Briefing 01 - Video

[sneaking_sin]

[First there's a brief flash of video feed, of a face caked in pale camouflage paint (to match the light snow coating the foliage around him) and bristly with stubbly beard hair, partly obscured by a wide green bandanna and a plain black eyepatch. Then the image blacks out to sound-only, but it reappears a few seconds later. It's clear that he's

Comments

Voice

[no_nukes_plz]

...

[He knows that voice. Except there's something... different about it. Huey decides to take a chance after a long moment.]

You... can't eat the Pokèmon, Snake.

video

[sneaking_sin]

Huh? Do I know you?

...And why not?

video

[no_nukes_plz]

[Ok, fine. He switches to video... and stares.]

Apparently not yet. You actually have a face beneath that beard. I never would have guessed.

[His tone is lightly teasing - and rather shocked.]

Huey Emmerich.

...and I don't know. If you want meat, you need to buy it in the towns. You can't eat those things. Any of them.

video

[sneaking_sin]

"Not yet"?

...Guess you already know my name. Where did you hear it?

[He's a bit wary. Most of the people who've heard that codename so far are government officials and Russians.]

[voice]

[shellderkillder]

[That face - and that behaviour - certainly seems familiar...]

Excuse me, sir?

video

[sneaking_sin]

...Who's this?

[voice foreverrr]

[shellderkillder]

[La la la, going to dance around the question.]

... I was wondering if we had met before.

[sneaking_sin]

Probably not. You don't sound familiar.

...Sorry, I must have turned to the wrong frequency.

[uses_metaphors]

The Mankey horde follows the lead of the Primape.

It is good to see you once more, Big Boss.

[Raven may be inwardly fanboying. It's difficult to tell.]

[sneaking_sin]

.......

[There is a long, weary pause... he sets the Ekans down and distracts his fingers with his pockets, searching for a cigar.]

...Call me Snake.

[Another pause, shorter this time.]

Hnn. I didn't expect personal greetings when I found myself here. Who are you?

[uses_metaphors]

As you request, Snake.

[It feels strange, though.]

I am Vulcan Raven, gunner and Shaman of FOXHOUND. Before that, I was a soldier at Outer Heaven, a nation of soldiers that you lead in the future.

[sneaking_sin]

Another "friend from the future", huh...

[He's having trouble imagining what he described. He's not sure he wants to.]

I'm not leading anyone right now. Except this snake, apparently. And I've never heard of an outfit called FOXHOUND.

Must be pretty far in the future.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

[... That voice. It's familiar, to say the least. Only one person she knows talks like that. So when the video screen comes on, Heather is-- .... started to see a distinct lack of gray hair and old dude 'stache.]

.... Sn-- .... oh.

[... Hooboy. Was this who she thought it was?]

.... You can't eat your starter.

[Video]

[sneaking_sin]

"Starter"?

[He holds up the sleepy Ekans, examining it.]

I won't eat it. I already tried to... it tasted terrible.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

Yeah. It's like... a pet. Except it fights stuff. You know, for you.

[Then she pauses.]

... You... already tried to eat it?

[... It looked alive to her... which meant he must have just... bitten into it. As it was. .... ER.]

[Video]

[sneaking_sin]

[It's probably not visible enough through the screen, but there's a slight impression of teethmarks on Ekans's scales somewhere. Not a deep bite, but enough for him to realize that the taste wasn't worth the effort.]

Yeah. I woke up, saw this big snake next to me, and tried to eat it. Then it kept following me around.

[video]

[boldandresolute]

[He knew that voice. It was the same voice that had haunted him his entire life, telling him that he was forever worthless.]

[Liquid's face is the very picture of rage and hatred.]

You!

[video]

[sneaking_sin]

[And Big Boss's face is the very picture of huhwhat.]

...Got a problem?

[video]

[boldandresolute]

You would know, Father. Don't try to pretend that you don't recognize me, your own flesh and blood!

[video]

[sneaking_sin]

...If you're trying to claim you know me in the future, you're not doing a very convincing job.

[He knows those sperm don't work.]

Nope, I don't recognize you at all.