[Video]

[shrinkystuff]

[The communicator device is something like a tablet which he has no problem using. He looks disturbed, somewhat skeptical.]

Someone has left instructions here for me to use this thing to communicate. If anyone is connected to this thing, I can't see them so it's not a two way system...is it?

[He's tapping the screen, the finger obscures his image and then he comes back into focus.]

Okay, well, either I've been kidnapped or I'm lost in some strange delusion. Neither option is cool.

[He sighs. He raises his voice, addressing his kidnappers]

My friends will find me you know. You can't keep me here forever. They're the best at what they do!

[He pauses, waiting for an answer that doesn't come.]

Are you lonely or something? I'm a doctor. Maybe I can help you.

Comments

[fry_bitch]

[You make Mafia boss chuckle a bit.]

I know ways to make people disappear...forever.

[shrinkystuff]

That never works. Sooner or later, people turn up again.

[fry_bitch]

You don't know the right people.

[shrinkystuff]

I know the right people, the people that find and give those people their identities back.

Is there some reason you want to make people disappear?

[fry_bitch]

I have my reasons to make people disappear, but then again, the dead can't speak anyway.

[shrinkystuff]

You'd be surprised how much the dead have to say. Even those found from thousands of years ago can still tell their secrets with their bones. One of my patients is an expert.

[Video]

[what_is_a_man]

Fascinating little devices are they not?

[Have an image of a very pale man dressed in Victorian era clothing, Sweets.]

Your threats against our captors will do you no good. They have been rather absent in this place between places. Either they do not fear our threats, cannot hear them, or cannot respond. Makes little difference to me.

As for your offer, I'm afraid many in this place are beyond help.

[Video]

[shrinkystuff]

It seems like any other tablet I've used.

[Eccentric clothing choices aside, that's not that weird. He's seen weirder.]

So a kidnapping then. You had nothing to do with it?

[Pardon his skepticism.]

I don't think anyone is beyond help, although I was talking to the captors as you described them.

[Video]

[what_is_a_man]

Tablets in my time were far more... primitive.

[You ain't seen nothing yet, Sweets.]

If I were to be the kidnapper you would not have woken up with no memory in a water-filled room with instructions. You would have been dragged from your home and chained in my dungeons. I assure you, I am every bit a captive as you.

[To be fair... he's done worse. MUCH worse.]

Hah! The vast majority of humans do not even want help, let alone benefit from it. I have seen the darkness that lay in the hearts of man, and I can assure you, and so many have embraced that darkness long beyond the point of no return.

[Video]

[shrinkystuff]

In your time?

[He arches his eyebrow. The clothing choice must be part of a delusion then, or some role he is acting out. Whichever it is, he can roll with it for now and humour him.]

Chained...in your dungeons?

[Has someone dropped him into some kind of prison full of disturbed criminals? It might explain his presence if that's the case.]


You're right about one thing, people have to be engaged for psychology to help them. But I don't think anyone is beyond help. Wanting help is another matter altogether.

My job lets me see the same, the bad things people do but what becomes important is why.

[He pauses and looks a little sheepish.]

Sorry. I've written a lot of papers on the subject.

[Video]

[what_is_a_man]

Yes, in my time tablets were generally stones with primitive messages chiseled into them.

[He makes a motion with his finger, causing the camera - or who/whatever is holding it - to slowly turn in place, revealing the size of his throne-room.]

Yes. The dungeons. At the lowest levels of my castle.

I could tell you why humans do what they do. The unifying trait that runs through your kind, that drives you; fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of losing what you claim as your own, fear of chaos, fear of order, everything comes back to fear.

The camera comes back to settle on his face once more as he sips what might be wine or blood from a wine glass.]

Centuries come and go, technology rises, weapons become more prevalent, and your kind never changes. It takes no scholar to see this.

[Video]

[shrinkystuff]

Fear is a powerful force, but it doesn't drive everything. Humans have a wide range of emotions to fuel their actions.

[Centuries? He looks a little incredulous. Certainly the throne room is nice and all, but this person seems a bit on the strange side.]

