Futuristic The Society

[0stinato]

Still unfeeling, and now unthinking, Rüdiger seemed to drift towards the train. Not minding not caring where he got seated, or that his cheek and his side were still shooting dull cramps through him, he waited until he could easily step on. It was all very dreamy. Not a good dream though. But then again, neither was it a bad dream. It was just... a dream. Or sort of a dream. His mind was still too fuddled to manage coherent thought.


He managed to secure a seat, and lazily glanced around the carriage. All the hair colours made him uneasy; nothing was as clean and pristine as it first appeared. The train was a highly enjoyable sleek white, but the people within were not. Red hair, varying warmths of brown, black... and by red, Rüdiger noticed it was properly red. It caught his attention. Not auburn like his own. Actually red. It belonged to a bored-looking girl who had slipped into conversation with a brown-haired man.


Rüdiger wanted to care. He just couldn't. Not yet. He sat back, letting his hands slump into his coat pockets. Feeling the unsettling scattering of green pills in the bottom of one of the pockets made him shudder, so he didn't keep his hands there for long. Typical - he couldn't even get comfortable here. He leaned forward instead, ignoring the tablet positioned on the table, and resting his elbow on its edge. He tucked his fingers behind his neck and, with his fingernails, pressed down hard on the back of his neck. He would do this until he felt the pain become actual pain, not the dream-pain it was now.


He muttered to himself, "At least it doesn't look like... I've got tardive dyskinesia." He found this mirthful, but no expression of joy left his lips.

 

[Atlas Marvel]

The train had finally arrived,and Marco immediately jerked his head up like a guard dog.It was mostly due to his anxiety and the unnerving silence of the train.All he saw was a massive object coming closer in the corner of his eye and it almost scared him to death.The sudden shock faded away as the doors opened and people began to fill the train.Marco never liked large groups of people,so he let the majority of the crowd go in before him.After a while,he finally entered the train and some people began looking at him.


"Here we go again,"he thought.


The amount of well-proportioned muscle on his body,along with his amazingly good looks,made Marco near impossible to ignore.He felt strange.He did begin to notice his size compared to everyone else and thought deeply about the current situation of society.He almost felt superior because of his job.However,he quickly dismissed this thought.This was not who Marco was.He did not flaunt himself as he entered and sat down,but he did look directly back at everyone bravely.


"Guess I'm the black sheep,"Marco thought jokingly.


Marco kept his eyes out for trouble as he sat with his god-like posture,until he noticed the tablet on the table in front of him.Marco's face lit up with joy like a small child at a candy store.He had always loved to eat,especially when he was nervous.It always made him happier and would distract him from the onlookers.He quickly propped up the screen to a visible position and began scrolling.


"Ooh,mini pretzels!Hell yeah,"he thought happily.


It had worked.This had taken his mind off of the current situation.Marco tapped the icon of the mini pretzels and then an icon of a bottle of water.After this,he returned the tablet to its original position,interlocked his fingers,and rested his hands on the table,continuing to watch for trouble,but this time with a grin.His now wide,bright purple eyes continued to attract attention.He saw some expressions of confusion thrown in his direction as he silently celebrated his incoming snack,but he ignored all of this.


"Black sheep it is,"he gladly concluded,and he waited patiently.

 

[CoolGuy]

Simon, almost shaking, stepped into the train.  He had stayed alone for over an hour, thinking, bringing up worse and worse scenarios for his partner.  The thing that made him sad, though, was the numerous people introducing themselves.  Didn't they know they should be stressed?  Didn't they know they should be upset?  God knows he's frightened.  And if he's frightened, shouldn't everyone else be?  Well, it didn't matter.  No one else was, regardless of whether they should be or not.  There were already plenty of people in the car, and Simon found it difficult to move.  There were few open seats, and Simon took one, and sat terrified that someone else would sit next to him.


All these people, however, made him think.  If he could ever hope to escape the endless monotony of obedience, he'd have to have allies.  None of these people seemed important, but who knows?  Perhaps they could surprise him.  Well, after taking another look, he did see one person that, at the least, stood out a little.  A tall, skinny man with auburn hair, sitting only one row ahead of him.  What made Simon want to talk to him was his lack of emotion.  Took a green pill, or perhaps recently faced an extreme trauma.  Probably the former.  Either way, it was useful to him.  With anxiety or thoughtlessness came malleability, and malleability was an extremely useful trait in ally hopefuls.  What Simon didn't know, was how to introduce himself.  Introductions were always hard for him.  What if, instead of coming off amicably, he came off as manipulative or cruel?  That'd be the end of his entire facade, or at least a strong malus towards it.  What if he came off as weak willed?  That'd be unacceptable.  Just... try to imitate casualness, Simon.  Over what felt like an hour, but was really only a minute, Simon felt ready to talk to him.


