[Video]

[not_good_not_wicked]

So it's official, past me was such a slob she's started dumping her crap in MY room now. I seriously gotta start learning Japanese if I want to make sense of all this.

[She angles the camera to her bed, which has a pile of notebooks with book marks sticking out of them. Flipping one open reveals pages and pages of scribbled Japanese and cryptic, arcane diagrams. Even those of you who can read Japanese will have trouble reading because even if you can read Marisa's handwriting, you probably would have trouble making sense of high level magical theory.]

It's definitely my hand writing, but other than that I can't make heads or tails of it.

That's not the weird part, though. Check it.

[The view spins around again to out the window, where clearly visible in the sky is the strange pink light. You may recall that the LAST time this happened, Marisa was not yet part of the network and lived in Texas.]

You're all seeing that, right? It can't be easy to miss. What the heck IS it?

[Closed] I never said that I want this. This burden came to me and it's made its home inside.

[dominateartimus]

Who: John Mitchell & Xander Jarle
Where: Xander's apartment
When: September 21st, evening - night
What: Xander gained a new ability, but is having difficulty controlling it and calls John for help.

( If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous, would you be scared? I get the feeling just because, everything I touch isn't dark enough... )

03 » video

[shouldertheburden]

[It's morning, but the room is completely dark except for the light coming from Kaworu's phone. In fact, it seems like he's hiding under a blanket and it's not even apparent he's in his bedroom. Kaworu is holding the phone close to his face, and his bright red eyes jump out in contrast to his pale hair in skin.

His tone is a panicked whisper.]

Those lights last night -- I'm assuming you all noticed them? This happened when I looked at them, I...I don't know if this is an echo or some kind of terrible bursting of blood vessels in my eyes...the lights were bright, so...

My father is a doctor, should I tell him about the lights, or wait and act like I don't know how this happened? If this is an echo I don't know how to hide it. I'm...worried. I try to make myself inconspicuous in everyday life. Please help me, I don't know what to do.

[Since he needs to keep quiet, Kaworu's replies will all be text.]

[video]

[darkhourdear]

[It's not often Phillip makes a video post, but today he's super excited and his dad's off doing something so he can use the computer and webcam without him noticing.]

Hi everybody! I saw those lights again last night, and guess what! I fell down on the playground a few days ago playing kickball and my knees got really scratched up and stuff. But look!

[He moves so his knees are visible in the camera, which are now completely clean and not hurt at all.] They're all healed! It usually takes way longer. D'you think I got like super faster healing powers or something? [HE'S SO EXCITED YAY POWERS!!!]

[ooc: For the record he's actually had this for a while and he just hasn't noticed. XD This is not his most recent Echo.]

Seven Jewels: Blue Diamonds [Video | Water Trough]

[destinedforrock]

[When Cinderella establishes connection this morning, she's turned partly sideways to the trough, and a couple of adult human voices are conversing - not casually - in the background.

She flicks her head in a meaningful direction - along her side, anyway. At the same time she's shifting on her hooves; if she's gesturing at herself it's difficult to discern anything. Tilts her head just a bit back at the trough, eyes looking into the frame, with an anxious flick of the ears and an equally anxious grinning expression best conveyed in words as "/baa-aa-aa".

"I'll talk to the neighbors," a woman says. "What are you going to have Linda and Michael do with you first, though, pick up the pieces of the rock, or get that off?"

"I think we'll move the pieces first," says a man. "We'll give Cindy a bath later. I'm just glad she doesn't seem too badly spooked, whatever happened."

They carry on. Cinderella shimmies a couple steps closer to the trough, starts leaning just as much to her side as she can, gives another all-the-more-pointed look alongside her - more clearly indicating her flank.

Still not clear, especially on the still-rippling connection surface, but there are three little blue shapes showing up on the white of her fur.

She nods her head back close to and into that feed with the anxious grin refreshed - her eyes are moving back as she half-consciously re-indicates her flank, gives the direction another nod, and then - her ears switch up and she swings away to go about acting natural for Mr. and Mrs. Bell. Any further word from her will come once they're out of the picture!]

