SMOKES & MIRRORS
The city that whispers too loud
By Valentina Van Voughn
“Hey, have you ever heard about Blue Unicorn?” - E
“Someone is like telling us about this place that you can get a job, it’s the Blue Unicorn…” -V
Rumors move faster than sirens in Los Santos.
You don’t chase them.
You let them brush past you…
and see which ones leave residue.
Lately, a new name has been floating through the air.
Blue Unicorn.
It began harmlessly enough.
A couple of patrons stepping into UwU Café, asking in hushed tones where they could find it.
“Blue Unicorn,” they said, like it was common knowledge.
Apparently, it’s where you go if you need a job.
That caught my attention.
Because there is very little in this city that escapes me.
And I had never heard of it.
The Detective
Naturally, I called him. The detective.
The one who frustrates me more than he should.
If Blue Unicorn was real, he would know.
He answered. He listened.
And then, as always, he gave me nothing.
Not even crumbs.
That’s the problem with honest men.
They don’t lie to you.
But they won’t protect you with information either.
If he refused to confirm or deny it…
That meant one of two things:
It doesn’t exist.
Or it exists in a way I’m not meant to touch.
“Behind that door, is what I feel like is… that.”
Four Stories, Four Truths
So I did what I always do.
I turned to other sources.
Each told me something different.
One said it was a hidden back room in the Vanilla Unicorn.
Another claimed it a name they called a random Grandpa.
The third insisted it was very valuable to the undercity.
The fourth contradicted all of them.
“So uhm, Blue Unicorn is uhmm, is what they refer to the grandpa who’s called… Doug something. Doug Graves.”
And every time I heard a new version…
I pretended I believed it.
By the fourth tip, I was tired of pretending.
Personally?
I don’t think Blue Unicorn exists.
Not as a place. Not as a building.
Not as a legitimate operation.
But rumors don’t create themselves.
“I did hear someone is putting a hit on it. Someone is, you know, trying to rob this unicorn thing.”
Someone started this.
And I have a suspicion who.
Even if it’s smoke and mirrors…
I still need proof that it’s only smoke.
And I won’t stop until I find the mirror.
The Other Rumor
Blue Unicorn isn’t the only thing crawling through the city.
Another one landed in my inbox.
EMS. Overcharging.
Inflated bills for simple procedures.
Citizens paying far more than they should for care.
If true, it’s not incompetence.
It’s exploitation.
And yet…
Do I see police action? No.
Open investigations? No.
Statements? No.
It’s fascinating how quickly accountability dissolves when you’re perceived as “on the right side of the law.”
Visibility protects criminals.
Respectability shields corruption.
And that is why I will never trust anyone who believes the law is absolute.
The law is human.
And humans are flawed.
Anonymous Voices
My inbox has been busy. Anonymous tips. Anonymous accusations. Anonymous warnings.
I entertain them all. Even the obvious lies.
Because lies are useful too.
They tell you what someone wants you to believe.
But at the end of the day…
I trust only two things.
My own ears and my instincts.
Until I see something with my own eyes…
It remains unproven.
Los Santos is a difficult terrain.
Thick with fog. Full of reflections.
You think you’re walking toward something solid and suddenly your hand passes through it.
Smoke.Mirrors.
And somewhere between them…
The truth.
I’m just beginning to navigate it.
