valuable, to temporarily align yourself with a certain ideology, even if it is not quite your own, when the other side is worth more in the way of opposition, yes?
Hm. I'm going to be honest. If you have any big issues, I suppose, with what we believe, then you might be better off staying as a neutral party.
Don't get me wrong! Everyone is welcome. But you still seem to have some reservations and I wouldn't be entirely comfortable taking you to the Arcade.
Of course if you just want protection from the fog god then I'll be happy to help. But if I remember correctly, you don't think that's a problem. Right?
If somewhere's most convenient for you, it's fine by me. I'm in Vandare, but if you're not in the area, I can certainly head your way, or we could meet halfway.
[It's night time at last, and Liquid's standing around the area with his arms crossed, waiting patiently. He looks kind of grumpy but that's just his face.]
My best friend's ghost seems to have fucked off to wherever he came from, so yes. All alone. I certainly understand the reasoning, though, don't worry.
[He nods and follows him into the alley though, nonetheless. Hey, they're monsters, and Liquid's learning about god stuff here. Weird shit is the norm. Besides, he's a good fighter. If it ends up being some sort of trap (not that he expects it to be, but being prepared for anything is good), he's going to be ready for it.]
A kind of supernatural, yes. Maybe just enough to allow for the existence of technology that shouldn't be possible yet in a place like this. I keep wondering, you know, what if my reality, my home, also allowed for a union between magic and technology? Would scientific developments speed up even more? Because comparing the beginning of the 19th century with the beginning of the 20th with the beginning of the 21st--
[It is at this point that Marco realises he's just been standing there rambling with the card in his hand.]
... Right. Let's, ah... Let's.
[He swipes the card as if the door had some sort of reader installed, and it opens to something that definitely isn't a bar. It's a seedy-looking arcade, filled with machines seen nowhere else in Ryslig.]
You know, an author I read mentioned something about that once. About advanced sciences being indistinguishable from magic. [He's no scientist, but he does consider himself a well-read individual.] I'm sure if you combined the two you could really get things done.
[Not like he minds rambling, when he's the kind of guy to give speeches just to hear himself talk. He follows Marco inside, glancing around at what is definitely not a normal place he expected to see in a s hady alley. Reminds him a lot like places he used to go as a teenager, before he and his best friend had parted ways the first time. It's oddly nostalgic.]
Bloody hell. [A pause while he looks around some more.] I wonder if they have Double Dragon.
Yeah? [Pinball, even. As much as he likes beating up tiny pixel dudes on a screen, pinball'd sucked up plenty a stolen coin from him as well. And it was always fun to have Mantis psychically manipulate the ball and freak everyone out.] Never expected to find nostalgia in a place like this.
[That's how they get you, probably.]
...He does? [At first he sort of wonders 'who's he?' but then he realizes who he's talking about. That's... unexpected, he supposes.] You know, I always figured the gods were playing games, but not quite like this.
[That comment gets a brief glare out of Marco, a judgemental glance.]
I understand you may have heard a lot of rumours about both gods, but I can assure you the Fourth God is nothing like the Fog God. He's... He really, really just wants to do something good for everyone.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
<whitemamba>
Sometimes it might be
valuable, to temporarily align yourself with a certain ideology, even if it is not quite your own, when the other side is worth more in the way of opposition, yes?
[Liquid, please.]
<marco>
I'm going to be honest.
If you have any big
issues, I suppose, with what we believe, then you might be better off staying as a neutral party.
Don't get me wrong! Everyone is welcome.
But you still seem to have some reservations and I wouldn't be entirely comfortable taking you to the Arcade.
Of course if you just want protection from the fog god then I'll be happy to help.
But if I remember correctly, you don't think that's a problem.
Right?
<whitemamba>
[Like mister arrogant 'I don't need gods' coming to terms with the fact that he's actually interested, even in some small amount.]
You hang out in an arcade?
It's not protection, no. It's more fighting back. It's. I'm not quite sure what it is.
