#combination of 'new high rank guy' and 'serious guy' and 'don't know him well' and 'he keeps vic and mullen in line. respect.'

[57sfinest]

what do you think kim's perspective on jean and harry's old relationship is?

i mean it can't be great, right? i doubt harry will ever remember much that he could tell kim, so kim would have to hear about it directly from jean or from their coworkers (or a mix of both) and regardless he's going to get some really biased answers. i think mostly the other officers would just be like "oh yeah those two crazy homos fought all the time but you never saw them apart. i think mullen swore off women after the last one and decided to start screwing vic instead." which is not especially helpful to kim in figuring out what the dynamic was.

jean would definitely open with telling kim how much harry sucked, warning him off harry, trying desperately to convey to kim that he should NOT make the same mistake and trust him. maybe later, if they've reestablished a little trust, then jean might tell kim some of the better things.

i think kim first and foremost knows that their relationship was deeply unhealthy, but the more he sees of both of them, the more he understands how it came to be. he recognizes their lack of distance and what it did to them. he sees jean's inflammatory behavior and the way harry has to struggle not to rise to the bait sometimes, and it's not hard to imagine those roles reversed. kim won't step in the middle of all their conflicts for them- it's not something he's comfortable with or wants to do, for several reasons- but he's a good mediating presence for them. just being around kind of makes them both take a step back and reevaluate whether they *really* want to get into it, jean because he clearly has respect for kim and doesn't want to look bad in his eyes, and harry because he is a sopping wet beast who thinks that doing something kim disapproves of will mean kim leaves forever and kim is his first (and probably only, at this point) bestie.

[harmonyckrs]

Act 4, Scene 1 of Twisted Veronaville: Taking Down the Knights of Order

THE LAST PAGE

Pascal: Hello?...who is this?

Sita: Yo, Pascal. Can you come back to Veronaville super quick?

Pascal: I JUST got back home! And it turns out Lazlo is missing too, plus there's aliens camping in my house who refuse to give me any information about Sixam!

???: We were born and raised here! We don't know anything about Sixam!

???: Yeah! If we were from Sixam we wouldn't be fucking camping in your house!

Sita: Woah, they're super loud.

Pascal: Yeah, I know. I've only been back for an hour, but they're already driving me insane.

Sita: Okay, well...that does sound pretty bad, but...I'll help you find Vidcund and Lazlo if you help us with this. And we'll pay for your gas, too.

Pascal: You owe me way more than that.

Sita: Tracking down prisoners captured by a high ranking military officer such as the General and then proceeding to break them out of what's likely a maximum security prison takes a lot of effort, even for a psychic. Combined with Aktu's teleportation ability, you're going to want us both on your team.

Pascal: ...Fine. I'll meet you back in Veronaville soon.

The Knights of Order were a serious and determined bunch, but like with everyone else, they weren't without weaknesses. And in her attempt to scan the minds of everyone in Veronaville, Sita accidentally found out theirs.

Sana: I'm glad you're not mad at me for trying to stop you...even if we are on opposite sides, I do still see you as my sister.

Sita: Of course! There's no way I could be mad at my twin!...anyway, how's life? Got a girlfriend yet?

Sana: No...I don't think anyone would be interested, anyway. You were right about Nina and Dina, by the way...

Sita: (Right into my trap.) Aw, well...you can always find someone new. You know those Capp sisters? Goneril and Regan? They're recently divorced. Maybe you three can complain about your love lives together.

Sana: I guess I can...Regan and I talked for a bit at Hamza and Crystal's wedding, and she seemed nice...maybe I will! Thanks, Sita.

Sita: Of course! Anything to cheer you up!

Crystal: (Finally, I'm home...my head is killing me...)

Aktu: Greetings, Crystal.

Sita: Hello, wench.

Crystal: Ugh, you two. What do you even want, snitch?

Sita: Oh, nothing. I just wanted to thank you for trying to sabotage the Knights of Order from the inside, even if you were mostly unsuccessful.

Crystal: ...I only did it because I wanted some entertainment.

Hamza: Chrissy? You were sabotaging us?...and what happened to you? You're bleeding! Are you okay?

Aktu: (Let's teleport out of here before we risk having to talk to Hamza again.) Congrats again on the wedding, Crystal. I should probably go now.

Sita: (Agreed.) See ya, Chrissy!

While Sita and Aktu were dealing with Hamza and Crystal, Pascal's newfound presence had been noticed by the very person he wanted to see least.

Albany: (He's back...my dear Pascal has returned to Veronaville...)

Cornwall: Albany? Why are you using the telescope like that? The sky's upwards.

Albany: Oh! No reason! Just wanted to spy on...our bitch exes...

Cornwall: You're still not pointing the telescope the right way! You'd have to point it towards the north, not the west!

Albany: Yeah, yeah! Whatever!

Albany: (...I wonder why he's dressed like that...it reminds me of those old photos Goneril used to show me of-)

*DING DONG*

Consort: (As if Tybalt's death wasn't enough, I now have to deal with unwanted visitors...)

Consort: (Those guards weren't supposed to let that happen. I guess I got to check it out for myself...)

Pascal: Someone order a handyman?

Consort: (...He looks so much like Patrizio, back when we...)

Pascal: Well? I don't have all day.

Hermia: (Something's up with that guy, but I'm really not in the mood to deal with all of this today...)

Consort: ...Yeah, I did. Come inside.

*five minutes later*

Pascal: And that's the story of my first love. I'll never be able to get him back, but I can rest peacefully knowing that he's been avenged.

Consort: That's beautiful. I've lost my wife, too...to old age, but I can understand what the feeling of loss feels like. And my daughter and son-in-law were both murdered, so I understand the feeling of vengeance, too.

Pascal: (Our situations are not even REMOTELY the same! YOU caused the deaths of your loved ones!) Thank you, Consort. I can glad the patriarch of the Capp family is as kind as he is...handsome.

Consort: Oh, you flatter me.

Pascal: (And how is this plan even working?)

Meanwhile, Zoya was occupying herself with the new hologram tech she installed in the base of the Knights of Order as a celebration of "victory," unaware of what was going on with her siblings.

Tank: Zoya?

Zoya: Yeah? What's up, kiddo?

Tank: I was just wondering about...everything, really. What exactly are we fighting for now?

Zoya: Hm...not sure, actually. We may not have succeeded in restoring the story to normal, but I think the events are just going to run as they do normally. At this point, there's nothing we can do but sit and watch.

Tank: But there's got to be other things I can do, right?

Zoya: I think it's pretty too far gone. Ripp has already done a lot of damage to the story. Unless if you're a miracle worker, there's probably no way to get Romeo and Juliette back together.

Tank: ...

Zoya: And you haven't even talked to either of them. I don't know what exactly Aktu and Sita had in mind when they said they were going to use you for their plan, but I think General Buzz getting in the way probably helped them more than they realized.

Tank: Seriously?...well, I can be just as useful as Ripp! I'll find some way to fix the story, without your help!

Zoya: Sure! Go for it!

Zoya: (I feel like I struck a nerve...I should probably apologize to him later, once he calms down...hopefully he doesn't do anything drastic.)

THE NEXT DAY