[text] @five [open]

[fogey]

[ well, there's no way to say it, except to say it, so: ]

One of us died today. Big guy, blond hair. I don't know his name. I found his body.

[ that's his schtick, isn't it? finding bodies. ]

What I do know is that he fell on some rocks near the beach. Looks like an accident, no foul play. The fall shouldn't have killed him.

[ could've, if the bastard really were that unlucky, but it's unlikely. besides: ]

But it did break his lantern. Seems like Winters was telling the truth about that after all. Before anyone asks:

1) No, I didn't see it happen.
2) Yes, I checked for a pulse.
3) No, I didn't do it.

[ juST COVERING HIS BASES THERE ]

One more thing. I had to step away to get my tablet. When I came back, both he and his lantern were gone. No one else was here, I'm positive. They just vanished into thin air.

[ ooc | so as of today, rosinante (callada) is dead :C feel free to threadjack in this post and use it for discussion or whatever! ]

Comments

[fogey]

Obviously. But someone would've asked sooner or later; might as well get that out of the way

[starforce]

There was probably a way to phrase that to make you seem less suspicious. Would've saved you some questions.

[fogey]

If you want to accuse me, just do it. If not, this is pointless. We've got bigger problems

[starforce]

Hey, no one said anything about accusing. I'm just telling you what you sound like.

[someone probably will, inevitably, and it won't be a joke]

I'm not sure it was an accident, though. Something doesn't seem right.

[fogey]

[ extremely likely that someone will. he'd even consider it a question worth asking; first person on the scene is definitely suspect. ]

Nothing about this seems right. You're going to have to be more specific

[starforce]

[you don't find out you've been manipulated and lied to for six years without being left with some degree of paranoia. it's been kicked into overdrive ever since she'd found herself on that ferry, and nothing she's found here so far has convinced her to change her mind.]

They tell us about the lanterns, and then right afterward, some guy dies with his lantern out. Which is exactly what they said would happen.

Convenient, don't you think?

[there'd be something to be said, too, for taking this to some kind of more private avenue, but, frankly, carol doesn't care if they know.]

[fogey]

[ five can respect that kind of paranoia. christ knows he doesn't give out trust easily, that he's as suspicious of winters, ingram, and rastus as he is of the supposed lighthouse keeper. carol makes a good point. ]

I do, actually. Thing about the beach is that there were clearly only one set of footprints -- two, with mine. Doesn't seem to leave much doubt that he was alone.

Which is also convenient.

[starforce]

[hm, new information. interesting information.

she considers for a moment before typing back.]

That IS convenient.

They must want our trust really badly if they're trying this hard to sell this.

["why?" and "what happens next?" are questions she's not half-sure she wants answered.]

[fogey]

Assuming they are; until we have more evidence, this is just a theory. Not a bad one, but still a theory. I'm not sure why they would be this desperate for our trust. We're already trapped here

[starforce]

[right, just a theory, but at the same time, she knows this m.o. this has the supreme intelligence all over it, and the more she thinks about it, the worse it feels.]

A trusting captive is more likely to become a willing captive, and is also easier to deal with in general.

@dr

[donttalktome]

Are you serious?
Don't flatter yourselves.
If I could be anywhere but here, dealing with you people, I'd die again just to make it happen.
What possible reason could we have for bringing you here?
And supposing we did have some harebrained scheme, why would we insist on suffering through it with you?

lmao SCREAM

[starforce]

[wow, untrustworthy and a total asshole to boot

what a package]

Oh, I don't know, the usual reasons. I'm powerful, you need that power for something you won't actually tell me about, blah blah blah.

Or it could be that I have a sense of humor, which is something that's CLEARLY lacking around here.

Take your pick.

(':

[donttalktome]

I thought I told you not to flatter yourself.
To be frank, I don't know a thing about you, nor do I care to.
I know nothing about your supposed "power", though I suspect it's more magical nonsense.
And people call me pretentious.

[starforce]

I'm not flattering anything if I'm telling the truth, which I am.

You, on the other hand, are not.

Do you really think anyone's going to buy that "I don't know a thing about you and I don't care" routine? Save it. We're all obviously here for a reason.

[donttalktome]

Ah, yes, your power that lets you detect lies through a tablet screen.
It's all coming back to me now.
It was just so impressive I had to bend the rules of time and space to see it for myself.
But alas, you've caught onto my grand scheme. I've no idea what I'll do now.

If we're here for a reason, I'd really like to know what it is.
Because I can't find a single common thread between myself and people like you.

[starforce]

[if he's gonna keep this bullshit up...]

Okay, fine. You want a demonstration? A photon blast to the face should do it.

Pick a place and I'll meet you there.

[did she just threaten him?

maybe so]

You're right about that last part, though, because "we" didn't include you. You're working for them. That puts you in a different category from the rest of us.

sorry this is a whole ass lecture

[donttalktome]

Who am I working for, exactly?
Who is "them"?
I didn't have to agree to help you people, you know.
I could just as well have said fuck it and holed up somewhere like a hermit.
A decision I regret not making more and more each day.
The only thing that separates me from you, aside from intellect and most likely over a thousand years of time, is that I've been here longer.
But really, ultimately, I don't actually care if you think I'm an evil mastermind or whatever it is you've convinced yourself of.
Believe whatever you want to believe.
But don't be an idiot. Don't discount the information of people who've done this before. And don't turn this whole place into some convoluted "us vs. them" situation.
That road leads nowhere good.

And don't threaten me. It's childish.

ghfdjsk i feel like i should be sorry

[starforce]

[all she hears in her head when she reads this is yon-rogg — yon-rogg and his six years' worth of condescensions. the fingers of her left hand reflexively curl into a fist, and she has half a mind to blast her tablet to hell right here and now.

she doesn't, though, instead finding it in her to inhale a long breath and flatten her hand back out.]

Too scared of the photon blast? Don't worry, you'll live. Or... not die again. Or whatever.

[this is about the only response she's going to dignify that long-ass lecture with, but at the last second, she adds:]

I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like that's the read I'm getting here.

[fogey]

Sound like you've got experience there.

[starforce]

It's a long story. A long, weird story.

[but, suffice it to say — yes.]

[fogey]

Yeah, I know a thing or two about those.

[starforce]

You ever get bored, maybe we can meet at the bar and swap. I always seem to pick the dead hours.

[bah dum tsshhh]

[fogey]

There might be a reason for that.

[ people avoiding uR BAD JOKES ]

[starforce]

[excuse]

Oh, come on. You totally laughed. Admit it.

[fogey]

There's nothing to admit, because I didn't.