abraxaslogs | you and i are friends of empty graves

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you and i are friends of empty graves

Who: Steve Rogers & OPEN
When: Throughout September
Where: Farhill Mining Camp; the Horizon
What: Following his decision to perform some light sabotage on a military base, Steve has to do some jail time out at the mining camp.
Warnings: Mention of child labor; will edit to add if anything else comes up!

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If they are, I'll remember to bring a box for them too next time.

[ Just a little light bribery, though - he does mean it. Partially that's also a roundabout way of asking how much longer Steve will be here since Claude's already mentally noting both the bonus crate and what could go in the next one prior to any requests Steve and Jesper might both have. That also includes any requests from the miners since he's also got a running list of items to add to that next wagon delivery after some trips to merchants.

The shrug gets a small grin from him both from Steve's understated reaction in response and more so to the fact that there's absolutely far worse options than being here. ]

True, I've heard a bit about those worse places here and there. Along the lines of hospitality though maybe in reverse, don't let me keep you from washing up if you were going to do that before getting a surprise visitor.

[ At which he can occupy himself by furthering his look around considering even with the invitation he's still intruded on whatever Steve might've liked to do after a long day. Instead Claude turns his gaze to surveying the inside of the cabin in more detail than from walking inside before - while continuing to chatter away, of course. ]

I take it the military did have some interesting things worth finding out about.

[ To say the least. ]

[ Steve chuckles at Claude's casual mention of bribery, but honestly, it's not a bad idea. ]

I'll make sure that he gets something from this batch for his trouble.

[ The trouble of looking the other way, that is.

While Steve doesn't clarify how long he's going to be, he also doesn't correct Claude on the prospect of a "next time," which probably says enough on its own. At the mention of washing up, he glances toward a small metal basin near his cot, then steps over to pick it up.

Beyond the cot, a few rickety pieces of furniture like the table that's now covered in contraband and a few chairs, there isn't much to the shack, though Steve is happy to let Claude take a look around. ]

It wasn't so much about finding things out as trying to put a stop to what I already knew about, but...

[ He holds up the basin. ] Let me go fill this up so I can wash my face and then I'll come back and give you a more detailed report.

[ With that, he grabs one of the baked goods that Claude brought, a muffin of some kind, to palm to the guard on his way out. That should put him in a good mood.

It doesn't take long at all for Steve to return with a basin full of water that he pulled from the mine's well. He enters the shack with it and then takes a seat on the cot again, setting the basin down in front of him. ]

How much did you hear about what went on in the Badlands?

[ He soaks a washcloth in the water and then lifts it to his face to begin scrubbing away the dirt and grime of the day. ]

[ Ah - belatedly it occurs to Claude he could've done the same, perhaps even while the guard was peering into the box to check its contents. A slightly sheepish grin crosses his face as Steve selects what to offer, and if it's well received then he'll definitely make note to bring more of those baked goods specifically in the next round.

By the time Steve returns, Claude's found himself a seat in one of the chairs with his satchel resting by it, reclining as much as the chair will allow for without pushing its limits. And then there's an important question of which Claude makes a show of considering like there's a lot he has to gather before answering - ]

I heard there might've been a few things that exploded.

[ To say the least yet again, though those words are said with a fair bit of mirth for being a vast understatement and there's a hint of that amusement in his expression paired with it. But as what will probably be no surprise to Steve, his thoughts don't end there. Nor are they nearly so coy when his friend isn't someone he holds back from after years of friendship, though they can get to those in a minute as he straightens up slightly in his chair from that relaxed posture. ]

And who was responsible for that, though the public seems to think it could've been bandits or a group working against the Free Cities. Someone or multiple someones have been working hard to make sure that's all which got out besides it being a research facility. As for what happened there...

[ At that Claude trails off with the wave of a hand, a gesture to let Steve go on from there in between getting cleaned up. ]

[ "There might have been a few things that exploded" is a bit of an understatement, but Steve suspects that was Claude's entire point. Based on rumors he's heard, those explosions were actually behind the morbol being released, which led to a whole other host of problems that Cid had to deal with. At least that's all been resolved, as far as he's aware.

Steve heaves out a sigh and rolls his eyes when Claude gives word of what the local population is saying about the explosions. Of course they would assume it was anything else but the military, given that in a place like Cadens it's a bad idea to ever be that vocal about criticizing the army. He does wonder if chatter might be different in a place like Libertas. ]

Yeah, it sounds like the government is doing everything they can to shove what Jesper and I did under the rug. [ Steve isn't surprised, though he shoots Claude a conspiratorial glance. Despite the fact that he looks tired and his face is still partly dirty, he musters up a smirk. ] If you wanted to start spreading around some vague rumors about what really happened, I wouldn't be opposed to it. The people should know that the military isn't infallible.

[ He wets the cloth again and finishes wiping off his face, then shifts to clean the sides and back of his neck and behind his ears. He doesn't seem to care that water is dripping down his shirt; it feels good after a long day of hard labor. ]

But yeah, it was the disc launchers in particular that they stole from the Thunderjaw. I'm figuring that it'll be a few months before they get more of those battle suits and weapons made, at least.

