luministimods: (Enigmatic Businessman)
Luministi Mods ([personal profile] luministimods) wrote in [community profile] luministi2012-10-07 12:59 am

❧ Devil's Advocate

[Elsewhere--always elsewhere--Filippo Resarci waits anxiously. Anxiety isn't a feeling he enjoys, but for two weeks now, he's been on the run from Nathan. It isn't the first time he's been in such a position; before, he had Ferran's protection, and now he has none for reasons he knew about before he issued his offer. If he had his way, he'd put some of those otherworlders as cannon fodder and keep them in between him and that damn cop. It's not like they can't come back!

But no. Ferran has forbidden it. Anything done to physically hurt those people, he must be a witness to. That has always been the agreement.

It made sense at the time, and yet...

Filippo tenses, his hand gripping his gun. A very, very small part of him is regretting shooting that cop. That man wasn't nearly as tenacious in his efforts as he was before. If Ferran hadn't given Filippo that device to replace the special CAT he had, he never would have gotten out of there in the first place. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't wish he had magical universe-crossing powers like they did. Filippo would have jumped to another one a year ago and stayed gone. And hopefully, that universe would have had a tropical pleasure planet that catered to all tastes and wouldn't mind taking money that was definitely not from around there.

All of a sudden, his reverie is shattered when he hears a noise begin to blare. Frantically, he looks around, having never heard that sound before--and then he sees why that alarm has gone off. It was from one of the many monitors in the room.

And again, another noise startles him, this time from behind. He whirls around with a short, panicked cry--and sees Ferran. He lets out a relieved sigh, lowering his gun.]


Oh, thank god it's you! I thought that bastard cop had--

[The man in black tuts loudly, walking past Filippo to have a look at the disruptive monitor.] Manners, Filippo, manners. Thorn in our side though he may be, he is still a respectable Marshal who has failed at his job for many years now. You need not fear him finding you now that I've returned.

Then that means...? [Filippo edges closer to Ferran, trying to read the man's expression.]

The preparations are nearly complete. [A smile crosses the man in black's face.] It is much easier to relocate than it is to start from the ground up, as I told you previously. [He straightens, amused by what he's seen, and puts a hand on Filippo's arm.] Your distraction has worked even better than I could have hoped for. [Ferran's eyes close as he takes a breath, that hand tightening its grip.] Yes... It is very good.

[Filippo winces, but knows better than to attempt to move.] I-I'm glad you do. It was your plan, after all.

[Ferran finally releases his hold on Filippo's arm.] Ahhh, but without you and the ire they possess for you, none of it would have been nearly as successful. Speaking of, I do believe it is time for you to see how many of them have sided with you. I know I am curious to see how well you were able to sow the seeds of dissension amongst them.

Right... [Reluctantly, he pulls his CAT out, but he hesitates before using it. He knows going out into the open again only leaves him exposed for Nathan to do whatever he's going to do. But if there is one lesson of his father's that he's always taken to heart, it is this: one must lie in the bed one makes. So after a moment, he finally types in a message that he sends off to all of the otherworlders' CATs that reads:]

It's time, Otherworlders! If you have made your decision to leave this place behind, then meet me in one hour outside Lab #4 and then you'll see this place no more. Remember what I said about bringing everything with you. See you soon.

And sent. [He slides his CAT carefully back into his jacket pocket, then turns to Ferran.] You're sure about bringing them there?

Two of their number has already visited there, as you saw. [He motions to the monitor.] And had you not removed the blueprints of the lab from the computer systems, they may have found it sooner. So in a way...we are giving them exactly what they want anyway.

[Filippo shrugs indifferently to hide the shred of uncertainty still hanging out in the back of his mind.] If you say so. We'll see what they think soon enough. [He removes the special yellow device from his pocket, using it to teleport out of the room.]

So we shall.


Plot Details: Devil's Advocate
    First of all, thank you to everyone who voted in the important poll I put earlier in the week. It was greatly appreciated, and by a landslide, it looks like our dear Nathan has won the popular vote and electoral college and is most definitely prom king! And yes, that poll was very much important despite Filippo still going ahead with his plans anyway. After all, he doesn't know what everyone is going to decide.

