( OPEN ) FIGHTING CRIME BY MOONLIGHT

[transmit]

WHO: Every Outsider interested!
WHAT: Catch-all log for cleaning up (or making more of a mess of) Neo Tokyo's crime scene! Refer to the OOC post here for details. Neo Tokyo's current social and political climate can be found under the World / Setting section here.
WHERE: Neo Tokyo, Japan.
WHEN: Nov 2024 & onward.
WARNINGS: Violence, drug use, threats and coercion … whatever else that happens where crime and criminal activity are involved. Please mark for other CWs if necessary!


From the month of November and onward, Outsiders can find recruitment posters around the base for a specialised subsection of an anonymous Neo Tokyo security agency! Feel free to assume that's where most of the directives come from.

Current quests relating to this player plot can be found under < STREET FIGHTER > and < RISE AND THRIVE > on the QUEST BOARD.

People are free to use this log or their own for open and closed starters. However, if you'd like to contribute to the quest chain or setting changes, please remember to eventually submit your links and a summary under the associated quests! Otherwise, go wild!

Comments

november (open)

[zauneyete]

o1. 'Cause where I live the game to play (strategizing)

[ It's somewhat difficult to tell why the guy is hanging around the space, stinking it up with the wafting of cigar smoke and the occasional scent of dried blood. He isn't there frequently — and if asked, he'll explain that his face is rather well known amongst the gangs, which... to be fair... — but when he does come by, it's always with the kind of sweep of a darkened gaze and a look around the place as if he's looking for changes; or people; or something. A paranoid creature with the eye for trouble.

So while you're here today, he happens to sweep in, his fingers dragging across the back of an empty chair in a way that feels belligerent more than it looks like anything, but it stops when his eyes find... whatever it is that you're working on, and his head tipped, almost curious. Whether it's a file, a profile, or even notes from earlier, his eyes narrow in on it, even from a distance. He slid near, though still keeping his distance, before he says: ]

Now what is that you have? [ It's presumptuous, but he holds out a hand for the file, whether it looks like it's about to be handed over or not. ] Oh now, don't be shy. I'm quite good at this. I'll be able to help.

[ The smile that crossed his lips is... meant to be reassuring. ]

o2. Well, now what can a poor boy do? (street fighter)

[ Gangs are always so... predictable, aren't they? Well, Silco can't say he'd break the mold either, and he's already narrowed things down to a list of locations to check out. Bars, restaurants, to a notable real-estate agency that he suspects is also a front. He knows of one more — the gang he works for uses an investment service, but he's kept that close to his chest for the moment, unwilling to bite that hand that feeds quite yet — but whatever the reason, you've been drug along. Maybe it's because he slid a message over that provided the location, or you drug him — or hell, you're just in the same place — it doesn't matter. There's work to be done, right? Crime to fight, gangs to dismantle... and who better to help than someone who knows this world inside and out?

(A) A lit cigar in hand doesn't seem to dissuade the staff at the restaurant or bar (feel free to make one up, or i can!), where he's already chatting up the staff, though his eyes slide to meet yours, a quirk of his lips, as if he's trying to convey a secret meaning to you. Whatever it is, after a moment, he tipped his head, inviting you over. The people in the said establishment don't seem... wary, necessarily, but they do seem cautious, and their words are hushed tones as they huddle together, talking amongst themselves. ]

I suspect that the back room may be a bit more...welcoming, but getting in will be difficult. Apparently, there's already a group occupying it. Any ideas?

[ His eyes flick to a room with a curtain drawn, where there seems to be a much more lively discussion happening. Not violent (yet) but... boisterous, at best. ] It would be ideal to make it there before anything happens, don't you think?

[(B) Or maybe this is a little bit more sedate of a setting. The real estate agency supposedly helps with cleanup for Kaiju attacks, and helps bring homes to dozens of impoverished families who've suffered losses from the attacks. The walls are plastered with smiling families in front of condos and inside with a pet or two. It's all so... wholesome. The receptionist at the desk has a child's drawing tacked to the cubicle behind her, and she smiles the next client warmly.

The building for Mugen Estate Company seems to be in a nice, quiet section of the district. There's a park nearby, where a family is playing, and even though it's evening, the workers inside are diligent, the store listing long hours, and people mill about on the street like it's just a normal real estate company in a normal part of town. ]

Supposedly, they clean up after attacks, and help build homes quickly for families who need it. [ A sour look on his face. ] As always, handouts are not gifts, but advantages. They do not do this out of altruism, but for other purposes. [ Or is he just delusional? It's hard to tell, but anyone who's spoken with Silco before would probably think the latter. ] I want to know what those are.

