[bathroom mirror "video"]

[struckout]

[ There's a first time for everything.

In this case, that ever-paranoid woman who's been hanging around but staunchly avoidant of actually showing what she looks like or giving a name? Well, here she is. For once.

Problem is, she looks, well, exhausted- circles under her pale eyes, most of her unnaturally-colored hair hastily tied back, clothing consisting of shorts, a tank top, and despite the heat, both gloves and a partially-zipped, light red jacket. The uneven cadence of her breathing suggests she probably failed at staying away from the water supply (again), and it's only now wearing off. Needless to say, she also seems... unhappy.

The source of her current network connection appears to be a hotel bathroom, and judging from the dry-erase marker in one hand, she's been experimenting with the mirror's network access. In the middle of attempting to get stuff from earlier dates to appear, at first it almost seems like she doesn't realize she can be seen at all. At least until: ]

My house caught on fire. My phone's dead. Computer's probably dead, too. No time to take it to a shop.

[ An obvious sense of agitation radiates off of her as she caps her pen, frowning and voice tense as she speaks. ]

At first I thought... well, you know. But then after the fire department got everything under control, it started again. Turns out... these things are responsible.

[ She reaches into the sink, pulling out something that initially looks just like a mildly-damaged disposable lighter. At second glance, however, the thing has legs, and struggles weakly against the grip of her fingers, clicking in protest. She stares at it herself a moment, but then takes a deep breath. ]

... If they're trying to target us, they're doing a lousy job. This, the water, all of it. It's too... random.

Comments

[lackinginfaith]

What.

[struckout]

[ ...? Kallie just looks confused and somewhat defensive - wondering if that was even supposed to be for her. ]

text;

[skycutter]

[Excuse him. He's a little out of sorts right now. For several reasons.

So his typing is going to be a bit terrible.]

yu know what i t is?

[continued pseudo-video unless otherwise noted]

[struckout]

[ She blinks at the words, hesitating a moment as she belatedly realizes how awkward even the thought of talking aloud to words makes her feel. That, and it sort of looks like this person is drunk or something, what the heck.

She kind of twists the critter in her hand, tilting her head slightly - this? ]

A lighter... or at least what used to be a lighter, I guess.

text.

[empyrus]

You're unscathed, at least. Well. Mostly.

[ she looks a little dead but she probably would be too if her house burned down. There's also the fact that she recognizes this girl from around school — the health center in particular, she thinks — but that's certainly not pertaining to the topic at hand. ]

Correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm still fairly new to this, but living lighters are new.

[continued pseudo-video unless otherwise noted...!]

[struckout]

[ She drops the thing back in the sink without ceremony, eyes downcast for a few seconds as she watches to make sure it's not going to escape again. ]

... Yeah. As far as I know.

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

It's like someone heard the phrase "come hell or high water" and took it way too literally. The fuck.

[continued pseudo-video unless otherwise noted...!]

[struckout]

Something like that, anyway.

[ She's dropped it by now, tapping her fingertips against the countertop instead, shifting her weight as her gaze moves aimlessly over the mirror's surface. A moment later she seems to focus, however, and... ]

I'm pretty sure it's not a robot, though.

[testsonseashells]

Able to kill any?

[struckout]

Two: the ones I saw. There might have been more.

[ She looks distasteful at the memory-- and may or may not be already showing hesitance over revealing exactly what she did to the other ones she was able to catch. ]

[Audio]

[professorwolf]

[Practical, to the point, and obviously worried-sounding, have your former teacher talking to you out of your mirror, Kallie:]

Are you all right? Was there anyone else there when it happened? And how many of those things did you see?

[He kind of wants to dissect it, but it looks more mechanical than biological, and he's more worried about her than it anyhow.]

[continued pseudo-video, yo]

[struckout]

[ Well, that's... different. And really weird-sounding, considering mirrors weren't exactly designed to act as speakers. She blinks a few times, obviously taking a few seconds to process before answering. ]

I'm fine. [ Though she dips her head, looking to the side, not that willing to give too many more details that would work to resolve the second question of his. ] I think there were about four. At least at first.

