[Voice]

[espigeonage]

[Julien's voice is a little heavy.] So, heads up, the Reverend Emmanuel Hall has gone off-Network. Forgotten everything. I think it happened a couple days ago, I saw him on Christmas and he seemed - as usual. I know we've had people using the church for meetings and stuff. I talked to him and it sounds like that could still be done, just that needs an excuse, maybe someone watching to make sure he doesn't walk in on anything he shouldn't see. I don't think he would, but hey, caution.

Also I know he'd go on grocery runs for people and was maintaining the latest version of our FAQ. We should figure that out too - I could help with groceries, but my schedule's a little tight and I'm not sure how long I'll be able to do that kind of thing.

Emmanuel'd gone and set this thing up so if this happened he'd mail people letters about what to do about him, that kind of thing. It's a good idea - if someone here depends on you, consider it, okay?

Man. Now that I think about it - there's a lot of people who were Networked, once, and they're still around. Care to remember any with me, Numbers Club?

Comments

[voice]

[ladyofluminosity]

I'm not sure how much I would be able to help, but I could probably do some updates to the FAQ, when I'm able. I'd prefer to have someone help me out, though. I don't know if I would be able to do it on my own.

That is a really good idea, especially since you never know when you'll suddenly... yeah. It's not something I want to think about myself, but maybe I should consider it.

Re: [voice]

[espigeonage]

Hey, Luci.

I think updates could work. When he took over from the last guy he decided to try writing it from scratch, but that's a lot of work, haha.

Right. I saw his system once - he just had some letters all stamped and addressed, and I guess he went and mailed them. Of course he's not really the sort to really wonder why he had envelopes for those people, so maybe that wouldn't work for everyone.

[voice]

[ladyofluminosity]

I wasn't planning on starting again from scratch, and it might be easier to make it more of a communal thing, so people can add to it as they notice or find things out.

Huh, that's how he did it. I wondered, since he wouldn't have remembered to do so otherwise.

[espigeonage]

Yeah. Maybe not something just anyone can edit, though, that'd probably get trolled.

That's probably the simplest way to go. If you're networked you know why you're holding on to those letters, if you're not it's like yep, take them to the mailbox. Other ways... I guess if you're always wearing some pulse-clothing or you keep pulse things at your workplace, like Strider, that's a clue.

[ladyofluminosity]

That's a good point. Hmm.

But would those items mean anything if you don't remember anymore? What would be the point in keeping them around?

[espigeonage]

When you go off-network, any of your pulse items just vanish. So you'd have people who knew to look for things that are missing.

[dragon_blossom]

A church seems like a heck of a place to meet up. What does this even mean for religion anyways?

[espigeonage]

Heh, it's a little odd, I know! But it's a nice open space, the building's easy to find and get to, and it's difficult for someone to sneak in or spy.

As for what it means, I really can't say. Emmanuel worried about this, I think. Is there an intelligence behind what pulses we get and when? If there is, personally I doubt it's a benevolent God.

Hello, by the way! I'm Julien, have we spoken before?

[dragon_blossom]

It sure doesn't sound like God at all, but it's a little too... not-totally-evil for Satan too? But if there are aliens who knows what else is out there...

[ She sounds displeased. ]

Probably not. I'm Marina.

[espigeonage]

Mm. Not to mention some of the weird things from pulse-visions and changes and all. We just don't know enough about any of this. Maybe it's a fantasy slash scifi kitchen sink and everything's possible now. [he fakes a laugh. Julien can't laugh naturally anymore, he always has to fake it.]

Hello, Marina! Sorry you have to be involved in all this nonsense.

[dragon_blossom]

At this rate 'Jedi' is going to turn out to be a legit census response. [ ...maybe she'll convert. ]

Sorry doesn't really help, but thanks. I'm just trying to keep myself alive and in one piece, and I'm doing a good job so far.

voice

[ex_elude798]

Heard of people forgetting while still here, can't recall names.

[And, after a pause]

Self-defense lessons need to be moved someplace else. Doubt it'd fly at the church now.

[espigeonage]

That's a shame. We've had some good people go off-network before.

Yeah... Those kinds of things tend to be kind of on the loud side, right? And as for being honest, it's the kind of thing where I think a host would want to poke around and find the teacher's credentials. No one wants to hear someone got hurt in a class in their space.

Any ideas for somewhere else?

[ex_elude798]

Mamoru organized it, so final say'd go to him, but...

The dojo in Japantown would be viable. There's space at my place too, if it came to that.

[espigeonage]

Mmm, probably.

Would there be any watchers at the dojo? I don't go to that stuff, I don't... fight, but if people're using weird powers...

[ex_elude798]

Well it's public use. Hadn't thought about that, but if anybody did something by accident, that'd be a problem.

[ text ]

[goldenclothes]

Ah... I haven't much to help with concerning the FAQ, but I could help run groceries. Not too many at a time, of course, but I could take multiple trips, if it were necessary.

[espigeonage]

Hey, thanks!

lol no one's come up saying they need this yet, but if it comes up, I'll remember you offered! Good of you.

[goldenclothes]

Just let me know if there's anything you can't handle and I can pick it up. I find myself needing to get out of the apartment more often anyway.

[espigeonage]

Good good. lol it's easy to end up shut in a little in the winter, huh? Sometimes I miss warmer places.

audio

[struckout]

I was going to say something like this too.

[ It's quiet and half-mumbled, almost to herself rather than anything meant to be a reply; yeah, she got a letter too, but mostly staring at it with a sense of mild despair rather than doing anything productive like informing the network immediately.

She speaks up a moment afterward though, a bit bracingly. ]

I could talk to him too, if anyone wanted to use the church for anything. [ A beat. ] As long as it's not suspicious.

[espigeonage]

Well... guess I beat you to the punch. [He'd sent a message on the network and then gone to see his friend, hoping it had been sent accidentally. They weren't that lucky.]

Thanks. Yeah, we don't want to get him in trouble like this. I wonder... I hope going off-network means those dogs won't be interested if they cross paths somehow.

[struckout]

Hm.

[ She hasn't dared to go and actually try and talk to him in person yet herself. Actually, this is the first time someone's gone normy on her when they were already someone she was pretty familiar with... when she's kind of opened her heart about her feelings on the whole matter with them before it happened. She's not sure how she feels at the moment. ]

... Yeah, me too. I don't know how you'd even test for that, though.

[espigeonage]

[Julien has friends slip away all the time, and isn't as upset as when he temporarily lost Strider. But he's not happy.]

Steal one of his shirts before he can wash it? But we don't know if it's like normal body smells that they go after, or what.

[He considers a moment.] Well, there's a lot of off-networks wandering around. I try to keep in contact with some of them, like normal stuff. They don't know to avoid the dogs and I don't think they're disappearing. I lose contact here and there but it looks like pretty normal this-city's-gone-downhill kinds of things, where they're moving. Still.

[struckout]

... Still.

[ After all that, yes, that's all she has to add herself. The frown she's got on is pretty obvious though, and she goes quiet in a distinctly thoughtful way, digesting this conundrum.

She just... has so little to go off of when it comes to this sort of thing-- which is mostly good in her eyes, considering she's been trying to keep out of trouble as much as possible, of course... but. Still. ]