ic [IC] Fantastic Bloggers and Where to Find Them

[olopi]

GM

 

Friday, November 4^th, 2016

Freedom City

2:24 PM

 

 

Some time ago, Leviathan, the sea-monster prowling Freedom’s streets, had met Bonfire, a blogger and fellow Superhero. Bonfire was fairly well known online, even though he had not started much later than Leviathan, which came as a surprise when Tristan Delacroix ended up checking the internet on information on the smoke-controller he had met.

 

It was an interesting sight, seeing just how much all of Bonfire’s internet appearances influenced his popularity. An effect of which, perhaps, Leviathan could profit from as well? Perhaps not as directly. Selfies and long posts describing his most recent missions probably weren’t Leviathan’s style, after all. Either way, talking to the man himself probably was a good way to start. Fortunately, reaching Bonfire was an easy task. In between fan-mail, a business address and a variety of other functions, actually sending him a message was easy.

Edited November 3, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

Suffice to say, openly starting a Leviathan blog as Leviathan wasn't on the table.  The great beast was supposed to only be just that, and if fate (and a jerk of a god) hadn't forced his hand, Tristan never would've revealed any human side behind his transformation.  Nonetheless, investigating Bonfire (and the rest of their impromptu group, some of which were easier to study than others) in their adventure's aftermath set Tristan's imagination to work.  He could see the uses in social media: he might have some control over his persona's image, disseminate useful (that is to say, mostly misleading) information, create an easy target to draw in critics so that he could monitor them...

 

...Maybe make some fans, he thought wistfully. 

 

Managing all of this without identifying himself as Leviathan (and certainly not as one of the immensely-wealthy heirs to the Delacroix fortune and their family corporation) would be tricky, however.  And thus, he discretely contacted the only expert he knew and somewhat trusted.  "Somewhat" being the key term; Tristan wasn't about to admit his civilian identity.  He approached whichever meeting place Bonfire chose using the same morphed form as their last meeting: a large man, middle-aged and probably upper middle class by his clothing, with a thick, smooth mustache.  Tristan seriously considered scoping out the location in yet another body, just in case, but he ultimately decided against it.  For one, Bonfire was supposed to be a hero, and thus far Tristan had nothing besides his own paranoia to make him think otherwise.  Also, if Bonfire (or anyone else) saw him change into his primary disguise for the meeting, it would clearly reveal him as a shapeshifter.  Better to give the impression that he had only one, reptilian, alternative. 

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire got a fair amount of messages every day. Most of it wasn’t very interesting, fan-mail, people deciding to comment on his action, and some hate-mail (everybody needed it!). Occasionally, something stood out. Usually it was reporters of all sorts asking for interviews, or information. But occasionally, it was a fellow hero that had something to say. And sometimes, it even were heroes he knew, but had not given any alternative means of communication to. Like today, where Leviathan, whom he had met before, sent him one.

 

Cass usually did some research on everyone he met, but Leviathan was a mystery. Only a few reports, all of them talking about him appearing and disappearing out of nowhere. Cass knew a bit more than the public, he had seen some things, but sometimes it was best to keep quiet. He wasn’t opposed to helping people, and the message he’d gotten looked genuine enough, so he set up a meeting at a nice café, where there would be enough action for the two of them meeting not to stand out, but also one quiet enough to not attract any extra attention.

 

 

Rosie’s Café and Diner, Riverside

 

 

Bonfire had arrived a few minutes early, and grabbed some coffee immediately. In his disguise, he did stand out somewhat, but being a regular customer meant the staff themselves did not care. And the other people generally preferred to keep their distance too. So, he set up at a table, with a nice view to the door, and opened his laptop. He only booted it up, waiting for his guest to arrive before taking any further action.

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

Leviathan, in contrast, was several minutes late--or at least he appeared so.  Keen-eyed Cass might've seen the other man stroll "casually" past the cafe multiple times, peering through the windows with sideways glances.  He seemed to circle the property fully at least once.  Finally, the wary individual came through the door in his voluminous navy blue suit (not an expensive brand, to any trained observer, but a suit nonetheless).  He lingered there for a moment, scanned the interior, and at last approached Bonfire's table.  Here, he stood rather awkwardly, with one chubby hand on the back of the empty chair.

 

"May I join you?" he asked with a gesture.

