entrancelogs | Hey, brother, what you thinking? Leave that old record spinning...

Entry tags:

Hey, brother, what you thinking? Leave that old record spinning...

Who: Napstablook, a closed starter, and YOU!
Where: Throughout Genosha
When: 8/5-8/9
Rating: probably won't get higher than PG-13, will update with any needed cw
Summary: GHOST is the face of the resistance spy GLAMOUR. They deliver messages from the elusive spy, be it information or warnings. NAPSTABLOOK is a human with a habit of snooping around where the don't belong. Will match any format.
The Story:

ONE: RESISTANCE [ACTION]

You follow the address you were handed between hushed whispers to a hotel room. You knock twice, wait three seconds, and knock once more as instructed. The door opens and standing in the entryway is Ghost, in their signature white tux, long platinum hair draped past their shoulders. They're much shorter than you expected. "i heard you would be dropping by..... come in, make yourself at home...."

TWO: ANTI-HUMAN [NETWORK]

It looks like a pop-up ad at first. A window opens, but it's not a browser window, and you can't close it. The human on the screen tips their white satin top hat, expressionless. "hello... i am the entity known as ghost... i'm from the human resistance, and i have a warning..."

THREE: WILD CARD

Want to interact with Napstablook in another way not mentioned here? Give me a starter and let's do this!

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[Frisk isn't what you would call anti-human, or anti-mutant. They endeavor to maintain peace between both parties, with limited success. But something pops up on their phone, and it takes their breath away for a moment.

The entity known as Ghost. They've heard of them. This might not be personalized, but they can't risk it anyway. They're just outside one of those big important government buildings they end up around, and they duck around the corner, try to find a spot without surveillance.]

You're the one they call Ghost?

[they nod and smile a bit, ever cordial]

yes, that's me...
i've been keeping tabs on you, and i have a question, if that's okay...

[the smile fades from their face and they lean forward, tenting their fingers gracefully]

where does your alignment reside, Mx. Frisk?
i don't mean to be rude...

[they push up their glasses]

i know you're an idealistic teenager, but don't you think "we should just get along" is overly simplistic.....

My alignment?

[So they're...asking what side they're on. Of course. Everyone feels the need to ask that, and their shoulders hunch a little as they huff out a short breath.]

That's not what it is. I don't agree with the way humans are treated, you should know that. I just don't think anyone needs to fight.

[they want to protest that humans have every right to fight, and fight hard, but they can't. they're a sucker for nice kids and idealism.]

....so a pro-human pacifist, got it...

you could just....
stay out of the fighting parts, you know....
and not neutralize our objectives almost once a week...

[They sigh, not quite admitting to themself that most of their frustration is out of concern for the child.]

but that's.... that's not why i called.... here.....

[a file begins to download on their device]

i'm sending an invitation to get into the mutant-only banquet you were trying to attend tonight......
[Another file]
as well as a guest list with a brief summary of the more influential guests' views and interests....
[and another]
and a map of the area that includes all surveillance camera locations and ranges...

also... glamour sends his love....
but metaphorically, of course, sorry....

...do you have any questions?

[They shift on the spot, clearly ill at ease. It's true that they're not...unsympathetic to the plights of the humans. But they don't want to watch things burn down on both sides as a result.

But instead they're receiving information. Important information, and - and Glamour is the one behind it. Glamour? He knows them, he's concerned about them and supports their interests?

Frisk's mouth drops open in mild shock.]

I. Um. Just one, actually. [They stammer, which isn't really becoming, but the kindness has taken them off guard. It's in the Resistance's best interests if they can be of assistance in this endeavor.] Why are you helping me like this? I mean, I...I appreciate it, and you have my thanks. I just didn't realize you agreed with my...methods?

it's not your methods i have a problem with, Mx. Frisk....
diplomacy has its place if used effectively...

[so does blackmailing, heists, and breaking prisoners out of jail, of course, but that's beside the point]

you do good work out there, i can't deny it....

i only wish you would ally yourself...
even if in secret...
with the resistance....

