C37 Fists and Daggers
Perturbed by conflicting thoughts, Chell was hardly restrained in Caroline's pursuits, as long as she stayed close by and was used an enforcer when Caroline needed it.
She kept a copy of Red Wolf for study as she wrote down her own thoughts on a journal she'd purchased on all on the memories she often flashed back to. Why she was remembering now was intriguing but in all required more answers.
It was difficult to determine the falsities of the situation, regarding what has been said and done. All others had seem to adjust themselves to the cradle of the local societies and even enjoyed it. She watched Caroline and Ri'Son discuss business at the Bannered Mane on the stools near the counter, sitting in the corner in complete observation of the entire inn.
Normally they don't let Khajiit inside the city walls. Ri'Son was handy in the skill of bribery to ensure safe passage and promised no trouble to the guards. Coin as a justifier worked majority of the time. After all, Ri'Son was one of the more wealthier Khajiit in Elsewyre.
Morality wasn't a part of Ri'Son's mind. Skyrim was tame compared to the trade wars back home, due to the Thalmor uprising and them having taking control of the Khajiits homeland. He held them in deep contempt for they had done. The only decent thing they ever done was allow him to meet the Black-Briars who helped them with more stable agreements over the years, but it would never quell the hatred inside of him. It brought him more in common with the Nords who despised them as well, but Ri'Son hardly dwelled on the matter. He was more in control in his emotions and pushed himself towards more practical pursuits that he could handle.
"You know I was once a Merchant-King back home."
Ri'Son stated. However in his attempts to sound dull still had the hint of disappointment in them. Caroline cared little about it however.
"Up until the war with the Dominion and their atrocities laid waste to my homeland and decided to keep it to themselves."
The former AI rose an eyebrow.
"I heard that was a wasteland anyway. I wouldn't imagine it being worse than it already is."
The Khajiit's tail started to waggle.
"But it was our wasteland to mold. The sands were a testament. Trade was good. As a cub, this one was taught to learn about how life was surrounded by how much coin you make and that the more coin you have a better chance one had to survive in the harsh conditions."
Money was always a good place to start. Enough of it got you anyway. Though you could get away with a lot of things if you were smart with it as well.
"In time, Ri'Son became gifted with the language of coin. This one made our village very rich with trade. An eye for good merchandise. One could say to learn two sides of the very same coin. To understand the heart of it and to understand who's hearts to touch."
Caroline snorted.
"That sounds very romantic from a cat's point of view. It's got to have a better translation than that."
Ri'Son smirked.
"You would be correct. Know what to spend and know what to earn is a better way to state it. Khajiit make profits on poetic epiphanies. Covers up the trashy side of things."
Not uncommon in normal society.
"So you're saying that you get the ugly warn down stuff, then give it a make over?" Caroline questioned. One would have to know what their refund policies were. Ri'Son faked offence and laughed with subtly.
"Hehh...no. Khajiit are clever enough to distinguish good product from the bad. Scour, find and test. Ri'Son does not take second best. Unless second best makes profit too. Then take that as well."
They both took a sip of their mead at the same time. Khajiit culture reminded Caroline of those old flea markets. She smirked at the prospects of irony.
"Not that I'd be terribly interested in it, but for the sake of conversation and small curiosity, how did the war affect you and your...people?" She asked.
Ri'Son looked into the hole of his bottle.
"The war with the Aldmeri Dominion affected everyone. Taken control of our lands and our wares. Ri'Son kept afloat with plenty of coin, but most khajiit became poor due to the Thalmor's interference. Merchant-Kings like this one were forced to pay loyalty fees to ensure villages would continue to live on as they do. They are all a bunch of bullies, but this one paid them well. The cuts were unfair however. About seventy-five percent of all septims would be given to Thalmor dogs."
Everywhere they went, there'd be some sob story relating to the Thalmor and their apparent like to boast their superiority in different ways. Instigators of their own selfishness. Caroline's heard of that before.
