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"What's so bad with some flirting?" Connor asked with a quirked brow, offering Lauren a quick wink when Nik wasn't looking. Tessa flicked him again.
The duo nodded in greeting when Alex appeared, Tessa adding a friendly smile.
alex looked over them for a moment, glancing around nervously, but eventually found their voice.
"hey, y'all. you're here for kilroy?"
nik nodded, but also looked to the pair for their response.
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"Yup," Connor said, popping the p. Tessa nodded with an "Mmhmm" and a double thumbs up. She continued to speak. "Basically, we're here as physical evidence and first-hand accounts of him being a trash human being."
alex brightened slightly, raising their hands to wave as they talked. "awesome. i have an outline of how i might like it to go down…"
((timeskip to the interview?))
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((works for me))
nik ushered them into the cramped "interview room", which was really just a sectioned off part of the reception area.
"pick a seat, he'll be here any minute."
once they had settled, there was quiet talking coming from the front, and a sound of a door opening. lauren's voice could be heard clearly, giving directions, and then shouting
"he's here, amory!"
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The duo had been happily chatting with one another, even if the subject was a not-so-happy one, as they were discussing what they were going to expose Kilroy for. When Lauren called, however, their faces fell into a mix of anger, hatred, nerves…and fear. Tessa's fingers curled into slow fists, bunching up the skirts of her dress.
"thanks, lauren."
kilroy picked his way into the sectioned off area, squinting at the cramped conditions, and earned himself a hard glare from both alex and nik. nikolas reached quietly over to tessa and offered a hand, watching kilroy carefully.
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Connor couldn't contain his death glare, his now cold eyes never leaving Kilroy. Tessa, on the other hand, reached over and laced her fingers through Nik's, surprisingly gentle compared to the white knuckles on her other hand from how hard she was making a fist.
((are you playing kilroy or am i))
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((I can play him))
((nice))
nik held her hand steadily, giving a stiff greeting to the man.
"welcome, cian. take a seat."
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Cian Kilroy sniffed indignantly as he sat down, though not without making sure the seat was dusted off and thoroughly analyzed for anything unsanitary. You're incredibly lucky to be in my presence. I have a very busy schedule, and it doesn't have time for petulant children."
"Only when you're carving them up for 'science,'" Connor said cooly, putting air quotes around the word science. Tessa's mouth remained shut.
nik bristled, usually happy expression forming into a snarl.
"lucky? you think we enjoy being around you? you're a plague, cian. we aren't 'petulant children'. all of us are legal adults except for alex, who recently roasted your ass on camera. shut your fucking mouth and don't speak unless spoken to."
alex looked with raised eyebrows at nik, trying to de-escalate the situation.
"thank you for coming, sir. do you mind answering questions for us? you don't really have a choice because you signed up for it, but it's polite to ask beforehand."
alex smiled tightly, lacing their fingers together.
(bump)
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((Sorry, school's been kicking my ass and I had stuff to do this weekend. I'll get to it as soon as possible!))
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Cian frowned at Nik's outburst, not happy with how he was being spoken to or treated. Tessa gave Nik's hand a slight warning squeeze. "I suppose I can bear a few more questions from you," Cian sighed, pointedly turning to face Alex and ignore the other three's presence.
Tessa and Connor frowned but didn't say anything. They didn't show it, but all the childhood trauma corresponding with Cian had come rushing back to them the moment they laid eyes on the man. They kept quiet, but it was almost as if they were silently supporting one another for one last encounter with this nightmare.
nik glanced over to tessa apologetically, and alex put on a tight smile.
"good. connor, you're closest to the camera, do you mind turning it on?"
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"Not at all," Connor said, getting up to do as asked while Tessa busied herself with adjusting her skirts and dusting off invisible specks of dirt. She had much to say to Cian, but she would save that for the camera. Right now, she was a scared little girl sitting in front of her tormentor.
In a few minutes, he would feel her wrath and be the one trembling.
"is it rolling?" alex craned around to look at the flashing red light on the camera, furrowing their eyebrows. nik smiled involuntarily.