[they glance to the side and the next sentence sounds like they have to force themself to say it]

also i don't want to see you get yourself hurt trying to sneak in, sorry...

[they cough, embarassed]

[They do good work. Ghost...approves of them? That shouldn't fill them with a bizarre kind of warmth and determination, but it does. They shouldn't be like this. They're supposed to be impartial.

The corner of Frisk's mouth twitches in a faint smile.]

It's not your ideology I'm opposed to. We've got a lot in common. I...appreciate what you're doing here.

And... [They hesitate for only a moment.] I can't promise much. But you know that you have a friend should you require it.

the way we work is not too different either, Mx. Frisk....
we both work with information and truth to achieve our goals...
i simply work behind closed doors and you work out in the open....

[They say it matter-of-factly, no remorse in their voice. Napstablook's role is not to aquire allies. They work with secrets, not with people, and they're fine with that.

Not suprisingly, then, the child's use of the word "friend" obviounsly catches them off guard and they look a little embarrassed. They're starting to care too much about this kid.]

i...
i'll keep that in mind....

[Maybe it's true. But the Resistance has also resorted to violence - maybe because they've had to, but Frisk prefers not to think they're that far gone just yet. That there's still a chance for a peaceful resolution. There has to be. What good are they otherwise?]

Thank you for everything.

[And it's clear Ghost has been concerned for them, regardless of how they might endeavor to maintain a sense of professional objectivity.

And, well, Frisk can understand that too.]

you're welcome, Mx. Frisk....

[A hint of a smile graces their face. Perhaps their vision of the future is naieve, but it's that idealism that Napstablook will fight for.]

...now, get out there and change some minds.

[They incline their head faintly, a warm parody of a bow.]

Thank you, Mx. Ghost. Maybe I'll see you again.

A thud jostles Napstablook awake. They roll over, trying to go back to sleep. A floorboard creaks and their eyes snap open. they quickly grab for their glasses, getting out of bed and creeping to their bedroom door, silently opening the door. Out of the reflection in a window, they see movement in their kitchen. Their heartbeat jumps but they breathe slow, quietly shutting their door and locking it. They lean against the door, straining to listen.

No one could know that they live here, they made sure. It must be a burglary. They can wait it out in their room.

"Looks like our Ghost is a fan of mettaton" they hear, softly whispered and is met with a soft scoff of laughter. Their heart drops in their chest and they quickly but silently move to grab their phone. They take it with them into their closet, hands shaking as they call their bodyguard. They numbly wonder how much a house call will cost as the phone rings.

Bucky's settled in for the night at one of the resistance's many hangouts, Steve asleep nearby, a book spread open across his lap. When he gets the call, all the different routes he can take are flitting through his mind as he tosses the book aside, and runs out the door. Down third street, through the alley behind Carmichael's, no, left on fourth and over the bridge.

He slows when he reaches Napsta's place, circling the perimeter once before entering Napsta's place through the back, slipping through the halls. Bucky hears voices inside Napsta's bedroom, but doesn't hear them talking. After a deep breath, he busts through the door, charging straight at one of the perpetrators.

"Boss, stay wherever you are," he adds, wrestling one man to the ground.

Napstablook is standing in the corner of their room, clutching a heavy lamp, lampshade on the floor somewhere. They don't know how to fight, all of their dealings were with secrets. The fear of death seems strange for some reason, like it's non-essential, but they can't fathom why.

"I'm not... moving...." they say weakly, heart pounding in their ears as the woman who has them cornered whips around in surprise. Napstablook promptly goes against their word and ducks around her, bolting across the wall. They slam the lamp clumsily into ththe back of the third assailant.

"sorry..."

Bucky snakes an arm around the man's throat, holding him up against his chest until he feels the man slump into unconsciousness.

When he hears Napsta speak, then move, he huffs out a sharp, "Get down and stay down."

He charges the woman, lashing out with his legs to knock her back, then swings his fist at her jaw. Bucky clips her just right and she goes down in a heap.

