exsiliumlogs | Operation: Roll Out

Entry tags:

Operation: Roll Out

Date & Time: January 31st - February 4th, Present Day Exsilium Time
Location: Neo Las Vegas, in what formerly was called Turkey.
Characters: All Transports!
Summary: Transports have been sent to Neo Las Vegas to gather information on the origin point of the United Earth and the UE AI. Conference sabotage and the rest is expected and invited!
Warnings: Gambling and alcoholic beverages quite likely! Please PM the mod account for anything else.

By day, the landscape isn't desert, precisely, so much as it is dry. Winter's settled in and found in the biting chill of the wind when it finds you standing on the street. Hovercars and taxis thrum down the cobblestone streets, cavorting and honking like a noisy crowd of inelegant, overweight geese. Men walk by on stilts half in make-up, on their way back to their stage for the next night. Walks of shame are taken proudly in this district, one of the few approved and sanctioned vacation zones in the United Earth.

Evidence of law enforcement can be found all around, but they seem altogether too pleased to be there too. Talk with any one of them about crime rates, and they're liable to laugh at the idea. Those who come to gamble know the house is rigged to win. It's not about making or breaking the bank -- people whose funds dip too low are politely escorted back to their rooms and given a set of normal playing cards -- but it is about enjoyment.

Of the flesh too, and it'd be difficult to find anyone working in Neo Las Vegas who suffers from modesty, or anyone visiting who seems unwilling to politely ask visitors and staff if they'd like to keep them company for the night. In fact, Transports may find themselves needing to turn down multiple such requests! The refusal is always taken well. These are people looking to have a good time, and that's all.

No chance taken, nothing gained, right?

At night, the city really comes alive, the lights in all the hotels and casinos turning the Neo Las Vegas Strip into a carnival of sensation. Drinks and recreational drugs are freely passed around, men and women engage in a variety of sexual and other hedonistic excesses without regret, and the beautiful interiors and ostentatious or playful exteriors of the buildings hide and reveal a rich tapestry of events, delectables, and desires waiting to be fulfilled.

Neo Las Vegas is a fun place, and it is a safe place, and it is Where the Conferences For Our Future Are Made. Playtime is on, gang.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ wow. it's hard to keep the growl out of his voice in response to that one, and by this point marduk has given up all pretenses towards this being a pleasant conversation between friendly acquaintances. ]

You don't have to put it like that. [ he is still adamant about the fact that he wasn't actively wanting to end up dead, okay-- part of him is disappointed that vanadi just doesn't seem to Get It. ] And you're the one who ran off.

[ He grits his teeth, fists clenched and looking tense. But — it's not worth it. Not here. Not when he has yet to fully articulate the specific reason for the anger. So instead he throws his hands up, who cares? whatever, and turns to stalk away. The twins can stay. It's a large city, there are plenty more beautiful people to pull up his mood, after the most important one has dragged it through the mud. ]

[ why is this familiar?

seriously, why is it-- marduk reaches out to snag vanadi by the arm before he goes, frowning all the while. ] Come on [ he hisses, pulling vanadi close again. trying to. he is kind of hard to move when he doesn't want to. ] How long are you going to avoid me?

[ He strongly considers yanking his arm out of Marduk's hand and walking on, but he's no longer as angry as he was when Marduk had come home wounded again. So he at least pauses, although doesn't allow himself to be pulled close.

Glaring back at him: ] How long do you intend to keep up meeting with her?

[ wince. the wording is the worst part, really.he has no idea whether or not this is the truth, but: ] There's no more intent. [ maybe.

admittedly, it's a strong temptation, given that he's escaped lasting consequence twice now-- aside from this, anyway. another tug on the arm, as though that reinforces his point somehow. ] Are you really going to storm off again? [ and that just sounds tired, if anything. ]

[ He watches him closely, and doesn't at all like what he sees. This time he does pull his arm away, but doesn't leave just yet. ]

It's tempting. [ His mouth twists wryly. ] You ought not lie to a liar.

I'm not lying--

[ not completely. he leans back when vanadi pulls away, shoving his hands in his pockets and slouching even more. ] If it's so tempting, then just go. [ see if he cares! ]

[ Maybe it's the slouch, maybe it's the defeat, but either way — Vanadi decides he doesn't entirely want to go. He likes Marduk far too much for that, as every little thing forcibly reminds him. So, with a light sigh, he moves in to rest a holographically-improved left hand at his cheek. ]

I will. But meet me tonight at the Stagecoach hotel.

[ Somewhere a little quieter than the middle of the casino. And he'll even strongly consider showing up there himself, depending on just where his anger sits by then. ]

[ whatever. marduk turns back towards the table without acknowledging him, even though he's already planning to go. "tonight" and "at the hotel" are all pretty vague, but he can work with that. probably.

it does take him a while to find the right place, after night falls (signs!) but he manages somehow. marduk hovers outside for a while, before giving up and heading in to the hotel lobby; somehow, he gets the feeling that he's going to be waiting a long time, assuming vanadi even shows up.