"So, are you excited for the matching ceremony?" he asked.

 

[0stinato]

Rüdiger realised he was staring at who'd spoken to him. Without replying. In his head, he had replied, several times. Each reply was getting less and less aggressive; they'd started long and sarcastic, his brain effectively listing reasons why marriage was a sham, but now they'd boiled down to a simple and rough "no". He sat forwards, making sure he was actually going to speak this time, not just imagine the conversation.


He coughed, hair resting on his aching cheekbone, "I'll leave the excitement for those actually marrying," he said shortly. "I'm not one of them. I don't think. God knows I'd love to feel anything positive but... circumstances don't allow that."


Rüdiger caught himself. From his incursion with Sam before, he knew that a slip of his tongue, any spillage of personal information could have him landed in trouble. To distract himself, he studied the man quickly, observed his appearance, tried to read the angles of his face, truly understand the profile as a true artist would. A cursory glance revealed nothing particularly interesting; left, right, and centre he seemed pretty average. His countenance was attractive though. And the man's eyes, there was something in them that told Rüdiger that he was clever. Something within those green eyes that reminded Rüdiger of his own. Uninspiring by form, but... something in those eyes. A incomprehensible being looking out of a dull robot, made to fit in, made to hide itself.


Rüdiger could read that. He could certainly read that. He wanted to broach it with the man, though the middle of a crowded train full of nervous coming-of-age-year-olds was hardly the place to do so. But, as in his own, this man's eyes showed... thirst.


To stop himself being pulled into attempting to dissect the man's meaning, what his brain lusted for behind those frustrated eyes, Rüdiger looked down at his hands. Still ink-stained. Still steady.


@CoolGuy ((I assume Simon's addressing Rüdiger?))

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Sunday, June 20th, 2054


9:00AM

For a few moments, Jayden's eyes watched as the city rolled by out the window. It was almost kind of..saddening to be leaving home..as she wouldn't be coming back..not after this week. She would move in with her partner..and they would start their life together, but she would still make time for her grandfather..in fact she would bring her partner to meet him! Surely that would be something they could do together. The thought brought a small smile to Jayden's face as well as oddly calmed her anxeity..to a point. Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a male near her, clearly addressing her. Mentally shaking herself, Jayden looked in front of her, her fiery red-orange eyes finding the green one's of the man before her. 
​

 
​

Before answering, Jayden's eyes wandered his facial features for a moment, taking in all the rough yet smooth curves and angles that made him who he was in the face. Not bad looking..actually quite cute..and the brown hair, green eyes combination was something Jayden was always fond of. As she realized what she was doing..her face lit up in a light shade of pink. She shouldn't think about other men during this ceremony. Then again... what if he was her match? Shaking her head once more, Jayden gave the man a small friendly smile. "Yeah..I'm pretty excited. How about you?" She asked, glad to have someone to talk away the anxiety and train ride. 
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@TheCountryWarrior
​

 

[CoolGuy]

Simon wasn't prepared for him saying anything but yes, to be honest.  He was, perhaps pleasantly, surprised.  His words belayed a lack of acceptance, and Simon felt he may have misjudged this man.  His critical examination of Simon was not missed.  He felt as if this man saw something deep within his eyes that no one else had noticed.  What he'd noticed, Simon could only guess, but whatever it was, he felt this man had to either be trusted or fooled.  As of yet, trusting was out of the question, but fooling could do more harm than good.  This man appeared to be far more perceptive than even Simon, and Simon considered himself very perceptive, even if it wasn't his greatest skill.  The man looked down at his hands, and Simon followed his eyes.  A bit of ink on his hands.  An artist was the most likely possibility, but him simply working on a printer recently and suffering an accident was still possibility.


Simon propped his arms on his legs and rested his chin on his hands.  How could he possibly communicate a desire to talk later privately?  Follow Up question, how could he possibly talk later privately?  Mentioning a location would be too obvious...  Perhaps a question that could double as a deal to meet later.  Simon realized he hadn't said anything for several seconds.  Awkward.


