(I refuse your merry making and offer annoyance instead) Voice: TheStrandInstitute

[nobasisinfact]

It seems someone felt it appropriate to put some sort of concoction in my tea. While not completely debilitating I find the results, irritating.

I'd appreciate it if someone happened to know exactly what idiotic concoction of the month is supposed to cause color blindness. Complete color blindness.

[There's a grumble after a few seconds.]

Because of course, this place would do something this stupid.

Comments

[11calls]

Oh? I have a simpler way than both of us drinking absurd amounts of magical potions.

I can you know, ask someone. Colorblindness is a pretty specific sort of thing, right?

[nobasisinfact]

[There's a long pause.]

That would work as well.

[11calls]

Okay. I'm on my way.

[A beat.]

Don't make anyone cry until I get there, okay?

[Which means: don't go off investigating on your own, Richard.]

[nobasisinfact]

I make no promises.

[He may have already terrified several people.]

[11calls]

Spoilsport.

[A beat, and she just adds:]

Drink something other than tea?

[From your bar she means, Richard.]

[nobasisinfact]

Why?

[The question is careful. Did something happen to her?]

[11calls]

So you don't end up murdering anyone before I get there?

[There's amusement in her tone.]

I don't want to have to right a story on why you ended up in jail, my love.

[nobasisinfact]

If Simon can manage to stay out of jail, I'm sure I can too.

[11calls]

I don't know, no one's poisoned Simon's tea.

[While Alex is amused, she's also clearly on the street from the noise around her.]

[nobasisinfact]

He also isn't as creative as I am.

[At least when he's being a vengeful bastard.]

[11calls]

Well, I suppose that's true. He doesn't have a PhD in making people's lives hellish.

[She laughs at that, because well, it's true.]

It's a good thing there's not a ratemyprofessor.com here, Richard.

[nobasisinfact]

When you have the evidence-based backing to prove competency, those sort of websites are pointless.

[Meaning that usually, his courses were only taken by those that wanted to take it and knew what they were getting into.

In Riverview however, these students were unsuspecting poor bastards.]

[11calls]

Did you ever look at your profile on the site, Richard?

[She did. Of course she did.]

You did have a truly impressive amount of chili peppers. But they were massively outnumbered by the comments about you being the biggest asshole of a teacher but one that you'd learn from.

[nobasisinfact]

The second part of that is the only part that matters.

[Richard Strand prefers to be judged by his actions and not his looks.]

[11calls]

Still.

[Alex, who of course described him as attractive even after her ass had left eleven messages finds it amusing as hell.

But then there's a quick exhale of breath and a muttered:]

What the hell?

[nobasisinfact]

What?

[He sounds confused.]

[11calls]

[And Alex is going to just turn her camera on and hold up her wrist, which has a shiny new tattoo on the inside of it. ]

What the hell?

[nobasisinfact]

[There's a very long pause.]

What?

[He sounds, concerned.]

[11calls]

I seem... [There's a pause, but Alex sounds more confused than concerned so far.]

To have spontaneously developed a sacred geometry tattoo on my wrist?

[nobasisinfact]

Have you drunk anything?

[He is, concerned.]

[11calls]

Nope, I mean I got this weird stuff spilled on me a little while ago, but it was fine. Just sort of wiped off like water.

[She's going to keep brushing it with her thumb like a mother trying to get a smudge off her kids face.]

[nobasisinfact]

What weird stuff?

[11calls]

This black stuff. It just felt like water it didn't even stain or anything.

God what the hell?

[nobasisinfact]

Did you ask the seller what it was?

[11calls]

No.

[It's not a lie, because she didn't. She also... may not have told him that she spilled any on herself either.]