General James Ironwood (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tinpotdicktator) wrote2026-01-09 08:14 pm
tinpotdicktator) wrote2026-01-09 08:14 pm
Entry tags:
deerington; INBOX
[action / fluid: voice, video, text / etc ]
[action / fluid: voice, video, text / etc ]
Yeah... And honestly I'm not looking forward to the next time he tries to pull something like that.
...I don't know? He seemed big on deals. I haven't actually tried to make him do it yet. At least I haven't run into any codes to try and solve.
I'm asking Ford Pines and Varian to help with building it. There's a bird doctor or nurse, Doctor Shu to help with actually installing??? it.
Hey! That's super handy. I'll put them to good use. Thanks.
[Oh no.]
No! Not to my knowledge
Not on my phone at least.
I can prove it too.
...I don't know? He seemed big on deals. I haven't actually tried to make him do it yet. At least I haven't run into any codes to try and solve.
I'm asking Ford Pines and Varian to help with building it. There's a bird doctor or nurse, Doctor Shu to help with actually installing??? it.
Hey! That's super handy. I'll put them to good use. Thanks.
[Oh no.]
No! Not to my knowledge
Not on my phone at least.
I can prove it too.
[Oscar had similar thoughts about redundancy, and he did not like where this was going. Nervous as he was, he was not about to see James pull a repeat of what he did in Atlas.]
This isn't something that anyone had control over, James. Nothing good would have happened with your intervention.
Fortunately, death is not a permanent condition in this town. What we must do is learn from these mistakes and adjust our plans so that we can avoid them later, but we also must try to accept that which we cannot control.
For all of our sakes.
This isn't something that anyone had control over, James. Nothing good would have happened with your intervention.
Fortunately, death is not a permanent condition in this town. What we must do is learn from these mistakes and adjust our plans so that we can avoid them later, but we also must try to accept that which we cannot control.
For all of our sakes.
[ Ironwood has no idea how Bill works but his only hope is that these deals he makes are at least equally binding. ]
He's dangerous. Be careful.
Write this down and keep it for when you want to test him. Don't just send it to him over the Fluid.
.... . .-.. .-.. --- / -... .. .-.. .-.. / ... - --- .--. / .--. .- ... ... / --- -. / -- -.-- / .-. . --. .- .-. -.. ... / - --- / .-. ..- -... -.-- / ... - --- .--. / ... .. -. -.-. . .-. . .-.. -.-- / .--- .- -- . ... / .. .-. --- -. .-- --- --- -..
He's dangerous. Be careful.
Write this down and keep it for when you want to test him. Don't just send it to him over the Fluid.
.... . .-.. .-.. --- / -... .. .-.. .-.. / ... - --- .--. / .--. .- ... ... / --- -. / -- -.-- / .-. . --. .- .-. -.. ... / - --- / .-. ..- -... -.-- / ... - --- .--. / ... .. -. -.-. . .-. . .-.. -.-- / .--- .- -- . ... / .. .-. --- -. .-- --- --- -..
[ He got so caught up in remembering his morse code he hadn't read the rest of Ruby's message yet.
Which. What? ]
You're going to the bird doctor?
Which. What? ]
You're going to the bird doctor?
I've met Both Stanford Pines and Varian. They're quite capable.
Not on your phone is oddly specific.
Not on your phone is oddly specific.
Edited 2021-02-20 11:52 (UTC)
I could have saved you if I'd known you needed saving.
Just because death isn't permanent doesn't mean we should let this town kill us. And this incident was preventable. Bill Cipher played us.
If we're going to learn any mistakes from this is that we need to be far more careful with who we work with.
Just because death isn't permanent doesn't mean we should let this town kill us. And this incident was preventable. Bill Cipher played us.
If we're going to learn any mistakes from this is that we need to be far more careful with who we work with.
Edited 2021-02-20 13:35 (UTC)
[Ruby isn't exactly sure how she feels about this. Her trust was strained between both James and Bill, but Ironwood was definitely the lesser of two evils here as far as she can tell. Plus testing the water to see just how their arrangement worked wasn't a bad idea.]
So I've learned, and got a nice knuckle sandwich high in iron to prove it.
Next time I see him, I'll give it a shot. Thanks for that.
Yeah... He was advertising on the network. Apparently he knows brain surgery for humans and birds.
I'd look into someone else but I don't know any other doctors around at the moment.
Yeah. They're both pretty darn dependable from my experience. If something needs to be built go to them.
[Oh no.]
Yeah-I mean
I wouldn't text on anyone elses phone. That'd just be rude, you know?
So I've learned, and got a nice knuckle sandwich high in iron to prove it.
Next time I see him, I'll give it a shot. Thanks for that.
