maskormenacelogs | I THOUGHT BY NOW YOU'D REALIZE

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I THOUGHT BY NOW YOU'D REALIZE

WHO: ImPorts!
WHERE: The Jefferson Hotel, Washington D.C.
WHEN: July 17th, 4:00PM - 11:00 PM
WHAT: A Swearing-In gets ruptured.
WARNINGS: Will updated if necessary.

This Swearing-In this July takes place in presidential Washington, D.C. for a highly patriotic evening. The eternally classy Jefferson Hotel, complete with appropriate dining and the presentation hall serves as the evening venue. The dress code requested is fancy, suit-and-tie, but business casual would be acceptable. The evening air is heavy -- the humidity can be unforgiving, even north of the warmer states, but the crisp coastal breeze will bring some Atlantic relief. You are free to walk around the Jefferson Hotel in any room that isn't already being rented out by other patrons -- so yes, you can get up to personal shenanigans! But try to have a little decorum about those amorous impulses, won't you? If you wander in the secondary reception room, you'll be able to engage the totally patriotic informational material decorating the grand and gilded hall. There's a painting covered by a black velvet drape, though you might easily peek beneath it to check it out. Wonder why that's been hidden! Well ignore it, because there's plenty of beautiful art to behold all evening. Get absorbed in the messages, unironically!

Your Swearing-In itinerary is as follows:

4:00 Arrival time. You are free to waltz around the Jefferson Hotel, or explore the national monuments of Washington, D.C. The capital will look exactly as it did during the year 2000.

You cannot meet with President Freemason.

5:30 Cocktail hour. Enjoy! Juice hour for the young'uns. You may also use this time to dance along the designated dance floor in your fancy pants.

6:30 Keynote speaker SENATOR HAIK addresses imPorts in the presentation hall about why you're better dead than red. You might nod off at a point or two, but you'll catch the following:
1) The USSR is moving beyond nuclear power, seeking to match the imPorts in capability.
2) The CIA has lost two undercover agents in Moscow. Haik believes this foreshadows a deep risk.
3) The US will respond if attacked.

6:55 An anti-war protester, a young man with sandy hair who had masqueraded as a newly imPorted man, storms the podium stage. He screams about a conspiracy! A conspiracy!! Between Freemason and Volkov! That this cold war is but a fabrication! Thousands of American lives are put at risk because of their mutual thirst for power!

6:56 Protestor is tackled by security. His arms are broken (snap!) as he's carried away.

7:30 A stately dinner! Have at the options.

8:01 The lights cut out. Any NON-LIFE DEPENDENT tech that you have on yourself dies, meaning communicators and phones are temporarily disabled. Full on blackout, not even wireless is accessible. But don't worry, EVERYTHING IS OKAY! Remain calm. Remain where you are. Please do not make out under the white linen tables.

8:49 All power returns.

9:30 The All-American Agenda Regarding imPort Interaction and Integration Presentation will be showcasing exemplary imPorts who have exhibited their true moral integrity and patriotic glamor to the height of good citizenry! This presentation will be holographically delivered back in the presentation room, and will be moderated by Senator Haik. All images and video will present as a semi-transparent 3D visual and will be complete with fully articulated audio. You won't miss a single detail! Sit back, relax, and congratulate your extraordinary fellow imPorts! Media from domestic AND most Western international outlets are welcomed into this venue for broadcast. You can EXPECT THIS to go VIRAL on the incredibly democratic BLUETUBE (no communists allowed).

PRESENTATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

Unless otherwise specified, as each name is rattled off, a picture of the figure in question is displayed on the screen, an ominous accompaniment to the lies - and truths - being spread. What's a name without a visual, after all?

"NAGACHIKA HIDEYOSHI... an ordinary young man, or a turncoat? From yet another world with bloodthirsty threats waiting to come out of the Porter at any time, Nagachika is the son of a man who strives to fight against the threat: the Ghouls. But Nagachika has turned against the will of his family, the government, and the good of mankind to use these horrific creatures for his own gains! What's stopping him from doing the same here?"

As the dialogue - complete with subtitles for anyone that needs them - runs its course, a picture appears on the screen: Nagachika and Ken Kaneki, the ghoul in question. Ken's claws are out, and contrary to its apparent monstrosity, Nagachika looks perfectly placid.