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire observed the man walking around outside, following his movements every once in a while. He was not surprised by his actions, it was probably standard procedure, and something that would’ve helped Bonfire a few times before.

 

Either way, as Leviathan was going to scope out the café at first, Bonfire did the sensible thing and grabbed another coffee at the counter, in the largest cup available. He sat down again, as the man who, most likely, was Leviathan, stepped through the door. Bonfire casually drank his coffee, typing in one or two things on his phone, when his colleague approach. The smoke-head tilted up slightly, probably looking right at Leviathan’s eyes. Bonfire’s voice sounded calm and relaxed, he didn’t seem tense at all.

 

“Sure. Enough space here. “ Bonfire took another sip of his coffee, then addressed Leviathan again. “Want one too? They’re pretty cheap but still great. “ A short pause, before Bonfire opened up his laptop fully, turning it sideways so both of them could see the screen. “So, whaddya want, need or be glad about?”

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

"Ah...no, I'm fine," Leviathan replied.  He then realized that was rather discourteous, and amended, "Well, perhaps just a small coffee."  He enjoyed such, just not to Bonfire's unholy extent. 

 

How does he drink, without his head? the shapeshifter wondered to himself.  He watched the process keenly, to the point that his answer took a moment.

 

"I was hoping for help.  Advice, I suppose.  You are clearly familiar with social media," he gestured to the laptop.  "You've benefited from it, as far as I can see.  I think I might as well.  Unfortunately, the...details of my...work, well...I cannot be so open as you are.  This is why I have not made the attempt yet."

[olopi]

PC

 

Upon closer inspection, the coffee simply disappeared as it touched the smoke. It was hard to see through said smoke, but from the looks of it, the coffee really just vanished immediately. Bonfire quickly held up a hand, as a waiter, dressed in seemingly everyday clothes, walked by. “Hey, Jack, can you bring my friend a simple coffee?”

 

Then, Bonfire returned his attention to the hero sitting on the opposite end of the table. He moved a wireless mouse, opening a window on the laptop. The page opened was HeroHouse, a website Tristan certainly knew from his own experiences. “Lots of benefits from it, yeah. People underestimate just how much good PR can do for you. It’s also generally useful to have, allows you to outsmart people that think they know you. Just don’t mess with anybody related to the government if you have one. “

 

He exhaled, took another sip of his coffee, then continued. “You want it to be more subtle I guess? Show up outta nowhere, do your thing, disappear, right? Any ideas of how you’d want to handle it? You probably don’t want to be behind it, so you might have to create a fake identity of some sort. People are pretty paranoid on the ‘net, so that could backfire. “

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

"Not as badly as the truth, I think," Leviathan replied softly. 

 

He considered Bonfire's advice until his coffee arrived, sipped it slowly, and went on.  "Yes, you're right: I don't want to openly run the blog.  Not even under...the creature's name.  Certainly not.  People might suspect that was the case anyway, if I used an anonymous blog, so I agree that I should have some identity behind it.  Creating a false person wholecloth is both difficult and illegal, considering the government documents I would need to forge, so that is not an option.  Misdirection seems to be my best choice.  A user name with no clear real identity, asking openly for privacy, yet a personality and style that appears significantly different from my own.  Such a thing would have to be very subtle, but I think it could be done."

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire raised his hand, supporting … his neck, as it was the last thing corporeal. He pondered, speaking slowly. “That could work, yeah. But never forget people’s desire to know things. A persona with no real identity and full privacy will probably lead people to assume it’s you doing it, from my experiences. I’ve seen things like that happen a few times. “

 

“Gonna be honest, I’m not sure how to do it. I’ve never really considered alternative ways of running one. I could probably take some heat off of any persona you set up. If people ask, tell them that the person running the blog, and the subject, are not related. Talk about personal experiences. Add in a touch of misdirection. It wouldn’t be super easy either, but it could work. Hmmm…”

 

Before, the waiter from before had returned to the table, holding a simple white cup of coffee in his hand, leaving it at the table, and then walking back towards the kitchen. He did his best not to pay attention judging by his expression, much like the other people in the store who all seemed focused on the things happening at their own tables.

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

Leviathan nodded glumly over his coffee.  He didn't necessarily have to try this at all, but now that he had the idea in his head...

