2017-04-22: Interrogation Revelation
- Log: Interrogation Revelation
- Cast: Xantia, Elhaym van Houten
- Where: Gentleman's Aisle
- Date: April 22nd, 2017
- Summary: Xantia's strength gets her accused of cheating at arm wrestling. Someone on staff(?), who surely has no hidden agenda, helps her out of this jam... and to realize something important.
===========================<* Gentleman's Aisle *>============================ The Gentleman's Aisle is a row of attractions set up in a hard-to-reach corner of the Adlehyde Fairgrounds that abuts the only door into an old abandoned storage building. Men and women in fine suits run a variety of game stalls frequently involving fire in one way or another, with an almost constant haze of cigar smoke rolling from the Aisle whenever its in operation. In the back of the Aisle is a small bar booth with a remarkable variety of alcohol for the area that seats around eight people manned by a charmingly inept bartender. Near the bar is a wide table surrounded by signs challenging all comers to arm-wrestle a genuine Beastman - the huge German Shepherd man that is usually there seems like he'd rather be napping in a corner. The games are all fairly rigged, but players tend to win enough free drinks to not worry about it all that much. A very few people are permitted into the storage building, the door mostly hidden behind an extravagant, brightly lit stall. The building has been taken over by the Black Ties, hoarded rugs and furniture from various heists appointing the hangout in a chaotic mish-mash of styles and textures. Most important work is done in the basement, where a long wooden table has been placed uncomfortably near a large firepit. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptef8e_ZGic
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Having been labelled a Potential Person of Interest first by one Fargo Foobach after a problematic Black Ties 'Operation' and then by Kahm Yugh after he managed to finally track her down, the name Xantia is one not unfamiliar to Solaris. She is easily identified by name and general description by most anybody who's been in the Adlehyde environs for a reasonable length of time during the past couple of months. She tends to leave an impression, given her bright, outgoing personality and her habit to start spontaneous conversations with perfect strangers at the drop of a hat.
Notable traits reportedly include absurd physical strength and a possibly even more absurd appetite, the latter easily proven by Kahm's expense account having a strangely large chunk devoted to food after meeting her. She seems the simple-minded sort, taking things at face value and easily trusting others. This was explained by, as was learned in her previous interrogation, the fact that she has a serious case of amnesia, not recalling anything that happened longer than a few months ago.
Kahm's cover story, as Marcus Rider, included working for a missing person's agency, which Xantia easily bought into. Naturally she couldn't tell him much, but it's known that the first thing she remembers is waking up in a bed, in a Baskar village, and being told that they found her collapsed in the desert. She's had the 'bracer' she wears, presumed to a custom-made ARM possibly using Solarian technology, for as long as she can remember. Although she's been looking ever since, it seems that nobody has been able to tell her anything about her identity. Lately, she has been asking people about Gears more than anything else, seemingly trying to learn as much about them as she can.
Which brings us to the current moment in time. Xantia still proves difficult to actively track down, as while many know her, she rarely stays in one spot for very long. Gentleman's Aisle isn't a place she has spent much time, but that's where she can be found now. After watching the various goings-on with interest without participating, she found one activity that seemed to have her name all over it: arm wrestling.
It didn't take long for her to get in trouble over it, having broken a table after smashing an opponent's hand straight through it, causing her to be questioned by two 'Security gentlemen'. Suspicion understandably fell on her bracer, the logical assumption being that it had something to do with her feat, an accusation she's now desperately trying to refute. "Nooo, it's just for show, it doesn't do anything! You want me to take it off and do it over? That's fine, bring another table over! I'll break it again, you'll see!" She'll do it, too!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
A new table is one thing, but the Black Tie Shirt (aka, lowest level of the gang) who goes back to fetch one also informs someone else, who in turn goes into the nondescript warehouse which is currently full of the industrial cargo known as 'a hidden forward base for Solaris Intelligence.' Elhaym van Houten, who had been filing photo recon reports, is immediately activated to come deal with this.
Since Xantia is already a Person of Interest, a quick parallel plan is established, and this takes another vital minute - during which Xantia is to be kept in place for a second go around - because Elly has to prepare.
This is why Elly has her hair up in a high but somewhat messy ponytail and lashed with a heavy-duty piece of ribbon, along with a crisp white men's shirt and a pair of black slacks, as she emerges. Is she 'in the gang'? No. But she doesn't seem to be obviously not in the gang, either.
Coming up behind Xantia, she waits til her latest struggle is ended, and then speaks: "Excuse me, ma'am? Can I ask you to take a break and step over here with me for a moment? Finish up if you've already got your money down, though," Elly says, putting her hands in her pockets. "You're in no trouble, don't worry."
