} spyjinks prep

[vorbarra]

WHO: Gregor and Kitty & Miles, Nicolas, Cordelia & Aral. Separately.
WHERE: The park in Heropa, then De Chima #007.
WHEN: The night the coup began (February 16th?).
WHAT: Gregor decides to go undercover with Kitty. Well, more undercover. Some other people have some things to say about that. Also, they rope Nicolas into going along.
WARNINGS: None so far.

Comments

KITTY & MILES

[vorbarra]

[ Gregor isn't sure what Kitty intends, but he's sure she has some kind of plan, so he dutifully goes to meet her in the park in Heropa and asks Miles to come along with him.

He's grave and solemn, much moreso than has become his norm here. ] I did hope that would be the end of things for a while, [ he says quietly to Miles as they walk. ] I didn't expect, but I hoped.

[dendarii]

[ As always, Miles follows along at Gregor's heels. His new bracers have put a spring in his step; he doesn't have to work quite so hard to keep up with Gregor's strides. ]

At least there's no risk of this place getting dull?

[vorbarra]

Dull? [ he echoes dryly. ] That's more your fear than mine.

[dendarii]

Admit it, you would hate it eventually too. I liven up your life considerably.

[vorbarra]

I like you livening up my life, [ he corrects, with a little sarcastic twist to show he's aware of how much like a romantic holonovel that sounds. ] Not large scale, dirtbound war.

[dendarii]

[ Ha. A little tendril of pleased smugness floats across at that. ]

Perhaps we'll get something more entertaining next time.

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty and Billy are waiting for them in the park. They stand huddled close together, Kitty muttering something to Billy; she straightens soon as they draw near. Nods to them. ]

Hullo. Billy, you know Miles and Greg, yeah? Miles, Greg - Billy. My housemate and best friend.

NICOLAS

[vorbarra]

[ After the conversation with Kitty, during which Gregor had cleared this train of thought with her, he contacts Nicolas and requests a meeting.

Probably also in the park in Heropa, where he's waiting patiently on a bunch, bundled in his coat, looking pensive in the extreme. He'd asked to take point on this, as he'll have to be revealing his secret here. ]

[unwiseheart]

[ Talk about a strange request to get in the middle of a Soviet takeover, but he didn't decline. He'll be there, although Gregor may not hear him approach. ]

Greg?

[ His voice comes from behind, which is where the man had approached from, eerily quiet just before speaking. He may as well have appeared out of nowhere. Though, appearance-wise, he's certainly looking less put together than usual (and even the usual wasn't that great to begin with), but that's what happens when you skip a few days of visiting the gym's showers. ]

[vorbarra]

[ Goodness, Nicolas. Gregor starts and twists in his seat to face him, then waves him forward. ]

You're silent as a cat, you know that? ... Also, I'm sorry if this is rude, but did something happen? You look harried.

[unwiseheart]

I am? [ It's feigned ignorance, which is something he's typically good at, but the day has been an ordeal. There isn't quite as much honest surprise behind it as there usually might be. Even so, he offers a shrug, offering a: ] Sorry...

[ Mumbled as it is. To the rest, he shifts his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably, but waves the question off. ]

No, no, nothing. It's fine. [ At least he doesn't have any errant foliage in his hair, right? ] What did you want?

[vorbarra]

I know it's been a long day, but it looks like the next week is only going to be longer yet.

[ Any humor fades completely into stark sober reality. The concern, too. Gregor's focused, distracted with looking ahead. After this meeting he has to go and justify this decision to Aral and Cordelia... neither of which will make it easy for him, he expects. ]

Kitty's come up with a plan that I will be joining her on, one that I thought you might make a prospective candidate for. [ His voice, naturally quiet, lowers further to a barely-audible softness. ] We'll be defecting-- double agents. Or attempting to be.

[unwiseheart]

[ Nicolas grimaces at the prospect, of acting like a spy. It turns his stomach, mostly with nerves, not disgust.

There's no immediate answer from him, rather the man drawing out the silence after what Gregor's said by looking down and searching his coat's pockets (of which there are an awful lot) until he finds the simple box he's been keeping his cigarettes in. No brand, only a box, but considering the non-uniform way the cigarettes themselves look, it may be the unkempt man is particular enough about his tobacco that he makes his from scratch. Either that or he's trying to avoid the worst of the chemicals, which is the actual truth behind it, but not one that would be as obvious.

Once he has one out and the box is stowed again, a few seconds more to locate the lighter. Once it's lit, and only then, does he look back up. It's a grim look. ]

I was born when Russia was still the Soviet Union.

[ He starts, then pauses to take a drag, although he's polite enough to turn his head and blow the smoke into the wind, so it doesn't linger. Then he continues. ]

It wasn't the worst towards the end, but it was never kind, either. If they discover us, they will kill us. Assuming they accept us in the first place. You, me, we might be fine. Miss Jones? They'll use her, but they'll never trust her. She's an outsider.

