Dionysus Does Arlie have something special to say?

Arlie_B After telling the story of the Greater Tick in full lurid detail, complete with exagerations and life flashing before his eyes, then bullshitting about how they are getting old,

Dionysus Damon listens with amusement

Arlie_B "So, near the age of sixty, this is my first Big Mission as Commander. Any advice?"

Arlie_B "You always made it look so easy."

Dionysus He laughs, "Arlie, the lessons I learned growing up on how to lead all went out the window on my first mission as a leader."

Dionysus "I just made it up as I went. I clung to my beliefs & did what I could to fulfill what was expected of me."

Dionysus "So I guess my advice is to be yourself, & not get married to your plans."

Dionysus "But that's the most dangerous advice I ever gave anyone, telling you to be yourself." He laughs

• Arlie_B laughs. "I'm a big believer in staying alive, so that's a good starting point."

Dionysus "You have good companions. Just watch out for them, trust them to do what they do, & don't make assumptions. Learn & adapt."

Dionysus He pauses, "What are your comrades strengths?"

Arlie_B "They've got plenty. Balls of steel, all of them. I could go over the physical or power strengths but that's old news."

Arlie_B "Jack's crazy enough to follow anything if you say it's needed. He'll ask questions later, and that's a godsend in a desperate situation."

Dionysus Damon smiles, "He does some mad things for his friends."

Dionysus "Reminds me of a few other people I could name. Go on."

Arlie_B "Aurelia's got a will of steel. She won't say no, she won't back down, and she won't change her mind. If you can get her pointed in the right direction she'll end up carrying you there."

Dionysus "She's a little lost, I think, but once she finds her purpose, nothing will stop her. And she builds strong connections to those she loves."

Arlie_B "Gods, that she does. I sometimes felt like an older father to her awhile ago... She's gotten better recently, ever since Merukis."

Arlie_B "Arsul is, balanced. He's the one in the group who thinks twice about what we're doing, doesn't get so emotionally involved, and sees the big picture. He's called me on my shit so many times that now I listen when he talks."

Dionysus Damon laughs, "By the gods, that man works miracles every day. And that Gift! If no one else can do it, Arlie, tell him you know he can."

Arlie_B "Ha, did I tell you about the time I tried to talk Aurelia into wounding Arsul's cancer out of his body using the Tunic?"

Dionysus He shakes his head, "That's... gruesome, Arlie."

Dionysus He smiles, "We've seen a lot of gruesome impossibilities, though. Go on with your crew."

Arlie_B "Sue's still hard for me to read, but less so now. I don't think he knows what to make of his connection with the Void Father. Still, he's brave, and he's loyal to a fault. Everything Sue does, he does for the betterment of the band or the world at large. And he's so damn curious and alien as well, he's good for bouncing ideas."

Arlie_B "I confess though, I saw him voiding people's wounds recently, and the fact that he can do that scares the shit out of me."

Arlie_B "And I swear I've caught that bug of his staring at me."

Dionysus Damon nods, "I can understand your concerns, but if he can heal a wound, he can heal a wound. How many battlefields have we been on where too many good men died for lack of a healer?"

Arlie_B "The guy flickered, though. I'm not denying it's use, just..." Arlie shudders.

Dionysus He nods, listening.

Arlie_B "Avery is a kid, but you have to put the ideas to do things into his head. His strength is in helping people. Whenever someone in the band is having personal troubles, Avery's there to help them out. He does a better job of it than I ever could."

Dionysus Damon nods, "He reminds me of Matrim when he was younger, really."

Arlie_B "A bit, but without the cruft of indoctrination. Growing up without Service did him better for that."

Dionysus He laughs, "You mean being an irresponsible musician is better for him? Indeed, it might. Matrim wanted to be a bard so badly..."

Arlie_B "The Empire has really good propaganda, we see that in all the young mutant recruits."

Dionysus "Used to. We're doing away with all that, slowly."

Dionysus "And thank the gods for it. Go on with your crew."

Arlie_B "Dionysus is quiet, but he calls me on my shit just like Arsul. He's the one you go to for long term advice. He listens."

Dionysus "And he's a damned sight more than meets the eye. That box wasn't directly from Albert. It was from the bloody gods. I couldn't open it if I wanted to."

Dionysus Damon sounds a little awed.

Arlie_B "9 Hells."

Arlie_B "You know he's a saint, right?"

Dionysus He nods, "The good news is, of all the people in this world I'd trust not to betray us all, he's amongst the very few."

Arlie_B "Magnum is a drinking buddy through and through. He'll take your back in a fight, the closer to a brawl the better. He's good for the group's morale. You can count on him to act like the every-man, and to say the things everyone is feeling but not saying."

Dionysus He nods, "And for the record, if you think just not telling me will keep me from knowing you've put one of the top drug kingpins in Maraddon in the Imperial Hospital, you're as mad as they say you are." He grins. "Don't tell Magnum, but I gave the boy the choice between a jail sentence & working with us to take down his former comrades. He chose the latter, & now outranks his father."

• Arlie_B laughs aloud. "Honestly, I had forgotten about that bit."

Arlie_B "Magnum still gets this glazed look in his eye when he remembers that we're all nobles."

Dionysus Damon nods, "It's not surprising with you. Lyme disease is what they had, by the way. I asked the High Priest of Healing about it. Spread by... well, by ticks."

Dionysus Damon laughs, "That's why I arranged his ennoblement. At the ball, he seemed a bit left out."

Arlie_B "So Magnum's part of the crew now? He can wear the uncomfortable outfits for a change."

Arlie_B "Anyway, that's the core crew. Klaus is the one you go to when you need a problem solved quickly, he's the other who's strength I know."

Dionysus Damon smiles, "You know, if you spent less time gallivanting about & more time with the tailors, you'd find you can have the uncomfortable outfits properly fitted to be comfortable."

Dionysus "And Odellino, from what I understand, is good at arrangements."

Arlie_B "If I sit still that long, I'll die."

Dionysus Damon nods, "Well, it's worth it for proper long underwear."

• Arlie_B laughs.

Arlie_B "By the way, Lord Borell-- Magnum's kid brought him up. Why is that familiar?"

• Arlie_B gives Damon the whole story

Dionysus Damon listens, then shrugs, "I'm not sure, but I'll look over what notes I have & have others do the same & let you know if I find anything."

Arlie_B "Gods, a bloody tick! And a Servant too!"

Dionysus "And word is Baron Ixioj was attacked by a different assassin on a train?"

Arlie_B "We were all attacked by blue frogs in some way."

Dionysus "And the... Nightmare prince attacked the ball."

Dionysus "You must be on the right path, Arlie. Your enemies want you dead."

Arlie_B "With all the powerful people coming in, we should raise the plate charge on the next ball."

Dionysus He laughs, "I'll see what the Emperess thinks."

Arlie_B "Alright you bastard, if I stay here I'll have another drink, and I'm /still/ a bit hungover from Namarc. I'm not going to say goodbye,"

Dionysus He nods, "Goodbye, Arlie. Good luck, old friend."

Arlie_B "You can try and get rid of me by sending me off Shem, but it won't work for long."

Dionysus He nods, smiling, "Well, after that, I guess I'll send you into the planes."

Arlie_B "Take care and feel young."

Arlie_B "Been there and seen it, twice, not sure I want to stay."

Dionysus He laughs, "May you live until you can't take it anymore, you rogue."