text; un: stardust | (BIG OL' PLOT INFO DUMP)

[shadysided]

I've got in with the Fables in their underground base of operations. Real sour guy they called Tortoise gave in and let me stick around, but I'm gonna be staying down here until I can prove I'm not some government lackey who'd snitch the first chance she got. Which... fair enough, I guess. Point is, I don't really know when I'll be back up top, but I can at least tell you what I can:

There's Tortoise - Emry's his real name, and he's actually kind of a push-over when you're a sad teenager from the streets. I think he patrols the underground a lot. He doesn't believe in the revolution as much as everyone else, but I guess Viveca saved his life and he feels indebted enough to continue with it. He's cool. Wears a skull-looking mask that makes his voice sound like a chainsmoker. PHOTO ATTACHED

Ya-ting's a chick with a ton of body modifications and seems like parts of her are -- what do you call it? Cybernetic? Anyway, she's crazy good at technology. Like, computers and stuff. She always seems like she's on the HOLONET or whatever it is she's always staring at numbers over. PHOTO ATTACHED

Cinder's her girlfriend. I think. She's got a lot of body modifications -- I don't know if she's even a little organic. Like. At all. PHOTO ATTACHED

Cassandra's around a lot in here, jumping between different jobs. I get the feeling she kind of commands the crew a lot? Or at least seems to always know what they're supposed to be doing next. She helped me get settled in down here. PHOTO ATTACHED

There's an older guy named Ronan who is making 'flycycles'. I've been helping him, but I gotta be honest, I have no idea how any of this stuff works; I just help him find the parts he needs. Which I AM good at, apparently.

The Lion is their chief recruiting officer, but I haven't met them in person. The Wasp was mentioned, but I don't know anything about them; they were just mentioned in passing.

I saw Callan/Hare down here once, so he stops by from time to time, and there are a lot of people without codenames or masks who just help with the humanitarian stuff -- collecting food, first aid supplies, clothes, all that stuff. Whatever they're planning, I'm sure it has to do with the labor camps... but so far, they all seem pretty genuine in what they're doing.

Anyway -- Sorry to say, I haven't seen anything that helps establish where the orb is.

But I think... I'm gonna keep working on helping them out where I can, though. They're our allies more than anything, right? Viveca's people? We all want the same thing, outside of the orb. Soooo I guess this is me saying I'm Team Fables, viva la revolution. Etc.

... And BTW, I'm Stardust on this planet. Try not to call me Ziggy anywhere obvious, huh?

Comments

Text; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

Well, if they want to liberate the camps, I don't see why we shouldn't help them do so- let them know that there are eyes and ears and willing hands in Chacier House, should they have need of them.

But if the Fables are operating below the ground, then I don't think the orb is there, or they would have found it already.

Text

[shadysided]

Yeah, and nobody really seemed to be talking about... any kind of magical item or bargains or projects going on down there that'd make it seem like there's an orb to find. Besides, they wouldn't need to scavenge for stuff or even have a revolution if they had it, right?

I'm just worried about what casualties there might be.

[bindsthedead]

Well, not everyone who has the orb talks about it, or missions would be much easier, and I don't think an individual orb can make something from nothing.

We're going to help them. And from what you said- they're not collecting weapons? Then I don't think they're planning to wage a normal sort of war against the government. It sounds like they're just trying to help the people in the camps.

[shadysided]

In fairness, they might have a lot of weapons and I just haven't seen them; they don't exactly trust me just yet with the big stuff. But I'll keep working on it, maybe even try to help them acquire the tools to make more weapons.

Besides, how will they actually get people out of those camps without them?

They'd be shot on sight.

text ↪ un: 朱

[blackfire]

Good work.

（ he's a man of few words and rarely ever any praise — but he's proud of u, little spy baby. ）

text

[shadysided]

Aww, Itachi. Was that two whole words of affirmation for me?

I feel like a million bucks!

[What good are mild-mannered friends if we can't tease them????]

You doing okay where you are?

[blackfire]

( who gave u a license to sass, child. he's gonna get it revoked. )

I am adequate.

[shadysided]

Boy, you sure know how to get a conversation jiving.

Better than you being a total blabbermouth, I guess.
Dare I admit it, but it's a positive character trait.

Text: un Wei Wuxian

[singlelogbridge]

[He smiles to himself as he reads, shaking his head with overwhelming fondness even if there is no one else around to see.]

