Chapter 5: The Invisible Hand

[Lena Eva Aysel]

A rebel newspaper? Interesting. Sitting her phone back on the sink, Lena wandered out to her closet to find some clothes for the day. After a few moments of searching, she pulled her work clothes out. They were faded and worn enough to look as if she was rather poor, though her cleanliness would throw people off. Oh well, she couldn't take back the shower, nor would she really wish to.

Pulling on the worn shorts that looked like they were ripped at the ends, she replied to Violette with another simple message: Right on it. She didn't concern herself much with discussion when it was over some technology. She couldn't study someone through a phone. Grabbing her t-back styled, v-neck tank top, she pulled it on also. Her training clothes covered as little as possible without giving someone the impression she was offering something. Her ice maiden blood made it difficult to train in most places without retaining too much heat.

Once dressed, she went back to the bathroom to hang her towel back up and turn the light out. After slipping her phone and key into her pocket, she gave the place a once over, and slipped her feet into the worn black sandals she liked to wear sometimes. Flicking her apartment light out on the way out, she locked her door and begun her search.

[Azure Blackstone]

azure notices a woman walking up behind him he turns around "hi have we met ye" he asks he letting her catch up with him. he smiles and sits on the curb watching the woman come to a stop. "my name is azure whats youre" he asks her looking at he face to see how she would react to him.

[Calithin Crest]

"Pretty snazzy."

I take a seat across from my father and drum my fingers on his desk

"How have you been? I noticed that storm a few days ago and naturally assumed... Everything copasetic or what? And don't be too dramatic when you tell me. I am not in the mood for melodrama."

This is a lie. I am always in the mood for melodrama.

[Eun/Aoi Kiriyama]

"Oh okay. I won't ask any more questions about it." Eun answer.

"But at least you are safe though. I thought you were sick or something like that...."

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

"Oh, it was nothing really. I was just mildly annoyed that my secretary was captured by the Manalists. I really dislike losing employees in that fashion." Keitoleinen replies to Calithin. He wonders for a moment if Eun will bring Linnea there right away. He hopes that she does since there is a huge pile of work on her desk that needs to be done.

[Bambi Engel]

Bambi nodded, placing her folder in front of her from her lap. "Well, I would say good, as you have fine credit. We give loans to anyone, just as long as their credit checks out." She stated, remembering the earlier ordeal with Hilja. Poor woman, having to work three jobs... She quickly tried to change her course of thinking. There really was no point feeling sympathy for the woman, she was trying her hardest, which was good.

She wondered idly about what she would order herself. Probably just some tea and one of the cafe's delicious English muffins. She'd eaten dinner a few hours ago, and the ice cream she never really got a bite of, but she tried not to eat much.

[Calithin Crest]

"It's your own fault anyway... You can't let them out of the office. Crazy. What were you thinking? They always get themselves into ridiculous trouble. You gotta..."

I slap the back of one of my hands against the palm of the other.

"Keep 'um in check. Ya heard?"

I laugh to myself and pick a pen up off of my father's desk.

"I'm taking this with me. This is a nice pen. Ooo-wee."

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

"Well, I am sure she will be far too terrified now to venture too far." Keitoleinen replies. He watches Calithin play with the pen he filled with the blood of premature babies that died. He likes that pen. He uses that one for signing important documents.

"Hmm, well, you can't just take that pen. That pen is important to me. If you take that pen, I will send a plague upon London." Keitoleinen says in all seriousness.

[Calithin Crest]

"Stop being such a premature baby."

I tuck the pen into my jacket pocket.

"I'm taking the pen. Here... I'll trade you."

I dig around my pockets until I find a paper clip and drop it on his desk.

"Paper clip for pen... MAGICAL paper clip for pen. I found it in Egypt... In the jungle. This paper clip belonged to Beowulf. If you rub it a Genie comes out and grants you three wishes. That's alotta wishes. You don't even know what to do with three wishes. Fair trade."

I don't know. Maybe it is magical.

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

"That's fine. You may have the pen. Though, let it be known that I will construct a new pen from the blood of your first born child. Just saying." And he leaves it at that. He supposes that maybe he should turn things to more serious matters.

"So, in any event, how is business going? Any concerns or successes that you would like to mention?" He asks.

[Linnea Korpela]

"No I wasn't. And it ruined a pretty good weekend too. Well the part I saw of it. It was so nice out and warm too," Linnea had briefly looked up at the sky but then back to the ground. She felt so stupid.

[Calithin Crest]

"No, no... You can have the pen. I wasn't really going to take it. It's not that nice anyway."

I toss the pen back to him... Or in his general direction atleast.

"Well, I'm constructing some new mines in central and south America... So that's exciting. I'm thinking about having androids handle some of the labor... Things that are too dangerous for people to do. I hate it when they die. Interviewing and training new workers is so annoying and inefficient. So... If you just wanna shoot, say... A couple hundred androids my way when you get the chance. Well, Dad, that'd be real swell."

[Lena Eva Aysel]

Stepping onto the streets of Helsinki from the apartment complex, Lena examined the people on the streets. This could certainly take a while... Beginning to walk to where she remembered the first newsstand being, she tried to think of ways to see if they secretly carried rebel newspapers. It wasn't likely an actual newsstand would, but it was the best place to start.

"Good day, sir." She greeted the man running the stand pleasantly, reaching out to take a paper. Merely skimming the front page, she reached into her back pocket to bring out the amount she needed to buy the paper. "Such depressing news as always, but I suppose it's what catches the publics' eye." She stated, feeling her hair brushing against the bare spots on her back. She'd pull it back in a ponytail after she was done here, she always kept exerages in her work out clothes.

Unknowingly to Lena, one of the writers herself for the rebel newspaper was heading her way. "I wonder, sir, if you carry any other papers along with the regular ones? I have an interest in what the opinions of... shall we say... "other" journalists may be...?" She inquired subtly, her eyes studying the man as he suddenly appeared nervous. The chance of him thinking she may just be working for the Manalists was high (which she technically was), but perhaps that was the edge she needed.

((Post to Tuesday.))

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

"I just visited Switzerland and the International Credit Bureau is updating its Creditor androids. There will be plenty of left over pink haired androids from the previous version which have remained unsold. Maybe they could be reprogrammed to do mine work. It would save money and if you are just sending them down there to replace human labor, there is no point in having something fancy or specially made. I will talk to Eun, a young scientist of ours and see if maybe she can reprogram some of the older models, if that is alright with you." Keitoleinen says in reply. He takes his pen and starts drawing a pictures on a scratch piece of paper.

"You know Calithin, we should invite some people over for a game of Pictionary."

[Calithin Crest]

"Okay. Although... The pink hair always seemed a little ridiculous to me, especially for creditor androids. Creditors should be able to blend in to better apprehend poor people... Or debtors... Whatever. That would make more sense. But whatever. Talk to sciency people and send um over."

I consider pictionary.

"Okay. Lets so that. Invite people over to play pictionary. Sounds good. Very hardcore."