not_that_lockon | ± four ±

[The first thing you might notice about Lyle is that the ground around him appears to be littered with spent cigarettes. Add to that that there's another almost-finished one between his fingers and that he's currently staring suspiciously at the nearest bush and you can guess that the whole paranoia thing is really beginning to take its toll. (Random Lyle Trivia: the more he's smoking, the more on edge he is. You do the maths.)]

I could have sworn that I -- [Suddenly he seems to hear another sound and whirls round. He stares at some point beyond the sphere's vision before he takes another drag of the cigarette, looking distinctly annoyed with himself.]

Fucking -- okay. Okay, it's not real, Lyle! Pull yourself together...

[His gaze rests on the recording sphere. He glares at it for a second, then sighs.] You can't leave me alone either, huh? [He gives a wry smile, trying to sound unconcerned.] How's everyone taking going crazy?

[As he speaks, he takes out a packet of cigarettes and looks into it before swearing softly. Yep, you guessed it, he's almost out.]

[Filtered to Neil;]

Neil, where are you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Always willing to ingratiate himself towards Tieria's buddies, ho ho ho.]

Hm~? And are you standing somewhere high above the rest of us, then?

[...Yet he can't resist baiting people.

Nah. I prefer to stick down here with the rest of the lowly commoners.

[Something occurs to him.]

Is that so? Sticking with your-- friends?

Yeah. That's right.

[Eager?]

Do you know where Tieria has gone, then?

He's around, I was just talking to him. We weren't really exchanging locations, though.

[Regene thinks for a moment-- longer than usual, as he has a 'glitch' in the middle of it.]

Perhaps it's best for y-- to stay separate while people are so volatile.

"Volatile" is one word for it.

Do you have a word you--

--prefer?

Nah, that one works. I kinda like "crazy" as well.

[Amused.]

It has been quite worthwhile to see the different reactions you and your brother have had. The influence of the drug doesn't seem to be purely a matter of genetics.

[He shrugs, but his expression is a little dark.] DNA doesn't count for everything.

[Regene spins the sphere, though the image remains stationary, and smiles.]

Not everything, no. But that doesn't mean--

-- it's not important.

That depends on how you look at things.

[Regene leans back, raising the sphere above his head, looking up at it.]

If you don't think DNA has some importance, you are fooling yourself. [He smiles.] For whatever reason, similar DNA connects people. Whether you like it or not, that connection is there-- forever.

[Ugh. This topic of conversation is very much do not want.]

Are you just gonna play around with that thing all day?

[Regene loves to troll people. So much.]

Hmmmm. Maybe. Until I find Tieria, at least.

[All trolls eventually diaf. He should be careful.]

You're not gonna find him any faster just by sitting around.

[Yes, they do. Only to come back as sockpuppets.]

But I'm--

--not going to look aimlessly, like this.

You might be waiting a long time, then.

[Pause.] You know, speaking of DNA and Tieria, are you two twins or something?

I'm a very patience man.

[He releases the sphere, resting both hands on his stomach and tracking it as to moves to hover in front of his face instead of over his head.]

I think "or something" covers it quite well.

[So you're not twins, he thinks dryly.]

He's never really mentioned you.

[Really, Regene might have just given away more than he would like to. Twins would really be the easiest explanation.]

We have a very private relationship.