[Radio] You send Iris a direct message: "Hey Iris, can I talk to you for a bit?"
Iris sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Sure! Are you anywhere near the Barracks in the London base? If so, stop on by!"
Iris' Quarters - London <IQ>
This is a small and cozy room, which serves as the personal quarters of the Repliforce Communications head, Iris. A large, mahogany desk rests up against the north wall. On it is a terminal connected with the main computer, along with a traditional inkwell and fountain pen for a far older form of correspondence. Also located on this desk is a golden locket, with a tiny inscription scratched into it.
Iris' bed is up against the east wall. It has a wrought-iron frame, and piles of downy sheets which make it look very comfortable.
There's a dresser, a vanity mirror, and a walk-in closet as well. The walls are decorated with comforting floral arrangements, and pictures of Iris hugging her beloved brother, Colonel.
Contents:
Iris
Painting: A Family Divided But United
Iris is at her desk, manually sewing ruffles onto some sort of costume.
The buzzer on the outside is pushed, and whatever ringing sound that is set up on the inside is sounded. Iris probably knows who it is.
Iris calls out: "Hey Flare!! Come on in, it's unlocked!"
Surprise! It isn't Flare! It is an evil stalked murderer-type person who has been lurking outside for the moment to strike! Mwahaha!! .. ... oh wait, it IS Flare, nevermind. The door slides open, and the Fire Cat walks in. He looks somewhat embaressed, but he does have something important, at least to him, to discuss. He stands in front of the doorway, as it slides shut behind him "Hi Iris. I hope I'm not disturbing you, but there was something I wanted to talk about." Flare stands there, looking perfectly fine, physically and mentally, hard to believe he was almost destroyed by his best friend only a few weeks ago, it seems he's recovered from that, fully.
Iris finishes a complicated stitching pattern on the sleeve of the costume she's working on, then she slowly gazes across at you and grins. "Hey there, Flare! You're looking really well. How've you been feeling?"
Flare Feline nods and smiles "Yeah well, I've recovered. And I've been feeling good, especially after working things out with Ten..." He ahems "Well, that's not what I wanted to talk about... err... well it sort of is... in a way. It's about the Hunters."
Iris nods, her brow furrowing in interest as she folds her hands in her lap. "Okay, go ahead..."
Flare Feline ahems again, where to start... "Well, as you probably read, the Hunter Rigger helped save my life after I was... attacked. I've been thinking about everything that's happened since then. With everything that's going on, I believe we need a strong alliance with the Hunters, now more than ever. But then, there was the scene I witnessed in the Medbay last week, between Command Major Anthem, and Zero. Well... let's just say that neither of them look too willing to help the other out, or listen to their side..." Zero particularly acted like an aft, and Flare's opinion of the berserker isn't exactly high right now, but he doesn't delve into that, considering Iris' relationship with him "If Commander X didn't show to calm things down when he did, our relations might have broken up then and there. I think now, we need the Hunters' help, and they need ours. But we're on shakey ground it seems... I was just..." He pauses, trying to word it right "...well, after Rigger helped save my life, and after everything that's happened, I just wanted to try anything I could to help Repliforce and Hunter relations right now."
Iris nods. "You know," she muses, thinking about what you've said, "Not all Repliforcers think like Anthem does, and not all Hunters think like Feedback does. Those are just the elements that are vocal, that we hear all the time. They're squeaky wheels. But they are -not- representative of what the majority thinks. Believe it or not...most of the Hunters want a better relationship with us. Rock does. Signas, too, and Seismic, and -all- of the doctors...and Rigger, and...well, do you see what I'm getting at?"
Flare Feline nods "Yeah I do, but still, the squeaky ones tend to be the most noticable, and are the ones paid attention to. We can't afford to let anything get between us and the Hunters right now, I just wanted to.." He pauses again "Well... since you're probably the one at Repliforce that has closest relations with the Hunters, I wanted to see what you thought. Because when I looked back, I realized that I've never dealt with them, at all before now. If the Mavericks and the Robot Masters look like they're working together, we need our allies too. And I just felt that we could help things along better if we focused more on the ones that /want/ a better relationship between the two of us."
