02 | Video

[talktothedoll]

[Mort has not had a very pleasant time of things with the water being like it is. He's a psychiatrist. He is not supposed to be showing outward signs of being obviously off his rocker. Uncontrollable laughter does not help.

But what's almost worse for him beyond the laughter and the traumatic memory flashbacks is that the water seems to be drawing previous items he's regained back to him like a magnet. This goes for the creepy doll he got back for his very first item and promptly locked in a desk drawer. It's been appearing anywhere and everywhere he's come into contact with the water, much to his creeped out dismay. What's worse, now it seems to be coming with accessories, a bed and a set of devil hoodie pajamas. He's locked everything away in a drawer...so he thinks. He's making this transmission after accidentally drinking some infected tea, and the doll, dressed in the little suit he first found it in, is sitting on a shelf behind him. He has no idea it's there, and he looks a little worn out as he opens the video feed using the little grasshopper robot that appeared in his bag after the mine incident.]

I hope that whoever or whatever is infecting the water decides to stop very soon. I wasn't thinking earlier and got myself some tea...it's only just worn off.

Ah, well, to get to the point, I've had enough episodes with the water here at the office to the point I had to tell my assistant I've been experimenting with laughter-based therapy. If you're out and about in the area when you've been exposed, I can offer you a place to ride it out without it being too suspicious.

The same goes if your family or friends think there's something wrong with you after one of these incidents--if they want you to seek professional help, I'm a professional and I'm aware of the situation. I can help you with their concerns.

[He leans forward a little and looks into the grasshopper robot's camera.]

And I do have a question...has anyone had issues with the water making items appear in addition to the fits of laughter? I've been locking something in my desk drawer, and it keeps appearing wherever I am when I've been exposed to the water. It's starting to feel as though it's following me. Silly, I know, but when one locks something away, one doesn't expect to turn around and see it sitting there.

[Mort doesn't seem to realize that's the case now, and ignorance is bliss, right? At least it's not surprising him in the shower again.]

Comments

[Audio]

[shiromadoushi]

[[Just this song That's all.]]

[Audio]

[talktothedoll]

[There's a long-suffering sigh followed by the sounds of a doll getting locked in a desk for the umpteenth time.]

I take it you're more yourself today, then.

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

No, I'm still in a shitty mood, no thanks for asking.

[[No flipout? Tch! That should have been perfect!]]

[video]

[lackinginfaith]

*Kari draws out a purple pearl and holds it out to the camera.*

This appeared when I drank the water.

[video]

[talktothedoll]

[He leans forward to take a better look at it.]

Odd. Does it seem to have any special properties?

[video]

[lackinginfaith]

It's purple, but otherwise, I'm not sure. I've never heard of anybody else's items coming out of them, though.

[Text]

[formermagicalgirl]

More like a living creature.

[And she attaches a picture of a purple butterfly resting on one of her fingers. Said butterfly looks harmless like that, but it definitely isn't any known species of butterfly and larger than most are.]

[Text]

[talktothedoll]

At least it seems relatively pleasant, as far as randomly-appearing living creatures go.

[Text]

[formermagicalgirl]

That's the point. It is meant to look harmless, but it hides its natural defenses quite well. I would definitely not recommend that anyone else touch it.

text;

[shortspoken]

I got a ring. A ring that doesn't want to stay on my ring finger, as it keeps relocating to the index one whenever it gets the chance. Irritating even without its other properties.

I'd trade you for the doll, if we didn't both know that'd be an entirely futile exercise.

text;

[talktothedoll]

Jewelry is easier to hide, at the very least.

Unless the ring's other properties make that difficult?

text;

[shortspoken]

Haha, no. It's not a flashy glowing magic ring or anything so absurd. It's just a ring. Completely plain and ordinary, except that there's a tiny catch on it.
Flicking the catch causes a tiny thorn of metal to pop up. Like a small barb?
It seems supremely useless unless the wearer is a low-level masochist interested in cutting their own hands to ribbons.
(That said, I'd rather be slashed at by a ring than a creepy doll. I hope you're not keeping it near any sharp objects.)

[Video]

[destinedforrock]

My cat's suddenly fallen out of the air and landed on me twice, now; I wouldn't... [Her focus pans over to the doll. Holds there for a few beats, blinks.] ...strictly assume that it's following you because it has a choice.

[Another blink - she can see how it'd give a sense that it can "want" to be there. Unsettling thing...]

[Video]

[talktothedoll]

[Of course the talking horse has a cat, this is all perfectly normal...and at least the cat is not speaking, too. Mort is just...trying to keep his composure there, because yes, he will never get used to this.]

Oh, I'm not assuming that, but it's been...startling to have it show up in various places like that.

Does the cat seem confused when it suddenly appears like that?

[Video]

[destinedforrock]

[Yes, she expects that it would be startling.

Flicks her ear again and shifts to him and his question with her nostrils flaring.]

Hmh! If she's any less confused than I am then I hardly see her excuse for taking her landings out on me.

She's a bit - "hasty" about getting off.

text;

[cava]

I ended up with these.

[and he attaches a photo of a pair of goggles with a circuit design printed over one lens, sittting on his desk.]

Hardly useful, but not sinister either.

text;

[talktothedoll]

They don't do anything else, then? They're just relatively normal goggles?

text;

[cava]

Unless they've changed since I last looked through them? Certainly.

[text; handwritten]

[darkhourdear]

My mom just thought I read something really funny on the internet, so I was ok.

Did you get that doll thing from it?

[text]

[talktothedoll]

That's good to hear. Did you tell her what it was you supposedly read?

The doll showed up in my briefcase one day after visiting the art gallery. I cannot say I had been expecting to see it there.

[Really, he's glad he had been alone when he opened the briefcase up that day.]

[text]

[darkhourdear]

No. I'm not sure I could come up with anything that funny.

I don't know why you'd get a doll...

Video

[soulsborderline]

I got these hair barrettes the first time I got a pulse, but I haven't been drinking the water. Or opening my mouth in the shower.

What'd you get back?

Video

[talktothedoll]

The little robot I'm making this transmission with, for one thing.

[There's a sigh.]

And this.

[He's realized the doll's shown up nearby again, and he'll move it more to the forefront of the transmission. So creepy, with its soulless eyes and expression.]

[text]

[mezool]

... wow, that's creepy. can I get a better look at it? [ because it's somehow creepy... and familiar?? ]

and to answer your question, yeah, i got something! it's not anything like a teleporting demon doll though.

[Video]

[talktothedoll]

Of course.

[He'll keep the video transmission on so that he can hold the doll up closer to the grasshopper camera-robot he's using for the transmission. Not that he knows why anyone would want a closer look at it, because hey, it even creeps him out.]

Oh? What did you get, if you don't mind my asking?