"KANG is a living embodiment of monsters living in our midst, among our families and children as the government stands idly by! Don't be fooled by the imPorts' ability to blend in with the rest of us -- monsters are monsters, no matter what form they take. Kang is a childslayer, and viciously killed and devoured his brothers and cousins in a bid for power and dominance! If that wasn't enough, he ate his parents too! It's only a matter of time before he decides to make a bid for power here, and like all creatures of his race, the only way to establish dominance is through feeding on the children. Want to keep your babies safe? Keep them away from Kang!"

Next, a poster appears on the screen, though in the interest of accessibility and good old fashioned theatricality, a voice-over booms throughout the room.

"TOUKA KIRISHIMA and KEN KANEKI are a duo of criminals, preying on the innocent citizens of De Chima. While Touka Kirishima uses her beguiling charms to seduce unsuspecting victims in her homes, Ken Kaneki lies in wait to devour them. Their home is one of depravity of the highest kind; though Touka may not have any interest in those she preys upon, she'll do anything for Ken. Even sociopaths can fall in love, and this twisted figure will kill for it."

"Self-hatred is an ugly thing, and none are as ugly as ABIGAIL HOBBS, a witch so disgusted with the beastliness inside that she has lashed out against the public! She may be lovely enough aside from that aberration of a missing ear, but beware! There's nothing but rot inside. She preys only on young women who look like her, hiding them away to perform black magic. And who has been able to get close enough to her to hack away her ear? She did that herself... a true product of a twisted mind!"

"KANAYA MARYAM... this alien menace walks among us, sowing the seeds of her sinister kingdom in our own innocent citizens! Within our very own cities, where good people should be able to sleep safe and sound, Kanaya has begun feeding and harboring a vampire army of her own creation. How many has she already turned? How many more will she turn? Could your family be the next to join their ranks? The only certain thing is that this mother of monsters won't stop until she's shrouded our planet in darkness!"

"VERITY WILLIS is a walking polygraph, and while she's free to lie through her teeth about her own decency, she wants to know all of your secrets for her to twist at her command, knowing that none dare cross her! She's a cheater and a blackmailer, willing to blackmail unsuspecting men into dating her lest she give away their deepest, darkest secrets. Even if her power could be a boon to the public in helping save the city from criminals, she is a slave to her own greed. All she wants is money, sex and power, and she might just use your secrets to get them! Think you can still trust her? Then what kind of truthteller spends her time with the God of Lies?"

"OWEN BURNETT'S life is built upon lies after lies after lies! He may seem to be a harmless bureaucrat on the surface, but don't be fooled! His apparent dullness is nothing but a front for his sinister intentions: to get into the imPort government and dismantle society from within! A mere proficiency in lies may seem impotent next to the monsters and beasts he works with, but just consider: what kind of mind does it take to keep up a constant facade?"

"JONATHAN CRANE has been moonlighting as an upstanding citizen, psychiatrist to all who need his help, but he is the one that needs help -- in a mental asylum! Unbeknownst to everyone he claims to be helping, he is a cold-blooded murderer. After he was abandoned by his parents, his grandmother kindly took him in, but in a cruel twist of fate, her empathy and selflessness was repaid by Crane murdering her in cold blood! Unsatisfied with killing one person who showed him kindness, Crane moved on to kill a second... his mentor at the university, Avran Bramowitz, was killed by him, and Crane took his position. If that wasn't enough, he was fired from his position for unethical experiments on his students, scarring them to this very day. Is this the man you want dealing with our volatile imPorts? We think not!"

"TRACI THIRTEEN is another witch in our midst, but she doesn't stoop to the likes of Abigail Hobbs! No, mere cruelty to those around her isn't enough to quench her bloodlust. She has made deals with demons for her magic in a never-ending quest to become powerful enough to rule over all who would oppose her! She may be doomed to Hell, but until then, she plans on creating Hell on Earth -- one look at what she's capable of is proof enough of the devastation she's plotting to wreak! Would you let her go any further?"

Accompanying this voice-over is a rare image of one of the imPorts in motion; Traci is seen in the middle of the street, the black shadows around her echoing the pure black of her eyes as a giant snake bursts out from underneath the ground.

"Don't be fooled by his diminutive stature! EDWARD ELRIC is a menace to those around him, willing to tie human lives into his sick experiments! His powers of transmutation is not limited to the destruction of property around him. No, he has committed human transmutation, satisfying a dark curiosity for what happens when he uses his powers to corrupt a human form. Stay away from this boy at all costs! Death would be a kinder option than the suffering he puts his subjects through."

