☆INTERLUDE: YOU WILL BELIEVE IN ME

[interdimanagers]

Who: All the opt outs, and DAFT PUNK.
What: Gold and Silver waste everybody's time.
When: December 7th, 2054
Where: A warehouse in outer Vista City.
Warnings: NPCs being cryptic.

“I will cry for you, I will cry for you. I will wash away your pain with all my tears, And drown your fear.” ☆YOU WILL BELIEVE IN ME You were late, for some reason. It doesn't matter whether it was because of an important photo shoot, a performance that ran late, or just being generally slothful and slow: you're all getting shuffled onto the last shuttle out. Maybe you didn't want to go to he party and were trying to avoid it. There's a weird tension that been leading up to it, especially on Virgo's side, and as you stare out at the cityscape beneath you may find those same misgivings rising up again. No matter your feelings, attendance has been made mandatory. The punishment for not showing is likely not worth the relief of avoiding it, at least if its your fault. So maybe it's a blessing when your shuttle driver suddenly seems to cease, and then takes your shuttle abruptly off course. It's less obvious at first, but it becomes more and more so as you fly - you're supposed to be heading to the coast, but your flight path is heading down to the south, out to a comparatively barren industrial sector of Vista that you've never actually seen. They are unresponsive to speaking and shouting, and the layer of glass that separates you make it impossible to actually disrupt them. You're more or less the prisoner of this little detour until it finally begins to land, sailing gracefully through the doors of an otherwise unremarkable warehouse. There are two shuttles arriving within the same few minutes - one marked with Pride colours, and the other with Virgo. The entry gate closes, and seals itself. A few minutes after that, your pilot moves for the first time in a while and opens the doors for you, leaving themselves sealed within the cab and apparently not being very fussed about it at all. You're released out into the warehouse, and you can see there are...bean bag chairs littered about? And some coolers filled with beer and vodka? What the hell? One of the walls even has a projector connected to a computer, apparently set up to watch movies. Ultimately, it's not really what you expect out of a sudden hijacking. A few moments later, a pair of masked people who may or may not be familiar come riding out of one of the upper levels on a shared, flying motorcycle, landing and dismounting at a bit of a hectic pace. Gold helmet is at the wheel. "You made it!" they declare, somewhat awkwardly. They sound a bit rushed. Silver pushes themselves off of the back, tucking some kind of device into their leather jacket. "Look, guys, let's make this simple. So far as you're concerned, this is a stick up. You're ours for...the next five hours, let's say. Behave yourself and everyone goes home, no problem." Gold looks over at Silver for a moment, and then addresses you in a bit more friendly manner: "So...point is, you may as well have some fun and just deal with it! Nobody here wants to fight, right? Let's be chill." There's a pause. "We brought booze?" ☆YOU WILL BELIEVE IN ME So, you're stuck here for the foreseeable future, it seems. Your captors don't seem to mean any harm - if you stay non-violent, they will too. There could even be an opportunity to gather some information, if you can keep your cool. The pair of them will be cycling in and out over the night, and despite an apparent tension in the air, they also seem...bored? Maybe just restless. There is something going on that they're not telling you, and it's up to you whether you want answers or not. As it is, they seem happy enough to sit back and watch the movies they have set up on that computer and knock a few back. No ones phones will be able to get signals, in the meantime. You can only wonder what this means for your friends stuck on the other side. “See your face every place that I walk in; Hear your voice every time I am talking. You will believe in me, And I will never be ignored.”

Comments

[sponsorigami]

[ They do help. Ivan's ears droop and breathing slows. Think think think. How can he fix this mess? Okay. He has no idea. What can he do now?

... He doesn't exactly know. But the woman is right. He can't continue like he was, scrambling in a panic. Ivan gives a small bark in thanks. It's the best he can do in the state he's in. ]

[twoscompany]

[With that, Garnet nods, and ruffles his fur encouragingly.

...

That feels weirdly familiar. Just, not with a fox, but with--]

All right. I'm going to put you down to the floor. I'm sure we can figure out how this works for you, yeah?

[Cue several flashes of how it does work, but also how it completely doesn't work in her mind, including him turning into a pale, blonde version of her, and correspondingly freaking out about how this is not how he looks.]

Maybe, think back to when you first felt you were going to do what you did. Then try and focus on how you felt when you did? That usually helps when I'm trying to find a lyric or sound idea I've had.

