VIDEO ♧ 001 ♧ there we were --- thick as thieves.

[forging]

[ Eames figures this is part of some grand scheme to get back at him. He's never been the kindest chap, so he has no doubts that he's ticked off someone somewhere. He's up against some fine dreamers, the attention of the place -- the authenticity and the details in the world building should make him feel intimidated, but Eames takes this is a gamble. All high stakes with a lot to lose. He doesn't believe the whole situation where they're in a world of Dreams, Death and Living - he figures it's part of the game to lull the mark into a false sense of security by showing him familiar elements.

So Eames will play along until he manages a better picture of what's been painted to him. When the feed turns itself on, Eames looks positively lost. You don't spend so much time pretending to be other people without learning a few tricks yourself, so the act is a solid one. His tone is hesitant. ]

Right. Well. So I guess, the nice - Kedan - wassit? Explained a couple of things with this -- [ he makes a gesture with his hands. ] place.

This is a bit much to take in. So I gotta ask - are they known for their honesty? They tellin' us the whole story with being between death and life and dreaming?

[ a beat. ]

Name's Freddy, by the way. Freddy Simmonds. I guess. I'm new.

[ Eames is gonna push this act as far as he can. ]

(( OOC | if there'd be any reason for your character to pick up on the fact that it's an act - go ahead! c: ))

Comments

video;

[andaway]

They aren't known for lying to us, if that's what you're asking. But they don't really like sharing information either.

[forging]

Omission of truth's just as good as a lie if the weight of what was omitted is heavy enough. How much are they hiding?

[andaway]

Everything important. If you ask around about anything too specific you'll get the typical 'that's the Emperors' business'.

And if you try to ask her... well, let's just say she isn't the most friendly person.

[forging]

Well, isn't that why you're asking - to make it yours? [ maybe eames has never had a concept of privacy and a set of sticky fingers that like to rife through anything labelled important. ]

You and she meet yet?

[andaway]

[A little shrug] Not a logic they will accept.

Yes, she actually holds auditions open to everybody. And she's... messaged the network as a whole a few times. It wasn't pleasant.

[forging]

I think it's a logic owed. But I doubt a few loud voices will get very far.

What part is there to audition for?

[andaway]

[ dismissing movement with his hand] No, not that- she listens to us, or pretends to. A meeting.

[forging]

[ a beat. ]

People are jumping through hoops for an audience, that right?

[andaway]

I... guess that's a way to put it, but everyone is granted an audience if they want. Not saying it's fair in any way whatsoever, but it's not like she avoids us.

[forging]

So if everyone's granted an audience - why the need to audition?

[ a beat. ]

Is there any way we can sign up and see her?

[andaway]

She does this once a month, actually and there's usually a line to talk to her. But she seemed rather pissed last time she talked to us directly so I'm not sure if she'll be doing it again any time soon.

You'd only end wanting to punch her though, it's not worth it.

[forging]

[ now he's getting somewhere. he figures the empress is an end goal, something representational. tell the empress a secret - similar to the vault within a dream method, and she'll grant you right to leave. or something on that level. ]

She's got a bit of an attitude, I take it?

[andaway]

Saying that would be an understatement. She's not a bad woman I don't think, and she does mean well... but she doesn't hold us foreigners in high esteem. Or maybe that's just the vibe he gives.

[forging]

Well. It's not like she has to.

[ a beat. oh god, what is he doing. indulging the delusion of the dream. ]

Look at it from her perspective. You've got an influx of people from different realities all coming into your world, you've got to lodge them and make sure they aren't messing up your world's current dynamics. It's a bit of a bother, when you get down to it.

[andaway]

[A little smile.] Preaching to the choir here. I'm one of the most fervent defendants of that opinion you'll find in here. We are the visitors, not them and we obviously have the ones to adapt.

But there's that, and there's simply being extremely disrespectful of us. [The smile fades a little as he says that.]

[forging]

Really now? Perhaps it's fortunate I've stumbled upon someone who'd agree.

[ Freddy would be a nice bloke, eames decides then. crafting the personality on as he goes. ]

Not that I'm encouraging anyone to be complacent, but I'm sure the Kedan are just as culturally awkward as we are.

[ he laughs at that statement. ]

[andaway]

[A grin and a nod] Not to mention we're the ones practically invading them, and they try to give us a home, jobs and do as much as they can to make us comfortable.

I'm sorry I'm blabbering to you about this, Freddy. It's been in my head for a while.

[forging]

I'm just pleased they aren't being ... antagonistic at the prospects of us staying here.

Babble on. Go forth.

[andaway]

Well I'm used to blabbering, you see. Kind of what my job is about.

My job back at home, anyway.

[forging]

[ job back home? the projections had backstories as well as opinions and that's enough to raise more than a few red flags from eames' perspective. ]

Alright, indulge a stranger's curiosity a little. What was your former occupation? Surely, that's something a touch more glamorous than data collection.

[andaway]

[Clark has a way of doing that with the Inception cast, aparently.]

A 'touch' more glamorous indeed, but I didn't do it for that. I was a reporter, an investigative one specifically.

[forging]

[ gross sobbing. a weird plant is already a red flag for the inception cast. this is what happens when you play paranoid dream thieves. ]

Oh? Do we have something of that sort here? News or News archives?

[andaway]

[Clark shakes his head] Sadly we do not but I'm working on something similar. More a radio program than actual newpapers but it would at least be some way to get news in this place.

Why, would you be interested?

[forging]

If you'd want my dulcets over the air waves, I wouldn't say no. But I'd be interested in reading up the history of this place, generally.

[ he's trying to play up his curiosity rather than dodgy mcdodgy person. ]

[andaway]

That's actually going to be hard, as most record were destroyed before the foreigners began getting here. There's also the matter of language, in case you hadn't noticed.