inquiries & a challenge

[poetontheinside]

Who: Ray Kowalski
Broadcast: Video
Action: Windrose, and space!
When: today and also whenever the races are happening

[Ray is looking bored bored bored. He has a toothpick stuck in the corner of his mouth, and he's throwing a ball from one hand to the other, sometimes scrambling after it when he misses- it's astigmatism, okay, he just doesn't see all that good.]

Alright, so I got a question. Not everyone here's from Earth, whatever, but most of you are from some kinda place with some kinda rules and laws. And I figure a bunch of you have gotta be law enforcement yourselves, y'know, statically. [sic]

Now me? I'm just a regular schmo, city cop worked his way up to Detective. I didn't always wanna be a cop, but I tried it out and it stuck. Chasin' bad guys, putting on the heat, lock 'em up. Bam-bam-bam. [He slams the ball into his hand three times, then sits forward and grins.] It's a job, right? Just like bein' an engineer in here.

[He misses it. He misses it a lot, actually; misses his partner and the job, the satisfaction of a puzzle and a chase and locking up someone who made the world a little more dangerous.] So the rest of you: what do you do? How's it work in your world?

[Added, a few minutes later:]

By the way: I don't have my ar here to race you in, but back home I'm the last guy you wanna get into a car chase with. [He may be exaggerating slightly, but who could contradict him?] Figure I gotta keep those instinct working. I'll be there in two hours, ready to go.

Comments

video;

[initforthemoney]

I'm a private investigator back home. Used to like the idea of being a cop when I was a kid, but I ain't so good at following orders, you know Working for myself suits me just fine.

[poetontheinside]

[Alright, well, that's all fine and good, Ray's been in space for a while, and that makes sense, so he'd normally reply to that, but--]

Am I talking to a fucking penguin right now.

[initforthemoney]

[trololololo...]

I dunno, are you?

[poetontheinside]

I mean, I try to trust my eyes but sometimes I just don't see all that good, and right now it looks like I'm talking to a fucking penguin and the penguin's talking back.

[initforthemoney]

If it helps retain your sanity at all, pal, yes you are currently talking to a fucking penguin.

[poetontheinside]

[he squints at the camera for a second.]

On second thought, no, that does not help my sanity.

[initforthemoney]

I can always change into something less stressful for you, pal. I'd hate you cause you an aneurysm.

[poetontheinside]

[Muttering:] Yeah, I bet you would. Penguin changing into something's sure not to give me an aneurysm.

[initforthemoney]

[Oh well, now that you've said it, Frobisher has tot change just because he can. The small black and white figure stretches, and starts growing every colour conceivable, until there's a tall, curly haired man in a ridiculous coat on your view screen.]

There, this one retaining your sanity a little better?

[No, the ridiculous Brooklyn accent does not disappear after shapeshifting.]

[poetontheinside]

[He is just going to drag his hands down his face. Fuck. This. Place.]

You ain't even wearing a tux.

[Missed opportunity. And also the only thing he can reasonably think of to say, so let's discuss that sanity again.]

[initforthemoney]

I was wearing a tux when I was a penguin. Gotta mix things up somehow.

[poetontheinside]

Going from penguin to man isn't enough of a mix-up?

[initforthemoney]

If I'm gonna shift might as well redo the clothes with the molecular structure.

Anyway, the coat kinda goes with the face I'm borrowing.

[poetontheinside]

Nothing 'goes with' that coat, pal. I wouldn't know fashion if it hit me in the face with a two-by-four, but I know that.

[initforthemoney]

[He's going to morph back into a penguin. Since his point was made.]

Sure, it kinda makes your head spin you look at it too long, but I kinda grew a little fond of it.

[poetontheinside]

[So helpful.]

How'd that happen?

[initforthemoney]

Probably by gettin' a little more attached to the guy wearing it. He's on old friend of mine.