☆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

[agains]

[ It's true. It's got to be true. Ivan is nowhere in sight, and this fox is sitting exactly where he was, and--

(fragments of an exuberant announcer's monologue, something complicated about DNA and special powers, reassuring the public that it's perfectly natural for people to do things that might otherwise be strange, see, look how they save people for your entertainment on live!! tv!!)

-- Keith stops looking around, looking the fox directly in the eyes. ]

Mr. Karelin?

[sponsorigami]

[ If a fox can give an annoyed, almost disapproving look, Ivan is giving Goodman one right now. Foxes don't just appear out of nowhere. (Then again, Ivan does seem to have that trait.)

He gives a firm nod. ]

[agains]

Have you always been able to do this? [ Keith retracts his hands from the "good boy, good boy, you can sniff them" position, not sure if he should be embarrassed or even more confused. ] And do you need help getting up?

[sponsorigami]

[ Shaking his head to both questions, Ivan continues to get his legs moving in the right order. Back legs first, push up with the front legs... Ivan manages to get into an awkward sitting position. It's better than before, at least. ]

[agains]

Mr. Karelin... [ "Do you want a drink?" Goodman, no. You know perfectly well that you don't approve of giving alcohol to small animals, even if they used to be people.

He sits cross-legged, trying to keep himself closer to eye level. They can conduct this conversation like polite human beings, even if one of them is... sorta not at the moment.

There are any number of things he could ask -- should ask, to question the reality of the situation. He should be fighting his programming. He could turn away and not have to deal with anyone's problems like a good little rockstar.

But that's wrong. ]

Are you okay? Are you feeling alright?

[sponsorigami]

[ Goodman, no.

He's human on the inside! That's the important part to remember. He's still Ivan even if... even if he looks small and cute and furry... Ivan tries to say "I don't feel ill," but it comes out as fox barks and whimpers. Oh no! He can't talk like this!

Ivan has to settle for shaking his head. That much Goodman can understand. ]

[agains]

I'm afraid I don't understand.

[ He reaches a hand out tentatively, just to make sure it's no illusion. A gentle tap on the shoulder, that's all - just enough to feel a solid creature and for Ivan to have Keith on file for any further shapechanging. ]

If-- No, when this strange effect wears off, you have my word, I won't tell a soul.

[ why does he feel like he wants to be there for this standoffish guy who'd rather tweet in haiku than have a drink and talk about Vista City Sportsball ]

[sponsorigami]

[ Whimpering again, Ivan sinks down into the beanbag, ears flattening and tail going limp much like a sad puppy would. He doesn't have any to help Goodman understand because he doesn't understand what has happened either. The best he can do is give a slight nod. He appreciates him not going around talking about it, though. Ivan's going to have enough to deal with after this. This night was going all right, weird but all right, until now.

Maybe he can find some dusty corner and draw letters with his paw on the ground as a form of communication beyond yes and now answers. ]

[agains]

Don't be discouraged. There must be a way to return you to your proper self.

[ Cell phone? Even without reception, the screen is too small for paws to type properly. And there's no fox-to-human translation app, either. ]

Our hosts are not making it easy to communicate here, or with those on the outside...

[ Maybe there's a tablet or a notebook for clumsy scribbling, or pointing to letters? ]

[sponsorigami]

[ He can write in English. There are no fox letters that Ivan knows of.

Ivan shakes his head and looks toward the two helmeted men. Then he turns towards the shuttles. How did they even get diverted in the first place? Were the shuttle drivers in on it? More questions upon questions! Ivan growls frustrated. He can't just sit here, helpless like this! He pounds his front paws down in order to try and push himself up and force himself to learn to walk... except he only ends up getting a face full of beanbag again.

Being ninja is suffering. ]

[agains]

Iv- [ They aren't that close. Why is Keith trying to use his first name? Weird slip of the tongue. Weird night. ] I understand your frustration. Would you prefer to be with your band?

[ Smuggling small animals across the room. Just what he had in mind for party games. ]

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan perks up at the slip of the name, giving a small yelp of confusion. Is it because he's small and helpless that he feels the need to treat him like a child? Is it something else?

