[A vision approaches Arthur - sort of. Although the details are fuzzy, he is in the cockpit of an airplane, and he’s pissed. Not at anything in particular, but more like a hatred of everything around him that burns like dry ice. He has a few iPad-like devices with him, one to watch the maps and the other to watch the various areas of the plane. Suddenly, there’s a call. To the person Arthur’s seeing through, it’s that cloying snobby teenager, the Approach. Arthur will recognize the voice of their host, Hiyori Tono - that is, if he can recognize the voice while it’s more full of personality and emotion.]
Ahoyyyyyy, Captain...!
[The “Captain” squints his eyes indignantly while he turns toward the voice, thinking please, this greeting is more for a sailing captain. He refuses to dignify it with a response, but the Approach keeps talking.]
You must have heard we're having a meeting soon. Want an invitation? ….Because, too bad.
[He has no intention of leaving the cockpit to go to the rest of the plane that he has enthusiastically filled with snakes. But the iPad is here and he can easily find this guy. There he is sitting on a barstool talking to him on his smartphone when he thinks he’s alone. Is that a perrier he’s drinking? He’s such a little bitch. The Captain clicks his tongue.]
Oh yeah? What's your plan for hiding it, huh?
Oh, no plan~ What's your plan for hiding from us that you have a gun? Same idea. Information is power, but only one type.
[This makes him laugh. Right, the gun… it’s nearby, as Arthur can see as he glances at it. But Eddie Kim (that’s his name, he’s thinking in the third person) has so much more up his sleeve than that. This is just… well. It’s just a little fun. Just a little something he’s using to start up that enjoyable game those arrogant-yet-whiny people kept going on about. Well, not like he’d never heard of it in passing. The witch he’s working with, to do this whole titles-and-powers experiment in exchange for the deadliest snakes known to the world, MIGHT have dropped in something about killing. It just seemed like typical witch shit, especially with The Outcast calling him a Witch of Aviation as soon as he decided to go on with it. In any case, The Approach is someone he can have plenty of fun with too, casually zooming in the iPad to watch his reaction. Honestly, messing with people like this is the entire reason he gave anyone the option to call him at all. Certainly not because he was planning to be reasoned with.]
Sure. Just like I'm sure you know I'm only using a gun so you all can know the exact moment your friends and loved ones bite the dust…
[The noise the naive brat makes is priceless. So is his scared look, the way his jaw drops almost to the floor. Gotcha! Well, not that he’s joking at all. He banters with him a bit more, before deciding to drop him some bait. After all, the Approach - Hiyori? Whatever - he used to be some kind of normal guy. Not even born a weapon like Eddie. Compared to all these outlandish strangers, wouldn’t it be fun to see them go down instead? This guy with a superior fucking attitude despite how powerless he is has even made a couple enemies.]
Anyway, what can I do for you? You looking for some tips on how to kill? Since you're so interested in my weapon and all.
[The boy seems a lot more faltering now. C’mon, don’t pussy out once he’s deciding to be generous.]
W-well—
I do kinda wanna ask you for a... I don't wanna call it a favor and be in debt to someone like you, but I figured... waiting for us to kill each other, you must be getting bored, so, won't you hear out my request?
[Someone like him, huh? This fucker would have no right to ask a favor if he doesn’t have the sense to have some manners around him. ...He got the nail on the head with his boredom though. Flying the plane for this long is pretty goddamn tedious, and no one’s even trying to save their stupid hostages yet. So much for on-flight entertainment! But he could always go shoot some of them himself to watch them cry. Depending on how bad this guy’s request is, his friends could be next.]
Oh, trust me, I've got plenty more ideas on how to keep it spicy up here. But why not? Shoot.
[There’s some kind of mixture of hope and nerves on Hiyori’s suddenly smiling face now. Must be glad he’s actually getting some kind of chance, the poor bastard.]
Alright!
So.
So...!
Ikuya is with you, right?
