(Untitled)

[lucetimods]

Who: Everyone!
What: The event has started!
When: From the beginning of the event until the end.
Where: EVERYWHERE
Summary: You're feeling a bit different today.
Rating: All over the place, yo.

Go to town, kiddies!

Comments

Maybe the third day? :|a

[semper_cogitans]

[It's been entirely too long since Robert bothered Mulder, his paranormal investigator friend.

... That's him over there, isn't it? Studying that tree oddly?]

Something wrong with that Acer platanoides, Fox?

That works for me too! XD

[ufo_fanboy]

[You do NOT want to freak a guy out in this state. Mulder jumps from where he'd been intently studying the tree and turns to face Robert.]

Not so loud.

[He hisses that in a whisper and then steps away from the tree, motioning Robert to follow. The next thing he says is in a low tone as well.]

...They could be watching from ANYWHERE.

\o/

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert offers an apologetic smile before stepping cautiously after Mulder, peering through the branches. His expression turns more... skeptical when Mulder says the next thing, though.]

... I really don't think the Malnosso would survey the trees, Fox. It just doesn't seem like a very efficient place to put bugs. Besides, this would be a great day for a walk or something...

[Thoughtfully:] Or maybe going inside, if you're so worried about the trees.

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder shakes his head.]

Inside is worse, I'm sure they've got something rigged into the very walls...

[And now he takes a step back and looks at him suspiciously. God damn it, no! He likes Robert, please don't let him be an enemy spy. Or maybe this one is a clone, that could be equally plausible. Something's different about him after all.]

Why are you so insistent about making me go inside?

[semper_cogitans]

[Whoa, okay, suspicious face (that Robert can actually interpret). He steps back, worriedly, and raises his hands to show that he's harmless.]

Hey, I didn't mean to sound like I was forcing anything. Just... don't you think you're being a little too paranoid? Just a bit? [He makes an "inch" gesture with his fingertips - something he'd normally never understand, much less do.] I mean, it's fine to worry - after all, this is the Malnosso we're talking about - but to the degree you're going for... that's not going to be too great for your sanity, Fox.

[He tries to put on another smile again.] If you'd rather stay outside, we can go on a nice walk or something. Maybe it'll help calm you down somewhat.

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder is just about to cool down a little and accept him as being the real Robert when something throws him spiraling out of control over the paranoia deep end, again.]

[He called him 'Fox'. No one ever calls him that.]

[He steps away and this time draws his gun.]

Are you the real Robert? Are you? Did you kidnap the real one and lock him up, because if you did, so help me...

[semper_cogitans]

[People who are trying to be friendly and first-name-basis call him that.

That gun? That makes all his Terran anti-violence taboos flare up - but his neurotypicalness means he has a better reaction to it than just standing there and freaking out.]

Wait a moment! I'm pretty bloody sure I'm the real Robert - you really don't need to shoot me.

... Besides, if I wasn't the real Robert, how would I even know your name? [Robert piques an eyebrow a bit, though he's still obviously kind of freaked out. That gun is bringing up all kinds of urges to just flail and hide.] If you'd rather me call you Mulder, that's fine... I just figured it'd be better if friends called each other by their first name, y'know?

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder holds the gun steady for just a moment, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. An infiltrator or alien spy would like like that wouldn't they? But then he can't be sure right now. He's not too sure what to trust or believe.]

You're really him? You're... You're sure about that? If you're Robert... Tell me, what were we shopping for the other day?

[Lowering the gun. Not putting it away just yet. If it IS him, Mulder's going to have to get him to take better precautions, though. They can't be too careful.]

[semper_cogitans]

[He'd be irritated, but Robert can tell how terrified Mulder is right now, and so he keeps his tone soothing, gentle and careful.]

I was shopping for parts for a hydroponics garden I was making for Vivi - you were shopping for a basketball and a hoop, but sadly there weren't any on that day. I remember you got fish food and tank decorations for your goldfish, though. [All of this is effortlessly recalled - Robert's memory is still intact, of course. But he's smiling gently in a way that is rather un-Robertlike.]

Does that make you feel a little better, Mulder? Or is there something else I can do to prove I'm... well... me?

[ufo_fanboy]

[It's that change in mannerisms that has Mulder on high alert. But he nods about Robert's answer, that's right and acceptable. Even though they may have been watching even then...]

...you- yeah, that's right.

[After a moment, Mulder breathes slightly easier and then puts the gun away. For now. He looks around suddenly, in all directions, and back to Robert, gesturing him to get walking with him. There are people not too far away, going about regular routines, walking around town and so on.]

We stayed too long. They- come on, we have to take an evasive route!

[Picking up the pace and straying completely off the trails, Mulder begins trying to lose whoever is supposedly in pursuit.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Hey, Mulder's mannerisms are just as different as Robert's - only in a whole other direction.

He follows Mulder carefully, honestly a bit confused by Mulder's behaviour. There's nothing out of the ordinary... Still, he tries to keep up with him - this is a struggle, though, and his breathing is ragged and broken even only after a few minutes of sprinting.]

N-Nobody's even f-following us, Mulder! Why are y-you so afraid?!

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder pauses, panting, and leans with his back to the side of a building. He still keeps an eye out, imagining people darting just out of sight everywhere he turns.]

Oh, they're following all right. Why did it take me so long to catch on?

[He looks seriously at Robert.]

These abductions, these tests... people never come back the same. [A pause, and adds in a lower voice,] They've all been replaced by clones. Spies for the Malnosso.

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert wipes the sweat off his face, grimacing a little, before looking just as seriously at Mulder. He does drop his tone significantly, more to humour him than anything, but asks:]

We know the Malnosso can do anything they want to us, whenever they want. Why wouldn't they just make it so that we didn't think anything was wrong? Why would they let you realize that, if it was really happening?

I think you're just being way too worried over nothing.

[As social as he is, rationality hasn't gone anywhere.]

[ufo_fanboy]

[At least Mulder is listening to him, which is a good thing. The bad thing is that all that logic is getting warped by paranoia the second it hits Mulder's mind.]

But if what you're saying is true... How do we know what's real? That the experiment they pulled on us a couple months ago wasn't an experiment at all, but a break into the actual reality? And right now we're back to living the lie...

[semper_cogitans]

[With infinite patience born of wanting to correct this thought process:] Because that experiment had some completely crazy logic, Mulder. Like people being older than their own biologically-birthed "children" in some cases. Or people being born to totally different species. That's just impossible, regardless of what the Malnosso made us think.

You don't think something so silly would possibly be real, would you? I mean, come on... I know you're open-minded, but at some point, you gotta take a step back and look at the situation.

[He offers a genuine smile and puts a hand on Mulder's shoulder reassuringly - this is the first time he's made any contact with Mulder at all, but he does it so naturally that it's like it's never been a problem.] Besides, if something weird is happening, I'm sure we can all protect each other.

[ufo_fanboy]

Nothing's impossible. There's time travel, or some kind of rogue temporal interference that could account for the age discrepancies. The lie we're living could seem real, but it's been cleverly designed to appear that way. Everything they've done is a deliberate set-up.

[Real Mulder had had his moments of fear over these things too but right now all those paranoid thoughts are freakishly real. In his mind.]

[He looks with some surprise at Robert- since when does he touch people? He still feels very wary right now. But scary enough, this isn't the first time he's been in a situation of paranoia, or the world crashing down on him. Whenever that happens normally... well... he usually has someone back home to go to. His source of sanity when he has none.]

I wish Scully were here.