o1. → voice ; action

[worldmother]

[A new voice pops up over the network, older than the usual fair, very obviously female. Also very obviously exasperated.]

The logical side of my brain keeps telling me that this is some kind of terrible practical joke. Weird flashes, numbers suddenly assaulting my brain, an entire catalog of information that reads more like a science fiction novel than real life.

If I hadn't already tried the 'paper trick', then I would think this whole thing was crazy. Honestly, I'm still not convinced, especially not after today. Everything is too coincidental, fits a bit too neatly together to not be planned.

[She sighs.]

I should probably stop being so vague. Suddenly, without so much as a warning, I'm part of a secret organization, assaulted with memories that I can already assume aren't mine, and what's more is that one of them involves a classmate of mine. One that I'm now in a group with. Along with one of my roommates--but she has nothing to do with this, I'm just generally frustrated that I can't get away from her at home or at school.

So, to recap: Bizarre memories, conspiracy theories, and no way to get away from the person I can only assume triggered this in the first place.

This whole thing is unnerving, and honestly I don't have time for it. I start applying for graduate school in less than a month, the last thing I need to do is play with conspiracy theorists.

[Someone's had a very, very bad day.]

[Not thirty seconds later, this appears on the network.]


[Action; around LCU campus]

[Elly will be wandering around campus, in a bit of a fog. These last few days have hit her hard--school things obviously, but more importantly the fact that she could not shake of the weird feeling that she got when she met Daniel in the woods. Or the idea that she, or other her, or past her, might have shot someone. If anyone has a class with her, she'll be a ghost of her usual vocal self, lost in thought.

At times, she'll also be seen either sitting at a bench, in the cafeteria, the library; really anywhere she can have a moment of peace. One earbud in her ear, she'll appear to be studying. However, the videos coming through her computer screen aren't medical videos; it's archival footage from the network. Her screen is relatively obscured, and she does appear to be keeping at least a somewhat close eye on her surroundings, but she's also taking quite extensive notes.]

Comments

[Voice]

[originaloddcouple]

What if you played with us instead of conspiracy theorists? That could be fun!

[Voice]

[worldmother]

I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't really have time to play with anyone.

[Voice]

[originaloddcouple]

Oh, okay. I'm kinda busy too, what with Thanksgiving and all.

Maybe when we both have free time?

[Voice]

[worldmother]

Already? Thanksgiving isn't for another week.

voice;

[envisaging]

Elly?

[ She. Didn't even get through the entire listening to that sorry, Elly. Sierra didn't even really intend to say anything, just...listen to whatever was new, and browse it, but.

Best-laid plans. ]

Wait, one of? [ Did Elly connect that vague text to her? She was trying so hard to be a ninja, too. ]

voice;

[worldmother]

[Okay, this was way too convenient. But she would be lying if she didn't say she was relieved.]

Sierra, is that really you?

[Talk about a sight for sore eyes. Or ears, in this case.]

voice;

[envisaging]

...Wait, you weren't talking about me?

[ Blew her cover for no good reason, DAMN. Although - somehow? Sierra hasn't noticed that Sara is on the network yet.

...She's. Really good at this super spy stuff, okay. ]

You were talking about Sara?

Do you mean we're all -

voice;

[worldmother]

No, but honestly, between you and Sara, I'm glad you're in on all of this.

[Pause.]

...Wait, is she? I just meant that she was in my group for Psych.

Voice;

[searchforpeace]

... Oh! Elly?

[She thought the voice sounded familiar, at least.]

shut up, i can read

Video;

[worldmother]

[Elly switches modes. It's definitely her, if one couldn't tell from the stark red hair--giant reading glasses might be a little different from her usual appearance, but don't take that much away.]

Audrey, is that you?

I was wondering about that xD

Video;

[searchforpeace]

That's right. [A beat, then:] I guess you never know where numbered people will show up... your first memory wasn't too bad, was it?

my brain read 'voice', then my fingers translated it into some weird hybrid. i have no excuses.

