♦ ♦ 1st Contract

[mortemscintilla]

[Text/Public]

####

qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm

frivolous fat fannie fried fresh fish furiously

[Video/Public]

Um... e-excuse me.

[ An unsure voice. A moment of fumbling. As if the newcomer has just arrived - and is confused by his Network Device. Few would realize he's been in the City for six hours now. That he's ducked at the earliest chance in an alley. Tried (unsuccessfully) to contact his team via his communication wire. Or that, casual and nondescript, he's scouted the area. Searching for escape routes. ]

[ Only after finding none - weighing the pros and cons - does he use the device. ]

[ No choice. ]

[ Despite trying everything - electrocution, crushing, dismantling - he can't get rid of it. ]

Er - hello?

[ A young man appears. All rumpled hair and nervous smiles. One hand rubs the back of his neck. ]

I'm not sure what's going on. I-I was heading to work a minute ago. But - I think I'm lost now.

[ Li's mannerisms. Harmless. Easy to trust. Perfect camouflage for a calculating killer. ]

...What is this place, exactly? Can anyone tell me? I don't ... I don't think I'm in Tokyo anymore.


(OOC: Just a note! Hei is totally and utterly faking it. He'll offer his alias - 'Li' - to anyone who asks. And act like a total derp as he goes about gathering more info on the City. Until a curse reveals his powers and identity in a hideous way. Also, he doesn't exactly have a wide range of 'emotions', so apologies if he comes off as :| )

Comments

[pratful]

[ aha! Another man just like him without a clue. He's finds strange comfort in these little exchanges, and in the knowledge that Arthur can and has adapted to this new, strange environment. ]

I'm afraid it's simply called "The City" and unless things change, there's no returning from whence you came. We're all stuck here.

[mortemscintilla]

...But how did I get here?

It's like something out of a sci-fi movie.

[pratful]

Sci-fi... [ no, he shall not be distracted! ]

[ ahem ] That, I'm afraid, is a secret. Was it up to me, I'd swear it was done by naught else but sorcery.

1/2

[mortemscintilla]

Secret...?

[ Now he's distracted. Or at least doing a good job of pretending to be. ]

[mortemscintilla]

Heheh...

This is a joke, right? Someone's pulling a prank?

[ That's the most illogical explanation he's ever heard. ]

[pratful]

[ Arthur solemnly shakes his head no ] Would that I could, but I cannot. I'm afraid you've been thoroughly trapped just as the rest of us have.

voice;

[dignity_misery]

Excited executioner exercising his excising powers excessively.

[Drrryly.]

voice;

[mortemscintilla]

...Um, hello to you too?

voice;

[dignity_misery]

[She's sure all the little lost boys like to try out tongue twisters before saying hello.]

I heard you the first time.

voice;

[mortemscintilla]

[ They do if they're spies. And checking for bugs on mysterious machinery ]

...Would you happen to know where I am?

I haven't gotten really good answers so far...

voice;

[dignity_misery]

[ Fun fact: Zinc did the same thing when he got to Promenade. This line of logic is easy for her to follow. ]

I don't know, did you manage not to fall in the fountain?

Permavideo

[doeswhathewants]

Ah! You are from Tokyo?

Have you ever experienced a Godzilla attack? Tentacle monsters? Masked vigilantes that fight by the moonlight?

Permavideo 1/2

[mortemscintilla]

[ asdfghjkl! ]

...Er, no.

Not really.

[ Although Masked Vigilantes? Hoo yeah. ]

Permavideo

[mortemscintilla]

Wait...

Is that what goes on in this place? Godzilla attacks? Tentacle monsters?

[ Derp Derp Derp ]

Permavideo

[doeswhathewants]

Not that I have experienced.

But... it could happen. It might have already happened.

Permavideo 1/2

[mortemscintilla]

You're not serious.

[ One bewildering explanation, he could brush off. But another? The strategic part of his mind is whirring on overdrive. Maintaining a facade of confusion - while he plans and plans. ]

Permavideo 2/2

[mortemscintilla]

What is this place?

Were you kidnapped too?

Permavideo

[doeswhathewants]

This is The City. It has kidnapped all citizens here. We have been waylaid. Shanghaied. Ah. Whatever.

Is it true there are used panty machines in Japan?

voice;

[bythreadalone]

You've basically been kidnapped by Deities who may or may not have a morbid sense of humor. And, no, we haven't found a way out yet.

Name's Peter Parker, it's nice to meet you.

voice; 1/2

[mortemscintilla]

That's what I keep hearing.

But there has to be some way out. I just got a new job back home...

voice;

[mortemscintilla]

Oh!

I'm Li. Li Shenshung. Nice to meet you too, Mr. Parker.

voice;

[bythreadalone]

Just Peter's fine, Li. I'm guessing you just arrived here, too?

There's a welcome center around if you need help settling in.

voice; 1/2

[mortemscintilla]

All right. Peter, then.

Yeah. Just got here. [ Smoothest of lies. ] It sure is a funny way to meet someone.

voice;

[mortemscintilla]

[ fghjkl ]

...So these - 'Deities' kidnap people?

And greet them in a Welcome Center?

voice;

[bythreadalone]

Well, no. They do kidnap us, but the Welcome Center is staffed by people who just want to help the new arrivals out. They'll help you get settled in with an apartment and stuff.