Yeah... He was advertising on the network. Apparently he knows brain surgery for humans and birds.
I'd look into someone else but I don't know any other doctors around at the moment.
Yeah. They're both pretty darn dependable from my experience. If something needs to be built go to them.
[Oh no.]
Yeah-I mean
I wouldn't text on anyone elses phone. That'd just be rude, you know?
He wants to play us against each other. Hopefully your recovery has been well. I did try to go easy on you.
Even better if you can see if you can make him come to you. Will he come when you call, if you need a code deciphered? Or can he solve it whenever he chooses? The message doesn't matter. It's if we can control his behavior.
[ He doesn't KNOW. But it seemed like it was magic, and magic has rules, doesn't it? But so widely out of what he does know that he needs more information. He has things he wants to test, and he'll use Ruby to test them. And with relatively little risk, he thinks.]
Unfortunately, neither do I, and I would not trust the Townspeople with it. Especially not now.
Noted. Good to know.
Of course not. You wouldn't lie to me either.
Even better if you can see if you can make him come to you. Will he come when you call, if you need a code deciphered? Or can he solve it whenever he chooses? The message doesn't matter. It's if we can control his behavior.
[ He doesn't KNOW. But it seemed like it was magic, and magic has rules, doesn't it? But so widely out of what he does know that he needs more information. He has things he wants to test, and he'll use Ruby to test them. And with relatively little risk, he thinks.]
Unfortunately, neither do I, and I would not trust the Townspeople with it. Especially not now.
Noted. Good to know.
Of course not. You wouldn't lie to me either.
Edited 2021-02-20 22:40 (UTC)
I could be in worse shape.
The whole eye thing is a lot worse than any bumps and bruises you gave me.
I appreciate that you held back.
[The amount of information and control he's after is a little worrying there, but it's important considering what they just went through. It's something she's willing to dip her toes into but she might be careful with how much information she passes back to Ironwood. At least until some trust is built back between them.]
That's a good idea. I'm... Going to try and use this message to find out how much control he still has over me before I get in too deep. If it was a one time deal on both ends then there's not much I can do. But if it's still ongoing than I'll plenty of time to experiment.
Yeah. They were rude on a good day, now that they're rude and glitchy they aren't going anywhere near my noggin'.
[Oh. That hits her in the gut. She's not sure if someone has told him about what's going on at home or whether this is just about that text.
But either way that stings and she's not exactly sure how to respond to it.]
No... I wouldn't. At least not here.
[Which is also a lie.]
The whole eye thing is a lot worse than any bumps and bruises you gave me.
I appreciate that you held back.
[The amount of information and control he's after is a little worrying there, but it's important considering what they just went through. It's something she's willing to dip her toes into but she might be careful with how much information she passes back to Ironwood. At least until some trust is built back between them.]
That's a good idea. I'm... Going to try and use this message to find out how much control he still has over me before I get in too deep. If it was a one time deal on both ends then there's not much I can do. But if it's still ongoing than I'll plenty of time to experiment.
Yeah. They were rude on a good day, now that they're rude and glitchy they aren't going anywhere near my noggin'.
[Oh. That hits her in the gut. She's not sure if someone has told him about what's going on at home or whether this is just about that text.
But either way that stings and she's not exactly sure how to respond to it.]
No... I wouldn't. At least not here.
[Which is also a lie.]
[He really did sound like Salem, Oscar realized that instant. His refusal to accept that which he could not control was no different from her's, and Oscar had seen the effects of how it drove him. Biting his lip, the '...' bounced on the screen a few times before a carefully picked out reply appeared:]
That's right, we will need to be more careful in the future. However, we must remember that we are only human.
Even you. Even I.
No one can hope to prevent every disaster, no matter how hard we try.
This incident was preventable, and we will do better at our next opportunity. However, we will only succeed if we stop being Heroes and start working together.
As a team.
That's right, we will need to be more careful in the future. However, we must remember that we are only human.
Even you. Even I.
No one can hope to prevent every disaster, no matter how hard we try.
This incident was preventable, and we will do better at our next opportunity. However, we will only succeed if we stop being Heroes and start working together.
As a team.
[ James feels it's a bit rich for Ozpin to claim humanity, even as it echoes the sentiment James has been feeling since he arrived here, since that hotel room. That in a world without Ozpin's influence practically everywhere, he really was just a man.
And this also echoes a lot of what people were trying to tell him, the other Sleepers, the ones not from Remnant - that there's only so much they can do. ]
I am TRYING, Oz, but with so many of us from Remnant it's just like with Qrow. How am I supposed to work with them if they won't trust me?
As for the other Sleepers, I'm already cutting them a lot more slack than I would in Atlas. Some of the things theyve admitted to should have made me leave them for the cats, but they're all I have to work with. At least I know where I stand with them if they tell me upfront.