Video;

[worldmother]

[Wince.]

Well...

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

You do have the choice of ignoring the number and hoping the people hunting us just ignore you. But somehow? That doesn't seem likely.

[worldmother]

Not when I keep half-writing it on my notes, no.

[She's been trying to get away from it for a few days now, honestly.]

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

Yeah, it's easier to control once you're more used to using it intentionally.

Odd how that works huh?

[worldmother]

Not really, it's simple logic. When you address something, it becomes less pressing and no longer takes up as much of one's thoughts as it did when it went unanswered.

[Someone actually paid attention in the class she was complaining about?]

in person;

[dancingonapin]

[Francis had noticed that Elly, usually more talkative in class, had been relatively quiet and incredibly distracted by something or other today. While it was obvious enough to bother him, he'd tried not to concern himself too much. He isn't exactly the kind of professor who tries getting into his students' business, or really much of anyone's business. Still, when he sees her on campus later in the cafeteria while getting some lunch in between his classes, he can't help but notice her intense focus on her laptop.

It's only a glance, but he swears that the bits he catches her looking- the videos and the threads of text, and even the layout of the place she was browsing- at are very oddly familiar.

Quickly tucking the bag with his lunch under his arm, Francis pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and punches in his own personal number to access the network. Sure enough... He even notices that she'd made a post there rather recently as well.

Pocketing his phone and letting out a worried breath, he moves perhaps a little bit too quickly over to her side, trying to beam her a nonchalant smile.]

Excuse me, Ms. O'Connell, is it alright if we discuss something? It's rather urgent.

in person;

[worldmother]

[It seemed that the deeper she fell down this rabbit hole, the more immense--and, in many ways, more terrifying--it became. The Dead District bombing, the Sage incident, those strange, pink lights in the sky. On one hand, she wanted to close everything and look away, never to think of this again; on the other, she was hooked, fascinated and left wanting to know more.

Feeling a presence lurking over her shoulder, she quickly closed her browser with a simple keystroke, tabbing over to school work. When she noticed it was a professor, she went on even higher alert, although that much might be hard for Professor Fell to notice.]

Hello, Dr. Fell.

[She looked a little confused, her stomach dropping slightly. He couldn't have seen. She had done enough reading; outsiders wouldn't have been able to tell exactly what the Numbers were doing while posting or info diving. Still, something seemed a bit off.]

Is something wrong?

in person;

[dancingonapin]

[He did notice that she went and quickly hid what she had been doing, but he didn't exactly find her very alarmed. Still, he could imagine that he probably seemed a little intimidating. This network stuff was dangerous... very dangerous.

Cautiously, Francis took a glance around to make sure there wasn't anyone too nearby.]

Oh, nothing wrong, not really... But it is rather important. May I have a seat?

( action )

[argents]

[ To say it's been a rough few weeks is probably something of an understatement. When he'd been allowed to return to classes after the bombings in the Dead District, little actually returned to normal. Every corner, every hall, every innocuous place imaginable that had once seemed impenetrable was now subject to very ominous police presence. Without knowing the truth of the matter, many of the students went about their daily lives without paying much attention.

It made them feel safer, the administration said. Gave them 'peace of mind.'

Banagher, when looking at them and the few that patrol the campus with their dogs, feels anything but. So he goes out of his way to avoid them, mind alight with something very wrong about the whole situation. Mind alight, but voice silent. Luckily, it's about midday and the grounds are sparse of both students and police when he finds himself on the way to one of LCU's spacious courtyards, a pile of books and some schoolwork in hand. Maybe he'd just take it home for the day — there was no use in loitering around and getting nothing done like this. Descending the concrete steps, he glances off towards the sunken part of area, at one of the occupied benches.

