consultation 001 // [video post]

[12second_orz]

[The man that appears on screen has the look of someone desperately attempting to look fresh and ready for action whilst actually being in desperate need of a coffee, relaxing whale songs and an extra twelve hours or so of sleep. He's sitting perfectly straight at the table, eyes fixed straight on the camera and wearing a prize smirk, but anyone

Comments

[video]

[goesberserk]

[Shizuo's smoking too, but that's about the only thing they have in common. Still, the Japanese name and the company title were enough to make him curious.]

Teiai?

Anyway, it's not a misunderstanding. You're stuck here. [He's curious about the injuries, but Shizuo knows who he would have responded if someone had asked him.]

Re: [video]

[12second_orz]

[Tonegawa only needs to take one glance to know that he's probably looking at a NEET punk, with that scruffy look, but he's unfortunately not in a position to be picky about who he gets his information from.]

The top financial consultancy firm in Japan- though I wouldn't have expected someone like you to know that.

[The screen fills with smoke as he exhales.]

You might be stuck here, but they won't hold me for much longer if they have any common sense.

[video]

[goesberserk]

[It's true, that isn't something he would have known, but that doesn't make the insult any less annoying. This guy clearly thinks he's better than everyone else, which bothers Shizuo.]

I'm telling you, it doesn't matter. You won't be able to contact anyone back home either. [His voice is a little harder than it was before. One thing he can't stand is when people take the help he offers and toss it in his face.]

[video]

[12second_orz]

[Ah. Struck a nerve, did he? The man didn't lose his temper right away though, as those types are wont to do, so that just barely counts in his favour.]

We'll see about that. The same rules don't apply to everyone, after all. I'm sure I could find a way to change the mind of whoever is in charge here.

[video]

[goesberserk]

[Someone doesn't know how to listen... Although Shizuo can relate to being stubborn about what he can or can't do.]

Feel free to try! And you can let us all know what happens. [He sounds maybe -- just a little -- sarcastic.]

[video]

[12second_orz]

[... was that sarcasm? Tonegawa's attitude detectors are pretty finely tuned, and that sounded just a little like sarcasm. Little brat. He lets it slide.]

Hmph. Where there are strings, there will be string-pullers. Though I don't suppose you would still be here if you understood that.

[video]

[goesberserk]

[Because it makes so much sense for someone who just got here to act like he knows more than him. Shizuo lets out an angry sigh.]

Believe me, no matter how hard you look, all you're going to hear about is the Core... or the names of those two companies.

[video]

[12second_orz]

[He has had all three of those things namedropped so far... hmm. As right as Tonegawa thinks he is, surely there's no harm in asking a couple of questions anyway.]

These companies... what can you tell me about them?

[video]

[goesberserk]

Don't know much except that they're called AGI and SERO, they run the city, and both of them are involved in the sort of stuff that wouldn't make anyone want to be a part of them. Except that I guess some people have no choice.

[video]

[12second_orz]

[That, Tonegawa supposes, depends on your level of tolerance; he highly doubts that whatever they're doing is worse than what Teiai do for sport. But if this punk can't see why anyone would want to be involved with that, well- obviously he's not so all-knowing after all.

He, meanwhile, can smell a profit a mile away.]

I see. So is there any real divergence between the two, or are the differences superficial?

[video]

[goesberserk]

[How did he end up giving information to this older Japanese businessman? The whole thing puts Shizuo on edge a little, but...]

They own different parts of the city, but... one is involved in human experimentation, while the other one puts people into slavery. [With a choice like that, there's really no option at all, right?]

[video]

[12second_orz]

[Human slavery and experimentation, hm? Just another day at Teiai. Then again 'slavery' implies an injustice, and, frankly, they had that coming to them- if they'd just paid off their debts in time, or, hell, had the brains to not take out a loan at all... but Tonegawa can hardly complain when his life savings are built on the bones or those men. All men have their uses, it seems. Even this one.]

Human slavery, did you say? That's very useful to know. [Though perhaps not in the way that he intended it.] Though I can assure you, neither of those will happen to me.

[video]

[goesberserk]

[Useful? What kind of response is that? The guy barely even blinked, and it rubs Shizuo the wrong way. He wonders just what sort of dirty dealings the man's gotten up to in the past.]

Isn't it the people who are the least worried who end up being the biggest targets?

[video]

[12second_orz]

No. Stupid, careless people end up being the biggest targets. [And in that case, they had it coming anyway. Like natural selection.] And I am most certainly neither of those.

[video]

[goesberserk]

I think they'd probably target people who were capable of something that interested them. [When it comes to the experiments, at least. Shizuo's wondered before if his strength might end up getting him noticed by those organizations.]

[video]

[12second_orz]

Capable of something...? [The smug look drops as he tries to work out what that's supposed to mean.] In terms of skills and knowledge?