[Video]

[madeinoblivion]

[Joe is wearing a Portside Aces baseball cap, NV propped up on another greasy table in the Underground Mall's food court. There's the crinkle of fast food paper, the slurping noise of an oversized fountain drink, and milling-about sounds of a busy afternoon. The boy sighs glumly, unsure where to start. There's a lot of restless anger brewing in the piercing cyan of his eyes, but it's tempered down since his raging fits of last week. He seems tired, like he hasn't been getting the best sleep.]

One week we have a newcomer business convention, the next week newcomer businesses are burning down, and it feels like more and more people keep disappearing.

I really hate it, when it feel like everything's changing for the worst. Maybe they think they can keep us all down and playing by their rules when there's less of us.  [A lower sigh of resolve, then-]

But I  won't stop fighting.

It's really not fair these mall businesses always seem to be safe. (I mean, besides the big darkness breach that happened around this time last year, but-) Why are only some places left alone when they're not taking sides between AGI or SERO? Can somebody tell me that? The Underground Mall Clubs Association... how do you get in on something like that? Do you have to be a native with lots of munny?

[Joe reaches and tilts his NV so that it shows newest addition to the foodcourt behind him, a bustling counter service with a long line, thick hand-cut fries, and a round serving station filled with several dozen condiment pumps and bowls of relish. Sitting on his tray in front of him are five plastic cups of very different dipping sauces, ]

...and can somebody tell me why 'pomme frites' are so much more special than french fries that they're charging nine bucks for a paper cone?

[He sticks a fingertip in one of the cups in front of him, sampling a dollop with a casual shrug] The sauces are pretty delicious to try, at least.

Poutine.... [he points at the gravy on his far right, then goes right down the line of red hot, yellow, green, speckled white-] "War Sauce", Sweet Mango Chutney, Wasabi-Lime Mayo, Parmesan Peppercorn. So much for plain ketchup!  (And this is just 5 of 42 they've got. It reminds me of ice cream flavors.)

[He shakes his head, giving a dry smile and a roll of his eyes.]

Everything's gotta be a good gimmick to be original, huh.

Comments

[ video ]

[hostage]

Money and muscle. The business thing, I mean. You gotta make 'em either scared of you or make 'em wanna kiss up to you. That's how you keep the bad guys outta your turf.

Re: [ video ]

[madeinoblivion]

It's always more munny I don't have...

[hostage]

Ain't never just one person with all that cheddar. You do it like... Like you get a little bit of money from each person you're protecting. Like they're paying into the system, right, and then the system takes care of 'em.

[madeinoblivion]

That's ... how the companies run already, isn't it?

With the 'protection' stickies in the windows?

You're saying we make our own affiliation?

text;

[motioned]

what are pomme frites?

Voice

[madeinoblivion]

The same thing as french fries, pretty much.

Text

[motioned]

but you paid more for them?

[Video]

[not_the_dreck]

...are you ever going to eat some place that isn't fast food?

[Video]

[madeinoblivion]

Is that an offer to foot the bill at someplace fancy I'm hearing, Original?

I eat at home too, sometimes.

[Video]

[not_the_dreck]

Don't call me that. You're not my replica, and I rather not hear either term right now.

[He just got his mind screwed in straight. Leave him alone.]

And like hell I'd pay for anyone to eat somewhere fancy.

[video]

[drinkthebleach]

I still can't wrap my mind 'round the idea that there's only two fuckin' corporate names in this whole city.

So there really isn't any record label or anythin' that isn't attached to AGI?

Re: [video]

[madeinoblivion]

Maybe something really little and independent and ...like... garage-recordy.

[video]

[drinkthebleach]

[An indignant puff of air through his nostrils.]

Fuck that shit.

video.

[preciouspearl]

[Bless your heart, sweet sir, and forgive her for... not understanding more than half of what you said. Rules? AGI? Sero? Taking sides? The underground what? Her little girl face twists into expressions of varying degrees of confusion as she watches Joe's post... and eventually she settles to answering the one part she did understand a little.

Which would be the french fries. But even then that comes out as a question.]

Um... What are pom-freets?

Re: video.

[madeinoblivion]

Fancy overpriced french fries.

[preciouspearl]

Fancy? Do they taste any different?

[pullsheavendown]

I'm more curious about why you paid the nine bucks.

voice

[madeinoblivion]

Cause I could dissapear just like anybody else any day now, Roxas.

And there's 42 sauces.

...so 9 bucks is worth it for today.

voice

[pullsheavendown]

....right.

[Well. When you putit like that.]

Forty-two, huh?

video

[whitefeathered]

[Aoko watches him for a long moment. For a moment she looks about to say something, then shifts her eyes away sideways, stifling it.]

It looks really good, even for the price.

video

[madeinoblivion]

Yeah... just to say you've tried it, right?

Which I won't say about the two hundred dollar caviar truffle pizza up at Lion's Gate...

But pomme frites I think I can manage.

video

[whitefeathered]

[A small smile.]

Until everyone's tried it, right? Then no one will want to pay.

I don't think I'd like caviar anyway.

[More hesitation.]

. . . Are you okay?

[voice]

[acemedium]

They'd better be good if they're charging that much!

... Well, my student.... you know what they say! For every sauce, there's a fry. [No one says that, Maya]

Re: [voice]

[madeinoblivion]

I hope there's at least 42 fries in here!

[acemedium]

If not you should sue them! [OFFICIAL SENSEI ORDER HERE]