think they should both take a vacation in the near future and see the sites of the Hub."
That *is* some spite there. Spite is the spice of life! It would seem, though, that Ion isn't as sweet as he seems on the surface. Perhaps it's a result of his recent traumatic experiences at the hands of Millennium, and his own stated desire to become stronger. (At least, that's the impression that Sync wants to convey.)
"That sounds like a fine idea. I'll insist upon it, in fact. Anise is important to me, so of course I want to be sure that her parents are well taken care of. Of course, they'll need very careful, very *tight* budgeting," the Faux Master replies once the waiter is gone. "So perhaps they'd do well with a competent guide? So they make the most of their vacation, of course."
He smiles. "Since Anise is a proxy with the IPA, I think it would be reasonable for them to take up some temporary work in the Hub for the IPA on behalf of the Order as they work on their debt problems. It would be more convenient for the CPAs and contractors to not have to travel all the way to Daath once their vacation is over. *And* it would allow them to spend more time with their daughter, and it would be a great help to me as well. What do you think, Maria?"
He looks so innocent, doesn't he? Maria knows better though. She already knows he's a liar to some degree-about small things too, like his age, which was a bit suspicious. Why would he willfully do that /anyway/? Perhaps even this young child had plans of his own.
"Oh, we will keep an eye on them. As a member of the IPA, we can afford to at least offer the loved ones of our agents some protection. It's just best practice considering the enemies we're up against." And Maria already knew that the Syndicate was not above putting out hits on people such as her own interns.
"Travel is expensive." she concurs in regards to the moving CPAs. It wouldn't be good to send them in there given the world was a bit on the hostile side and Mohs probably wouldn't appreciate such overt workings against him. No, a situation such as this needed a more delicate approach. "Sending a CPA there would not be a wise move. I will extend my invitation and offer to speak with them as soon as possible.If I can not do it in person, then I will at least have someone in the finance department take over in my stead."
Plans? Oh yes. All sorts of different plans. At least she knows that 'Ion' only tends to lie about small details, and aside from the occasional whopper (such as "I am 14 years old") is otherwise honest. Of course, the devil is in the details, but...
"Yes. The Syndicate, and the Black Alliance..." Sync replies seriously, nodding once. Then he smiles. "I'll pass along the invitation on your behalf if you like, Maria--explain to them my wishes in the matter, so that the offer doesn't seem to come from nowhere. I think the Tatlins would be honored to do what they can on behalf of the Fon Master."
Hopefully that will include 'listen to your CPA when he tells you "don't spend all your money on tourist junk, geez"'. This is a matter that Sync hopes will get resolved ASAP--in a week's time or less, ideally, given as it *is* a rather last-minute decision, and Mohs is sure to interfere once he gets a whiff of it.
That prompts Sync to think of something else, and he adds, "I may have Locrian Colonel Asch assist in seeing the Tatlins safely across the Gate. He is a God-General, but we get along fairly well, and he is handling a couple of other minor tasks for me as well, currently. I don't believe it would be out of line to request his presence in protecting the parents of my only Fon Master Guardian as they do proxy work for me in the IPA--but I'll speak with him myself. We have something else that needs discussing, regardless."
People don't lie unless they have something to /hide/ of course.
"Good good, I was about to suggest that actually. Me simply appearing to make that offer would not be so convincing, I'm afraid, especially since the IPA isn't that well known an institution on your plane." Or on most planes. The whole 'plz suppress your presence so the general populace is not aware that alternate worlds exist' is a pretty popular request. Complete suppression often isn't that necessary, in most cases the law enforcement was the only ones really involved in IPA matters.
"Very well." she nods, on the subject of Asch. "Do send him my way at some point so I can meet him?"
It's a request that, if Mohs were in charge, would have been sent Maria's way already. Sync, on the other hand, *wants* Auldrant to know about other planes. Other planes help wreck everything--although he's already seen one instance of someone from another plane appearing in the Score... Well, in fairness, it could be a coincidence, but Sync doesn't believe in there being coincidences in the Score. It's made everything more complicated, but why not? Let's turn the whole damn /works/ pear-shaped.
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not certain how much of her current duties Anise has explained to her parents, so it would be much more convincing if the Fon Master himself spoke with them," Sync replies, nodding in agreement. As for Asch? "I'll be sure to do that. He's been very involved in other planes--especially the one where the Luke you know hails from--so I imagine he may have his own things to discuss with you as well. However, I'll leave that to his discretion."
Maria goes silent again, this time as the pizza and Ion's calzone come. They are steaming hot and they smell very good. After the waiter has left, Maria listens, then smiles a wry smile.
"Other planes? Other planes that /aren't/ time-shifted versions of his own?" Because seriously, Maria honestly thinks that those are two different camps. The latter would involve nasty dealings with fate that could have serious (or good) reprocussions.
"Of that much, I'm not certain," 'Ion' replies wryly after thanking the waiter with a polite smile for the food. The calzone smells *delicious*, and it reminds Sync of how many hours it's been since he last ate. Still, the calzone is pretty big, so he's fairly sure he'll have *some* leftovers. It's just about time for him to check up on Staccato, too; maybe afterwards, he'll take those leftovers to him, if he's still in as good a mood now as later. Otherwise, he can just give it to Anise. Either way, he picks up the cutlery rolled in the napkin and removes the fork and knife, then begins to cut a small piece out of the end.
"That's why," he continues, "I said I'll leave it to his discretion." Then the young replica smiles. "Shall we leave the rest of this discussion until after we've eaten? I think we've said what needs to be said, but it should give us time to mull over matters and remember anything we might have forgotten." Not likely in Maria's case, what with her perfect memory, and Sync is quite sure he's touched on everything he wanted to. Still, better to leave it open-ended, at least until the end of dinner.
Maria purses her lips but decides to abstain on making the catty comment on the tip of her tongue regarding Asch and...well, a good deal of people from 'Ion's set of worlds. Carefully cutting a slice of her pizza, the use of silverware ends there and Maria carefully scoops up one of the thick slices of pizza in her hands.
The food is devoured with what appears to be considerable experience in eating deep dish pizza. "That would be advisable." she says, after carefully chewing and swallowing a big bite. "It's rude to talk while eating, after all."