He wishes he could tell Goodman that only Pao-Lin is here, but Ivan's not sure where exactly. He's going to try and swipe a few letters on top of the beanbag. P. A. O. L. I. N. ]

[agains]

[ He hadn't intended to startle Ivan so much, but perhaps repeating his name is worth a try since it actually produced a reaction. Maybe he just needs to remember himself before he can change back? Keith tunes back into reality just in time to catch O. L. I. N.

Good thing he never met Bolin

No reason a man can't test two theories at once. ]

Ivan Karelin.

...Pao-Lin? With your band, with Pao-Lin?

[sponsorigami]

[ It wasn't that he's forgotten himself, just that Goodman was calling him by his first name for some reason. But, his attempts at writing seems to be working, so he nods and tries again.

P. A. O. L. I. N. ]

[agains]

[ He nods. ]

Is she here? [ He takes off his jacket and, with permission, will wrap Ivan in it to keep him hidden. Otherwise he'll just leave it off to the side while he goes to look for Pao-lin. ] To conceal you from our hosts, if you wish.

[sponsorigami]

[ Something tells Ivan that their hosts already know what's going on with him given their talk, but maybe keeping too many other people from seeing him like this is a good idea. Ivan looks at the jacket and then back at Goodman.

He nods. ]

good jumping-in point?

[agains]

I'll bring her to you right away.

[ Like it's the most important promise he's made in his life.

As long as he moves slowly through the room of hostages -- My apologies, I'm simply on my way to the beer cooler; my bad and my bad, I didn't see you there -- he can find her without looking suspicious. He thinks. ]

Ms. Pao-lin? Ms. Huang?

[i_am_not_cute]

[Keith catches Pao-Lin just as she's returning from using the washroom. She'd started feeling a little ill at some point, and went to the bathroom to head things off at the pass, but fortunately it all seems to have been a false alarm in the end. Still, her face looks slightly flushed when she returns -- but then again she'd chanced a small jog through the corridors back to the main part of the warehouse, just for the heck of it. Strangely, she feels much better by this point.

Over the noise of the impromptu gathering, she doesn't hear Keith call her name, but she sees him moving in her general direction.]

Ah! Hey, Mr. Goodman!

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan waits patiently in the jacket bundle, for the most part. It's stuffy. He wants out because his ear is bent in a weird way, and he just really hates his life right now. He nearly surrenders to his ill fate when he hears Pao-Lin's voice.

Hopefully, he's not too far off the ground (and if he is, he can be caught) as he squirms out of the jacket to bound for Pao-Lin, yelping to get her attention. ]

[agains]

[ Caught halfway between the two, Keith manages to catch Ivan and his jacket before pivoting back around to Pao-lin. ]

I... was wondering if you were cold. You could wear my jacket.

[ which is the perfect time to hand both it and Ivan over to her, where he'll hopefully feel safer, and gesture in the direction of a more isolated corner ]

Will you help me look for Mr. Karelin over here?

[i_am_not_cute]

[Before Pao-Lin can ask about the cute weird yelping she just heard, Keith hands her his jacket. Confused (and decidedly not cold), she takes his jacket anyway because something else concerns her.]

Huh? Did something happen to Ivan? [Wait.] What's in your jacket? [What's this weird lump in it?]

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan continues to squirm and yelp and has probably gotten very tangled in the jacket by now. At least let him poke his head out, so he may shake out his ears. ]

[agains]

Ah-- Do you remember the Fishbone episode where he gets lost? And his human partner has to find him with her older brother?

[ Ivan can poke those majestic ears out whenever he wants. Keith is just... awkwardly smiling and desperately trying to be subtle. ]

Let's pretend Mr. Karelin is Fishbone.

[ he's the tiny animal ]

[i_am_not_cute]

I don't think I watched that episode...

[Pao-Lin does not do subtle.]

[sponsorigami]

[ Guess who takes the opportunity to find a way to nose the jacket open enough to pop his head out with a disgruntled bark. Freedom. Sort of. The rest of him is still bundled up. ]