40th Howl | Friday, August 14 [Audio]

[professorwolf]

Randall again. I know there are probably many rather more pressing problems, right now-- such as the machine I hear we've commandeered, Thunder Corp's potential retaliation, the mob, that cult... but there's also apparently been a lot of talk on television and online about how horrible we are and how we're secretly trying to run the country.

[And Lyall can't do a bloody thing about Thunder Corp or the mob or a cult, especially while getting prepped for school to start soon... but he's hoping maybe he can help a little with this.]

I know someone was talking about attempting to make corrections when things got out wrong, like that, but I was thinking that perhaps having more of us to consult might make that easier. As in, I was considering asking for volunteers to go public together. Including myself, of course-- I simply don't think trying to do it alone would be wise. I'd rather not present the idea that I'm an attention-monger, or something.

[Or make himself a sole target.]

There's certainly the question of just how forthcoming to be-- I tend to favor more, rather than less, or people will undoubtedly learn there's more to know, and assume we are hiding even worse. But that would be up to each individual. Either way, I thought I'd pose the question, if anyone here is particularly interested in going public, and trying to equally publically correct some of those rumors. I certainly don't have any power to take over the country with.

[That last comes out dry, because he's hard-pressed to think of anything that "being a werewolf" would do for him, in politics. ... nevermind that he's fairly sure being one automatically gave you rank in whatever England his other fellow comes from. That's not here.]

We've spent a long time in hiding, so I'll understand if I don't have many takers, but I am hoping for a few....

Comments

[Audio]

[chalicejoker]

Don't forget the radio. They're saying all kinds of crap on the radio.

[Hajime sounds understandably annoyed about that.]

I'd come, but...I don't know if I can go all the way. Completely public. Not while I've got the restaurant and my family to worry about. Most of them still don't know...

[Audio]

[professorwolf]

Having the Lord of the Bugmen involved might be good enough, really, if you're one of many of us. Though it may require more lying on your part.

[Audio]

[chalicejoker]

The lying doesn't bother me. It's easier than the alternatives, as long as my family's got a business to worry about.

[He sighs.]

I'm probably going to have to start writing some of these stories down so I don't contradict myself...

[Video]

[scramasax]

["I'd rather not present the idea that I'm an attention-monger".

He already jumped one gun.

Sighs that out a moment - steels up his tone for anything it might be worth, then connects.]

-- I'm in, sir.

I'll, um - do. I'll do - anything.

[Short of one thing which comes to mind, but the point's the same.]

[Audio]

[professorwolf]

[Man really needs to get himself a video camera. But he hasn't gotten around to it yet.... He does sound like he's smiling, though.]

I thought you might be. Once I figure out whether or not this is even feasible, we'll figure out exactly what to do with it. Some kind of television thing might be best, or at least something filmed and put up on youtube.

[Hajime mentioned radio, but that's too easy to fake.]

[Video]

[scramasax]

[Sounding like it does more than well enough, though. He flickers a grateful smile back.]

What would -- [Cuts off with padding on the "d" sound. Swallows.] -- render it unfeasible...?

[espigeonage]

It's very annoying, isn't it?

I'm public as you can get. Not a shapeshifter! [he'd be happier if he was.] By now I've stopped getting quite so much attention and I don't think too many people are afraid of me now, but I don't know exactly what I'd do.

[professorwolf]

I know some of us are forced to it... I think you've held up very well, under it all.

If you'd like to be involved in whatever we do, I'd be happy to have you. It may be something as simple as filming ourselves and putting it up on youtube, or it might be going on the local tv news station. I just don't know yet.

[espigeonage]

Hah, thanks. It's kind of you to say so!

Well... sure, I guess. I did get a segment on the radio a couple weeks back.

[voice]

[ruleorserve]

Honesty certainly couldn't hurt our cause. Or simply having more open channels of communication, if that would be easier.

[He understands the urge to hide. Especially when there's so much ranged against them. But people will ever be suspicious of those who hide in the shadows, he suspects.]

I'm not certain how much weight my voice would carry, however.

