Hello and thanks for all the fish

[whats_a_good_end]

[Honestly it'd been a stupid idea to tag along with Roger... especially when the world had just kept throwing EVERY SINGLE LITTLE THING that could've gone wrong her way.  Freakish monsters and magic and the Breaker getting fried like it had been... and to start it all off, being stuck in an underwater prison where death had seemed a very real possibility...]

... Just like that time, even.

[The testing accident that'd cost her her hand; a malfunctioning RE Drive had had caused a test-type Breaker to spiral and crash into the ocean...and a day and a half in a slowly-flooding, crushed cockpit .  Water and tight spaces.  Joy.  But at least it was over with.  And the rest of the day would be-]



... A message?

[Yep Ana.  You have one new message, sent from a certain Diana R.  Wonder what this could be about...]

[actual prompt 1]



So... how do I look?  Probably not amazing, but this was what I could do on short notice.

["What I could do" meaning getting dressed up as best she could in a fancy red dress with gloves to cover up her missing pieces.  There's still the lingering -but tolerable- smell of salt water and fish though.]

I got a message from my grandmother.  Commending me regarding the fight against Invicta and, just, well everything here.  Would've just deleted it but...

... Well, she mentioned having an in with the scientists studying the crystal monster stuff found in the Himalayas, and I'd like to have some answers.  About Kisaryth and... everything, I guess.

Wish me luck?

[onscreen demonstration of family being jerks, no comments necessary]

"And yes, I'm sure you don't mind?  This is my granddaughter, Ana."



Yes, thank you for extending this invitation and letting me come.  The theft of the Breakers and then the incident with the "Rootworms" were... very personal to me.

[And sure enough, waiting for her at a research facility is none other than her grandmother, Diana Racik, along with some of the facility's heads... People who in some way or another got to where they were thanks to said grandmother.  Whee for nepotism working in her favor for once, even if she's not happy about it.]

"No, no it's no problem.  We've actually been wondering just what the black sheep of the Racik family was really like.  And frankly, you stink."



I- what?

"Please Ana.  You look decent enough but that disgusting aroma you have...  Here I thought you'd be somewhat presentable and we could finally start making amends.  I thought your desire to actually find some meaning to what had happened to your colleagues would've let you put past misgivings behind you like I intended to as well... but... well...

"No matter though.  Everything worth salvaging from the incident in the Himalayas... and one other location for that matter, are here, being studied so we won't be so in the dark about this potential threat.  I've even had everything I think that could prove useful to you written down and compiled for your convenience."

[Papers are presented, and then as Ana reaches for them the're suddenly pulled back.]

"Oh that's right.  Ana, you haven't forgotten all the manners you learned as a child, have you?  Thanks are in order."



You're kidding.

"Oh no I'm not.  Learn to pay your dues, Ana.  That's the way society works; favors, debts, and loyalty.  You can go far if you remember those three things.  For instance-"

[All it takes is some minor gesture from Diana, and then suddenly Ana feels a warm wetness pouring down her head.  There's the scent of coffee, and when she tries to move a hand grips down on her shoulder, forcing her to stay there and listen to her accursed grandmother.]

"Ana.  Every time I've thought you were getting on the right track it was just disappointment after disappointment.  Enlisting but deciding to become a test pilot.  Becoming a combat pilot after the Breakers' theft but refusing every single olive branch offered you.  And look where it got you, betraying your stubborn 'I don't need my family helping me along' ideals.  It's pitiful, and that look in your eyes makes me worry even now you'll take nothing from this.  Frankly I have to wonder where we all went wrong with you...

"Of course, you're still a Racik.  Still my granddaughter."

[The documents are shoved into her hands, right before the rest of the coffee's contents get dumped out in one go, splashing all over them.]

"Here you go.  I wouldn't want you leaving empty-handed.  That would mean it wasn't worth your time coming here, wouldn't it?  You're welcome."

[actual prompt 2]

[And a while later, Ana finally returns... in an absolutely miserable condition.]



And fuck you too, grandma.

[The smell of Paradigm's harbor has been completely drowned out with the stench of rancid, bitter coffee... and accommodating stains on her face, dress, and a packet of papers that are clumped together.  Separating them isn't easy, and there are more than a few rips, Ana muttering in frustration with each one before she finally spreads them out on a table.  They're still legible, fortunately... with the title Preliminary Findings on Comparisons Between Specimen One and Specimen Two.  There's even pictures of the Rootworms... along with a different type.  And almost immediately she notices something worrisome...]



... The worms we fought... they're listed as "Specimen 2"...!

There was another encounter before that... months before...  not long after the Breaker program began!  And even if the worms looked different, they were fought in a mountain region and went after power sources!

[She wasn't sure what to expect from all of this, but this all is something else alright.  Maybe even worth her grandmother's gloating.]

Comments

2)

[not_a_prize]

So there's another one running around. And we'd probably know a bit more if the rest wasn't a mess either...

[Peola was clearly chomping on the bit here for more than one reason. She had her share of idiots for the day and feeling the secondhand loathing from Ana towards Grandma Racik as well as seeing her friend's current state.]

I can go punch her in the face if that would make you feel better. Just a quick jab and I can run off before they can catch me.

[whats_a_good_end]

That'd be great, believe me...

But having an in is nice, and considering what happened to your mom... well...

[not_a_prize]

Yeah...

[Peola grimaces, pressing a fist into an open palm hard. Ana could swear she could see a flicker of blue.]

