Voice || Paranoia, paranoia, everybody's coming to get me...

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[When he turns on his communicator, he eschews video and only posts voice, his tone sounding more than a little on edge.]

Given the recent... developments... the hours of operation at my casino, Lucky's, are going to change quite a bit. For better or for worse, we'll be following curfew. We'll open earlier in the day to compensate for it, although I don't know too many people who like to gamble in the mid-afternoon.

[A pause.]

That should have been obvious, but seeing what's been happening to people around the City, I thought I'd make it crystal clear, yes? I can't shake this feeling that everything we say, everything we do, there's somebody listening. It's...

[A longer pause, where it sounds like he's practically holding his breath.]

Did anyone hear that? I think someone's watching me.

[[OOC: Paranoia was never a large leap for this one to make, anyway. He's only slightly paranoid now, but will grow more so over the day. Have... fun?]]

Comments

[deadmanbusiness]

How do you suppose we be careful?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Following curfew's a good start.

[deadmanbusiness]

Can I sleep at the casino then?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[A pause.]

I suppose so. I often do.

[deadmanbusiness]

If we're closing for curfew, I don't know if I'd have enough time to get back to my place, after all.

Somehow I'm not surprised you do. Every workaholic I know tends to sleep at the office.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

It's not exactly the most comfortable place to sleep, I'll warn you in advance.

[deadmanbusiness]

Do you know what's a really uncomfortable place to sleep? On a dragon's horde.

Everything else is gravy.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Why would you sleep on a...

[A pause.]

Obviously we come from very different worlds.

[deadmanbusiness]

I was kidnapped and held for ransom by a dragon when I was twelve.

Fortunately, I suppose, my father had a tracking device in my shoes and so was able to find me. And my watch. And my cell phone... walkman...

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Your father kept that close of an eye on you?

[That's... vaguely creepy.]

[deadmanbusiness]

[Oh. Hell yeah it is. And this is why Theo is paranoid normally. They really are watching him and they really are out to get him.]

Yep. Well, after the second time I was kidnapped by the age of six, he decided that would be the best way to keep track of me.

I don't know why people keep on trying to kidnap me, it never ends well for them.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Kidnapping you to here seemed to have worked out so far.

[Cynical? Definitely.]

[deadmanbusiness]

It's the first time I've been kidnapped across dimensions like this. No one back home has that ability yet.

[He's not too worried. Eventually they'll find him. Eventually they'll get him back home.]

[recognize_an_opportunity]

And hopefully nobody back home will ever develop that ability.

[deadmanbusiness]

I dunno. It'd be pretty good for me!

[recognize_an_opportunity]

What, you mean if you wanted to kidnap people?

[deadmanbusiness]

Nah. They could come here. Kidnap me and take me back home. Then my father and fiancee would find them and probably kill them in a horrible manner.

But I'd be home.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Remember what I said about not saying incriminating things? That sounds pretty incriminating.

[deadmanbusiness]

Or threatening.

Would asking for the 25th off be less incriminating?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

I won't ask why you need the 25th off. I don't want to know. You can have it.

[deadmanbusiness]

It's nothing horrible.

Just my birthday.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Happy early birthday, in that case.

[deadmanbusiness]

I hope it'll be!

[recognize_an_opportunity]

How old'll you be?

[deadmanbusiness]

Twenty-Nine.

Does that make me old?