private Infiltrator. 1x1 with Unicorncob

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"I guess," Oliver said, shrugging. "Though, that would be helpful in the winter. Humans don't really have fur or breathe fire or anything so we're kinda screwed without extra clothing," he added jokingly.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"Not against knifes." Jenna said with a smile, she stopped in front of a jewelry store, looking at the things on the window, lot of it was just rather boring, single colored single material things with colorless gem in them "I don't get diamonds, they aren't that rare and they aren't even good looking, colorless and boring, yet so expensive." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"I guess because they're rare," Oliver pointed out, shrugging. "So that's why people will pay a lot of moneey for them. I guess they could also be kinda useful since they're more or less indestructible."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"But they are not rare, they are just marketed as such." Jenna stated "Few companies took ownership of the mines to monopolize the business and then limited the supply to make them seem rarer, under Talon's control of course." "And the hardness doesn't really matter on jewelry, you won't be drilling any stone with your wedding ring will you?" she let out a sigh "Humans are so easily controlled, you pay millions for ugly worthless things as long as you think it's rare." she shrugged and continued walking, the jewelry store had nothing she liked, "But then again, that's how money in general works too, its worth comes from its limited supply, so I'm not really surprised." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"You know a lot about what Talon is up to," Oliver pointed out. "Do they tell you all that? Or did your friend find all this out themselves?"

He shrugged and walked with her. "It's just human nature, I guess."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"Both." Jenna said "They gave us examples to prove they control everything, mostly on things that no longer matter for reason or another, but my contact has also managed to find things out through various means, they may be able to hide things from humans, but they can't hide them from someone who used to be part of them." "But even with that, when you consider that we are trained to be master liars and infiltrators, and that Talon truly has its claws on anything and everything, you are safe to assume that anything that makes money or gives someone control over something, they are involved somehow." "Wars, they are involved, trade monopolies, they are involved, corruption, they are involved, mining operations, they are involved, they are probably involved with this mall in someway too."

she kept a short pause "You know the conspiracy theories about illuminati, new world order and all such nonsense? Like all the things about fictional dragons, they are lies Talon spreads on purpose, or well, truths sold as fiction, the truth about them is public knowledge, it's just sold as fiction, hiding in plain sight as the saying goes." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

Oliver nodded as he listened, taking in what Jenna was saying.

"So what you're saying is everything we think we know about conspiracies and hidden groups was made up by Talon so we'd get thrown off their trail?"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"Not necessarily made up by them, humans have always been good at creating their own nonsense, the Order believes we are demons from hell, but Talon is certainly fueling them and making sure nobody gets too close to the real truth." Jenna explained "And I'm sure the Order does take part in that too, after all, the one and only thing the two sides agree on is that both of them need to stay secret from the general public." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"This is so weird," Oliver muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "You'd think The Order would be the good guys here and help us since they hate Talon, but they're actually both as bad as each other."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"There is no good guys in war." Jenna pointed out "History is written by the winners, and they won't write bad stuff about themselves." "In this case it's species supremacists versus religious extremists, one claims to fight for survival, one to destroy evil." "Then there's us, those caught in the crossfire who just want to have a good life." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"Yeah,  I suppose that's true," Oliver agreed, putting his hands in his pockets. "Still, if there was any chance we could get some big numbers on our side, if anything for our own protection from Talon and the Order."

Edited April 24, 2021 by Unicorncob

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"Unfortunately there's no way for such without the general public learning about the whole situation, and as much as I hate Talon, I must agree with them on that not being a good thing." Jenna stated "The Order understands it too, it's a situation similar to the mutually assured destruction thing that's going on between the big countries, if the truth gets out, there's no winners, only chaos and death." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

Oliver sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I just don't like that our only option right now is to run and hide. You should be able to live in peace, without someone hunting you down for whatever reason."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"Life isn't fair." Jenna said shrugging, looking around as she truly didn't know what there was to do at a mall, she was still waiting for Oliver to suggest something "At least I don't have to be an egg factory for rest of my life." "You have already given me better life than many others will ever have." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

Oliver frowned as he thought about the implications of what Jenna said. "Yeah, I'm glad you could get away from that. I just hope the others can get out of it as well."

They walked around the mall, Oliver waiting to see if something caught Jenna's eye.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"That would need a quite a miracle to happen unfortunately." Jenna sighed, to certain extend she envied those believing in Talon's lies, ignorance is bliss was quite true saying, she wasn't sure if she could ever feel perfectly happy even if she somehow managed to get a free life considering the things she knew. 

She looked around lazily as they passed several shops, it made her kinda miss the time before she went rogue, she never shared the enthusiasm for clothes that her momentary friends had had, but it was nice to act like she did. As it seemed Oliver didn't take the lead regardless of how much Jenna insisted, she spoke "You like video games right? do malls have some place where we can do that?" 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

Oliver noticed the look on Jenna's face and hoped he could find some way to make her happy after all she'd been through.

He perked up at her suggestion and spotted a map nearby. "Actually, yeah. I'll see if this place has one."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

Jenna waited quietly for Oliver to find what he was looking for on the map, she glanced around in casual manner, though in truth she kept an eye out for anything worrying, she just made it look like she was looking around the mall. Most people here lived their mundane lives without any knowledge on who the strangers they passed were, and most of them never even thought about it, what she wouldn't give to be able to live like that too.

[Unicorncob 5,690]

Oliver looked back at Jenna to make sure she was okay. She was trying not to show it, but he could tell she was troubled. Maybe this would help.

He walked back over. "There's an arcade on the next floor. I think you'd like it."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"We'll see." Jenna said with a smile, though it was more a smile telling of her affection towards Oliver rather than smile of happiness "There was an old arcade machine in the training facility, it was fun enough to play now and then, but it got boring after a while, one can play the same game again and again only for so long, especially when the leaderboards are full of your own name." she wasn't particularly good at the game necessarily, she just was the only player, and it being the only game to play, the constant repetition was bound to cause her to get better and better.

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"Really? What game was it?" Oliver asked, smiling back at Jenna just as fondly. "You must've been really good at it if you've gotten the top score on it. As well as every other score on it, of course," he joked.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"I don't remember the name, it was black and white and you shot what I think were supposed to be asteroids with a triangle you controlled." Jenna explained "And I wouldn't say I was good at it, I just was the only player, there was some existing scores sure, but I think I was the first one to play it more than once." 

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"Wow, that's an old one," Oliver said, walking through the mall with her toward the arcade. "I dunno if you've seen it, but they've gotten a lot more advanced since then. Some have their own light-senser guns."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

"Yeah I know, in fact, I was well aware of it back then too, Talon just never bothered to replace it because entertainment was and is the least of their concerns." Jenna mentioned "It was interesting place to be in that regard, sources of entertainment were all quite ancient as they were not priority, while everything to do with training were top of the line and more advanced than things in the market."

[Unicorncob 5,690]

"It's good that they let you unwind, at least," Oliver said, walking onto the escalator with her. "I'd hate to think what condition you'd be in if they just kept working you ragged without breaks every day."