Private Conversations

[dominioned]

The confessional before you is ornate and well maintained, ebony colored wood embellished with the visage of two angels. A jet black curtain separates the confessional from the rest of the Church, offering a surprising degree of privacy to any eavesdroppers nearby. Unlike the rest of Krakow, the inside is dimly lit by a small light bulb securely attached to the ceiling which emits a faint red light. While the atmosphere isn't exactly cozy, it is private.

A smooth voice calls out to you once you've sat down, familiar enough to identify the speaker despite the partition between you.

"Welcome welcome. I take it something is on your mind?"

We're in a museum now, Harry.

Comments

[dominioned]

[ He laughs. ]

My sense of humor isn't for everyone.

[inordertobelieve]

For good reason.

[ It seems like an apt litmus test for being a good person to not laugh at the same things Rembrandt does, but then again, Mikami is biased. ]

Those beings at the trial. What were they?

[dominioned]

I can't disagree.

[ Mikami will get the feeling that he's smiling behind the partition. ]

My, my starting with the big questions first are you? They're native to this world for one.

[inordertobelieve]

The big questions happen to be the obvious questions.

[ Mikami does not like this sense of Rembrandt smiling at all, and he scowls all the more for it. ]

Native to this world in the form they are in now, or did something happen to them?

[dominioned]

So they are. [ He pauses. ]

Both is the fair answer.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Is it really fair if it's cryptic as hell? ]

Let's try this again. Did the thing that happened to them occur a long time ago, enough that this state has established itself as the new 'normal'?

[dominioned]

[ I mean no, but this is just how Rembrandt is. ]

It was not a long time ago, by my best estimation. But as to whether it's "normal"... I told you once already, did I not? Most things are simply a matter of perception. And if you truly want an honest answer to that question you would have to ask a native of this world yourself.

[inordertobelieve]

And we don't have that option, do we? Approaching those creatures outside of the courtroom has seemed ill-advisable at best so far.

[dominioned]

Ill-advised is putting it mildly. In the court room at least I can keep them cowed.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Huh. He didn't expect Rembrandt to actually flat-out admit that they are dangerous. Mikami had been bracing himself to be mislead into talking to one of them. ]

They're scared of you? How are you accomplishing that?

[dominioned]

[ Wow what kind of guy do you think he is Mikami. ]

They are. I take it you wouldn't accept my overly professional demeanor as an answer, would you?

[inordertobelieve]

Someone who jokes about sleeping with their boss while on the job hardly counts as overly professional. So... no.

[ He's way more professional than you are, sheesh. ]

[dominioned]

[ That makes him laugh. ]

She makes a far too easy target sometimes, but I don't personally care about the topic regardless. Whatever she orders me to do will be done, that's the nature of our relationship.

Nevertheless, what I told you does have a shade of truth to it.

[inordertobelieve]

They're not afraid of you being professional in the sense of not allowing yourself to be casual. They're afraid of your actual profession.

[ He is not as sure of this as he makes it seem, but hey, it's an attempt. ]

[dominioned]

[ There's the sound of leather hitting leather. ]

That's one way to put it!