❧ Something To Talk About

[luministimods]

[the first thing people will hear when they arrive in the room with Croix and Wash is loud classical music from the same composer Caligin used to listen to (though that detail may only strike a few.) but the music is a small detail in this room. many will recognise the cold, forbidding room as one they've seen in secret transmissions sent to them

Comments

[grandbellknight]

[Croix looks like he's about ready to kill someone. It's probably very fortunate for the young man in charge that he's only on a screen and not standing before him...

His glare is icy, intense. He remains still, though his anger is practically radiating from him.]

Fine. What plans would those be?

[luministimods]

[Filippo yawns, knowing the threatening look will bring him little harm]

For you and a couple others, we were in process of designing action figures for the children to play with--and grown children as well. There is quite the demographic for toys these days. We are making a few...slight modifications to your design, however. The testers felt there weren't enough weapons and you didn't look fierce enough, which clearly they were wrong about. I'll have to send your current expression to the boys in development and get a face swap going.

[grandbellknight]

[Croix is not impressed.]

That's all this is about? Money for you? This seems like a complicated way to go about it.

[luministimods]

It's hardly complicated. The system was already in place. In essence, all it took was a flip of a switch, and in a flash, everything could get started again. So really, it was a sound investment we made purchasing this lab. We've already made back ten times the amount of money we spent doing so.

[grandbellknight]

Then I hope that's enough. We're not staying.

> You look toward the DESK. May as well start there, right?

[luministimods]

So you'd like to think. Others may have gotten away, but we're not about to let you go so easily.

On top of the desk, you see a one-a-day calendar, stacks of paper, pens, a crystal decanter half-filled with an amber liquid and two glasses, and a leather-bound notebook.

[grandbellknight]

> You ignore RESARCI for now and open the NOTEBOOK.

[luministimods]

> It's his diary You see a precise list of things that have happened during your stay in Luministi. Every detail, every broadcast from the "Mayor", as well as scribbled out notes all over the place. Seems there were other things planned but were moved around or eliminated altogether.

[he peers a little closer, trying to see what Croix is looking at] What is--[he cuts himself off and lets out a sound of surprise a second later] How did that get there?!

[grandbellknight]

[Flatly:] Who knows?

> You flip through the pages some more, specifically looking for mentions of going home or getting the heck out of here.

[luministimods]

[his voice is calm, but he is very angry on the inside] Whomever it was will pay in blood.

> It's a very nice try, but unfortunately, you have no luck finding such information in that notebook.

[grandbellknight]

I'm surprised you'd rather have blood than money.

> You close the NOTEBOOK and instead investigate any DRAWERS there may be to open.

[luministimods]

Sometimes, there are some things that money cannot bring, and there is no greater satisfaction than the shedding of one's blood whom you desire to see suffer.

> There are three drawers, two larger ones on either side of a central one. The center one has the normal accoutrement of any other modern desk: various office supplies, paperclips, stapler, etc--all in a neat and organised fashion. The right drawer doesn't contain much, though it does look like it was emptied in a hurry. The only things you do see left behind are several hole-punch dots, a book about cinematography, and a few wrappers from what coconut-based candy bar.

> The left one, however, contains things that definitely do not belong to Filippo. There are several pictures of Caligin and Verita together in various situations, a history book about ancient 20th century society, and an old picture of a younger Caligin with another man who must be his father--amongst other less interesting office things.

[grandbellknight]

[Oh, that connects a little too much. Croix very carefully keeps his mouth shut.]

> You run your hand along the inner lining of the DRAWERS, feeling for anything odd, and then you do the same with the underneath sides.

[luministimods]

> It's a nice try, searching for hidden linings, buttons, and whatnot, but there are no tricks to be found with the desk drawers or on the undersides. Only a random glob of sticky, already-been-chewed bubblegum. Ew.

[grandbellknight]

[Ew, indeed. We'll, just... pretend that didn't happen. Ew.]

> Since you're having no luck with the DESK, you turn your attention back to the SCREENS. Maybe one of them stands out more than the others...?

[luministimods]

> You see screens galore all along that particular wall, with Filippo's face stretched across the majority of the screens. He watches you intently, a little smirk on his face. There isn't anything particularly special about them, though.