(no subject)

[spitemancer]

I want samples from the Fowler Museum sinkhole, and you need better minds than yours to work on the problem. That's me. I need someone to tell the humans stationed around the perimeter to let me by; they're not as corrupt as Rata Sum Peacekeepers and they didn't take bribes. Who do I talk to so that I can get that done?

Speaking of perimeters, if you have to put one around a pit that is one hundred meters deep to stop yourselves and your progeny from throwing themselves over the edge, then there is no hope for you as a species.

Comments

[Text]

[nomorepantiesplz]

You tried to bribe the police? Really? I know LA has its problems, but that's still incredibly illegal. Like, felony level illegal.

Re: [Text]

[spitemancer]

I would ask if you were joking, but that's what their lieutenant said too. I know it's illegal for them to accept, but to offer?

[risenridingwolves]

I don't think that attitude is going to get anyone to put their faith in you. Nor is outright admitting that you tried to bribe the cops, for that matter.

[spitemancer]

What does attitude have to do with anything? It's the truth.

And bribery is sometimes a necessary expense in the pursuit of knowledge, especially when it comes to bored junior krewe defending a magically-interesting site from intellectual competitors. Your police were in a similar situation.

By the Eternal Alchemy, I've never heard of a city where this kind of incident has so much pomposity attached to it. Maybe the dredge, but who wants to follow in their footprints? I shudder to think of the intellectual stagnation this world must be under.

[risenridingwolves]

We have this little concept called ethics that precludes that sort of thing, you know.

And considering how a sinkhole just like this one ate up three of the most powerful superheroes on Earth, I would think a bit of "pomposity" is warranted. Intellectual curiosity is wonderful and all, but let's be reasonable, there are more important things to worry about here.

[spitemancer]

What's unethical about it? It isn't as though I were trying to take any actual research.

Someone who wants to investigate the phenomenon anyway should be prepared to assume the relevant risks. Even progeny know that.

[risenridingwolves]

Bribery is generally considered a bad thing around here...

That's not the problem. There could be something dangerous about those crystals or even something else in there that they just haven't found yet, CONDOR aren't going to risk some supervillain getting their grubby hands on it.

people may have thought she was a supervillain at first...

[spitemancer]

Of course it is; obviously you wouldn't want to trust anything important to someone who accepts bribes.

I am NOT a supervillain! I am a registered student of the University of California, Los Angeles, which CONDOR knows perfectly well. If I want to put myself in a dangerous situation, that is nobody's business but my own.

[risenridingwolves]

You didn't exactly make a good first impression! I can't quite say I would blame them if they were still leery of you.

text;

[hugling]

yeeeeah, that kind of thing is sort of frowned on in LA. you're probably better off just sneaking in, if you don't have any kind of clearance, or whatever.

Re: text;

[spitemancer]

Clearance. As if a natural disaster site belonged to someone! Who do I have to talk to in order to get this permission?

Sneaking in isn't a possibility; I'm not interested in being taken back into CONDOR's custody.

[hugling]

honestly you probably have to talk to CONDOR or the LAPD or whoever, but they're not just going to give random people access. especially aliens probably sorry

[spitemancer]

I am not a "random person," I am an asura genius of the College of Synergetics in Rata Sum, the pinnacle of thaumotechnical studies and intellect of my world. Furthermore, I have already made it clear to CONDOR that this planet's collective grasp of crystalline thaumic energy is equivalent to the knowledge contained in my left toe.

I'll contact the LAPD again. CONDOR hasn't returned my calls yet. Idiots.

[hugling]

right. calling people idiots and talking about how much smarter you are is probably not going to help your cause.

[spitemancer]

That doesn't even make sense. How else will anyone know your accomplishments if you don't tell them? Do you not want the most intelligent researchers investigating dangerous phenomena?

[justkiding]

lol yeah humans suck

[spitemancer]

At least the ones on Tyria are more reasonable overall. Then again they've had more contact with asura...

Well, that's immaterial right now anyway. I doubt that you're another asura. So who are you?

[justkiding]

just somebody who's got what you want. :)

[spitemancer]

That's another point in your favor. If you're another Craig's List fraud, though, bear in mind that I can recognize plain quartz pebbles.

Any other conversation should probably take place privately. My name, location, and contact information are public enough; take your pick.

private | via provided contact info (email?)

[justkiding]

no quartz, got plenty of samples right after it appeared.

and if you tell me what you want with them i might let them go for free.

(good with me!)

[spitemancer]

I want to see if there's any thaumic residue on them, first of all. If so, whether I can verify the type of power used, if it's a recognizable byproduct or possibly a power source in its own right. Ascertaining its resonance would probably be useful. Also if they're likely to cause harm to anyone via bleedoff or thaumic radiation. My equipment isn't ideal, but it should give me some useful results.

If you want said results, that would be fair.

[halfa_hero]

You haven't exactly been doing anything to make yourself look trustworthy.

[spitemancer]

I've complied with all the senseless regulations put on my work, am in good academic standing at UCLA, and have cooperated with my moronic CONDOR liaisons to the best of their intellectual ability. I think that's adequate.

[halfa_hero]

Right, I forgot that all of that is a magical formula for making the government trust you after you hospitalize people.

[spitemancer]

Self-defense, and no one was permanently incapacitated, you wretched progeny.