"Society likes to push itself to the brink. Then desperation creates the worst of people and designates the best to sort them out. Some do it out of fear for their own lives, others...when they feel that they're in power and in control, they stand taller than everyone, their shadows cast over those who cannot afford to hold their dignity in their hands." Caroline explained.
Ri'Son fiddled with the bottle.
"It's not such much as dignity is petty to them. Thalmor hold everything. Possess everything. Those with everything can do anything."
There within herself cradled a half-hearted pouch of apathy to most. Caring was in her void but it did not make her ignorant.
"But they can lose it just as easily with those who may have nothing that's seen on the surface. You give them a single tool. And giving away that tool may cause the greatest regret." Caroline explained. She'd seen it first hand after all. Caroline had experienced what there had to offer in her terms and boundaries.
"So you are saying heroes can be born in the heat of battle? Heh, sounds like something you'd find in a book. But how does one know if one could potentially be a hero, or a coward? Ri'Son admits exploiting people for a purpose. Preventing ones own extinction."
Of course. As was common nature with living beings.
"Heroes don't exist. They're fictional characters that serve as pinnacles and best sellers to the most trashy of authors. There is always a reason why people do things the way they do. They either don't know it which I find highly unlikely, or they don't like to admit it, which is a common instinct in all sentients. Every day we make choices that only serve to lengthen our already pitifully short lives."
The Khajiit sat back and stared at Caroline with judgement.
"You expect to rank yourself above the rest because, you realize this yes?"
Mortality was overrated. Caroline had always known what she wanted.
"I was born to eternity. Or built to the very concept of it. With the power and knowledge for self-preservation. I was, but, mortal so it seems. But that mortality died, ironically. And now it has forced itself back to me."
He nodded. Though he wasn't understanding it to the absolute, absolutes themselves were never really fully studied in his work.
"So...you want to regain immortality. Ri'Son can guess that. And with that you gain power yes?"
He was naïve to think that. To think, power was the answer to everyone's problems.
"My power is my own. I hold no love to conquer. It is a waste of time. I only seek power to gain knowledge. Knowledge is my pursuit. You, and every one else would state that I want power as a mage, while helpful, it's not what I want."
Now he was really confused and Caroline knew it. The people of Skyrim were narrowed minded in her opinion. The sought more power to conquer. No one to blame but the inherent nature and soul of common society.
She noticed him stir. A world like this was never meant to comprehend meaning like that.
"Power is exemplary. It builds character. It can change. They say being God for a day isn't about power, but about the person who wields it. Can they exchange it? Will they destroy? Create? The individual, Ri'Son. It's all about the individual. What separates us. What binds us.
I find that sentience is always in the process of pursuit regardless if you're mortal or immortal or what ever your time gives you."
The term, humanity, would be mostly inappropriate...no, redundant here in the philosophical sense. Having studied them for years she has scraped off bits and pieces of results here and there and no real conclusion. A conscience? No. Being reborn as a human herself originally riddled her with perplexed voices in her head that she willed off and begged to be reasonable without consorting with the pit in her stomach. That would be her version of humanity.
Here, while a concept that exists, had a wider variety of sentients to choose from. Bless the Gods (with an internal snicker) for bringing her cultures with different views to test from. A new pool of subjects to select made her glad and filled her with ideas.
"But, even if you were immortal. The concept of time does not apply. Should not apply. One can afford to waste time in that stage yes?" Ri'Son questioned, trying to get her logic.
Caroline gave a whispy smile.
"You find that change is a constant factor there my feline friend. We may exist in your tiny basis for eternity however not everything stays the same. Perhaps I am wrong and your version of forever is entirely about the refuse and resistance to change all the same. To which reality is the formation for what does change and what does not. And what is a major factor in change hm?"
Ri'Son scratched his head, sort of getting it.
"Time?"
Caroline nodded knowingly.
"Time plus force equals change. Like the flow of a river. Who's to say it's going to be there in a million years? We need to discover the truth before it changes. It could evolve or disappear completely. The moment we see something may not be there again. Immortals may have time to waste, but they risk missing out on precious truths that will never exist anymore. Hence, to dedicate your time, that time is mortal and eternity is nothing but an endless stream of reality and atoms that influx and in constant motion. We seek to understand now, Ri'Son. Or else you'll miss out on a lot."
