video;

[brainsurgeon]

[ Dante dials his number into his cellphone, then lays it down in such a way as the video camera is obscured, effectively making it an audio recording...for the moment. His voice is rich and calm, noticeably Italian American, but a Locke City accent through and through. ]

Under normal circumstances, a doctor in my position would recommend that someone experiencing hallucinations to any degree get help right away. Then again, those hallucinations aren't usually on this sort of scale. Considering what we as a city witnessed, the recent news, and what some of you are capable of doing, I'd suggest that this has gone some way beyond normal hallucinations, as if there ever were such a thing.

I've seen it with my own eyes, experienced it - I dare say - myself. Gaining access to this network, this number's club, was one thing. I've been able to watch as other people have experienced their first echoes, learning from their experiences with a certain air of detachment. I may have watched out of professional curiosity, but I didn't consider myself to be one of you. Nor did I have any reason to take it on faith that the public were incapable of seeing these conversations--after all, I myself was viewing them, and there was nothing wrong with me.

Except that there was; there is, and in some sick twist of fate it seems the only people I can discuss this turn of events with are the very people whose stories seemed so ludicrous and farfetched to me before that it's a wonder perfect strangers believe them without proof now. Forgive me for saying so, but before all this began the idea that people could fly and shoot lasers out of their eyes and whatever else you people can do didn't precisely seem like the delusions of the clinically sane.

[ The phone is lifted, but not to reveal the speaker. Instead it lifts up to reveal a glass of water on an expensive Mahogany desk. A little light enters the room through closed blinds. There are inbuilt bookshelves, and a prominent leather couch visible in the distance too, but the glass is the focus. A hand reaches into shot, closes over the glass, and a moment later the glass frosts up, followed by the water inside solidifying into ice moments thereafter. ]

Now tell the truth: I didn't just hallucinate doing that, did I?

Comments

voice

[ex_extraordinary330]

[ he knows that voice. he knows it a little bit too well and he doesn't try to have too many thoughts about this before he considers speaking up (except for how he does.) there's a variety of ways he could go about doing this and he picks the one that seems to make the most sense to him at the time even if none of them seem to make any sense at all. ]

We should talk.

voice

[brainsurgeon]

[ Cue the long he-should-have-hung-up-and-called-back pause, because this is neither not what he wanted or expected, kill him now, what is he supposed to do, this can't possible be good--and then there's the inevitable could-this-pause-be-any-longer anxiety that briefly follows before he forces himself too quickly, without thorough planning, to speak: ]

Lucca?

[ So much for eloquent. And realising that that's perhaps an invitation to continue their discussion here - not a good idea - he hurries helplessly into more clumsy syllables: ]

I--yes?

voice

[ex_extraordinary330]

That wasn't really a question.

[ he wants to call him 'dude' or something that doesn't fit, as if that's sneaky or undercover. lucca doesn't even know how to keep things private on the network and isn't entirely sure if anything that's private is really private. maybe he just needs to have a little faith that locked means locked. but it all went to hell when dante went ahead and just said his name anyway, leaving lucca to sigh hard after his reply, going silent as he scrubbed at his face.

his own pause was long because he could get away with it being that way, endless seconds of lucca trying to figure out what to do next. what the hell next even meant. because if dante didn't know what it was, then he sure as hell shouldn't have to. ]

This is fucking-- Just gimmie about twenty, okay?

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

A doctor in your position? What position would that be, exactly?

[Audio]

[brainsurgeon]

Psychiatric care.

[ A simple answer for a simple question. ]

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

How long have you been observing this network?

[Video]

[destinedforrock]

Now, I would think that depends on what you saw yourself doing, but!

I will take my chances and say, no! It's most probable you did not.

[Blink. Flicks her ears.] And that you did do that little trick you have with the water-glass, I mean.

[Video]

[brainsurgeon]

[ Being told about the unicorn and seeing her for himself are entirely different things, but Dante gathers his nerve. He's already involving himself in this illusion; there's no point just dipping his toe in and backing out when it gets too hard.

