2nd Cup [VIDEO]

[abittertruth]

[Oh, look! It's those three red lights again. The face attached to them isn't smiling any more, but the actual expression is hard to read--partially because of the mask.]

Someone stop me if this is old news, because I'm still fresh off the boat--but I've been watching this three-ring circus near as I can tell, not one of you knows what's going on here.

It's just the wet dregs being passed off as fresh brew--and a mess of pretty words covering ugly hearsay and uglier agendas.

[He sets his coffee mug down on the desk beside him.]

Now, I'm as opposed to nuclear annihilation as the next man, don't get me wrong. But I find it pretty interesting the government can't keep enough track of all these magic yahoos it keeps porting in that it can lose fifty of them in one go--but wants its civilians to play spy games for them...?

[He's building steam, gaining intensity as he talks--someone's not all that happy.]

They paint a nice picture--they're responsible for us and we're responsible for them, we're all one big happy community--but it sounds to me like they're slipping salt in the coffee and telling us its sugar.

It's enough to make a well man sick.

And I am not a well man.

[He bares his teeth in a grin--one that's just a touch too aggressive to be sincere.

But then he stops, his visor once again hiding the majority of any meaningful expression.]

...oh. But before I go... one last thing.

Word on the street is that death has become a bit of a tease.

If anyone has proof otherwise, speak now.

[Then he jams his finger on the button, cutting the video off.]

Comments

Video

[bindsthedead]

I admit, I have doubts about this government's competence- and given how many imPorts can tamper with perception and memories, asking locals to watch them is silly.

But the Russians have stated they intend to confiscate us, on the grounds that America is keeping us on too long of a leash is worrying me more right now.

As for death- well, that's always been an area of interest, but I'm afraid I've had to put my research on hold for the time being.

[Video]

[abittertruth]

[.....]

From what I've seen, they might not be wrong.

[Video]

[bindsthedead]

We can police ourselves, the problem is America won't let us impose the appropriate punishments. And whatever America's flaws, they don't call us property to our faces.

[voice]

[outlawrain]

...Y'know, now that you mention it, it is pretty odd that fifty of us were just... taken. No words, no nothin' about it. They're supposed to be keepin' track of us if we're registered, right?

So, how'd fifty people just... disappear when they're watchin' us?

[Voice]

[abittertruth]

It sure is a mystery, isn't it?

Almost makes you wonder what the point of registering is, if it makes this little difference besides us agreeing to play by their rules.

[Don't get him wrong--he's still planning to play by those rules. For now. But he never agreed to keep his mouth shut.

And not keeping their mouths shut... is what lawyers do best.]

[Voice]

[outlawrain]

Shoot, I did it because they told me it was a good idea... now I'm really wonderin' cause what might happen to the rest of us.

[He grumbles a bit and lets out a sigh.]

Tho', what are we supposed to do about it? If we don't register, we get in trouble for almost anythin', but if we do register, we're just... slightly less free.

video

[resipiscent]

They hide it, but I don't think they have much more knowledge than we do, frankly. And they seemed to have been hoping they could keep us on leashes without us noticing.

[Video]

[abittertruth]

The blind leading the blind?

Ha...!

Then I hope someone around here's sprouted a third eye, or we're all in pretty steep trouble.

[Video]

[resipiscent]

Some people already had one, I'm assuming. We'll make it.

text; private

[infomodder]

[Cutting to the thing he knows best out of all this, oh yes.]

Depends on what you mean by a bit of a tease. And proof.

Re: text; private (I NEVER GOT A NOTIF FOR THIS I'M SO SORRY)

[abittertruth]

A little bird told me the lady's gone soft.

Letting people come back from the dead any which way, no questions asked or prices paid.

But I take it you're not here to listen to me.

What do you have?

permathat (NO WORRIES IT HAPPENS)

[infomodder]

Your little bird isn't entirely on the mark.
While it's true some of us can experience death here and come back, or be taken from the end of our lives back home and given an afterlife in this world, such is not always the case. People have died here and never returned before.
All to say, there is no guarantee whether or not she'll be soft on any one in particular. Prices are paid in other ways.

video;

[rassera]

[He'll admit, he has NO idea about 80% of what you just said. Stop speaking in metaphors.

But he will focus on one thing.]

Yeah, losing fifty imPorts like they lost their damn umbrella. Really makes a guy feel appreciated, huh?

[abittertruth]

[That's probably the only sane way to converse with this man.

Unsurprisingly, Godot manages to find a dose of black humour in Kaneda's response.]

Ha...! Right on the nose, I'd say.

Interesting thing about umbrellas--you only miss them when it's raining.

I'd say there's some pretty big stormclouds on the horizon...

[rassera]

...

[Hold on.]

...


[Is he seriously looking out the window. IS HE SERIOUSLY.]

There's no--...oh. You meant the war.

video

[missleadingquestions]

[As much as Maya'd like to contend him, Tex's disappearance... hasn't inspired her to think he's wrong. That last bit though...]

...Hey. Godot. You're talking about the fact dead ImPorts come back to life, right?

[No point in not being direct with this guy...]

[Video]

[abittertruth]

[Hello there, kitten. Come to brighten a bad day?

No, probably not. But it's good to see you again anyway.]

Smart cookie. Got it in one.

But don't tell me you're here to be the bearer of bad news. I don't think my heart could take it.

[Video]

[missleadingquestions]

[She swallows, breathes out.

She's not here to brighten your day at all.]

Well.... I mean, it's not bad news. I mean...

[Come on, Maya.]

A while ago, there was a terrorist attack in Heropa... and while we were fighting the-- well, the bad guys? [She isn't all too sure who was attacking, honestly--]

I died.

So.... yeah. ImPorts come back.

text;

[iamtetsuo]

what do you want proof for

TEXT

[abittertruth]

Depends. Who's asking?

TEXT

[iamtetsuo]

i am

text;

[enigmaestro]

Why the coffee metaphors?

Text (I'm so sorry)

[abittertruth]

Why the stupid question?

video;

[daimeinashi]

You needn't look farther than the network for documented evidence of imPort resurrection. Even recently, a boy was murdered in a public broadcast, but he has since reappeared on the network.

[It's all rattled off pretty clinically, especially for a seventeen-year-old discussing death and murder. His features remain pretty much expressionless, as well.]

Typically, imPorts return within 24 to 72 hours, although some are gone for longer. To date, the longest period between death and revival has been for a man by the name of Yuri Petrov, alternatively known as "Lunatic." Approximately eight months passed between his death and his revival.

There has, however, been a particular incident in 2008 in which this government's resurrection technology was disrupted and seven imPorts permanently died. For obvious reasons, the specifics are unknown to us.

Re: video;

[abittertruth]

[...well.

That was certainly something.

What, Godot isn't entirely sure.

Is he supposed to be impressed?]

.......