"MILES EDGEWORTH is a lawyer more corrupt and twisted than the supposed criminals he's put behind bars! Yes, supposed — known in his own world as the Demon Prosecutor, this amoral attorney has made a mockery of the justice system time and time again! Nothing is below him — bribery, forgery, blackmail, and lies are all fair game! His obsession with winning at any cost has led to the death of at least one innocent man, Terry Fawles — and how many more skeletons does he have in his closet? How many murderers has he allowed to walk the streets while innocent citizens suffer behind bars because of his tactics? And if innocent until proven guilty no longer has any meaning, why harbor a criminal prosecutor?"

"ANDREW WARNER is a college drop-out. That may be a typical fate among listless and misguided youth, but each man has his reason, and his speaks to the moral bankruptcy of imPort youth! After gambling away his student loans, Andrew Warner desperately tried to have an affair with his married professor to stay in school. When that foray into the dark side didn't work, he dug deeper, turning to gang activity to drum up funds until he dropped out of school entirely, too addled by drugs and violence to string together a sentence, let alone be able to write a single word!"

"HARRY HART is but another example of the secrecy imPorts keep about their true talents, all the while making their way into the people's good books! He secretly makes regular trips to the local shooting range, but what nobody knows is the pictures he puts on the targets. From everyone from his neighbours to the teachers from the local schools, Harry harbours a deep resentment towards those around him. What will he use this anger for? To rob the honest businesses around him? To start a public shooting? The real question is: do you really want to be around to find out?"

Attached to this particular voiceover is a clip of a man, indistinct in face and demeanor, viciously unloading a clip at the shooting range. Is it actually Harry Hart? That much is debatable.

"KAITO KUROBA may not have any dark secrets to divulge, nor is he a danger to society. No, he is an example of something much worse -- the true nature of the people asked to protect the people around them, the true nature of what sort of people are being given homes and jobs free of charge and effort! He is a lily-livered coward, the sort that has never had to fend on his own; by accepting government hand-outs, the government is merely prolonging his pathetic life. He even screams like a child at the mere sight of something as innocuous as fish. Is this what you want your tax dollars going towards? Is this what you want protecting your homes?"

"MILES MORALES may appear to be nothing more than a child, as sweet and innocent as children come, but even the youth among us may be corrupted. Perhaps it is not his fault that his uncle had ensnared him from such a long age, but once the rot is set in, it's not so easy to get it out again. Miles assisted his uncle in all sorts of crimes, each escalating so quickly that it eventually culminated in murder. If you think you're safe from imPorts just because they're children, remember what they're truly capable of...!"

"ANYA BORZAKOVSKAYA is a necromancer. Not only are imPorts hellbent on killing and destroying the innocent people of this nation, but they won't even let them rest peacefully in their graves. After the tragic deaths of so many at the hands of the imPorts, Anya digs up their bodies and raises their ghosts, adding them to her morbid collection so that they may never find peace again!"

Accompanying this voice-over is an image of Anya with ghosts on leashes being dragged behind her. It also looks suspiciously photoshopped. Are those really ghosts...? Well, it's not as if any natives have ever seen any to say for sure!

"Is there any youth among the imPorts that haven't engaged in a life of debauchery and crime? If there is, GOGO TOMAGO isn't among their ranks. At the ripe age of only eleven, this woman was a lawbreaker to her very bones; she was an irresponsible speed racer, a speed demon whose hunt for a simple adrenaline rush outweighed the importance of all the lives that hung in the balance. Do you trust imPorts like these to stay in control? When someone like this is given something like superpowers, watch your back! While she searches for her next big rush, your life may be on the line!"

10:50 Senator Haik speaks to ANY reporter who will listen WITH ONE solid soundbyte: THE US DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGIES HAS BEEN HACKED BY SOVIET SPIES. This is clearly an aggressive tactic that WILL be appropriately responded to!

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[ D'Artagnan has been aware of their closeness for some time. Guarding Lucy is not quite like guarding his own King or Queen. They would not have come here in the first place, not like this. Not so openly. They would never have considered themselves part of the people, as Lucy does. His watchful eye must be less overt, given that.

It's why he doesn't interrupt sooner. Why he lets them dance, against his own instinct, until Lucy tries to leave, and Dorian won't let her.