[text]

[amberhearted]

Are you and yours okay? [ she doesn't look okay-okay, but maybe she consumed some messed up water, too... ]

What do you mean it started again? They're following you?

[forever mirrorcasting]

[struckout]

Yes...

[ Pausing, she briefly fiddles with the edges of her jacket as she pieces a further reply together. Honestly? She shouldn't be totally okay, but here she is... mostly not-burned and everything. ]

They were following me.

[video: kindle]

[peacefulwinter]

[The purple-haired girl's mouth opens and closes, not sure at all what to say. Ask if she was okay? Ask after the funny-looking lighter? Perhaps offer assistance, in the limited capacity she could give it?]

Maybe... r-random is what they're trying for? D-did... the water affect other people? Or j-just us?

[mirrors mirrors forever]

[struckout]

Not that I know of.

[ She nearly mentions the rest of her family seems fine, but decides against it, moving on to rather... unsavory topics still, if her expression is anything to go by. ]

For all we know... whatever's in the water is supposed to brainwash everyone. It just affects us differently instead.

video;

[immortalize]

[ Is this the pink-haired person Morgan's been hearing about? Morgan herself looks just as tired, green hair currently bunched together in a loose bun. She stares warily at the moving lighter. ]

You're planning on destroying that, right?

mirrororr

[struckout]

[ You mean there's people who've had hair color changes that aren't pink?? This is news to Kallie - her brow furrows slightly at the image, half because she can't help but wonder if the green is natural, and half because the question seems... terribly inane to her.

I don't exactly have the patience for a pet that can set me on fire.

voice

[ex_elude798]

[Hey, it's his Awkward Conversation partner. And something that seriously has no business being outside of anime, or some second-rate science fiction show.

Not to mention the pink hair. It...really reminds him of something he'd rather not think about]

That is the stupidest damned thing I've seen so far.

[A living lighter. Ridiculous. Then, after a beat]

You should stay with someone. [After a pause, he adds] If you're being targeted.

MIRROR

[struckout]

I'm pretty sure this sort of thing is attracted to where there's more than one of 'us' around.

[ Maybe? It makes sense, from where she's standing- her experiences with being attacked so far before this, anyway... Regardless, she shakes her head, firmly. ]

If I am being targeted specifically... I don't want to put anyone else at risk.

Text. Cellphone.

[flamberge]

[Mutant lighters. Well now he's seen it all.]

It's fortunate you hadn't lost more than your home.

[You know, like her life and all.]

How had you managed to capture one of those creatures and alive at that?

Magic(?) Mirror!

[struckout]

[ Fortunate indeed... and a sentiment she's already kind of getting sick of hearing from people. Just because it's true doesn't mean she isn't sort of really upset at the stuff she's lost, anyway, not to mention not being able to go home. Those emotions ain't goin' away no matter how thankful she feels or... people think she should feel.

She pauses, but then with a distinct sort of dryness to it: ]

I stepped on it.

video;

[eras]

...The hell?

[ Is there any other reaction to that, really? ]

The water actually seems like a better targeting job than this. You've got a better chance of hitting someone by poisoning an entire water supply - although honestly I don't see the point in the water thing, since giggling doesn't seem deadly.

I guess unless you use it to mark down probable suspects, but maybe someone just told a really funny joke, so that's probably not the best way to go about things?

Though both ways show a huge disregard for whether or not civilians are hit, so uh, I guess they don't care about civilians? Whoever "they" are.

mirrorcast forever

[struckout]

[ ... Kallie's not really sure how to reply to that at first, given it's more reaction and then extended theorizing than a question directed towards her or anything. She isn't exactly totally fueled up with enough sleep right now, after all.

After a few seconds, she leans her weight forward with her hands on the counter, tilting her head. ]

I think that these smaller things- these and the 'grues' and whatever else... I think they're attracted to us.