[ It might only be a small setback, but he has to take what he can get. ]

[ This is a serious conversation and one he'll treat as such, but just for a moment, when Steve shoots him that smirk? It's too difficult to resist grinning right back and that's just what Claude does, and then a bit wider again at the mention of counteracting the rumors. ]

Noted. I did once spend the better part of five years deliberately manipulating a nation with rumors and the like, so I'm sure I can think of some way to go about this.

[ No small task given in the Alliance he'd had considerably more resources at his disposal and any number of lords to send reeling this way or that with some carefully chosen words. But: there's no lack of contacts here either when Claude made them for the purpose of having them to call on someday, and what better time than now?

Something to think about. He sets it aside to continue listening to Steve while leaning back contemplatively in a picture of casualness that's anything but with what's said which sends his mind going through one thought after another. None of which are particular good when it comes to what aims the Free Cities might have since much like Steve's said, he also believes it's just a matter of time. ]

I suppose it's an understatement to say once again this can't mean anything good for what the Free Cities hopes to do or what the aftermath will be. If they've been working on this quietly all along then there's still a larger plan to uncover yet since the military has plenty of power here with goals to gain more yet. Unless Thorne also has something waiting for their next strike.

[ A statement which might be true, but one he certainly hopes isn't even as escalation seems impossible to avoid. ]

[ Leave it to Claude to casually mention that he spent five long years sowing rumors to manipulate and destabilize a nation. There's never been much doubt in Steve's mind that Claude has that sort of political knowhow and is trained in the ways of playing that game, but in this case he just needs him to spread the word around the local populace. It's probably not that much of an ask given his connections among merchants in both Cadens and Aquila.

But what Claude follows up with only confirms Steve's own concerns about what lays ahead for them. He sets the wet cloth in his lap and then scrubs his hands over his face, heaving out a sigh as he knows in his bones that the escalation will only continue. ]

Both of them have shown their hands to some degree. Thorne with the biological weapon they used, and the Cities with this new weaponry. But I wouldn't be surprised if both nations have more under their sleeves.

[ The writing is on the wall and it has been for a while. He slowly shakes his head. ]

There's going to be war no matter what we do. I think all we can do now is think about damage mitigation.

[ Which is exactly why he decided to hit the Cadens military where it hurt. ]

[ All of what Steve says aligns with his own thoughts churning away in the back of his mind even as they talk in that way it constantly sifts through things. Useful, most of the time. Right now, however, it only quietly continues the sense of alarm for the future they're both equally quietly voicing. At the mention of damage mitigation he hums a toneless note this time instead of immediately reaching for a response.

Because - it's worry Claude finds he feels the most while he studies Steve. It'd be easy to simply push it off as being a greater concern for... well, everything they've spoken of so far. That wouldn't be accurate given that his concern centers more around - ]

And now you're on their radar, too. Possibly not just the Free Cities if Thorne was able to infiltrate Aquila enough to murder quite a few officials since I highly doubt the new monarchy stopped their... observations there if we're being generous about what to call them.

[ He wouldn't have stopped there, if that'd been the way he'd led beyond simply utilizing spies to report back rather than agents. Seems a lot more like something Hubert would've done, he thinks suddenly, which is enough to crack a smile even if there's no amusement in it - not when they're talking about something even beyond the potential state of where things might go next. Too many unknowns for Claude's liking all around though not without an important question to ask. ]

Are there any more plans for more of the same which got you here?

[ There's different kinds of mitigation, after all. ]

[ While Claude isn't completely direct about it, just the fact that he points out that Steve's now on the radar of potentially two territories speaks volumes. He's worried about him, isn't he? Not that it's strange for friends to worry about each other, but it's still not something Steve's used to hearing from someone like Claude, even if it's in this more roundabout way.

Steve doesn't like to be fussed over, so he will admit he prefers this more subtle approach. ]

You make a good point. Sidwell must still be keeping an eye on things here as much as he can. I'm sure that's part of why the Cities government is trying to keep the truth of what happened suppressed as much as possible.

[ If Thorne discovers that the Free Cities have suffered this kind of blow, that might be the incentive they need to mount another attack. Which is a risk that Steve had to take when he made his move.

At the question, though, he can only shrug. ]

I'll have to see what state things are in by the time I get out of here. I don't want to target the Free Cities too much or it'll give Thorne the upper hand and then we have the opposite problem.

[ It's a careful balance, to say the least. But Claude knows that. ]

The Dimming is just a few months away, too.

I'd imagine they don't want Thorne adding anything else to their immediate agenda.

[ Dryly - it's not like that's anything they could prevent either, and attacking what the Free Cities has been building will still be a setback no matter what. That matters more than trying to guess Thorne's next move even if he won't be stopping those thoughts after a temporary pause. Claude nods in agreement with Steve's assessment regarding any targeting. ]

It's a balance even if it's one of the worst ones. Nothing to do but hurry up and continue waiting. Well, and plot about spreading a good mixture of rumors and the truth.