"yeah, alex."
"oh, shit. cut this part out, then."
alex promptly straightened themself and put on an ad-friendly smile, while nik slipped easily into his persona (which included his hat shading his eyes, and a smirk like he knew something you didn't.).
"hel-lo, neon district! we're back again with another of the cian kilroy series, this time with a twist. we have a few new guests with us. the ever-iconic founder of this entire scandal, and two real-time witnesses of kilroy's experiments. mind introducing yourselves?"
alex started, turning slightly to address the new trio.
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Tessa put on a dashing smile, looking like nothing was bothering her, even the man sitting just a few feet across from her. She had untangled her hand from Nik's, and now she had both of her hands clasped together in her lap in a nonchalant manner. "Theresa Hunt," she introduced, then gestured to Connor.
He mirrored her smile, though his was more laid-back. "Just call me Connor. Never really cared for learning my last name. Foster freak through and through," he added with a chuckle, leaning back in a casual manner.
Cian narrowed his eyes at them. It seemed like there were a few lightbulbs flickering in the back of his mind, but he was unwilling to acknowledge that fact.
nik dipped his head, giving a low "amory smith, thanks for having us."
alex seemed thrown off for a moment by their introductions, but in a moment went back to his plastic smile.
"who knew we'd ever have such an iconic trio on screen? tell me," he turned dramatically to kilroy. "cian, do you recognize these faces?"
(bump)
(take as much time as you need, im just trying to keep this on the first two pages for easy access)
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((makes sense, but I'm still so sorry! By the time a window of time pops up, it's late at night and I'm not in a writing mood. I'd like to be able to make decent replies than shitty ones))
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Cian narrowed his eyes at the trio, and Tessa and Connor challenged him silently. Tess had her head slightly angled up and to the side, while Connor's chin was slightly raised. Not too noticeable, but plenty for Cian to pick up on that they weren't screwing around anymore.
He gave a dismissive and airy snort, waving his hand as he leaned back and crossed an ankle over the opposite knee. "Of course not. They're just children who want to have their 15 minutes of fame."
"i assure you this will be much longer than 15 minutes, sir." alex squinted slightly at him, trying to read exactly how to get him angry today. nik set his mouth into a hard line, eyeing cian from under the shadow of his hat.
"they're children who are going to be on t.v. for much longer than 15 minutes, and you're a rich old man who's having to spend all his money on repairs for his heavily vandalized house. let's recap, audience."
they turned to the camera, smile gone.
"cian kilroy, so-called 'medical wonder', has been producing pretty effective drugs recently. their side effects are… dubious, though. and he claims to have not tested them on anybody except himself, but how would he be alive and well to take this interview with the side effects of his most recent "miracle cure" ailing him? the rumor comes out."
alex raised their eyebrows, leaning forward.
"and amory smith has brought evidence to the table of a secret lab. spooky! now that that's dealt with, we come to our first question."
they cleared their throat, and nik laced his fingers together.
"so, kilroy, has your living situation improved at all?"
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Cian narrowed his eyes. "Not quite. I still have some repairs to handle and reports to fill out—all news you're happy to hear, I'm sure." He spoke gruffly, not at all happy about being dragged back here with those two against him. He remembered them now. Trouble-makers, they were. Especially when they joined forces.
As if reading his thoughts, both Connor and Tessa flashed identically smug smirks.
"repairs, yes. and the photos we previously mentioned and showed, the interviews are on youtube, audience. do you have any more feedback on that? any better excuses?" alex sat back, absently popping their knuckles.
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"No," Cian gritted out, "I don't. And they're not excuses, no matter how you would like to spin my words. I've defended myself from this onslaught of uncalled-for accusations. I've said what I need to say, and that's final."
"At the moment, maybe," Tessa muttered while examining her nails, though plenty loud enough for the mics and the other three to pick up.
"huh. i was hoping you'd try to defend yourself a little more solidly. tessa… care to start us off with your story?" alex turned to look at her, and nik silently moved himself into a position where she could grab his hand or arm at any time.