These feel weird, Elly thinks. How do they wear such close-fitting pants so much of the time?
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
The plan to keep Xantia busy is simple: give her the second chance that she requested. The new table is brought up, a new opponent is arranged - one with significantly beefier arms than the last one - and she's to wrestle without the aid of the bracer this time. At the last second, however, she changes her mind about taking off the bracer, instead offering the suggestion, "Wait, I know. I can use my other hand instead! How's that?"
Though agreement in wrestling left-handed was quickly reached, the assumption that this would change anything proved to be in error. Regardless of the presumed off-hand, the bracer not being a factor, and the stronger opponent, the exact same thing happens, costing the Aisle its second table and bruised arm, not to mention bruised ego.
After some deliberation, Xantia receives her winnings, though not without being informed she's not welcome at the arm wrestling tables anymore. "Huh? Why?" Xantia's confusion receives no response, but she's not about to press the issue. That was the easiest money she's ever made, so the way she sees it, it makes sense that you're not allowed to play this game more than once.
Besides, she soon has another person to turn her attention to. After a moment of regarding Elly with curiosity, she readily agrees, "Sure! I guess I'm done here, anyway. What's the matter?"
Following Elly to wherever she wishes, Xantia puts her hands - and her money - in the pockets of her shorts as well. Don't ask her how people wear pants. She used to, but quickly fixed it to be more comfortable. And that's why she now wears ripped denim shorts in an age where that isn't a fashion statement.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"Well, let's have a seat first," Elly says, walking Xantia towards the back of the alley where she may be more easily murdered without witnesses by her terrifying Ether p- er- where, presumably, they can talk more easily - Oh, look, a bar! Elly wedges over to two stools on either side of the double-length kiosk, gesturing to Xantia to sit.
"Please, have a drink on me," Elly continues, before letting Xantia choose something herself. Elly requests a lemonade, although it seems this is a lemonade with at least a bit of something else in it. Day-drinking is vital to maintaining cover.
"Nothing's exactly... the matter," Elly continues. "But I've heard you're doing really well at the arm-wrestling competitions - I've seen the tables to prove it - and I hear it has something to do with a... power wrist?"
DRINKS. Elly picks up her glass of mildly stiffened lemonade and takes a sip, looking at Xantia with gentle eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia sees nothing wrong with following a strange woman to a bar and letting them buy her a drink. A lot of people have been nice enough to give her things without her needing to ask, no reason to assume this is any different. "Oh, thanks! That's really nice of you!" That bright, innocent smile of hers might have something to do with it, but she's not so conscious of it to actively mean to weaponize it.
For her part, she orders a fruit cocktail. Without knowing what it is, but it sounded good, like something that might satisfy hunger as well as thirst. However, it only takes one sip for her to realize, "Blech, this has alcohol in it! I didn't want that, I just wanted fruit!" With a sour face, she places the glass back on the bar, not intending to touch it again.
Her mood isn't improved by the mention of a power wrist. Not this again. "No, no, my bracer has nothing to do with it! It doesn't do anything, see?" She displays the object adorning her arm for inspection, as if this would be able to prove her claims.
Kahm's judgement is the one more likely to be on the mark, however. The large metal object, covering one side of almost the full length of her right arm, is definitely a piece of technology, and almost certainly no more than a few years old. It doesn't exactly follow the standard conventions of standard issue Solarian military gear, but it would fit right in with it. Judging from the opening at its far end, combined with the fact that Xantia reportedly fought using martial arts, the most logical conclusion to reach would be that this is an ARM meant to support her fighting style, likely some kind of arm blade.
Which begs the question... why the claim that it doesn't do anything? No report would ever claim that she's the type who would be capable of lying about anything with a straight face.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly doesn't judge Xantia rejecting the drink. "Do you just want a juice?" she asks, because now, perhaps, that cocktail will go to the bartender. Or something.
Then the bracer is revealed. Elly has less experience than Kahm, of course, but that make, she thinks. Could it be from those people? That would have a certain logic, though if they're already putting agents in the area... a remote control device?
Her attention comes back up to Xantia. "You should be careful, ma'am," Elly tells her. "Even if it's not doing anything, that thing looks like an ARM. You could have someone try to take it from you. People do desperate things at the drop of a hat... and hats drop easily, in this messed-up world."
Elly sips her lemonade, straight-faced.
