3rd Song // Video (Webcam) // forward-dated to about 2am on the 14th

[wordsgate]

[Sam doesn't look very good. Actually, he looks downright exhausted. He's sitting in his room with a desk lamp giving just enough light to make the video clear and is propping up his chin with his hand. He clearly hasn't slept all night, between his bloodshot eyes and the dark circles underneath them. It could be that he's been visited by that "ghost" that seems to be following people around...

But if it is, he's not going to say anything. That's not how he rolls. Of course, after staying up for this long he's frankly bored, so he's turning to the Network for entertainment.

He speaks in a slightly hushed tone, probably trying to avoid waking up his mother.]

Hey, so. I've mentioned this to a few people, but I haven't really shown it off yet. Thought it might interest you guys. It's good for a laugh anyway.

[He holds up to the camera a wooden cup-and-ball sort of toy. The ball is painted purple, and it looks a little worn.]

This is a kendama. It's a toy that's popular in Japan. My grandfather got this for me as a kid--said it would be good for me to learn concentration. [He snorts and shakes his head.] I guess I was too energetic for his tastes.

I've never been very good at it. I mean, I can catch the ball in one of the cups...sometimes. Maybe one out of ten tries. But the pin here? [He lifts the ball up to show a wooden pin at the top.] I've never been able to catch the ball here in my LIFE.

But...

[He stands up and moves far enough back from the camera so that his movements can be seen. To warm up, he first drops the ball and then catches it in one of the bigger cups. He does this a few times and succeeds every time, before switching to alternating the ball between the two cups on the side. After a few rounds of that, he tosses the ball up in the air--and catches it on the pin. He bends down to look at the camera and points at the ball with a look of disbelief.]

Isn't that strange? But this gets better...

[He straightens back up again, then starts to juggle the ball between the big cup on the side and the smaller cup on the bottom, humming a song softly to himself as he does. He keeps it up for about two minutes, never losing the beat or missing the ball. At that point he seems to get bored, so he tosses the toy up in the air, catches it by the handle, and once again catches the ball on the pin. He walks back over to his computer chair, points at the ball on the pin with a look of amusement, and then sets the toy aside.]

I think I'm in the running for "most impressive unimpressive Extra ever." Maybe I should start training to be certified. I bet my grandfather would be pleased.

Comments

[Texted]

[espigeonage]

[Julien noticed the tiredness when he saw this at around ten am the next morning.]

Oh, that's what they're called! Well, looks like someone's gotten much more dextrous. I've never been able to get those well.

[Private]

You okay?

[Texted]

[wordsgate]

lol I don't blame you. Like I said I used to be pretty bad at them.

[Private]

Do I not seem okay?

[espigeonage]

I never even made much effort! Now, if you want to talk about learning to tie a cherry stem into a knot in my mouth...

[Private]

Well, it's not like I see you much late at night. But there's been stuff happening, and you look worn. Got any sleep since then?

[wordsgate]

You can actually do that? I'm jealous! I tried to do that in high school but all I manage to do was accidentally swallow the stem.

[Private]

Oh, that. Yeah I've been sleeping off and on since around 5. I actually just woke up again.

[espigeonage]

I can! Kind of takes a while if the stem's not flexible, and sometimes it's just too soft and I accidentally bite it into pieces. But, that's how it is sometimes, in nature.

[Private]

That's something, at least. Hope I didn't wake you.

People are saying this stuff is hauntings.

[wordsgate]

Haha, I'm not sure if I follow the metaphor you're aiming for.

[Private]

Oh no, I've just been checking the network when I wake up to keep myself occupied. Honestly I probably should just force myself to stay up until tonight.

I don't know if I was being haunted or not, but it sort of felt like it. It woke me up twice before I gave up.

[espigeonage]

Neither am I, honest. It's hard to totally master something? Sex can be dangerous? My mouth needs practice? lol!

[Private]

Ah, all right. Coffee might help.

I got this weird bit of a dream, and I felt weird and cold and like I was being followed around. Not last night, a bit ago. I wish I knew what it meant.

[wordsgate]

All three at once! "Sex can be dangerous and hard to master, try oral!"

[Private]

Yeah. Coffee might do me some good.

I wish I knew, too. It sounds in pain. I wish I could help.

[espigeonage]

There you go! Practice is good for everything.

[Private]

In pain? Oh, that's never good to hear. If it did have anything to do with the werewolves I wasn't there, but I have friends who were.

[wordsgate]

Exactly! Whenever I'm dating I try to make sure I get in plenty of practice.

[Private]

Yeah. I wasn't there either. I was too busy with school. From what I've heard, I'm a little glad I wasn't involved.

[espigeonage]

Right sensible of you. I'm sure that's appreciated.

[Private]

I was busy trying to breathe, but I don't think I would have come even if I'd been fine. For the best, really. No one will talk much about how it went, but I get that it was bad.

[wordsgate]

It usually seems to be! ;)

[Private]

Yeah. It's a little troubling. It's painfully obvious to me that we're not at all prepared for any real battles.

[Private]

[espigeonage]

Not if Captain Mass is going to be in charge of things like that again. I did see his recruitment thing. lol, it's like everyone's worst nightmare about the NRA.

We're just lucky no one in the club got killed.

[Private]

[wordsgate]

Yeah. Tamara was talking about how horrible of a leader he is. I can't say I much cared for the welcome to the Network I got from him, either.

[espigeonage]

Yeah. He was like that at me too on the Network, weeks ago. Wasn't so bad, but you know I don't mind being insulted, and it wasn't my first foray into this stuff either. I'm sure there are plenty of people who'd be more put off, and rightly!

This stuff is hard enough without him being like that, in and out of person. But especially out.

[wordsgate]

Maybe it's a military thing? He expects all of us to go through boot camp?

[espigeonage]

Gah. I ever tell you I tried the military once and boot camp defeated me? lol. Maybe I'd have stuck it out if I could really imagine myself as a soldier.

He has some points about taking this seriously, and with guys willing to murder kids about it I know it'd have to go to violence eventually. Right? But we're trying to be covert.

[wordsgate]

What, really?? You don't strike me as the military type at all.

Those are good points. But I don't think scaring people half to death is going to get them to take it seriously.

[espigeonage]

Really! I don't remember my reasoning like at all, but it was around when I worked out that I owed my first hundred grand? Or maybe one of my friends talked me into it, idk.

Yeah. We might end up needing everyone, and if they're scared off altogether that's going to make things hard.

[wordsgate]

$100,000? Geez, no wonder why you were trying to get a job somewhere...

Right. We're all in this together, so we've got to start acting like it. Of course, I guess that extends to General Mass himself.

[espigeonage]

More than that now. lol, this is the problem with getting into good colleges with no idea what you want to do in life.

lol, now if someone could just tell *him* that and he'd take it to heart...

[wordsgate]

Ah, geez, college. I'm lucky that my mom is paying for me so far. Although I'll be in trouble if I don't keep up with everything...she's threatened to stop paying if I fail a course before.

I'd try but I think I left a bad impression on him!

[espigeonage]

lol, ouch. Still, it's good of her! My sister offered to help but I said no, and anyway her job then wasn't as good as the one here.

lol, so did I! And it'd be bad if he decided to go after someone... idk, he just doesn't seem like a stabilizing element.

[wordsgate]

It's probably even better of you to not rely on someone paying.

He is the exact opposite of a stabilizing element. He's like Mentos in our cola.

[espigeonage]

Maybe, maybe not. It's my debt, I ought to be the one to handle it.

lol! And we with no idea if the bottle is pointed in a productive direction!