 

One of Bonfire's comments stood out from the rest, once the other hero processed it.  I could probably take some heat off.  Aside from the small joke in there, this led his thoughts to a possibility with real merit.  Leviathan hesitated to ask, however; Bonfire hadn't really offered.  This would be a hell of a favor--to say nothing of the trust he'd be placing in someone he didn't truly know.  Still...if he wasn't planning to release any vital information to the public anyway...

 

What did he have to lose by trying?  He cleared his throat and said, "You, ah...I will understand if you aren't interested, of course, but if you are...perhaps this could be under your name.  Associated with your own blog.  I could write the reports for you, or at least outline them so that you could rephrase everything into your own words for authenticity, and then you could claim them as your personal observations of the creature.  We have already worked together.  I would be happy to pay for your time, naturally."

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire looked a bit surprised by the suggestion. He let his fellow hero finish speaking, and then was quiet for a second. Thoughts raced through his head, he considered various options, variables and other things. And then, he came to his decision. With a serious sounding, but nevertheless friendly and happy voice, he replied. “I’m in. “

 

He once more drank some coffee, letting his confirmation settle in, then continued. “Sorry for the dramatic pause. That sounds like a really interesting idea. I could certainly work with that, I’ve got enough “contacts” to claim to reliably get to most information. And it would be pretty interesting to go out and write some more. The more I think about it, the more I like the concept.“

 

Of course, another major part for Bonfire was the money. Being paid for his blog was not new to him, but those were donations and ads, which did change depending on the activity. Having some sort of stable blogging income, no matter how minor, was something Cass really enjoy the idea of.

 

Pulling up a different webpage on one half of the screen, Bonfire continued. It was another blog of his, set up on a more recently established site. “I could probably work it into my already existing network pretty well. Would give you a fair amount of exposure. And I can keep it vague enough for that part to not affect you negatively. “

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

"...Yesss, about that..."  Bonfire's conclusion reminded Leviathan of something he noticed in his research.  He assumed that it had an explanation, given that his fellow hero was sitting here now and not languishing in a Blackstone cell--or an unmarked grave--but now that he had a segue into the matter, he decided to give it voice.

 

"I heard that you had a little negative press yourself lately.  Something about nuclear reactors."  Leviathan felt no need to elaborate; for one, he knew less than he'd like, and didn't want to make his ignorance clear.  The news reports weren't exactly thorough, what with Neutron Industry's tendency toward privacy, and the government was no better.  He also preferred to not offend his new ally, unless Bonfire's activities turned out to be truly scandalous.  Personally, Leviathan was a fan of nuclear energy, when handled properly; he looked upon the public's fears with a mix of amusement and distaste.  No human fuel source was particularly safe, so he thought it was rather silly to demonize the option with the most long-term potential just because of a few spectacular failures.  How much damage had humanity and the planet as a whole suffered due to oil spill after oil spill--to say nothing of when traditional fossil fuels went "right"?  In any case, he was willing to hear Bonfire out.  Better to clear the air now, rather than have this conversation further down the road when their fates were linked.      

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire’s reaction was different than expected, as he did not appear to be surprised or offended, instead breaking out into a slight chuckle. He calmed down quickly, then addressed the concerns. “Oh yeah, that. You’d probably be surprised to hear that it’s all calmed down by now, heck, lots of people barely remember it. But for a while things certainly were …interesting. Dealing with government officials directly is an experience alright. “

 

He set both of his hands on the table, not holding the mouse or laptop, as he began to describe the events leading up to his five minutes of infamy. “Essentially, long story short, they were dumping nuclear waste. And then, it turned out there was more to it, with the local wildlife, and a few employees being mutated. “

 

“At some point, laser-robots of death got involved, and I tanked enough radiation for Geiger Counters to still freak out around me. Oh, I also had an interview that almost ended with the reporter getting killed, dealt with a bounty hunter, mercenaries, the French foreign legion, and a gang of street thugs. “

 

Bonfire’s head took the form of an exaggerated grin, showing off that there was more to it than just a cloud.

“So, all in all, quite the adventure. “

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

By Leviathan's expression, mostly neutral but impressed and jealous at once, he agreed.  He also felt satisfied by Bonfire's actions; the misuse of nuclear energy could not be tolerated, both because of its immediate harm, and also because of how it poisoned the public opinion against legitimate reactors.  Maybe Bonfire made a little more of a mess than he should've, but Leviathan could hardly fault him for that, considering his own butterfingered techniques. 

