(open) catch-all

[zauneyete]

WHO: Silco & others!
WHERE: Focused on Stygia -- particularly Mirth and the Markets
WHEN: Throughout November!
WHAT: Catch-all for the month! There are some open prompts within!
WARNINGS: Drug references, probably also references to multiple criminal activities. I'll add anything particular if it comes up!

[ If none of the below prompts tickle your fancy, and you'd like one, feel free to hit me up on my plotting post or on plurk at hundreds, or of course, just wildcard it! ]

Comments

Ⅰ - Mirth

[zauneyete]

[ It always starts small. There's no expectation, and no plans in the early days of an operation. Sure, there were all the grand plans in the afterlife, but one had to be realistic, and understand that there were things that one did not understand yet. This world was truly vast, and unknown, in a way that the Eye of Zaun was not used to. He had the basics, but this was like moving to another land entirely, and Silco had lived in the undercity his entire life. It's like being caught on the backstep, and he's had to start compensating, heavily. Starting out is difficult, but it's easier than the first time he'd started an operation from the ground up. He's done it twice now, twice from relatively nothing, and the third time was no more challenging than the last two. Sure, the challenges were different than when he'd been a boy, establishing the lanes, or an adult, putting together a shimmer operation in secret -- but they weren't harder.

And information... that was worth something. It was a good way to get his fingers on the pulse of this place, it was an even better front for any other activities, and he wouldn't want to start an operation without a front. Not in a place like this, and not with the Hierarchy breathing down the necks of those they suspected of "heinous acts", and well -- Silco certainly looked the part, didn't he? Between the eye, the scars, and the clothes, he was the picture of someone to keep an eye on. Therefore, the key was to keep his head down. At least until he had sufficient power to stand up to the Hierarchy properly, at least.

Head tipped, he listened to the child, with dirty feet, who spoke to him. He's in an alley -- somewhere off the beaten path from Mirth, but close enough that the music filtered from the bars close by. The kid doesn't look any older than 13, and Silco's down at his level, crouched, listening, his shoulders hunched as he listened, before he pulled a coin out from his pocket -- payment from the star metal -- before he handed it to the kid. Quick as can be, the child is gone, and Silco lingered in the alley, paced occasionally, smoked some truly foul-smelling cigars, and waited for the next feeler to come by. He'd passed a few coins about to the inhabitants -- generally the young adults and teenagers who looked like they were lurking in the city's streets -- to get the word out that any prized pieces of information, anything that was truly unique, there was coin to be had.

So far, not much luck, but these things never happened immediately. If approached, he will turn, and look at the interloper in the alleyway, a lift of his chin, in invitation to come close. He's expecting a secret, but you're welcome to disappoint. ]

I just finished Arcane and need CR with Silco! (Kainé will probably remind him of his daughter)

[pissoffbook]

[Leaned against a building in the alleyway, Kainé watches the exchange. She's surprised to see a man who looks as badass as this guy seeming to cater to younger people.

When he meets her yellow-grey gaze and lifts his chin, she drops her crossed arms to her sides and casually strolls towards him, her heels clicking on the cement.

The woman who approaches him is dressed in lingerie and heels with bandages wrapped around her left arm and leg. In her silvery-white hair, she wears a flower with a magical quality to it.]

What's a tough-guy like you doing out here with a buncha kids?

yee, I hope you liked it!! (And yes, she uh, absolutely will :')

[zauneyete]

[ Silco had just handed off a coin to one of the younger ones, and an extra for the information -- something to do with movements from the Hierarchy -- they were much more well informed, and younger folks saw... everything, and most paid them no mind. It was the way of cities, and Silco had been a Sump Rat in one of the worst of them, grown up scrabbling and scraping until he was at the top.

So an extra coin could go far, he well knew.

He straightened from his crouch, and only blinked with one eye at the person who walked up to him. Ostentatious, wasn't she? He leaned against a wall, and pulled a cigar out from his jacket. It's an idle motion, and he doesn't take to lighting it quite yet. ]

Paying them for their work. [ He said, casually. ] They tend to be ignored, and see a great deal more than people give them credit for.

