The End of the Chase

[airlockedmods]

[After several enlightening mishaps and meeting several well-intentioned aliens, the clues from the scavenger hunt have led both teams to the pool on the west side of the building. There are several other aliens milling about, staring up at the windows to try and find the green one.

The last clue has been received. It's time to regroup, find where to go next, and confront the mastermind of this... network-sponsored scavenger hunt.]

Comments

[airlockedmods]

I mean, I don't...I don't know how I can not, at this point? Which still feels really silly, like fuckin' Kip or someone's about to bust out and tell me I'm an idiot and show me where all the hidden cameras've been, but this is WAY too much effort just to play a stupid joke on a random video guy...

[is it time for panic aw yes it is]

Oh my god, I've spent so much time watching this show! I've got all my followers, and I made theory videos, and...oh lord, the stupid videos. With the music. Please don't look at my stuff, it's horrendous. Oh fuck...

[cyan_maid]

H-Hey! It's not like you meant any harm by it, you didn't know!

[airlockedmods]

Agh, but it's all so VIOLENT! I mean, it's fine when it's fictional, but there's always been people saying it's bad because of that, and...like, it looked so real. How was that fun?

[cyan_maid]

...It...it was really...the opposite of fun. Drastically the opposite. But that doesn't make you a bad person for watching it! Especially if finding out the truth makes you feel this way now! I'd be much more concerned if you thought it being real was a good thing...

[When did this become Jane's job. Babysitting all these adults...]

[airlockedmods]

[When y'all showed up and altered his fundamental understanding of reality, probably.

Actually just let him cover his face with his hands and have a little bit of a moment, maybe?]

[cyan_maid]

[He's allowed to have his moment of course. As much as Jane wants to try and make him feel not so shitty about it, she...doesn't know Jaycee at all, so she sort of awkwardly rocks on her heels and fiddles with her hands.]

...I don't hold a single ounce of ill will towards any fan. That includes you.

[airlockedmods]

[Ah, Jane, you were always one of his favorite characters.

But that's creepy now, so he's just gonna not say that. But after a minute or two, he rubs his eyes and a spot on the top of his nose that also seems to be leaking - lizard tear ducts, I guess.]

...thanks. I guess?

[cyan_maid]

[Perhaps it might be easier to think of her as an acquaintance? It's weird for her too, all these people knowing of her in this way.]

Don't worry about it.

[stitch_in_time]

Hey, hey! Not your fault. The studio's got millions of people duped. You're not the one at fault here.

[And he can ask about Kip in a minute here.]

[airlockedmods]

I mean, I...I guess. But I'm a big fan, y'know? I've probably gotten people into it, and... [Some kind of horrified realization seems to dawn.] ...and I can't just stop making videos, can I?

[It would be weird-looking if he did. Kinda really out-of-character.]

[stitch_in_time]

...probably not.

[Ah, here's the part he wasn't looking forward to.]

You'll have to be very careful. I'm sorry, you're going to need to be brave.

[airlockedmods]

[...you know, he's gonna turn off his projection now. Even if it makes him feel bigger and more protected, it's actually not useful at all for anything but hiding one's appearance. His tail is still curled tight around his legs, and his frill pressed down against his body. He's really not even as tall as the average adult human, standing in his normal posture.]

O...okay? What'm I supposed to do?

[stitch_in_time]

Good lad.

[Hand on Jaycee's... shoulder? Do lizards have shoulers?]

We can't tell you what to do right now, if you want to turn around and leave now, I won't stop you.

But we could really use your help now. That message to our friends, we need to let them know we're looking for them.

And... anything you've heard about the studio, where they might be filming.

[airlockedmods]

Well, I...I don't know, they never really told me all that much about anything. I know the roses are a part of it? They said those're part of human courtship rituals or somethin' like that.

[stitch_in_time]

Okay.

[Awkward pat.]

Yeah, roses are a pretty common symbol of romance on Earth. Guess we'll have to figure out if there's more to it than that.

[Maybe just the symbology of it, but why use something so foreign to their target audience?]

...Do you know who EP and Kip are, exactly? We know Kip's the announcer or whatever, but... is EP listed in the credits or anything?

[airlockedmods]

Kip? Oh, he's the host of Airtalked! It's, uh...it's kinda an aftershow, where they talk about what happened? Like what I do, but with guests and it's official and all. Normally he'd be at a big con like this, but he's been off on some "secret project", we're all pretty sure it's something to do with the next season...

Don't really know who EP is, though.

[stitch_in_time]

[So on balance, not that much better off in terms of knowledge, at least for the moment.]

Thank you. And thank you for believing us, I know what it's like to find out something that terrible that suddenly, trust me.

[How. How much of his backstory has actually been broadcast here.]

[airlockedmods]

Um, you're welcome? I guess. I feel like that wasn't very helpful, was it?

[But then, if it was stuff he could've found out on Spitter, they would probably know already.]

I can get your messages in, though! I mean, they can't be signed from you or anything, that'd be idiotic. I, uh...I'm not sure how to get you an account for the web stuff without them realizin', though...

[stitch_in_time]

Don't worry, you're being fantastic.

[Seriously, you're coping pretty well with this, all things considered. You are a bro among lizards, Jaycee.]

How thoroughly do they check identities, would just a fake name work?

[ratherdoweddings]

Right, and we could try and come up with-- oh, but I guess even when we were trying to look normal, we all just looked like ourselves.

[airlockedmods]

Can't say I've ever thought about it before. "Being hunted down by a TV network"'s not really a big worry for most folks, y'know?

But when you sign up, you have to make an account and put in the billing information an' all...maybe it wouldn't normally be a big thing, but with all this...this. They'd be lookin' out for ya. Might check what you send 'em. [Jaycee blinks one eye and then the other thoughtfully.] You know? You could always just use my login.

[cyan_maid]

...You...you'd let us do that?

[airlockedmods]

[He flicks his tail a bit excitedly.]

Ohhhhh, sure! I've got one anyway, doesn't cost me any more per device usin' it!

[cyan_maid]

That would be incredible...

[Jane smiles, properly this time, with warmth to the expression.]

Are you sure it's alright?

[airlockedmods]

[ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gosh SHE'S SMILING]

Yeah! Yeah, it wouldn't be any trouble - I mean, geez, I kinda owe you guys something outta all this, don't I?

...well, and the messages. Don't think they need to talk to you to get those, or they'dve been in the suite with me. I could pass 'em along?