video;

[cleanedslate]

[ who has two thumbs and needs way more icons? ME ]

[ a brief flicker, and then you lucky people get a close up of Tony's face. then he blinks, and twists the communicator around, turning the view on an interior of the waiting room. there's a partially-completed application visible on his lap for half a second, but you might notice that two of the ten "previous experience" entries read "world-saving" and "being me" ]

Well, would you look at that.

[ then the screen goes dark, but his voice keeps going ]

Cute. Very cute. But I'll have to admit, I was expecting a little more from Team Roofie.

Like maybe better security.

[ yeah, he'll have this little gizmo cracked in no time. but he's in a muuuch better mood now that he's got something to play with. ]

Comments

voice.

[slim]

[not sure what's happening]

Uh. Hello?

voice.

[cleanedslate]

Yo. [ perfectly unconcerned! ]

The verbal threats weren't aimed at you, if that's what you're worried about.

[ seriously only half listening to you, the rest of his attention focused on the communicator itself ]

[slim]

You think our abductors are listening to us?

[that's okay, hank does that to him all the time]

[cleanedslate]

They can't give us a time limit and then not stick around to see what we do. [ reasonably ] Plus, they handed these things out.

I'm thinking, listening in and tracking our movements.

[slim]

[takes a moment to stare at the communicator in his hand]

[... wow freaky]

These things have to be getting a signal from somewhere, right? Tracing it back to its source, is that--is that possible?

[cleanedslate]

Really depends on how they're broadcasting the signal, but -- yeah. I'm pretty sure. [ it's kind of what he does ]

It might just take a while.

[slim]

It seems strange that they'd give us something like this. I haven't been able to make any outside calls and everyone who's here is... here. It's not a big place and it wouldn't take very long to find someone.

[or has the future just gotten That Lazy]

[cleanedslate]

Well, they do seem to use it to communicate with us, and they're not here.

[ so that's at least one purpose. this clicking sound is him successfully prying apart the back casing of the communicator, but it keeps working. he hasn't removed any batteries or anything. ]

[slim]

[scott's... not exactly confident with tony's tinkering skills for reasons but! what else do they have]

You'll let us know if you find anything?

[cleanedslate]

No, I was planning on taking the bad guys down all by myself. More fun that way.

[slim]

[tiniest lip quirk that no one can see]

I'll leave you to it, then.

[cleanedslate]

Don't think you'd be any help with this part of it? [ he was going to say something else, but then he just trails off thoughtfully ]

[slim]

I'm--I'm from a different time. I don't know how things like this work.

[small pause] Do you... need help?

[cleanedslate]

[ nope, no answer. after a beat he mutters ] The hell?

[slim]

[instantly replies]

Did you find something?

1/2

[cleanedslate]

No, I--

[cleanedslate]

Damn.

[slim]

What is it?

[he's on the edge of his nonexistent seat right here]

[cleanedslate]

Might be looking at a closed system. Which could actually be a good thing. They should need to be in here with us.

[ but... there's not a whole lot of here, and with windows that don't open and doors that don't go anywhere... ]

[slim]

They could be on the other side of this wall and we wouldn't know it.

[or--]

Do you think... maybe they are here? Maybe they're pretending to be stuck in this place just like us so they can watch us more closely.

[cleanedslate]

It's possible. But I wouldn't go shooting anyone just yet.

[ he turns the device over in his hands, and for the first time in a while you can see his face again; he looks thoughtful. ]

We'll probably know more when midnight comes around. One way or another.

[slim]

[nods his understanding]

Do you plan on staying up until then?

[cleanedslate]

Pretty much always. Sleep is vastly overrated.

[ or, you know, he'll try, but then he'll wake up suddenly in the new setting! ]

[waytobreakithero]

Maker, now I'm hearing voices. Varric was always saying I'd crack someday, and here is that day.

[cleanedslate]

THIS IS GOD. GO FORTH AND BUILD ME AN ARK...

...is what I'd be saying right now, except my amazing hubris already got me scolded once today. And I try not to actively tempt fate?

[ a beat ] My life is a tragedy.