"After the ceremony, do you know where we're going to stay?"  It doubled as an actual question, because Simon genuinely had no idea.


@0stinato(Yeah, sorry.)

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Zach didn't notice the girl staring at him. He had looked out the window at the city as it sped by, wondering to himself if he would ever see it again. Would the male move in with the female or the other way around? His mother moved in with his father so that seemed the most likely. The girl mentioned she was excited and asked about how he felt. He wasn't sure how he felt, what with the Green Pill clouding his thoughts, but he answered anyway. 
​

"I'm nervous, honestly. I'm not sure how this is going to work. And yet the possibilities are exciting." And the possibilities were also terrifying. What if this ends like his parents marriage? At least he had the Green Pill calming him down. Zach decided to make small talk. "So what do you do for a living?" 
​

 
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@xEmoBunnehx
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[Cosmo]

​

 
​

The white train brought an intense foreboding in the pit of his stomach. Everything about the train was just... well, it didn't raise feelings of hope in him, that was for sure. It was almost painful to look at, not just because of how the light seemed to reflect off the almost entirely white surface, but because of everything it represented. It was 'sleek', functional.. seamless... the damnable thing didn't even seem to make noise. It was 'perfect', and he hated it. Where was the loud, smoke iron horses he had glimpsed in some of his... contraband? Those rustic, rugged hunks of junk that looked like they were barely holding together? It was silly, something few people would understand, but there was something alluring about those compared to this sleek, seamless monstrosity that called itself a train.
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​

At least they were two. He didn't think he could have boarded the train if it had been one. Not that the, 'totally not disconcerting' hissing of the doors didn't almost make him try to disappear into the crowds, Rowan was almost surprised, almost, when no smoke or man in a suit with a large, 'not a villain' green wasn't waiting behind the doors. Rowan did not pause at the door, even if every fiber in his being wanted him to... Nor did he say the snide comment that almost passed his lips, instead he clung onto the brief hope that maybe the inside was dirty, maybe a few scraps of trash left over by the last breeders..
​

 
​

He was wrong. It was spotless. Just as clean as the outside, Rowan let out a small frustrated groan at the sight. He wasn't quite sure why it really mattered, but it did. As simple as that. Just as he lowered himself into one of the leather seats, the woman's voice came over the speaker, really, he thought they needed to hire new writers, a job he should have gotten, Hello! Look to your left! Look to your right! Are they pretty then you? Then you're on the wrong train! Go to the back with the rest of the plebeians!
​

 

[0stinato]

It slowly dawned on Rüdiger that he was once again becoming acquainted with the old neurons he'd so often taken for granted. The green pill's affects were dimming, and he was sure his practice analysis of the man in front of him had helped. It was a good feeling, to once again feel like he owned his own skin. Like the fabric that touched his body was actually comfortable to wear, not a constant distraction of heaviness. He could blink in colour again, and the cramped carriage was beginning to reach him with the smell of people. Some colognes, perfumes, sweat, that strange new-seat smell... he was noticing them. It was hard to believe the feelings had vanished from him.


He raised his eyes as the man questioned him yet again. He listened quietly, before bringing forth what he remembered from the summons he'd received previously.


"As far as I know," he said, "Those who get married go on a farce of a honeymoon into the Capital for a week. A week of awkward dates and awkward sex with someone you'll have to put up with until you die. There is no worse hell. As for those of us that aren't matched, I suppose we're left to our own devices. Personally, I'll be going home as soon as I can. So, depending on whether you are matched depends on where you'll be staying."


He wanted to say something else. But he didn't. Asking about this man's personal life, although it might be perceived as polite to some people, Rüdiger always saw these questions as invasive.


"Oh, where are you from? What do you do? Would I know any of your friends too?"


All Rüdiger saw was some stranger on some kind of data-collection mission. Ordinary everyday questions... but ordinary everyday questions are probably the easiest way to slither into someone's mind. And to exploit them. Rüdiger suspected a few things about this man: the first was that he'd be too snide to actually answer any of these questions, if Rüdiger was to ask. Another was that he probably didn't care for small-talk either. His first question, although very generic and usual, would've been the only way to begin a conversation. His second, though, that was information-gathering for his own sake. So he probably didn't care about it.


Of course, he couldn't be sure: Rüdiger was only thinking about what he'd do if he was in the man's position. He wagered it'd be a relatively good guess to make anyway. He couldn't help feeling that he and this man opposite him, shared the same ilk. Perhaps not a good one. But the same nonetheless.