Its just... I just want to be able to do something. I know she got us this information, but that old hag had no right thinking she could do this to you and get away with it.

[whats_a_good_end]

Next time -if there's a next time-, if you want to come along as an insurance policy by all means.

[And Peola gets a smile fom Ana. First one she's had since this trip to Paradigm, even.]

Or maybe we can just lock your family up with mine and hope for the best.

[not_a_prize]

If there is, I'll see if I can get someone to take a picture. Pretty sure someone has something that can do that.

[Peola couldn't help but snicker a little.]

Most of my family. Not all. But it'd be fun to see the brawl.

[whats_a_good_end]

It'd be more like a massacre, but I wouldn't complain. I'd even pay to see that.

[not_a_prize]

Yeah ...

[She pauses a while, pondering on if she should broach the subject.]

We should probably do something about the mess though. Do you think we can save your dress?

[whats_a_good_end]

Probably not... but eh, good riddance. I never really was a fan of it to begin with. Red's not a good color for me.

2

[jianai]

I'm surprised you didn't get angry.

[Ren uses a moist towel to help Ana with the worst of stains. In a mindful and inobstructive fashion, as much as you can while attempting to clean up someone who is reading documents at the moment.]

Many others would get, really angry even. I wouldn't blame them for it, either. Though... I suppose if you did, your visit wouldn't be as productive?

[whats_a_good_end]

I did. Still am, even... I'm just tired and I wanted whatever they'd give.

... And thanks.

[jianai]

You wanted it? Not for just for yourself, I think. This is the kind of information that looks useful for everyone.

[whats_a_good_end]

... It is. At least now I know there wasn't just one of them out there, so if any more show up.. it won't catch me by surprise.

[Only question now is how Kisaryth fit into this...]

[jianai]

What are their origins, though? Do the documents say anything?

[whats_a_good_end]

Well, they both emerged from mountains. Young ones, or so one of the white-coats noted. Beyond that though... nothing. Worse than nothing.

One note's like "hey, connection to mountains and faultlines so maybe they've got something to do with Kaiju" and then another is all "that's stupid, they don't have the same materials. They're old enough to be connected with the Dinosaur Empire." And just on-and-on.

Nice of my grandmother to give me notes plucked out from the researchers' garbage bins.

[jianai]

I suppose she made a habit of going through them. The bins, I mean.

[whats_a_good_end]

Or she went through all of that effort for me, instead of putting it towards something less bitchy...

[jianai]

Ah. That was a joke though. I was trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

Why does she treat you like that, Ana? I am sure I don't have to tell you this, but it's just not right.

[whats_a_good_end]

Anyone who gets where they are in the armed services thanks to their own effort would agree. But, my family... they're like...

There's two really big expectations my family has with their own. One: you enlist and you enlist to some combat role. And two: you let the family help you get some nice, cushy position after you've "paid your dues". Nepotism is sorta their "thing". Not on the same scale as what Loni's uncle could do but still just a whole lot of crap.

I didn't want to be part of that and that got me to be their black sheep. And this time? Them offering me an olive branch was just to pull me in for a sucker punch...

[jianai]

They have quite a system going, don't they? And one thing every system has in common is:

Repeat it enough times and it starts to look normal, and expected. No matter how corrupt it really is.

2

[a_louse]

[Roger puts an old-timey electric fan on the desk and turns it on. That should help with drying the papers.]

Now I know why you'd normally just ignore the invitation.

[whats_a_good_end]

That's my family and how they operate; all favors and loyalty and connections.

You know what I'm talking about, right? That part of the upper-crust that always is just doing things for itself?

[a_louse]

I know it very well. Even despite my chosen lifestyle of existing aside from Paradigm's society, I had more contact with them than I'd like.

[whats_a_good_end]

How do you deal with it then? There's so little... honesty to it! All a lot of false-promises and rewarding connections instead of effort... and if you go against someone's plans for you then you can kiss any number of things you might've taken for granted goodbye.

[a_louse]

I'm a negotiator. Whether they're rich or poor, you deal with a lot of dishonest people in this line of work.

[whats_a_good_end]

... So just powering through it. Don't know if I'll ever manage that, considering things.

[a_louse]

Didn't you just do exactly that?

2

[actuallyselfish]

Dido stares at Ana's condition, wide-eyed.

"I...just. Wow." She says. "I was gonna try and bond with you over bastard relatives...but your rich screwed-up family blows my rich screwed-up family out of the water!"

She sniffs at the air. "No, uh, pun intended. But did you get the info?"

[whats_a_good_end]

I got some stuff, yeah... Raises some new questions but now I at least know there's more than one of them.

... You've got a lousy family too though?

[actuallyselfish]

"I thought I did." Dido muses. "Most of my fellow Sybils are stuck-up arrogant asses that shun me...but they're such Drama Queens it's hard to take them seriously, you know?"

The Sybils...where have you heard that name before?

She gestures at Ana's dress. "And they never tried dunking me in coffee and ruining my dresses! Who does your family think they are? High school bullies?"

[whats_a_good_end]

[Sybils, Sybils... the name was sorta in the back of her mind but it'd been a long time since she'd spent serious time with her family. And the 'military' in the Raciks' 'military snob' identity came first.]

My grandmother and other people in my family who climbed the ranks have made a career out of helping forge other peoples' careers. In the right circles she has a lot of clout, enough to get away with crap like this.

Like... who's gonna raise an alarm? It's not like I got beat or blackmailed. She just wanted to be a bitch and lots of people are fine with that.