2020-04-01: Trust Is A Rare Commodity
- Log: Trust Is A Rare Commodity
- Cast: Josephine Lovelace, Lily Keil
- Where: Karlsefni
- Date: April 01, 2020
- Summary: Shortly after The Progenitor, Josie has a talk with Lily about things, and eventually gets to the heart of what's been nagging at her.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"...So it really was some kind of Odessa op, huh," Josie remarks to Lily, the side panel of the Nostos cannon opened to the world as she tinkers with the interior. She's mostly intelligible over the screws she's holding in her teeth.
Mostly.
The cannon had done the job nicely, but it had taken a few bumps and scrapes, and since she was doing some work on the exterior, she might as well do a little work inside.
"Mmm..."
She sets down the screwdriver for a moment, resting it against the exterior of the cannon. It sticks there; it (the screwdriver) is lightly magnetized.
She spits out the screws into her right palm, then starts the slow work of slotting them in, giving them a few turns back into place with her left hand.
"Kind of a pain in the ass sometimes," she remarks, only to shrug.
"...I guess Odessa's a pain in the ass sometimes, too. Anyway, they're not my problem. Those bastards from Solde I still owe at least a bloody nose or suchlike."
She grabs the screwdriver again, setting about the business of turning the screws properly.
"I told you about that ghost girl, yeah?"
She's been glancing up at Lily now and then, her expression perhaps difficult to read.
Pensive, maybe.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
What little trouble there is doesn't bug Lily; she's had plenty of time to get used to talking around repairs over the years anyway. It's fine. Super fine. And besides, Lily is looking over something herself. She has a cylindrical object that's almost like a weapon's barrel, the larger form of part of the object she used the other day, with the transformation.
"Yep. Direct for them. I don't look forward to whatever they've got planned with what they got away with." She glances over. And then--
"Yeah," Lily answers then. "...Heh. That thing is pretty effective, though. I'm still impressed that you got it working."
She thinks about it after a moment, setting down the weird object.
"Yes, you did. I've met her a few times myself." But she looks back over Josie. "...Something on your mind?"
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Loosely, Josie waves her bad hand in the air dismissively. "Look, I ain't too proud to say I got some help. That Shalune kiddo's got a right good head on her shoulders. Either she's gonna really change the world for the better... or the worse." A pause. "Besides, I learned a thing or two, here and there. This stuff here's not my specialty, sure, but you live and learn. Once you get down to it, it's just makin' it lighter and capable of firing on its own..."
Lily then asks if something is on Josie's mind.
For a long moment there is only the gentle intermittent 'squee' of the screws.
Then Josie rises to her feet, the screwdriver still held loosely in her left hand.
Ghost girl, for now, is the furthest thing from her mind.
"Yeah, there is. What was all that business with that armor, kiddo? You learn a new trick?"
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"That she does. I think for the better." A beat, and she nods. "Good work anyway," she finishes at the matter of the cannon, but...
The screws go. Lily waits. She listens, naturally, but with Josie on her feet...
Lily blinks, and looks up at her. "Uh...?"
She decides after a moment, "Yes. That, and some recovered tech I found here on the ship. I was able to interface with it; it looks like it's something the other me designed, something that my Ether could interact with. When I combined it with my other form..."
She gestures. "Well, that. I wasn't sure exactly what it would look like or what its limits were, but in the circumstances..." Well, it was pretty necessary anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Heh heh heh. Let's hope so, or we're all in for a world of hurt. ...Hey now, I said I ain't too proud to know where I've been had, yeah? Kiddo's a natural. Me, I'm," and she pauses a moment to pat the cannon with the back of her right hand, "...let's just call me a tinkerer, yeah? Always had an eye for takin' things apart..."
But soon Lily calls her out on her wandering eye (so to speak) and soon Josie rises to her feet to gaze at the younger woman.
"Really. Ain't that handy," she says, gesturing vaguely with the screwdriver. "Something of 'Sharon's', Tiger? Or d'ya reckon it was somewhat else that done it?"
She gazes at Lily for a long moment then, as if she were looking at someone else, nearly.
"...Heh. Lucky, that. It was a bit of a pinch back there but we made out just dandy. Dare say your little trick was a part of that. So,"
There's a moment now as she looks Lily over.
"Anything else you find back here that you've been saving for a rainy day?"
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"Tinkerer. Yeah, I believe that," Lily answers thoughtfully.
But Josie is looking at her. She notices that other look, that difference. Which nickname is it now? Which one will it be next?
"I can't be certain," she admits. "But it was able to interface with my markings, and I found it here on the ship, which I can operate, so..." She gestures, as if that explains about as much as is likely to happen.
"I'd been... avoiding using that kind of power, mostly. Since Gryndille. It felt different."
She shakes her head then. "Nothing that's useful yet. I've been working with some old books I found, trying to learn my--well, Sharon's old skills. It's a lot to catch back up on. But I figure, we might need this kind of thing upcoming."
"And it's good to have a connection to my past." She pauses. "Why?"
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Yeah... I noticed I hadn't seen it much or nothing," Josie remarks, idly toying with the screwdriver in her hand. "You reach some kinda epiphany?"
It is when everything got much, much stranger for Lily. As if circuit-board markings and wings of power weren't already weird enough.
"Yeah? You find anything useful in 'em?" A pause. "Like, anything more about this 'Eos Base' business?"
But it's not just that.
Josie just gazes at her a moment or three longer.
"Nothin'."
Pause.