I loved it! And are you familiar with Nier? Kainé is also kinda cray cray but not as bad as Jinx lo

[pissoffbook]

[Being ostentatious isn't the reason she dresses like this. She has her reasons, namely the state of her body.

He's right. Children notice more than adults give them credit for. Kainé could always hear the adults in the Aerie whispering how she was some kind of demon or witch when she was ostracized from the village as a little girl. How they would close their windows and doors whenever she came into the village to get Grandma's medicine. Or how they hushed their children away from her.]

Nice to see some appreciation for the younger ones. They got it the roughest.

[Kainé would know. She was on her own for years after Grandma was murdered. Kainé stops before him and crosses her arms under her bust.]

[[ooc: lol Kainé is getting in with all the bad dudes. She's also hanging around the Darkling.]]

I'm only familiar by rp-osmosis, but I've gotten the vibe before lmaoooo

[zauneyete]

They do. [ He agreed. Of course, Silco wasn't... kind to children. He was putting them to work after all, but well. At least then they could eat. He remembered being a starving sump rat, and how he'd had to work for the topsiders to just feed himself when he'd been a boy. He'd worked hard to get out of there -- learned to read, learned logistics, all the skills that served him well as an adult, but none of them were thinks dead children would learn.

He tipped his head. ]

Besides, they don't really have many ways to safely make coin. At least this way, they can eat, hm?

[ And he got information in return. Silco was always focused on the business deal, but he wasn't opposed to putting these kids to work for it.

He snipped the end of his cigar, before he pulled out a match, and lit it. ]

Worried about them?

cool! at least you know a little!

[pissoffbook]

You're damn right there. I didn't make decent coin until I could kill Shades.

[Kainé didn't have the luxury of brokering information. No one would talk to her. She wasn't welcome in towns and villages with the exception of Fascade. But even then, she felt weird about entering the city.

She looks away briefly when he asks if she's worried about them. Sure, she's got a little bit of a soft spot for the innocent. People like Emil, but she's also got a fucking image to maintain.]

I'm not the motherly type if that's what you're wondering. I just... know what it's like.

[zauneyete]

[ Silco lifted an eyebrow, since that was precisely what he'd been getting at -- or at the very least, the sisterly type. ]

Hm. It's rare, that people understand that.

[ He was sure there were some that would say he was doing the wrong thing, by paying them for their work, or putting them to work at all, but Silco wasn't one for charity -- the concept itself was an insult. He'd worked since he'd been a boy, but some people still gave him looks. He was sure they didn't approve, but... he didn't really quite care about that. ]

Were you an orphan, or a runaway? [ He asked, his tone questioning. ] Not many kids are left on their own like that.

Home from anime convention!

[pissoffbook]

I was kicked out of my village as a young girl for being... different.

[She doesn't seem keen to continue the explanation of how she is different, so she continues talking.]

Village was a shit-hole anyway. I managed, once I learned how to kill Shades.

[She drops her arms, placing a hand on her hip.]

I'm Kainé. You got a name?

i hope you had fun!!

[zauneyete]

Hm.

[ He says. It's a descriptive tone, half a grunt, and half a note of thought. Where had he heard something like that before? Ah yes. Of course.

She's not the first person that Silco has met, that has had a similar... experience. On the one hand, interesting, but on the other... he wondered if they had all were truly so different than the people who ostracized them? ]

Silco.

[ He mentioned, as an afterthought. No last name. Most here had given them. ]

What are shades?

[ He was learning about all kinds of monsters lately, he might as well learn about more from other worlds, too. One never knew. ]

I did! Except the migraine I got the first day

[pissoffbook]

Silco.

[She repeats the name and nods. It's foreign, different from the names of her own world.

Kainé doesn't seem phased by the lack of last name, she doesn't have one after all.

Of course he would ask about Shades once she brought it up. Her hand clenches into a fist.]

Shades are... monsters. Monsters that deserve nothing more than a painful, agonizing death!

[It's clear she's got an immense hatred for the creatures, and the look of rage on her face pretty much confirms it.]

oh no! That's the worst!

[zauneyete]

Alright.

[ He held up a hand, as if he was worried she was going to make an association between him and these "shades". Just in case she was worried about it. Since she was so angry about them, well.