[video] slightly backdated

[selfsame]

[ The video starts with a view of the ceiling in a dark room. There is muffled rap music in the distance until SUDDENLY it bursts forth and it is no longer muffled in the distance. It is loud and everything is terrible AND THEN! The lights switch on. The camera is slowly pointed at one tiny guy in what is a pigsty of a room. There are cans of Red Bull everywhere and then a thousand million individual beef jerky wrappers piled up beside each can.

The music gets louder and Excalibur is totally grinning shit-wide. He reaches out of the camera's sight and pulls out red shutter shades. He puts them on, leans back in his computer chair, and starts talking really loudly. ]

Hey. Hey. So this numbers shit. Poisoned tap water. Dicking around in the mines. Monsters. Weird lights I totally did not fucking see. Whatever.

Fuck the government. I always knew. That the government was up to basic business. Police? More like pigs. You know what. I think we need a little more of?? Shit stirring. Let's just. Fuck shit up. Vandalize Thunder Corp. Write cryptic messages on bus stops. Beat the shit out of journalists. You feel me?? Cause I do. It's time. To get a little crazy.

So. I decided to start a gang. We're gonna be called the "Badass Bikers" because we're going to be sooooo. Fucking. Badass. And we'll ride bikes. If you want in on this choice gang. Just tell me here. No geezers. No girls. Just a bunch of bros and their motorcycles. I'm the leader.

[ He pauses and then starts to talk again when there is suddenly a bang on his door and it flies open. He totally scrambles to his feet in a hurry. Another person's voice can be heard: ]

Bro. What the... what do you think you're doing at three in the morning. You woke me up with all this bloody racket! You're blessed that Father isn't in tonight-- turn it off and go to sleep! You can't be truant on Monday! Your sleep schedule...

[ Excalibur throws his sunglasses to the ground and stomps on them angrily. ]

Can't you fucking see. That I am broadcasting. A very important message?? I am so fucking busy. Too busy for school. Fuck school. That shit stinks worse than you.

Oh, for crying out loud... Can they see me?

[ No, no one can see Calliope. Not yet. So Excalibur grabs the camera and points at her in all her pajama'd glory. She shrieks and runs down the hall and Excalibur chases after until the cord gets pulled from the computer and that's the note they end on.

Excalibur you are an embarrassment. ]

03 ♥ video

[synchronous]

[ DJ never thought he'd actually be making a video post on this stupid secret network, but here he is. Doing exactly that.

He's not stupid, of course. He's still not going to show his face. He's standing, webcam at about chest level, and in his hands he's holding an awful ventriloquist's puppet. He tries to keep his voice level, but it contains a note of enthusiasm, and it should be familiar to anyone who shares a class with him at Locke High. ]

Look at this guy. He just showed up out of nowhere, fuck. Can you believe it? Isn't he great?

Trying to figure out what I should call him. Any ideas?

[ He shoves the puppet up closer to the webcam. Look at that face. Aw yeah. ]

track four, video; stupid o'clock at night

[hopediesalone]

[Been a while since he's done a post on the network! His shades are off, so those creepy red-and-black robot eyes are on display for all to see. He waves with a quick flick of his clearly now-ball-jointed wrist, laying his hand down back by his side.

He gestures to the window, where the pink light is clearly visible--before bringing a bottle of Kraken into frame, pouring a glass--showing that his elbow joint is just as artificial.]

Christ. Just gets worse, doesn't it?

[his cat jumps up into the frame, and Raul holds her back, scritching behind her ears and murmuring.]

Welcome to all the newbies, by the way. Got something from the light--

[and he bends down slightly, retrieving a record in a paper sheath.]

It's mostly blank, smooth - I'd guess there's not much on it. Label's handwritten, see?

[and he holds it up. Cheap, yellowed label says "HOPE RIDES ALONE" on it.]

I figure wherever it came from, it was some serious bootleg or DIY shit. Haven't listened to it yet, thought it'd be best to do it here. Could be something cool, right?

[Aaand Raul moves over in his apartment, dropping the disc onto a turntable.

The music begins. before long, a voice kicks in.

The song takes a while to run its course and tell its story, and then, finally, silence. Instead of commenting on it, Raul practically hyperventilates - not good. He's clearly been bothered as it went on, but he needed to see it through. GUESS WHO JUST GOT AN ECHO, NUMBERS CLUB. Not a fun one, either. And he's moving...pretty sluggishly now. More than that, he almost fell when he tried to scramble to shut off the video.]