CORDELIA & ARAL

[vorbarra]

[ It's relatively late that night by the time Gregor finally gets back from talking with Nicolas, probably ten or eleven o'clock, and he'd insisted to Miles earlier that he let him be the one to inform his parents of his plan. (Miles being probably off somewhere sulking about being shot down on coming with them.)

As he gets back in, he sends a sort of mental knock along his links to both Aral and Cordelia. There's an absolute seriousness to him that they haven't felt from him at this level before.

Would you both join me downstairs, please? ]

[keep_nothing]

[ She's still awake at this hour, and Gregor would be able to feel her surprise cutting through the book she was reading, the graveness of his mental tone enough to make her even straighten up in bed.

It'll take just a second, love. I'll have to poke Aral awake. A faint, bemused flash of a discussion they had a few days ago accompanies her reply, showing Aral protesting her teasing and going on about certain luxuries he couldn't have as Regent. ]

[use_everything]

[It is, as such, a little bit before they're both downstairs. Aral looking a bit rumpled besides the hadn't-slept-yet Cordelia, but sharp and alert nonetheless. She'd been clear about the tone.]

What's happened?

[vorbarra]

[ Gregor occupies himself while waiting by putting some tea to steep, really just to have something to do with his hands. He's holding a mug in both hands, water steaming, when they come down, leaning back against the kitchen counter rather than sitting. ]

I trust you saw the announcement today about the Soviet occupation.

[use_everything]

[The last dregs of sleep burn off at that. The first thing he does is a quick check along the connection on Miles... After the last attack, it was no small comfort to find it there and without the thrum of adrenaline or panic.]

Of course. So, you've decided on your course of action.

[There was no point in it being a question.]

[vorbarra]

[ It's so nice working with someone on the same wavelength as him. ]

Yes, I have. Before I tell you-- and I apologize, truly, for how ominous this will sound; I don't believe it will come to this-- but I need to make sure you're both aware that death is impermanent here. The nanites placed in us by the Porter will resurrect us. So if anything were to happen to me, no one's to make any sacrifices for my sake.

Is that understood?

[ Gregor absolutely can't do this if he thinks someone's going to get themselves hurt or otherwise compromised for his sake, when finally, at long last, it's his right to take risks. There's so few people it affects here. He's been itching to be directly involved all his life. ]

[vorbarra]

[ Gregor is weirdly a little nervous about this. Maybe he's just not used to being at odds with Miles in any sense, even for pretend, but he's too astute not to realize that at least a bit of this isn't for pretend. He's glad that Miles has agreed to meet with him in person, because that seems bound to be the only way to get this worked out, in the privacy of their telepathy if necessary, where they're guaranteed not to be overheard.

And he does wonder what this nonsense about a ring is pretext for.

He comes to Miles rather than vice-versa, despite what they'd said, telling him mentally that he'll meet him in the kitchen of their house and resisting the urge to fidget as he waits for him to come downstairs. ]

[dendarii]

[ Perhaps for good reason; Miles has been a bit edgy since being refused on the most dangerous part of the plot. The same vector as his "must do something stupid" feeling if not nearly the same magnitude. He's convinced, he'll carry it through, but ... he is awful grumpy.

He is calmer, at least, with Gregor in front of him. He can't help the surge of relief he feels when he comes down the stairs and sees Gregor in person, without anyone else watching them. Deep breaths, god. They've hardly started this. ]

Was that too obvious, do you think?

[vorbarra]

No, I'm sure it's fine. I've intentionally been taking a moderate, practical position, so as not to seem too abrupt a change of heart from me. It makes complete sense I wouldn't just abandon our association.

[ There's a brief pause before he says gently, with aching honesty, ] It's a relief to see you.

[dendarii]

It makes perfect sense to me. I'm a bit too much of a firebrand for that.

[ Ah. That ... he can't help but reach out a little mentally, like intertwining his fingers with Gregor's. ] ... Same. It's been, what, twenty-four hours? God, this is going to be difficult.

[vorbarra]

You are that, [ he says affectionately, his hand twitching with the urge to reach out and physically intertwine with Miles's as well as mentally. He keeps himself to the mental, though it's warm and reassuring and a little desperate, if he's totally honest, leaning a bit on Miles for steadiness as he so often offers himself to be leaned on.

It's not been easy, doing this, and Gregor is not immune to brainwashing. For all that he plans to ask Charles if he'll help him with that.

More softly, ] I know. I'm doing alright with pretending, I think, but I'll be glad when it's over.

[dendarii]

[ It's a bit novel for Miles; he's so used to leaning the other way that it sparks a bit of a delight to have it happen in reverse. Okay, so there might be some good points to this plan after all.

Miles, at least, has been all right with the brainwashing; he recites Shakespeare and free associates like crazy, so there's nothing to take hold. The shocks, though ... he's got burn marks from the electricity going through his braces. He rubs faintly at one now with his foot. ]

... How long do you think it will be?