[001]

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

. . . Oh, this. This. Is. Gorgeous.

No, really, I mean it. I've seen a lot of things -- more things that you'd think I ever would, given my youthful and altogether handsome appearance, -- but this place. Brilliant! So flash! So shiny! Well, they're stars, how could they not be shiny? Although, strictly speaking, stars are more luminous than shiny. But you can't use luminous in an interjection. Too many syllables. Can't be spouting off exclamations of surprise if it takes more than a second. Wouldn't really be surprised, then -- it'd sound too premeditated to be genuine.

So! The shop's the gateway, yeah? Never seen it before today, and I'd figured I'd gotten used to this version of London by now. Still, always did like a little shop, but it feels a bit wrong that it'd be used for sinister purposes like this -- after all, I can't really see this as being positive, the whole kidnapping and displacing thing. I guess you really can't ever trust a salesman. Or a saleswoman. Or a salestwin, as the case might be.

But right, anyway! Sinister little shop leading to a mysterious planetarium taken to an extreme scale? I might be new to this universe, still, but I'm reasonably sure this wouldn't be considered normal.

Now, who wants to offer an explanation before I call for back-up? And you might want to be quick about it -- I like calling for back-up.

Comments

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

. . . Bloody lovely.

[contract_star]

I-it's not so bad. This place is generally pretty safe, until the Twins...decide to play around with us.

Ah, r-right. I'm Li Shengshun. Nice to meet you...again. Or for the first time. Whatever it is.

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

'S a first for me, if it helps. Good to meet you, Li.

. . . What was that about the Twins, though?

[contract_star]

Well, they like to run experiments on us. Usually it has to do with our realities, but lately...they've been targeting individuals. [Pauses.] It's not an experiment like a doc--a scientist would do, with injections and things. It's...they change things about people and wait to see what happens.

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

Like setting up perception filters around someone when they're back home? That sort of thing?

[contract_star]

...Perception filters?

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

Makes you ignore things. Forcefully averts your eyes.

-- No, that's a bit strong. Persuades you to avert your eyes, more like.

[contract_star]

Oh, no. More like--making someone see other people as being different from themselves, trapping someone inside their own head, trapping someone in a chaos realm...that sort of thing. Putting them in terrible situations to see how they fare.

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

. . . Pleasant.

These Twins -- were they not hugged enough when they were younger?

[contract_star]

[Smirks.] I don't know. They look like children, but they...somehow feel older. A lot older.

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

More-like-twenty older, or beginning-of-the-universe older? I wasn't with them very long.

[contract_star]

...Beginning-of-the-universe older, I think.

[doctorate.livejournal.com]

That adds an extra layer of sinister to this place, certainly.

[contract_star]

It does.