Act 1, Scene 1: CEO ☆ S2FpYmE=

[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

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Everything.

[opening_act]

And what do you want? Short-term! I know your long term goals.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I’ll start with a partner on the inside. One who isn’t shy about passing along information, coded as it may be. And a discount on your meeting price tag.

[Reaches out to tap her phone if she still has it on her person]

While I appreciate the security this place provides, we don’t always have to meet face to face, right? Only when it’s important.

[opening_act]

What would you say to a little tit for tat? Should you ask me for one piece of information, you'll be required to do me one favor in return. Of course, you couldn't be more than one piece of information in debt to me! I'm not letting you run up a tab without proving you're worth something.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Fair terms and a fair opportunity to prove my worth. I'll even up the ante for you.

I'll pay for my information in advance. So tell me what favor you need done.

[opening_act]

Hm~ Well, this is a big favor for an opening act, but I want to know what they're doing on that side this time.

People died in the House of Mirth, didn't they?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Yes. Multiple times.

...

You didn't know?

[opening_act]

I did. But the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building is special. It's not quite in that Tokyo, proper.

No one has died outside it, have they?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

No. Not yet. What happens if someone does?

[opening_act]

I don't know who they have handling it this time. Or if anyone is.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[That doesn't fucking sound good...]

Seems like the right hand isn't always talking to the left. How about this? How many pieces of information will it require to get a org chart - list of departments, job titles, and which departments roll up to what?

[opening_act]

Okay. If you can find out what happens to the dead outside the tower, I'll give you all the information I have on the departments working on it.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[. . .]

And how do I contact you once I have that information?

[opening_act]

Text me back again!

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Hah. Of course.

Then one last question, Exael, before I start working on your fetch quest. You regret becoming a host?

[opening_act]

Of course not.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Just what I wanted to hear.

[opening_act]

And now you've heard it! Are you ready to go back?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Yes. Do I go back the way I came, or do I click my heels three times and fucking think of Kansas?

[opening_act]

The second part is optional; the first part, required!

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Cool.

Then with a half-wave, Intensity will show himself the way out.

He has a lot to think about. And to check on his reckless head of PR]

[opening_act]

[ The hotel elevator takes him down to an empty lobby, and an empty Tokyo-F. Welcome back. ]