Ordinary Days

[Huitzil]

"Eh huh? What's going on?"

Paul shakes his head and slaps his face to wake himself up.

[Dracos]

Dracos respectfully declined the offer and then nods in response.  "A...tough and regrettable position for this man to be trapped in.  No man should have to choose between what they think is just and their duty.  But this is a telling tale, I wonder what this man choose to do in such a difficult position."

Dracos

[Brian]

Paul: The men say nothing, until the elevator opens in a hallway, and they motion you to follow them to an office.  You hear Dracos's voice echoing, but only catch the last few words: "...such a difficult position."

The men gesture you to enter the room.

Philip, Parthipan: Meanwhile, behind his desk, Richard can see out the door, and looks at someone you'd need to turn around to see.  "Ah, and then the last will come, and I can tell you the answer to your question, hmm?"  He gestures the unseen person in, still offering out the cigarette case.

[Huitzil]

Paul looks around at the hallway, looking to see if it looks like the one in his dream -- even though almost nothing there was definite, does it remind him of this hall?

After a quick look, Paul walks into the room with his hands in his pockets.

[Dracos]

Dracos glances back, recognizing Huitz and nodding.  "Looking better, man."

Dracos

[Brian]

Paul:  This place is way too boring and stable to be out of your dream.

Regardless, Paul enters the room, and a few minutes later, a (very sleepy looking) Box-cutter kid joins you.  "Please, sit," Richard insists, offering everyone who hasn't refused a cigarette before he continues.

[Huitzil]

Paul waves his hand to say thanks for the offer, but I don't want one. He sits down and almost immediately puts his elbows on his knees, then his head between his wrists. He holds the position for only a few seconds before sitting up straight again.

[Brian]

The box-cutter kid palms a cigarette, and vanishes it.  Richard shrugs, waves a hand (causing the door to close (Philip is not aware of any kind of magical energy in this exchange)), and lights a cigarette for himself.

"So, now, this man tells himself, 'This is simple.  I will allow them some time in freedom to heal, and then, I will do my duty, as I am told, and capture them.'  This seems simple, yes?

"But it is not.  For this man, this puppet -- and this is our second story -- gets word that some terrorists, let us say that their symbol is a hammer, are going to extract vengance on someone they thought was loyal to them.  Someone who didn't want anyone to die, as it turns out."  Richard looks at the box-cutter kid, who is studying his own shoes with fascination.

"Mm.  And then this man does what he can -- he must stop these terrorists, no?  Of course.  But he is too late.

"Those he was told he had to capture have already stopped the terrorists, and helping eachother instead of stabbing one-another in the back, as they were supposed to.

"This man then, begins to wonder if, perhaps, he doesn't really know who the bad guys are after all?"  He takes a deep breath, then blows out his smoke towards an open window.  A desk fan pushes it out before it gets in anyone's faces.  "What do you think?" he asks.

[Dracos]

"I'd say the man knows much but not enough and that there are many many forces going about.  Who is good and bad is perhaps, not so simple?  We'd like to simply say that the one's telling the man these things are bad, corrupt at the core, but life isn't that simple, is it?  They simply see things differently and are, how to put this, more willing to tell tales and sacrifice people to see that their vision of how things are and should be is the only vision."

Dracos

[Brian]

"Then we see eye-to-eye," Richard says, shrugging.  "I will tell you then, a third story.

"In this story, the puppet becomes allies with the people he was supposed to capture, if only for a while.  In this story, he sends those he should capture off for a train, along with one of his own puppets.

"This puppet is driving a bus, which breaks down.  He is knocked unconscious near a train-station, and his savings are stolen from him.  Unfortunately, this is a busy train-station, so our captors, they swiftly vanish into the lobby, buying tickets to who-knows-where, because they paid in cash.

"It is a pity, and the man will be in trouble.  His supervisors will be very angry."  He takes a long drag on his cigarette.  "But, the man, this puppet, maybe ... would be taking a step to cut his strings.

"Now we just need to find out.  With his strings cut, does he lie still an unmoving, or does he walk on his own?  Time will tell."

He shrugs.  "It is time for you to go."

The door opens, and the Toms enter.  "The transport is ready," they say.

[Dracos]

Dracos nodded and quickly fired off a question as he moved to comply, gesturing for the others to get their arses in gear.  "Thanks.  And good luck.  Any chance our bags were retrieved?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"Your things will be sent along," Richard assures you.  "Those, too, will need to be studied."  BCK follows uncertainly, sticking closest to Paul.  The Toms lead you to a large van.  It's comfortable looking, at least.  Your driver is a shifty-eyed wiry model of a man, who eyes you warily, nodding to someone who can't see it before saying, "Okay," and hanging up his cell-phone.

[Dracos]

Dracos leads the group in, sits down near the front of the bus if possible and relaxes, glancing around and analyzing the state of the rest of the group.

"Hum...  There are more things in heaven and earth then are dreamed of in our philosophies."

He shakes his head, lying back for the long trip and waiting for them to at least get a little distance between themselves and the interpol place before saying anything more.

Dracos

[Brian]

The van doesn't really have a 'far back', since it has two rows of seats behind the driver.  But you sit down and settle in for the ride anyway.

[Bjorn]

To all of Nathan, Dracos, Paul, and Ginrai:

Knock knock.