Then, he interrupts. It's lucky that the nature of the event has prevented him from having his sword at his side; otherwise, it would be at Dorian's throat now. Instead, he is tall and imposing, and his expression is thunderous. In the absence of his sword, his hand reaches between them, palm held up to stop Dorian in his tracks. ]

I believe her Majesty would like to leave. [ He sounds polite enough, but there's an edge to his voice that suggests he's not about to let this go. He leans closer, into Dorian's personal space. ] If you're invested in keeping that hand, I suggest you let her go.

[She sweeps just behind d'Artagnan now, even though Dorian is still holding onto her. She is not one of those girls who thinks less of a rescue; she is perfectly capable of rescuing herself, most of the time. But she sees this less of a rescue and more of-

-well, no. She's not entirely sure. She would still like to know Dorian better, but grabbing her, well, that's not really polite, or proper, or appropriate.]

You see, my escort arrived. Please let go.

[She says it gently; her hand on his.]

[ That tall man is in Dorian's space before he can even blink. As he looks at d'Artagnan, Dorian's expression shifts from confusion, to annoyance to a bit of resign. He didn't want this to devolve into a fight that Dorian would surely lose. So, he let go of Lucy's wrist and backed up, hands held up in a sign of surrender. ]

I didn't know it was a crime to ask a lady for another dance. [ Even though they all knew he was certainly doing more than just asking. And then, turning towards Lucy, he gave her a wink. ] You really should have told me your lover was here. I'd have instantly laid off.

[ He's doubting that they're actually lovers. Still, he wants to try and get a little bit of a rise out of...well, either of them.

And wait, her Majesty? ]

[ D'Artagnan stays in front of Lucy. He's aware of her reaction more than anything else - the way she moves behind him, the way she does that at once, even though he knows she's a fighter. The way she calls him her escort.

She doesn't like this. She's out of her comfort zone. When she spoke of men before, it she was always talking about her sister, never herself. He's not going to let anyone intimidate her.

Or speak to her like that. He leans closer to Dorian. ]

That's no way to address any Lady. You should apologise. For your hands and your tongue.

[ He turns his head, not enough to turn himself away from Dorian, but enough that he can see the outline of Lucy's profile. ]

Perhaps we should go elsewhere, my Lady. The food is being served, if you would like it.

[She turns bright red, then, it's so quick she doesn't even think about it. She opens her mouth, to speak, but nothing comes out. If this were anything else, she realizes later, she would have some response, but no one has ever said anything like that to her.

The blush spreads, and her fingers curl into d'Artagnan's sleeve, but only for a moment.

Its not a slap that comes. There is no violence. She looks away though, embarrassed in a way she is not used to.]

He is not my lover. He is one of my guards, and it is rude to imply otherwise, sir.

[She looks at d'Artagnan, then. ]

I should like a drink, I think.

[ She's blushing. Good. Dorian keeps up his smarmy little smirk as he continues talking, gesturing with his hands as he does so. ]

I'm terribly sorry, your highness, I must have assumed wrong. [ There's a lilt of factiousness in his words, as Dorian looks over towards d'Artagnan for approval, fixing the man with a raised eyebrow. Was that apology enough? ]

Still, we'll have that second dance another time. Enjoy your drinks!

If it pleases my Lady, you will.

[ And not if she doesn’t want to, Dorian, you vagrant. D’Artagnan ought to have kept a closer eye on this. The man got too close. He won’t let that happen again.

Deliberately, he turns to Lucy, focusing on her and offering his arm. ]

Shall we find some wine, your Majesty?

[ That flourish is for Dorian’s benefit. Lucy must be treated with respect, even if she chooses not to flaunt her title. ]

[She eyes Dorian a moment-

Why do boys have to spoil everything? It was such fun, it truly was. She takes d'Artagnan's arm and draws herself up, and imagines she is Susan, because Susan would never let something like this bother her, and even though her face is a bright red she nods once as if that is all that's needed.

And she lets herself be escorted away.

And she doesn't look back.

But she wants to, just a little, to see if he's already walked away, found someone else.]

Thank you.

[Because it's important. So important. She is so grateful; her hand squeezes his arm. So he knows.]

[ Dorian watches them leave for a moment, frowning still, as he tries to size up d'Artagnan. It only lasts a moment though, as he gets a little bored and flits back towards the drinks. ]

[ D'Artagnan watches Dorian for long enough to make sure he's leaving, and then focuses his full attention on Lucy. He shakes his head at the thanks, and keeps his voice low. ]

No. My Lady, I owe you my apologies. I should never have let that go so far.

I'll be more watchful in the future, I promise you. Are you all right?