The Khajiit sighed and sipped his mead, on the verge of gulping the rest down.
"The Trade Wars were due to changes in the structure that not a lot of Khajiit were happy with. Routes rewritten and forced to take more dangerous roads in exchange for getting supplies to each town and village a lot quicker. Lost a lot of friends. Khajiit know their own land to avoid dangerous pathways that would quickly lead to death."
Caroline shrugged and sipped.
"Thalmor value efficiency or my guess their arrogance would have put them in harms way on purpose. So they were deliberately trying to kill your people."
Ri'Son made a subtle growl. She'd hit a nerve, but he restrained himself and resorted to ordering another bottle of mead in solemn stillness.
"Khajiit do what we can in many circumstances. Many Merchant-Kings like Ri'Son did not like the oppression. Others were getting accustomed to more bribery than they could afford to eat. That we could tolerate as long as we did not starve to death. It was when they decided on factors considering Moon Sugar that many a Merchant-King did not want give up our precious commodity."
That's right. Moon Sugar was practically banned as it was the main ingredient in Skooma. The local getaway drug.
"While highly illegal the laws weren't enforced in the distribution. Many Merchant-Kings were very profitable in the trade. Once the Dominion got on top of it and ordered the Thalmor to burn down the farms...things...got worse."
Caroline intertwined her fingers.
"I can see where this is going. Where I come from things like this used to happen all the time. Report after report on drug trading. It becomes expensive and turns once noble, if you can call them that, in the most desperate rodents looking for their elderly mothers milk."
Ri'Son nodded.
"Yes. So Ri'Son fled to Skyrim to make profit. You were right that there are no heroes in this cold harsh land or any other land. Ri'Son knows how to make coin...the only true power."
Caroline laughed in the wholesome evil way of hers. Ri'Son just remained sombre and apathetic in mind. His idea to ensure profit could prove troublesome if Caroline messed around too much on their precious investments. He'd observed her and her unusual nature. None too different from Maven that was one aspect he noted. However they both had differing views on what they'd view on value in their own fields. Maven was scheming but ultimately her goal was just getting rich and having a proper business sense to do so, while Caroline only cared much for her so called facility and for to regain what she once lost. He may not understand her entirely, but given her views on society as a whole raised interesting points on his level as well, bringing in a whole new level of thinking.
They continued to talk underneath the noise of several drunken nords shared stories over the open fire, laughing over their funny exploits in certain circles. Chell was ultimately uninterested in their conversations and only paid attention to what ever was going on in her head. She watched one of the drunken nords, particularly a blonde haired man, approach her with his lute in his hands and stomped his foot on the edge of the table. Chell just glared at him.
"I haven't seen you around before. Maybe I have. But you know, you have real pretty eyes and I'd like to make a song about them." He stated. His breath was rank from mead.
Chell was of course, indifferent to it and did not respond. She kept her stoic demeanour and ignored the man.
"Oh pretty eyes, oh pretty eyes, they take me with great surprise, oh listen here, oh listen here, why don't we go somewhere nearrrr..."
Chell rolled her eyes and looked away. Hopefully Caroline wasn't looking.
"Oh crystal eyes, oh crystal eyes, the young man cries, oh -"
"Oh put in a boot in it Mikael, she's not interested!" Called out one of the other drunken nords.
Mikael turned to the man and berated him.
"You're just jealous that I'm more handsome and talented than you." He boasted.
The other man, a nord with brown hair jumped up.
"Hah, yes...a lute player does all the well, while we're tending to our farms and stuff you just lay around drinking and playing music all day. I'd hardly call that talent."
Mikael stormed up to the nord and basically shoved his face in front of his.
"Don't disregard a noble art here friend, or I'll show you what real talent is!"
The other man scowled.
"Oh yeah you want a piece of me?"
