Act 1, Scene 1: #99

[opening_act]

[ A notification on your phone goes off, letting you know the purchase of your meeting with Exael has gone through.

There is an attachment. Where are you, when you open it? ]

Comments

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[Nodding and following her inside.]

Healing up from what?

[opening_act]

[ You enter Exael's apartment and she closes the door behind you. It's cavernous, which isn't a descriptor you'd expect to apply to any apartment in any Tokyo, but there you go. She has her ceiling tented with fabric and the walls, alternating wide pastel stripes, a trapeze (why), a wall that's pink neon signs and lava lamps, and out her window is a view of the place you were just at before— those spires and stars are distinctive. ]

Unauthorized requisitions!

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[Give him a moment to soak this all in looking between her, this ridiculously huge room, and the view from the window.]

Before we start, is this being recorded?

[opening_act]

Not unless someone's bugged my apartment.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Good. Very good.

There are things I want to ask, but I'll start with asking what do you want first. I want this to be beneficial to both of us.

[opening_act]

Another one after an alliance! That's really predictable, now.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Tch. You like your Boss then?

I can go the fire and brimstone route if that would entertain you.

[opening_act]

Oh, you guessed it. You're the first to.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Alright. This is something I can work with.

What would your Boss like?

[opening_act]

She's playing a game with high stakes.

Have you heard about any pieces looking to leave the game board by way of Azzy or going home?

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Hoh? And here I thought Azzy was your Boss.

Lots of people want to leave. The bug in a jar life just isn't for us. That's why we got together the points to meet you. People are scrambling for options.

So who is your boss?

[opening_act]

Ew, him? No way.

If all you want to do is leave, you can wait for graduation.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Good. Very good. You just bring me to him, and I'll get him out of your hair. Anytime. My treat.

But that's very boring waiting for graduation. How can I help your boss? You said she was playing a high stakes game. Surely even pawns can help.

[opening_act]

He's still a higher up. You couldn't even fight me if you wanted to, you know? Nothing you've done has been more than big talk.

Honestly, I don't think any one that offered an alliance is good for much. You all seem more like Azzy's pieces.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Alright. Alright.

Another question. Are the memories we get back real or are they just more fucking smoke and mirrors?

[opening_act]

They're real!

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[Okay. Cool! That's what he wanted to hear.

ATTEMPTING TO PUNCH HER IN THE FACE! (Uselessly of course)]

[opening_act]

[ He punches her in the face and she reels back, before hitting the wall and rebounding— her fist at the end of her arm less a hand and more a molded rope of flesh. The gold bruises shine brighter, harder to look at as eyes open across her exposed skin.

A punch does not connect. Instead the rope of flesh unravels, frays, and covers his vision like a veil. When it covers his face entirely, he cannot see her. ]

[rollwithdisadvantage]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

[He laughs and laughs even as flesh covers his eyes and robs his vision. He claws at the intrusion over his face with his nails attempting to tear it.]

Now that's MORE LIKE IT!

[opening_act]

[ He can't even feel there's something there to tear. He can see the apartment around him, but it just looks like Exael isn't there.

Then something strikes him from behind like someone's thrown a rock at him ]

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[WELP!

Hitting the ground on his knees with a curse. He searches for the nearest thing --- a lava lamp, nails to hang the fabric, anything that looks serviceable --- and throws it where he suspects she should be.]

C'mon now, Exael. If you know our memories, you'll know how useful we can be.

HAHAHAHAHA!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

[opening_act]

[ There's a yelp as the lava lamp crashes and shatters, and Exael's voice responds ]

How should I know what your memories are like! So far you haven't shown any!

[ no retaliatory blow comes though, and her voice seems to be coming from all around him. ]

[rollwithdisadvantage]

So you don't watch the ones viewed in private. ...Those idiots. All of them.

[Getting to his feet and scanning the entire room.]

This is your last chance. I could be your guy on the inside. Take it or leave it.

[opening_act]

[ a voice from right besides his ear: he might remember her trapeze ]

You weren't the only one to offer, 99~

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[Jerks away from where the voice is.]

But I'm the only one that can deliver.

[Eyeing the door to her apartment as he takes a step or two in that direction.]

Guess I've got my answer. See ya!

[Bolting to the door.]

[opening_act]

[ That's good, because there was a thud where he was standing just a moment later, like something dropping right on that spot—

He bolts to the door.

Is he heading out it, back to the elevator? ]

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[He did not make that correlation with the trapeze. YIKES!

Out the door and back to the elevator. Jamming the button for it to go down. Didn't anyone teach you to take the stairs in case of an emergency 99!]

[opening_act]

[ it's okay! The elevator takes him back down to the lobby, safely.

The lobby is empty, and empties back out to the city of Tokyo-F. ]

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[Are those creepy shadow heat sources still around?]

[opening_act]

[ nope. You're in Tokyo-F. ]

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[Just going to sit down in this empty lobby then and try to digest what the fuck was that.]