... hopefully he shows up. ]

[ Vanadi does, eventually, decide to put in an appearance. There had been a good deal of waffling, and a few times he'd decided that he didn't want to see Marduk at all tonight. But in the end, about forty-five minutes after Marduk arrives (he's hacked into the hotel's security camera network to be sure Marduk is there), Vanadi pushes his way in through the doors. He pauses, eyes Marduk, and makes for him resolutely. ]

[ by that point, marduk has resigned himself to sulking on a couch for the rest of the night. when vanadi comes in, then, it's impossible for him not to perk up a little. not being abandoned is always nice.

they are still at odds, though. he breaks off any and all eye contact immediately, pointedly staring off to the side when vanadi comes up to him. ]

You came. [ not that he thought he wouldn't, or anything. ]

[ After a moment of consideration, Vanadi sets himself down on the couch next to Marduk. Then after a moment more, he sighs and tips his head against Marduk's arm. It's difficult drawing out the cold shoulder act when you're generally so fond of someone.

Quietly: ] I have a room here — we might have some privacy, deactivate the emitters.

[ a pause, while he looks over at vanadi. eventually, he glances away again, shrugging a shoulder not currently occupied by anybody's head. ] If you want.

[ Does he want? He's not sure it was wise to offer that. What if the talk goes poorly, and then Marduk will know where to find Vanadi — he'll have to abandon the room and find somewhere else, that would be a hassle. But despite the trepidation, he sighs and lifts himself to his feet again. There's no verbal answer, just a toss of his head indicating that Marduk follow him, as he starts for the elevators. ]

[ he lingers just a moment extra on the couch before rising, getting up a little too instantly for his guise as a supposed "regular human." marduk hesitates again while he's standing, but catches up with vanadi just as the elevator arrives.

convenient. inside, he stays silent, just hovering near vanadi. he's not sure where this is going, really; physical contact is usually a good sign, or at least a step in the right direction, but it's barely anything compared to how things normally are. maybe...

he leans on vanadi-- just a little-- shoulder to shoulder. (kind of. short people...) he still doesn't say anything, and is still intensely interested in the elevator's wall, but it is more than he's usually willing to show in public. ]

[ They're headed for the 16th floor, so even though this elevator moves impressively quickly through the floors, there's still time for Vanadi to do nothing at first. It's his left side, and it's debateable whether he even feels that lean. Though, eventually, he twists his wrist to trace fingers over the back of Marduk's hand — fingers cold despite their hologram of skin. And when the door pings open he grabs for that hand as he starts forward, to pull Marduk along with him.

He releases him only when they reach the proper room, and he has to pull out his keycard to open the door. He makes a lazy after you gesture as he holds the door open for Marduk. ]

[ marduk doesn't mind being dragged along; if anything, he appreciates it. still, it's unexpected enough that he forgets to make a show of resisting it, and it takes him a second to mentally catch up once they're at the door.

fine, okay. he'll comply, going inside the room and immediately making a beeline for the nearest thing to sit on; in this case, the bed. he's half surprised to see that it really is empty, given where they are and who he's... with.

he lays down, dragging a pillow over his face and turning the emitter off in the same motion. vegas is the worst. ]

[ Vanadi closes the door behind himself and, after switching off his own emitter, leans back against it with a sigh. He's still not sure exactly what he wants to say, or how to get it out, but he's relatively sure that if he goes and sits down next to Marduk he'll start back up again with the touching. And that's really not going to help support his case much. So he stays where he is, eyes on the floor. ]

How much did you end up winning, then?

[ a long, long pause. ]

A lot. [ and all of it ultimately worthless. he sounds pleased with himself regardless, muffled though he is. cheating is real goddamn fun. he realizes then that vanadi has yet to join him on the bed; marduk shifts the pillow enough to be able to peer at him, his concerned frown remaining hidden. ]

So? [ so... he has no follow up, just that. ]

[ "A lot" is good. He makes a mental note to help Marduk get to spending all that, if... this goes well. Rather a lot depends on that, doesn't it? He scowls at the floor, long ears plainly set back now that they're no longer hidden. ]

Why did you see her again?

Because-- [ wait. wait. he sits up slowly, pillow falling to his lap as he leans on it. see, the thing is-- he doesn't remember there being any further conversation before-- nothing where vanadi could've gotten any information out of him, anyway.

which means... ] How do you even know it is a her.

[ Ah, there it is. He'd been waiting for it. With Marduk's reaction to Apollo standing forefront at his mind, he sets his jaw and glances away. ]

Seviilia. You wouldn't tell me, so I checked.

[ he hisses softly at that. does no one in exsilium have any respect for privacy? marduk has to literally bite his tongue to avoid lashing out immediately, opting instead to drag his hands down his face.

finally, he says: ] That's fucked. [ and leaves it at that. ]

[ He unfolds his arms to spread them, palms up, what can you do? ]

I never claimed to be particularly virtuous. [ He'll abuse the hell out of privacy if he has to. ]

[ no, no. that's bullshit. there are definitely things you can do that don't consitute snooping, and marduk has to fight down the urge to throw something at vanadi's face, gratifying though it would be. ]

Neither have I, but-- [ but! he falls back with nothing more aside from an irritated noise, pressing the pillow into his face. ]

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fuck it im done with using the right icons

oh does that mean i should stop using all of my many human icons too

U THINK UR FUNNY DONT U

yes :]

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