Chell flipped a gold coin in her hand as she watched the men fight each other over stupid things as usual. She was astute as to ignoring him altogether and privy to watching the men brawl. A mug was thrown near an armoured blonde nord woman, who basically stood up and joined them. Chell forgot it was night time as majority of the people were. She looked over at Caroline and Ri'Son who were still talking with one another, although Caroline looked a bit annoyed with the commotion in the background. She took one look at Chell who simply nodded. She got up and cracked her knuckles.
A few moments later Chell sat back down at her chair with a bottle of mead for herself. She wasn't much of a drinker herself but Hulda insisted after leaving several nords knocked out and left on the floor. Hulda told Saadia to take care of the wounded and commended Chell for her fighting skills.
Chell looked at Mikael who ended up tied to a pole. She forgot how good her long fall boots were and was glad they could still hit hard.
Caroline and Ri'Son continued to talk. Caroline became interested in the prospect of her Control Program returning, and the additional power it would give her.
"So in the talk of this reclamation and complex logics, is there anything else you can tell me about this precious program of yours? I think we've established that any defences will remain under the care of some guards that we can recruit from anywhere and that your turret system will be put in place once they've been put into mass production yes?" Ri'Son questioned, curious.
The two were on the tables of discussing various projects needed to complete the aspects of the new age facility. Caroline was originally quite frustrated working with Nirn's current state of technological advancement, but promised within the coming years combined with study, the use of materials and testing, that Skyrim will herald a new age, with predictions of becoming a technological powerhouse that would rival the dwemer. Ri'Son was wary and confused at certain parts but as long as the profits would roll in he wouldn't care. Caroline even mentioned getting some of the Khajiit proper housing.
Caroline smiled as she swirled her finger in her cup of wine she ordered. She gotten sick of the mead.
"You cats love shiny objects hm? Of course. The Control Program had translated itself into a magical artefact. My hypothesis of the staff known as the Wabbajack had somehow done this, to separate the side of my immortal power and the intelligence that comes with it."
Ri'Son nodded.
"Ri'Son understands. Magical artefact yes? Don't suppose you're going to go mad with that power are you?"
Caroline already had that power once. It was designed for her. It fit her. It could only be hers. She was the only one to comprehend its' powerful contents.
"I cannot risk it going into the hands of anyone else. It has before and the results almost catastrophic. It was specifically created to my specifications and it will drive anyone else who uses it insane."
Ri'Son pondered.
"Person specific magic? Clever. So you use it to become immortal you say?"
It was hard to explain to anyone not in the know how of Apertures workings, especially in a place like this. Caroline never fully understood the magical translation of certain things but she was keen to test it out on any technology worth experimenting on.
Caroline waived her hand. She had to put it into laymans terms.
"It's basically self-explanatory at best. It's a program that lets you control things." She stated, before sipping her wine.
Ri'Son's face dropped.
"If you're not going to be serious about this, we could always invest in something else. Funds can go elsewhere. Maven would not like her finances wasted on trivial fiascos. This one also hates wasting their coin."
The Khajiit needed to lighten up in her opinion. She understood well of the value of coin.
"I wouldn't make such a big fuss over nothing, feline. Your coin is going into some great investments. Everyone will end up profitable you'll see."
Caroline hardly understood the inner workings of the artefact itself. She could barely remember what happened. All she knew was that she was betrayed by Daryn and would never forget how he smirked at her. All the rage at this point in time. How could someone like him render Skyrim's most dangerous (Caroline liked to consider herself dangerous) into hating him so much. While she could debate on his reasons all day, they had important tasks to do.
The group finished up their drinks as Caroline decided to head back to finish some map work. Ri'Son and Chell followed her outside. Ri'Son started to walk back to the Khajiit camp to consort with the others. Chell squinted as she heard shuffling noises nearby and took a stance and took out her bow. Caroline examined Chell briefly.
"You are so edgy tonight my beloved mute." Caroline described. Though in the midst of her flavour of sarcasm.
"It's probably the wind."
The young girl pointed towards the hoard of people running towards them. Chell immediately took an arrow and aimed it at the group, who just appeared to be group of nord bandits.