It's not usually good to make those kinds of generalizations in my line of work. So, um, centuries? Are you a history aficionado then?

[Video]

[what_is_a_man]

I have seen first hand how fear affects humanity. My wife was burned at the stake for witchcraft. Her only true "sin" being that she carried my son, and the masses feared her connection to me because I was something of... a legend in my domain.

[At the mention of history he just chuckles, leaning forward, his blood red eyes glowing softly.]

You might say that. I have been an observer of much of it, after all. I realize that in many worlds the name carries no weight, but perhaps yours is different. Perhaps you have heard of me. I am Vlad Tepes, called by many who knew me, Dracula.

video;

[graduations]

Sorry, um.. We don't typically get any contact with whoever brought us here, so they probably won't respond. I know it's hard to adjust, but we're all in this together.

[ She smiles, trying to seem reassuring. ]

I'm Yui Kusanagi, by the way. It's nice to meet you, even if I know it's not under the most comforting of circumstances.

video;

[shrinkystuff]

We? How many people are being held captive here?

[He sounds a little perplexed. The person doing it must have been pretty smart not to get caught.]

Is there some reason I've been brought here?

[He looks a little more relaxed at her introduction.]

I'm Dr. Lance Sweets, but most people call me Sweets. [He smiles reassuringly and then glances around at his surroundings.]

video;

[graduations]

I'd say at least a hundred, though I haven't counted.. there are quite a few.

As for why we're here, we don't really know that yet either. I know this isn't very helpful and frankly, it's rude behavior from whoever took us. [ Yui's got experience with being taken and at least that time she was informed about why. ]

You worked so hard to earn that title though, didn't you? I don't mind calling you Doctor Sweets!

video;

[shrinkystuff]

Whoa. Way more than I would have thought.

[He nods a little.] Really unusual behaviour for a kidnapping. Also I haven't been restrained in any way.

[Sweets breaks out into a big grin.]

I did work hard, but I don't mind. I'm a psychologist and most of my friends have other doctorates and don't believe in psychology.

video;

[graduations]

Way more than most people would think. Even the last person who took me only grabbed a handful of people, though he treated us much better and had an actual reason for doing it. [ A pause. ] Well, somewhat better. It was certainly different, at least, and he could be negotiated with.

Well, if we become friends, then I'll drop "Doctor," is that acceptable? I don't know you well enough yet to forsake your title, and I'd prefer to show respect where respect is due. Especially if it seems you don't get enough of it.

video;

[shrinkystuff]

I'm not sure if I should ask why you find yourself a kidnapping victim so often. Don't you find that strange?

[He nods a little bit.]

I don't mind, either way is fine. I'm perfectly fine with where I stand in the bureau. My friends are just...a unique set of people.

video;

[sizedoesntmatter]

[Yugi knew he didn't need help or anything, but he was at least going to try and be reassuring.]

I think either idea is logical, but this would be one massive delusion if that would be the case.

video;

[shrinkystuff]

[Yugi looks young, but from what he can gather he's talking to a few kidnapping victims.]

I've come to the conclusion that I've been kidnapped somehow. I'm not really sure how that happened exactly.

video;

[sizedoesntmatter]

No one does really, but I do believe there are people who want to find out what happened. It's just the case of looking and asking around.

[He wasn't sure himself how to start really.]

video;

[shrinkystuff]

If I can't figure it out, the people I know will. They solve these kinds of crimes for a living.

I can interrogate people, I've been trained to do that. I'm an FBI profiler.

video;

[sizedoesntmatter]

Are those people you know here? Sometimes friends are here, sometimes they aren't.

Is it okay to ask? You don't interrogate people in a horrible way, right?

video;

[shrinkystuff]

I have no idea, but they haven't spoken up, so maybe not. They will come for me though, I know it.

[He has faith in Booth and Brennan.]

Of course not. I work for the FBI. If you don't know, it's like a high level police agency. It's like the police but for all of the United States, instead of just locally.