What do we do with the ones who are hiding things? Wjat if they're keeping secrets we don't even know they are? How do we trust anything they say?
And this also echoes a lot of what people were trying to tell him, the other Sleepers, the ones not from Remnant - that there's only so much they can do. ]
I am TRYING, Oz, but with so many of us from Remnant it's just like with Qrow. How am I supposed to work with them if they won't trust me?
As for the other Sleepers, I'm already cutting them a lot more slack than I would in Atlas. Some of the things theyve admitted to should have made me leave them for the cats, but they're all I have to work with. At least I know where I stand with them if they tell me upfront.
What do we do with the ones who are hiding things? Wjat if they're keeping secrets we don't even know they are? How do we trust anything they say?
[ Oh so Fern's boy was Varian? Good to know. ]
I did try to avoid dating civilians after that for that reason. They feel so fragile, compared to people you can fight with.
Well, that and they were far less likely to have political reasons for courting me, but that's not relevant to your case.
I did try to avoid dating civilians after that for that reason. They feel so fragile, compared to people you can fight with.
Well, that and they were far less likely to have political reasons for courting me, but that's not relevant to your case.
[He was tired.
Oscar felt like he was back on Atlas, trying and failing to coax Ironwood to not lose his own basic humanity to the machinery of fear.
Somehow... Even after being shot and left for dead, he didn't quite feel like it was time to just allow James to figure this out on his own yet.]
The people here are not a military force anyone can control, James. You have to trust them and accept them as they come if you want the sentiment returned.
Like you have done for me.
Oscar felt like he was back on Atlas, trying and failing to coax Ironwood to not lose his own basic humanity to the machinery of fear.
Somehow... Even after being shot and left for dead, he didn't quite feel like it was time to just allow James to figure this out on his own yet.]
The people here are not a military force anyone can control, James. You have to trust them and accept them as they come if you want the sentiment returned.
Like you have done for me.
oh yeah, your date being a civilian would do it
[It'd be like him trying to date a Candy person. They are so soft and squishy.]
nope! not like i got any power to boss people around as a knight, i just follow whoever i'm dedicated to's orders and that's usually 'save people you dingus'
having to worry about people being schemey sounds rough
[It'd be like him trying to date a Candy person. They are so soft and squishy.]
nope! not like i got any power to boss people around as a knight, i just follow whoever i'm dedicated to's orders and that's usually 'save people you dingus'
having to worry about people being schemey sounds rough
It's easier when things are simpler. Easier to trust them. Not to mention you have time to spend with them. More opportunities to make things work.
[ There's a long pause. ]
I understand what you are trying to say.
It's good to have you back.
When you're feeling better, we need to talk somewhere safe.
I understand what you are trying to say.
It's good to have you back.
When you're feeling better, we need to talk somewhere safe.
Edited 2021-02-21 15:48 (UTC)
Let me know how it goes with Bill. I don't want to be caught off guard by him again.
[ And he can drop the conversation about him going easy on her, he's made his point. ]
You have more experience with them than me, how unexpected or unusual is their current behaviour?
[ There it is again, the specifity. ]
Not here?
[ And he can drop the conversation about him going easy on her, he's made his point. ]
You have more experience with them than me, how unexpected or unusual is their current behaviour?
[ There it is again, the specifity. ]
Not here?
I'll do just that. I need to figure out just out just how deep into this I am anyways. Knowledge is power here.
[She's pretty happy to drop that here herself.]
I want to say completely unexpected but that wouldn't be true.
There were other kinds of town people around before. The Betty's, they disappeared a few months ago when Mother Superior started trying to break through the layers.
So it's kind of more of the same of that.
The towns people have acted weird before but this more like that then anything else they've done before.
Like before they'd just pretend to be nice or fit into whatever setting the dream was making instead of just breaking like they are.
[Yuuuup. This is not exactly the conversation she was hoping to have.]
What do you remember from back home?
Or... What have people around here told you about what's happening?
[She's pretty happy to drop that here herself.]
I want to say completely unexpected but that wouldn't be true.
There were other kinds of town people around before. The Betty's, they disappeared a few months ago when Mother Superior started trying to break through the layers.
So it's kind of more of the same of that.
The towns people have acted weird before but this more like that then anything else they've done before.
Like before they'd just pretend to be nice or fit into whatever setting the dream was making instead of just breaking like they are.
[Yuuuup. This is not exactly the conversation she was hoping to have.]
What do you remember from back home?
Or... What have people around here told you about what's happening?
Which means that the situation is escalating, one way or another. It's as if they're programs or androids, and they're no longer running properly. But it sounds as though that's a result of the larger problem, rather than them being hacked, for lack of a better word.
