"The downside is cutting yourself off from potential useful information. Just because on attempt doesn't work doesn't mean that Strange doesn't have a spell that could."
"When he's stuck someplace he can't die?" Envy, for all his espionage experience, is something of a blunt instrument. The greatest danger is damaging a target too much for them to be useful, and that can't happen in their current circumstances.
"Beating information out of someone is fun, not useful. Not useful for magic - or alchemy - theory." He takes a drag on his cigarette. "When you're dealing with someone motivated by their own 'cleverness', it can be more useful to just let them run off and come up with twenty stupid ideas that might be a place to start. You're trying to invent something new, not pull out old answers."
Well, where else does information come from? Stealing? Stealing has potential, but only if people write things down. "Yeah, getting people to do what I want them to has historically worked if I was wearing their husband's face, or their priest's." He leaned pretty heavily on powers. "Tricking people the hard way works, but it's a lot slower."
"There are people who insist on trying to tell you things, just because you're a priest." All jobs come with their burdens. "Anyway, this is a situation where you need to try to trick someone."
Envy sighs, but he sees the reason in it. "I'll try getting on his good side first." A great concession that leaves open the possibility of plan B when that doesn't work.
Sanzo nods. He would say it's a pretty big concession, and as long as Envy tries that first, Sanzo won't say it's unreasonable for Envy to turn to another plan. He stubs out his cigarette. "Is there anything you 'need'?"
"Good." That Envy will tell him and, only slightly less importantly, that that there isn't some other issue. He stands up. "Talking a lot is annoying." The communicator offers a real gift: hanging up on people.
"Oh, I asked around. It sounds like Daniel likes you and wants you around." Sanzo's happy not to have met that paragon of terrible taste. Now you just have to figure out the birds." He holds up his hand in what could be a wave goodbye as he heads towards the door.
A breath that would have turned into a flat what if he'd voiced it is choked off before the word escapes. Envy stares after him and decides not to ask. He's spent enough time being cryptic himself to know what someone who wanted to communicate would simply do so. All he can do is not give the warden any more satisfaction.
Frankly, he wasn't wondering before, and he is now.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
"Oh, I asked around. It sounds like Daniel likes you and wants you around." Sanzo's happy not to have met that paragon of terrible taste. Now you just have to figure out the birds." He holds up his hand in what could be a wave goodbye as he heads towards the door.
no subject
Frankly, he wasn't wondering before, and he is now.