Tea Leaves and Opal Necklaces

Vozrozhdeniye

Match Seventeen: Vozrozhdeniye:

They are called Vozrozhdeniye. They operate in the shadows. Rumor has it that Vozrozhdeniye works for Putin. Who are they really?

Ivan Braginski joined them six years ago. It was his boss' idea, really. He wanted Russia to be on top when the End of Days came. They've made their own preparations. For now, they would play nice with Tandeki and Mam. Those two were needed to lay the ground for them after all. Granted, Vozrozhdeniye did their own work in their part of the game. First of all, they controlled all of the news online. The public could be so easy to manipulate when the right emotion is struck. They wanted someone to share their voice.

Ivan read some of their articles. Tantalizing garbage to him as far as he could see. These were the stories that even the tabloids wouldn't take. People actually bought this trash? His boss told him not to question it. So, Ivan didn't ask. In fact, he wondered why his boss cared so much about this game in the first place. To the Russian man, it all sounded like a pain. He himself saw enough war in his lifetime. And who was to say Old Man Winter wouldn't come along and screw everything up again?

Vozrozhdeniye's isn't too concerned. Why? Oh. Because they had science on their side. In fact, a Vozrozhdeniye meeting was just a bunch of scientists talking to each other. Ivan always sat in the back of the room, looking so bored.

Tonight was the same thing.

Ivan looked at his phone. This was going to be a long night too? The leader stood up and cleared his throat.

"The Tadpole Project is going well," he said. "But Kitano won't budge on our offers." The other seven men and two women frowned.

"This will not do," their leader said.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Ivan asked. He lost count of how many times this back and forth kept going. Clearly, Kitano wasn't going to give up his precious tadpoles. Granted, the Russian man understood what made them so desirable. These tadpoles were smart, sociable, quite gifted, and really attractive. Their powers grew each day. All three sides desired them so much. Tandeki refused to share them. Vozrozhdeniye and Nam would have to fight to take them from Tandeki's grasp. What did Ivan think of the whole struggle over possession of the tadpoles? Well, he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested on how this could turn out.

"That, I am not sure of," the leader said. "But we are working on ways to weaken their powers long enough to get them to Russia." Ivan raised his eyebrow.

"How?" he asked. "Any drug we try on them won't work." Alexander turned his head.

"Ivan, are you doubting us?" he asked.

"No," the tall Russian man said. "I'm just saying you all keep using the same tricks you've been using every time loop." The leader took a step forward.

"What do you suggest we use?" he asked. Ivan shoved his phone back into coat pocket.

"The dullahan neutralizes them, yes?" he asked.

"Yes," their leader, Vladimir, replied. "What about it?" Ivan walked up to him. The other members of Vozrozhdeniye's inner circle could never stop being amazing at how their muscle man towered over their boss. Ivan looked Vladimir in the eye.

"Why not make a counter to those tadpoles?" he offered.

"Go on..." Vladimir said. Ivan looked around the boardroom in his house. A spotted a figurine of Godzilla sitting on his bookshelf. He picked it up and examined it.

"Will that be a tadpole?" Karp asked.

"Sure, why not?" Ivan said, brushing him off. He looked around the room another particular figurine caught his eye. Kiku gave him a nude winged bird-like woman five Christmases ago when he was better. Ivan looked at the small brown and red lady for a moment before setting Godzilla in front of her. He ran his finger on the tops of their heads.