Iris nods, picking at a loose thread on the fancy jacket she was stitching earlier. "Have you ever spoken with Signas at all?" she asks. "And I don't mean over the channel saying 'hi', I mean...like, sitting down with him and having a long discussion about faction relations? He's really a wonderful guy to bounce ideas off of, very receptive to planning things. Now, right now, on the -command- level, I can tell you that Repliforce Command is not receptive to the idea of closely working with the Hunters at this time. This isn't my opinion, it's...what my brother and Anthem have chosen to do."
<Global News Network> <Blip! Newsflash!>
An Eastern Indian humanoid Reploid with a turban but no apparent
nose appears on the screen and begins announcing the news in very alarmed
and heavily accented English. His name appears below him briefly on-screen
as GNN Genie. "Help! We need help! Mavericks are attacking a fishing
warehouse just off the East Coast of the island of Sir Lanka! They are very
violent and seeming to be stealing the contents inside!
<Blip to a live shot of Storm Eagle generating heavy winds above the warehouse
and Morph Moth shooting off piles of junk at bandanna'd and turbaned 'fishermen'.
Blip back to GNN Genie>
Wait, what is this? The contents are not fish! They are explosives! This is
not good! Not good at all! Where is help when you need it? Then, just as he
seems about to exclaim some more he bows to the camera and says, "This
has been GNN Genie for GNN news, thank you come again!"
<Blip! End Newsflash!>
[Radio: (E) RF-Chatter] 'Smokey' Plasma Badger transmits, "Once. Just ONCE. I'd like to get wind of this sort of thing before GNN gets hold of it."
[Radio: (E) RF-Chatter] Archer Colossus transmits, "A...fishing warehouse? BWAHAHAHAHA...hm...explosives? So should we mobilize?"
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Captain Iris transmits, "Who's available, please?"
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Lieutenant Skyblade Eagle transmits, "Already on my way."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Corporal Plasma Badger transmits, "I just finished writing my report for Mexico City... but I'm available..."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Archer Colossus transmits, "Corp'ral Archer Colossus, ready, willin, and able. No task too big, or too small."
Flare Feline shakes his head "I've never sat and spoke with any of the Hunters before. I made a few brief comments to Commander X and Zero during the last incident with Anthem, but that was it. And I'm afraid I was unconscious when Rigger was working on me." He nods as she says the last part "Well, I can understand that's a problem. You don't think there's anything that could be done to help remedy that do you?" He grunts as the GNN comes flying across the airwaves "Great, just great..." He grumbles.
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Captain Iris transmits, "Very well, then...please give a sitrep once there."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Archer Colossus transmits, "Who's drivin?"
Iris shrugs at the GNN. "We have it covered, don't worry," she mentions. "Well personally, I think you ought to go have a discussion with Signas -- and you can tell him I sent you, too. As far as...um, their feelings toward us...like I said, it's good for the most part. They do allow me some specific...privileges, though I'm not sure why after...well, the things that happned."
Flare Feline nods "Maybe I will try and talk to him. If he's anything like Commander X, it should be interesting." Flare is still impressed how quickly X dealt with and calmed down Zero and Anthem. And he doesn't really comment on the last part, he himself isn't even too clear on everything that's happened between Iris and the Hunters, it's been one big complicated mess he hasn't been very involved in, so he doesn't know the specifics "Still, you're close enough to them that your help could be needed. ....if the Command staff doesn't seem to be trying to form relations with them, we'll have to try something ourselves. Right now, I think we really need their help. Commander Phoebus already arranged a brief meeting with Dawn and a couple of other Hunters, maybe I'll try talking to Signas as well..."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Captain Iris transmits, "Sri Lanka, sitrep? Are more forces required at this time?"
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Corporal Plasma Badger transmits, "*over the sound of whipping wind and fanjets* I'm just arriving on the scene now. I see Morph Moth and Storm Eagle for certain thus far... but there have to be more than this. Too much havoc for only two Reploids. *pause* I don't like the idea of helping 'not exactly fishermen' .. but I also don't like the idea of the Mavericks making off with a bunch of explosives."
Iris looks somewhat frustrated. Her hands are tied; she can't divulge what her brother's said, as it's confidential...yet if poor Flare had -any- idea how much her brother resisted the idea of working with the Hunters, he'd probably understand her reluctance. "Anyhow, yes...and you know I'm more than willing to help. I know this can be done. Oh! Speaking of...um, of frustating things that don't change...have you seen Fash lately? I haven't heard his annoying voice over the channel in quite some time."