Good to just make sure. ]

What makes them monsters, though? [ The lift of a single, real eyebrow. ]

[pissoffbook]

[Don't worry Silco, she won't mistake you for a Shade. She'd know if you were one.

Kainé gives him an almost crazed look, but it's not directed at him.]

There's no way I can ever forgive the monsters that killed Grandma. If it's a Shade, I'll kill it! End of story.

[After her outburst, she seems to calm and offers a bit of a sheepish look.]

Ironically, I share a body with one, along with that goddamn shadow-me that I woke up here with.

[Kainé raises an eyebrow and looks at him questioningly.]

What about you? What's your story?

[zauneyete]

[ Silco still didn't know what a shade was, other than a monster. He blinked again (with a single eye), but didn't press, as she was clearly... well.

Upset about them. He didn't know her "Grandma", but he did understand revenge, and that was enough for him to roll a shoulder -- half a shrug -- in acceptance of the statement. At least, until she said she shared a body with one.

More oddness from this already odd realm. Something Silco didn't understand -- these odd things, odd people, odd powers. So different than his very normal and not weird world. They had logical things, like mutating pollution, shimmer, and hextech. That all at least he could understand.

Bodysharing, and powers, were something else entirely. ]

That's inconvenient.

[ He said, playing along. After all, he still didn't know what it was. ]

As for me, I'm an industrialist. Nothing really more than that. Certainly not someone who goes out to kill... "shades" of any sort.

i.

[lackluster]

[ Mirth has an energy that reminds him a whole lot of Liyue, but not in the good way. It's electric, eclectic, a myriad of vices jampacked together with what little space there is left in Stygia. Everywhere he looks, there's something vying for his attention. It doesn't matter if he feigns disinterest. No one cares around here. Once they're interested in you, they'll do whatever it takes to lure you in.

Unluckily for all of them, Tartaglia is here with only one goal in mind. He met a man across the tempetuous waters not too long ago who offered to do business with him one way or another. Silco looked the part of a bad guy, and Tartaglia, well, he can't deny that's why his curiousity is piqued.

Silco told him that if he couldn't find him in Mirth, then all he had to do is ask around. What he doesn't expect is to find kids — some no younger than his own little brothers and sister — pointing him towards where he could find the scary man with coin. He finds out from the smallest one that Silco had been paying them for information, no matter what kind.

It figures. This guy had no lines he wouldn't cross, going as far as taking advantage of those who can't defend themselves. He doesn't like that, but he's here anyway, so he might as well find out what Silco has in mind.

He steps in the alleyway while Silco is waiting for the next kid to drop by. ]

Oh? [ Malicious amusement coils itself in every syllable. He seems a bit different from the man Silco spoke to by the shores, closer to the feral creature he saw at first. ] You smoke cigars too? You truly look the part of a villain. What's next? Are you going to welcome me to your lair?

[ As much of a lair this dinky alleyway can be, anyway. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Silco's lips quirked in that ghost of a smile, as if he was only briefly amused by it, before he took a step back into the alley -- let the shadows of the buildings cut over his head, and make his eye glow in the dark, matched by the cherry of his cigar. It's a silent welcome, but it really could be seen as welcoming him to his lair.

Silco did exude the presence of a big, bad boss. He knew he did, and if he could lean on it... he would.

How could he not, after all? He had one lever that he could pull, and he wasn't exactly going to pull in any accolades, positions, or power out of the goodness of his heart, so this was the way to go. ]

Tartaglia, yes?

[ He blew out a trail of smoke, and it drifted up, and into the heh dead air above them. ]

I wondered if you'd think to hunt me down when you made it here.

[ He appraised him, looked him up and down. ] I don't think you came by out of only curiosity, did you?

[lackluster]

[ When Silco leans into the villainous vibe, Tartaglia can't help but laugh. At least this man knows what kind of presence he exudes, and that's already so much better than some of the members of the Fatui who likes to pretend they're anything but bad guys at the end of the day. Straightforwardness is something he will always appreciate.

So he'll be straightforward in return. ]

Nope. I'd say boredom is part of it. Maybe restlessness too.

