eachdraidh | voice; unseelie.

Entry tags:

voice; unseelie.

Each day that goes by that we're waiting for something to happen is each day the Void gets closer to all of us. We lost all last month to fight against it due to the Black Shuck's orders, and now we're left scrambling to make up that lost time. Isn't that a bit too convenient for those who would have us die against our will, to squander the little time we've left?

I can't shake the feeling there's something more that's happening than we're being told, and more we ought to be doing than simply preparing. The least we could do for now is try to figure out what that is. If you've no experience with self-defense, then I can help with that; and if you have that, or at least some experience in finding your way through the woods without getting lost and setting off warning signs wherever you walk, then I suppose I'm your lieutenant, if you wish to scout our borders.

Either way we know something is stirring, and we'd better be prepared for it.

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[When the video clicks on, Katsa's just going to be rewarded with Hiro's face giving her the most skeptical look he's probably ever given her. He heard what she said, and part of him really agrees with that, but...]

Sure you're prepared to do some scouting on the boundaries out there? [Katsa please don't do something stupid.]

[ This is fine, this is perfectly fine. It's not like she's planning to cross over the borders or anything again.

nope

she definitely wouldn't have that idea ]

Of course I am. It's only scouting, Hiro, and I'm prepared.

[ it's not like she's planning more than only scouting ]

When has it ever been only scouting with you though? [Lady, he heard about your breakout debacle. Don't try to fool him. But he's actually sort of excited about the idea.]

Even if it's "just scouting" I wanted to check. Have you talked to Loki yet?

Look after yourself, Hiro. [ she says it mildly, but there's a hint of irritation there. she remembers. she remembers better than anyone, no matter how much she tries not to—and, well, that's maybe the problem. ] We've spoken briefly—he said he had some things for my use. Why do you ask?

I know exactly where I'm going to be and I'll be fine. [He frowns a little though because honestly, Katsa, he's just worried.]

And I'm asking because I kinda helped him make those useful things and I have one more useful thing for you to pass on before you take off. [Kinda helped in the sense Loki told him and he and Hiro discussed them, but details. He has other plans, too.]

[ Truthfully someone should be worried. She's restless and trying very hard to keep herself occupied and her mind on less pleasant thoughts, and that often makes Katsa even more prickly and impulsive than usual. She begins pacing but stops when Hiro answers her question. ]

Truly? [ The edginess slips from her tone and is replaced with her usual attitude toward him: surprised appreciation. (She needs to stop being so surprised at his innovations.) ] You helped? They are marvelous. [ ... ] Did you make the other thing, too?

[Considering the type of people Hiro associates himself with, there's a lot of need for worry. Not to mention the fact that they all seem to share that kind of quality to some degree. He doesn't say anything, watching for a moment and it's so bizarre to really see her so restless, like a wild animal pacing in a cage.

But he shoots her a tentative grin when she stops being touchy and responds, nodding again.] Sort of. We've been working on them for a really, really long time but those were mostly Loki's idea with a little bit of my magic. The other thing I have for you is something I created myself. You'll be one of my guinea pigs to see how it holds up.

[Hiro, the chances of Katsa knowing what the hell that means are very, very slim.]

You're not planning to turn me into something strange, are you...

[ Squinting at him suspiciously, but Katsa drops into a seat behind her and brings the locket closer to her face for a better look. After a moment of waiting, she seems to remember to add—quietly— ] Thank you. For the first gift.

Nah, not today. [It's hard to say if he's joking or not, but the grin he gives her is relatively calm. He could never do something like that to her but the moment she focuses he shakes his head in response to her gratitude.]

It's my job, Katsa. It's what Saber asked me to do and...since you're scouting and leading people out that way, the least I could do was make sure you were equip with some tools. It's why I made you this. [So. He's reaching off to the side, picking up what looks like a small knife. He's not explaining what it is yet but he's fiddling with it for a moment.] Be careful with this though. It's a prototype, but I think when you get back if you want it to be something else I can change it up.

[ By now Katsa knows better than to assume that knife is completely what it seems, so she bites back the instinctual retort regarding which one of them needs the warning on handling knives, or whatever it is that could be said, and instead sits for a moment waiting for Hiro to explain it for her. ]

Are you going to tell me?

[He sure will. But instead of looking at the locket, Hiro's actually looking at the knife suddenly with a perplexed (and slightly annoyed) look on his face. He picks it up, shaking the knife a bit and mumbling under his breath before he closes the switchblade and something occurs to him.]

Hold on a sec. [He's going to cut the locket feed suddenly.

It's a few moments before the video flickers back in, though Katsa may notice a few things. First of all, he's holding the locket in his hand as an indicator that he's no longer speaking to her through it, and secondly, it's a call from a different channel.]

Sorry, shoulda checked that first. So! This--[He holds up the locket]--is great for basic communication, right? But I kinda wanted to see what else I could do...back when everything went down and stopped working last year I started studying how the lockets' magic worked and started creating stuff myself. And even though everything works now I still wanted to see what else is possible. So...I tested some stuff, studied a lot more magic and now I want you to take this when you start scouting things out. It works just like the lockets but better. You can connect to our network and everything...but you can also see what the other side's doing. Their whole network. I checked it out already.

[So yeah. He hacked the system.] It's also a private connection and if you go through one of the networks I set up there's higher security, too. Annnd you don't have to talk to it anymore for it to send texts. Makes it easier to send messages when you're hiding out and don't want the people you're spying on to hear you. [He finally stops, grinning nervously.] What do you think? [It might be a bit much since Katsa never seems to really know what he's talking about, but he hopes it makes sense.]

