[Text, Friday afternoon]

[professorwolf]

[Lyall's been meaning to get on the network again for a while, and now that he's finally got a few things to say, it takes him a minute to actually get started. He does finally, though, after a couple false tries.]

Lyall here. I've been in the gallery, and I think a lot of the rest of us have, too. I've even been by that forum, though I didn't post anything. I find it a little disconcerting that whoever was replying kept referring to people as "humans", as if he or she was not one. Given what we've seen thus far, I do not think that is impossible.

Also, I know at least one other person has heard howling sometime at night. I heard it, too, Wednesday night. It wasn't those mutant dogs, the smell was entirely different, and no one else around me seemed to have heard it or even noticed something was wrong.

[He isn't sure whether or not to mention the dream, but he does say:]

I keep thinking it's something connected to all this. That howl, and the feeling of being watched a few others have mentioned, and that wolf statue, with all these visions and changes we're all going through.

Has anyone else heard it or felt anything strange?

[Private text to students, pre-students, and former students:]

I know a certain one of my students has been joking about a club. I was thinking of making it official, if you really wanted to have an after-school club of some sort for those of us on this network. All age ranges, so long as you're still in school of some sort?

Comments

Text

[icy_heavens]

Wouldn't surprise me if it's all connected. I haven't had anything else weirder than usual go on for a bit, though.

[Student Filter]

Might not be such a bad idea.

[Text, all on private now]

[professorwolf]

The thread of it all does seem pretty firm, doesn't it? Wolves and snakes and influencing our minds and abilities.

Do you have any days that you couldn't show up at the high school after school? I think the local middle schools get out a little earlier, not not earlier enough to make it a problem.

text, scribbled in the margins of her day planner

[solfage]

Oh, I think I heard something like that the other night. It was right as I was drifting off, so the next morning I thought maybe it was my imagination.

[Text, on his computer like always...]

[professorwolf]

It might not have been. Did you have any strange dreams or any feelings like you might have been being watched or followed?

text;

[reapsthewind]

I heard it too. I'm thinking -- that third statue, the one with the murdered wolf, that was a message for us.

I'm wondering if that wolf was more than just symbolism.

As for referring to us as... as humans, I'm not actually sure they're even right about that.

[Text => Private Text]

[professorwolf]

It obviously had to allude to something. Either the wolf was us, or the wolf was those mutant dogs, or the wolf is whatever we're all hearing and sensing.

[It feels dumb to use the word "sensing" in this, but he doesn't have any other word to use except "feeling" which is even worse. He cocks his head at her last sentence, though, and then goes private by typing in her number before:]

What do you mean, not being right about being human? Did you get another vision?

[Because he can relate. Wolf visions, and all.]

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

Tuesday. After the gallery. Like one of those things had enough soul to turn into a ghost.


[[And in reply to the other text:]]

Going to bring snacks? ;)

[Text, all private now]

[professorwolf]

Exactly. Like there's a ghost. That didn't even occur to me. So did the maker of that statue, or whoever is behind him, kill a wolf? A wolf who was important and wanted to save the world?

[He doesn't know, he's just guessing, and he stops himself from typing further guesses.]

Yes, I will bring snacks :P Do you have any days where you couldn't come?

Private Text

[reckless_fire]

[Kenji hasn't seen or heard anything--yet, so he just replies to the Private text.]

I'd have thought you got enough of us during the school day.

[Reply in kind]

[professorwolf]

I can never get enough of my students :P

[Blatantly untrue, but this is a special case.]

Are you interested, then?

text

[struckout]

Making it a regular thing makes it seem even fishier, Mr Lyall.

[ Short and to the point, yep. She's not sure what to make of the first part - she hasn't dared to even type in the forum's web address at all, and is wary but ultimately uncertain about what's going on with the weird hauntings - but she does have an opinion on the privated matter.

... One that is probably to nobody's surprise, really. ]

[Text]

[professorwolf]

An after-school club for a small group of students, interested in science, is entirely a reasonable thing, Lightning.