Maybe it's because his nerves aren't at their best, or he's just caught unaware, but the redhead sitting there just about makes his heart hammer right out of his ribcage. He recognizes her. ...Doesn't he? And, like a champion, completely tangled in this thought that spans two worlds, he loses his grip on his books in his surprise, sending them clattering down against the concrete in a flurry of paper. ]

Miss Mari—

[ He's said the name that comes to mind before he's had time to think about it. No, he thinks about it right around halfway through, and by then, it's a little too late to protect whatever dignity he had left. ]

( action )

[worldmother]

[Having already gone through a bulk of the videos over the network, this made archive-diving a bit easier, for the time being. The biggest issue she ran into was information, or a severe lack thereof. It was understandable, the Numbered wishing to be secretive about their personal lives--she herself felt much the same--but it made things difficult to sort through. It was hard to tell what was credible information and what wasn't.

From what she had gathered, the powers that they received had nearly no correlation with one another, with very few people knowing each other in the past, either in this life time or others. That made the case of her and Daniel all the more odd. She was hoping she would be able to find a reason why she felt as if she knew the man, an instance where, maybe, someone had gone through the same thing. Where two people felt so intrinsically linked that it was more fate than circumstance that brought them together.

Nothing. Not a damn thing. It was infuriating.

Sighing hard, she started closing tabs, ready to pack up for her next class, she heard the cascade of books crash to the ground, and looked up suddenly.

He called out some name, stopping too quickly for her to hear the whole thing. She could tell from the look on his face that he immediately realized that he was mistaken; sort of a knee-jerk reaction. Closing her laptop, she stood up.]

Sorry, no. Wrong person. Here, let me help you with that.

[And she bent down to help him pick up books and papers. Normally she would be in a bad mood, but, admittedly, she was a bit thankful for the change of pace. It was just what she needed to get her head off of Numbered business.]

You really should be more careful, though. Those stairs are an ice rink this time of year. They don't think to salt them this early.

[argents]

[ In truth, he'd about expected her to look at him strangely and be on her merry way. And he wouldn't have blamed her. It was his sudden screw-up that had his schoolwork plastered all over the ground, no matter how kneejerk the reaction had been. There was absolutely nothing saying that who he knew in another lifetime would look the same in this one, and he silently (unkindly) reminds himself of that.

Still, it's that lack of certainty that makes her appearance so striking. Banagher kneels to collect his belongings too, stealing a glance at her. Despite knowing he got it wrong, it's still startling. ]

Oh, I didn't know. [ An off-handed remark while he wills his insides to calm, even if it's genuine. ] I didn't think to come over this way until today. It seemed quiet, compared to the rest of campus right now.

[ Also not a lie. Shuffling his papers back into order, he shuts them in a book. ]

...Thanks.

late action buuuut before the above threadjack

[struckout]

[ Kallie is right off work and looking for just a place to catch a quick moment of peace herself when she wanders into this particular common area. She's on edge, typically avoiding being in one place for long ever since the police presence increased, but her building headache promises consequences if she doesn't settle somewhere quieter than the noisy cafeteria area from where she'd just claimed a sandwich from...

Problem is, most of the chairs are taken, taken by strangers... though oh, and there's someone she (kind of) knows?

She crosses her feet at the ankle as she half leans and half sits on the armrest of an empty chair nearby Elly, glancing aside at her with a cautious gaze. At best, she intends to drop a quick greeting and that's all, knowing very well how annoying it can be to be bothered when you're busy-- if the other girl looks up, that is. ]

[worldmother]

[Elly doesn't look up per se, but there's something about her body language that comes off as guarded at best. One earbud in her ear, she does seem to be paying attention to her screen, but at the same time, it's almost as if she's keeping tabs on the area around her. For someone who usually comes off as somewhat welcoming, this is unusual behavior for the redhead.]

[struckout]

[ Yeah... that's kind of weird. Even Kallie senses something's off, which of course, then leads to her waffling on what to do. For half a minute or so, she just sort of regards her a bit more, idly picking at her sandwich's cellophane wrapper, her bag sliding off her shoulder and into the seat. ]

... You alright?

[ Low-voiced, she hits a weird balance of tone, weirdly neutral. ]