"You!" One of them cried, a bald fellow with wrinkles and stubble, wearing thick steel armor. He pointed towards Caroline.
"You're coming with us..."
Caroline made a silent sigh and placed her hand on her hip. She was more disappointed than scared.
"Oh my, I have accumulated a rustic band of potent escorts. But I am afraid I cannot. You see, I have a severe allergy to anyone with severely low Iqs. It prompts me to rapidly speak out words that you will never understand. Like neurotoxin."
Chell almost face-palmed.
The group of unkempt 'knights' grew angrier, albeit a bit puzzled.
"We don't care. Our boss wants and we're going to take you whether you like it or not!"
Caroline scratched her chin. She was as calm as the eye in the storm.
"Hmm...tempting. I'll pass. With your swords and your axes...threatening. But wouldn't you want to me alive if I end up speaking to your boss?"
They grew more impatient.
"Gaaaaahh shut up! Get her!"
With a subtle click of her fingers, Chell fired an arrow in between the eyes of one of the men, but as the got closer she discarded it in favour of her dagger. She swam between the men who took their concentration and effort to the thief, allowing Caroline to slink away with Ri'Son, grabbing his hand to run off.
Chell's agility was superior to their brute strength as she waved and dodged their swords, axes and one even had a war-hammer. She stabbed one in the back of the neck, and cut the throat of another. The one with the War-hammer took a swing with Chell ducking the left and digging the dagger into his side.
The battle was won very quickly with corpses piling up. Although their bald and stubble leader was barely breathing. Blood was pouring out from his back from where Chell got his spin, so he couldn't move. She grabbed hold of the man who screamed in agony. Several guards had managed the scene a bit too late to defend them. But they had no need. Caroline returned after the the calamity with a straight face and stood next to Chell as she had pinned up the leader against a nearby wall via holding his throat.
"Well well well. A broken man. Humorous." Caroline spoke with a monotone.
"I'm going to make this simple for you to understand. Who sent you?"
The bald man spat on out blood and let out guttural growl.
"Hah! Foolish woman! You can never avoid us! We'll get you one way or another. It doesn't matter how long it takes, the Master always gets what he wants."
Chell and Caroline exchanged their signatures glances yet again.
"Your master hm? Interesting. I should gather the necessary data I have available for this master. Does he have a name?"
The man grinned, making Chell feel uneasy as more blood poured down his lips.
"He will burn this world to the ground! From it's ashes will raise purity! You will see...acchhh..."
Chell dropped the man to the ground. Sounded like something from a dragons' perspective she was sure. Or a Daedric Prince. Or what ever evil lurked in the wide open and unknown world. Caroline wasn't phased one bit. It was a shame though. It could be anything in this world.
"The elf likes to recruit idiots for a cheaper price than death. He likes to rile them up first or dwindle their intelligence further." Caroline commented in her own tactical way.
Chell hadn't paid much attention to what Caroline had seen or done in their usual talks. Ri'Son may have spoken with his fellow felines but other than that not much else. It was obvious that Daryn had sent them, who else would that narcissistic to send disillusioned people to kill her? She ruffled through their clothes to find a piece of paper. Unfolding it, she found a symbol that was pretty much like Aperture. She gave it Caroline who chuckled at the mere thought, also reading what was underneath. It warranted for them to take the one called Caroline and take her back to base. Kill anyone else.
The mute flashed back to the conversations Mercer had in his mansion, talking with Daryn regarding their plans. Mercer would have known and may have sent the thugs. Examining their faces, they looked like the mercs she'd gone passed in his house.
"Signed M and D? Pinnacle thought states D would stand for Daryn, but he's got an associate in his group that is actually deemed important enough. We'll have to look at this later. For now, we'll have to continue to associate ourselves to the Dragonborn on good terms and get the guards to clean this up."
M was also obvious. To Chell alone. But it wasn't sufficient enough to prove he was apart of it. Chell needed physical evidence to claim his involvement. Especially if he was the Guild Master. No one was going to believe a silent newbie. She often wished someone else was like her and outright encouraged the truth.