@CoolGuy

 

[CoolGuy]

Simon felt a little embarrassed.  He only glanced at the summons, and never really remembered to read it.  But that doesn't matter now.  What does matter is his comparatively outrageous complaints.  Simon never had the guts to do outright criticize the government, which he almost liked in this man.  Though he may admire this trait, it made him suspicious, and Simon suspicious by extension.  For some reason, though, Simon deeply desired to talk with him again some time.  He enjoyed this conversation, as both a means to an end and a game of communication.


The man didn't seem to want to say anything more, which was perfectly fine with Simon.  After all, he was dangerous to associate with.  He likely hadn't caught the meaning behind his comment, and even if he did, he just said he likely wouldn't get married, and for some reason, Simon felt that he wouldn't get married either.  They'd return to their respective cities, never meet again, and Simon would have to meet his goals without him.  He never even caught his name.  Simon planned his freedom before he met him, and Simon would do so without him afterwards.  Still, for some reason or another, Simon felt like this man would be a huge asset, even if his perception to Simon's self made him uncomfortable.  Ah, a loss.


Simon leaned back in his chair.  He was sure he'd meet him again, somehow, but Simon had things to do until then.


"Thanks," Simon said.  He looked out the window, and just thought to entertain himself..


@0stinato

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

 
​

Sunday, June 20th, 2054


9:03AM

Jayden nodded in agreement with his statement before he asked his question, and as for his question..well Jayden put on a sheepish look. She didn't like to talk about work..not that she wasn't proud of where she placed..but because it was a very high ranking spot and only 5% of people get to do what she did. Most people considered Data Sorter's either stuck up, narcissistic, or utter nerds. She was the last one. A total and complete nerd. The blush on her face grew as she adjusted herself in her seat more, as to make herself look small. "Er..well..I'm a Data Sorter.." She mumbled, her soft voice sounding almost faint as she answered him, then asked him the same, much louder though, "How about you?" 
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​

Jayden was now extremely anxious, so to try and calm that, she looked around the train, her eyes dancing about every person before they landed on Him..again. The guy she was staring so hard at the station. The long hair, angled features..Jayden! Stop staring! He mind yelled as she quickly glanced away from the man and back to the guy before her..who..she did not even know his name and they were discussing jobs. "Er.. I don't think we ever exchanged names, I'm Jayden." She said, an awkward smile across her pale pink lips as she leaned forward and extended a pale hand for him to shake, should he choose to, with well groomed nails that had no color on them, but were fairly long. Her fingers were rather long and slender as the rest of her hand was small, her wrist even more so, as it looked like it wouldn't take much to break it. 
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@TheCountryWarrior
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[DrBezendrine]

Ryan Hendrix
​

   The thoughts and everything along with them continuously drifted across Ry's mind without filter. She pretended to just observed the passing scenery, as she was an artist this would be expected. The real thoughts in her mind were now venturing into the scarier portions of this ceremony. What if her match didn't work out for her? That he would be harsh and hate art? What if she just wasn't given a match to begin with? Would that be possible at all or do they just have you go again and again until they chose? She didn't know how this worked in the slightest, but she shook her head and took a deep breath. Then, she decided to look around the train.


   The beautiful interior was even more so filled with life with the people inside. Most of their faces were probably as anxious as her and most likely contained the same thoughts. That made Ry feel a bit better about the situation. Her gaze passed a red headed girl, onto a fairly lanky guy next to her. At least they were having some sort of interaction, she said to herself as her eyes continued to wander. They then passed various conversation go-ers. Wow, looks like I'm the only one alone...


   Ry sighed and just continued to look around, the sight of everyone with someone to talk to basically acting like the Green. She huffed as her eyes stopped at another person who seemed to be alone. He sort of stood out like she imagined herself, which kind of released some anxiety as she looked in that direction a tad longer. Something was oddly alluring about him. Was it the tan? Or his face? Probably his face and... Purple eyes!? This has GOT to be him. Ry caught herself staring more then just glancing as she shook her head and looked back to her window, twirling her hair.


Maybe that's him. That would be a blessing, hopefully, if it is him, he doesn't care too much about being strict to the laws. Were those eyes even purple? Perhaps a darker shade, like a deep violet or royal... Ry began thinking about the positives again, probably the best thing for her. She would continue to just entertain herself with these thoughts, glancing over every once in a while.

