1st sunrise | video

[occasus]

[ Who has two thumbs and desperately wants to be anywhere else but in the public library freaking out over numbers? This guy. Badly.

The screen flickers to life and Kei pulls slender shoulders into a half-assed shrug, glancing briefly over his shoulder, cautious. Checking for the librarian, no doubt. ]

Nnn--I'm guessing I accidentally hacked into some kind of network... [ He trails off, gaze flickering down for a moment. ] Not my intention.

[ Not really sure what the intention was in the first place. Still, when his eyes snap back up, his brows lift. He doesn't bother to say anything else, not at first, though he does lean back. ]

What do the numbers mean?

Comments

text

[testsonseashells]

FAQ.

text also your username made me v sad

[occasus]

I'm not sure if I should thank you or edge away from the screen.

Do you know Kotetsu? Seems to be one of the good police.

[ He'll roll with it for now. Write the numbers on a piece of paper whenever he's alone. ]

evil cackling

[testsonseashells]

Have talked occasionally. Helped us learn useful information; partially responsible for information on dogs and police modifications.

[occasus]

Looks like I ran into some luck. Thanks, Dr. Solus.

Can I ask something personal?

private

[testsonseashells]

Retain right not to answer, but certainly.

private

[occasus]

What was your first echo?

voice;

[ursoreckless]

[here, have a accented voice talk to you.]

The numbers don't mean anything except they're your access code to this network. I'd suggest that you write them down on a piece of paper if you really wanna have your mind blown.

Also, no one without a number can see this network, but I'd be careful all the same.

voice;

[occasus]

[ Blink. This is a little weird, but...Hey. At least he has a way to talk to people. If he wants to, at least. But this?

He takes a moment, only brief, and switches to audio as well. ]

Someone sent me a FAQ. Not sure how much I'm ready to believe just yet. [ There's a tapping sound as Kei smacks the cigarette pack against the heel of his hand. At the moment, he's not too concerned about rules. ]

How long have you been 'awake?'

voice;

[ursoreckless]

[that voice... shou hadn't been paying attention to the video; it has been grown common to have people questioning the numbers that he just automatically responded. but now...

he knew that voice but from where?]

I've been hooked in since May. There are a few others that been here longer, but from what I've seen? It's real.

voice;

[occasus]

[ 'Hooked in.' He has to try not to chuckle at that, and he glances over at the librarian. They're not looking, an it's not like he's lighting it just yet, so he's going to go ahead and stick the cigarette between his lips as he talks. ]

A little too much like that movie--the Matrix. 'Your whole life is a lie, this is what actually happened.' [ ...Something like that. Even though Shou can't see it, Keisuke shrugs. ]

And you guys just deal with it? No one cracking up?

Re: voice;

[ursoreckless]

We've got a few that enjoy trolling the group...

[ okay so call him reckless but shou just has to know. ]

...you wouldn't happen to go by the name Kei, would you?

text;

[reapsthewind]

Don't panic, nobody else can see this. I know that sounds completely insane, but it's probably the least insane thing.

Go read the first commenter's linked FAQ page, that'll clear stuff up.

If you still need proof that you just fell down a rabbit hole, write the numbers down on a piece of paper.

text;

[occasus]

Not sure I want to.

How many people are on the network?

text;

[reapsthewind]

Shit, good question. At least a hundred, I think.

text;

[occasus]

Something this big isn't going to last forever.

voice

[youngestone]

Basically what everyone else said. Congratulations, welcome to the Network.

voice;

[occasus]

Wish I felt better about it.

[ Small beat. ] Your pulse--echo--thing. Was it violent?

voice;

[youngestone]

Not my first but one of them was, yeah, and others point to violence being normal.

voice;

[occasus]

Can I ask..? [ He's not sure he actually wants to finish that sentence, so he'll let himself trail off. What was yours? ]

voice;

[youngestone]

Ask what?

[siesinddasessen]

The numbers mean that you'll from now on talk to animals, probably grow a second head and get your personality and memory altered by magic.

It's fun.

[occasus]

...There was nothing in the FAQ about that.

[ WAT ]

[siesinddasessen]

We currently have at least a bird, two horses, a cat, a ferret, and who knows what other animals who speak through the network.

And people might just feel like the last bits are too much for newcomers. Nobody wants people to panic. [Which is totally why she puts it like this. Yup.]

[occasus]

Did you? Panic, I mean.

[siesinddasessen]

It's a think that happens naturally at one point when you are numbered, I can assure you.

[Not really answering, no.]