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[bluescreenwhitedragon]

"This is Intensity. Leave a message."

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[bluescreenwhitedragon]

CEO: Of course. Wouldn't want to inconvenience you.
CEO: And damsel doesn't look good on me either.

[rollplayinghouse]

Maki: I'll bet it doesn't.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

CEO: If you leave the area by the hotel, text me your location.
CEO: I’ll stop by if I’m nearby.

[rollplayinghouse]

Maki: I could go somewhere right now.
Maki: I'm certainly not sleeping.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

CEO: The hotel, right?
CEO: Been to the shopping area two districts over?

[rollplayinghouse]

Maki: I walked through it.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

CEO: Walk through it again.

[rollplayinghouse]

Maki: Alright.
Maki: Ten minutes.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Eventually, a slouching lame attempt at a sci-fi shonen protag taps her on the shoulder]

Yo, Maki-chan.

[rollplayinghouse]

[Maki whirls sharply, and then has to blink a few times before giving him an incredulous look.]

...I guess that's a good disguise.

[Muttered sort of low and grudgingly.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[With maybe a smile that's a little sharp]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Offers his arm for her to take]

Would you do me the honor?

[rollplayinghouse]

[Maki's eyebrows raise slightly. But after a pause:]

I've already threatened to kill a few people today, you know. You'd better make it worth my while.

[She takes his arm.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[And wandering around under the guise of window shopping at the various boutiques.

Look!

If this wasn't a complete farce for an information trade it would almost be a -- gasp -- date]

That's just part of your charm, Maki-chan.

Did you have a good time chatting with your old friend from the circus?

[rollplayinghouse]

[Gasp.

Unfortunately Maki is too concerned about how he's acting and focused on doing her best at subterfuge to note any of the romance of walking around the city at night arm-in-arm.]

..."Old friend" is a little strong. It went downhill quickly, and she said she wouldn't even have agreed to talk to me if she'd really known me.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Oh?

Did she take issue with the types of questions you asked?

[rollplayinghouse]

She did, yeah. For a few reasons. And also called me too demanding for saying she needed to actually tell me something real if I was going to tell her anything.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

And did Maki-chan think she was too demanding?

[rollplayinghouse]

I think I was being very reasonable. But I knew I wasn't really her type of person.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I see.

What about when you were talking to her on the phone?

[rollplayinghouse]

On the phone she seemed fine. I told her I didn't need help getting out but I was interested in making a deal, and she agreed that we could work together in figuring out what the Asshole was up to. She just wanted to talk somewhere in person.

And she did mention a couple of interesting things in person, at least. But as soon as I started asking what she wanted out of it or what she knew that was helpful to me, she got really evasive.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Asshole, huh? Quaint.

[Moving on toward the next window]

So what were the interesting things?

[rollplayinghouse]

...Apparently, his territory would crumble without him, because he doesn't have enough other supporters. His whole city is held up by just him. He's really powerful, and they say the Devil Himself hand-picked him.

[Her phrasing sounds very deliberate, like she's quoting as best she can.]

She also said this whole territory is just for show.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

The Devil... Interesting.

So there might actually be an Apex predator at the top of this food chain?

[rollplayinghouse]

That's what that implies. But even she phrased it like a rumor.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

What do you mean - phrased it like a rumor?