Shield 04 | video

[tactilekonesis]

[Once again, Kon's in the Talon, drinking a huge cup of coffee (which in itself's a bad sign - Kon doesn't really like the taste of it). He stares at the screen blankly for a moment before he goes ahead and asks:]

I know I wasn't here that long, but this Filippo Rescari's offer sounds ridiculous. He said he was the guy that tortured you guys last year - so was he the one that put everyone on reality TV? [There's a long pause as Kon realizes belatedly...] And did he put us on reality TV AGAIN?

I'm kinda wondering now since he was able to watch us and stuff. It's like we're all in one giant episode of the Truman Show - only we know this place's fake and we need to get out fast. I don't know about you guys, but the Talon and Professor's car and Willis's house and Ichijou's weird tub of blood... all those things being here aren't good.

I like the Talon, but I didn't want my world to be affected by this stupid experiment too. Are we still looking for that lab? I think I want in. And if we're not... well, come down and have some coffee. It'll all be on the house. [Nevermind that it was already free in the first place.]

Comments

[video]

[gothelproof]

[Flynn has a politely quirked eyebrow as his feed kicks in. He's in his town home, but his thoughts have also been circling around the crazy choice they were all given. Mostly always coming back to anyone siding with Filippo being at least partially insane, but a few things the man said have stuck with Flynn... and they make him uneasy.

So of course he pulls a small grin into place, trying to act like it doesn't bother him nearly as much as it does.]

I'm not even going to ask about what a true man show is, even though I'm sure I'd be the right man for the job...

[He waves that tangent off, keen to get to the heart of the matter.]

I'm planning to look for the lab, too. Might as well, right? It sounds like one of the best ways to get home with no strings attached.

[video]

[tactilekonesis]

[Right, Flynn's from a world without TV.] It's a movie in my world. Don't worry about it too much.

[He nods at the mention of the lab.] Yeah. If we fail, at least we know we tried. Did Nathan give us any specifics about it?

[video]

[gothelproof]

[A world from back when an atlas was halfway a work of fiction!]

By specifics, do you mean anything remotely helpful?

...nah. Not directly to me, anyway. Maybe to one of the others, but to tell you the truth I was zoning in and out there for a while. Best I got was that we need to find some map of all the secret labs while Nathan goes and does something else unspecific.

[Yeah, Flynn's not very impressed with the vagueness of this task and it's written all over his deadpan expression.]

You'd think this place would eventually run out of labs, wouldn't you?

[video]

[tactilekonesis]

[Kon's not too impressed either.] They'd really hide a map of a secret lab here? It doesn't take a genius to realize that's a pretty dumb idea.

You never know, man - this place's changing too often for me to keep track of it.

[video]

[gothelproof]

Stranger things have happened. Really, though, you've got to admit it's fishy. If this place was this well thought out, you'd think they wouldn't leave maps around...

[He's run into some pretty dumb guards in his life, but usually he's found they're balanced out by the guys who actually know what they're doing. Or, you know, by a really smart horse.]

Are you getting the feeling that no one is actually telling us the truth here? As a professional liar -- a former one, mind you -- that's the feeling I'm picking up from all this. Just saying.

[fortune_sought]

[when Sophie activates the CAT, she's scowling] I'm not certain what you mean, but I doubt that either Resarci or Nathan is telling us the full truth. Still, did you hear what Nathan said about the...ah, film? Perhaps we could discuss it over tea.

[her expression is set, and she raises an eyebrow at Kon. after all, there are some conversations that she thinks would be more prudent to have off the CAT]

[tactilekonesis]

[It takes him a moment to realize what she's getting at... but the second he does, a lightbulb goes off and he nods fervently.]

I think so, yeah. If you can come down to the Talon, I'll go ahead and brew some tea for you. Black, right? You'll have to tell me how much milk and sugar.

[fortune_sought]

[she nods] I can add that myself. Thank you, Conner. I'll be there shortly.

[and she turns off her CAT. a few moments later, she steps uncertainly inside the Talon] Conner? Are you here?

[tactilekonesis]

Sophie! Hey!

[Kon greets her in the front of the store as soon as he can. The decor makes it obvious that it's a renovated movie theater - there's still a couple of old movie posters and an old popcorn machine hanging around. He gestures towards the teapot.] I boiled your water, but it'll take a couple of minutes for the tea to brew.

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie doesn't know what a movie theatre is, but it's certainly an interesting building. she looks around it curiously, as she's only been here once before, and that time, she was mainly concerned about removing food]

[she smiles at Kon, though] Thank you. Have you been well?

[Video]

[manicurious]

[Ichijou is sitting in his kitchen and leaning on the counter, staring at his CAT and tapping his nails on the countertop impatiently. It's painfully obvious that he's waiting for *something.*]

What's so ridiculous about Resarci's offer? If I had any interest in leaving this place, I'd be thinking long and hard about it - he sounded sincere enough to me. What, just because someone has tortured a few people they can't be trusted with anything?