"But you mean it didn't have anything to do with your... with your success?" Elly smiles at that. "You must be really strong, then..."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia only nods in response to just wanting a juice. That look on her face, she's like a child who just got a disappointing present. Devoid of any tact, just letting you know how awful she thinks it is.
Any misery or annoyance with people constantly doubting that she's actually that strong quickly vanishes when Elly offers her judgement on her 'bracer', however. "Huh, really?" She brings the implied weapon close to her face, examining it in a new light. Apparently, she somehow never considered that it might be an ARM before. It's all the more obvious by the fact that she aims the opening at the end straight at her face, not seeing the potential danger in doing that. Fortunately, nothing ends up happening. Not that there was much chance of it, if she didn't figure out this much by now.
Still, she decides, "You know, I think you're right! Maybe it really is an ARM! But if so, how does it work...?" She frowns at the object that's been with her for as long as she can remember. Is this something she used to fight with? Unfortunately, no memories are triggered to confirm or deny this. With a shake of her head, she agrees, "I suppose I'd better be careful about that then." And then a bright smile appears. "Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me, I've been trying to find out what this is for so long!" The mystery may not be decisively solved yet, but this is a very significant lead!
Now in an extremely good mood again, she cheerfully answers Elly's following question. "Yup, I sure am! I can break anything!" She sure seems proud of this.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly sips her lemonade as Xantia thinks and reaches a confirmation, or at least, some interior feeling. "You don't know how it works...? Where did you get it? I mean," she adds with a little hastiness, possibly feigned, "just in general, I understand if you're a Digger, you might have a secret site or something."
The glass in her ice - or is it the other way around? - clinks. She takes in a deep breath of the slightly stifling air of the alley, before asking, "Anything? Really? Well, I hope you won't break any more of our tables... But just how much is 'anything'?"
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia's cheer fades as she's one again forced to admit, "I don't know... I've had it for as long as I can remember, but that isn't very long. I don't really know anything about myself, either." She smiles again, though with sadness visible in her eyes. "I guess you haven't seen me anywhere before either." Disheartening as it is that none of the many people she's talked to knows anything about her, she can't say that she hasn't gotten used to it. All the more reason to be excited about even the slightest possible lead.
It's thus only a short moment before the smile turns more genuinely cheerful again, Xantia becoming more animated regarding a topic that she's happier to talk about. "Lots of things! There was, um, let's see..." She taps her chin, taking a moment to recall a good example. "Oh yeah! There was a cave-in that trapped a bunch of people inside, with a big rock that nobody could move or break, but I could smash it just fine! It was easy!" It's the first thing that came to mind, but she feels it illustrates things well enough. Eagerly, she proceeds to ask, "Why, do you need something smashed?"
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"Oh..."
No memories, Elly thinks. That's so strange. (She is heedless of the fact that she's met another person with widespread amnesia. The thought of Fei crosses her mind surprisingly often, but he didn't mention it.)
(Or if he did... She doesn't remember.)
"I think a lot of us don't know much about ourselves," Elly says, without really thinking about it. Then she smiles sadly. "I haven't. I'm sorry. Are you - Working as a Drifter, after all, then? Or..."
She pauses and purses her lips, before deciding to try to sound tough. "Well, there's old Hiram, but I don't need him smashed, just one leg broken," Elly says, with zero malice and an actual smile on her lips. She's joking, after all. "But if you're really that strong, you could work in shows, perhaps. Actually... If you don't mind?"
Elly looks to the bartender. "Don't you have an extra fire poker there?" Back to Xantia. "... This is really selfish of me, but..."
As the fire poker is put on the bar top with a faint clang, "Could you tie it in a knot?"
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
"Seems that way!" With a nod, Xantia readily agrees that what she thinks is the implication that there's more people with amnesia than you'd think. She's already met a few herself. As for being a Drifter... "I guess I've been a Drifter for as long as I can remember, even before realizing I was one!" There's... quite a lot that she's been late in realizing, as one might imagine.
Strangely however, it looks like the more fiery of the two redheads doesn't have a sense of humor, frowning and leaning back as she regards Elly with disapproval. "I don't mean people, I don't want to hurt anybody!" Or... it's just another example of something she's late to realize, as she parses the meaning of the smile only after the fact. "Oh... that was a joke?" She looks more confused than amused.
She hadn't considered doing shows before. She isn't too sure what to even picture. Lost in thought for a moment, she brought back to reality by a sudden poker challenge. Thankfully not the card game, she'd be lost there. This one, she faces with a confident smile. "Sure, I can try!"