[ The joke's half-hearted, but one Claude slips in all the same even as he follows it up with taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling it inaudibly. Even if there's no solutions now, it's not lost on Claude that he'll feel better about future plans once Steve is back in Cadens. The mention of the Dimming makes a crease of thought appear between his brows after a second of thinking it over. ]

I remember not long after arriving that Julie told me a bit about what happened during the first one after the Summoned arrived. The ones we've been here for have been plenty eventful on their own, and now they've sent us to the Singularity again. [ Not quite the same since he's pretty sure the future that wasn't a future as gods wasn't part of any other Dimming, but nothing they're going to forget any time soon. ] We'll have to see if that impacts anything for this year.

[ It's waiting for the next shoe to drop that always bothers Steve the most. He's a man of action and likes to be proactive whenever he can, even if that so rarely works out as planned. There's a reason that they ended up being called the Avengers — all their best work after the fact, as Tony once said.

It's better than giving up and doing nothing, though.

Besides, Claude's rumor-spreading should have some effects, and Steve has accomplished something with attacking the base too. He manages a small but tired smirk in response to Claude's comment. It just remains to be seen what the long-term consequences of all that will be, even if he's currently serving out the short-term ones.

He wasn't here for the first Dimming either, but each one since has been notable in some way or another. ]

I'm pretty sure that someone will be making a move during that time. [ His expressions hardens as he stands up with the basin. He's done wiping himself off, so he moves to drop those items in the corner. ] We should be ready for anything. Frankly, it's the Cities who have the advantage there.

[ Given that they're so much less focused on magic. ]

I'd be willing to guarantee something will happen sooner rather than later. The timeline of it all might've been pushed up by losing some important equipment or by Thorne, but something tells me the Free Cities have plenty more plans yet from years upon years of waiting for the right moment. We could always ask a friend or two there to keep an eye on things if it wouldn't put them in too much risk.

[ For that Claude thinks of Kyle - and of Dion when he knows both his friend or his partner would not hesitate to involve themselves. That's assuming they haven't already since the ghost of a fond smile flits over his face momentarily when the possibility there's machinations in motion there, too, and doesn't require much stretching of his imagination to know it to be so.

Which leaves just what the Free Cities may do as their next move; he'd meant it that they'll have something in mind even if it ends up being a few months' worth of supposed peace. Things here aren't moving quite as quickly as Fodlan's war advanced after things were no longer in stasis which is both a relief and concerning in equal measure. Claude watches Steve put the basin away and then leans forward in his chair after one quick glance towards the cabin's entrance. It doesn't reveal much but given the guard's not stepped in to interrupt their conversation as of yet, that's probably a good sign. ]

Whatever you need, Steve. You only have to ask.

[ For this. Or for anything, really. Maybe it goes without saying after years of working on and through things together as something closer to a constant. But something which Claude feels needs to be said rather than left as an assumption even if it's a correct one, and one for which his expression remains serious to not be swept up in or away with anything else. ]

[ Claude makes a good point, which is that the Free Cities has been preparing for this war for far longer than any of the Summoned have been here. They can only work with what they know based on their observations since they arrived, but who knows what else they might be blindsided with outside of that?

The best that they can do is expect that blindsiding, and be ready to quickly react to it. ]

Istredd is good about both keeping an eye on things and disseminating that information. [ Steve speaks with authority about that — he trusts Istredd with a lot, their time in that pit together (alongside Claude and so many others) cementing that bond. ] I'm sure there are others we could talk to, too.

[ When it comes to the network of Summoned, he isn't really worried.

Though he does pause as he turns back toward the cot when Claude suddenly goes serious again, making an open-ended offer that he'll help however he can. Steve realizes that he means more than just the rumor-spreading or the coordination with Thorne's Summoned, and after a pause to process it, he gives a firm nod in response. ]

I know. And I appreciate it. But you've already done plenty today.

[ He gestures to the table filled with supplies and goodies from the care package. ]

It's getting late — I don't want to keep you.

[ Between those they know in Thorne - and possibly even those they don't yet - it sounds like there will be a solid foundation to start carefully building upon for anything moving forward from here. It's the best they can do and then some what with there only being so much to control between greater forces at play. But this, between them or any of the other Summoned? There's plenty yet to still try, and Claude means that offer entirely no matter how it's expanded upon.

Despite it all, not even Claude can keep a genuine smile from appearing on his face when Steve points out the crate of supplies brought along as if those were any trouble at all - and not willingly done on top of that. But he understands, he thinks, since if the situation was reversed he would've had the same reaction to anyone showing up with items in tow. ]

Well, I'll save the remaining plenty for another day. Another trip out here with some more supplies to start with, probably.

[ Since they both know it won't stop there. But: he has a task to bring with him back to Cadens to plant whispers in places it won't take them long to be repeated, and Steve needs to get some rest after one long day to be followed by what he's sure is another. With that he stands up from the chair, gently nudges it back to where it should be with the heel of his boot, and then reaches over to clap his friend soundly on the shoulder. ]

And I'll see you before then what with those deliveries, but see you back in Cadens soon, alright?

[ One more nod, and then he's out the door to head towards the wagons. ]

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you and i are friends of empty graves

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it's a wrap!