blackwhitehat:

“What would a scientist want with my city? Do you have a death wish, pathetic mortal?” Black Hat hissed lowly, his eye narrowed down at him. “You must be an idiot if you dare speak to me in such a familiar manor.”

“I just told you, I’m searching for an energy source that my instruments are picking up,” Carlos explained. “And I’m not being familiar – I’m being polite. You’re the one who’s leaning into my personal space, however.”

Carlos got the antennae back in both hands and looked down at his machine. It had been beeping rather aggressively at him for a little bit… he must be close. Though glancing at his danger meter Carlos could see that the needle was steadily moving further into the red zone, well on its way to the red zone. He hummed to himself – the energy source must be very unpredictable, he thought.

blackwhitehat:

the-perfect-scientist:

blackwhitehat:

the-perfect-scientist:

blackwhitehat:

the-perfect-scientist:

@blackwhitehat

Hatsville was not an easy place to get to, Carlos found out.
No commercial vehicle went in willingly, like boats or planes. Carlos had to
road trip there by himself in his car and set himself up in a very small and dingy motel at
the very edge of town, just across the bridge onto the island.

The readings were off the charts. Readings very similar to
things he had found in Night Vale… but never had he seen anything of this
level. The energy here was astounding, and he didn’t even know what it was!
Whatever it was, it was very, very old and very, very scientifically interesting.

Immediately he started asking questions. “What’s going on
here?” “Have you seen anything interesting?” “Who lives in that giant black hat
in the center of town?”

But all his questions were met with awkward glances, fearful
murmurs, and outright terrified stares. None of them were actual answers. But
he was a scientist – this didn’t deter him in the slightest! He was the very
definition of science: he didn’t know what was going on, but he was going to
find out!

Something was going on. A new scent had entered his town. Black Hat growled softly as he tapped his claws on his desk. Was it another hero, foolishly coming to try and defeat him? A stupid tourist who clearly had not read the signs? No matter, Black Hat would soon out the fear of god into them. Standing, he strode out of his top hat shaped mansion, his cane gripped tightly in his hands.

The danger meter Carlos kept on his person hadn’t once gone below the orange zone since he
came into town; never to yellow, or to green or blue or any of the friendlier
colors on the meter – just almost completely steady in the middle of the orange
zone. Sometimes it would jump clear to the end in the so-dark-it’s-almost-black
red Danger Zone, but then quickly it would return to the orange.

Carlos had had enough of the non-answers he’d been getting
from citizens. He gathered up his bag and gear – which included his danger
meter and an energy-reading machine that looked like a pair of dousing antennae
connected by two thin wires to another meter that beeped a lot – and started to
walk the streets and sidewalks of the city. The energy-reading machine beeped
as Carlos went and whenever the signal got stronger he hummed and followed the
stronger path.

Closer and closer he got to the mansion in the center of the
city and he didn’t even realize it when people seemed to just disappear around
him – like they were avoiding the area. He was so focused on his machines and
the antennae that he was oblivious to the people – or lack of people – around
him.

Black Hat’s head turned towards the strange noise and he scowled deeply. Someone was definitely being very stupid. He walked out of his yard, holding tighter onto his cane. “Who dares enter my property?” 

Carlos jumped at the voice – not out of any actual fear though, it just really startled him. “Huh?” he asked aloud, looking around before his eyes fell on a rather well-dressed humanoid in a tall Lincoln-like tophat. He’d seen glow clouds, sentient patches of haze, various folks with odd bits of extra body parts, and a literal five-headed dragon back in Night Vale. He wasn’t bothered in the slightest by someone who appeared non-human.

“Oh – I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Carlos paused when he realized that he was still on the sidewalk. Well, that wasn’t in the property… “Oh, nevermind. Don’t worry, I’m not going to cross your property line, I promise.”

“This entire city is my property.” He snarled, his eye glowing red as he stared down at the human. The six-foot eldritch walked right up to him, towering over him. “You are a new human. State your business before I tear you to pieces.” 

Carlos blinked at the being, surprised. He frowned at them. “Don’t be rude,” he chided politely. “Yes, I am a new person – new to you, if we wanna be technical. I’m here on a field expedition, searching for a mysterious energy that I’ve only seen in a couple other places. I’m a scientist. Uh… labcoat, see?” Carlos transfered one of the antennae to the other hand and with his now free hand he pinched the lapel of his coat and tugged it for emphasis.

blackwhitehat:

the-perfect-scientist:

blackwhitehat:

the-perfect-scientist:

@blackwhitehat

Hatsville was not an easy place to get to, Carlos found out.
No commercial vehicle went in willingly, like boats or planes. Carlos had to
road trip there by himself in his car and set himself up in a very small and dingy motel at
the very edge of town, just across the bridge onto the island.

The readings were off the charts. Readings very similar to
things he had found in Night Vale… but never had he seen anything of this
level. The energy here was astounding, and he didn’t even know what it was!
Whatever it was, it was very, very old and very, very scientifically interesting.

Immediately he started asking questions. “What’s going on
here?” “Have you seen anything interesting?” “Who lives in that giant black hat
in the center of town?”

But all his questions were met with awkward glances, fearful
murmurs, and outright terrified stares. None of them were actual answers. But
he was a scientist – this didn’t deter him in the slightest! He was the very
definition of science: he didn’t know what was going on, but he was going to
find out!

Something was going on. A new scent had entered his town. Black Hat growled softly as he tapped his claws on his desk. Was it another hero, foolishly coming to try and defeat him? A stupid tourist who clearly had not read the signs? No matter, Black Hat would soon out the fear of god into them. Standing, he strode out of his top hat shaped mansion, his cane gripped tightly in his hands.

The danger meter Carlos kept on his person hadn’t once gone below the orange zone since he
came into town; never to yellow, or to green or blue or any of the friendlier
colors on the meter – just almost completely steady in the middle of the orange
zone. Sometimes it would jump clear to the end in the so-dark-it’s-almost-black
red Danger Zone, but then quickly it would return to the orange.

Carlos had had enough of the non-answers he’d been getting
from citizens. He gathered up his bag and gear – which included his danger
meter and an energy-reading machine that looked like a pair of dousing antennae
connected by two thin wires to another meter that beeped a lot – and started to
walk the streets and sidewalks of the city. The energy-reading machine beeped
as Carlos went and whenever the signal got stronger he hummed and followed the
stronger path.

Closer and closer he got to the mansion in the center of the
city and he didn’t even realize it when people seemed to just disappear around
him – like they were avoiding the area. He was so focused on his machines and
the antennae that he was oblivious to the people – or lack of people – around
him.

Black Hat’s head turned towards the strange noise and he scowled deeply. Someone was definitely being very stupid. He walked out of his yard, holding tighter onto his cane. “Who dares enter my property?” 

Carlos jumped at the voice – not out of any actual fear though, it just really startled him. “Huh?” he asked aloud, looking around before his eyes fell on a rather well-dressed humanoid in a tall Lincoln-like tophat. He’d seen glow clouds, sentient patches of haze, various folks with odd bits of extra body parts, and a literal five-headed dragon back in Night Vale. He wasn’t bothered in the slightest by someone who appeared non-human.

“Oh – I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Carlos paused when he realized that he was still on the sidewalk. Well, that wasn’t in the property… “Oh, nevermind. Don’t worry, I’m not going to cross your property line, I promise.”