Shit--what the fuck?! No, no no no, they just--

[and he finally manages to shut the video off. it'll be a while before he replies.]

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

Round two.

Those were the same lights as back in April, weren't they? When the numbers started working. Makes me wonder what just activated this time.

So, did everybody feel something too? Flash back or pulse or whatever the hell we're calling them.


And how many of us are left who were there for the first one?


[[And a private text to Anthony]]

Anything happen?

[tolodh | text]

[elfstoned]

I had an idea yesterday for a code the numbers club could use to indicate that a place was safe, or a person could help them.

Hear me out. For places, it would work like chalk signs -- small, innocuous symbols that would mean a house would offer shelter, or protection, or medical help. And for people...well, I'm not sure whether a spoken phrase or a visual sign would be best. Perhaps even a card or badge, or badges that varied from person to person for security's sake, but all containing a common theme or element that someone from the network would recognize. If we did decide to go that route, I was thinking that element might be a thorn, borrowing from our enemy's garden metaphor, but I'm still not entirely convinced that carrying something that will identify us as affiliated with the network is a good idea.

It will be dangerous, if the secret gets out to the police or ThunderCorp. We can't be sure that everyone on the network can be trusted. But for those of us who have already put our names and faces on the network, well, it wouldn't put us in any additional danger.

What do the rest of you think? Who else would be willing to do this?

Action

[soulsborderline]

Who: Asuka Langley Soryu, Shinji Ikari, Rei Ikari, normal people would call the cops
Where: Shinji and Rei's house
When: September 22, dinnertime
What: Asuka got plot-related Echoes and is still the rudest person in the world.

( Suddenly there came a rapping )

Text - Action

[doomedtheworld]

Who: Vanessa and Anybody who replied here who is still interested.
Where: The homes of Juno Young and Steven Reagan.
When: In the late hours of September 22nd
What: Vanessa has discovered the addresses of the Thunder Corp. executives mentioned in Tamara's intercepted emails. She's going in.


I guess everybody saw those lights last night so there's no point in asking about that.

More importantly I found out where those executives from that email exchange live (thanks for the help, you know who you are) and I'm heading there tonight to see if they bring any of their work home with them. I dont know what there is to find but it's probably easier to get into their houses than it is to get into their offices. I could use a hand if anybody wants to help out even if it's just somebody who can keep an eye out for the cops. Bring a mask and gloves if you decide to come along.

Otherwise I'll let you all know how it went tomorrow.

Action

[goldenclothes]

Who: Reilanin Bainbridge and Ravindra Savarna
Where: A park. (THE park?)
When: September 21st, a little after nightfall.
What: Just two people goin' out, gettin' some fresh air and some new echoes.

( It wasn't every day you had something like the spirit of your past self slowly but surely repossessing your body. )

four sick, disgusting thoughts | audio

[somesayinfire]

[through the open window of Brooke's apartment, any listeners might be able to hear the faint sounds of Sunday night traffic. there's the additional sound of plastic against wood and the selfsame window sliding closed, then some fumbling noises as she gets her phone back into position.]

Sorry I've been off the grid lately, numbers club. No sense in hiding it anymore, I guess. I can't move my arm, and it's because of an echo. That means I can barely work and I definitely can't drive. I guess if nothing else, it's giving me killer legs. [she puts on a weak smile, and that might translate through to her voice, but it's gone as soon as it showed up.]

If anyone was planning on getting any mortuary benefits from me, that's kind of... off the table. At least for right now. I hear prosthetic technology is pretty good, if it comes to that. That's not why I'm finally getting back in touch, though.

I was downtown today and I could swear this ringing in my ears was getting worse the longer I was down there. And I haven't had tinnitus at all—I mean, okay, everyone has it, but mine hasn't ever been this bad. I got that favorite feeling of ours right before I started hearing it, so it could be because of some echo that I haven't figured out yet, but... I don't know.

Do you think one of you guys could head down there and corroborate this story? I'd go again myself, but I look really suspicious and I'm not exactly eager to draw the attention of any cops right now.

[closed] think of how the world must look

[argents]

WHO: Banagher Links (argents) & Regina Akamine (acequeen)
WHEN: Backdated to Saturday the 21st, evening
WHERE: The dojo
WHAT: He asked for some help to not be a creampuff, so training!

( when viewed from above )