[God, it feels weird to call her that, when he knows who's on the other end of the computer screen.]

Inviting former students every now and then just shows them where they can go with their studies.

[Student filter]

[wordsgate]

lol, I'm a bit old for an after-school program Mr. Lyall! Although I HAVE been thinking it'd be a good thing to get together with other members of the Numbers club and network with them more, so that might not be a bad idea.

[professorwolf]

It's the one reason for meeting up that I can think of, making it part of an after-school group, that isn't suspicious in any way. Even including graduated students can be done with the excuse of showing my current and prospective students where they will be going next, if they opt for college.

[Text,Student Filter]

[chalicejoker]

Looks like I'm out. Graduated this past December.

[Text,Student Filter]

[professorwolf]

Oh dear, I'm sorry. I keep mistaking people's ages.

Planning on coming by your restaurant tomorrow, though.

[text, friday evening]

[amberhearted]

[ probably more like saturday at ass o'clock in the morning.

yo man so what the hell is this 'forum' business? he is not going through all the archives to find a url, and he was not curious enough about the statues to look under the wolf's paw. ]

Yeah man I'm having that creepy bullshit happening right now. [ he can't actually explain how fucking uncomfortable he feels because it's just so foreign and unexplainable AND HIS ROOMMATE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND. woe. ]

No howling though. I touched the statues in the gallery got that heartbeat bass effect. What forums you guys talking about?

[ and pointy teeth......... ]

[Text, about ten minutes later]

[professorwolf]

[So Lyall is still awake. It's a weekend, he's allowed, and he's always been a bit of a night owl.]

If you got close enough to the third statue, the one of the stabbed wolf, there was a message directly for us: stop interfering, and visit this website. The website is a forum called "Let's Negotiate". A bit childish-looking, really, or like it was designed by a robot instead of a person.

Can you smell anything, to go with the feeling watched?

[Texted]

[espigeonage]

Our dear negotiators, or the people behind them, do seem to be causing these extras somehow. Maybe accidentally, maybe not. Why, is a question I know you can't answer.

[Private]

It might be good, but I'm out of college for over a year, now.

[Text, all private now]

[professorwolf]

Oh dear, I keep mucking up how old everyone is. Sorry about that. I guess you aren't invited then :P

I seriously doubt that the people who want to potentially kill us are going to be engendering changes that might help us against them on purpose, so it has to be accidental. Or else, as someone else has suggested, there is another power directly opposed to these who has not revealed itself who uses their technology to bring in those extras.

[Text: Computer]

[spideyfanone]

Well, it'd be easy to explain to my parents and less creepy, so yeah, okay. I sit in on my dad's lectures on Friday nights but otherwise I'm good on time.

[He's not a joiner. But he does occasionally take a stab at a club that seems like it should be interesting if the people just don't suck for once, so they won't think it's that weird.]

[Text back]

[professorwolf]

Good, I'll be glad to see you. At the moment it's looking like Monday, if that works well still :) I'll let you know if it's starting this Monday or if I'll not be able to get the approvals done in time.

[Response to Private Text - Handwritten]

[scramasax]

If everyone agrees, I'd be glad to go. [He wishes he could remark on the question - but as he hasn't felt anything especially new and odd, in the context of everything, how helpful would a "No" be?

The idea of convening of those of them reasonably close at hand, though, is a relieving one.]

If it's being decided yet, when would it be?

[Text]

[professorwolf]

So far we have quite a few agreements :) And it looks like it's going to be Mondays, though I'm not sure I can get it set up in time for this Monday, so it will definitely be set up by next Monday.

Does that work for you, as well?

[handwritten]

[wastingtime]

You felt it too, Lyall?



This is Elian.

[Text, computer still]

[professorwolf]

Ah, hello Elian :)

Yes, I did. What symptoms did you get from it? From what I can tell, not everything feels, hears, or even smells everything involved here. It's like we're getting different bits and pieces, somehow.