She takes the fire poker, examining it for a moment, mainly because she has no idea what it's for, or why it would need to be in a knot. Until, with a slight shrug, she decides there's no point in thinking about it, and grabs it by the far ends, pushing inwards.
It doesn't seem to take much effort at all for her to bend the metal implement, bringing both sides close together before shifting her grip, and pulling the far ends to the opposite sides of where they started. It's certainly bent quite effectively that way, but it's at that moment that Xantia looks puzzled, and sheepishly admits, "I'm... not sure how to tie a knot." Speaking of late to realize things...
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"Yes- ha ha," Elly says, raising a hand to half-veil her mouth, which also hides the grimace of near proximity to flop sweat and makes it seem more like a half-shy smile, "I'm sorry, my sense of humor can be a little..."
Dark?
After this, Elly watches the bending. The bending around... and Elly says, "Oh, you'd just kind of.. twist the front part in between the... You know, I don't know how you'd do it exactly but-- That's wonderful!"
Elly reaches forwards, to touch Xantia's bent iron. "Wow... Anyway," she says, looking past the metal to Xantia's eyes, "I should give you an explanation about all of this. They were upset because they get a small percentage of the take - you know, the money that the games make - as part of their pay... Don't worry! They won't be upset. But we have to think about the money we make as a group, right?"
The bartender looks kind of skeptical but who cares about his opinion. Elly concludes with, "I won't blame you if you've had enough... but I'll talk to anyone who gives you a cross look at any of the other games, alright? We want everyone who comes here to have a good time."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia would have gone with 'incomprehensible', if that wasn't a more complicated word than would typically come to mind. You don't joke about people getting hurt!
She's already forgotten about that by the time she started her metalbending routine, however. Thankfully the other woman seems just as confused as she is, and being praised for the result is quick to bring a smile back to her features. "Thanks! Here you go!" She presents the metal for inspection, and to be taken, she presumes. Whatever this was needed for. There must be some practical purpose that she's not seeing.
For her efforts, she receives an explanation about what exactly happened back there. An explanation which was clearly necessary, given that it takes her a moment even after hearing it to really get it. "Oh, so... I was costing them money?" It's not hard to tell that she feels bad about it now. Making easy money is all well and good, but not at the cost of someone else. There's still so much she doesn't understand.
She doesn't fail to notice one detail in Elly's phrasing, however. "It sounds like you work here, too... sorry if I cost you money!" Even after being told not to worry about it, she still does. The knowledge has kind of soured the experience, but even without that, she notes, "Actually, I'm getting kinda hungry... there's this place I've wanted to eat at for a while, I'm gonna head over there." Money's already hers now, it would be a shame not to use it.
She hops off her stool before realizing, "Oh, I completely forgot to say! I'm Xantia! Starting with an X!" The difference between the pronunciation 'Zantia' and the correct spelling remains an important detail to point out. "It was nice meeting you, thank you again for your help!"
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"Oh, no, don't feel bad," Elly says, reaching over to touch Xantia's hand in reassurance if she doesn't flinch. Her fingertip brushes against the ARM too, but this is purely to see if she can guess at its composition while she tells her, looking in her eyes, "That's why we have stakes at all. We just have to know when to quit... the same as our guests."
Another smile. "I hope you have a great supper! - Oh," she then says, at the introduction.
"My name's Elly. It's a pleasure to meet you. Is it the Starfall Saloon? They make really great soup there..."
Well that might be convenient, but Elly isn't the rarest name on Filgaia, either.
Or.. is it?
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Being touched is nothing. Xantia very much gives the impression that she could be stabbed and not realize it until it's too late. For a supposed fighter, she lets her guard down far too easily. As for the ARM... one thing's for sure, Filgaia doesn't have the tech level to put something like this together, if they could even get these kinds of raw materials. If it's not Solarian, the earlier considered possibility that it might be The Other Guys seems all the more reasonable.
Blissfully unaware of any such consideration, Xantia just continues to smile as if she were without a care in the world - though as Elly now knows, that isn't entirely the case. "Thanks, Elly!" She doesn't think anything of the name - it wasn't mentioned to her, yet. She definitely won't consider its commonality if it ever does come up in another context, though.
The saloon seems to be right on the money, as she nods in response. "I've been there a few times... but I haven't eaten there yet. I'll have to try the soup, then!" She just can't keep the Gella from flying out of her pocket. Kahm's expense account explains why - she just eats that much. That strength has to come from somewhere.
With a wave and a "Bye now!", Xantia turns to leave. At very a brisk pace, more akin to a run. Being hungry and having the money to do something about it is plenty of reason to be in a hurry!