"I'd be mad if you hadn't taken that one down. Are you alright?" He approaches Napsta carefully.

The lamp clatters to the floor, out of shaking hands. It felt so wrong to hit someone, any one.

"i'm... i'm unharmed..." their stomach turns as they look at the unconscious attackers, heart beating too fast, breathing getting shallow.

"how did they... how did they find me...
i.... i was so careful....i....
i'm sorry.....
.....what do we do now?"

They press their back against the wall, the words coming out in shuddering chokes. They had hired Bucky as a formality, they didn't think they'd actually need a body guard, not like this anyway. Their eyes well up involuntarily as they try to get themself to calm down.

"i'm sorry...
this is so unprofessional....
i'm sorry..."

He looks them over quickly, checking for any kind of injuries. When he's satisfied, he reaches into his back pocket for his phone. Bucky shoots a message out, requesting back up.

"They'll come get them. You don't have to worry."

Bucky nudges them towards the door, leading them out into the hallway.

"It's alright. There's nothing wrong with being upset. You weren't expecting that, none of us were."

Which is the first thing he'll tell the resistance when they show up.

"I'll stay with you until they get here and then I can take you somewhere else or we'll post up around the place to keep you safe."

Napstablook lest Bucky guide them, shuddering

"i.... i need to... go through my records.... i've kept my identity so carefully.....no one knows who i am or where I live... not even most of the resistance....you called someone on my list, right?"

Their voice breaks, realizing someone on that list could have betrayed them.

"oh... oh gosh... what if you called the one that tipped them off....
they....
they could all be conspiring to betray me.....
i shouldn't have told anyone i should have stayed hidden this is all my fault oh...."

Their hands cover their face as they ramble, words shaky.

"It'll be fine. I promise."

Bucky stops, turning to face them. He understands the fear. It's all unknown and, honestly, Bucky's not even sure of where the threat stems. He does know that the people he called can be trusted and that's a start.

"Yeah, they're on your list, but they're good people. They wouldn't try to hurt you. This whole situation is dangerous, you know that."

He urges them to rest against the wall beside him.

"But we can't give up. If we don't fight then nobody will."

They lean against the wall, trying to even out their breathing, knowing how unprofessional they look and hating it. They can still hear their heartbeat pounding through their ears and when Bucky mentions quitting, they let out a very uncharacteristic laugh. It's the first time they've laughed in front of the bodyguard, the loudest sound they've made in months, but there's a cold edge of desperation in it.

"Mr. Barnes.... i'm in so deep, i couldn't quit right now if i wanted to..."

It brings them back, and it's almost jarring when their breathing returns to normalcy. They shudder a bit, but they're back, looking at Bucky as if they only just realized he was there. There's something between a sob and a giggle in their throat.

"thank you... i... i don't know what would have happened.... if you hadn't shown up..."

Edited 2016-08-21 22:42 (UTC)

"Good. You can't let them shake you up."

Bucky shoots Napsta a crooked smile, leaning a little closer as he gestures vaguely at them. In the heat of the moment, Napst had fought back and had stood on their own as fine as any fighter would have.

"You would've kicked their asses."

They'd handled themselves even though they'd been afraid and Bucky couldn't be prouder. He tips his head and folds his arms back over his chest.

"Seemed like you had a handle on it. If you hadn't helped out back there, I'd have been in real trouble."

They snort. "oh please... i'm not meant for fighting. i work with secrets, not people."

Usually when they say that last sentence, they're referring to their lack of tact with diplomatic relations, but they suppose it applies here as well.

"You can make that sound all you want. Doesn't change the fact that you did well in a pinch."

Bucky raises a brow, and he'll totally argue with Napsta on this.

"there were three of them, Mr. Barnes. also i didn't.... i was afraid of actually swinging the lamp before you were here...."

They avert their eyes at that last bit, a little embarrassed, walking into the main living space towards their desk.

"We'll really never know now what could have happened. It's just as easy for me to say you could've handled yourself as it is for you to say the opposite."

