[B][>]Inquire of the investigative impersonator about your pressing predicament.[/B]

"Ah, see, now there's a simple question with no simple answer." The man says, leaning back in his chair and cracking another big grin.

"Right now, you and I are nowhere. Nowhere of any real consequence, anyway, just some back alley dive in some back alley thought. We're sitting pretty, cruising through the slip-dream of an old bartender right now; that ol' gruesome galoot behind the counter there, in case you were wondering."

He notices your confusion and sighs, crossing his arms.

"Haven't ever traveled the Thought Current, I suppose. Sorry, I get caught up using work jargon from time to time."

He clears his throat and begins again.

"Okay, to answer your question, kid, there are three things I need to cover; who, what, and where." He counts off on his fingers, "The who isn't you, the Who would be the big man at the bar. The three of us, meaning you, me, and him, are in his thoughts right now. This whole place is a part of his memories."

[I]What do you mean the three of us? What about the others?[/I]

"What others? You mean the shadow men? Those chuckleheads are just figments of his imagination, they aren't real. Haven't you noticed how they don't have features like you and me? Think of them as fillers, uhh, what did the last kid call them...NPC's, that's it. They're just big, dumb Non-Player-Characters."

[center][img]http://imageshack.com/a/img838/7273/i63j.png[/img][/center]

[I]So, wait, this whole thing is like some kind of game?[/I]

"Well, yes and no." He says, "It's definitely a type of game, but it's not any kind of game you've ever played before." He suddenly shoots forward in his chair, slams one hand down on the table and sticks his index finger right in your face, "You've been lucky enough to be chosen to enter the Thought Current! Yay, you! Way to go!"

[center][img]http://imageshack.com/a/img843/6729/8p40.png[/img][/center]

[I]What's the Thought Current?[/I]

"That's a bit tricky. See, the Thought Current is what we call the sort of...free-flow of knowledge; memories, subconscious thoughts, dreams, [I]nightmares[/I]...everything going on in everyone's head comes together to create this sort of 'current' that only really lucky people like you and me get to witness. Right now, we're riding on what I like to call a 'slip-dream', I coined that term myself. Basically, the two of us are just sort of sliding along through other people's thoughts right now, letting the Thought Current push us to and fro, not fighting it, just going with the flow." He waves his arms around in a slow, undulating motion like water. "That answers the where."

[I]And the What?[/I]

"Yes, the What. The What would be you, kid." He says with another large smile, leaning back into his chair again and kicking his shoes up onto the table. "You are what we call a 'Figment'. You're a product of your own imagination, your appearance here in the Thought Current is a reflection of your goals and ambitions, some really strong emotion or desire, stuff like that..." He chuckles drily, "Which is where the What comes in."

[I]I don't understand.[/I]

"That makes two of us. In all my years of traveling the Thought Current I have never once come across a Figment that looks like you. That's why I'm here, if I'm being honest with you."

[I]Why are you here? Why am I here? I still don't understand![/I]

"Well, why you're here will be explained soon enough. As for me?" 

[center][img]http://imageshack.com/a/img197/2939/q6d8.png[/img][/center]

"I'm here because I've taken an interest in you, kid."

He reaches out a hand for you to shake.

"The name is Bookman. Charles Bookman."

[]Tell him your name and slap him some skin, brotha
[]Nick his wallet and cheese it!