Again she let Ri'Son and Caroline talk in lounge at Breezehome while Chell went over this dilemma in her head in Cassandra's room. The girl was reading in bed and never minded Chell's presence.
The rumors of the Guilds' descent to nothing was well over Riften, and were often more seen as sewer rants and thugs to the townsfolk. The mute was a blessing in the form of her tenacity and inability to give up. While she had learned trying again was once an option, she had to work smarter and not harder and think of theoretical ideas instead of going in head first. It was quite difficult at first but she got the hang of it with a bit of help.
"Karliah." Cassandra muttered. Chell browed. That was...normal?
"Karliah."
Chell sat Cassandra's desk and looked at her collage of random drawings. Cassandra put her book down and sat up to point at one of the pictures. She picked out at the drawing of a woman in brown clothing like Chell's, but had a black head. The backdrop was of a snow and a weird dome shaped building behind her.
"Karliah, Karliah, calls Mercer a Liar!" She chanted, uncharacteristically loud and emotional.
Chell blinked. Cassandra's knack for just knowing things was extraordinary. She had no idea what the Dragonborn was thinking for keeping the girl. Was she going to leave her in danger to her enemies? Of course not. She could have gone to somewhere like the Orphanage now that Grelod was gone. She coincidentally mentioned Mercer which struck a chord. She desperately wanted to question but couldn't.
The white haired girl ripped the piece of paper out of the book and shoved it into Chell's chest. She wanted Chell to have it. The girl pressed it hard and looked sternly at the picture. All the mute could do was take the paper and stare at it. Cassandra pouted. She repeatedly pressed on the paper in crude children's handwriting until Chell looked at it. She could barely make it out, stating where the end began.
"That's all I can say."
"Daryn is delusional if he needs me." Caroline questioned mockingly.
"He has no real use for me. In actuality I have more use for him than he realizes...unless dark elves like to take many wives?"
Ri'Son shook his head. He knew she was just joking.
"Can't say this one knows if they do. Ri'Son hardly knows about this...Daryn character. All this one knows is that he is a bad person who needs to be eliminated."
Caroline couldn't blame Ri'Sons ignorance but appreciated their shared hatred. But her past relationship with the elf was mixed. Ranging from minor curiosity to full blown disgust.
"Daryn was the first to find me in my original body." Caroline explained. She would have to tell someone the tale outside of Aperture influence.
"He'd kept to himself on his true motives. My old records never stated what had happened between me back in my facility and then ending up here. All security footage is to be assumed as destroyed about the unexplainable deportation of events."
A darkness riddled her main camera. She went to work with the other connected cameras only to find nearly all of them had been confirmed as disconnected as the only error. No eyes on anything and going to spend forever in this darkness. Joy.
It took several reboots and nanite subcommands to get the main feed up and running again. The damage percentile was off the charts, meaning the destruction was catastrophic. She'd scanned her body for the worst parts and did what she could to repair the critical areas
Her black-box feature wasn't working and only had records of what she'd seen before. She wasn't dead, which was good. Her main feed could see a broken wall. She was unable to move herself due to the lock on her joints and movement hydraulics that had taken a beating.
She didn't mind. She took it as a test for herself. She was alive after all, and had plenty of time to tend to her self-monitored reconstruction and general repairs.
Two red signals flared up on her signature sweeper. They had valid wireless aperture authentication and had proper code names.
"Blue. Orange. Report to my chamber immediately. I need a full report and status of the facility."
While it had was obvious to see that it had gone into further disrepair, GlaDOS met with failure to access with allocated departments called blocks. Blocks came in the hundreds and at this stage due to the rebooting period she only had access to a few. Everything else ended up with rejected signals and signals that returned with unavailable replies. What made things interesting was there was no warning or anything sort. Any type of recording she had was testing with Blue and Orange but anything after that become nothing but static.
GLaDOS main focus became in repairing her precious facility. She made short work of the robots that stood before her, ordering them to adjust, pull and push certain components of her body. While met with constant sparks that shocked them several times, GlaDOS was soon able to get herself moving again.
