Mysterious music plays in the background [Mingle]

[saveournpcs]

Date: 2nd of July
Characters: Open

---

When the Numbered arrive at the ruins on the Greens on the 2nd, as Mr Helpful requested, there... really isn't much to see. Everything looks as normal, the reddish walls of the structure sitting there in the afternoon ...okay, not sun, but at least it isn't raining. There's just clouds.

Mr Helpful is standing in a spot protected by the ruins, looking out over the Channel, a dozen binoculars hung from his shoulders and neck, and waits.

Comments

[iamnotgod]

"Does he have security measures in place, or is he the sort to fake them?"

Because if those are actual robotic sharks, Walter's going to have complaints...

And it won't be just him.

[saveournpcs]

He blinks, puzzled. "...What would be the point of faking things?"

[scarsolderthanyou]

"To keep people from bothering him with as little effort as possible," Sam explains. "If you put up a good show, sometimes people think you're dangerous even if you're not. What is he capable of? You aren't human, and neither is he. We don't know what you can do."

[saveournpcs]

"Well, I would not even have considered doing a fake anything, if that helps..." He really seems puzzled still. "I don't think he would have, either."

[warped_replica]

Then they will be facing real threats if they stray too close.

“Can you give us some idea of what defenses he may be employing? I assume your technology is far more advanced, and even if you don’t think we can comprehend it, you can tell us what to watch for as a sign of potential dangers.”

[saveournpcs]

"He will take his ideas from your world, most likely. So what he builds will resemble things that he has seen in Mossgate or in the documentaries that can be watched on your tellies, Id's assume.

We do try to blend in."

[iamnotgod]

"That's not why he has - well, had - a cat with him when we saw him most recently, was it?"

Speaking of explanations, now's as good a time as any for that one.

[saveournpcs]

Mr Helpful shrugs slightly. "You would be a better judge of that than I, I feel. Is there in your culture a reason for someone with the name Mr Evil to carry a cat?"

[dragoonrouge]

Cheeks still a little pink from Sam pointing out to her about forgetting about the sharks Sadie grimaces, "It's a marker of super villains in pop culture. The 'I'm going to take over the world or destroy it' type."

[saveournpcs]

Mr Helpful smiles. "He likely picked it up from one of those documentaries, then."

[scarsolderthanyou]

Sam hesitates for just a moment, realizing what that probably means, and asks, "Documentaries. You do know that everything we make shows or books about isn't necessarily true, right?"

[saveournpcs]

He looks a bit baffled, and then shakes his head. "Of course what's on TV is true."

[iamnotgod]

Well now, that's worrying.

"Are books like that for you as well, then? Because humans have a habit of wrapping up a small piece of truth in lies, to make it compelling as well as increase it's potential audience."

Walter shakes his head, incredulous.

"At least, they're intended here as lies, or rather fiction. Something not meant to be the reality we live in."

Though he's been getting the increasing impression that these fictions could be truths elsewhere.

Which is the scary part.

[spaghettimonster]

Russell slowly lowers his binoculars to turn and stare Mr. Helpful's way. It almost sounds as though the man has no concept of fiction, which is baffling to someone in theatre.

"Yes, exactly. Fiction - literature - it's... It's a mirror to society, or life. Entertainment, but more than that, it's part of how we reflect on ourselves and see ourselves in others - creating and telling plausible stories. Exploring our history, and hopes, and fears, through what isn't strictly true."

Though the lines do blur, don't they, once strange memories and actual space aliens become part of the picture.

"Even real documentaries are a little bit that way. True from a certain view, but not a literally accurate historical record. We never know all the details of what's happened, so we make do with making things up. And other times, we do a lot more making up.

Don't mind the literature major waxing poetic, now.

[scarsolderthanyou]

"Children. It's like dealing with children." With that mutter, Sam finally lifts his head from the double-facepalm he just engaged in for a few minutes. "You kids are going to confuse him. Simple truth is, Helpful, most of what's on TV and a lot of what's in books isn't real. Even the crap they say is real has bias to it. You have to really double-check everything to find out what's true."

He drags a hand through his hair. "No wonder this Evil guy decided to make a fortress villain lair with sharks. He thinks that's what makes you evil. What all has he been watching? Do you know? Is there a way to tell what media he's been paying attention to?" That could give them an idea of what more to expect from the guy.

[saveournpcs]

Mr Helpful looks terribly lost while the explanations come, and remains quiet for some time after. That is a lot to process.

Eventually, he shakes his head, putting what he was told aside for further investigation, and then shakes his head once more in actual answer to Stone's question. "I do not know how he chooses what information has higher priority to examine than the other. I would assume it are media available in this area, though, since he chose this place to set up his base."