you can't handle the truth

[bouchonne]

WHO: Whoever wants
WHAT: Kickoff of the truth plot!
WHEN: Right now
WHERE: The dining hall
NOTES: Feel free to use this to post open starters with prompts! Or make your own logs. Or create open posts on the network. Do whatever you'd like. No rules just right

If only the cooks had screwed up the soup. The problem is that it's a particularly nice soup today, full of fresh summer herbs, nicely seasoned, and plentiful. And so it's quite likely that you grabbed a bowl - maybe even got a second helping - and so ingested the potion that a devious hand had tipped in there earlier that day.

The effects begin to set in within twenty minutes of ingesting the soup. They may be mild - your tongue stumbling when you go to tell a little white lie...or they might be strong, and you might be overtaken by a sudden hysterical urge to tell deep truths to anyone who might listen. Or perhaps you skipped that soup, and instead, you're surrounded by babbling, confused people who want to tell you their life stories.

The potion's effects will last for up to two days. And they may at times be stronger, and at times weaker. Here's hoping you'll do minimal damage to your reputation in the meantime.

Comments

[katabasis]

If I were outside Riftwatch and knew how we handled traitors and saboteurs, I wouldn't hesitate to paint rings on a cat's tail and send it into that shed. The odds are good it'd end up touching all our mail [he turns a flat look on Byerly.] And organizing our appointment books.

[hassaran]

It's ridiculous [ Yseult agrees, generally, after another spoonful of soup ] but last time we discussed the idea of making actual rules, you wanted all of Riftwatch to vote on them and that seems like a sure way to waste everyone's time.

[bouchonne]

[ By answers - but without heat or pleasure. Instead, his eyes are going progressively wider. ]

As far as you're concerned, any time anyone disagrees with you is a waste of time, Spymaster. And as for you - [ To Flint - ] If someone's assistant betrays Riftwatch, it's certainly not going to be mine. Yours would probably turn us over to Corypheus if the monster flattered him sweetly enough.

[ And then, pressing his hand against his chest: ]

Maker's breath. I can't control my mouth.

[propulsion]

[ Okay, that was pretty spicy, even by their standards. Being outside the splash zone means that Tony's comment here is more in the realm of quiet aside; ]

Said the Diplomacy guy.

[katabasis]

Maybe you swapped the bottles for your day's first drink and dosed yourself with one of your own poisons by accident.

[—Isn't what he opens his mouth to say, and the tenor of the indictment is markedly less honed for outright butchery than the words themselves would ordinarily imply. They seem to catch even Flint slightly by surprise, a flicker of uncertainty moving in his face.]

[bouchonne]

I'm sober now.

[ Is definitely not what Byerly wants to say. Nor is - ]

And it was a drug, not a poison. If I gave you one of my poisons, you wouldn't be here.

[hassaran]

[ Flint beats Yseult to the barely-proverbial punch, and rather than wait in line to register her affront, she returns to eating her lunch. Until: ]

You drugged him? When? Why?

[bouchonne]

To compel him to tell the truth. For once. I discovered his history as James McGraw, Tevinter Navy captain, so he saw fit to threaten my wife, and it all became messy from there.

[ And then he can't help himself - he starts to laugh, a little pitchily but also from some real amusement. This is perfect. Really, it is. ]

[propulsion]

Oh, well, that's

[ he's about to say 'normal', sarcastic, but instead says ]

psychotic.

[katabasis]

[Speaking of:]

I'm going to stuff you out of that [extremely narrow] window, Rutyer.

[hassaran]

Was that before or after the two of you fucked? [ is not the dry semi-rhetorical question Yseult had intended to ask. But she pretends it is, calmly arching a brow and reaching for her drink, curling a hand around the cup without lifting it. ]

[bouchonne]

[ Byerly makes a gesture towards Flint that actually borders on the apologetic - yes, window-stuffing deserved - before he says: ]

We haven't fucked. We've only made out. Please stop asking questions.

[propulsion]

Really,

[ to Yseult, followed by a gesture at his meal ]

right in front of my soup?

[hassaran]

[ Yseult laughs. ]

'Made out'? How old are you?

[ Aside, to Tony: ] I've been suffering with this knowledge for years. But this may actually be worse.

[katabasis]

He's full of shit. My cock was in his hand.

[Starts sounding defensive (what the fuck are you people talking about) and ends firmly in mortified territory (what the fuck is he saying). A narrow, strangled beat follows—

His attention pivots in Tony's direction, equal parts murderous and desperately pinning some scrap of dignity on 'an Elven Artifact Made Me Do It':]

Your people haven't brought anything in, have they?

[bouchonne]

[ That makes Byerly laugh again. This is all shitty, but that look on Flint's face as he says my cock was in his hand will bring Byerly joy in his darkest hours. ]

[propulsion]

[ Tony braces, slightly, when Flint pivots to him, oh god what, then immediately relaxes. Great, that's an easy answer— ]

If they had, I'll know about it never.

[ ...hm. To clarify; ]

As in, they don't tell me everything they're doing, they sort of just do whatever—

[ Nope. ]

Okay, what the hell is happening.

[hassaran]

Most likely we've all been poisoned, but I've never heard of this one. Maybe it's the next phase of whatever's causing all those nightmares and now we're having them while awake?

[katabasis]

Oh fuck off. [Yseult.] What gives you the right to keep your dignity?

[bouchonne]

Didn't you hear, Flint? She's perfection incarnate. She'll tell you herself.

[ Great. Love it. Love that he said that aloud. At least he hasn't said anything beastly to Tony yet - ]

And you have to get control of your division. Your laissez-faire attitude is going to get us all killed.

[ ...well, could be worse. ]

[hassaran]

[ At Byerly, sharper, but still collected relative to others in the room: ] I would never say that. You've really no talent for reading people at all, have you? And this degree of jealousy over the fact that I'm a better agent than you are is pathetic.

[propulsion]

[ Tony is very collected. Totally. Now leaning back in his chair, the front two legs lifted off the ground, hands clasped behind his head. Raises an eyebrow at Byerly's comment his way, but Yseult is quicker off the mark.

Spies everywhere you turn. It's almost nostalgic. ]

At least mine do stuff.

[ So there. ]

[bouchonne]

Not sure how you would know, Stark.

[ But Yseult has most of his attention. ]

Guard yourself, Scoutmaster. Maybe you ought to leave the room before I ask you who you really work for. You'll actually have to tell the truth.

[katabasis]

[Flint has already leaned forward in his chair to begin collecting the various papers he'd brought with him.]

She isn't working for anyone. She wouldn't find us half as irritating otherwise.

[The papers are shoved behind the front cover of his book.

[hassaran]

Exactly. [ Yseult gestures toward Flint. ] I'm not actively working for anyone but Riftwatch and haven't since I arrived. If I were I wouldn't care so much about how little I've accomplished here.

[ So there? ?? ]