[ He looks at you expectantly. To be fair, can he even blend into a crowd? ]

o3. Wildcard!

[ Feel free to toss me something! Anything! You want to go with a different idea, play with one of these and change it, or just work out something else? Feel free! I put my plotting comment down, and I'm happy to work something out on there, plurk, discord, etc! Just hit me up! Or throw me a starter, I'll roll with it! ]

02!!

[uncourteous]

[ crime isn't exactly anything new to him. even in the better territories, there still existed a whole gamut of crimes and their potential to get entirely out of control were they entirely snuffed out from the start. despite his experience in ending a handful of his own, it doesn't necessarily mean he had intentions of it in this place. even at home, he barely returned from war before all these responsibilities were hoisted upon his proverbial shoulders and yet, here he was in the thick of it, even if unintentional on his part.

why, what individual wouldn't be lulled with a sense of curiosity to hear that a bar or restaurant may have been a potential front. he had no desire to find out the hows and whys, and had he known this to be an effort that aligned with a certain feathered individual, he would have been far less helpful. but, it's in this that he locks eyes with a face he's become all too accustomed to as of late.

he doesn't even have room for relief when it seems they've both landed themselves here. ... and maybe, not even here for the same purpose. he releases a sigh, giving nothing away of his intentions. ] Is there anything to deliberate? For situations like these, is there not all but one answer? [ he looks down at the weapon he keeps at his side. ] Or was that your attempt to make a request? If so, I would suggest you learn to offer a word of flattery or two.

[zauneyete]

[ Hunched over the table, with a drink he cannot even drink, Silco closed one of his eyes, a shake of his head when he fixed the other blackened eye on the man, his lips curling into something that was almost a smile. How was it that Callisto so often seemed to say just the right thing to draw the prickliness out of the crimelord?

Well, maybe he understood something that others didn't, perhaps. ]

Ah, blustering your way in is the answer, is it?

[ His lips curled into a smile, and he opened his other eye, to focus the mismatched pair on the man. They dipped to the sword, and then back to his face. ]

Flattery often comes when there is something worth complimenting. Thus far, I've heard little.

[ He gestured to the seat across from him, as if inviting him to sit with him for a moment. At least long enough that he gets a sense of both intention and his plan. ]

When they are armed on the other side with weapons, what is your plan for dealing with it? [ He kept his voice low, as he continued: ] There are better ways.

[uncourteous]

[ honestly, if he hadn't run across silco, he probably would have simply walked in, ready to match blades and leave whatever havoc in his wake. maybe it's better that his hand is stilled before that comes into actual fruition. either way, no matter what the end result was, it isn't like the consequences of his actions wee anything new to him. but, silco is correct in surmising there may have been better techniques for a place as unfamiliar as this with weapons and individuals who were just as much a variable as any.

this was probably only further proven as fact considering even a fellow outsider has shot him once...

at the statement of flattery, however... he gives a huff. clearly dissatisfied with the response, even if was meant entirely in jest. ] Maybe that is a sign for you to clean out those ears of yours, lest they be mere decoration.

[ he points to his ear before giving silco a carefree sort of smile, even in a situation as tense as this.

either way, he settles right into the seat across silco's. his hands carefully draw together as he leans his chin on it, as if he was entirely enraptured by the enthralling line of conversation. ] Then what do you propose? We put on an act? It seems like the people enjoy that here.

[zauneyete]

[ Silco, by contrast, looks relaxed, and comfortable. Somehow he takes up a great deal of space in the booth, even though he's clearly smaller than most. Maybe it's just the aura, maybe it's just the way he sits, but there's something there.

His lips twitch into an overconfident smile. ]

Oh, something like that. We're all quite good at it these days, aren't we? [ Pretending to be one of them; is implied. His eyes slide toward the curtain, and he tapped his finger on the desk, considering. ]

We need to convince them that we're here to help, or at least unobtrusive.

What sort of person do you ignore, when they walk into the room?