[He still thinks of himself as new, and he's not certain how well his current place of employment would take to finding out that he's one of the Numbered. But he's not entirely unwilling, at the very least.]

[voice]

[professorwolf]

It's less each individual's personal voice, and more showing that there are many of us, and we simply don't have the kind of power and control people are attributing to us. The more varied and human we seem, the better.

So there's certainly nothing wrong with having you among us.

[voice]

[ruleorserve]

Then I'd be glad to offer my voice to those speaking for us.

[He's still even fairly well human, which might help, or so he figures.]

[video]

[peacefulwinter]

That was me that wanted to make... something akin to a public relations group. Correcting issues is part of it. B-but if there were other things, I wouldn't mind them.

I'd offer to join you, but I think I'm too public already to be much help. If I can help with information control, though, I would be interested in that. Or if you think my joining you would be any help, I am okay with that, too.

[audio]

[professorwolf]

Actually, having some people who are already well-known won't hurt anything. I've already got the Lord of the Bugmen on our side.

[He sounds sardonic, a bit, at that.]

Mostly because that will give us more legitimancy, if some of us are known and some are not. I'm afraid I don't know all that much about public relations in general, but I do think having more of us out there and well-known might help lay some rumors to rest. What good would a biology teacher do attempting to rule the world, right?

[peacefulwinter]

If you're certain, then I'd be happy to help you. And I'm inclined to agree with you. A number of us are... not really the type to borrow trouble. I think it would be a good idea to include some of us that are a little less reactive, as well.

audio;

[detectivetroll]

Sometimes I think you and Anthony want me to have a heart attack, man.

But if you want to do this, I'll support it. Just don't hold it against me if I start increasing patrols in your neighborhood.

[Audio]

[professorwolf]

I'm not going to complain, so long as those patrols are at least marginally on our side and not likely to be spying on us or interfering with our lives.

And you can do it in a way that doesn't compromise your position.

audio;

[detectivetroll]

One of the good things about my position at the moment is knowing which of my people I can trust, so you won't have to worry about that.

I'm more concerned about you than that. But I won't take any unessecary risks.

audio;

[purestambition]

We are agreed, for the most part.

I've done well, for the most part, of keeping myself under the radar - so to speak - and that serves some advantages, yet it is clear without a solid, "public face" to speak for us, we appear as little more than boogeymen to the world at large.

So, we're on the same page - it's something I've been thinking about, too.

However, to just do it is one thing. If we make a concentrated effort it should be with some financial backing, as well. One can't buy the public's opinion, but... ad space, air time. Those are things that can be done, to get the attention we actually want.

That... can be provided.

[Audio]

[professorwolf]

I'd been hoping that the sensationalism of it would be enough to get attention, but I'm not very well-versed in this sort of thing. If actually purchasing air time somewhere is a thing that can and should be done, I am certainly open to it.

Are you offering, then, miss?

[Audio]

[purestambition]

There may be a lot to say for sensationalism, but in the long run we need more than just an initial push. We have to think about longevity when it comes to our public image. The media might be starting to turn against us, but it's not too late to start using it to our advantage.

voice

[sjokolade]

[At first, Abby wasn’t sure what to do think. If she was having trouble talking to her family about being public, how would she be able to address herself to everyone? Of course, she didn’t have anything to fear.

For the most part, she was just….normal except for a few past memories here and there….]

You’re a lot braver than I am. I don’t really think I’ll be able to do anything like that.

[professorwolf]

I've also been at this a lot longer, and don't have parents to answer to.

[He understands. And really, not outing any of the children is very much okay with him. If Bakura were still here, and still among the numbered, he'd probably be struggling to keep him contained, much less quiet....]

[greenisthenewblack]

Randy... you know what the chances are of you keeping your job if you go through with this, right?

[She's not too keen on losing her only source of income, okay?]

[professorwolf]

I'm putting them at about seventy-five percent. I'm not sure the school will risk losing that much face, firing someone who just went public. It's a risk I'm willing to take, though. Someone has to, before everyone hates us, and then when we get found out accidentally-- which we will, I have no doubt about that-- it'll be too late.