[That isn’t precisely the case at the moment he’s speaking to him. The hostages are on another plane with Rachel - not another airplane of course, but a plane of existence overlapped with the one they’re on. He can only go there when she alters his frequency for him. It’s part of the experiment, but not too much of a pain. There’s a black snake at his heels that’s a part of her alternate form, and it does the job. He never knew how complex magic was until he met this particular witch. But it’s not too important, he can just tell The Approach a technical truth. There’s a hmph from him, a puff of air from his nose as he feels smug at how he thinks to word it.]
Everyone on that list is there. I can promise you that.
Okay! Great!
[Hiyori is looking confident for a second before his expression thoroughly melts. It looks completely pitiful.]
Can I... Can I hear his voice one last time again?
Please.
[Just a voice? Seriously? Eddie is stunned by the exploitability of it all. Wouldn’t he think the Captain would love to go find this Ikuya putz and make him scream with his electricity over the phone? It would be so easy… too easy, really, he’d get bored with that in an instant. But it’s such a human request isn’t it. Not something so presumptuous like ‘spare my friends’ or whatever. It even sounds like he accepted his fate. He said ‘please.’ Hmmm….but even if he’s got some appreciation for this, that’s no reason to go soft. None of these fucking strangers are special enough to get a favor, no matter if Eddie decides he likes them or not. But…. what if he could earn it? And earn it in the way he wants to see from someone like this kid? After a moment of thought, Arthur can feel a nasty grin pull across his face. A murder with no consequences in exchange for the prize would be good, right? He’ll even be fair and offer it to everyone. He’ll even let him see Ikuya, since he’s raising the stakes. Isn’t he just so nice? But the kid has his little meeting to run, might as well throw in the monkey wrench to the plans after they all think they’re getting organized. So he stays in his seat, looking down at the snake he can send to play with the lucky winner as he teases his newest inspiration.]
Well, doesn't that just touch your heart. Maaaybe I can arrange a little something like that... but as a privilege? Nah. I'm not a charity worker here!
You hold your meeting and I'll hold my tongue for it. You'll be hearing from me soon after.
[With that, the Captain hangs up on the call without giving the boy another moment to react… the vision begins to swirl out of focus, although in the mist he might hear the excited noises of a dog and smell a chocolate bar, a voice that sounds just like Akira’s encouraging him.]
IT'S EDDIE!!!!!!!!! don't mind the sock I'm not a mod anymore. After Trial 3 I guess
Ahoyyyyyy, Captain...!
[The “Captain” squints his eyes indignantly while he turns toward the voice, thinking please, this greeting is more for a sailing captain. He refuses to dignify it with a response, but the Approach keeps talking.]
You must have heard we're having a meeting soon. Want an invitation? ….Because, too bad.
[He has no intention of leaving the cockpit to go to the rest of the plane that he has enthusiastically filled with snakes. But the iPad is here and he can easily find this guy. There he is sitting on a barstool talking to him on his smartphone when he thinks he’s alone. Is that a perrier he’s drinking? He’s such a little bitch. The Captain clicks his tongue.]
Oh yeah? What's your plan for hiding it, huh?
Oh, no plan~ What's your plan for hiding from us that you have a gun? Same idea. Information is power, but only one type.
[This makes him laugh. Right, the gun… it’s nearby, as Arthur can see as he glances at it. But Eddie Kim (that’s his name, he’s thinking in the third person) has so much more up his sleeve than that. This is just… well. It’s just a little fun. Just a little something he’s using to start up that enjoyable game those arrogant-yet-whiny people kept going on about. Well, not like he’d never heard of it in passing. The witch he’s working with, to do this whole titles-and-powers experiment in exchange for the deadliest snakes known to the world, MIGHT have dropped in something about killing. It just seemed like typical witch shit, especially with The Outcast calling him a Witch of Aviation as soon as he decided to go on with it. In any case, The Approach is someone he can have plenty of fun with too, casually zooming in the iPad to watch his reaction. Honestly, messing with people like this is the entire reason he gave anyone the option to call him at all. Certainly not because he was planning to be reasoned with.]
