X marks the spot

[zen_navigator]

Who: Dirk and OPEN
What: Productivity is the enemy of something or other. Map making.
Where: Out and about
When: Day 95

In an effort to get a better idea of the lay of the land, Dirk has made a rough map of the town, complete with all buildings, pathways, and obtrusive foliage. Like most of his projects, however, Dirk's map has quickly transformed into something obtuse and oddly managed. His current project is cameras. If he can mark down where every camera is, he hopes it will reveal where there aren't any cameras.

He's assuming for the moment that all of the buildings are wired, so he's starting outside.

Starting in the early afternoon, Dirk works his way across the town starting near the lighthouse and eventually working his way back through the town. He's trying to be systematic about his recording, but it's hard to be systematic when some of the cameras are so easy to miss. He climbs a few trees with his red pen tucked behind his ear, he peers up into the eaves of buildings, he checks under benches and around shrubbery, and he's filling up his map with small red triangles.

Comments

[zen_navigator]

Dirk has a knack for confusing people into compliance. Just go with it, Gabriel.

He tucks his map under his arm and links his hands together, demonstrating a foothold. "To get into the tree. Come on."

[hung_garian]

"Doesn't really answer the question."

Still, Dirk's knack seems to work - despite Gabriel's tendency to troll people (and enjoy the hell out of it) he's bored enough to actually be helpful. Especially when the victim beneficiary of his aid is someone as interesting as Dirk. He rather appreciates people a little out of the ordinary. He steps into place under the tree and obligingly forms a foothold with his hands, as demonstrated. He doesn't look as if he's braced himself at all, but if Dirk ignores that he'll find that Gabriel is deceptively (inhumanly) strong. Unfortunately, Dirk's not completely in luck here: Gabriel doesn't stop talking.

"So what's up there that you're after, huh? This a Faraway Tree kind of deal? Or are you just one of those treehugger types?"

[zen_navigator]

"Faraway Tree?" Yeah, sorry, Dirk has no idea what that is, but he's not going to let that stop him from taking advantage of the boost Gabriel is offering.

With the step up, it's not difficult at all to scramble up into the branches. He doesn't take any particular notice of his step's apparent strength, only that it held well enough to get him onto his perch.

"No, no, I'm making a map." He drops his makeshift map from the tree so that Gabriel can see. It's a rough outline of the town, marked with several red triangles. "The triangles indicate surveillance cameras."

[hung_garian]

He catches the map easily enough and leans back against the tree trunk to take a look.

"Been a busy little bee, haven't you?"

He doesn't seem particularly interested in the map, but despite the bored look on his face, he's paying attention. Having an angelic mind instead of a human one helps with memorising it in a matter of moments: just how good his memory is hasn't always been a good thing for him, but it does come in handy. And while he's not overly concerned about his privacy, knowing where the surveillance cameras are could well be one of those handy little pieces of information. He looks back up into the tree, at Dirk.

"And you think there's one up there, do you? Not sure what it'd be catching, besides baby birdies and the occasional nutter looking for cameras."

[zen_navigator]

"Check the map. I've already found another in a tree." So there. Dirk plants his foot on a higher branch and pushes his way higher. His foot momentarily slips against the bark, but he regains his footing quickly enough to stay put. His shoes aren't really made for climbing trees.

"Ah hah!" There is indeed another camera in this tree. This one seems to be covering the bar and the surrounding area.

He throws his red pen from the tree. He's not really aiming, so he's totally not at fault if it hits Gabriel in the head on the way down. "Here. Mark it for me. The smallest angle of the triangle should point towards the bar."

[hung_garian]

Thanks to the laws of probability not really applying where either of them is concerned - or at least, consistently taking second place to Sod's law - it does indeed bounce off Gabriel's head on its way down. He glares at it until it levitates up into his hand, not that Dirk is in much of a position to notice that.

"It'd serve you right if I vandalised this, y'know." He isn't going to, he's just going to grumble and do as he's told. And maybe draw a penis in the corner, because archangel or not, he's a twelve year old boy at heart. "There's cameras everywhere, buddy. If you think knowing their exact locations'll give you much in the way of privacy, you can think again."

It's plausible, admittedly, that knowing where all the cameras are might allow for a little more secrecy, but Gabriel's a pessimist, and he enjoys complaining.

