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[atypical_echo]

You’ve reached Mark, for some reason. It’s 2022 apparently, last I checked - just text me. Or, you know, leave a message if you must.

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[robintohood]

[Jason nods and steps away from the bar to let Mark do his thing]

[atypical_echo]

[Good. Mark starts to take a number of flashes, adjusting the light levels until he's got something he likes.]

Nice. This is totally good. Now let's see what pictures I can get before the voice of Joanie in my head says 'Mark you're hyperfocusing'

[robintohood]

["Joanie?" Interesting...]

Well, you got plenty of other things here to focus on if that helps. Come on. I'll show you the private rooms.

[Jason leads Mark towards the back of the first floor]

[atypical_echo]

Hold on.

[He does grab more than a few shots of the bar, ones he's certain he likes, before he goes to follow Jason. They can carry things when needed.]

Don't worry about it. What my sister doesn't know won't get me lectured.

[robintohood]

What? You got a habit of taking a million shots or something?

[atypical_echo]

[Mark winces, which he figures should be enough of an answer.]

There may be a bit of a history.

[robintohood]

Well, you got me to guide you around at least.

[Jason opens the door to one of the cheap karaoke rooms]

[atypical_echo]

Yep, it's a relief. And you probably aren't legal to serve until you op-

Oh wow.

[That's a good room. Dammit Jason don't tempt him to be a regular over how great this looks.]

This is so cool.

[robintohood]

Thanks. I figured the cheap rooms have to be simple but still nice enough for people to enjoy.

[atypical_echo]

They're going to enjoy this. Damn, you're just a born business man.

[Good thing he brought his camera. He flips on the light and takes some shots that way, and then another few with the lights off.]

Let's get one with the screen active, if it's ready.

[robintohood]

Thanks. And sure thing.

[Jason turns on the screen and leaves it on a colorful screensaver]

It's been interesting getting the place set up.

[atypical_echo]

How long have you been working on the place?

[Another few shots, and a few moments of reviewing his shots on the screen of his camera.]

[robintohood]

A few months.

[Actually, less than two but that might raise some flags if he says that]

The hardest work was renovating the whole place.

[atypical_echo]

I can only imagine. It's not my area, but I had friends who were even bigger architectural buffs than me, and they could go on about their dream projects, and it sounded like years.

[Finished with the shots, he nods.]

Alright then, what next?

[robintohood]

The mid-tier rooms and the VIP rooms.

[Jason leads Mark to the next set]

So how long you've been a photographer?

[atypical_echo]

Wow, I wonder how much comfort level change you're running for those.

[He follows obediently.]

Fell in love with it in high school, much to my father's disappointment. Oh well.

[And he can't even talk about his literal degree in it, because it wasn't in this world.]

[robintohood]

Clearly it has its perks though.

[Jason opens the door to a mid-tier room.]

[atypical_echo]

[Well, this one is going to be harder to shoot.]

What, getting an early tour of what I hope to be the hottest new place in town? Yeah, that would be a perk. But I didn't go into photography for that.

[robintohood]

Of course. So why'd you get into it?

[atypical_echo]

Other than not being the science person? I don't know. The arts called to me. The first time I played music I knew I wasn't going to be hard sciences. And then I got my hands on a camera in an elective class and realized I could show people from my eyes.

[robintohood]

[Jason can appreciate that sentiment. In another life maybe he would've pursued something like writing]

That's pretty poetic. Besides, life isn't always meant to be cold data or numbers. Sometimes, some people are meant for the more creative side of things.

[atypical_echo]

[Maybe he doesn't have to make it 'another life'. People have written great things on the side.]

My father was less 'cold data', he's a historian. Like, dude, don't even get 'hard sciences are the best' on me. My sister got off easier, because she went into clinical psych.

[robintohood]

As long as you're happy and living all right, that's all it should matter.

[atypical_echo]

[Happy. Mark's expression falls for a moment, then he forces the smile back.]

I do my best, man. Don't we all? Let me get some shots in here. I don't know that it will come out as well without my reflectors, but we'll see.

[robintohood]

Want me to move anything or adjusting the lighting in this room?