[Sigh;] I would've cooked something nice for him if he had just asked.

[There's a pause as he looks to the side, listening to something. His expression goes from concerned to embarrassed almost instantly.] What? No, I never had a tub of blood. Why would I have a tub of blood?

No, I won't play along with it! What if someone actually believes it? They'll think I'm gross!

...
...

No, I won't explain that, either. It's too embarrassing. I didn't ask for your input!

[Video]

[tactilekonesis]

[Judging by Kon's glare, he clearly doesn't think Resarci gets off the hook that easily.]

From my experience, yeah. He's hiding something, and I'd rather not go along with him until I know who he is and why he thought torturing people here was---

[He doesn't even finish his sentence, he's too distracted by Ichijou's protests.]

Um.

I don't even know what you're talking about... It's a tub of something and you were asleep in it, so I thought it was from your world...

Whatever you do with it really isn't my business.

Re: [Video]

[manicurious]

Hmm. I always did like Resarci far more than anyone else. I felt like we understood each other - I'm even a little hurt that he implied that we're the cause of all of his problems. As much as I'd like to prove him wrong on that count, Nathan gave me an offer that I couldn't possibly turn down.

[As Kon's description of the wine tub goes on, his face turns increasingly more red.]

Wh- No, no, the tub- You're making it sound obscene! And it's not- Well, it's from where I'm from, but it's not mine. And I usually wouldn't fall asleep in it!

I just felt really relaxed while I was near it for some reason! But normally just thinking about it would make my stomach turn!

[Video]

[tactilekonesis]

[To be honest, Kon really DID think it's something obscene - but now he's just enjoying the reaction.] You mean you got those weird happy feelings, like I did whenever I walked into the Talon? Makes sense.

I just... I don't know, man, that looked pretty suspect.

[manicurious]

That still sounds obscene! But yes. That's why I was able to sleep so soundly there - anywhere else it simply wasn't possible because I was so anxious and hungry.

Fine, fine, I'll explain. What was in that tub is the same thing as what I had been drinking during and after Nathan's and Resarci's... "Visit." Which is...

[Since he's already in his kitchen, it takes only a moment for him to snatch up a bottle of wine (which he seems to possess an absurd supply of). He holds it up as if demonstrating on some kind of cooking show then sets it on the counter.]

Red wine. A sophisticated kind of drink that complements creamy, buttery foods and various meats as well as chocolates and many other things and which is absolutely not blood.

I wouldn't recommend trying the stuff that appeared in the lab, though. It belongs to my employer - my disgusting, insane, horrible employer. He used to bathe and soak his feet in it, and afterwards he would shove me to the floor and force me to drink the entire thing in front of him.

So in a way, it is genuinely suspect. But it has nothing to do with deviance on my part.

It's remarkable that I didn't die of disgust and alcohol poisoning.

[terezi_pyrope]

SOUNDS L1K3 1NV3ST1G4T1ON SHOULD B3 SOM3TH1NG W3 SHOULD B3 DO1NG

1 DONT C4R3 WH4T 4NYON3 TH1NKS OR S4YS
H3S 4 CR1M1N4L WHO N33DS TO B3 T4UGHT 4 *L3SSON*

you don't have to reply to this if you don't want to!!

[tactilekonesis]

then do you want to lead the investigation? i was only taking charge if no one else wanted to

[video]

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, that may not be a bad plan. Look, do ye have any tea at the moment? I could do with some before we start in on any looking about.

[video] so sorry about this!!

[tactilekonesis]

[He nods.] I think there's some in the back - I'm not good at brewing tea, but we've got the supplies here if you think you can help me make it.

[video-to-action] It's no problem!

[bonnypiperlad]

Och, tea's not hard at all. If you've some milk and sugar I can make a proper of it no problem. I'll be down shortly, then.

[And shortly it is, because he wasn't that far away from the Talon when he'd gotten the message. He pokes his head in the door, looking about to see if he can spot Kon.]

Hello?

[action] excellent ;;

[tactilekonesis]

Hey! [Kon waves Jamie over the second he sees him. The Talon's pretty spacious, considering it's a coffee shop in the lobby of an old movie theater, so it takes Kon a little bit to gesture over to the counter and the stockpiles of food.

... He might have taken some of Sophie's extra teacakes when she wasn't looking. With her permission, but still!] So I got the milk - 1%, evaporated, fat-free, and whole - and then some white and brown sugar, since I don't know exactly how you like it.

[There's a slight pause as he glances over at the pantry.] I could find some honey too, if you want that instead.

[fireflyheir]

That sounds good. The more we know the better, right?

[tactilekonesis]

Exactly. Glad to see someone else around here's on the same page!

[fireflyheir]

Well, it only makes sense! Right?

I'll come down and see you shortly.

[tactilekonesis]

Sounds good. Do you need directions for the Talon or do you think you can get there just fine?