[zen_navigator]

"I'm not looking for privacy." With some awkward rearrangement of his long limbs, Dirk manages to back down the tree until he's standing on one of the lower branches. With a grunt, he maneuvers to sit on the branch, then peers down at Gabriel, checking to see if he went through with his vandalism threat. "I'm looking for patterns."

He shrugs. "Privacy might be an agreeable bi-product of the project, but I'm doubting now that I'll find any significant black spots."

[hung_garian]

"Well, if you want some, I've been thinking of trying to scare 'em off from my bedroom. Or bathroom. Or both. They might not take the camera away, but I bet they already watch it through their fingers. And even then only the bravest of them dare to risk a peek. I just need to turn up the trauma a few notches and they won't bother watching at all."

Of course, that's all speculation - or rather, it's Gabriel talking just to hear his own voice. He doesn't like silences much; he'd rather ramble on about nonsense.

"What do you care about patterns? -- I suppose you could make a pentagram out of these-" he gestures at a vaguely pentagonal arrangement with the end of the pen "--but there's not a lot in the way of join-the-dot pictures. I doubt they mean much, more than showing where they expect to need the most footage of. I'm guessing mostly the bar. Makes for great viewing on a Friday night, I bet."

[zen_navigator]

Dirk is just going to decide not to ask what Gabriel might get up to in his bedroom and bathroom in the effort to scare of scientists. He's probably better off not knowing.

"If there were more cameras on the bar than elsewhere, we might infer something about our scientists." Like that they're particularly interested in watching people get drunk. Hey, it's something. "What's covered by the cameras should be as interesting information as what isn't."

He pushes himself down from the tree and stumbles a few steps before righting himself, then looks to make sure Gabriel has placed the symbol int the right spot. What he spots in the bottom right corner makes him raise an eyebrow at the other man. "I must have missed the giant phallus statue on the edge of town."

[hung_garian]

"I don't imagine it'll reflect much more than population density." But then, he's something of a pessimist and he doesn't pretend otherwise - he even says it in an Eeyore voice. "Still, I suppose it's something to pass the time."

He hands the map over without missing a beat, or even letting anything in his expression suggest he might be amused.

"Didja? Not sure how you could. It's pretty big. Not actual size, I hope, or else whoever modelled for it really oughtta go see a doctor. Or at least a porn director."

[zen_navigator]

"Hardy har har." Dirk rolls his eyes and takes his map back, lest he gets any other ideas about altering it.

Now that he's back on ground level, it gives him a chance to look at the other man. He's recognizable, but definitely not from meeting him in person. "Were you one of the people that said hello over the wristwatch when I first arrived?" He extends his hand, offering a handshake. Look, Gabe, no hard feelings for you being a prick. "I'm Dirk. Dirk Gently."

[hung_garian]

"I probably was. Don't take it personally."

He's a prick to everyone, after all. He shakes the proffered hand all the same though, a little more firmly than is entirely comfortable but then, he is an archangel. It's easy to forget his own strength.

"Dirk Gently, huh? Bet you got bullied in middle school. I'm Loki, as I might have mentioned. Enchanté."

[zen_navigator]

"In school I was Svlad Cjelli." Which is, among children, probably worse than something like Dirk Gently. As for Loki...It's not exactly a name one hears every day. "You must have had very imaginative parents."

[hung_garian]

"Eh, that's not so bad. Didja get called Jelly Baby? Jelly Bean? It's almost affectionate... 'almost' being the operative word there, I think."

Needless to say, Dirk will never again be called Dirk by Gabriel. He probably shouldn't have told him.

"Imaginative? Well- yes, I suppose so. Dad was certainly very creative."

[zen_navigator]

"I wasn't teased often." Well, he was, but he was usually off in his head at the time, so it didn't matter much. Though, if Gabriel starts calling him jelly bean, they may have a problem.

He's getting the sense here that this Loki character is trying to emulate his namesake. He can handle a bit of friendly poking, but he's not all that comfortable being so obviously played with. "Yes, well, thank you for the boost. If you don't mind, I'll just be getting on with my map."

[hung_garian]

"Any time, pal. I'm here to help, after all. Have fun with your map, kid."

He hands the pen over, too, and disappears in a puff of smoke. He always did have a flair for the dramatic.