 

[0stinato]

Rüdiger inhaled deeply. There were vague thoughts he couldn't place, but couldn't get out of his head, warring sentences wanting to make it past his lips, and countless emotions sparking. He eventually narrowed his sentences down to a couple. Either he'd stay silent the rest of the journey or say one potential final thing. Weighing up the two options in his head, he eventually decided to take the riskier one.


"Don't live your life without killing something." He waited a moment, "Do you know... what I mean?"


What he had said was less advice more a way of testing the waters. A litmus test of sorts. And the result would surely come in the form of the man's response - or lack thereof - and how he acted upon hearing this.


And he felt electric. Somehow this encounter had replaced the dull feeling in his brain with pure static, and he felt himself sweating slightly. Even if he wanted to keep his emotions completely secretive from the eyes of others, suppressing his physiological urges was far more a work in progress.


@CoolGuy

 

[CoolGuy]

Simon looked away from the window when he heard the man talking.  His eyes were widened in shock, and, for a moment, Simon had no idea whatsoever what he had meant.  Don't live your life without killing something... What could that possibly mean?  Perhaps a way of expressing discontent with the government?  A straightforward piece of advice?  Don't live your life without killing something...  Simon thought of what he'd mean if he'd say something like that.  Well, obviously he'd mean don't live your life without exerting your will upon someone else.  Perhaps this man meant something similar.  He'd previously demonstrated a similarity to Simon, so it didn't seem to distant a guess.  Perhaps it was a test, of some sort.  Most of their conversation seemed to lie under their words, and this was just another sentence belying a complex meaning.  A test on his loyalty to the government?  No, not quite.  A test, he decided, to demonstrate a mentality of violence.


Simon opened his mouth a moment, before reconsidering.  If there were any cameras on this train, and someone happened to pay attention, then he'd be screwed.  Well, he thought, if there were cameras, they'd see that he heard whatever this man said, and didn't turn him in.  Simon didn't want to turn this man in.  So, already being screwed with Simon did the most bold thing he'd ever done.


"Yeah," Simon said.  "I know what you mean."  Simon knew that, if this man were simply an extra intelligent spy, he'd be arrested within the day.  The thought gave him a thrill.



@0stinato


 

 

[Yiyel]

Yiska Singer
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Sunday, June 20th, 2054
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9:00AM
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​

Yiska thought he was rather well prepared for everything happening today, at least while under the green, but the moment the too-white and pristine train rolled into the station he found his stomach twisting slightly, the anxiety always managed to creep on him, that or he was just getting too used to the lifeline that was the pill. Everyone around him seemed in a similar state of mind, or worse, as they shuffled aboard and into seats, Yiska hesitated for a moment before sitting across the alley from a red-headed girl and near another man who looked like he'd seen better days. His cheek was bruised, but Yiska didn't feel it his business to ask, so he settled near a window and stared out as the scenery flew by in a blur of colors. The man mentioned something about not being matched, which caught his attention, and he idly looked around at the other occupants of their car. Most were men from the looks of it. That definitely wouldn't help the matching if the numbers were that unbalanced. Then again, it might mean he'd be free to do as he wished, or he'd be stuck with another man. He wasn't so concerned that the government would do such a thing however, as it really didn't seem to benefit the society any. They couldn't produce children, and no children meant no new bodies to grow, eventually work for, and assist  the prosperity of their population. The red head on the other hand was speaking about her job, a prestigious one at that. The thought left him wondering who else on this train possessed a job worthy of the same title. A few of the others had odd hair and eye colors, but that really didn't mean  a thing as to what they were sorted into for a job, so he decided to sit and listen a bit longer. If anything it would help the time go far faster, and he might learn something valuable.


@0stinato @xEmoBunnehx

 

[0stinato]

Rüdiger watched the man's reaction intently. To him, the man opposite was nameless, average-looking, cautious, a crowd-member. But right now he was the centre of Rüdiger's world. He didn't know what he wanted to do with the man, or what he could do, but there was one word rattling around his head to describe their meeting - potential. The fact they had met, the fact they had formed some sort of relationship, borne of vague words and muttered, seemingly callous comments, all of it had potential. Perhaps it would be nothing. Perhaps they'd meet for the slow time it took this train to make it to the ceremony, then never meet again. Perhaps that would happen. Or maybe there'd be further connection. Not some clichéed 'partners in crime' deal, but neither some humble goal of dismantling a tyrannical economy. Nothing so big. Something more selfish.


