[text] - forward-dated to November 27th

[bashfulshifter]

Is everyone okay? I went down to the carnival this morning and it wasn't looking very good. Did something happen? Is anyone hurt?

Filtered to midgarhorizon

Can I talk to you about something, in private? I'm sorry for being so abrupt, but it's important.

--Patrick Dawn

Comments

[Text]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

IDK

Did you

Did you happen to se anything weird in the park today?

[Text]

[bashfulshifter]

...There were a lot of weird things in the park. Should we talk about this in person?

[Read: 'It's not safe to disclose this over the network.']

[Text]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Yeah, that's probably the best move.

On the usual floor?

[Read: Floor 27]

[Text/Action]

[bashfulshifter]

[Interpreted as 'the morgue.']

Sounds good. I'll be there in a little bit.

[As he is, roughly half a hour later by elevator. Interestingly he approaches the landing after several passes of the floors above and below, shifting into a cat at the last minute before making his escape into the morgue proper. The tabby is very cautious, glancing over his shoulder and frequently jumping and hiding at sudden noises and movements around him. He doesn't shift back until he knows, for certain, that Veronica is there with him.]

[Action]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[He's going to have to wait there for about fifteen minutes before Veronica comes walking in, having thought she was stood up or something.]

R-rick?

[bashfulshifter]

[Immediately upon being called the cat perks up and hurries across the room towards her, and about halfway there he shifts into the form Veronica is more familiar with.]

--A-Ah, s-s-sorry--did I k-keep you w-waiting? I didn't m-mean to.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...W-we k-kind of choose different floors, I t-think.

[She found it sort of funny really, but she shook her head apologetically.]

S-sorry. I w-was waiting in t-the meadow.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick basically facepalms.]

--I-I'm so s-sorry! I-- [He kneads his temples thoroughly.] --I r-really sh--should've just...t-told you, b-but--

[He passes a quick glance at the door.]

--There's s-s-someone...f-following me. R-Reading over my sh--shoulder, a-at the t-t-terminal...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica face palmed at basically the same moment.] N-no, it's n-not your fault. I s-should h-have t-told you-

[She stops at his statement.]

...Y-you mean... l-like a ghost?

[bashfulshifter]

[He shakes his head and lowers his voice.]

N-Not...no. I-I think...h-h-he's a, ah...r-r-retrieval u-unit. I've s-seen them...f-f-following others, b-before, a-and the a-a-admins...use them t-to l-l-listen. I c-can't...I h-have to be c-careful, now.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

..O-oh...

[Retrieval units? Odd, she wasn't being followed. She would know for sure if she was.]

Weird, is t-there any r-reason why?

[bashfulshifter]

...M-Maybe. [Rick bites his lip.] ...I w-was...p-part of an, uh...i-i-infiltration, a f-few m-m-months ago--d-d-down to the a-admin l-levels. I th--think they d-don't w-want me t-t-trying that a-again.

[He pulls a face.]

...I-It's t-taken them a w-while, though--t-to start w-watching me, I m-mean.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

You were p-part of an infiltration?

[She's legitimately surprised by that. Although, the whole turning into a cat and stuff did make a lot more sense for it.]

W-well, I'm not being followed, s-so that s-sounds likely.

[bashfulshifter]

That's g-good. [Rick passes another anxious look over his shoulder.] ...I-I think I've l-lost him, but...w-we should be quick. Um...

[Deep breath--collect thoughts...okay, he's ready now.]

...I s-saw...s-s-something...in the p-park this m-morning. A...v-vision, or...I'm n-not s-s-sure. Did you...?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...

[She didn't say anything. she simply nodded.]

I...I w-was... p-picked up by something, and I couldn't move at all. And t-they threw m-me at the g-ground. W-when I woke up, t-there was n-nothing there....

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick's expression immediately switches to shock.]

Th--Threw you? Are you h-hurt?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

N-no! It's okay, I'm completely f-fine!

[She frowns.]

I-It's just.... I h-heard something t-talk during it.

"B-begin destructive testing"

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick frowns back and pensively scratches his chin.]

...'T-Testing'...like...r-r-research, you think?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[She shrugs.]

M-maybe, there's l-lot's of types of testing. Either w-way, it was p-pretty creepy. [She shuddered.] I h-hate ghosts.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods, still deep in thought.] Y-Yeah, I...know w-what you m-mean. I'm j-just th--thinking...the p-people in m-my v-vision t-talked a-about some k-kind of r-r-research.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...Maybe t-they're about the s-same thing?

[bashfulshifter]

...C-Could be. [He pulls a face.] It s-seems like, uh...a l-little too m-much of a c-c-coincidence for it n-not to be. Do you th--think o-others, m-maybe...?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

It's p-possible... We c-could ask around. M-maybe someone else h-has seen stuff like this?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods.] ...I-I'll, uh...keep an e-eye out. I m-mean...this i-isn't the f-first t-time s-s-something has h-happened like this.