[ But theeeennnn... yeah. Why don't they have anyone following behind them to come pounding on the door, right? What's with the poisoned water that's apparently influencing the entirety of Locke City? ]

[video]

[acequeen]

[Hello, awkward person Regina spoke to approximately two months ago. There's a woman with fiery red hair gawking at the feed, specifically at that lighter with an incredulous look on her face.]

Great, they're now inserting themselves into items. That's so ridiculous!

[She lets out a heaving sigh.]

Doesn't look like you got hurt, though. [A beat.] Sorry about your home and everything else.

MIRROR

[struckout]

[ Kallie doesn't recognize the face, but the voice and vaguely similar manner is just enough for her to put the pieces together after a second of brow-furrowed thought. That said, she just just sort of waits through the sentiments, blinking slowly. ]

... Thank you.

[ Yep. Still awkward. ]

video;mirror

[schild]

[ Ah, he knew you looked familiar! Kallie may or may not recognize Ryan as one of the firefighters who was at her house. He's suited down though, so he just looks a bit tired. ]

On behalf of the whole squad, I'm sorry there wasn't more we could do for your home. We're... gonna have to start employing different tactics if there's things like that around.

[ How does he even tell his coworkers to check for lighters with legs? ]

[struckout]

[ Kallie looks surprised, to say the least, hands freezing halfway through being shoved into the pockets of her jacket. She was a little too busy with other thoughts to be remembering the faces of any emergency personnel, but she'd have to be an idiot not to understand the context here - something that doesn't really soothe her frayed nerves, to be honest. Obviously she's... pretty jumpy about all of this. ]

You were... one of the firemen?

voice;

[hollowleg]

Ah! Those lighter bugs! Those attacked us over at Eugene's house. Nearly burned the place down.

bathroom mirror :c

[struckout]

What...!

[ Immediately, Kallie straightens in interest and surprise. She'd pretty much given up the idea of anyone else having seen the same critters before, so this sudden conflicting report is definitely quick to claim her attention. ]

Seriously?

[video]

[allinvein]

["You light someone's fire," is what John might say if he were feeling especially suicidal, but as he isn't, he opts for a more socially appropriate frown instead.]

Hope everyone is okay? [Or mostly okay?] Where did you find that exactly... ?

[He'd make an offer for a place to stay, but seeing as that spot's been very recently taken...]

rorriM

[struckout]

[ Oh. John. Kallie just pauses a moment or two here, breathing out a sigh through her nose as she stares at him with a clinical gaze. She's still not very happy about this person-she-knows being another network 'user' thing. Obviously. ]

Everyone's fine. [ Finally seeming to break out of that brief spell, she lifts a hand to pass over her hair distractedly, slightly less stiff than she was before. ] But these things were pretty set on getting in.

[thru chat client] I hope you don't mind?

[hawaiianheir]

so wait
they're targeting us with drugged water and living lighters
is that what's going on?

instant mirror message

[struckout]

[ She peers at the words, squinting slightly, but at least by now the weirdness of her own choice of medium has worn off a bit. It's the question itself that makes her hesitate, rather than talking aloud to a reflective surface. ]

I guess?

voice;

[recollection]

[She's pretty sure she's seen her before, hanging around the health centers on campus. AKA areas that Thalassa herself doesn't hang around.]

Possessing inanimate objects is new. You got anywhere else to stay other than that hotel room?

pseudo-vid forever

[struckout]

Mm.

[ Not really a way to answer the 'new' comment; she's heard it numerous times already and it's nothing novel, after all. She lets her eyes focus downward, slight disdain creeping back into her expression as she watches the warped lighter scuttle in the sink. Fortunately though, her voice is more neutral. ]

I think so.

[depolarized]

What the hell are those? Any idea where they came from?

mirror

[struckout]

Lighter. With legs.

[ Exactly what it looks like, in other words; she hardly seems ready to dump a big long analysis of her findings or whatever, that's for sure. Too tired. ]