 

"I see.  Thank you for clearing that up, then; it sounds like you did what you should've.  I'm glad that you weren't made into a scapegoat for the incident.  ...And I'm glad that it has blown over somewhat.  For your sake, and mine."

 

With that done, they could move forward.  Leviathan leaned closer to the laptop and began gesturing to the screen, occasionally tapping a key, and suggesting the sort of web design he would prefer.  The older, mustached man appeared to know his computers; by his level of skill, he either had a degree, or real natural talent.  Maybe behind the scaly beast was a professional programmer. 

Edited November 6, 2016 by Blarghy

[olopi]

GM

 

Bonfire followed the man’s suggestions. Truth be told, while he Internet was Bonfire’s thing, he was not very well versed in anything that required programing. Sure, he had some basic knowledge, the kind of thing you picked up from just being around people. But nothing more concrete, so the man’s suggestions certainly came in helpful.

 

This continued for a minute or so, Bonfire occasionally drinking more of his coffee. Then, as he was about to enter a new detail into the design, something didn’t work. The dreaded words, the sort of ones that never led to good things happening, left Bonfire’s mouth.

 

“Huh, that’s wei-“

 

Just then, two sounds filled everyone’s ears. For one, the sound of glass shattering, the main window of the café in this case. It was close to the table the two heroes were sitting at. But also, the sound of a car speeding off, an average looking grey sedan from the last few glances the people inside could catch before it turned a corner. Just as the glass had shattered, something else happened. The cause of the window shattering was a small metal canister, which, while still in the air, opened violently.

 

The room’s temperature dropped, as what appeared to be fire-extinguisher foam spilled out at a rapid speed, directly towards the table the two heroes had been sitting at. Bonfire was hit, and hit hard at that. The foam, and various small bits of ice within, pushed into him from behind, slamming him against the table. And, to make matters worse, it appeared he took more damage than that, as the smoke faded, revealing a human head. A rather unique one at that, while the face was lying on the table, one could make out the capnokinetic’s hair, deep red, and reaching down to below his shoulders.

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

I've been set up!

 

The hefty man only started moving after he was already covered in foam, but that didn't appear to slow him down.  It ruined his suit, sure, but other than a little bruising from the hard chunks of ice, Leviathan appeared mostly unharmed.  After taking two long steps toward the door, he noticed that Bonfire could not say the same.

 

...We've been set up! he amended. 

 

His faith mostly restored in the other hero, he spun around as quickly as his false bulk allowed and ran back to help.  As one of the best physicians in not just the city, but the entire world, his hands moved with expert efficiency; even without a medical kit, he rapidly went to work.  The usual anxiety and childlike glee he experienced in hero scenarios melted away as his natural talent came to the forefront, and in very little time, Bonfire would likely be back on his feet.

 

Leviathan also couldn't help but take note of his companion's real appearance, as well as anything else that became apparent during his brief medical examination.  So that's what you look like.  Can't help but feel a little guilty that I get to see you, but you can't see the real me.  ...But not guilty enough to change that.

 

Nor was he too guilty to resist swiping a napkin from the table, drawing it across a thin line of Bonfire's blood, and shoving the sample in his pocket.  Hardly an ideal scientific process, but when in the field and denied proper materials, one did what one must.

Edited November 6, 2016 by Blarghy

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire was off a lot worse after the attack. His body didn’t show much more injuries than that of Leviathan’s human form, but clearly the cooling foam did more to the capnokinetic. His body was rather cold, and he was most certainly unconscious, breathing lightly still. As Tristan got to work, he quickly noticed how the heat returned, soon Bonfire’s body was warmer than that of the average citizen again.

 

Still, as the damage seemed to be on a supernatural basis mostly, which somehow worked, it was a bit more difficult to figure out what to do. While checking the body for wounds, Tristan found a lighter. Thinking quickly, he applied the flame to Bonfire’s wounds, which seemed to have the wanted effect. As body temperature shot up again, Bonfire began to move his head slightly. He lifted it up, looking at his surroundings. He seemed to be disoriented still, not really focusing on anything.

 

“Uuuugh. What just happened?”