But he will question his sanity profusely with every word he says that isn't actually a phonecall turning himself in to the appropriate authorities. ]

I don't see any other possible explanation, but all of this is still somewhat farfetched for me. I mean what next? No offense intended, but do I wake up one day with hooves? Covered in feathers? I'm not sure I can do this.

[Video]

[destinedforrock]

Oh~h, it'll get easier with time, I'm sure.

If you do, I mean! I think we're getting to be all the more willing to act as if we've seen everything, at this point in time, so! Surely uou can find someone willing to lend you a hand, if that would be doing you any favors.

Or, yes, hoof! Naturally. [No offense taken. Tone's still breezy and flippant, if a tad more clipped.]

[Text]

[professorwolf]

No hallucination, no. You seem to have pulsed back some kind of magical or mental ability to freeze things.

Unfortunately, none of this is a hallucination. Some of us have been at this for almost an entire year, and have undergone changes that would be extremely difficult to chalk up to hallucination.

[Text]

[brainsurgeon]

Sure, but most people don't grow metal arms and go 'gee, this must really be happening to me.' Of course now it seems the whole world would have to be seeing things, I must make more of an effort to make peace with it. Even so, it doesn't mean it's wise to rule out questioning it the whole way.

Is it Is it normal for people who recover an ability not to be able to fully control it? It's taken me two weeks to learn to do this, but when I was attacked by one of those snakes it was much more powerful.

[Video]

[scramasax]

[He didn't actually see what the man was asking to confirm wasn't a hallucination, himself - and so he'll go for the bit before that.

Answer's mild and muttery.]

I think that we've been taking each other has proof, sir... When -- we don't... have anything that's - impossible... of our own - ...

[One trail-off, a pickup, and another trail-off.]

[Video]

[brainsurgeon]

[ Okay breathe. You've been to medical school. You've not seen worse things than this. In terms of Anthony's appearance being proof of the impossible it's about 50/50 either way. If he accepts it, then nightmares are real. It would almost be comforting to think he was crazy.

His voice sounds notably uncertain until several words in Dante gathers himself, raising again to the occasion. Note to self: The people on this network need therapy more than they know. ]

And is that what you wanted? Proof that you weren't seeing things, that this - that that - was really happening to you?

[moreweaponsthanyou]

No, I saw that.

Can you do that to any liquid or object?

[brainsurgeon]

I hit one of those snakes with it during the battle, broke it clean in half, but I haven't been able to replicate anything like that since.

Honestly? I don't think I'm very good at it.

text

[partyqueen]

nope, welcome 2 the legions of ppl who are actually useful and have cool powers. god

text

[brainsurgeon]

Or to the legions of people from which one supervillain to rule them all will emerge. And to be honest, who could blame them?

[video]

[seriallylucky]

[Fred just sits and stares for a few moments. This isn't the first time he's seen other reincarnates use their powers, or even that he's gotten a pulse from it, but it is unique in another way.]

I... I knew people who could do that. Make ice.

Does the name Saturos mean anything to you?

[Disregarding the message of the post? No, nobody's doing anything like that here.]

[video]

[brainsurgeon]

[ The staring is admissible. Actually it's really a relief to see considering surprise is a good and reasonable response to people making ice with their hands. A normal response. ]

Saturos? [ A pause, and he considers just rolling his eyes because it seems important to this person, so he should really make an effort to give it proper thought. ] Saturos. No, I can't say it sounds familiar. Someone you know?

[voice]

[unelven]

Unfortunately, you haven't been hallucinating. It would be far simpler if you were.

[voice]

[brainsurgeon]

If life were simple I wouldn't have a job. That said, if these were hallucinations I'd be able to name them after me, I'm not sure what I find more disappointing.

That was definitely a joke though, in case my delivery was off.

text;

[occasus]

At least you got something cool.
pun intended i guess.

text;

[brainsurgeon]

Ha ha yeah that's funny.
You didn't get something cool?

video;

[infuser]

Beats shooting lasers out of your eyes.

[ he's not entirely sure if that's sarcasm or not. ]

video;

[brainsurgeon]

Lasers shot out of my eyes seems like fun though...