Accidental Video / Action

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[When the video comes on, it shows the interior of Meyer's office at the casino. Nothing a fair amount of people haven't seen before, and nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until Meyer himself comes into view, looking irritated, and...

Looking decidedly older. He's aged well, but he must be in his late thirties or early forties, and he's not in a good mood.]

I thought I told you to stop running indoors!

[It's not immediately obvious who he's addressing in that quintessentially parental voice, until a child of about seven or so dashes through the frame, practically knocking the network device off of his desk.]

I'm going to count to three...

[Sighing, he stands up from his desk, looks down at the device, realizes it's recording, and rolls his eyes. It's the same eye-roll he's always had, but in an older, sharper, even more guarded face.]

If anyone has any remarkable advice for getting children to stop running, now that they've witnessed this, I'd appreciate it.

[And with that, he switches off the device, and makes his way out of his office, back into the casino.]

Comments

[glamorsongstress]

[As soon as Ruby steps through the door, she finds that she's dodging children.]

Hey! Watch out, will you?

[She has to do a doubletake when she sees Meyer, not recognising him immediately.]

What the hell happened to you?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

What do you mean what the hell happened to me? I'm...

[Time to dodge the small child again, as he comes running back through the casino, trying to get Meyer to look at something or another. Meyer looks down at him and shakes his head.]

Not now, I'm busy.

[And turning his attention back to Ruby...]

I'm wrangling children, apparently.

[glamorsongstress]

I thought everyone who'd come at the weekend had left already. [Because this is the second time in recent days there have been children in the casino, and that's the only answer that makes sense to her.

She crosses the room to him, avoiding the child again as he's about to into her, squinting a little as she regards him, face filled with concern.]

Seriously Meyer, you don't look so good.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

They have.

[He looks at her like she's crazy, shaking his head.]

These ones are mine.

[He gestures to the small, wild little boy, then over to the corner where a slightly older boy sits with a book, then over near the bar, where a tiny toddler girl is perched on a barstool.]

And while I appreciate your concern, you're hardly being flattering about it. I think I look fine, considering.

[glamorsongstress]

Since when? I wasn't gone that long, was I?

[She looks a little hurt that she's been back in the City nearly three weeks and Meyer apparently neglected to tell her that he had children now.]

You don't look fine, you look ... old. Are you sick? I warned you about sleeping enough, and not sleeping in the office.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

For the last ten and a half years...

[He looks just as confused as she is, and there's certainly exhaustion and something like sadness written all over his face, even as he maintains a neutral expression.]

I'm thirty nine, Ruby. How young do you expect me to look?

[glamorsongstress]

Twenty-two. You're... [The pieces seem to fall into place.] You were gone ten years?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

If you expect me to look twenty two, I suppose I've been "gone" seventeen years, but as far as I know, I've been here all along. I saw you just yesterday.

[This is one of those curses where he's got utterly no idea what's going on.]

[glamorsongstress]

Wait, so you've been here all along but you're suddenly two decades older? And you remember everything that happened in that time?

[Yeah, she's just getting more confused here.]

[recognize_an_opportunity]

I...

[It's a good question.]

I remember everything that happened in my life, certainly, in the last few decades...

[And he doesn't look particularly pleased about it.]

Although I'm not sure why you don't remember it. We've been consistently close for the last seventeen years, Ruby, ever since we left the City and...

[Oh, this is just growing more confusing by the moment. It's like he's remembering things that haven't happened yet.]

[glamorsongstress]

[For a second Ruby still looks dumbfounded, but then she turns pale and her face twists into an expression of pure horror.]

Please tell me these aren't my children.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[He looks stupefied for a moment, and then a smile breaks across his face, older and more weary, but a smile she'll recognize all the same.]

Do they look like your children? Of course they're not.

[glamorsongstress]

Oh, thank goodness. [She covers her mouth with her hand when she realises just how relieved she looks, trying to compose herself.] I'm sure you're a swell dad, I just ... I'd be a terrible mother. [Yes, it's that she's protesting about, not the idea that they might be doing the sort of things that make children in the future. On the one hand she found it difficult to imagine him doing that with anyone; on the other he's the only person she feels entirely comfortable around. She hops up onto a bar stool, folding her arms and looking him over.] So you're telling me you and me escaped from this place together? What year is it for you?

[deadmanbusiness]

[The casino's small child population suddenly ups by two as a pair of very white blonde kids go running past. They're about eight. And they're heading right for the bar.]

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[What is it with this casino and running children? His own, he can just about tolerate, but others? Absolutely not. He raises his voice, addressing the both of them.]

You two! Get back here! Where're your parents?

[deadmanbusiness]

[The two kids stop, but only after the boy has gotten into the olives.]

Hello Mr. Meyer! [the girl says this.] Daddy's coming. He said we could visit.

[As she finishes saying this, Theo walks into the casino. He looks at Meyer rather confused as how the other man suddenly age jumped him and then at the kids that aren't his.]

[recognize_an_opportunity]

And did daddy also say you could open up the olives?

[At this point, they're already contaminated with little sticky fingers, so he'll let them have them, but he'll be keeping an eye on the kids in the future. At least, until Theo walks in.]

Hello. Do these belong to you?

[He gestures to the twins, well aware that Theo had recently -- it seems recent, but had it really been recent? -- mentioned that his wife was expecting them.]

[deadmanbusiness]

No, he didn't.

[The twins look guilty and jump off the bar. But not before getting a handful of olives each.]

And... yes they do. You knew that...

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Yes, of course I did.

[Of course he did. Today's a strange day, and he can't quite put his finger on why. Things seem a bit... off.

It's the curse, naturally, but he doesn't know that.]

[deadmanbusiness]

[It is a strange day.]

Boromir. Don't put olives in your sister's ear. And Katie, don't stick em up your nose.

[He says that absently and with practice and then looks at the other kids.]

Whose are those?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Those're my kids.

[He looks at Theo like he's crazy. Isn't Theo aware of the fact that he has three children? This day is just getting stranger.]

[deadmanbusiness]

[Well, the kids seem to know each other as they're saying hi to the seven year old.]

[Theo frowns.]

When did that happen?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Well, since my oldest is ten and a half...

[He pauses for a moment to study the children, who are greeting each other with some familiarity.]

Ten and a half years ago?

[deadmanbusiness]

[Now, Theo is wondering if Meyer did one of those things where he went back home and then returned... with kids. But his kids clearly know Meyer's kids which doesn't make any sense whatsoever because Theo could have sworn he'd never seen Meyer's kids before today.]

Do I know their mother?

[Maybe some sort of weird amnesia thing?]

[Boromir pelts the oldest with an olive.]

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Not as far as I'm aware...

[Which really makes no sense, because if Theo's children know his children, and he and Theo know each other, it only stands to reason that the families must have met up at some point. He frowns.]

Maybe you do. You must have met her.