I've been told some things. I know the situation gets far worse. I know she's coming.
[ That she's asking that question is unnerving, and successfully distracts him from the original intent of that line of questioning.
There's a pause, clear that he's typing something else, but he's unsure what exactly he should reveal. If he tells her that he knows he arrests her, will that ruin his attempts to regain her trust? Qrow could tell her thst he told him at any time.
But there's perhaps another truth he could tell instead. ]
I thought that if Bill Cipher's plan succeeded, I could make things turn out differently. Time between worlds seems to be flexible, after all.
I've been told some things. I know the situation gets far worse. I know she's coming.
[ That she's asking that question is unnerving, and successfully distracts him from the original intent of that line of questioning.
There's a pause, clear that he's typing something else, but he's unsure what exactly he should reveal. If he tells her that he knows he arrests her, will that ruin his attempts to regain her trust? Qrow could tell her thst he told him at any time.
But there's perhaps another truth he could tell instead. ]
I thought that if Bill Cipher's plan succeeded, I could make things turn out differently. Time between worlds seems to be flexible, after all.
I think you're on the right track here. This all started to get worse after Mother Superior said she was breaking through layers to get to the core of Deerington. So I imagine as she's been doing it pieces have been falling away.
[There's a pause as she looks over his next words. It was incredibly vague and didn't really give her the answer she was looking for. But that meant she might have to give a little more. On the bright side he was off her back about the text.]
It does yeah. We're not all in the best of shape back there.
...And well... There was something about the lamp that I wasn't completely honest about. Because we were worried when we first arrived in Atlas. We didn't know if we could trust you.
And... I'd like to find a way to rebuild that here. On both ends.
[She's not sure if that's saying too much, but it was putting about as many cards on the table as she was willing to for this conversation.] I've been home once since I first arrived here, and I was in your shoes being a few steps behind everyone else. You get used to it.
Yeah, I think we were all hoping for a bit more from Bill, shame that it didn't work out that way.
[There's a pause as she looks over his next words. It was incredibly vague and didn't really give her the answer she was looking for. But that meant she might have to give a little more. On the bright side he was off her back about the text.]
It does yeah. We're not all in the best of shape back there.
...And well... There was something about the lamp that I wasn't completely honest about. Because we were worried when we first arrived in Atlas. We didn't know if we could trust you.
And... I'd like to find a way to rebuild that here. On both ends.
[She's not sure if that's saying too much, but it was putting about as many cards on the table as she was willing to for this conversation.] I've been home once since I first arrived here, and I was in your shoes being a few steps behind everyone else. You get used to it.
Yeah, I think we were all hoping for a bit more from Bill, shame that it didn't work out that way.
Edited 2021-02-26 21:33 (UTC)
Something has to be done about Mother Superior.
The Lamp?
[ That's not what he expected. The lamp had been relegated to a non-issue in his mind, and of all the things he expected this conversation to lead to it wasn't that.
That they weren't sure if they could trust him is also unsettling, though far less of a surprise at this point. ]
What didn't you tell me about the Lamp?
[ Sorry Ruby, your reassurances are taking a backseat to that. ]
The Lamp?
[ That's not what he expected. The lamp had been relegated to a non-issue in his mind, and of all the things he expected this conversation to lead to it wasn't that.
That they weren't sure if they could trust him is also unsettling, though far less of a surprise at this point. ]
What didn't you tell me about the Lamp?
[ Sorry Ruby, your reassurances are taking a backseat to that. ]
Edited 2021-03-01 17:51 (UTC)
And we will do something. As soon as we figure out how.
[Their first night in Mantle had Atlas had been more than a little frantic. The curfew and soldiers had left a bad taste in their mouths, and it had followed Ruby all the way up to Ironwood's office. She had been sure at the time that waiting to tell him everything had been the right choice, right up until he laid everything out on the table for them. It had made everything hazy and she wasn't so sure it was the right call, right up until the night when everything went wrong.
Now she was confident she had made the right choice but... She can't help but feel like she might have escalated it.]
It still has a question left. We didn't tell you at the time.
You know back at home when I'm from and now you know here too.
[Their first night in Mantle had Atlas had been more than a little frantic. The curfew and soldiers had left a bad taste in their mouths, and it had followed Ruby all the way up to Ironwood's office. She had been sure at the time that waiting to tell him everything had been the right choice, right up until he laid everything out on the table for them. It had made everything hazy and she wasn't so sure it was the right call, right up until the night when everything went wrong.
Now she was confident she had made the right choice but... She can't help but feel like she might have escalated it.]
It still has a question left. We didn't tell you at the time.
You know back at home when I'm from and now you know here too.
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