REFURBISHED [Morbitia Renovarse]

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

[image description: A illustration of a monitor placed on the side of a building displaying a ad for a fictional stage play. Two cartoon anthropomorphic women in european fantasy costumes are on display, the left being more rodent like with a flirtatious expression. The one on the right has many glowing eyes under her bushel of hair and two horns that combined resemble a spider's mandibles. In front of the is Diver who's wizard hat and hair obscure most of his face.]

The three of you make your way through a less busy street, figure the last thing you need is a crowd if another incident makes its way onto your stack of problems.

Savvy: So you're a little like me right? 

Diver: Mm?? 

Savvy: Made in a lab and all that... 

Diver: Just on the outside, what's inside's made by the world you've got. 

Savvy: Don't got much yet personally.. 

The fiend gives you a smug look.

Despina: What? 

Diver: You starving them or something? Take them out to a movie or something before they move on without you. 

Savvy: We watch plenty of them... 

Diver: Yeah but like... in the theater? Maybe even a broadway show or a carnival or-

Despina: Taking someone in doesn't mean I have to be their mother.. 

Diver: Still, would be good for morale I think. I dunno, figure that if you're sending your friend out to do work and all it might be something in your favor. Just thinking out loud.. 

Savvy: I mean I don't really keep up with what's coming out like that. 

Diver: You like, got a computer or-

Savvy: Nope.

Diver: A phone? 

Savvy: Yeah but I can't browse on mine... 

Diver: What kind of fossil did they hand you... 

Despina: It's to protect our staff from tracking, we use a different signal and then spoof a legitimate number... it's a whole complex network of-

Diver:... Sav, you only got a work phone? 

Savvy: I mean it'd be weird to carry two of them... 

Diver:... You give out your number at all? 

Savvy: You want?

Diver: Yeah but not like that right now, talking about in general. 

Savvy: I mean I gave it out to a couple of folks today... 

Despina:... Romero, right? He's a ally and on our network-

Savvy: And Santana... 

Despina: Ah.. 

Diver: Oh shit, yeah we gotta damage control there. Compromised signals are no go, good excuse to give them a work and personal phone separate. We can try to hook you up in the next couple of days. 

Despina: I.. don't oppose considering our current circumstances. 

Diver: And without a work phone, maybe you should give them a couple of days off? Especially with how hectic things are going and I don't want the folks to have more paperwork to go through... 

Despina: You're lucky you're cute or I'd trip you on purpose.. 

Diver: Lighten up, if it were anyone but me today things would be a shitstorm right now. So.... 

Savvy: So.... 

Diver: Mm? 

Savvy: You have a place in mind, right? Like, you're asking for days off cause you wanna hang? 

Diver: Maybe, I'd actually have to ask... keep a solid maybe? 

Savvy: If you can? 

Diver: I mean I wouldn't mind seeing a show right now myself.. 

Savvy: Oh? 

Diver: Theater kid. 

Savvy: Yeah figures, used to them. 

Diver gives you a little gesture. 

Diver: You too, yeah? 

Despina: In my own way. Never did much actual on stage stuff, more of a grip. 

Diver: Really? Figured with the masks and all-

Despina: Need them as a anchor, they're not really all that fun for me... 

Diver: Not even a little? 

Despina: Maybe when I get to be a little bit of a mean bitch.. 

Diver: Honestly kind of respect it, always seemed kinda chill from a distance though.. 

Despina: People hate my guts for it pretty quick if I don't, so It's more of a bludgeon in my pocket. 

Diver: Mm.. Is it bad that it makes me want to look at what's under the mask? Like I don't wanna be too rude here but-

Despina: Get it a lot, hate it personally. 

Diver: ...Someone totally tried to fix you. 

Despina: Mm... "fix". 

Savvy: you don't really talk much about this... 

Despina: Job has me accounted for effectively. 

Diver: Really does feel that way, huh? You rose through the ranks in record time too if I recall.. 

Despina: Mm... wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Only way they could get me to retire from field work. You? 

Diver: I mean I'm still active, I'm kind of the baby of the group. 

Despina: "Baby", how old are you? 

Diver: Old enough to not be a very convincing baby, you know what I mean though. 

Despina: Given all the responsibility, but treated like a kid at the big tables. Yeah I know that. 

Diver: Rare I've got that in common with someone... what'd you do anyone? 

Despina: Courier work, handling entity affairs that needed a bit more of a harder touch. That sort of thing, you know? 

Diver: Ah... that checks out. And your library? Yours shares a space with the apartments yeah? 

Despina: Makes it easier to get in touch with working class folks. Not a campus or some historical witching site like the other 3 though so.. 

Diver: It's the testing site. 

Despina: Not a good one honestly. Networking our archives to other parts of this region? Whole.. uh.. 

Savvy: I'm not gonna snitch. 

Diver: Same. 

Despina: Most of our sister libraries further out don't have bigger archives that close by to bail them. Day like today happens? Those spots would be red for a month at lease. Meanwhile... 

Diver: Meanwhile we can be back in business quick. Safehouse compromised? It'll be back in business sooner than later.

Despina: Teams I worked with usually were at further locations, environments that couldn't match support against the level of hostility. Big city like this needs more to thrive but their needs are hardly met... 

Savvy: Seen you pass out at your desk regularly, you really gotta ask someone else to pitch in... 

Diver: I could get you someone..

Savvy: If you teach me-

Despina: Nobody else really understands what's going on like I do. Pretty much all management here is locally grown. 

Diver: Guilty of that, yeah.

Savvy: Is that why you got Romero and Marcos? 

Diver: You're the one who installed these two as freelancers?

Despina: Yeah.. Folks from out of town, think it's needed for us to really be able to build further. Both had to be big exceptions to fly though. Marcos is from the school of Blanc and Romero-

Diver: Hold that thought.. we're looking pretty close to the back entrance. 

The fiend gestures to a alley. 

Diver: I wanna hear more but gonna propose this. We check in, find a private booth, finish from there so we can get any potential requests on paper. 

You tilt your head at him. 

Despina: You have something to gain? 

Diver: Just a comrade down the line.