"...Fine. You just... remind me of her, some. Always running off into your own business without explaining what you're on about." She smiles, and it's a bittersweet one. "Not until after the fact, leastwise."
She guestures towards Lily, again. "Listen. I get it. We're colleagues and Drifters, first. Trust's a rare commodity, even 'round people you've known a while. And me 'n you, we've got some rough business we ain't settled. Maybe that's how it'll be to the end. That's fair."
She still looks Lily straight in the eyes.
"But you gotta be out with this stuff. It changes planning, yeah? How we think about doing what we do."
Josie shakes her head.
"I guess what I'm saying is... I don't need you to spill your guts to me. Secrets are secrets. But if you learn something you can do, tell me. Or us. Whichever."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"Kind of. I feel better able to control it, now; it used to be that it was difficult not to use it under stress, sometimes. And these devices are helping with that."
Lily shakes her head after that, though; it's true that this is pretty weird, at least, but, "No data yet. I'm still going through the systems to see if I can uncover it. This is mostly just... pieces of old scrap and new scrap."
Nothing. But--Ah. Her...
"I... see," Lily answers, and turns a little more towards Josie, nodding. "...That's true," she admits. She doesn't hide from Josie's gaze, or look away. Instead, she looks thoughtful.
"...You're right," Lily admits after a moment, finally shaking her head. "Even if I didn't know exactly what it would be good for, if I'd mentioned it we could've planned for it. It's a logical issue."
"Well, more than logic. I won't pretend that's the only thing. I just got caught up in my work. It didn't really occur to me to mention it until it was ready. I guess old habits die hard when it comes to magic. ...More than magic, now."
"Well, I guess I'll give you the primer then, in case it's not clear. These markings are some kind of machine; without them, I get sick, but with them, they react to my magic. With the devices I used, I was able to tap into that reaction to power a set of ARMs as well as boost my abilities."
"...But, I do see your point. I'll keep it in mind, all right?"
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josie just sighs, all mock dejection. "Figured as much. Can't get that lucky, can I? Well, no matter. I'm still workin' on the basics. Maybe I'll get, heh, lucky again." She smiles at Lily, lopsidedly. "Gotta say... running into you two was really my lucky day. Not sure where I'd be otherwise. Definitely not with three outta four," and she pauses to look a little smug, as if recalling a conversation on Lunar a long time ago, "in my hands. Yeah?"
But the topic turns away from the subject of the data in the Karlsefni in general to the particulars...
...of Lily.
"Yeah. You see what I mean? Did that boy of yours know you could even do that?" She flashes Lily a bright grin.
"How're you two gonna get married, anyway, keeping on like that?"
She hasn't forgotten it seems.
"I've always wanted to bridesmaid, you know."
Really, really hasn't forgotten.
Her hand, screwdriver and all, rests on her hip. "Okay, then let's hear it."
Some parts of this, Josie knew -- or had sussed out.
The rest...
"Hm. So there's ARMs out there that are... resonating with you. Or your magic machines. I wonder if Sharon had 'em put in or something, once... Of course, the even bigger question's... how you got to be in the first place. You definitely were a kid once, right?"
Anyone can see the issue here. And yet... and yet, Gryndille knew her for Sharon.
"See? I'm always right," Josie quips.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"It was pretty lucky for you," Lily agrees with some humor. Ah, that smug look. "Almost certainly not." She thinks about mentioning it's not too bad for them, either, but the subject moves on. ...To Lily herself.
"He knows most things about my magic, but--" She laughs, at that, shaking her head. "I remember all right. Maybe once things quiet down with Odessa. Maybe."
Some part, Lily has mentioned, but she hasn't really combined all this information for anyone in particular before; those who know have just sort of gotten it because it's relevant. Here...
"Right. I assume something like that must've happened; I have them, after all, and Gryndille recognized me. Even interacting with it has changed things a couple of times." Pause. "But yeah, I was, I remember. Not the early years, obviously, but who does? And I had the markings, and my magic, back then... though when I was very young I didn't know how to focus well enough to do strong enough magic to activate them except when I was very upset."
Lily rolls her eyes. "Maybe I shouldn't have fed your ego."
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
To the marriage--
Well, not quite that, yet.
"Really? You keep on moving the goalposts, don'tcha," she remarks, giving Lily the once over. Something about her looks, for a moment there, just a little bit sad. "And just wait, after Odessa's done and dusted, you'll say we need to tackle Solaris next, yeah? Why not cut the poor boy a break and make an honest man of him?"
But she just sighs and shakes her head, toying with the screwdriver still in her hand again.
"Yeah. It did. Kinda makes me wonder..." She pauses, for a moment.
Then shakes her head. No sense dredging up old bygones.
"...anyway, as you were. ...Yeah, listen, I remember shit-all for the first five, six years of my life," she says, on the subject of memories. "And the rest mostly ain't remembering anyhow," Josie continues, twisting her mouth in a brief frown. "...But who knows. Maybe the ancients had some way of turning people back into kids. Or... something," she hazards blindly, throwing up both arms in a shrug. "Maybe it's your markings instead that it's reacting to. Maybe they're left over from Sharon. Guess we'll know more when we know more..."
Which is when Lily grumbles about her ego.
"I'll have you know that my ego is always in need of feeding and watering!" She reaches for her hip for a moment, as if to make a point of it, then realizes she's still holding her screwdriver.
Her only reaction to that is to laugh, shrug, and smile. 'Well, what can you do, sometimes', essentially.