Perhaps it was too far forward to think about. Perhaps Rüdiger was looking too far ahead.


Either way, this man was too interesting an opportunity to pass up. He could be useful.


Rüdiger let a few minutes swing by, spending them by staring intently at another man across the way. He looked to be about Rüdiger's height with dark hair, some sort of perfect melancholia forming an aura about him. Rüdiger considered him dangerous. He was sitting too close, too... within earshot. He could be anyone. He could have some sort of recording device on his person, and posing as a simple almost-adult on his way to the ceremony. After someone, maybe? Or just here to root out suspicious activity. Had he heard Rüdiger's comment? If so, had he taken it the wrong way?


Put a hamster in a sock and smash it against the wall, Rüdiger reiterated to himself, that's what I meant. There's no harm in that. There's no law against that.


He tilted his head slightly. There actually probably was a law against that. Schieße.


That was an uncomfortable few minutes, a few minutes in which Rüdiger actually sort of missed the silent haze the green pill had put him under. But he refused to give into it and take another. The side effects, if there were any, were far too migraine-inducing to think about. And also, even if the guy sitting across from him had heard, recorded or taped anything, there was nothing Rüdiger could do. Plus, he had nothing to lose by roping the man sitting with him into his life for a bit longer.


Rüdiger caught his eye, "Tell me something to remember you by," he said. "I can't ignore your eyes. So let me remember you."


@CoolGuy @Yiyel

 

[CoolGuy]

There were a few moments of silence.  Awkward silence.  It made Simon uncomfortable.  Suddenly, the man's attention shifted from him to someone else.  Simon almost twisted his head to look as well, before he caught himself and kept his attention straight ahead.  There were several minutes of silence, which agonized Simon.  What if he was watching government agents come up behind him?  Other people would probably be looking as well, but he still felt uncomfortable not knowing exactly what was happening behind him.


"I'm-"  Simon started to say before reconsidering.  Should he give him a pseudonym?  No, there was no reason for that.  Assuming whoever this man was staring at was a government agent, he'd be more than able to find out his name easily.  If he were not, then Simon shouldn't fear him knowing his name.  "I'm Simon," he said.  "Simon Kempt."  Simon was almost amused at the fact that this was the most simple sentence he's said so far and yet the most dangerous by far.  Given how much this man knew of him, this was an extreme show of trust.  He hoped the man recognized that.


@0stinato

 

[0stinato]

"You--" Rüdiger stopped and frowned. "Are you..."


He honestly couldn't tell what Simon Kempt was at this point. A lot would point to the name he'd handed over being his birth name. Assuming that, was that a stupid move, or a smart one? Or was he a liar? Rüdiger respected liars intensely; they gave him so much to think about. But was Simon Kempt lying? Was it a power play or did he straight up make a potentially stupid and smart move at the same time? Rüdiger didn't want to believe it was a stupid move - Simon Kempt must have had his reasons, surely. Surely.


What the hell were they?


Oh, this was fun. Like poker without the cards. Or the chips. A silent battle of psychopathy, bluffs and double bluffs. Quite a train ride.


"That's your birth name? Simon Kempt?" Rüdiger asked, his voice giving away his surprise. He coughed. "You don't look like a Simon. I would have named you Felix. Or Henri. Or Willis. But Simon Kempt. That's fine. That's fine..." he said.


@CoolGuy ((Best train ride I've ever had))

 

[Atlas Marvel]

Excitement peaked as the mini pretzels and his bottle of water arrived at his table.Marco quickly opened the bag and began taking handfuls of pretzels and stuffing his mouth to the point where he would not be able to speak.He had always eaten like an animal and this was natural to him.He did not pay any attention to anyone around him until he caught the eyes of a girl.He had ignored her at first,but her constant glances in Marco's direction overwhelmed him.For the first time on the train ride,he took a long hard look at someone.He wanted to take his mind off of the matching as much as possible but he felt a connection.As he took the moment to examine this girl,Marco's mouth was full to its maximum capacity,but Marco hadn't noticed.When he finally snapped out of his fantasies of getting matched with this onlooker,he finally noticed his ridiculous cheeks and his face became red.He quickly turned his head forward,trying to dismiss the embarrassment he had placed on himself.He chewed slowly and did not take another handful for a while.He looked like he was being punished by his mother,and tried to drink his water as casually as possible,but the connection and awkwardness was already there.Marco refused to get deeper into it and resumed stuffing his face,but this time looking out the window.

