Seven ★ Video

[wasthemaster]

[It's assumed that Draco is around somewhere despite not being on camera immediately, judging by the fact that when the feed starts travelers are greeted with a nice view of a bedroom wall absolutely covered in diagrams, charts, graphs, drawings and notes. Literally every square inch of the wall above the bed is covered in paper marked with random colored pens. It's assumed the rest of the room is set the same way. In the background, anyone listening can hear a coffee maker brewing a new pot.

War's never been one of Draco's favorite things, but the battles in Asgard have made him think of his home world and the situation he's in. He hates thinking about it, but he's started dissecting everything he knows…hence some of the charts that are overlaying some older charts. When Draco begins to speak, he's still out of the line of vision, if only because he can't exactly face the city just yet.]

…I know this man at home who's trying to, more or less, recreate the entire world. A perfect world where everyone's exactly the same and everyone who's considered less than worthy is punished severely if they're not outright killed immediately. [This is bad. This is a bad idea to be bringing this up, but Draco's full of bad ideas and bad decisions lately.] Actually, his favorite method is to torture them severely before sparing them and then murdering them with a flick of the wrist.

But the thing is, despite the fact he's more or less a slit-nosed homicidal freak, he has a large following. Many follow him out of fear, but there are just as many who follow out of loyalty. There are many people who actually, genuinely believe our world will be better if we follow his plan for destruction and reconstruction. It's messy and violent, and yet they go along with it anyway. Funny how that works, isn't it? One has to wonder why. [It's probably for the best that Voldemort's not around to hear that one of his servants is basically disregarding everything he's been taught. But after his last conversation with Jade? Maybe he really doesn't have to be constantly fearing for his life...maybe just every other day.

Let's get to the point, shall we? His hand appears in the frame of video and he's pinning a fresh piece of paper to the wall above the bed. He soon takes out a pen and in a neat, elegant scrawl writes something on the top of the page.

The art of persuasion and manipulation

His hand hovers in midair for a moment before he withdraws it.]

What is the fine line between persuading people and manipulating them? And, as a bonus question, what is the fine line between safety and fear? Sometimes I have to wonder if the rulers of this world aren't any different, what with having to do their bidding without even asking us. And yet we do it anyway because we're told it's better this way. [He knows it's a stretch, but it's still a valid point in his opinion.] As you can see, I've plenty of room on the paper so give me something worth writing.

Comments

[wasthemaster]

[...really? Really?

...fine. Opening his mouth and taking that chip.]

Satisfied?

[nukeoleptic]

[ Jade just stares at him, wide-eyed for a moment.. before she bursts into laughter. ]

Oh my god, you just let me feed you.

[wasthemaster]

[Shrug. Munching.] I'm used to being spoiled, remember?

[nukeoleptic]

If you were being fed salt and vinegar anything, I think it's more likely you were tortured, not spoiled.

[ She pulls a face, but she's eating another. ]

[wasthemaster]

Not quite. Pans used to feed me but it wasn't salt and vinegar anything. [He's watching though.] Does that make you a masochist then?

[nukeoleptic]

I hang out with you, don't I?

[ She sticks her tongue out at him, before chewing another chip. ]

[wasthemaster]

For reasons I'll never figure out. [He's unfolding his limbs suddenly from his sitting position, standing up and stretching. There are even audible popping and cracking noises the further he bends.] Anyway, do you want pizza or are you happy eating my grotesque-smelling snacks?

[nukeoleptic]

[ She winces at he stands and stretches, on her feet after him in a moment. Almost as an afterthought, she untangles the little vine from her hand, moving to place it on his desk. Right there in the center. ]

Pizza, pizza, pizza.

[ In a mock chant. ]

[wasthemaster]

[And he's watching it, staring at the little plant and already deciding to take care of it later.] All right, all right. If we're going though I'm kicking you out so I can change. I'm not going out like this. ['Like this' being in a pair of loose pants and an oversized hoodie. Again, the classic "Malfoy rolled out of bed and started working" look.] Fair?

