eight □ video. joint.

[ex_engineers208]

[ The video opens on a sub-basement laboratory of the Xavier Institute. There stands who else but...Sydney Greenstreet? He gives the audience a small, knowing smile as he stands there in his rotundity in a black suit, holding a cigar. ]

Mm hmm hmm. I distrust a man whose trust for other men is determined more by his trusts than his distrusts. There is no trust without discretion, and in that scrutiny we develop the distrusts that determine our interactions with the world at large. I do like a man who tells you upfront that he distrusts you, saves the time of founding a trust that only disguises the true distrust present.

[ Once he's done he gives his audience a very stern look that holds for all of five seconds before it starts to crack, erupting into a hearty laugh. When he continues, his voice is different, now a rich, purring baritone that may sound familiar. ]

I'd like to present to you the X-Club's latest invention, a new take on an old classic... ( science within. )

Anyhoo, we’re on the tail end a’ publishin’ the results a’ the headline project, but if y’wanna donate a hint a’ tissue for the sciences... it’d be much obliged, yeah? There were some concerns last time it came up that I wasn't... [ In the mood to deal with. ] ...available to answer, that we'd like to be more upfront with now. What we're looking for for is proof of physiological connections between imPorts that are absent in the native populace, so obviously we'll need a reasonably sized sampling pool of imPort volunteers.

So, y’know, with that lil’ hint a’ clarity -- please? We got cash, alright?

[ They both give big, slightly desperate smiles for the camera before the feed cuts. ]

red is madison, blue is hank

video;

[prince_of_thorns]

[ The video starts with what appears to be a garden - however, anyone paying attention may notice that it's actually the inside of a house covered in various plants. And while his voice can be heard, Phobos is nowhere to be seen. ]

I always assumed that giving flowers as gifts was just some silly tradition that Meridianites had, but it has come to my attention that humans do it as well.

What is it that is considered romantic about receiving a beautiful thing that will just end up dying? And roses, in particular. I would feel insulted if someone gave me a flower that had to be practically mutilated to be so much as handled as a symbol of a relationship.

nine: voice

[hastheedge]

[la la la not talking about the Hunt unless someone brings it up, repression is awesome isn't it.]

I know we've gotten some new arrivals lately, so I'll say this again. I'm David Xanatos, head of Xanatos Enterprises. We're small compared to some of the other businesses in the city, but we're always hiring. Xanatos Enterprises mostly focuses on defense contracts, though we are open to expansion.

[a pause.]

On a more personal note, does anybody know the name of a good cleaning service? One that can hopefully get scorch marks off of the walls. It's a tough order, I know, but you'd think that business in the City would adapt to the more...unique situations we bring.

[Private to Kenzi, Kang and Isaac]
Please tell me that the business hasn't fallen apart during my unforseen absence. I'll be in later anyway, but any sort of confirmation is good.

Day Two, Fifth Hour // Voice // Backdated to during the Wild Hunt

[out_of_time]

[Jack's voice sounds strained. He has to yell over the noise of a raging storm: thunder booming like hoofbeats, driving rain spattering against a window, wind howling outside.]

Something's wrong. Something's wrong, I can feel it. Call it intuition, call it gut instinct, I don't know. There's something out there.

[Jack sighs. His voice has a quiver to it, as though he is shivering. The storm moans in the background. Hail rattles like bones. A Wild Hunt that targets those with blood on their hands really sucks for someone who's killed as many people as Jack Bauer.]

I think it's coming for me. I'm being watched. Don't ask how, I just know. And the staff here, they keep telling me nothing's wrong with the hospital's heat. This place is freezing! Whatever's happening, it's not natural. [His voice is a growl.] I've tried to warn them, but they just say the building's secure. We're running out of time and they're not listening!

[Jack is yelling now, but he can barely be heard over the wind. The howling is building in pitch, sounding less like weather now than it does the hunting cry of a pack of angry animals. Jack breathes for a moment, listening.]

It's not safe here. Not for me, not for anyone near me.