[ Silco knows that he doesn't, but he is uniquely paranoid. Uniquely situated to look at every person. It's why his meetings are in his office, why his muscle is close, why when he meets with the chembarons, it's locked door, Sevika at his side. Doing the work. People like this, these criminals, the gangs, they were...amateur operations. Mid level gangs that were hardly good for doing more than base collections, some drug running, a little of this and that.

Silco felt disgust for them. They'd have their uses, but this could be so much more. ]

We need to become something they don't look for.

[uncourteous]

[ the man before him never struck him as one lacking in confidence, but he seems all the more at ease here. for anyone who could discover any semblance of comfort in a place that was clearly meant to be devoid it... well, he can only imagine why that is.

but, he supposed it was better than the opposite. this was the sort of establishment, by his observation, that one wouldn't show any hint of vulnerability in. even now he can feels eyes on them. not that they were being suspicious, but that the individuals here had to practice a sort of apprehension as part of their survival, and it showed in every gaze that lingered and every whisper they hold back. his thought breaks at the question. ]

Most tend to be less on guard with those they feel some degree of power over. Maids, attendants, aides, those that people naturally think "wouldn't dare." Is that normally how it goes? [ people who hold less weight in their eyes and who appear as non-threatening as possible. like silco, however, he couldn't afford to let anything past his defenses. if he had, he likely would have been dead. ]

Are you suggesting we be little more than grunts who handle their dirty work?

[ he seems to gesture towards himself... it'd be difficult to hide his regal aura, no? or so he seems to be implying. no one entertain this please... i'm in pain. ]

[zauneyete]

Correct.

[ He says, with something close to a smile. He'd wondered if Callisto would pick up on it, given that he gets the sense that the guy is... the kind of person who would ignore the help as well. The staff, if they notice Silco, look away immediately. He always gives them a little smile, a quirk of his lips, and that eye turns to watch them. They always look away once they see the eye. It's hard to feel comfortable with someone who looks like that around, isn't it? ]

I wondered if you'd get that.

The serviceworkers are going to be the ones they don't notice. It's the way we can get in, we'll be able to see what they're up to. Perhaps obtain a few tidbits before they conclude for the night.

By the time we're gone, they'll likely still not understand that they've lost something.

[uncourteous]

So little faith.

[ but, he knows precisely where such presumptions would stem from. is it actually a blessing if the other man doesn't know in the severity in how he's lived his life? constantly paranoid, forever watching his back, enough where every single person was suspicious to him? when he sees the way the staff turn their gazes away from silco, he barely bites back on giving a laugh. ]

I did see a backroom in which the staff were entering from. Whether it's because their arrogance knows no bounds, it did not seem particularly well-guarded. [ maybe they had a database in which they could change into their uniforms by nanobots. admittedly, callisto doesn't know how it works, but he presumes it's a point to bring up. ] Shall we meet there first, and then linger around our marks for the night as you so please to do?

[ ... ] Though, considering the way your soon-to-be coworkers avoid your gaze, are you certain you're up for this?

[ where is your service smile, silco... ]

[zauneyete]

[ Silco smiled, and closed a single eye. The other remained open, moving through the room, eerie and terribly disconcerting. He pulled something out from his pocket, and held it in his hand for only a moment, before he tipped his hand to show Callisto what it was. ]

I'm afraid it is not my smile that needs work. Thankfully...

Well. There are ways of blending in that will keep them from avoiding me.

[ He tossed a few kryptos on the table for the "drink" that he hadn't drank at all. he didn't put the eyepatch on, wanting to wait until they were a little closer. ]

Why don't you go first? No need for my... gaze to set anyone off too soon, hm?

2a-ish

[demandsatisfaction]

[As someone who has yet to become truly familiar with the strange new city she’s been brought to, Lilias has little real knowledge of Neo Tokyo’s gang activity—but what she lacks in personal experience, she makes up for in resourcefulness. This is, she assumes, why she’s been tipped off on the location of a certain gang base that is suddenly showing interesting levels of activity, and why she has furthermore been invited to be Silco’s plus-one while he investigates the site. She certainly doesn’t think it’s her charm that won him over.]

I assume there is… surveillance deeper in? Alarms?

[They are seated within a small fast-food restaurant, the upper floors of which are definitely operated by the same group, but almost certainly devoted to things that have nothing at all to do with food. They need a way to get in, but it’s best to be cognizant of all their options before making any potentially tricky decisions.