Sure. Just like I'm sure you know I'm only using a gun so you all can know the exact moment your friends and loved ones bite the dust…
[The noise the naive brat makes is priceless. So is his scared look, the way his jaw drops almost to the floor. Gotcha! Well, not that he’s joking at all. He banters with him a bit more, before deciding to drop him some bait. After all, the Approach - Hiyori? Whatever - he used to be some kind of normal guy. Not even born a weapon like Eddie. Compared to all these outlandish strangers, wouldn’t it be fun to see them go down instead? This guy with a superior fucking attitude despite how powerless he is has even made a couple enemies.]
Anyway, what can I do for you? You looking for some tips on how to kill? Since you're so interested in my weapon and all.
[The boy seems a lot more faltering now. C’mon, don’t pussy out once he’s deciding to be generous.]
W-well—
I do kinda wanna ask you for a... I don't wanna call it a favor and be in debt to someone like you, but I figured... waiting for us to kill each other, you must be getting bored, so, won't you hear out my request?
[Someone like him, huh? This fucker would have no right to ask a favor if he doesn’t have the sense to have some manners around him. ...He got the nail on the head with his boredom though. Flying the plane for this long is pretty goddamn tedious, and no one’s even trying to save their stupid hostages yet. So much for on-flight entertainment! But he could always go shoot some of them himself to watch them cry. Depending on how bad this guy’s request is, his friends could be next.]
Oh, trust me, I've got plenty more ideas on how to keep it spicy up here. But why not? Shoot.
[There’s some kind of mixture of hope and nerves on Hiyori’s suddenly smiling face now. Must be glad he’s actually getting some kind of chance, the poor bastard.]
Alright!
So.
So...!
Ikuya is with you, right?
[That isn’t precisely the case at the moment he’s speaking to him. The hostages are on another plane with Rachel - not another airplane of course, but a plane of existence overlapped with the one they’re on. He can only go there when she alters his frequency for him. It’s part of the experiment, but not too much of a pain. There’s a black snake at his heels that’s a part of her alternate form, and it does the job. He never knew how complex magic was until he met this particular witch. But it’s not too important, he can just tell The Approach a technical truth. There’s a hmph from him, a puff of air from his nose as he feels smug at how he thinks to word it.]
Everyone on that list is there. I can promise you that.
Okay! Great!
[Hiyori is looking confident for a second before his expression thoroughly melts. It looks completely pitiful.]
Can I... Can I hear his voice one last time again?
Please.
[Just a voice? Seriously? Eddie is stunned by the exploitability of it all. Wouldn’t he think the Captain would love to go find this Ikuya putz and make him scream with his electricity over the phone? It would be so easy… too easy, really, he’d get bored with that in an instant. But it’s such a human request isn’t it. Not something so presumptuous like ‘spare my friends’ or whatever. It even sounds like he accepted his fate. He said ‘please.’ Hmmm….but even if he’s got some appreciation for this, that’s no reason to go soft. None of these fucking strangers are special enough to get a favor, no matter if Eddie decides he likes them or not. But…. what if he could earn it? And earn it in the way he wants to see from someone like this kid? After a moment of thought, Arthur can feel a nasty grin pull across his face. A murder with no consequences in exchange for the prize would be good, right? He’ll even be fair and offer it to everyone. He’ll even let him see Ikuya, since he’s raising the stakes. Isn’t he just so nice? But the kid has his little meeting to run, might as well throw in the monkey wrench to the plans after they all think they’re getting organized. So he stays in his seat, looking down at the snake he can send to play with the lucky winner as he teases his newest inspiration.]
Well, doesn't that just touch your heart. Maaaybe I can arrange a little something like that... but as a privilege? Nah. I'm not a charity worker here!
You hold your meeting and I'll hold my tongue for it. You'll be hearing from me soon after.
[With that, the Captain hangs up on the call without giving the boy another moment to react… the vision begins to swirl out of focus, although in the mist he might hear the excited noises of a dog and smell a chocolate bar, a voice that sounds just like Akira’s encouraging him.]