    However...that brings us to an hour from now (in-game, naturally.) The two people Ferran mentioned as having found something are Terezi and Hawk, but the others searching elsewhere in Caligin's lab office and such would have been successful...had Filippo not been an asshole. What a jerk.

    Once that text goes out, your lovely little shoulder companions go too, but everything up until now remains the same. Nothing has changed.

    So...I leave you with yet another choice: do you talk to Filippo and/or go see what he's up to there? Or do you not? This entry will be used for interactions with Filippo while he waits for people to arrive so he can bring them away from there. Talking to him and going down to Lab #4 doesn't mean you invalidate the way you voted in the poll. Hell, you can even pretend that you're going with him if you want! But certainly, they must be curious, right? If not about him, about what Nathan will do when he inevitably shows back up.

    As I did with Nathan, this half of the plot will only go for one week, so I'll stop taking answering questions through Saturday night of next week (aka, October 13th.) Sunday until the next post is up. Any questions left unanswered after that will, unfortunately, remain unanswered, so if you're going to start talking to him, start early. I can't stress that enough.

    As before, all action with Filippo will take place in this entry and I'll make a comment with him as soon as I've posted this, as well as an OOC comment thread for any questions and such people might have!

    Since this is a party/mingle post, comments made in Filippo's thread can be overhead by others, but if you want private threads with each other, please feel free to make your own in the post! I also recommend tracking your threads if someone other than Filippo hops into your thread!

    And that should be it! Believe it or not...we only have a few more weeks until the very end...
manicurious: (Rainyjou)

MY LOVE

[personal profile] manicurious 2012-10-07 02:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Naturally Ichijou makes a beeline toward Lab 4 to see if Filippo is really there - and to see if anyone else has beaten the shit out of him or worse. Though as he approaches the lab, he starts to move more slowly. His look and tone is one of genuine concern.]

Are you really sure that it's alright for you to be here? The others... Most of them are still holding a grudge, you know.
manicurious: (Sweetiejou)

itt: hard-hitting questions

[personal profile] manicurious 2012-10-08 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
[He seems a bit incredulous.] It would be even less risky to wait somewhere else, have everyone gather as close as possible to whatever exit point you're planning to use, and generally not stay here any longer than you really have to.

Not that I'm not happy to see you, but... I'm not sure. That's just a taser, isn't it? I'm sure you know what you're doing, especially since you spent such a long time monitoring us, but I'm still concerned.

Doing it this way could make you seem more sincere, though.

[He brightens.] It's really too bad that we're meeting under such serious circumstances! I always hoped that we would run into each other again. I was here all by myself for months and months - I wish you could've visited then. I could've made a cake.

You like cake, right?
fortune_sought: (Suspicious)

[personal profile] fortune_sought 2012-10-08 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sophie approaches with her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing him suspiciously]

Do you really think that, after everything, there's anything you could say that would make us believe you?
tactilekonesis: (not sure if want)

shame he's not prom king :'(

[personal profile] tactilekonesis 2012-10-09 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
[It takes Kon a moment to find the door to Lab #4, considering he's rarely in the area, but he lands just before Mr. Resarci and folds his arms before he gives the guy a once-over.]

Marshal? I didn't think we had a Marshal around these parts. [The downside of super-hearing: Kon didn't realize Filippo's voice had been softer than usual.]
manicurious: (Tinyjou)

[personal profile] manicurious 2012-10-09 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
Well hopefully it won't come down to that, though it wouldn't surprise me at all if it did.

[His tone is light and teasing at this point.] The way that everyone talks about you, it always makes it sound like you hate all nice things. But I understand well that just because someone occasionally takes advantage of others it doesn't mean that they spend all of their time punching adorable baby animals and shunning anything sweet or rich.

Frankly, I'm surprised that some of us are still complaining about you all the time. Compared to the guy who's controlling things right now, you were a saint! I don't remember you ever locking me up in this dreary lab area and making me go hungry for weeks and weeks.