No additional feeds had come online, prompting GLaDOS to scan what was left. But anything after what could be seen just came up as errors once more. Blue and Orange weren't responding to her command cues which meant the possibility of being completely alone.
Ri'Son needed another drink.
"What you are saying is that you were...a creature of some kind? You had all this power like you said? It is boggling."
Caroline nodded. If Ri'Son claimed to be an intelligent cat, he needed to grasp her stories.
"Only I can comprehend its power. Aperture is nothing but a shadow of it's former self. I aim to revive it like I always said I would."
Ri'Son scratched his chin. Investments into testing were always going to be financial risk, but Caroline always spoke of it as if she was so sure it was going to be worthwhile. She hasn't yet lied to him, and would have to assure Maven of the same.
"You mentioned a blue and orange. What are these things?" Ri'Son queried.
"Their real code names during production were Atlas and P-Body. Blue and Orange were just the surface names I called them. They were the first fully developed robots I constructed without resorting to using brain mapping procedures. Well, technically I invented their sentience. Brain mapping is a disgusting method and wastes a lot of resources."
Drool was coming out of Ri'Son's mouth due to all the nonsense Caroline was speaking about.
"Oh don't give me that. I'm going to speak a lot worse than that once I get a hold of the Control Program. Maybe we can get the moron and the schizophrenic to look for the Aperture Lingo Guidebook. You're going to need it."
"Might as well use Maven's resources to find a copy." Ri'Son snarked.
Caroline rose an eyebrow at him.
"You expect me to speak what ever garbage you're speaking now? How is anyone going to understand the facts if they're not going to understand me at all?" Caroline wined.
Ri'Son snickered.
"Do not be so naïve and ignorant to the world friend. Your expectations for what people do are so far off the mark you might as well hit water. You come from somewhere where the...how does one say it hmm...culture is a lot more...colourful and advanced. You speak with the tongue that fails to restrain itself and let's it waggle down a more complicated path of jargon. In Ri'Sons line of work, you have to learn what appeals to people more. What gets their attention."
Caroline scowled. It was insulting to hear him say that. To commercialism.
"Are you saying I should deliberately dumb down the work to make it more accessible for potential employees? I...I was a secretary for Aperture for many years! I had to make the adds in newspapers and on internet job seeker sites!"
The insistence with the unknown terminology. Ri'Son just scratched his head and continued.
"Again with the culture clash. It happens a lot between Khajiit and other races. Not uncommon. Before you blow your head off, Ri'Son is just stating-"
Caroline sighed. Nerves were being pinched.
"Ri'Son is just stating I should just make myself appear less intelligent to the masses so it would attract people to work for me? I want intelligent people you silly feline! Stupid people make too many mistakes! How am I myself supposed to work with people who have no idea what they're doing!"
Ri'Son kept calm while Caroline riled up. He remembered she had a bit to drink tonight, while Ri'Son himself is rather tolerant to the odd drink...it'd take a lot to get him riled. But otherwise, this discussion was no different to when he was dealing with the more difficult trades that always got him on top. It was more amusing if anything. She was like Maven without the huge draw of power and resources. With Maven it was like make one mistake and you'll pay. Caroline would just have Chell do the dirty work then again Chell would know better since she was with the Thieves Guild.
"By teaching them of course. Ri'Son implores you to speak with many people and see if they catch your meanings of your extraordinary words. How many so far do you know that get the term; internet? Ri'Son knows since you've told him before, but how many others? The Scientist will not count in this instance."
Caroline leered at Ri'Son. She shouldn't let this get to her. Not now anyway. Only the mute got to her...and occasionally the moron.
"What ever, I'll finish my story with that Daryn happened to wander into the Cave that I was found in and we negotiated terms and I commented on his unusual skin. While I was surprised at the position I found myself I made quick work on what I should do next. Daryn supplied me with test subjects like it was always normal and never questioned it twice until he used the Wabbajack."
Ri'Son nodded. At least she was making sense this time.
"Betrayal is an ugly concept. Deceit is welcomed by Maven as long as it's used in her favor and not to her if you value your life."