Especially since Lilias’s grasp of technology is still inconsistent at best. In her own world, many more tricky hide-outs would be warded with magic, which she might be able to detect and even identify. She has markedly less experience with remote cameras and electronic alarm systems.]

[zauneyete]

Most likely, yes.

[ Silco's had a few more months on her to get used to these things. Things like the card readers, the locked entries, the cameras and the ways that systems automatically recognized the staff. He was no better at it than she was, his security relied on alerts from buttons being pushed, which is hardly what they can ask for here.

He sighed, and looked toward the ceiling. Considering.

There was supposedly someone about to crack up there. He'd heard it through the grapevine from his own employer, some whispers about some conflict or another creeping up between rivals that were about to start trying to eat each other alive. One traitor could mean the difference in the both of them falling apart. Supposedly, the information was valuable enough to lead to where the leader of his gang had a safehouse.

Would that not be better in their hands? ]

Your illusions. How useful can you make them?

[ He idly put an arm over the back of his own booth seat, leg crossed over his knee, toe of his boot tapping against the bottom of the table. There was food in front of him, but it reeked, fouler than anything he'd had from a garbage bin as a boy. ]

I've seen a few come in and out. If we can... stop them, could we pose as them?

[ His biggest problem? His face is known. He has to be creative. ]

[demandsatisfaction]

[Lilias has been nursing an extremely un-enjoyable cup of coffee almost since she sat down, and she doesn’t know if she owes this to the standards in this part of town, or if the gang running this establishment just doesn’t care about trying to maintain any appearance of quality with this little front. Either way, she hopes they don’t have to linger too long, because surely no one would believe any customer would willingly enjoy fare of this calibre.]

To mimic people’s identities? I have no magic for that purpose.

[Apparently the illusion magic she has at her disposal has at least some limits, aside from being strictly visual in nature.]

The best I can do is make us appear… more local. [More Japanese, she means.] The spell should disguise your eye, too. But I can’t exert enough control over it to make either of us resemble a specific person.

[zauneyete]

Hm.

[ His single eyebrow lifted, and he nodded. ]

That would do. I have a... Reputation you understand. I'd rather not sully it by getting into where I don't belong without reason.

[ Not posing as a specific person? That's fine, but he wasn't about to move deeper in here with his distinguishing feature out for everyone to see. That was the whole problem, wasn't it? He was recognizable, and though he was doing plenty to help back things up, getting in on the ground was better. He was used to being a part of operations like this. The personal touch was... necessary.

It's also why things are liable to fall apart if he ever leaves. Like that would happen. ]

If you can do that, I'm sure I can... swipe us a way in. Do we have time limits?

[demandsatisfaction]

[Lilias returns the raised brow Silco aims her way, wondering exactly what kind of reputation he has that he’s trying to keep intact. Based on the few encounters she’s had with the man, she wouldn’t guess it’s anything particularly sparkling.

Still, she understands the desire to proceed without a giant sign proclaiming his identity plastered to his face. That’s why she opted to leave Belzath waiting outside, despite the inconvenience of navigating mundane activities without her familiar’s presence. She feels a little off-balance without his feathery weight perched on her shoulder, but he’s far too unusual for her to keep him nearby given their current intentions.]

The spell takes about a minute to cast, so it won’t be subtle. We should have privacy. But once it is in place, the effect lasts hours.

[So, unless they’re planning to stay in there all evening, time shouldn’t be an issue.]

[zauneyete]

Hm.

[ His eyes trailed toward the restrooms, and then back to Lilias. ] The washrooms may be the ideal place.

[ His eyes trailed upward toward the single camera in a corner. They're far enough from it that he can't reach up and bump it, but as he looks around the room — with the affected look of someone looking for the waitstaff — his eyes slid to make sure there wasn't another one. This camera was faced toward the tables, but it doesn't really look into the washrooms. He'd need to find the security room, at least at some point, and wipe their presence from the cameras if possible.

He'd been looking into the basics of these systems, at least how they're stored, and he thinks he can at least delete a few files. ]

We do the magic, then we swipe the credentials. Does that sound sufficient?

[demandsatisfaction]

[For a brief moment, Lilias looks as though she might object to Silco’s suggestion. There’s one very obvious conclusion most people would come to if they saw a man and a woman enter a bathroom together, and the thought of someone making this assumption about her in this instance, with this man, in this establishment’s bathroom, is repellant.

