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[OOM: Ray, Jhalak, and a bunch of scientists meet with the Lemurians off the coast of Oregon.

The Lemurians have much, MUCH more important news than previously thought.]

When Ray opens the door, he has a laptop computer under one arm and a five-armed alien on his opposite shoulder. "Has anyone seen Agent K or Agent Zed?" he says to no one in particular. "The Lemurians say we've got a sleeper..."

He doesn't wait for an answer, but heads for the Bar. He needs some of that green stuff, or possibly the quantum blue. Jhalak is getting all the kiwifruit and carambolas it can possibly eat.

[OOC: Warning for probable slowtime, but I'll tag whenever I can!]
[tinytag: Long-Reach the Jotok]

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"The... god or whatever it is?"

"Yep," Ray says. "Their legends credit it with having been the being that brought them to sentience. Apparently they got so scared of it once they realized what it wanted that they've been trying to keep it down ever since, and find any other octopoid or teuthid species that've achieved sentience to bring them into the fold."

Dominic is silent for a long moment.

"And... what does it want, exactly? Or were they unwilling to tell you?"

"They wouldn't give me specifics," Ray says, "but the metaphors they used to describe it referred to several very gory types of possible death in the oceans, and said that its goals were as terrible or worse. I still have the full text of the conversation saved here." He pats the computer. "I could show you if you wanted."

"Mh. Maybe later." He runs a hand over his face. "Ilka tuk tak, it's just one thing after another, isn't it?"

"Fair enough," Ray says. "It never ends. Really, it never ends... speaking of which, how are things going for you back home? Any better?"

Dominic heaves a sigh.

"No. I lost my job. And made a fool of myself in front of half of Barthis, to boot."

"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry to hear that," Ray says. "Should I ask how, or just buy you a drink?"

"Nnng. It's embarrassing... you know that candy I like?"

Ray nods. "Loud and clear."

"The local sweetshop stopped selling it. The tariffs are getting too high, apparently. I... kinda had a nervous breakdown when I found that out."

That gets a hiss of indrawn air from Ray. He does, after all, live with Slimer. One doesn't take the cancellation of a favored foodstuff lightly.

"I can get you Canadian maple candy from my world to tide you over if necessary, you know."

"I dunno. Maybe. It's not--" he sighs. "It wasn't really about the candy. That was just... the straw that broke the camel's back, you know? I've been through so much other shit, and then the thing I use to cope with it all got taken away and it was just too much to take."

"Yeah," Ray says quietly, "yeah. I know what you mean."

"Anyway. Word got around, parents complained that they were concerned about my mental stability, and by the end of the day I found myself no longer employed."

Ray nods. "Having been fired from a university before myself, I feel your pain," he says. "Not that I had much of a reputation to start with, but."

"I'm not sure my reputation was that great to begin with. Nobody was signed up for my class next term."

"Ootch." Ray winces. "I take it you still have exactly the same fondness for going into business for yourself as you did the last time you mentioned working independently?"

Ray's not entirely sure when that was. It was a really long time ago, for him. He just remembers that Dominic never spoke of it fondly.

"Possibly less. Would you seek out the services of someone who'd had a public nervous breakdown?"

"New York City is amazingly forgiving of crazy," Ray says, "but I take your point."

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