[Her hand tightens just a bit in his arm - she's here, she's fine,mans she even manages a smile; a small one, a kind one. Maybe she is unsure around men, maybe this sort of thing has never happened to her (protected as she is by her rank and her brothers and her kindness) but none of that matters.

She just nods, an assent.]

I'm fine. Unhurt, my honor intact, and barely shocked at all. You see?

[She means it.]

But you can dance with me, that will improve my mood generously.

[ D'Artagnan sighs. ]

Then I suppose I can spare his life. This time.

[ He moves, offering Lucy his hand now instead of his arm, and making himself smile a little bit. The tension now present in his face has nothing to do with Dorian. ]

I hope your mood won't suffer by how unused I am to dancing. Soldiers aren't often called upon for that, but I will try. Perhaps my Lady could show me how.

Here, it's very simple-

[She takes his hand, moves it to her hip, takes the other, and places one on his shoulder. It's a slow dance, slow enough that even a beginner couldn't be too clumsy.]

Just-

One, and two, and three.

[She moves, leading from behind, as it were.]

Even soldiers should know to dance.

[ D'Artagnan has seen this sort of thing before. He starts out by watching Lucy's footsteps, and then as he gets used to the rhythm, he looks up and lets his feet take over. It's the same kind of grace that's needed for swordfighting, really.

But on that note, he turns a wry little smile on her. ]

And what if we have to protect the dancers? I'm usually a guard, not a guest.

This doesn't seem too bad. [ He turns while she does, and follows her. He is aware enough of etiquette to understand that this is wrong, and he sighs. ] Athos will have my head for not leading my Lady properly. I'm sorry. I should have learned before.

But here you are a guest. Didn't you dance at your wedding?

[She cannot help but ask, although maybe she shouldn't, maybe she should avoid the topic of his wife. He seems wistfully lonely without her, Lucy imagines, because she is a bit romantic at heart.

The more at ease he becomes, the more sure-footed they grow.]

Susan would be aghast at me forcing you poor young men to dance with me, so it's all quite even, I think. But see, you're doing fine. The next time you dance with me, you'll be very much more sure.

A little.

[ There had not been much time to celebrate. The war had been announced during his wedding, after all. He does start to move more naturally now, though. Perhaps it’s because Lucy has managed to distract him. ]

It didn’t matter then, if I was good. I was just happy to have Constance in my arms. We waited long enough for that.

But you are a good dancer. I don’t think your sister has anything to worry about.

[ He turns her in a little spin, suddenly – it probably doesn’t entirely fit with the music, but it does make him flash a slightly mischievous smile at her. He settles back to the rhythm afterwards, getting more used to it. ]

A little is not long enough-

[She spins, and it doesn't matter, because she's laughing, and having fun, and then she's back in his arms and it feels wholly safe, like he would never, ever let anything hurt her.

She knows he protects her, but sometimes it actually feels more real than others, and she's not entirely sure how she got so lucky to have someone so valiant at her side. Just because she does not always need it, does not mean it is not lovely to have.]

Oh, my royal sister worries overmuch about all of us! I simply draw the lucky straw, in that I am the youngest, and so the most easily ordered about.

And she would tell you not to dance with me? That's very unfair.

[ D'Artagnan has managed to spin them just enough away from Dorian that they're a few steps back into the crowd. He doesn't think they'll be readily seen, or heard here, so very gently, he leans closer. ]

Who was the boy, my Lady? Had you met him before?

Only if you were working. She would tell me not to bother you, then.

[But she does not think she bothers him. She comes in a half step closer, so she can speak to him as privately as possible.]

We were looking at a painting together, we had not met previously to today. I asked him to dance, and he was cordial, until he wished for another, but I did not desire it, and that is when the scene played out as it did.

[She's looking slightly away, like maybe this is something that embarrasses her.]

[ D'Artagnan moves closer in turn, tilting his head down to her. From a distance, they might look intimate, but the only thing intimate about this is their conversation. He holds her close and make certain to keep moving. ]

A gentleman understands when he should step back. That man is not one.

[ And so Dorian will remain in d'Artagnan's mind, for as long as they are here. It's wise that the boy left when he did. ]

Do you know his name?

Dorian. He said his name was Dorian.

[She holds tightly to him as they dance, and it's comfortable, safe. No safer place in all the world.]

Please do not think me silly over this.

[ D'Artagnan looks surprised, and quickly shakes his head. ]

Of course I don't. None of this is your fault.

He should have understood what it meant when you said no. For his own sake, I hope he remembers it better in future.

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