❧ Flashback

[luministimods]

[After getting dug out, Nathan makes his way over to the general store, limping as he walks. He looks quite the sight with cuts, scrapes, and gashes all over his body (the worst of it is on his legs), and his suit is scorched, tattered, and just plain non-existent around his calves. He's even missing a shoe and looks a bit thinner than he was the last time he was there. But for a man who was crushed under so much debris, he doesn't seem in pain or anything; just inconvenienced.

Once he's inside the general store, he walks over to the vid screen, activating it so he can contact everyone's CAT devices and all of the other vidscreens around town. When he speaks, he doesn't sound strained, not like he has in any of his other appearances in the town and spacestation.]

I hope everyone can hear me and none of you were caught in that blast. I'm sorry it even happened, but--[He falls silent, his eyebrows knitting in concern.] There is much I need to tell you now that I'm here.

Please, meet me in the White Rabbit pub in half an hour. All of you. It's time you had some answers.

[The video transmission ends.]


Plot Details: Flashback

That was a close one! But thankfully, Nathan was found! Good job! Not only that, though, but something else was too. This is Nathan's CAT and it revealed a very, very interesting fact to Sophie and Fuu.

Yep, that is indeed the man in black. It's taken him a couple years to finally show himself--or rather, accidentally get recorded.

But you know what? Instead of me just sitting here explaining things, I am going to let Nathan do that for me. No doubt once everyone hears the transmission from him--and when they hear everything Sophie and Fuu have learned--they'll probably have questions. So! What a better way to discuss things than over dinner? The pub is unharmed, and Nathan is starving, and no doubt some people may need a drink or two.

All action and stuff will, again, happen in this entry. I'll make a starting comment with Nathan and we can go from there. This is kind of like a mingle/party post, so if people want private conversations with each other, you can make threads in this entry. In Nathan's thread, everything he says can be overheard, so people can bring things up again to him or threadhop, whichever works best. (Just in case, I would recommend tracking your threads if this does happen.) Also, if your character wants a private conversation with him, definitely say so in the subject heading! (And if your character wants a conversation with Ten or Wash, please say so too.)

What else... Oh yes! Those who lost powers should have them back in full now, and those gained them, well, you're back to normal. Balance is restored and all that. As for the town itself, the townspeople have started to clean things up. Oddly, things haven't been reset yet as they have when odd things happen. By the way, if people want to continue their other threads from the previous entry, you are more than welcome to do so! There just won't be any more searches for Nathan.

This plot will only last a week, so don't waste any time in getting to asking him questions! The sooner you ask, the more you can find out. When a week has passed (so until Tuesday evening), unfortunately, I won't be continuing those threads.

If you have any questions/concerns/etc, I'm making an OOC comment in here so everyone can use that! Or ping me through the usual channels~

Comments

[fortune_sought]

[insistent] Which are?

Hmph. [she keeps glaring at him and, without uncrossing her arms, slides into one of the seats]

[but she leans forward a little in interest at that] How do we get into these inaccessible locations to look? And you do mean the pictures, don't you?

[luministimods]

[He wonders just how much she can handle, and for a moment, he falls silent and searches her face as if that would give him his answer.] Only he truly knows what he wants and why. [Which is true.] He isn't the only one who has done this before, and everyone who has, has had different reasons. What he's doing to you all is highly illegal. Use of the technology was outlawed hundreds of years ago.

I...I wish I knew. The location has to be accessible in some way, but not one that I'm aware of. We'll need to check the schematics of the lab.

The pictures... Yes. They're the biggest part of the overall materials, but how did you--[He thinks back to what he was told]--ahhh. That's what he showed you.

[fortune_sought]

That's not an answer. [see this face? this is a face that says you'd better let her "handle" all of it]

Then we'll start with those. [she nods, glad to have that decided, at least. she might be a bit too ready to jump on the first lead she can get] Are those on the machi--the computers?

[she shakes her head at that] I'm not certain what you mean. Mr Ichijou worked that much out himself.

[luministimods]

Yes, it is. I can only tell you what I know, and I don't know his reasons. I can guess, but do you want a supposition, or do you want the actual truth?

They might be in the lab's database. Caligin might have them in his office.

I mean 'the truth' he was talking to me about. Anyway, Ichijou...isn't exactly right, but he isn't wrong either. The photos are what keep you here and I destroyed those to send you home, but there is something else as well. It never occurred to me until some of you came back for a third time. There's an additional thing keeping you here.

Tell me, Sophie. How familiar are you with cameras?

[fortune_sought]

[she snaps] I want both! One before the other, if that's the best you can do.

You mean in the Mayor's House? [surprised]

[but that question brings her up short, and she looks suddenly uncomfortable] Cameras create pictures of the things you point them at, and they have tiny lights on them.

[which is basically Sophie parroting what Ichijou said to her. technology is still a bit much for her]

[luministimods]

As I can only do one, then that is the best I can do.

And no, I don't mean the house, though it is a possibility. All of the places important to Caligin could possibly have it.

[Yeah...he can kinda tell that from the look on her face.] Well, the way some of the earliest cameras used to work was: to take a picture, you'd expose a piece of film in the camera and thus, you'd take a picture of what was in front of the lens. That's what else we need to destroy: the film the pictures were developed from. They should be in the same place.

[fortune_sought]

[exasperated] Then what is your guess? And do you mean the Town Hall? We need to know specifically if we're to search!

[she pauses, taking in that explanation] I...see. What does this "film" look like?

[luministimods]

I think he's doing it to see what reaction he can get out of all of you. How you all are affected by the things he does. That's my guess. And no, I was thinking the one in the lab. Up where Lab #3 is.

[He takes his CAT, pulling up a photo of what a roll of film looks like and holds it out to her.] Similar to that.

[fortune_sought]

[shocked] But that's monstrous! As well as pointless. What does he gain from that?

[she nods, taking a close look at that photo] Thank you. [her tone is stiff; she's not forgiven him yet, but she is grateful for this information] That's where I'll search first.