video | un: Hat Guy, forward dated to the 16th

[featheradrift]

[ The video starts focused on an empty seat in some random non-descript fast food restaurant. It's abruptly swept in blue as the sender crosses the front of the camera to sit down in an obvious harrumph of displeasure. One leg over the other, a young, beautiful man with a wide brimmed hat looks at the camera with irritation written all over his face as he waves a box of crackers in front of him. ]

Disgusting. You call the stuff this city offers food?

[ He tosses the box aside, and shifts forward to pick up his phone. The view blurs a bit, before it steadies onto a table full of a variety of food. There are nine dishes in total: tahchin, fatteh, murtabak, ratatouille, chazuke, roujiamo, stirfried vegetables, choumeiji sakura mochi, and even opera cake. It's a wide variety of dishes from various regions—a veritable banquet, and each of them have been plated carefully to be presented in the most appealing way possible. Whoever cooked them clearly cared for every aspect of the dish.

With a voice full of disdain, the Wanderer speaks up again, leaving the video trained on the food. ]

The quality of the ingredients is subpar, but this is way better than anything this place could give you.

[ He takes the phone again, and directs it to himself once more. Then he sits back, this time crossing his arms. ]

Let's make a deal. I make whatever dish you want me to, provided I know it. A recipe would suffice too. You give me information about the city.

[ And then he sits back to wait for responses. ]

Comments

[featheradrift]

[ He wouldn't have any problems, being a puppet that didn't require sustenance to live. But the same couldn't be said for everyone else—which meant it would be important to lessen food consumption where they could.

Just another reason for him not to eat anything here. ]

So I'm learning.

[ He could have saved himself some effort and just asked for information, it seems. Well, the food would serve its purpose in getting into people's good graces, then. ]

Is anyone directing a proper investigation into this whole situation?

[gradenine]

[ ah, well. that particular question is pretty inevitable. roland wishes he has something more substantial to report to this kid, but...

instead he smiles. a weary one. ]

Kid, you'd be glad to know that virtually everyone here is doing their own little investigations on their own.

Too bad we haven't found anything about our mysterious captors yet.

[featheradrift]

[ That was the answer he suspected. Alhaitham had said as much. Why isn't anyone spearheading investigations though? It seems like a gross oversight to him. Surely they'd be more efficient if they pooled all their results and assigned people to certain lanes of inquiry based on their skill set. ]

Nothing at all? A shame.

[ There's a thought—that maybe he could lead one—except he's new, and there's no way people would listen to him as a newcomer, so he instantly dismisses it. It wasn't really his kind of thing anyway. ]

Anything else I need to keep in mind?

[gradenine]

Hmm, let's see.

[ strokes his chin ]

You know how death works here yet?

[featheradrift]

I've heard it isn't permanent. We show up on the train as if nothing ever happened, no memory of our death.

[ That there's no threat of true death is a good thing, because it means he doesn't have to fear the consequences of his actions. ]

How did you guys figure that one out?

[gradenine]

How else? Someone had to take the fall. And there are plenty of bloodthirsty idiots here who are either bored out of their minds, or just wanted an outlet for their frustrations.

[ it's a lot more complicated than that, and roland would know how those people feel. but he just isn't the type to overshare. ]

So long as you keep being a good kid, you won't have to meet those guys. Probably.

[featheradrift]

Plenty of bloodthirsty idiots, hm? And how are you so sure I'm not one of them?

[ The grin on his face is a touch malicious. He could never forget what he felt back then, as a Harbinger—as a puppet wronged thrice, and made to believe in the worst of the world. ]

[gradenine]

[ to that, roland only gives a shrug. ]

I dunno. Are you? 'Cause for me, I don't really care if you are.

[ he's very nonchalant when it comes to these things at this point. ]

[featheradrift]

[ And the man doesn't rise up to the bait. He's quite the coolheaded one, which is a good trait in this situation. ]

Hmph. Levelheaded, aren't you?

[ Well, he's shared plenty of information for the trade of food, so he's happy enough with what he's learned so far. ]

You've provided me with plenty of information for now. I'll let you know when I've made the dish.

[gradenine]

Let's just say it's one of my more redeeming treats.

[ and he can't help but grin this time. ]

But yeah, take your time~ Not like I'm going anywhere.

[ and it's the most frustrating thing of all. ]

[featheradrift]

[ A tip of his hat is the only acknowledgement Roland receives before the Wanderer cuts the call. See ya later. ]