un: Dankovsky | video

[thantagonist]

[Daniil posts live from a café near the museum. He has no patience for typing responses, and his own visage should explain why. His nose has recently been broken and reset. He looks exhausted and irritated, but he has a duty.]

I need a couple people to come down to the café near that absurd museum with the sewn up fruit exhibits. Bring a stretcher, we have a patient who could use some more urgent treatment.

[From somewhere offscreen, a voice that is distinctly not Daniil’s states:] This Etrayan shot me in an attempt to get information I did not possess. I would appreciate his removal from my presence.

Now- That’s not true at all. That is not the reason you were stopped. [Daniil now regrets making a video, but what’s done is done. ]

Comments

[thantagonist]

That’s because my course of action was measured. Sacrifice a pawn, gain a queen.

Why who didn’t beat me up?

[badlydisarmed]

Castor. Unless he's the one that broke your nose.

[thantagonist]

Ah- No. No, that was an enforcer, and for the second time this god-forsaken week. Hence my motivation to speed this little mission along.

[badlydisarmed]

He didn't attack you? Why'd you shoot him?

[thantagonist]

He was getting away! Do you know how annoying it was to find him?

[Actually not that annoying, but the act annoyed Daniil massively.]

[badlydisarmed]

I can't imagine I'd have found it annoying enough to shoot him. But what do I know?

[ Now he has to treat an angry former bot with an identity crisis. Thanks Daniil. ]

[thantagonist]

[Is it even Daniil if he isn’t making stupid work for other people?]

You may have noticed that I am frequently more easily annoyed than others. Still. Sub ipsum fumus sumus. [We’re in the thick of it.]

[The common language should come through unimpeded, Daniil surmises.]

[badlydisarmed]

Why would that guy know anything? Wasn't he violently removed from his post?

[ He doesn't care about the political intrigue, this is what he's heard. ]

[thantagonist]

He knows where his own server room was. He knows his own security measures. He knows who did this to him, he just won’t say. I can feel it. My actions have narrowed down the search. Accelerator told me so.

[badlydisarmed]

And how did Accelerator obtain this information?

[thantagonist]

From me. I obtained the information and I gave it to Accelerator. And I believe Accelerator is smart enough to do the right thing with this information.

[badlydisarmed]

Yeah, he's a smart kid.

[thantagonist]

It’s not bad work. Everyone is ruffled, but I’ve secured us a victory.

[badlydisarmed]

I think it would bug me later if I didn't vocally disagree with that statement, so, just for the record. I disagree with that statement.

[thantagonist]

We’ll see. Tempus consilium dabet. [Only time will tell.]

[badlydisarmed]

How are you making friends while being worse than I ever was?

[thantagonist]

I’m smart and charming and I find it within myself to be outgoing. But more importantly, I try to help everyone I meet.

Don’t say anything about Castor. Ultimately I think this will be for his benefit as well. It just looks a little difficult from this angle right now.

[badlydisarmed]

Does it? Does it look a little difficult?

[ He's more amused than annoyed, but jesus christ. ]

[thantagonist]

It was difficult before this. Look at my face! It’s so swollen I can barely tell if my nose is set properly. I had to do it myself after an enforcer mashed it into the pavement. [He sighs.] It’s probably fine. I stopped the bleeding. I could feel worse. I promised Maya I’d go see a doctor. I’ll go bother that Polluxian one. Which- You’re not even from Etraya. Why does it seem like each bubble city only gets one doctor?

[He huffs. Certain patterns just continued to repeat, didn’t they.]

But at least now, we know where he is at all times. I am certain this will come in handy.

[badlydisarmed]

It looks set properly.

[ He agrees the doctor thing is insanely annoying. He really wishes there were more. ]

I'm gonna be honest, I don't give a shit about the whole drama with Castor. But to you think we can kidnap Abbott after it's all over?

[thantagonist]

I sure hope so, I did it myself.

Though that would be cruel, wouldn’t it? Taking the only doctor in this godforsaken place? Honestly, they should just evacuate Pollux. Scrape it off the map, start again. That AI must have been defunct from the start. Have you seen those apartments? It must be insane.

[He smiles and huffs into the mic.]

I always found you reasonable, Dr. Romano.

[badlydisarmed]

I did see the apartments. It's pretty obvious we all lucked out with Aurora.

[ Every other AI has been useless. ]

Maybe we can talk her into taking in whoever wants out. And Abbott, whether he wants to or not.

[ That's his new security blanket. He wants to keep him. ]

[thantagonist]

I thought our bubble was full of slackers, to be perfectly honest. I really had no idea how good we had it. I suppose I might not do anything either between missions if they’re always like this.

I’m going to be honest with you as my friend and doctor, I’m going to be drunk for a week when we get back. Or else we’re going to need to double whatever you’re giving me. This cannot be good for any of us, psychologically speaking.

[badlydisarmed]

It absolutely isn't. We need therapists so badly, but there is no way I'm getting myself into that mess.

People can start their own support groups.

Anyway this shit is why I can't be too prickly about people sticking to their meds. Every day we're more or less normal is a victory.

[thantagonist]

I think I’d rather try to cure the plague all over again than be the therapist to a hundred traumatized adults with constant access to me.

[Daniil rubs his face. Ugh. It was all so awful.]

That sounds like a truly miserable experience. I think I’d rather repress this, if possible. It’s been working so far.