The only individual who could read our conversation is Viveca, and I expect nothing I say to you could surprise her overmuch.
（ he has already told viveca, after all, that he would be taking care of the darkling if he proved to be a concern while on-mission. she is well aware of his proclivities, and likely would be more confounded were he to refrain from forming a similar opinion on felix. ）
Are you aware of what happened between Felix and the boy Finn?
（ not one to gossip, generally. in fact, he rarely speaks about any of the others at all unless pressed, so this is Telling. ）
[Natasha isn't sure what she expected. Something more directly mission related, probably. Something else.
There's no surprise in her when Itachi brings up Felix, though—at least not that he's the topic. The fact Itachi has decided to bring the subject to her is another feeling, and one she'll unpack at another time.]
Not all of the details, but let's say the broad strokes, yes.
I imagine neither of us are ignorant to what happens when the sort of individual who is confident in and unapologetic for the harming of those younger and less capable goes unchecked.
（ speaking from experience? something like that. though he'd meant what he said to finn — that he and felix are nothing alike. ）
I am not concerned for your safety （ read: i'm confident you can take him in a fight ） however, I admit I would prefer to know more than one individual I trust is aware what he is capable of, and is positioned to mitigate his behaviour should he target another vulnerable person among the crew or on our missions.
If you become aware of such an instance, please inform me.
Have you had an opportunity to inform Yelena? If not, it may be necessary to do so. We should ensure Felix is not in a position where he could take the orb for himself, as simple precaution.
[A memory comes back to Natasha when Itachi says he's not concerned for her safety, an encounter with Felix in the training room when he was recovering from his encounter with Shortaxe. Felix had lost his temper with her and in the end taken it out on the equipment, but there had been an instant there where she wondered if he'd lash out at her physically.
She does wonder now if he managed to contain himself because she hadn't struck him as a soft target.
Not that it makes a difference now, but it does establish a certain pattern of behavior.]
Not yet. We arrived in different groups.
[And Natasha also trusts Yelena to be able to handle herself.]
I'll reach out.
[There's a pause before she adds.]
It does raise some questions about the dangerous crew members that were allegedly being tracked on the station if something like this can happen regardless.
That was what 0-L1V-14 was doing when she malfunctioned a few months back, right? Monitoring flagged crew members. If something like that could happen then it calls into question who's being monitored and what level of danger something has to rise to in order to warrant a response.
（ he had thought perhaps that she had some access to information regarding a specific instance, but seeing as that does not appear to be the case — ）
I see. Whether she is positioned to monitor such instances or no, Viveca and Degar would have the final say on such matters.
（ he sends that text, and then a few moments later a second follows: ）
I do not say this lightly — but I trust that they would take the assault of a crewmember no more kindly than we do. Doubly so, considering that Finn was positioned as Felix's student. If he was not being monitored beforehand he most certainly is now, and likely with tighter restrictions.
However, I am not certain how such restrictions may stack up against an orb should he be able to ally himself with any of the ones we are positioned to retrieve. That is one of the reasons I am concerned — not for Yelena's safety, as with you I expect she can take care of herself at a level of greater proficiency than such a man — but that she may not be aware of his tendencies to the same level we now are, or the potential risks faced by allowing him to be near an orb unchecked.
[She imagines that was clear, but so there can't be any misunderstanding.]
And I'm certainly not relying on them for enforcement. It's just... it's a situation that would benefit having eyes on it. People who can stay clear eyed.
[Which is agreement. Yelena, for whatever flaws she might have and however Natasha might nag her, certainly qualifies.]
Do you think the orbs would try something like that? To take advantage of divisions in the crew?
You were clear. I simply have additional perspective — one individual who I know to be monitored in such a way.
I agree that additional scrutiny would not be remiss.
As far as the orbs are concerned, if their ultimate goal is the pursuit of chaos, I can think of little else as chaotic in the context of our mission as sewing discord amongst the crew. We have immense influence upon the worlds we visit and we have seen the results of our being ideologically divided and their broader implications on the peoples and cultures we have visited. It would present an opportunity, certainly. To what end, I can only speculate.
I am not saying I expect him to seek it out with some nefarious plan in mind necessarily. （ frankly, he is of the opinion felix is too much a coward. however — ） What little I know of the man only informs my opinion on his cruelties and abject foolishness. But one of the orbs, sufficiently motivated, may see a petty thug as a vehicle by which to progress its own ambitions.
（ you think that's bad, you should see what he said to the man's face.
for all he's mild-mannered 99.9 percent of the time the one thing he surely cannot abide is fools. ）
Yes.
（ it seems that may be it for now, itachi — as elusive and inherently wary as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs — is not prone to smalltalk at the best of times.
but after a significant silence he returns to the conversation to offer: ）
The hotsprings on Nuhiri are pleasant, if you take any enjoyment in that manner of leisure.
[Natasha is familiar enough not to be surprised by the short response or offended by it. She doesn't see a reason to draw out a conversation beyond where it's comfortable or natural.