Caroline groaned.
"Yes, yes so the old saying goes. But while I will never meet him again with open arms, he'll always be welcome on the testing track."
Ri'Son smirked. Sounded more fun that he originally thought.
They continued to talk about Daryn, work and other things. About the usefulness of some people and uselessness of others. Caroline wavered useless people in terms of perfect for test subjects. It wouldn't matter what happened, as long as she got results. That's what really mattered.
On the terms of teaching others how to work would be a massive drainer. If people sucked, then people sucked. They weren't worth the time to spend with if they weren't in their work making progress. Their job would just be testing, but she needed employees to take the results. Or at least assist her in some kind of way. It was hard work after all, maintaining a successful facility. During their talks Lydia came through the door. She looked ragged but restrained herself to show it. Caroline guessed she missed her dear sweet Thane dearly.
"How's progress?" Caroline asked, sitting back. Not that it mattered too much, Caroline was insistant to herself she didn't care a lot of the Reptile Lupine but in actuality she made a fascinating test subject, even if that test subject was once all vindictive. Now she's just a boring person with a deathly boring personality.
The housecarl wiped her forehead.
"No word from the Thane herself, but the Companions just came back from a hunt in Falkreath and believed to have picked up a lead."
Caroline knew that the Dragonborn was still alive somewhere after hearing about her supposed kidnapping. The girl was too valuable to get killed at this stage even in her vulnerable state. Like Chell, she's just prone to have a lot of excitement thrown at her. Not affecting her stale form but still.
"I heard from the guards there were incidents that occurred in the inn and out of the inn. It wouldn't have to do with you now would it?"
Caroline shrugged and her face screamed sarcasm.
"What can I say? I'm loved too much by the people."
Her feline associate grinned. He recalled the story Caroline told him about the Dragonborn. He tried filling the vibe with a something of a twisted positive note.
"Losing ones memory...tragic yes, but losing ones mind in pursuit of those lost memories... It just creates bad ones."
Caroline rolled her eyes. Here comes the gypsy cat culture advice.
"Yes Ri'Son I'm sure your people know that all too well. Or they've already lost it."
In response, all Ri'Son gave was a piercing glance. He tolerated it, but let Caroline know of the smidget of annoyance. But it would become a game eventually.
The Housecarl straightened herself out and let her pride flourish. Poor girl is so overlooked.
"We'll find and bring her home back where she belongs. It is my sole duty to ensure that my Thane is returned safely."
"Of course." Caroline replied. "You have a lead. What are you going to do next?"
She had thought about it for a bit. Lydia was raised to be warrior however, not an investigator.
"She has to be in Falkreath hold still. A woman in her state won't be able to fight all too well. The Companions only told me so much, for unclear reasons. I'm going to visit the town to ask around if they've seen her. I'm hoping she doesn't go too far once I get there."
Falkreath. Caroline heard of it. A little town amongst the tallest of trees with monsters and beasts everywhere. She'd had to be extra careful. But she was a Nord so she'd be fine.
"That's if she there. But I wish you good luck." Caroline noted before Caroline nodded and left the premises.
With all the resources she needed, time was just Caroline's temporary setback. She'd existed inside it for so long even now she forgets. She's not able to process data as quickly but she knew it wouldn't be too long until she was back in control. Speaking of control, she watched Chell as she left Cassandras room and sat down the back and did her usual brooding session. As Caroline relaxed again Chell looked at the piece of paper the white haired girl gave her of the crude drawing of a dark elf woman. Only if she had time to find out without Caroline and her pet involved.
"Ah there you are my mute acquaintance. Do not feel sorry for yourself for long we will have to work to do shortly."
Hi guys who are still reading this! I just realized it's been well over two years since I started this fic and wow I'm still doing it. Maybe for your pleasure or I actually want to finish it. I'm glad. I still get the occasional writers block but I'm mapping out the story more so it gets a little easier.
Also I made up all the Merchant-King crap. I figured it suited the Khajiit well. While there are few glimpses of the culture, some things just look like they'd match well.
Reviews are always welcome!