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

"I have the same question, but as well as I can guess, I believe someone just tried to kill you.  Also, your head is...a head."  Now that his patient wasn't in immediate danger, Leviathan finally looked around the cafe to figure out how many people might've seen Bonfire's identity.  If possible, he shielded the younger man with his wide body, but hopefully that blast had distracted most of the other patrons, or ideally, caused them to flee.  Much like the criminals responsible; he burned with the need to shift and give chase, but to have Leviathan appear here, now, might be too suspicious.  Besides, Bonfire clearly wasn't in any condition to join him, and maybe not even in any condition to be left unattended. 

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire looked a bit surprised at the remark about his head, his eyebrows raising, which was now visible. “Oh. “He was quiet for a second, clearly focusing on something, but then returned his attention to Leviathan’s human form. “Well, looks like it’ll have to stay that way for some time. Not enough energy to get it going … weird. “

 

He held out both of his arms, once more concentrating, once more to no effect. “Oh damn it. “As he checked his body for any injuries, he addressed the doctor again. “It’ll take some time for my powers to be useable again. Few minutes, tops. At least I’m not too injured.” With every word, his voice became a bit weaker, but then, as he started new sentences his voice regained in strength, leading to his speech sounding strange, almost as if cut together from a tape. “Okay, last thing I remember is my lapt-“Bonfire suddenly looked shocked, scrambling towards his laptop, clicking a few buttons. “C’mon, don’t be dead…. don’t be dead… I don’t have the money to repa-“ the screen coming back on, but showing a massive amount of artifacts interrupted Bonfire’s spoken thoughts, as he sighed. Part disappointment, part relief. “Well, it still works. But getting it back into condition will take some effort. “

 

Most the people in the café had left while Tristan was treating Bonfire, afraid of another attack. Some stayed outside, some ran, some just walked across the street and watched from there. While they had not been hit directly, the grenade only seemed to have a small range, the few that remained were clearly worrying. But, they also didn’t want to interrupt, clearly the two who had been hit directly had the situation under control. Similarily, they all seemed to respect the situation enough to not take pictures or videos, at least obvious ones.

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

"Your...laptop?"  Leviathan stared incredulously.  "Someone just tried to kill you, and you're worried about your property?"  Easy for him to say, of course; the man wasn't free of materialism himself, but when replacing virtually anything was so simple that the only inconvenience was having to wait for its delivery, any loss felt a lot less painful.

 

"Ok, listen, we've got to get out of here, unless you just want to discuss this with the police in your regular identity.  They tend to investigate things like drive-by-bombings, especially in the modern age of terrorism.  Does this place have a backdoor?  Can you...I don't know, throw a coat over your head or something?  Do you have somewhere nearby that we can go to figure this whole thing out?"

 

As fate would have it, Leviathan owned property in this very district, although he was loathed to admit it.  Of course, this situation might not give him any other choice...and he had already begun packaging his gear for relocation anyway, he supposed.  Letting someone else see his lab would just be one more reason to quickly clean it out and move forward with his next project.

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire still looked a bit out of it, slowly moving his arms around the table. “Hey, that thing cost a lot and I don’t have the money to repair it all the time. “Bonfire moved the mouse around the table, closing a few windows, then folded up the laptop and grabbed his messenger bag, which had been below the table the entire time. When Leviathan mentioned the killing part, Bonfire recoiled backwards in his chair, probably not having realized it until now. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. This is probably the closest anybody’s ever gotten to killing me. “

 

He stored the laptop inside the bag, then stood up. At first, he looked a bit uncontrolled, as if he hadn’t stood in a while, but he managed to stand in a stable position after just a second. He hung the bag around his shoulder, and looked over at the door. “Backdoor? Don’t think so …” looking around the room, something caught his attention, at the counter. “But I think they have a second exit through there, let’s go. Jack will explain it to whoever turns up afterwards. Let’s go, we can worry about my head later. “

 

When the two made their way behind the counter, Bonfire quickly looked over at the waiter that had previously served the two heroes, who simply nodded. He was at the store’s phone, probably calling emergency dispatch. Going through the door behind the counter revealed a small staff- and storage room, holding a few boxes of coffee beans and assorted snacks, with an open doorframe leading into the small kitchen. A second door, just past two sofa chairs and a coffee table, led into a back alley, chain link fence on either side of it, with a few other doors looking out into the alley. Down south, there was a sizeable door, and what looked like a driveway of some sorts, probably where the goods were delivered.

