ic inbox;

[madhatted]

[The voice that of the message is probably not the one you expect. And if you're Gilbert, probably causes traumatic flashbacks. It's certainly Break's voice, but a bit high pitched and more comical...]

Hello, this is Emily! You're obviously an idiot who can't even come see someone in person if it's important, but I'll take pity on you anyways. Leave a message and I'll tell the wonderful and charming Mr. Break about it if it's worth it!

[are you sure you even want to leave a message now]

Comments

[madhatted]

I do worry about it, either way. I find it difficult to view even the opening of the North side of this city as something truly good. I may be a bit paranoid, but being suspicious in a dangerous situation is a good thing, isn't it?

[But he'll take his bite of the cake, smiling brightly in delight, but it returns to a more neutral level as he continues with the conversation at hand]

North and West are distinctions that interest me, though. Where did those names come from, out of curiosity? It implies that there's a South and East, after all.

[expiatrice]

[She shakes her head.]

What you're saying is perfectly reasonable. In fact, people who were here when the North side was first revealed all have more reasons to be suspicious of it, considering the decay and hallucinations that many have experienced. Nevertheless, it's our only source of fresh food and more luxurious goods, so we can't be picky over the matter.

[Her eyes light up at the reaction too, but she won't address it as she regains her calm fairly quickly to continue the explanation.]

Haven West is what's written at the entrance of the Subway station, the same goes for North on the other side, and you would be correct on that assumption. I wasn't here back then, but I do know that at some point, everyone in the apartment complex has been brought over to Haven East during their sleep for a few days. There was a Hospital there, and people met the doctor Philip Kite for the first time. People then woke back up here the same way they were taken over, Haven East hasn't been reaccessed since. [a beat.] It's the same way how we were taken to Haven North too, as a note.

[madhatted]

[Break listens again with serious, rapt attention, and it's almost clear on his face that he's memorizing and filing away every detail. The more he learns, the stranger things become, but that in itself was rather familiar, honestly...

So he nods, taking another bite of cake before he continues.]

Your information is invaluable, Miss Ciel. I'll have to be thankful for every meeting that there's at least one person who can give me reliable information.

[oh gross is that a compliment it sure sounded like one]

But in any case, all I can think of is to simply keep ourselves well-stocked to react to what may come. It's hardly ideal, but without actual people to interrogate... Ah, it makes waiting the only real action, doesn't it? I would love to speak to the good doctor myself, though I would also venture to guess that he has little of use to say.

[expiatrice]

It's okay, really. [She gives a small sigh, and leans back a bit in the chair.] It would help everyone to learn more, so I pass on what I can.

[it's ok she'll wash her hands after and everything, we'll keep things clean!!]

In part, yes. [...

she does seem to grow more thoughtful.]

We do have the option of making a move too, but... the Convenience Store is a really dangerous place. [just saiyan.] And that would be right, unfortunately. There was a time when Kite was put at the mercy of everyone here. Most took the chance to beat him up or kill him, but he regenerated on the spot every time, kind of like a reptile. And before that, he just antagonized everyone through random murders, so... well, you could imagine the type of person he is from that sort of thing, right? [Her expression turns sheepish at that. Cray cray doctor off his rockers playing with our lives, nbd just another day in Haven etc...]

[madhatted]

The Cnvenience Store? You'll have to tell me more about that, since I haven't heard anything about it. [He sips at his tea, then adds,] Why would that be the place to "move" towards?

[expiatrice]

The building is next to the Subway station, and as you may notice, it's boarded up. It's also the only other place in Haven West that has electricity, this apartment complex set aside. People have tried organizing raids and attempted break-ins in order to find out more about Haven overall, but the place also makes rampant use of everyone's worst secrets and fears, emulated to very impressive degrees that can truly become hard to distinguish from reality. [All that is said more quietly as she simply stares down into the cup. There's a certain air of detachment, though that may or may not be just a figment of one's imagination...?

She briefly closes her eyes.]

Well, it's the only place accessible through effort inside the barrier, which marks it as a 'goal', I suppose. Does that explain it?

[madhatted]

[Break watches with sharp eyes, and he really can't help it. With such an interesting and tantalizing piece of information in front of him, he can't help but want to dig at it.]

It does. And the fact that it actively uses our skeletons, as you've said, makes it even more interesting. Logic says it's to protect a secret inside.

["But..."]

But how far have people been able to breach it despite that?

[expiatrice]

Of course, that's a very reasonable conclusion.

[she gives a small sigh.]

I don't know about that, unfortunately. You could ask around though, there are some people who've been here longer who've attempted investigating from the very beginning.

[That's about as much info as she's willing to give out, alas... Nothing personal to you, Break. More personal to her, let's say. At least... she's putting on a relatively convincing act of a bystander...?]

[madhatted]

[Enough to where he'll accept it, so he sighs in turn, twirling the fork whimsically between his fingers]

Ahh, too bad! But I'll ask around, as you've suggested... Still, it gives me something interesting to consider. I wouldn't venture in there myself without a very good reason, from the sounds of it, but... [shrugs] If there's something worth the time after all, I might take a gamble.

[expiatrice]

Aha, you may as well find a way to go to Haven North and spend some time at the library there instead. I'm sure more attempts to infiltrate the store will be organized in the future, you could stay alert for announcements about that, if nothing else.

[She smiles in a nondescript way as she continues to calmly sip her own cup. ...Yeah, nnnnot really keen on going back. Not now, at least, small miracles that she's fake enough for her autopilot mode to still work ok despite it all.]