 

[DrBezendrine]

Ryan Hendrix
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   Ry was pinching her leg at the guy's reaction, trying not to laugh. He was cute but Ry wasn't letting that be her only thought. She rolled her eyes at him with her small grin and faced towards the window with her eyes still on him, watching his facial expressions to see if he would 'recover' some how. She didn't exactly know what to do so she waited, but made it obvious she felt a connection to him by keeping her eyes towards him in a way.


   She decided to look out the window as well as soon as his attention was averted. Now, she was thinking about her job completely. She had an upcoming project that she hasn't even started and that she didn't even know what to paint. She's been looking for a duller inspiration, but nothing has clicked yet. It's abnormal for her and, well, more stressful on her then this Matching Ceremony. She sighed to herself as she continued to run ideas through her head, looking back at the awkward guy every so often, just to see if he recovered yet. The art thing just generally pissed her off but she was good at hiding this as she just kept her grin on her face and watched the scenery, looking for anything.


   The city could work... I could paint, no. I could do charcoal art of the skyline at night with the stars and- Nevermind they rejected that the last time I suggested it. C'mon Ry, can't have artist block ever. You need this one. Plus I already did the city itself 3 other times. New idea, new idea, new idea...


   She huffed again and slowly threw her head back, closing her eyes. "Screw it... I'll just do something."


@Pwninator

 

[CoolGuy]

The man seemed shocked at his answer.  Did he doubt that Simon was his name?  No, he wouldn't be shocked in that case.  In this complicated conversation, it seems that telling the truth was out of the ordinary.  Good.  Simon hated being predictable.  He'd gained the advantage.  Simon noticed the man was seemingly lost in trying to untangle the web of bluffs that was, for once, mysteriously absent from Simon's answer. 


"That's your birth name? Simon Kempt?" the man asked. He coughed. "You don't look like a Simon. I would have named you Felix. Or Henri. Or Willis. But Simon Kempt. That's fine. That's fine..."


Simon smiled at him.  "What, do I look untrustworthy?"  Simon knew the answer was likely yes, so he didn't give him a chance to respond.  "But, you do have me at a disadvantage."  


@0stinato (It's certainly been interesting.)

 

[0stinato]

"A disadvantage? I could have you killed," Rüdiger said. Upon saying that, he realised just how realistic a possibility that was. He wouldn't, of course, seeing as Simon was probably not the kind of opportunity to squander for a cheap and dangerous thrill, but the thought of it was shudder-inducing. Something he could think about later, though. For now he probably shouldn't fantasise in the middle of a train about the websites he could go to with nothing but a name, and emerge with an obituary.


He shook his head, rubbed his hands together and continued, "Brave or foolish, I can't tell," he said. "I hope it's the former. I believe you know what you're doing. Some sort of... mind-games... or something else... I don't know what you're doing, Simon Kempt. I'm... I've not been this confused since the publishing house said I'd be an appropriate figure for illustrating children's literature. Little simple pictures of kittens and dolphins and shit like that. I scratch off my own skin. And they want me to draw 'James threw the ball to Julia'. I couldn't understand that either."
Rüdiger stopped, realising he'd spilled information about himself too. Simon could go into any booksellers', sift through some of the hundreds of government-approved illustrated children's literature and find out his name now. And maybe he'd go to the same websites. Set someone on Rüdiger. Have him killed.


His quietness was quite unnerving too: Rüdiger often walked around with a lingering feeling of superiority, and now he felt three inches tall. Vast intelligence, a gaze unwavering. A calculating and mysterious sentience behind those eyes. Soaking up his every movement. Hearing his every word. Remembering all. Deitic. Godlike. Still. If Rüdiger tried not to show his fear, and stopped running his mouth, he'd be fine. Right? Surely.


"I suppose I'll repay you by telling you something you can call me. One other person in the world calls me this. So if I hear this name I'll know it's either you, Simon Kempt, or him. It's not my real name. A lot of people know my real name. Call me this if we meet again and I'll know it's you," he hesitated. It was a truly stupid name he was about to say, even more stupid when you really looked at the person labelled by it. "Just... call me Candy."


