Rufus Catch-All

[misstrust]

Comments

[soulus]

. . . I suppose the effect is unimportant if you have no intention of using it.

[misstrust]

... You don't think I'm lying about that?

[soulus]

[Well, she was drugged up when she admitted to it.]

Even if you are, it benefits you to keep it a secret.

Should you use it to no avail—or to take a life—the ones who will be at a disadvantage are the participants who attend the trial. In other words, it will no longer have anything to do with you.

[misstrust]

[ Look, she mostly remembers everything-- ]

No, that's not what I--

I know that there's no disadvantage to me, but aren't you the one who's practically married to information? I would have thought you'd be asking me everything about it.

[soulus]

. . . Then let me ask: what does it do?

[misstrust]

[ Dorothy tucks the gem away before she answers him. ]

It can completely reverse someone's personality.

[soulus]

For two hours?

[misstrust]

For an entire day.

[soulus]

That's rather potent.

[misstrust]

I know.

[ She gazes out over the river again. ]

An effect like that... it goes against what I believe in. No one should have the right to change who you are.

[soulus]

Who else received the same reward?

[misstrust]

Blanca. I don't think it's something he'd be interested in using, either.

[soulus]

. . . I completed the task with the dreamer. Our stone enhances the user's speed for two hours.

[misstrust]

The dreamer...?

[ ... ]

Also, that's unfair! Why did you get such an incredibly helpful one??

[ Not that she wanted Rufus to get a crappy one, but her luck with these missions hasn't been all that great. ]

[soulus]

[Read the data and find out, Dorothy.]

Mine is self-sufficient . . . but, used correctly, yours can cripple the target's motivation.

[It's overpowered.]

[misstrust]

[ Why does she like this asshole. ]

Or turn someone's half-hearted ambition to kill into full-blown bloodlust.

[ Well, he'd said "used correctly."

Dorothy makes quite the grimace. ]

I suppose I'll need to hold onto it, on the off-chance that I am targeted. You really might not be the only one who finds me annoying.

[soulus]

[Wouldn't that be unfortunate?]

It doesn't have to be annoyance. The perpetrator may be using a different criteria.

[misstrust]

Regardless, you'd lose out on an avenue of information if I died. I thought you seemed unusually concerned.

[soulus]

. . . Did I?

[misstrust]

You did. I didn't think I'd have to prompt you to ask me questions about something you didn't completely know about.

[ Or that his questions before would be about her survival. ]

[soulus]

Why would I have wanted to know about something you'll never use?

[misstrust]

Because you might have found a use for it? Stolen it from me or killed me for it if I didn't want to hand it over, perhaps?

[ She waves a hand, lightly. ]

[soulus]

Removing a valuable client for one-day benefits would be foolish.

[misstrust]

... Well, it's also true that I couldn't pay you in my world if I died.

[soulus]

. . . No. In order to ensure payment, your survival is necessary.