chroma | catchall for vin

[countermeasures]

i haven't had coffee yet so this won't be pretty yet

Comments

[countermeasures]

[she leans over to read the notes carefully -

then starts to say something and. pauses. can the prism hear them. is it safe to talk out loud? hmm.]

[allomantic]

[she scoots the notebook and pen her way, but gestures at her phone as well - basically saying that if it would be easier for her to text rather than writing down whatever she's thinking of, they can do that. she's paranoid and all for not saying anything out loud, though.]

[countermeasures]

[she takes the pen and makes a few notes in clean, pretty handwriting:]

Balance + different shades mentioned in the note
Was part of the problem when we arrived that the numbers of us who could use certain colors wasn't perfectly balanced?

Including the residents, right now there are 5 of each except for Scarlet and Amber which have 4... but last week it was 5 for all of us except Verdant, which had 6 when you include Shale.

[kazuma was uh. pretty Not In His Right Mind at the trial, but if he really was telling the truth about ryunosuke behaving erratically... had they managed to avoid executing anyone, the numbers would have all been perfectly balanced again after he died.]

Perhaps I'm overthinking it...

[allomantic]

[she pauses for a long moment, slowly reading that over, before reaching for the pen. she writes just as slowly, and her handwriting isn't nearly as neat.]

I have been wondering about that. Perhaps there is some kind of point to making things unbalanced? Maybe that is "wriggling the knife", as Dreamer puts it.

[countermeasures]

[she reads over vin's writing once she's done, then nods to herself before taking the pen back.]

It's possible. We don't have enough information right now to know for sure, but we'll keep looking for answers.

[allomantic]

[she nods.]

...One more piece of the puzzle.

[countermeasures]

[she nods]

The more pieces we get, the more complete a picture we'll have. Thank you for sharing it with me.

[allomantic]

You needn't thank me... I think it is best if more people know about it, so we can discuss the meaning.

[countermeasures]

You're right. We won't be able to discuss it in public, of course, but... privately should be fine.

[allomantic]

[she nods.]

Yes, I think so. I intend to tell at least a few more people.

[countermeasures]

[she nods]

...I've not found anything of much use yet - just a bunch of slime when I was looking around. [she sighs] And I was able to get a few pictures of some glowing orbs in the cemetery, but there wasn't much to be learned from that... certainly nothing so straightforward as the note.

[allomantic]

...I hope you did not dirty your clothing, as well.

[the slime......]

[countermeasures]

[she makes a face]

[allomantic]

...I see.

[save jiuqing]

[countermeasures]

It was nothing unmanageable, but I would still much prefer not to repeat that experience.

[allomantic]

Were you able to wash it out of your clothing, at least?

[countermeasures]

I put them through the... washing machines in the apartment. It seemed the most effective way to deal with it.

[allomantic]

The ones that are powered by coal?

[who told her this]

[countermeasures]

[she blinks]

Is that what they're powered by?

[allomantic]

I think so.

[oh no]

[countermeasures]

I see... I hadn't realized.

If it's coal that makes them work, I should be able to recreate it in Daxing when we return home...

[nooooooooooo why does this have to be coming from vin, one of the few people jiuqing actually trusts]

[allomantic]

It would be useful. Though I admit, it is strange to me that they can keep the clothing clean like that... The coal must be kept in a very well sealed compartment somewhere.

[countermeasures]

...I wonder if I could talk Percy into taking it apart for us to examine...

[allomantic]

[ :o ]

If he agrees and can put it back together, I would like to see that.

[countermeasures]

It can't hurt to ask.

[but then cyoa returns and curfew will happen so this will probably have to wait until next week provided neither vin nor percy dies]