[Video]

[oncedevil]

Saaaay, I know I've been pretty quiet lately but with all the garbage between the doppelgangers and everything I kinda needed a break, you know? Anyway, has anyone seen a sword wandering around?

Y'know, big, metal, sharp, has skulls on the handle?

[He holds up a rough sketch of this for the camera.]

Darn thing just up and left, who would've thought? And I already checked the refrigerator so don't even ask. Apparently that's where we're keeping swords these days.

[He puts on a slightly disapproving frown, but at this point it's fruitless to argue it.]

Comments

[stefanged]

You'd keep a sword in the fridge?

[Stefan would apologize, but he's still struggling with the mental image.]

[oncedevil]

Well I wouldn't, but it's become a running theme in my house. Hell if I know how he got them in there in the first place.

[The real image is even more confusing.]

[stefanged]

Soo... your housemates keep swords in the fridge. [This isn't helping the mental image. At all.]

Leaving that aside, I'm guessing you've tried other stuff, like if it'll come back to you if summoned. I can ask around, since uh, I can be pretty persuasive. [Or rather, he can force the truth out of nearly anyone he asks.]

[oncedevil]

Yeah basically. [There comes a point where you stop asking questions and just accept your life makes no sense. Although Tony still makes that mistake a lot so he understands.]

Working on the summoning thing, never tried it before. Might be a distance problem? Hell if I know how this sort of thing works. Can you? Just don't go telling the whole city there's a rogue sword wandering around, don't need people freaking out more than they already do, yeah?

[That is both exceptionally creepy and slightly cool in a terrifying way.]

[stefanged]

Definitely. I'll see what I can do. [He hasn't quite figured it out yet, but he can also make people forget what he's asked them.]

Worst-case scenario, I'll just say it's for a LARP group or something. Nerds get more leeway about this kinda stuff, right?

[oncedevil]

Thanks dude, I owe you one. [Oh-ho, now that is useful. Still creepy, but unquestionably useful.]

Hey, yeah! That's a good idea, wouldn't be the first time I've been called a cosplayer. That sword's gaudy enough to fit the bill. So long as no one goes swinging it around, shouldn't be a problem, right?

... this is all video too btw

[stefanged]

[He sighs a little of relief. Good, the guy doesn't mind the excuse. Stefan could work with that easily.]

I hope so. With all the stuff going on, a "cosplay" sword gets less attention than it used to. [He thinks. Stefan's not exactly up and up with that whole crowd.] Wait, are you in Locke or Vegas or somewhere else?

XD I figured

[oncedevil]

[Nah, it's a great excuse and works a lot better than admitting a legitimately dangerous weapon has possibly decided to go for a stroll.]

Isn't that the truth. At least they're not calling for public hangings of all Numbered anymore. As loudly.

[Tony doesn't know either, but he assumes the LARPers are a little less hated than Numbered.] Locke, been visiting the castle a bit but the teleporter makes that easy enough.

excellent :')

[stefanged]

Thank God, yeah.

Okay, so I'll check around here. [Stefan's relief is more than obvious - he doesn't venture far from Locke unless he has to.] No chance your double would have the sword either, right?

or not Angel I'm bad /shame

[oncedevil]

[Tony can't blame him, though sometimes it's nice to get away with how crazy the place gets.]

It's possible, I'm heading out with a friend to see if we can track him or it down as well. If you do see him, guy doesn't wear an eye patch [Tony clearly does, as he is right now.] and is a right asshole, so I'd avoid him if I were you.

Apparently he likes to lock people up in closets over the weekend.

ssh he's Angel-lite, it's all good❤

[stefanged]

[He winces involuntarily. Over a whole weekend?]

I'm not even going to ask.

Oh - I'm Stefan, by the way. I'm usually at [the church] if you can't reach me over the Network, but they're good people.

it's the concerned eyebrows that's what does it

[oncedevil]

[It could have been much worse. So much worse.]

You don't wanna know.

Anthony, Tony for short. Ah... church you say? [He seems a little awkward and uncomfortable about that.] I uh, I'll keep it in mind.

[And probably avoid going there if he can. No offense Stefan he'd just like to avoid the risk of bursting into flames?]

[stefanged]

Not religious, huh? [Stefan's expression suddenly turns sympathetic.] I can't blame you. Hell, I'm not actually Christian myself.