Considering Itachi, she values that he trusts her enough to have her in the loop in the first place and and their other little exchanges.
It's a genuine surprise when he follows up.
And all she can do not to reply that she really must look tired if he was suggesting it. Deleting that, she replies instead:]
You know, I haven't had enough experience with them to have much of an opinion.
Maybe that's a good enough reason all on it's own to go, if I can find the time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
（ he has already told viveca, after all, that he would be taking care of the darkling if he proved to be a concern while on-mission. she is well aware of his proclivities, and likely would be more confounded were he to refrain from forming a similar opinion on felix. ）
Are you aware of what happened between Felix and the boy Finn?
（ not one to gossip, generally. in fact, he rarely speaks about any of the others at all unless pressed, so this is Telling. ）
no subject
There's no surprise in her when Itachi brings up Felix, though—at least not that he's the topic. The fact Itachi has decided to bring the subject to her is another feeling, and one she'll unpack at another time.]
Not all of the details, but let's say the broad strokes, yes.
no subject
（ speaking from experience? something like that. though he'd meant what he said to finn — that he and felix are nothing alike. ）
I am not concerned for your safety （ read: i'm confident you can take him in a fight ） however, I admit I would prefer to know more than one individual I trust is aware what he is capable of, and is positioned to mitigate his behaviour should he target another vulnerable person among the crew or on our missions.
If you become aware of such an instance, please inform me.
Have you had an opportunity to inform Yelena? If not, it may be necessary to do so. We should ensure Felix is not in a position where he could take the orb for himself, as simple precaution.
no subject
She does wonder now if he managed to contain himself because she hadn't struck him as a soft target.
Not that it makes a difference now, but it does establish a certain pattern of behavior.]
Not yet. We arrived in different groups.
[And Natasha also trusts Yelena to be able to handle herself.]
I'll reach out.
[There's a pause before she adds.]
It does raise some questions about the dangerous crew members that were allegedly being tracked on the station if something like this can happen regardless.
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no subject
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I see. Whether she is positioned to monitor such instances or no, Viveca and Degar would have the final say on such matters.
（ he sends that text, and then a few moments later a second follows: ）
I do not say this lightly — but I trust that they would take the assault of a crewmember no more kindly than we do. Doubly so, considering that Finn was positioned as Felix's student. If he was not being monitored beforehand he most certainly is now, and likely with tighter restrictions.
However, I am not certain how such restrictions may stack up against an orb should he be able to ally himself with any of the ones we are positioned to retrieve. That is one of the reasons I am concerned — not for Yelena's safety, as with you I expect she can take care of herself at a level of greater proficiency than such a man — but that she may not be aware of his tendencies to the same level we now are, or the potential risks faced by allowing him to be near an orb unchecked.
no subject
[She imagines that was clear, but so there can't be any misunderstanding.]
And I'm certainly not relying on them for enforcement. It's just... it's a situation that would benefit having eyes on it. People who can stay clear eyed.
[Which is agreement. Yelena, for whatever flaws she might have and however Natasha might nag her, certainly qualifies.]
Do you think the orbs would try something like that? To take advantage of divisions in the crew?
no subject
I agree that additional scrutiny would not be remiss.
As far as the orbs are concerned, if their ultimate goal is the pursuit of chaos, I can think of little else as chaotic in the context of our mission as sewing discord amongst the crew. We have immense influence upon the worlds we visit and we have seen the results of our being ideologically divided and their broader implications on the peoples and cultures we have visited. It would present an opportunity, certainly. To what end, I can only speculate.
I am not saying I expect him to seek it out with some nefarious plan in mind necessarily. （ frankly, he is of the opinion felix is too much a coward. however — ） What little I know of the man only informs my opinion on his cruelties and abject foolishness. But one of the orbs, sufficiently motivated, may see a petty thug as a vehicle by which to progress its own ambitions.
no subject
What do you really think, Itachi?]
Not exactly the actions of a mastermind, no. I doubt that he's plotting against us actively but I do take your point about the orbs.
Especially when it seems sometimes like the orbs have cross purposes too.
no subject
for all he's mild-mannered 99.9 percent of the time the one thing he surely cannot abide is fools. ）
Yes.
（ it seems that may be it for now, itachi — as elusive and inherently wary as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs — is not prone to smalltalk at the best of times.
but after a significant silence he returns to the conversation to offer: ）
The hotsprings on Nuhiri are pleasant, if you take any enjoyment in that manner of leisure.
no subject
Considering Itachi, she values that he trusts her enough to have her in the loop in the first place and and their other little exchanges.
It's a genuine surprise when he follows up.
And all she can do not to reply that she really must look tired if he was suggesting it. Deleting that, she replies instead:]
You know, I haven't had enough experience with them to have much of an opinion.
Maybe that's a good enough reason all on it's own to go, if I can find the time.
Thanks.
no subject