Accountability.

[explosivecombat]

There are all sorts of secrets to this place, really, ways to get from place to place reasonably unnoticed. Some of those ways involve the ability to shift one's appearance, some of them involve shadows and vessels and darkness; for those without those sorts of gifts, though, one has to rely on more conventional means. Panels and doorways, joins and seams that don't join up quite right; portions of the wall that will open up if you manipulate them properly. The Conductor himself tends to rely on the latter; he is, after all, entirely human. He's thin, as though he doesn't eat terribly much, but his clothes are immaculate and sharply-tailored, a suit and long coat all in white and shades of pale grey; his hair is long, trailing at least halfway down his back in a thin, tightly-tied ponytail, and his eyes are cold when he moves to stand at the thirtieth podium – it's not his, it never has been, but it's going to do for now. He doesn't seem anxious at all about being here; there's nothing nervous in his demeanor, and he's keeping his head up, perfectly willing to look everyone in the face. There's a definite arrogance about him, as is probably to be expected, though he'll certainly acknowledge everyone once he's there – when he bows it's enough to be respectful, but not nearly enough to expose the back of his neck. When he speaks, his voice is recognizable but it's quiet, far moreso than one would assume him to be based on the volume of the intercom alone; his tone is even, almost unsettlingly calm given the circumstances, though there's a hardness to it that never quite goes away. "It's a pleasure to speak to all of you in person; I'd say that it's almost a shame that the circumstances have to be what they are, but I'm not going to insult your intelligence like that." He straightens up then; the smile he's offering is understated, but it's not particularly nice. "I understand that we have a fair amount to discuss; shall we begin?" Your host for the evening, everyone; let's start.

Comments

[ninehundredlives]

Who the hell was the vessel, anyway?

[sunsong]

Wasn't he probably from the other exercise or whatever? He had a picture in that room Weiss found, and so did Lisbeth.

[ninehundredlives]

I thought they all got executed.

[sunsong]

Uh...then he's probably just a coworker, right? Well, I say "just", but...

[explosivecombat]

He was one of my former coworkers, yes. Another alchemist.

We used him as a human sacrifice in the attempt to ensure that my employer would become God; the other creature took him as a vessel shortly afterwards.

...I wasn't very pleased with him for it, but it wasn't anything I was in much position to argue.

[sunsong]

So you actually liked this coworker? What was his name? We may as well call him somethin' other than "that vessel dude whose head Logan bashed in".

[withabigsmile]

Or "that vessel dude whose head Logan bashed in like a total badass because he's the best king ever."

[That has a better ring to it.]

[sunsong]

It was pretty damn awesome.

[explosivecombat]

Oh, no - the reason I was displeased was more for personal reasons than anything; I believe that he shouldn't have taken a purely human vessel to begin with, because he believed so thoroughly that he was a superior species - if that's the case, taking the body of an inferior being is hypocrisy, and I was a bit unimpressed with that.

[LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THIS FUCKHEAD'S PRIORITIES.]

His name was Mustang, however. We didn't get along; we had a bit of a falling out during a war we were fighting in years ago.

[sunsong]

...Oh my god your superiority thing is givin' me a migraine.

[announcemyvictory]

Coming from you, that sounds like an understatement.

[ninehundredlives]

And then, after all that, he spent half this time dressing up as Dio. You must not have been too pleased with that either?

[explosivecombat]

...He did what?

[no, really, he's sorry?]

[ninehundredlives]

...were you not aware of the Dio thing?

[explosivecombat]

No, I was aware of that entirely; however, it wasn't the person you're thinking of that was doing that.

[ninehundredlives]

[...oh. Well then.]

That seems a bit ridiculous for God, and it obviously wasn't you. [So that leaves...

...who does that leave]

Who was it?

[openterrain]

... That reminds me, wasn't there someone else this whole time? Ashley said that Observant- Kimblee- whoever said that our memories were coming back because or some outside influence, didn't she?

[explosivecombat]

I believe it was asked at some point whether I have any other colleagues along similar lines as the one with the shadows; the fact is that I do. Most of them are dead, but not all of them.

[withabigsmile]

...Is one of your creepy buddies like Ditty?

[But presumably isn't a bra, because that might be kind of weird.]

[explosivecombat]

Ah...not quite as versatile as Ditty, but it's the same general principle.

[THANKFULLY...NOT...A BRA...]

[openterrain]

Why did they imitate Cabanela and Dio, anyway?

[explosivecombat]

Why do you think?

[withabigsmile]

It would be hard to be as cool as Ditty, of course!

[NO BRIEFS EITHER, RIGHT...]

Is your transforming friend still around?

[ninehundredlives]

What was the other creature, anyway? Please don't say it was the devil.

[explosivecombat]

...No, he was a being made to resemble a human, but far more powerful and a superior species altogether.

He was essentially a philosopher's stone given consciousness, if I had to try to explain it to you simply.