He shrugs, it's over now and there's not much they can do about what could have happened.

"We should train you."

"i suppose that would have its purpose.....
but you don't want your job to become obsolete, haha...."

They type a combination on one of their file cabinets and pull out a file.

"oh gee.... where are my manners, do you um, want anything to drink....?"

"You'd keep me around just because you like me. But it's better to be prepared in case someone's not."

Bucky smiles lightly, the adrenaline of the fight starting to wear off.

"Sure, whatever you have on hand is fine."

"...true. also i have a feeling i'd get attacked more often if i didn't walk around with you, whether i'm trained or not..."

They idly page through the file as they pour out two glasses of ginger ale and hand one to Bucky.

"i have reason to suspect it was someone in the resistance who leaked my address... should i go to a resistance safehouse.... to prove i'm not afraid of them...... or one of my personal safehouses.... where i know i'll be safe?"

It's the first time they've actually asked him for advice regarding their safety. They follow instruction perfectly well, but they don't normally ask.

[Bill isn't anti-human as much as he simply isn't for them. Kind of happens when that's what you are, but it helps to be against your own kind when you've had a lifetime of faking mutant status to get up in the world. Truth is humans and mutants both can all rot in hell. Bill has only ever been out himself. The blonde quirks a brow when the message pops up, grin stretching unnaturally wide.]

"OH, GOOD! LOVE THOSE!"

[If Napstablook is talking, Bill isn't listening, instead taking a second to over-enthusiastically start plucking fliers out of the trash.]

"WE got FORECLOSURE NOTICES, demands to report for DNA testing, uh, missed opportunity to meet? JOB SECURITY CITATIONS, I'm 'OUT for YER LIFE, YOU DIRTY SCUMBAG' WARNINGS- THE WORKS!"

[He flutters them all over his monitor for him to see.]

"Y'KNOW. Think I might just start FRAMING and COLLECTING THEM! So ya better gimme something NEW here, GHOSTIE; you got a LOTTA competition!"

[They don't talk, just let Bill finish. They'd rather eat sawdust than assist this particular person, but, you know, no need to be rude]

sorry...

i mean....

i thought you might be interested in who's going to show up at you front door in about...

oh...

[their eyes flick to just below the camera and they push up their thick glasses]

about 10 minutes...

but if you'd rather i leave you be...

by all means, sorry for disturbing you....

"WH--"

[THAT was not a turn Bill expected this conversation to take and the human ends up paling several shades in result of it. He nearly falls out his chair as he scrambles to check the window-- only to come back. They did say ten minutes, right?

Oh man, he's already had to ditch his phone after a STUPID slip up with a telepath. Tell him he doesn't have to abandon his current hideout too! This is just not his week! Bill regards the screen once more with a curt frown.]

"YOU SHOULD BE buuuuut since I'm feeling generous, I'll hear you out."

[So generous that his hand is tapping its finger a mile a minute. If he needs to flee another mandatory blood check, he needs to know now.]

"SPILL THE DEETS, GHOST."

[Napstablook makes Bill wait a good long second, expression completely deadpan]

very well...
there's a... slightly more radical than usual anti-human group on their way....
they intend to capture you...expose your human status....
and frame you as a leader of the resistance...
connect you to some of the staged attacks, et cetera....
which, obviously would not be in either of our best interests....

[They scoff at this. As if someone so self-serving could do work for The Resistance]

"RIIIIIGHT, hate to be linked with a guy who ACTUALLY gets STUFF DONE. And I don't even need to have 200+ meetings or a bake sale before it happens!"

[...This isn't helping his case is it. Bill isn't just frowning now, it's an all out scowl; torn between disbelief and lack of amusement. He rests his hand on his chin, giving the monitor a bored stare.]

"SAY I BELIEVE YA, SPOOKS. Kind of makes me wonder, WHERE they GOT THIS INTEL."