[ He waltzes closer since Silco practically "welcomed" him in, head tilting to one side. Given how he carries himself, you'd think they were just about to have a casual conversation. ]

So? What are you after?

[ Because that's what it boils down to, right? Silco must want something from him — something only he can offer. He might as well hear it whether that's his strength or something else entirely, since he's already here. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Silco appreciated that the man was at least not turned off by the way he presented himself. Some were so... stuck in these narrow little ideas of "good" and "bad", instead of what was practical, and what must be done. Silco had never thought of himself as evil. Perhaps driven, and perhaps willing to do things that most would consider "wrong", but he'd done the "right" thing, and it hadn't gone well, had it?

He'd played by the rules, and the rules had come crushing down on him, a clapback for daring to try to upset the status quo that had relegated him to being little more than a dirty thing to be thrown away once it was used up. Just like the rest of them in Zaun.

So yes, he didn't mind the presence he exuded. It was a part of who he was. It was a part of Zaun, with its toxins and sharp edges. It was something Silco had brought with him to this odd afterlife, and something he would continue to carry with him. ]

Ah, yes. [ Straight to the point. He did so enjoy working with people who were similarly driven. ]

What have you heard of the Hierarchy?

[lackluster]

[ It's not like Tartaglia has any room to judge.

Despite his appearance, he does work for a shady organization that had even shadier ideals, but he isn't ashamed of it. If anything, it's one of the things that make him really proud and honoured, that he was chosen to be one of the Tsaritsa's Harbingers. The very fact that she's one of his tethers should be proof of that.

That said... ]

The Hierarchy? [ Talk about another shady organization. His eyes narrow. ] Aren't they the ones that govern this place? They must be the military too, if they have warriors in their ranks.

[ He hasn't heard much, but it's not like he specifically went sniffing around for extra information. All he knows is what your everyday Joe will know; nothing special. ]

What's your business with them?

[zauneyete]

Yes, the authorities. [ ACAB. ]

I don't know if you've heard, but they like to flex their strength, and they're more interested in swinging their power around, as opposed to actually doing much to help people.

[ Ok, Silco's perspective might be a touch skewed, but soon enough, it'll be apparent that the Hierarchy certainly isn't doing exactly the best for everyone. Silco's just quicker to call it out, because he doesn't trust the authorities. ]

My business is to be a thorn in their side, without getting caught. I want the weakness in their leadership to be bared for all to see.

[ Mostly because he wants them to fall apart. ]

[lackluster]

[ Isn't that how it always goes when it comes to governing bodies? Not all that surprising that this place is no different; Tartaglia knows he'd be deluding himself if he were to expect otherwise. Like Silco, he doesn't trust the Hierarchy at all, so at least they agree in that regard. ]

And why's that? Do you want them dismantled so you can do better?

[ He doubts that Silco is the type to go through that much trouble out of the goodness of his heart. It's almost laughable to suggest it. ]

I don't like getting involved if it's only to satisfy someone's self-interest.

[ It was almost miraculous that someone like Tartaglia had yielded to the Tsaritsa, but she had a vision, one that he whole-heartedly believed was for the betterment of Teyvat. He wouldn't have pledged his loyalty to her if he didn't think she had a chance of succeeding. Silco, however... He barely knows the guy.

At least he's still willing to hear him out. Maybe Silco knows something that he doesn't. ]

[zauneyete]

Me? [ He scoffed. ]

No. I'm not the type to take the place of the authorities.

[ Shadow power, maybe. He would take the place of a point of business, and make something great, that would make people powerful. He was a man of wit and numbers, but he was no cop, and the thought of it was enough for him to break out into hives at the mere thought of it.

Gross. ]

I want them dismantled, because they're abusing power. Looking down on us like we're nothing, like they're the only ones with the information. They tell us we need "soulmates" -- [ Airquotes included ] -- but don't do us the courtesy to explain why, and expect us to cut ourselves to figure it out. They throw us into the gallows, and starve some of our fellow restless for nothing other than wayward suspicion.

I don't intend to take their place, but I do intend to make the machine that thinks These acts are the correct way to lead a functioning city pay. [ He shrugged. ] I've run a city before, and even we didn't have as many problems with the enforcers, thanks to our own internal structure.