Unfortunately, it is also good strategy. She forces herself to swallow the sour look that wants to appear on her face, and simply offers a curt nod instead.]

Sufficient to get us within, I should think. While we’re at it, I can provide us some protection as well, since our superiors apparently frown on us using those suits for things like this.

[Not that Lilias doesn’t feel intense disdain for the style of the plug suit; it really does look like a full-body set of pyjamas, at least to her sensibilities. But she has to admit the protection they offer does seem quite handy. It had been nice to not need to cast mage armour for a while.

Since they have a plan, she braces her hands against the table and pushes up to stand, abandoning her shitty coffee.]

Shall we?

[zauneyete]

That would be useful, yes.

[ Don't worry, Lilias, Silco doesn't really like it either. Nor the understanding that their superiors would frown on them using their suits. Not that he liked his any better. It's too-tight, ill-fitting, and he wants nothing more than to hide in it. Though he thought the people wearing it under clothing had the right idea.

Perhaps next time. ]

No time like the present. Let's get this part over with, hm? [ He says with a soft sigh, standing. He doesn't reach out to her but instead strode his way there with purpose. Typical, but clearly he wasn't much of a gentleman, was he? ]

03!!

[transmit]

[ In the context of fieldwork, it's a little odd to be working alongside someone else again when he'd been doing the brunt of it alone. Not necessarily out of overconfidence, but due to a lack of manpower—most of the people that were involved were better suited for direct confrontations after all, with covert operations and schmoozing far and away from their expertise. It's not particularly surprising, considering how LILITH seemed to prioritise fighters above all else.

Still, even during such missions there was only so much one could do alone, not forgetting to mention the potential for oversights deep into the action. As much as Elysium doesn't mind flying solo, he recognises the value of being able to cover ones' weaknesses just as well, so when an almost unfamiliar username comes up offering to be his handler for the current mission, it is something worth considering—something he tilts and deliberates for a good while.

After rotating what he's seen of "BAD DADDY" on the network in his head: ]

< FROM @ HOTTIE >
I've memorised the layout, but slipping into restricted areas without fuddling with some of the cameras isn't likely. Even if there is yoinking a uniform and going that route, I think it's best if we avoid tipping them off to our presence for as long as possible.

Thoughts?

[ Presumably about to enter the Sapphire Room for his bartending job. Very touch and go, it seems. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Honestly? He's been fairly surprised by the number of people willing to "work" with him in this. He's been fairly up front with who he is — and Silco thinks there's nothing worth hiding, really — but people here seem to think tiny little rackets like this are worth their attention. Silco's happy to start working them down, wheedling them down, maybe eliminating them one by one.

After all, that will lead to power consolidating, and Silco doesn't really quite mind that. It's better for him — better for the rackets as a whole — but he wonders just how the pieces will fall in the end.

At the very least, it's an opportunity to get to know the players, by helping out, too. ]

< from @ BAD DADDY >

I don't recommend swiping it, particularly if they have cameras. Someone is likely fairly familiar with the regulars. Any way you can charm your way back with someone else. "New and being shown the ropes" may be our best option. Never underestimate the power of over-confidence on a group like this. I would recommend concealing any noticeable features. Hence why I am not helping at the moment. I tend to catch attention.

[ The problem was, nobody here could simply be invisible, and nobody was able to just change their shape. They were going to be fairly reduced in terms of options. ]

Your other option, of course, is to shut down the security entirely.

Do you know where it is?

[transmit]

[ Considering the state of their dilapidated office—where every other step elicits a creak of the floorboards—it's not as if they can afford to be picky about their hiring choices at the moment, beyond doing their due diligence to ensure their operations to achieve their objectives remain on track.

That, and Elysium isn't the type to ask for anyone's personal details in the first place, not unless there's a very specific need to, cautious and measuring risks in his own way. But there is that unspoken understanding that constitutes as a card in your hand in its own right if you don't reveal it: how it's less about trust and more about mutual gain. In a way, Elysium would probably appreciate Silco's candor. ]

< FROM @ HOTTIE >
Right. Getting an invitation to start work here as a regular was a pain in the ass in the first place, so if I can slide under the radar for as long as possible that'd be ideal. I should probably preface that my civilian identity's getting to be pretty known around here, mostly because I've had my doubts about certain individuals showing their hand to a complete newcomer. That's the only reason why I've been able to get the information I have.