[Because if you idiots got him in this mess, you owe waaay more than a 'warning.' Your resistance record keeping is kind of shoddy, bub.]

if you're insinuating that i negotiated with the anti-human movement....
you're clearly overestimating how much i dislike you....
or severely underestimating how much i abhor those who work for the queen...

[But they know the tipoff probably came from someone in the resistance, and they hate giving such short notice. They look away from the camera to type, and the printer in Bill's hideout springs to life and begins cranking out a document.]

do you know how long it's been since i had to fax anything.... why don't you have a phone again?
here's directions and a map to a safehouse you can use for the next week....

[They aren't denying it. They're denying they wanted to do it, but Bill knows how to read between the lines. The chance that someone in the resistance slipped up and revealed his location seems all too likely. FORTUNATELY, the question about his phone makes him keep his mouth shut, there's no way in hell he's about to tell the other he had to ditch it after taunting someone ELSE through a device.]

"WELL, GEE ain't that just SWELL!"

[Bill swipes the map off the printer with a huff barely giving it a glance before stuffing it in his upper jacket pocket. At this point he's surprised he's even getting one. For all he knows the darn thing has a scribble on it and the phrase "sorry..."]

"What ELSE ya got for me GHOSTIE? How many? What's in their arsenal?"

[He should start looking for the gasoline...]

[they nod and keep typing]

four...
...light arms if any, but they're all mutant...

let's see....
we've got a firestarter and a shapeshifter, that's all i've got.....

[they look up to the camera and sigh a little]

oh, and Mr. Cipher, you'll be pleased to know....
this is one of my personal safehouses, not a resistance one...
i figured that would be more, you know....
safe...

"FIRESTARTER, huh?! Now THAT CHANGES things!"

[Stepping away from the monitor a moment, the camera can see Bill hefting what appears to be a large canister of gasoline out of his closet.]

"Safer for me, or for you?"

[Despite the complaint, a hint of amusement is back on his quirked lips. It is a rather logical question for once; one could argue shoving Cipher ANYWHERE away from a general populace guaranteed the safety of at least SOMEONE.]

i....
uhh....

[they cough, distracted for a moment by the gasoline]

safer for both of us...

i'm investigating who would leak your human status within the resistance....
though i still am not certain it was from the resistance...
....you have a lot of enemies, Mr. Cipher....

...but... if it was in the resistance, this location wouldn't be known by them...

Edited 2016-08-19 05:27 (UTC)

"YUP!"

[Bill grins proudly at the assessment.]

"Another thing I COLLECT, you COULD SAY!"

[Ghost's assurances mean regretably little, considering their current plight. He emphatically jabs his finger down in implication, before throwing his arms up in exasperation.]

"Neither- ngh- should THIS location, but- geh- LOOK WHERE WE ARE!"

[Leaning backwards with one full leg on the desk, Bill grunts with the effort of trying to open the gasoline, fussing insistently with the child safety lock cap. Look, its hard enough controlling a new body without knowing the full degree of one's motor skills yet!]

"TIME?"

Edited 2016-08-20 20:12 (UTC)

"six and a half minutes....."

[They watch Bill struggle for a few seconds.]

"um... sorry but ....
you... have to push down the cap....
as you twist it....not.... before...
and..
i'm sorry about this location being found...
i have reason to suspect foul play within my colleagues right now, and i promise i'm doing my best to investigate..."

[they choose to omit the fact that their own personal residence was invaded the night before. They don't want to seem even less competant at keeping secrets than they already did with this leak]

"Hm~ There's that word again: 'sorry.' You makin a DIME off of EVERY TIME you USE IT?"

[They must be, because Bill is starting to swear it's some kind of catchphrase. Napstablook doesn't have to recite directions for long, because Bill storms off and comes back holding a rather sizable kitchen knife and begins to positively dent the thing, vigorously.]

"Why bother? I HIGHLY doubt MY opinion, ACTUALLY MATTERS to YOU. LESSON for the EGO, GHOST. When You DO something; OWN IT!"

[With one more swift stab, it sprays all over the table and lightly against his own clothes.]