That's just the way it goes sometimes - once someone decides that you're a "villain," it's hard to shake that off.
fireflyheir: (>the windy thing)

good times all round

[personal profile] fireflyheir 2012-10-09 06:57 am (UTC)(link)
[John's frowning when he gets there, but he wants to work out what's going on more than staying away. Would that even work, anyway?]

Are you serious about helping us?
worldsapart: (Default)

[personal profile] worldsapart 2012-10-09 07:43 am (UTC)(link)
[Xion is... hesitant to approach him, and it shows in her posture. There is determination in her eyes, though, and she straightens her back to stand taller. (Not that it makes much of a difference. She's grown, metaphorically and physically, since she first arrived in Luministi, but she's still short.)]

You said before that once you're rid of us, you're rid of your problems. But you also said you left. I'm sure you could've gone somewhere far, far away, where whatever your problems are couldn't ever catch up. Why did you choose to come back? What are the problems that you're afraid of following you?

[There's a pause. Then, as if to streamline her questions, or perhaps to explain herself...] What are you really getting out of this?
tactilekonesis: (pondering it)

lesson learned?

[personal profile] tactilekonesis 2012-10-09 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, Nathan wasn't his real name? Kon tilts his head to the side, but isn't actually that phased by the news otherwise - initially, at least.] So? People like me use fake names all the time...

[Give him a minute...]

... But you think he's been lying about other things too?
wind_of_reason: (normally happy)

[personal profile] wind_of_reason 2012-10-09 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fuu approaches slowly. After all, the man is quite dangerous. But she needs to speak to him while the opportunity presents itself.
As opposed to what he asked in his message, she has brought nothing but her usual purse. Once she has come close enough she bows briefly.]


A pleasure to meet you properly in person, Mister Resarci.
worldsapart: (Default)

[personal profile] worldsapart 2012-10-10 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Her first response is soft:] But why did you have to step up for your father? Why didn't you have a choice?

[She's quiet for a moment, processing and thinking. Then, she looks back up.]

So is Ferran the one who told you to offer to send us home, then?
manicurious: (Beastiejou)

[personal profile] manicurious 2012-10-10 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
You wouldn't have to live with it if you were suddenly abducted by a mysterious man with a special camera from another universe, but not everyone can be as lucky as me.

See, that's what I always said! Ever since we figured out who you are, I always knew that you were someone's scapegoat. I can sense these things. Mostly because I, well.

[He edges closer and whispers:] I used to work for an organization in which I routinely had to torture various people. And I'd do it again if I had to.

[And back to a normal volume,] When you're in a toxic environment, you become toxic yourself. It's apparently hard for someone who's never been in that kind of situation to realize that sometimes that's just the kind of thing you have to do in order to survive!

That's why I was always hoping that we'd meet again in a less stressful context - I thought that we had some things in common, like having been so tangled up in others' affairs that it's hard to have a life of your own.
wind_of_reason: (tricky who me)

[personal profile] wind_of_reason 2012-10-10 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
I have heard that television can do that! You look slimmer.

[Her smile fades as she looks up at him.]

But banter aside, I have something I would like to ask you, while I have the chance.
bonnypiperlad: (hrmph)

[personal profile] bonnypiperlad 2012-10-10 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
[At first, Jamie thought he wasn't going to bother going to the lab. He has no fondness for Filippo, especially not after trying to track him down and his stunt in the pub, but he does have a question or two before the man leaves. So to the lab it is, even if he looks less than thrilled when he finally spots the man.]

So why do it? Why offer to help us when ye can just leave us behind and run away again?
fireflyheir: John talksprite 'huh, really?' (>huh)

[personal profile] fireflyheir 2012-10-10 01:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[John considers this and shrugs, folding his arms to mirror Filippo's.]

Okay. And away from here means… where?
fortune_sought: (Taken Aback)

[personal profile] fortune_sought 2012-10-11 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
[she glares] No, you just hid yourself for as long as you could! That's certainly nothing like lying, is it?

[and, if possible, her expression grows even colder as she gapes at him] A boy. A boy that I will be home with soon--no thanks to you, I'm sure.

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