But yeah, shutting down security seems like a pretty drastic move just to grab some ledgers and files for now. On the other hand… if I were to give you access to a backdoor, how do you feel about toggling dummy footage?

[ … Anyway. Here. A link to a live map, already heavily annotated with notes on a separate layer. His own location pings as a steadily blinking light, while the security room and his objective—an intriguing spot that's outside the scope of the map entirely—are highlighted in a different colour. ]

That's the "layout" of the building made public as per government guidelines, but it obviously doesn't account for hidden rooms and floors. With enough luck, I'll be able to have that information within the next few weeks.

Timing's going to be pretty important.

[zauneyete]

< FROM @ BAD DADDY >

If you can get me in there, I can likely get the footage on there. I am not advanced with the technology here, but I understand the basics.

[ Except for changing his username. Because it's not allowed to change. ]

I always did appreciate a bureaucracy's ability to keep publically available records. It makes things like this much easier than they need to be.

I notice these are off the map, typical. How much leeway do you have in timing, for the unexpected? I assume the footage will have a limited amount of time before they become suspicious.

[transmit]

[ what if more bad daddies entered the game… what then… then he'd have to exert dominance by being the baddest daddy, wouldn't he? ahem. ]

< FROM @ HOTTIE >

I thought about it before, but the security here is surprisingly lax. Makes me wonder if they're lacking manpower in general, considering they've had to resort to taking advantage of the local kids for distribution.

And by 'surprisingly lax,' I mean someone could probably get their heads lopped off if they aren't careful, but I've seen a lot of gaps that I normally wouldn't in a more tightly run ship. I imagine it's like what you said. Complacency?

Let's see, let's see. Based on my notes from the last few times I was here, one of the guards happens to have a particularly bad … habit, that it wouldn't be strange if he didn't just show up for his shift one day. Manufacturing some noise to distract the previous guy and taking advantage of that overlap, I think I'll have aaaaaabout… eight minutes?



Worried about me, bad daddy? [ sorry. not sorry. please don't ask me why he's this chatty ]

[zauneyete]

[ The only valid change he's allowed ]

< FROM @ BAD DADDY >

That just means that whoever is in charge here is lax. Probably too distracted by their dalliances that they aren't putting together a tightly run organization.

[ If someone was known for being lax in his organization? Silco would have had him out on the streets faster than one could say 'nation of zaun'. (One exception to this rule and her name is Jinx.) ]

Eight minutes should be fairly sufficient, I think. You will have to move fast to find what we are looking for, if you want to get in and out without being seen, however. Do you have anything to... forcefully induce sleep, should it be needed?




And no, I expect you can take care of yourself. [ Please, his soul is dying. He doesn't want to be called Bad Daddy... ] I do not, however, enjoy the thought of using a potential source of information. I'm sure you would feel the same.

[transmit]

[ Sorry, but you can't just dangle low-hanging fruit in front of him and expect him not to go for it—especially when being annoying tends to be a surprisingly effective way to gauge someone's character. Bad daddy ain't escaping his daddy moniker anytime soon, unforch. ]

< FROM @ HOTTIE >

Fast's the name of my game, no problem-o. So is being a courier of sweet dreams. ♪ If you've got me covered, I'll take care of the rest.



And would I? I wonder. I might be a little regretful if it's a source of information I could've made more use of, but when you're all a part of a larger operation with your own objectives there's only so much you can feel for the people you're working with, yeah?

Just kidding. I prefer to get along with my contacts and invest in healthy, working relationships. Good to know we're on the same page. From go, it'll take about T-minus twenty-three minutes until I can get you sorted. Aside from establishing the connection once I reach security, we should keep our communication minimal, just in case, on the off chance, that 0.0001% happens where they actually manage to pick up on something suspicious.

See you on the other side, big daddy? Going in on your word.

[ not… a typo… ]

[zauneyete]

[ He's so tired. why this. why him. (please never stop.) ]

< FROM @ BAD DADDY >

You've seen me, yes?

[ Big Daddy. He thinks with a scoff that isn't really reflected in text.

He doesn't really elaborate, because while Silco didn't mind good working relationships, he was also... well. Quick to throw out the useless if he thought it would be to his disadvantage. (Again, one very notable exception) Though, he also isn't going to be quick to do so. He'd rather use a source as long as possible, and not burn it to the ground until it was fully over with. ]

Right. Twenty Three minutes. I'll start timing now.