"Is there some meaning to this life?"

[breakuliquid]

[-The Book of Counted Sorrows, by Dean Koontz]

[Talib is wandering the nexus, looking for his Solid Snake.]

[It's been more than three days, after all, and the man had yet to return home.]

[Talib may be just the slightest bit concerned.]

(Talib's out and about. Open to all who have a grudge or to anyone who just wants to talk.)

Comments

[somnium_paterna]

[If Talib is looking carefully, he might notice a bandanna-less figure lying stretched out on the floor in the corner of a deserted storeroom. His breathing is irregular, but he seems unharmed...]

[breakuliquid]

[He almost misses him in the darkness, but enters the room quickly when he does, heedless of whether it has any effects.]

/David?/

[He kneels next to the man and runs his fingers through his short hair while he checks him over for injury.]

[somnium_paterna]

...mm? /Talib?/

[Snake opens his eyes slightly, then closes them again with a wince, relaxing into the feeling of Talib's fingers in his hair. He seems to be a little in pain - his body tenses at the checking over - but no injuries are visible.]

/Why the hell-?/

[breakuliquid]

/Shh.../

[He can't find any traces of hurt, but he can tell Solid is suffering. That worries him. His fingers continue to gently comb through David's hair.]

/What's the last thing you recall, my David?/

[fancy_shooting]

[Ocelot is absorbed in his own sauntering. His spurs are easily heard from just around the corner, approaching...]

Because evidently he's ten

[breakuliquid]

[!]

[Talib waits at the corner...and sticks his foot out at just the right moment to trip whichever Ocelot is wandering around.]

[fancy_shooting]

!

[Ocelot flails out, grabbing onto whatever he can to try to stop his fall... which happens to be Talib's shirt. He crashes onto the ground with a yelp, dragging Talib with him.]

[breakuliquid]

Woah!

[That had been unexpected but totally worth it. Talib is able to cushion his fall by landing more or less on the Ocelot, thus discovering that the man still wore his guns. This was either Liquid Snake's kitten, a different Ocelot, or that the one whose revolvers he'd stolen had found replacements.]

[In any case, Talib could use a distraction. He tries to wrestle the man, grinning wildly and with little purpose.]

...because poor Snake only really runs into people he doesn't know. (or Liquids)

[formerfoxhound]

[This is not the Snake you're looking for. But he is a Snake. And he's currently sitting on the roof and chain-smoking his way through the rest of the cigarettes he'd acquired since he showed up here.]

['Course he has no idea who this guy even is, so he's just going to ignore him for now.]

\o/

[breakuliquid]

[Talib spots the Solid Snake and gets close, stalking around the man and inspecting him.]

/No, not mine...But one I do not recognize. A new Solid Snake?/

[He's easily momentarily distracted from his search as he circles again, a grin beginning to hover over his face.]

...what have I done. 1/2

[formerfoxhound]

[Snake doesn't react at first, following the sound of the circling man in his mind. The hairs on the back of his neck prickle under the scrutiny. He can feel the man's eyes on him.]

[...okay, that's just creepy.]

[formerfoxhound]

[Finally, Snake turns to face him, tossing the butt of his cigarette off the roof. He caught some of Talib's speech, recognizing the language at least, but he answers stubbornly in English.]

...Problem?

[43rdpresident]

[Jack wants Solidus' help torturing the man who murdered him... and this just happens to be that man. He fits the description all right, but he supposes he'll have to speak with him to be sure. Can't ever hurt to get to know someone beforehand... might make it possible to learn some weaknesses.]

[Clearing his throat, Sears cuts the man off by stepping in his path.]

Do you have a moment?

[breakuliquid]

[He raises an eyebrow at the familiar-looking man blocking his way.]

That depends on who you are, I suppose. A Snake of some sort~?

[He casually moves to the side, strolling around the suited man, taking in his stance.]

[43rdpresident]

[The casual question surprises him at first, but then he chalks it up to something to do with this strange building. Knowledge does seem unusually... fluid here.]

And here I thought I had one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

[He chuckles a little, his stance tall, posture deliberately authoritative.]

President George Sears. [He holds out a hand for the man to shake.] And yourself?

[breakuliquid]

Perhaps in your country, President George Sears. I am from Kuwait and have little knowledge of American politics.

[He shakes the hand, the lies rolling off his tongue glibly.] I am Fatin.

/Placeholder, will continue tagging tomorrow night

[clumsyengineer]

[Mei Ling pauses as she spots the familiar man. Given the nature of their last meeting, the girl feels somewhat hesitant to approach, but she does anyway.]

...T-Talib... I...

[She's at a loss for words]

[breakuliquid]

[He looks her over carefully, noting her hesitance and demeanor. He adopts a cautiously hopeful expression.]

...Was it a room?

[clumsyengineer]

[Mei Ling suddenly lets out a massive sigh of relief. GOOD; so she doesn't have to explain it as much...]

Yes! Yes, it was...

[Running a hand through her hair] How did you know?

[breakuliquid]

[He smiles and looks abashed.]

I think I walked into it as well. I would not have said such things otherwise. I was lucky that my son locked me away for the three days once he realized what had happened.

[The lies roll easily off his tongue.]