RECORDING 4: THE SECOND WEEK

[foundationmods]

A second week in this place begins, with less of your number among you. With first blood - and oil - spilled, it now seems as if it'll only be a matter of time before the worse eventually happens once more. Thankfully, it seems as if the Miasma is content to remain at the same levels it did before, so arguments are unlikely to break out, though tensions are surely high after everything that's already occurred.

Speaking of which, the temperature remains a consistent comfortable early to mid 70's in the house. It appears at least that you'll be here in comfort..? Though it appears that the rooms have changed, so hopefully you kept anything essential in the static area.

Yet, something feels...wrong. The house feels as if it is laughing at you, when you awake...

...What new horrors await you this week?


WARNING: Some investigations of new areas will contain traps that may be harmful or even lethal.
MIASMA LEVEL: 1
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[dreamdispersal]

[ Nope, the mist is cool-ish. No fires were used in the creation of this fog!

And also there is a voice from the inside of all that fog. Hi. ]

Never seen mist before?

[eyeforai]

[Okay that's actually nice...ish. It would be a lot more suffocating if it was warm considering he's back to wearing his trench coat even though he's indoors. But hey, he recognizes that voice. Luckily he can actually bypass this by using X-ray vision so like... assuming Zabuza isn't standing behind a lead wall or something, Date will turn his head in his direction to give him a flat stare.]

I have, but it's usually outdoors and not inside a building. Were you the one who did this?

[dreamdispersal]

[ This actually surprises Zabuza. Nobody can accurately pinpoint him within the fog, normally. It's good that he's figured this out now, because he is definitely making mental note of it just in case.

The fog dissipates a little as he responds, remaining present but becoming more see-through. ]

I was. How did you find me?

[eyeforai]

[Oh thank god. It's still a little too dense for him to see through normally, but at least it's something.]

Eh, I've got a good eye for these sorts of things. Comes with experience.

[dreamdispersal]

[ Zabuza huffs. He can understand not wanting to give details on your abilities, but he also would have liked a straight-out answer. Ah well. ]

I didn't think the police habitually dealt with such obstacles, but you learn something new every day.

[eyeforai]

[Sometimes evasive assholes just gotta be evasive assholes.]

Heh. Well, there's all sorts of criminals out there. Sometimes you just learn how to deal with their little tricks.

[dreamdispersal]

The criminals learn how to deal with their pursuers as well, so don't get complacent now. It's a neverending game.

[ He's the criminal in this... and now acutely aware what sides they'd be on if they were from the same world. ]

[eyeforai]

[This is probably a more involved conversation that he thought he'd be getting when he walked into a fog-filled room but. #yolo]

You sound like you've got your own experience with this sort of thing. Care to share?

[dreamdispersal]

You learn a trick or two when you spend a few years on the run.

[ One could attribute this honesty to the fact that killing in a place like this would be most inadvisable, or to the fact that Haku's cover story relies on hunting Zabuza down, but... in reality, it's just that he's very open about who he is or what did unless secrecy is absolutely required. ]

[eyeforai]

[Honestly, it's a little surprising how blunt he is about it, although it's also kind of refreshing considering how much Date's used to suspects trying to talk circles around him.]

Huh. What got you on the radar?

[dreamdispersal]

A coup d'êtat. I was sold out before I could complete it.

[ That's a really sore memory and he sounds bitter as hell even mentioning it. ]

My country's government is incompetent, corrupt, and leaving everything to rot away in poverty and violence.

[eyeforai]

That's politics for you. Backstabbing and lying might as well be their day jobs, for all they care.

[Although for all the problems that Japan undoubtedly has, he's never really thought of it as being that bad of a place to live, so in that sense he can't really relate to the level of turmoil and betrayal that Zabuza's seen.]

Didn't take you for a visionary though. Although coup d'êtat does fit the soldier image.

[dreamdispersal]

Oh, I'm very much a visionary, you had me wrong. Once I return home, I will return to Kirigakure and take it over.

[ For all of Zabuza's grumpy and gruff cynicism, there is an earnesty in his eyes when he speaks of his goals. ]

I won't stand to see my home disgrace itself any further.

[eyeforai]

I'll just have to revise my opinion on you, then.

[But the ambitious type, huh... He doesn't necessarily have anything against those sorts, but the way Zabuza acts makes Date think that the man would fit right in with some yakuza groups.]

Have some fond memories of that place?

[dreamdispersal]

None.

[ Kirigakure sucks. He loves Kirigakure passionately. These statements can coexist. Probably. ]

It's been a cesspool since before I was born. But it's still my home.

[eyeforai]

[Well, that was blunt and not entirely relatable but he can understand why such a sentiment exists... maybe.]

I can't say I know what that's like myself, but I can see why you'd still be attached to it. But your plans were already foiled by the government once, so what's stopping them from doing it again?

[dreamdispersal]

It wasn't them. It was a traitor in my own ranks.

[ Which... is arguably worse. ]

Getting better troops and vetting them more thoroughly is step one. Kirigakure's leader is also a strong combatant, but I have no doubt I can take him by now.

[eyeforai]

[Ah. That honestly explains a lot about why Zabuza sounded so bitter about the loss; being defeated is one thing, but broken trust is another.]

You must've been pretty pissed to have gotten pulled here when you were in the middle of your coup, then.

[dreamdispersal]

Mh. You can say that again.

[ He has integrated pretty well into the Foundation but he really doesn't like it. Traveling to other worlds is interesting and all, but it's not for him. There is only one place he has ever wanted to be. ]

It was the middle of a job to secure funding, so that's especially annoying. When I come back my reputation as a mercenary will certainly have tanked for it.