Flare Feline nods "I'll try and speak to Signas then..." And then Fash is brought up "Fashionable? No, I haven't come to think of it. Not that I'm sorry I haven't heard his bantering lately... it's still odd not to hear anything from him. Maybe the vain jerk wandered into a house of mirrors or something and got obsessed with his own image he hasn't come back?"
Iris grins a little. "We can only hope, right? Still...it's kind of odd. Far be it from him to stay silent for THIS long. Maybe his radio's broken, or...like you said. House of mirrors." She shakes her head. "Too bad."
Iris smirks as she gets an evil idea. (Maybe I can get my brother to send -Jet- out to find Fash! Hahahah!)
Flare Feline hmms "Maybe I'll talk to Commander Phoebus and see if he can be located... just in case. Not like I'm worried about him, but we can't have someone like him running around ruining Repliforce's public image. Our relations with /anyone/ will be shot then." He ponders, and then goes back to the talk at hand "Still, it'll be odd to just go up to and talk to Signas like that, it's not something I'm used to, but I guess it should be done..." And Flare also has no idea of the current state of affairs between Iris and Jet, and they're both his friends so he's caught in the middle, fun!
Iris says, "Well, tell him I sent you, and he'll understand. He'll be heartened, too, to see such an interest from our side of the fence. And...maybe eventually, they'll allow you in their base, though I think that's only something X can approve over time. But that shouldn't be a problem. The only hurdle right now, is...this Maverick occupation of Europe. The Hunters have a plan. And...Repliforce Command has a plan, too. And neither of them involve the other."
Flare Feline chuckles "Well, I don't think I'm looking to become /that/ close... but we'll see. I always wanted to see how they operate..." He hrms as the plans are brought "And that... is a big problem alright. I honestly don't think either of us could pull our plans off alone. Especially if we only consider the Mavericks, there's always the possibility that the Robot Masters might come and aid them. Like I said, I believe we need strong allies as well. We need to get Repliforce and Hunter relations strong enough to trust each other. I'll see and talk to Signas as soon as I can. Even if you don't think it'll help, maybe you could try speaking to the Colonel?"
Iris says, "I have. He doesn't want to work with X or Zero....at -all-."
Iris says, "And I hate to sound so...final about it, but believe me, he's being more than stubborn about this. He -isn't- going to do this with them."
Flare Feline hmms again "That's... bad." He sighs "Do you have any idea why exactly? Considering.. everything I might be able to see why he wouldn't trust Zero, but from what I've seen of Commander X, I really don't see why he wouldn't want to work with him."
Iris thinks for a moment, as if she's trying to 'feel' out the situation from a distance. Perhaps she has a way of feeling her brother's emotions. "Hmm...well, he doesn't trust them, at all," she admits. "Especially Zero."
Flare Feline nods "It'll be difficult then. But... even thought you think it's hopeless, maybe if we give the right effort, we could convince him. I'll go ahead and talk to Signas when I can. I /honestly/ can't see us succeeding if we're apart. I know both you and the Colonel want to free Paris, and the rest of Europe from the maverics very much, and I believe we'll do it, with the Hunters' help."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Archer Colossus transmits, "ID'd 2 more Mavericks. A horse femme on skates, and some teleportin fellow. New guy."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] MSE XO Fusion Phoenix transmits, "Do you need any assistance out there?"
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Corporal Plasma Badger transmits, "*sounds irritated* I'm not certain.. but we may need some additional backup. Where are they supposed to be *putting* the explosives?"
Iris presses her fingertips together. "I don't want to sound resistant to the idea, but my brother really frowns against having -any- Hunter assistance with our current operations."
Flare Feline sighs, then smiles "Well, we can try, right?" Yeah, he's an optimist. It probably won't work, but he has to try it. "Anyway, I'll see about talking to Signas. Thanks Iris. I'm sure something will work out." He turns to head for the door, offering a brief wave "Good night."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Corporal Plasma Badger transmits, "We need some backup, I think.. Skyblade Eagle has been forced to retreat...."
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Corporal Plasma Badger transmits, "*there would have been more to the transmission, but it was cut off by static and a scream of pain*"
[Radio: (A) Repliforce] Lieutenant Skyblade Eagle transmits, "He got lucky."
Iris grins. "Good night, Flare, oh and...let me know what he says. If you'd like, maybe we -both- can meet with Signas."
Flare Feline nods "Yeah, that could work well." He smiles agaim "Later" And heads out the door.
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