I just... I do a lot of interfaith work, so I kinda work at a bunch of religious spots. The church, one of the synagogues, even a couple of mosques. [He pauses, as if thinking about something] Though I guess our actual office is "neutral."

[oncedevil]

[Oh-oh! An out, yes good.] Yeah, that's right. You're not?

[That's actually a relief.]

Interfaith? Can't say I'm too familiar with that kind of thing. What d'you mean 'neutral'?

[Maybe it would be safe after all.]

[stefanged]

Nah, I'm Muslim.

[A few months ago, he would've hesitated, because a] hate crimes and b] Islamophobia, but compared to the Numbered crap he's experienced, it's... not as bad as it used to be.]

So, interfaith's about celebrating religious diversity and "coming together." We collaborate on charity events and just general awareness of different faiths, so our main office isn't devoted to God. It can't, because that'd leave out a lot of people.

[oncedevil]

Really? That's cool, never actually met anyone who's Muslim before. That I know of anyway.

[Because yes, Islamophobia is a thing even though Tony doesn't get it in the least. Don't feel too bad, dude, he's been part of one of the other hated groups in the country: Homeless and poor.

That's not the case anymore thankfully but still.]

Hey, that sounds pretty awesome actually. Not what I imagined when you first mentioned church, sorry to say.

[stefanged]

[He laughs a little - mostly because he's not surprised. America's about 78% Christian.]

Most people don't, really. But, uh, thanks. Even if I don't find your sword right away, you're always welcome to drop by. There's always something going on.

[oncedevil]

[Very true, and of those who aren't particularly religious themselves it's unlikely they'll hear much about any other religions unless they go looking for it.]

I might check it out sometime, sure. What kinda things?

[stefanged]

It depends. Most of the time, it's free food, but there's religious services, weddings, speeches, talks... anything the community wants us to do, really.

[He's gotten scary good at planning vigils. Some perks of the job are great. Others, not so much.]

[oncedevil]

Free food you say?

[Though he doesn't need it as much anymore, the promise of food is often an effective way to entice Tony into... pretty much anything, really. First homeless, and now simply a bottomless pit due to an unnatural surge in his metabolism, kid's always going to be food motivated.

With all the trouble that's been happening lately, that's really not surprise.]

Huh, so you guys just provide services for the community. That's pretty cool. I'm curious though, what's their general standpoint on all this numbered business?

[stefanged]

Yeah.

[Stefan tenses a little, and he even avoids the camera, instead staring down at his feet.] It... it kind of depends on the place. My interfaith group's been really supportive, as well as the church I sometimes volunteer at, but you've got some fire and brimstone churches who think we're all going to Hell.

With my groups, I think their acceptance mostly comes from knowing me, and knowing that I'm Numbered. [Thanks, doppel-Stefan. He really wanted that cat out of the bag.]

[oncedevil]

Relax, I'm just curious. Can't hold other people's opinions against you even if they did hate us.

[It's just strange, to see the divide the Numbered cause among people. It's a strange and new thing, as Tony had never been a part of a "group" of any sort until all of this happened. He'd resisted for a while, but now... Now they were family, even if he didn't know them all.

Gotta stick together, right?] Pfeh, too late for that. [What does he mean by that? Moving on.] Besides, there's always someone ready to damn you to the fiery pits, what else is new?

They know? Really? You're brave.

[Color him impressed.]

[stefanged]

[Stefan has to chuckle at "too late." He's not sure what Tony means, but he's guessing something like fantasy books are sins or something.]

Not exactly "brave." My doppelganger, last month, tried to quit my job a lot. No one took him seriously, either.

[He sighs, rubbing his temple at the mere thought of this.] But since I'd never do that - or roast a pig in my front lawn - my co-workers got curious. So I had to tell them the truth.

[Or else he would've been branded The Worst Muslim Ever^TM.]

[oncedevil]

[Yes, absolutely, fantasy books. We'll go with that.]

...Shit. More doppelganger trouble? Those guys really know how to ruin things. What's their angle, anyway? It's like they go out of their way to ruin our lives.

[He does kind of snort a laugh at that though, worst Muslim ever indeed.]

Why... in your front lawn? Who does that?

[stefanged]

Wish I knew. With my doppelganger, he thought he was the "original." [A laughable thought, considering Stefan's a doppelganger himself. There really IS no Original, in this case.] It could be unconscious, since some of them think we stole their lives or something similar.

Frat boys, apparently. Frat boys and my doppelganger.