<marco>
Hmm
I guess I could show you, and then you could decide for yourself.
If you're sincere about it, that is.
<whitemamba>
Okay maybe that's not quite the right way to phrase it. Bit too aggressive, hm? Let's just leave it at 'yes, I am sincere, and I'd like to see'.
<marco>
Where do you want to meet?
<whitemamba>
Depends on where exactly we're going, I suppose.
<marco>
Anywhere will do as long as we have a door and some privacy.
<whitemamba>
Looks like I might have to head your way. My boat isn't the best place for privacy.
<marco>
Unfortunately.
I'll be waiting. Let me know when you're around.
<whitemamba>
I'm on my way.
[LATER, BUT NOT TOO MUCH LATER, BEFORE BLOB TIMES]
Just made it in to town. Hope you weren't waiting too long.
<marco>
Meet me by [INSERT RECOGNISABLE BAVAN LANDMARK HERE] tonight.
<whitemamba>
[It's night time at last, and Liquid's standing around the area with his arms crossed, waiting patiently. He looks kind of grumpy but that's just his face.]
no subject
Thanks for coming. You're alone, right? Not that I, ah, suspect anything. Just asking.
[... Kind of a stiff smile, though.]
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[Liquid offers a pointy smile in return.]
My best friend's ghost seems to have fucked off to wherever he came from, so yes. All alone. I certainly understand the reasoning, though, don't worry.
[He holds his hands up.]
No guests. So. Where are we headed?
no subject
To the nearest secluded door. Follow me.
[He heads off into an alley, clearly considering that enough of an explanation.]
no subject
[He nods and follows him into the alley though, nonetheless. Hey, they're monsters, and Liquid's learning about god stuff here. Weird shit is the norm. Besides, he's a good fighter. If it ends up being some sort of trap (not that he expects it to be, but being prepared for anything is good), he's going to be ready for it.]
Bit of a secret HQ, eh?
no subject
[It doesn't take too long to find the back door to some bar. Marco retrieves a card from his pocket, plastic and shiny.]
You see, this card lets me access the Arcade from any door I want.
no subject
[He should have guessed. He looks at the card, interested, an eyebrow raised. Magical access cards. Seems out of place, yet just right.]
Now that's handy, hm? Suppose I was expecting a more... usual sort of location, but then again, we are dealing with the supernatural.
[Yeah, yeah, it's cool, okay. He'll admit it.]
Well, let's see it.
no subject
[It is at this point that Marco realises he's just been standing there rambling with the card in his hand.]
... Right. Let's, ah... Let's.
[He swipes the card as if the door had some sort of reader installed, and it opens to something that definitely isn't a bar. It's a seedy-looking arcade, filled with machines seen nowhere else in Ryslig.]
no subject
[Not like he minds rambling, when he's the kind of guy to give speeches just to hear himself talk. He follows Marco inside, glancing around at what is definitely not a normal place he expected to see in a s hady alley. Reminds him a lot like places he used to go as a teenager, before he and his best friend had parted ways the first time. It's oddly nostalgic.]
Bloody hell. [A pause while he looks around some more.] I wonder if they have Double Dragon.
no subject
There's pinball too, if you like that. [Marco smiles fondly.] He'll play with you sometimes.
no subject
[That's how they get you, probably.]
...He does? [At first he sort of wonders 'who's he?' but then he realizes who he's talking about. That's... unexpected, he supposes.] You know, I always figured the gods were playing games, but not quite like this.
no subject
I understand you may have heard a lot of rumours about both gods, but I can assure you the Fourth God is nothing like the Fog God. He's... He really, really just wants to do something good for everyone.
no subject
Relax. Merely a joke about, ah... the perception of the god concept, hm? That's really quite the noble cause he's got there.
[Of course, Liquid can't just trust this wholeheartedly from the get-go, but he does plan to keep an open mind about all of this.]
It's just... unexpected, I suppose.
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