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan's first attempt at standing with four limbs is to flop to the ground, and he continues to struggle on tiny wobbly legs. This shouldn't be so hard, should it? While he struggles, Ivan tries to answer her question and advice.

I was just watching the movie when I started feeling really weird. I don't know what made me start to feel like that.

His speak is nothing but squeaky barks like before. However, those barks begin to take the intonation of words. It wasn't like that before. ]

[twoscompany]

...Interesting.

Keep talking.

[sponsorigami]

[ A lifetime ago, Ivan could speak with his own voice while in a different form. It took a lot of practice, but it became an invaluable skill whenever he got... stuck in a form. He doesn't have that knowledge now, but he can work toward regaining it.

Instead of just talking like normal, barking without really understanding, Ivan opens his mouth and just tries to speak a sound he means to. It's a two syllable word, and he keeps repeating it, trying to vary the sounds, force them to be how he wants them to be. ]

[twoscompany]

[She does listen. Its definitely sounding like he's trying to say something. He's starting to get the hang of it, at least.

Now to see if she can decipher what those barks are saying.]

[sponsorigami]

[ He keeps trying, and it takes a lot of effort. Ivan continues to try and speak that two syllable word. ]

IiiiIeeeyeh vvvvvvaaAAaahaaiinn.

[ Those syllables, elongated as they may be, are not a whine or bark of a fox. Ivan shakes his head with some squeaking coughing in more of the fox's voice and panting. That was... that was something ]

[twoscompany]

[Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh. That sure was a thing.]

Your name? Ivan, right?

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan starts nodding. Yes! She got it. She understood! He tries again with more words, a complete sentence. ]

Iiieeyeh vvvaaAAiin iiiIIisszzs mmmmaaAAIii nnniiAAaaaiimmmeh.

[twoscompany]

All right, good. A good start. I can understand what you're trying to say.

[....Also, ok, can't lie, you're kind of adorable right now.]

[sponsorigami]

Yyoouuuu knnnohw whaaAAt-t-t Iiey sssssaay?

[ His words are coming easier now and sound less like a fox and more like his own voice. ]

[twoscompany]

Yes, I'm starting to understand you. Keep going!

[sponsorigami]

[ He shakes his head and moves his jaw slightly as if he's stretching it. ]

Wwawhat isu yyour namne?

[ They can carry on a conversation! Ivan seems pleased by this development. It's a little less frightening if he can communicate. ]

[twoscompany]

Garnet. Cosmic Indulgence.

[Also, less awkward.]

[sponsorigami]

Niice too meeetyouu, Gaaanet.

[ He then takes a deep breath and tries again much slower. ]

Nice... to... meet... you...

[twoscompany]

Nice to meet you.

[Amazing. He's learning quickly!]

Don't worry, I won't ask you about tongue twisters.

[sponsorigami]

Thank... you.

[ Learning or remembering, perhaps, due to the necessity of it. Either way, the effort isn't so strenuous now. ]

What... happened... to me?

[twoscompany]

...Not sure. You seem to have shapeshifted.

Do you know how you did it?

[sponsorigami]

No. I don't. I... felt... weird.

[ He doesn't have any idea what triggered it and how to even attempt to reverse it. ]

[twoscompany]

...Maybe you need to feel weird again?

[Don't worry she has no clue as to how you even try feeling a specific type of "weird".]

[sponsorigami]

[ It makes sense, and it's something he could try to work with. Sorta. ]

I want... to be... myself... again.

[ He keeps repeating that in his head after he says it, imagining what he normally looked like. His small, furry body flickers a weak blue, but it doesn't seem to be enough. Ivan flops to the ground, feeling very defeated and tired. ]

[twoscompany]

...Looks like you need to recover your energy first. It might help if we had food.

[THANKS, GOLD AND SILVER. She's going to go look for water, after giving Ivan an encouraging pat on the head.]

I'll be right back.

[sponsorigami]

I'll be... here.

[ He can work on figuring out how to move now that he's figured out how to talk.

Did Gold and Silver at least bring some water? People are going to have hangovers if they don't stay hydrated! ]

[twoscompany]

[No such luck, just alcohol.

She places a small glass in front of him, though her distaste for it is obvious by her expression.]

[sponsorigami]

[ As with Ivan. He sniffs it and cringes away. He may be of age by Vista City laws, but Ivan has never touched the stuff and doesn't have any intention to. ]

Is that... all they have...?