 

Bonfire leaned against the wall, out of breath already, and while panting, addressed the question about property. “Unless you want to run down to the Fens, nope. I don’t have any fancy headquarters yet, but it’s on the list. “

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

Witnesses!  All these witnesses!  I'll never be able to use this disguise again, not after so many people saw me in here!  Leviathan couldn't understand how Bonfire appeared so relatively calm about the whole event.  Did he intimately know the people here?  Would they cover for him?  That must be nice.  The other hero seemed to have the sheer charisma to pull it off, so perhaps he did have a whole network of civilian informants and helpers. 

 

In any case, Bonfire's lack of a local safehouse made his next decision for him.  He still winced, but agreed, "...No, that's too far.  We'll surely be caught by that time.  I know a closer place.  This way; follow me." 

[olopi]

GM

 

The two of them continued through Riverside. The passenger zones that made up most of it’s core meant that the people who had attacked would not have the cover of their car. Which was, depending on how one saw it, either a positive or a negative. The two hurried, Bonfire occasionally stumbling and taking a break of a few seconds. But, the longer they walked, the rarer that became, until soon, he was able to keep up the pace without problem.

 

After a jog of about 7 minutes, the two arrived at an average looking apartment. It looked just like all the others down the street, and for that matter, Parkside. Primarily made of bricks, with a few windows on every level. As Leviathan came to a stop, Bonfire looked at him, raising his eyebrow. He shot a few glances down both sides of the street, checking whether or not they were empty. Not seeing anybody, he addressed his colleague.

“Where now? This place?”

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

"This place."

 

Leviathan went to the door, took a key from his pocket, and unlocked both the knob and the deadbolt.  Inside, there was a short hallway ending in another sealed door, this time with a keypad.  He shamelessly shielded it from Bonfire's view before punching in a long series of numbers.  Clearly, this man took his security seriously.

 

But past all that, they entered what was probably a living room before Leviathan renovated the house; he apparently turned it into a tightly-packed library.  Every inch of free wall-space was lined with tall bookshelves, and most of the floor was full of tables, formally stacked with yet more books.  Curiously, they were now packaged into boxes.  Leviathan already planned to move soon, and if he hadn't, then he surely would after letting someone else in here. 

 

Stairs to their left would lead to the second floor, entirely devoted to his lab; even that much space still felt cramped and insufficient, accustomed as he was to the facilities of the Freedom Cross Institute.  But instead, Leviathan directed his guest to a door opposite to the main entrance.  Here were more boxes of books and a sprawling desktop computer with four monitors, most of which were currently showing the building's security cameras.  Through them, Bonfire could get a glimpse of the lab upstairs--also in the process of being packed up--and a small personal gym, probably in the room opposite to the stairs back in the library.  Odd, given that his host didn't have the physique for exercise...although on closer inspection, the equipment seemed designed for someone of inhuman size.  He had, of course, already encountered Leviathan's other, larger and scalier, half. 

 

"So," the host said briskly.  "All I saw was a gray sedan; I couldn't tell who was inside.  Any ideas?  I assume you've made your share of enemies.  Our line of work tends to attract them."

[olopi]

GM

 

Bonfire clearly was impressed by what he saw. Chances were any single room in this house was worth more than everything he owned combined. He followed Leviathan through, keeping his distance in order for the house’s owner to do his thing, and taking some glances at the rooms’ equipment. This was a pretty nice place, but there had to be a reason why he was planning to move. Perhaps Bonfire would have to ask at some point, but for now it seemed inappropriate.

 

As they stepped inside the computer room, Bonfire looked even more amazed. A whole room, dedicated to a computer. Four desktops! Four! And a bunch of other rooms, including some sort of lab, apparently. Which just made this man even more strange. What didn’t he know?

 

Cass took a chair, and focused his attention on his host, paying little attention to the things in the room, out of sincerity more than anything. No need to snoop around, after all. He pondered on the question, going deep into his mind to try and find an answer.

 

“No clue. I have no idea who would try hunting me down, or how they would…” and then, something inside his mind sparked, as he looked up, and scrambled to get out his laptop, handling it with care once he was reminded of its condition. He set it down on a table. “Actually, that might be it. My mind’s a bit hazy due to almost freezing, but I remember the laptop acting in a way it shouldn’t have.”

 

He folded it open, waiting for it to boot up, as he turned it so both of them could see it, and returned his attention to his host. “Think they tracked me down through it?”

Edited November 30, 2016 by olopi