[nukeoleptic]

[ Jade stares at him for a moment, her hands on her hips as she sort of sizes him up. ]

Well, as long as you actually change and come outside, and don't just lock me out and go back to work.

[ Spoken as if she is actually afraid of this. ]

[wasthemaster]

...you really think I'd do that? [It's a valid point, actually. If he hadn't been up for the last three days working and writing and obsessing, sure, he might. As it stands he could probably use fresh air and he recognizes that.]

[nukeoleptic]

Am I expecting you to do that? No. Do I think it's a possibility? Well..

[ She trails off, just sort of shoving her hands into the front pocket of her own sweater. ]

[wasthemaster]

[Just another Look.] Go wait in the lounge and I'll be there in about fifteen minutes.

[nukeoleptic]

Okay, okay! I don't see why it takes you fifteen minutes to change, but..

[ She smiles at him, though, ducking out of his room. She will be timing him. >( ]

[wasthemaster]

Yeah, yeah. [And he's waving her off and shutting the door. It's mostly because he didn't feel like telling her he hasn't showered since sometime yesterday either. So it's more like twenty minutes later once she leaves his room that he'll reappear in the lounge. He actually looks back to normal, buttondown white shirt and black slacks. He's also got a jacket since they're going outside and being cold sucks.]

[nukeoleptic]

[ Five minutes later than she'd expected! She.. honestly doesn't seem to notice him when he arrives in the lounge, though, frowning at her bracelet. ]

[wasthemaster]

[Well in that case he's going to come around, looking over her shoulder to look at her bracelet as well.]

Anything interesting?

[nukeoleptic]

[ She is staring at Riku's inbox-- and the several unanswered messages from here there. She flicks her wrist hard, though, snapping the bracelet to a different menu entirely, before she powers it off and hops to her feet. ]

Nope! You look nice. And look! Your hair is all fluffy.

[wasthemaster]

[Uh huh. Okay. He's not going to mention that, just pretend he saw nothing at all before his eyes are rolling upward to look at his hair. A hand moves to fiddle with it, pulling on it to check the length. Considering that his bangs are covering his eyebrows at this point...]

I'm not sure fluffy is where I want it to be. I should probably cut it soon, yeah? [The art of distraction. Best to distract her from Riku's absence and his own bloodshot eyes, right?]

[nukeoleptic]

[ Probably good, considering that she doesn't really want to talk about it either. She twists to look at him, though, deliberating, before she leans forward and up abruptly, trying to stick her fingers in his hair enough to ruffle it terribly. ]

Noooo it doesn't look bad long!

[wasthemaster]

[He just lets out a squawk that's very un-Malfoylike, batting at her hands to get her away. He frowns deeply, hand going up to try and make it lay flat again. Unfortunately Draco's just destined to be hot forever just going to be stuck with fluffy hair.]

I think you may very well be the only person who thinks so. Anyway, where are we going?

[nukeoleptic]

[ She's left laughing out loud when he bats her away, but she's still crouched, as if ready to attack at any moment. She likes getting those ridiculous reactions out of him; it's nice, sometimes, to try to remind him just how young he still is. She can dream, right? ]

No idea!

[ SO CHEERFULLY. ]

[wasthemaster]

[She can. Someday he'll remember he's only eighteen instead of forty-eight. For now though he just slips his jacket on and his hands are going in his pockets soon after that.]

What's your ulterior motive of the day then?

[nukeoleptic]

Do I always have to have an ulterior motive?

[ She's pushing down her sweater sleeves, the ones that had been previously shoved up to her elbows. ]

Can't some days I just wake up and think, gee, I'd really like to hang out with my good buddy Draco Malfoy today!

[wasthemaster]

You can, but it seems highly unlikely considering. [Not that he's mad or anything, he just finds it funny. And don't think he doesn't notice your fidgeting, Jade. He tilts his head toward the front door and starts walking away from the lounge to head out.] So? Do I have to guess?