@CoolGuy

 

[CoolGuy]

"A disadvantage?  I could have you killed," the man said.  Well, that's not exactly what Simon expected from him in answer, but that made him charming.  Simon contemplated retorting that he could kill him just as easily now, but stopped himself.  He went on for a few minutes, about how he didn't know how to make out SImon.  Words that he'd expected, in a way, but were deeply gratifying to hear.  But... he dropped something.  His occupation.  A children's illustrator.  It made sense with his ink stained fingers, and was his first guess.  Well, it fell within the purview of his first guess, at least.  He could find some children's books, look at the authors, then look at a census coupled with images to each person.  It'd be tedious, but he was capable of it.  If he could gather such a census and children's books without arousing suspicion, at least.  He had no children, and no reason to purchase children's books, and no way to get a census.  But, the opportunity existed.


The man examined Simon for just a moment.  A moment that would go uncaught by most, but the focus of the man in front of him made it difficult to exist.  He seemed to be hiding his emotions, and well, at that, but he was clearly hiding his emotions.  Any number of emotions he would have reason to hide.  Anger, happiness, fear, sadness, though Simon wasn't sure why he'd feel any of these.


"I suppose I'll repay you by telling you something you can call me. One other person in the world calls me this. So if I hear this name I'll know it's either you, Simon Kempt, or him. It's not my real name. A lot of people know my real name. Call me this if we meet again and I'll know it's you.  Just... call me Candy."


Simon narrowed his eyes at... Candy.  He wasn't entirely sure if this man was messing with him or not, but Simon certainly would have chosen a cooler name.  Still, a fake name gave almost as much information as a real one.  It showed that he either had a loved one, which was no certainty, nowadays, or that he had a partner, of some sort.  Partner in what, Simon could only guess.  "Well, I would have named you Felix, or Henri, or Willis, but Candy's fine."




@0stinato

 

[0stinato]

"Aren't you a comedian," Rüdiger said. Although he didn't laugh, he did find Simon's comment worthy of mirth, but it was the simple fact that any laugh from Rüdiger's mouth was a rare occurrence. He remembered the last time he'd laughed - at some stupid mistake he'd made when using expensive spray paint on an equally expensive canvas, thus ruining the canvas' integrity and wasting it completely. That had made him laugh. Or maybe his using the spray paint not in a well-ventilated area was the cause of his laughter. It had made him slightly high, he was prepared to admit.


Simon's joke had settled his mind a little. Maybe it was foolish to let his guard down a little, but what could happen on a train? Nothing. Probably. He sat back, raising an eyebrow at Simon though saying nothing further. He was content to enjoy Simon's company for now. As far as he was aware, they'd prepped each other with enough information to allow further communication if desired. He didn't doubt that Simon would have the idea to investigate "Candy's" background as far as he could. He certainly wanted to investigate Simon.


To be honest, he could probably find out a lot about Simon by engaging in simple small-talk, but he reckoned that Simon was as wary as he himself was about revealing information. Well, apart from his name, but Rüdiger still reckoned Simon had had a reason for it. He wanted to know. And it was infuriating to be out of the loop. His intelligence was teeth-clenchingly agonising. But beautiful somehow. Life is chess, and Simon wasn't losing.


@CoolGuy 

 

[CoolGuy]

Candy didn't seem amused.  Well, Simon was amused.  He rarely made snide comments, they were rarely conducive to a popular, but average, personality, but he did enjoy them.  It did appear to calm Candy down, however, which was an advantage.  It showed his humanity, which would exponentially increase Candy's opinion on him as time passed, fooling him into thinking Simon was far more likable than he actually was.  Candy raised his eyebrow at Simon and sat back in his chair, making it difficult for further conversation.  Simon found this difficult to deal with.  


To an untrained eye, it certainly appeared that Simon came out in the better end of this conversation, what with him finding out a secret name that only one other person knew him by, finding out his occupation, which may indirectly lead to learning his name, increasing Candy's opinion of him, discovering an anti-government perspective without himself being incriminated, but to Simon, Candy clearly won.  Candy ended the conversation when he had a clear advantage, knowing Simon's true name, and had increased Simon's opinion on him, which was likely far more difficult than vice versa.  How you end a conversation is far more important than anything said in the middle.  Well, at least, Simon suspected as much.  He'd never had such an indepth conversation.


Simon could not start another conversation.  It would show weakness, a desire to continue.  Starting the first conversation was a necessary evil, and Candy would, in all likelihood, judge him far less harshly for doing so.  So, Simon turned, once again, to look out the window.  Life is chess, and Simon was happy to find another player, though his skill remained to be seen.




@0stinato