[It's still International House of Strudel land. Keiko and Luana were sitting with eachother, but that doesn't preclude Togo having a mental knock-knock-knock on his door! It's Keiko talking into his head! Let's see what she says.] * Keiko thinks at Togo, with significant sarcasm, ~So, how much do you trust Mitsuji now?~ ~About the same as before. He tried this once before, twenty years ago.~ * Keiko is sipping coffee as she thinks back, ~Did he have any evidence?~ ~He's an idiot who doesn't think through the consequences of his actions and doesn't learn from his mistakes, but he's fanatically loyal to his teammates.~ *pause* ~Circumstantial. Teammate went missing. Half-fae, same skill and power-set as Luana, minus the shapeshifting. Confirmed that she was missing.~ ~But he's dumb enough to say it a bunch.~ * Keiko runs her finger around her collar as she talks something with Luana. ~Good. That's what I needed... it can wait.~ ~Hmm?~ ~Lu was wondering about whether Cyra was right.~ ~I hope you know what to do if she asks you too.~ ~Does seem to confirm what Mitsuji was saying. Cyra would be in a position to know.~ * Togo nods, if only to himself. ~Evade, deny, run away.~ * Keiko sighs a little out of nowhere. ~Gods, Togo, don't tell me when you're gonna lie.~ ~Why not? You're a telepath, you'll know anyway.~ ~But you weren't gonna lie to me. Ugh.~ ~We agree on the basic idea, though. This has to be dealt with, but not now.~ * Keiko doesn't respond mentally for a few moments, then, ~She'll be able to handle it.~ ~I know. She's stronger than she gives herself credit for being.~ * Keiko doesn't reply to that at all! * Togo waits for a response, doesn't get one, mentally shrugs, then takes a deep breath. If Keiko's still in his head, she'll see images: caves, castles, bunkers, factories, laboratories, forests, alternate dimensions. Demons and beasts of all sorts. Gunfire everywhere. And an overarching sense of calmness. * Keiko sucks in her lip a moment, then, ~Preparing, huh?~ ~All this with Luana and you... not my element. Worried about her... scares the shit outta me.~ A chuckle. ~Portal to hell? *That's* my element. I'm good at that.~ ~Best be good at something.~ ~If it keeps all of you alive, it's worth it. Lost a team once. Hasn't happened since. Not gonna happen.~ ~Awful enthusiastic about monsters and misfits. What made you so dumb?~ ~Lost a team wandering into a monster nest blind. Ended up actually blind. Spent a few years doing the self-destructive revenge thing, got my head outta my ass, realized I could make a difference. Haven't stopped because I still can, and I can't sit on the sidelines when I could be doing something.~ ~Always been dumb, though.~ [And so that little fragment of Strudeldom fades out to something else maybe!]