[ katsa waits, impatient as ever, but she waits. and goodness is it worth the wait. ]

Great skies. [ she lets out one awed, wide-eyed long breath. ] Hiro. That's—well, compared to you I'm about as smart as the underside of a horse's ass. The other side doesn't know that we're seeing them? And I can send messages without worrying they will be seen or intercepted by anyone I don't wish to see it?

[Tada! For once though he's actually taking the praise gracefully instead of letting it go to his head and instead of responding with a quip about how he's smarter than most people. With Katsa, the response she receives is a small laugh and Hiro's hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly while the other holds the handle of the blade.]

It took me a while to figure out how to make it work, honestly. The magic of the Drabwurld's still complicated sometimes. [But he nods a little too enthusiastically.] But that's right. We're undetected since it's my own personal magic that allows us to weave into their network. If we don't draw attention to ourselves, we should be fine...I trust you not to antagonize them over the network and jeopardize us. And the messages can be sent to pretty much whoever you want, yeah. Anything sent out will be protecting your identity as will anything that'll come in. I need to make a couple of minor tweaks but it'll be ready for you before you go.

Thank you for thinking of me. [ a second time in only a few minutes, just as sincere as before, until her voice turns dry again. ] Don't worry. I've no intention of spreading the fact that we can see them so they can only block us out again.

This will be so useful I hardly know where to start. If it's a knife, do I see the messages on the blade?

You were one of the very first people I thought of when I started working on these. [Her and a few of his friends that are also known for wandering places they shouldn't go.] I wish I'd had it done sooner, but we'll make up for it.

[He gets up, walking to face a mirror so Katsa can see the knife in his hand and her own face reflected in the knife's blade.] The video and the texts are on the blade itself and I enchanted the handle for audio. The other reason is that you can fold it up and nobody will know the wiser. If it ever falls into someone else's hands, I can shut it down immediately so they can't have access to our information, too. [A pause.] It also works as a real blade in a pinch. I would have made it into a necklace or something but that would've looked pretty out of place on you.

[ That earns a grin out of her. ]

I'll use this far more than the locket. I'll keep it close, so I never lose it.

Do you know if any of the Seelie have something like this? I know they've another sort of communication, but I don't know if it can look at what we're saying, too.

Mm. Pretty sure those compasses can see what we're saying on our network, but they don't have access to my networks at all. I wish I had one still to see if I could override the creator's magic, but it's gone.

[He's not even sure where Jason put it.] Thing is? I don't know if they're smart enough to actually check in on us. It might not occur to them at all.

[ Katsa's face darkens the moment Hiro says the compasses can likely see what's happening on the Unseelie side, though the rest of what he has to say comforts her a little bit. Still, she's glowering. ]

I bet you could. I bet you could override it.

I wonder if I could find one for you to see...

[ hmmmmmmm... ]

They are supremely focused on their own selves above anything else.

Katsa, don't bother. [As much as he'd like to, he'd rather not run the risk of Hermione finding out he's screwing around with her magic, not to mention the risk of Katsa getting in trouble for stealing a compass.] If anything, I'm thinking about upgrading a bunch of people on our side with devices connected to my network so even the compasses can't see what we're doing. Beat them at their own game, y'know?

[A pause.] Not that everybody else would have access to their side either. That'd get too suspicious. ...but they are. I mean we're all focused on goals, I get that, but it makes you wonder how much they really know about what's going on here. [He shakes his head.] Tell me how this one holds up. I'll start seeing what else I can figure out.

[Another pause.] Loki and I trust you with these devices. Use them well and let us know how they work.

[ she waves a hand and really doesn't take the "don't bother" to heart. unfortunately there's a bit of a personal motivation for besting something of hermione's, and if the chance ever arose she could still steal one. even if hiro chooses not to do anything with it.

but the part about the upgrade doesn't sound like a bad idea.

katsa's gears are turning and she's clearly thinking about something, her eyes narrowed and focused somewhere off into the distance rather than on hiro. how much do the seelie know? and would it be possible for her to find out?

...it's definitely possible. she just needs to decide on how.

she snaps out of it. ]

Don't worry. I've no thought or desire to put you in any harm's way, Hiro, and I'll be careful. I'll tell you what I find out with them. Can I meet you somewhere to collect it?

[On the one hand, if she did procure one he'd want to tamper with it just to see if there's anything he can draw inspiration from. On the other, it's still a risk and...Katsa's one of their strongest shardbearers, not to mention someone he admires very much. If something else happened to her? It wouldn't be worth it just for that.

But he also knows Katsa will do whatever Katsa wishes to do (much like he can be) and so he lets it slide, assuming if she finds something she'll come back to him. There's a reason he's locked this conversation from all prying eyes, Unseelie and Seelie, after all.]

I didn't think you would, really. [Hence the part about trusting her. Trust is a thing he's working on a lot lately, but he doesn't think twice about Katsa anymore.] Where are you right now? I, uh, kinda got the ban lifted so I can travel a little more easily? I'm out at Diasbaile right now.

Edited 2015-08-20 21:38 (UTC)

[ She waves a hand. ]

Nowhere that you would easily find me. I'll come to you. When were your restrictions lifted? Did you do something heroic to earn it?

I kinda lifted them myself. It's a pretty long story...some people might call it heroic, but maybe it was a little stupid. I don't really regret it though. Anyway, I can meet you at the actual spire? It won't take me long to walk over there.

[ is it a good or a bad thing that sounds as though it could summarize a lot of katsa's escapades, too

...perhaps a bad thing ]

All right. Tell me about your stupid and heroic deed. I'll see you in a little while, Hiro.

You got it. I'll be waiting with your weapon and a story to match. [He flashes a bright grin at her before he cuts the feed completely.]

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