[ Technically true, but only because Silco had paid off the enforcers, and before that there had been a different deal. But still, it is something that Silco had arranged. ]

[lackluster]

[ Silco's answer has Tartaglia's complete attention. It isn't too different from what the Tsaritsa wants to accomplish but perhaps it's on a lesser grand scale. The differences lie, however, in what kinds of people both Silco and the Tsaritsa are. The Tsaritsa is a kind soul, one who had to harden herself for the sake of her goal.

To bring about world peace isn't the easiest task when there are so many variables she has to consider. Of course, the way Teyvat as it is now isn't anywhere close to ideal, but that's exactly why she's decided to dismantle Celestia in hopes of burning the old world to usher in a new era where everyone can prosper.

Tartaglia doubts that's what Silco wants here. ]

So, you wanna bring them down 'cause you don't like the way they do things around here?

[ Maybe he's off the mark, but he's pretty sure that's what it is. ]

What happens after you accomplish that goal? Who takes over this place if it isn't you?

[zauneyete]

Something like that. A bit more meaty than the way you've surmised it, I think. That I think we shouldn't be treated like inconveniences and be told to be quiet simply by merit of them being in charge.

[ He does hate them, because they're authority figures, but the Hierarchy wouldn't have drawn Silco's ire quite so quickly, or fully, if it weren't for the fact that they'd made such a few, dire mistakes, and he'd done some looking into their operations.

This wasn't the only time people had been thrown into the gallows, after all. ] Did you know that if you go to the gallows, they might even shove you off to be forged? Turned into nothing more than an item? To be used?

[ Silco was gathering information, after all. Reading, watching, listening. He'd had to, if he was going to get anywhere. ]

As for what happens after -- if a reform can't be reached with the organization itself -- looking less and less likely by the moment -- I would expect that the power vacuum would need to be filled. I can't foresee any individuals taking over, can you? No, I think no one person would be able to hold power, with so many of we restless in charge. More than likely, it would need to be selected by district. Although, I'm always open to other suggestions.

[ Did Silco want to run this place? Not really. He didn't care about this place, this Mirth, or these Restless. They weren't Zaun, and therefore, they were beneath his notice in terms of leadership. He didn't have a purpose here, not like he did when he'd been alive. Although... he could hew out a little place in Mirth, certainly.

But he did care about taking on the authority figures, when they were stealing people away, only to turn their souls to nothing more than tools. ]

[lackluster]

[ There it is: even though Silco isn't the Tsaritsa, he hits the nail on something that Tartaglia himself doesn't want to happen. The only one who is worthy enough to wield him as a weapon is his beloved Archon, and while she's so far out of his reach, he can't exactly allow some dubious organization to make use of him as they see it.

His eyes narrow, finally listening with sharper interest rather than the indifference he'd regarded the whole thing earlier on. He can't deny that Silco has a point. If the Hierarchy is allowed to continue as they are unchallenged, who knows how long it'll take before they start coming after the Restless?

(Apparently, it won't be that long from now.)

That said... ]

If you manage to pull that off, I'd say that would be an impressive way to do things around here. [ Not that he'll vie for a chance to be one of the leaders. Despite being a Harbinger, he's more useful as the vanguard than someone who calls the shots. ] Is that why you need me? To help you take the Hierarchy apart?

[ Someone like him is ever always drawn in by the call of chaos. ]

[zauneyete]

Do I look martially capable?

[ He asked it bluntly, his tone a touch sarcastic, slurred. Wire thin as he was, a streak of white in his hair, and age shown on his face, Silco didn't look like the type that had gotten used to soft living, and he certainly hadn't gorged on his position in a way that would leave him incapable of surviving -- but he wasn't exactly pumping iron, either. ]

I have a...need. The hierarchy has plenty of boots on the ground, those that are willing to simply throw we Restless in jail, or use their power to slap us down when we are..."unruly". [ Had he seen this? No, but Silco knew it happened. They were authority figures, after all. ]

I'm afraid that beyond a street brawl, I have little capability. You, however... were quite impressive, when you dealt with that Reaper.