Stardust, huh? I like it. How are you so good at this spy thing? Did you know there are cameras that can see body heat? Crazy. Anyway, you're doing good work, keep staying safe, alright?

Text

[shadysided]

Yeah! Stardust, like Ziggy Stardust. It's a musician's character they played on stage.

You're learning all kinds of new technology here, huh?

Way more in your face than the train for sure.

Text

[singlelogbridge]

It's certainly proving to be challenging. [And also the single reason he is in a labor camp but he's going to fail to mention that part.]

It sounds like the people you're with right now are safe, but keep your guard up, alright? And no slacking on meditation just because you're in an underground lair full of revolutionaries.

text un: goodvibes

[aurable]

Zigs we're putting you in charge on the next mission.

text

[shadysided]

Don't say that yet, I have plenty of time and room to screw this up royally.

I feel like shit saying most of this, because I really like them, like, a lot. But I'm part of your teams first, and I'm trying to believe that the Ximilia crew would at least make sure this revolution happens without anyone screwing it up.

Especially after, you know. Last time.

[aurable]

You're psyching yourself out.

Absolutely we will.

text | un; mal

[tochnyy]

well done.

sounds like you’ve got this covered but if you need help with anything — like tracking down a part, don’t hesitate to reach out. i’ll help.

text

[shadysided]

Appreciate it, nerd.

Honestly, that might be a good idea to get some outside help.

If they think I've got connections to extra equipment, I'll be more useful to them, right?

[tochnyy]

yeah, but not with everything.
too much help and they'll get suspicious.

let me know if anything's difficult to find and i'll see what i can do.

text - un; nightmoves

[ruinously]

They didn't mention anything about wolves, did they?

text

[shadysided]

You talking about that woman you were worried was gonna murder you on the network? That's what you get for trying to woo the ladies at the bar, Mr. Travolta.

But no mention of the Wolf, no.

Seems like she's not really as involved as the others, if she's involved anymore at all. Sounds like she legitimately went all 'lone wolf', huh?

[ruinously]

Okay, look, I'm more like Casanova, but yes.

I can't really blame her, must have been exhausting. I'd hang up my hat, too.

[ someone identifies with that a lot, wonder who it could be ]

text; un: kovacs

[kovach]

[ the way she describes it all — it's like she's down in stronghold with the envoys, taking him back over two centuries to a time that he felt most at home, with people trying to do something genuinely good for the world.

when he'd gotten here, he'd wanted to stay away from it, to not get involved with another revolution. but being here — well, it's reminded him of where his own heart really is, of the kind of fight he's really supposed to be a part of, no matter how much he tries to keep himself away. ]

i met cassandra.

didn't introduce herself, but she had the raven mask. had me do a bit of work for her and i guess she liked me well enough to give me a map for a meeting spot. plan to follow up with it when the time comes.

[ but he sure as hell isn't sharing that map with the full crowd. ziggy might be more trusting of the orbers to give them all of this info, but ... well, these days, kovacs has his doubts.

which is why this next part is private, ]

if they don't have the orb, it might keep some of our kind away from their business. but just be careful about sharing too much about the fables with the full crew.

we don't know that every single one is gonna care for the cause.

[ not if screwing them over means acting in their own self-interests, especially where retrieving the orb is concerned. ]

text; private. me roasting my own characters, the series

[shadysided]

Yeah, Cassie's cool. You should definitely meet up with her.

You worried another one of us is gonna jump on the 'try to kill everyone with giant lizard monsters and blame it on alien brainworms' excuse?

Because honestly, I'm more worried about someone slobbering after the orb more than caring about the revolution.

text | un: ashen

[adept]

So you're Ziggy. I was on standby to bail you out if things went sour, but sounds like you're fitting right in.

[ It takes him a pause, takes him time, to think his way to sending the last of what he's got to say to 'Stardust', specifically. ]

That bunch reminds me of my people... Don't need to know them to know how I feel about that. If you find need of a hand or two, don't be shy giving me a call. I know my way around the underground, literally and figuratively.

And if it becomes necessary, I'll answer to "Mockingbird".

text

[shadysided]

Psht, the others worry too much.
I totally had it all under control.

[Granted she was worried she was a step away from getting shot, but whatever.]

Mockingbird, huh? Was that self-appointed?

text

[adept]

You know how people are. If they can find something to worry about, they're liable to.

[ Not that he disagrees with contingency plans, especially so far from their own home turf. But he's rolling with her show of confidence. ]

It's just a little something I'd recognize and I doubt anyone else here would.