"APOLOGIES only make you look WEAK; if you want these WARNINGS of yours TAKEN SERIOUSLY, HOW's ABOUT a little CONVICTION, huh?"

"i believe my warnings have enough weight at this point....
to be taken seriously despite my verbal habits...."

[They almost apologize again but they stop themself. They intentionally dont answer why they say sorry so often. They're well aware that their habit is unbecoming, one of the reasons why they never meant to become so public in the resistance.]

"i do own and take responsibility for my actions.... please don't set yourself on fire, for heaven's sake..."

"WHY NOT? What do YOU get out of it?"

[Come on, he's trying to corrupt some of that pesky selflessness, here! A smirk spreads across Bill's face as he purposely douses himself in a few more drops of the chemical in retaliation. It's dripping off his bangs and probably burning his eye at this point.]

"Gonna miss m--"

[Bill pauses with a widened eye as the sound of breaking glass a few rooms over catches his ear. Wordlessly, he glances to the specter on the monitor screen for confirmation.
...They're here, aren't they?]

[so he doesn't know.

i get, uh....

[it can't hurt to tell them. It's not like Mr. Cipher could do much with the knowledge that hasn't already been done, what with the break in]

my cousin got you to do a job that protected me from about four ways i could have been killed and seven ways i could have been incarcerated....

don't get me wrong, i'm mostly doing this for the good of the resistance.... but...uh.....

it.... wouldn't do for you to die before you get paid...

[a wince when they hear the glass shatter

...yes, that's them...

...good luck....

Edited 2016-09-06 06:05 (UTC)

[Bill is nearly muttering the phrase 'Tch, this is what I get for working with Glamour.' when the stuttering shade's rambles catch his attention. He frowns, narrowing his gaze. Yes. He does recognize the kid now that they mentions it. As always with everything, it isn't a revelation as much as Bill feels he already knew it. He simply forgot. He forgets a lot of things lately, it seems.

The pieces click together. "i have reason to suspect foul play within my colleagues" He thinks back to the crumpled excuse of a map he so hastily stuffed into his pocket. Not one that led to a Resistance house- a personal one.

This call wasn't sanctioned by the Resistance at all, was it? For some reason, this person, personally, cared to...?

...Misplaced guilt, that's all it is. Bill is quick to decide- no he doesn't decide, he knows it. Selflessness doesn't exist, not for a wretch like him. People could fool themselves into thinking they did things for the good of others, but it only ever boiled down to self entitlement in the end. An ego trip. A way to soften someone up to gain something from them later.

The thought is dismissed as quick as it arrives, even quicker than the annoying twist in his gut that results from it. Maybe he swallowed some gasoline.]

"WON'T NEED IT."

[Luck, like everything in this world, could be manipulated. Bill glances ahead, striking a match, and swallowing down some resolve. The Cheshire grin works its way back onto his face all too easily as he drops it and he salutes the monitor as flames lick up its sides.]

"Thanks for the TIP OFF, Kid. Tell GLAMOUR, I'll be in for a VISIT sometime~"

Edited (Whoops- typo) 2016-09-10 03:11 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hey, brother, what you thinking? Leave that old record spinning...

network!

OwO

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Closed to Bucky Barnes | (You're gonna come undone)

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napsta will totally argue back lol

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[Anti-human network] (I love this song btw! <333)

caravan palace is so hashtag aesthetic

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excuse you my record keeping is orderly and tidy

EXACTLY! There's no CHAOS to it! Throw in some ciphers, its too easy to navigate!

Why would i make my OWN notes unreadable gosh

I mean if its too BIG of a CHALLENGE for a hacker such as yourself.. >.>

hackers *solve* problems, they don't make *additional* problems to solve

Now that's just a waste of potential! Gotta stay sharp somehow!

i'm laughing, Bill Cipher confirmed for Actual Child

STILL ONE TRILLION YEARS YOUNG!

this is little billy, my 140-trillion-month-old

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hackers solve problems, they don't make additional problems to solve