un: kidomega | text

[querulus]

clark kent
accelerator
nero
cid telamon
john reese
arthur morgan
damian wayne
antigone

i need all you people to each answer one (1) weirdly specific question. it's for a computer.

[OOC: Part of Sophie's player plot!]

Comments

[levindicated]

That’s the rub, kid. Probably would have been less of a headache for you. You’re not going to make a bunch of old cranks happy about whatever you’re doing, especially if you aren’t directly involving them. You don’t know most of the people on that list, do you? It’s a great line up of suspicious bastards. Arthur there told me his name was Tacitus Kilgore when I met him. Getting to know him is like trying to pry a clam open bare handed. You may as well just crack him with a rock.

…But if you think you know best and you’re specifically equipped to take it.

[He takes a meditative puff.]

Then go on and take it.

[querulus]

[Well, there's the "Tacitus" mystery solved.]

I don't want to—

[He makes a frustrated noise.]

Look, this may come as a shock to you, but people, by and large, really—and I mean really—don't like it when you just yoink shit out of their brains. Especially suspicious bastards. You wanna know what a suspicious bastard does when he finds out you've been poking around in his head? Because sure as hell isn't anything involving grace and forgiveness, I'll tell you that much. It's just—

It's a whole cycle, yeah? Only way to get anything out of assholes with trust issues is to be shady. But hey, guess why they've got trust issues? Oh, right, 'cause everyone's fucking shady! You see what I mean?

So you know what? Fuck you. If you people can't answer a basic question without get all bent out of shape about it, that's your baggage, not mine. I'm not sinking to your fucking level, and all you fucks can die mad about it for all I care.

[levindicated]

I mean, this doesn’t really change my weekend. I’m not mad about anything, except that spring has had so many false starts that I’m not sure if I should keep a fire going all night or not.

You’re the one in a cave full of bones. It doesn’t look like there’s much in the way of drink options down there.

And I’m the only one who can tell you the information you want unless you use your power.

[querulus]

Hm.

[If a shrug could be audible, Cid would hear the very exaggerated one Quentin's doing right now. His tone shifts noticeably from irritated to a cartoonish level of unbothered.]

Eh. Nice bait, but I'm not falling for it. "You'll never know what I've got in my little brain unless you come get it." Yeah, right. I know a trap when I hear one, buddy.

[levindicated]

You think I put a trap in my brain? What would that even look like?

[It sounds real enough to this other guy though to be possible.]

[querulus]

I dunno, buncha shit. Maybe you'll get all offended, tell everyone about the scary asshole telepath who beats people up and steals their brain lunch money or whatever. Maybe you've just got a really fucked up head, and if I go poking around I get suckerpunched by The Horrors. Maybe you're some iteration of a telepath, and you want to get a read on my powers. Or hell, maybe you're just some miserable bastard who wants to prove everyone else is as much of a dick as you.

[Not that he's projecting or anything.]

[levindicated]

I just think that if you think you know what’s right, you ought to not be such a coward and do it. You know none of us wanted to tell you that information, and you hardly gave us a compelling reason.

I doubt you can poke around people’s heads and still be surprised by anything. Unless you aren’t any good at it.

[querulus]

Alright, smart guy. What's a "compelling reason"? Ignoring all the "bet you can't dig around in my skull neener-neener" bullshit, because honestly? It's getting weird, dude. Find another insecurity to needle at so you can get your jollies. I'm sure you've picked up a few others.

[levindicated]

How about “We think doing this could unlock some mystery”. Or “Here’s some coordinates, why don’t all of you capable types come look at this?”

Even an introduction would have done something to build some trust.

I don’t care how insecure you are, man up, would you?

[querulus]

I said that! The thing about the mystery.

[He absolutely did not.]

I said it was for a computer.

[Definitely not the same thing.]

Look, man, the questions seemed pretty innocuous. Hell, one of the people on the list is a guy from my world! I know where he goddamn grew up because back home I live across the fucking street from his house! How was I supposed to know every single other bastard on there has eighteen traumatic backstories associated with this shit? How fucking hard is it to give a one, maybe two word answer to a simple question and then move on?

un: odin | voice

[odinpusrex]

[This comes in right after Cid's reply. Almost down to the milisecond.]

He alone does not possess the answer you seek.

[querulus]

Oh, great, another clown for the circus. What's your deal, Mr. Cryptic?

[odinpusrex]

Naught you must needs concern yourself with. Act you in rebellion to Echo?

[querulus]

Act I in rebellion to whatever pisses me off. Which includes but is not limited to Echo.

Spit it out. Or better yet, think it at me so your "rebellion" bullshit isn't on the goddamn network.

[odinpusrex]

My mind is unassailable.

[Which isn't a lie, he has power over darkness in a very literal, figurative, and metaphorical sense. He is able to block out his very existence from those that might detect it otherwise—mind, body, and spirit.

However, since Cidolfus felt the need to share his name, an exchange is in order.]

Her name is Midadol. Know this: I will suffer not those which jeopardize our collective success. Act wisely.

[levindicated]

Hey!

[odinpusrex]

It was inevitable, Cidolfus.

[querulus]

"Unassailable," my left cheek. But whatever, go off king.

[Quentin is hella OP! He would also get his shit absolutely wrecked trying to poke into Barnabas's mind.]

Thanks for the info, though, I guess. You definitely seem like a normal dude with no weird intentions. If you ever want an actually secure way of chatting your rebellion shit without Big Brother watching, hit me up.

[odinpusrex]

You have misunderstood me. I seek no rebellion, and neither should you.

[His tone is level and controlled, betraying no emotion. It's hard to know if he's playing coy, or if this is genuinely him advising Quentin to abandon any hope for rebellion.]

[querulus]

[When in doubt, Quentin always assumes everyone is full of shit. Actually, he does that when not in doubt. He just hates people.]

Then what was the—ugh, fine. Whatever you say, dude. Been real.

[odinpusrex]

[Barnabas offers no response, primarily because he just ends the call wordlessly like a totally normal person. Sorry, Quentin, he's just unpleasant at the best of times.]

[levindicated]

That’s just Barnabas.