Twenty-Fifth Message [Video | Sheet of Paper]

[scramasax]

[On comes a video feed to the same room that Anthony broadcasted from the past couple times.

There's a bit of silence, and a good amount of nothing otherwise. The first sound that does come in is some slow, dragging breath, entirely to stall. It picks up a measure of voice into:]

I, umm --

[He lops that off, and having used that as a begging-your-pardon, reaches a hand that looks the way one'd expect an undead hand to look up to the top edge of the frame, pulls it out of the way, and leans himself into it.

He doesn't look much worse than he has in the past, bar the two empty eye sockets - one with a small something red flashing and embedded in the back and the other one plain dark and empty.

Latter one blinks, and he husks out proper words again - a bit thick, yet not in a lower tone rather than on-edge high.]

I think -- we should, uhh... col - collect and - share - information on, uhm. Different types of -

[He knows what he means to say, but he doesn't have a script to go off of, blast it - can't remember what he pinned as the least-impolite word.

He settles for the obvious and indelicate one instead.]

...Umm -- "monsters". For the network.

At least, uh - one-one other person said that we should... To -- to contradict misconceptions, and, to -- give, uh -- give advice, to -- people who are turning...

If -- there are... going to be more of us, er -- perhaps it would be best to have something ready...

[Runs a little thin and tightens up just short of inflection like a question.]

I - I don't know -- if... we should... do it, er - if we should just talk uhh about -- things we've had, erm - experience being, or things that we've seen -- in our visions, but uh, what if - what if, erm.

We offer our own numbers, to -- "call", erm... about - about things we're able to talk about...?

[That part creaks off - that bit's kind of a rehashing of a thought he's had before, but honestly, another component's attached itself - it wouldn't only be worthwhile (assuming anything would be worthwhile) to offer support but to offer something to meet curiosity, would it? They're technically not strictly demanded to hide - might be worth something for mutants to practice serving as their own spokespeople.]

Comments

voice;

[hollowleg]

Hehehe. Like a monster manual, but for us monsters? "What to do if you're craving human flesh", "Dealing with your rot", and "Extra Appendages and you."

video;

[scramasax]

[Then again, reading about any of those subjects...]

...I-I-I don't know if it would be safe, uhmm - come to think of it. [It's a bad idea.]

What if, uhm -- getting -- information on things into one place would, uh -- [It's a bad idea.] -- cause -- people who are fine to start, uhm. Pulsing into monsters... [It's a bad idea, know your place, Anthony.]

Faster than they should -- I mean...?

Or, uhm -- or would -- otherwise! [Obviously it's not necessarily that anyone should pulse into a monster at all.]

video;

[hollowleg]

Man, you stutter.

[Shiro sighs, thinking and twitching his tail curiously]

You mean, putting it all out there might make 'em pulse things back? Well hell. It'd probably happen eventually. I'd rather get it all over with so I can move on with my life, you know? Some others might not feel the same, but that would make it an option. If someone's destined to be a monster, they're gonna be a monster. Might as well get the show on the road.

[Audio]

[dyingtohealyou]

If anyone from the same world as other me started turning into a monster, I don't think there's any saving them.

[Video]

[scramasax]

[Pause.

Abrupt:] What --

Uhh...

["What do you mean?" could prove to be a loaded question.

Tentative.]

Why, does it -- ...kill... them...? [The trailing and heightening is what with the fact that that's not really any less loaded. If there's a line, he's probably already crossed it - proceeds cringing a bit.] Or dr-drive them insane -- or...?

[No questioning inflection on that - it's another trail-off.]

handwritten;

[telvanni]

You're the reanimated corpse, yes?
I assume you would prefer that term to "zombie?"

video;

[scramasax]

[There's a reply here, isn't there.

Quasi-gawks down at the feed a moment. Left eye blinks idly again.]

Uh...

[Shrinks a bit, shoulders tense, this is awkward and if he's guessing wrong it's even worse - ]

Excuse me, is -- is someone writing...? I, erm -- can't see. -- I apologize.

[video]

[gogoghostpowers]

[Well, Danny can't say he likes the term "monsters" very much, but he gets the idea behind it.]

That...might be a pretty good idea, actually. If there was like a list or something about all of it, then maybe it'd be easier than having to explain dead alien ghosts all the time. And then people could figure out what their pulses are supposed to be sooner.

[video]

[scramasax]

[It seems an easy go-to, when one's a zombie with werewolves, vampires, and a "monster hunter" among their closer acquaintances.

Tone's a little ducked and dampened, runs along a monotone.]

I'm a little worried - though, what if uhm. It-it-it would make people change -- before they're ready to, if -- they were going to later...

Reading about certain things, I mean -- when they don't expect it - ... [Those two fragments probably didn't belong together, but alas.]

video;

[chernobolt]

I cannot say that I have personally experienced anything that would be useful to this topic, but I have been keeping a notebook on the various alien life which others have identified as past lives. If this would be useful, I would be more than willing to share it.

[the data book has mostly been for her own burning interest on the topic, but if it can actually help someone in the time between now and using it to make astronomy-related discoveries she's all for it]

video;

[scramasax]

[He recognizes that voice from here and there, and pins it to a number that he's communicated with in the past.

Recognition's pleasant - and drops him a little cowed and flat, figuratively.

Bumbles - ] You don't have to, ma'am - [Although it would likely be pertinent, if something were to get off the ground!] - but uhm - thank you. May - maybe...

[And meanwhile, she said aliens. His brain's been stuck on "monsters".]

...I don't know what the best word is - still. For, erm -- all of... us - who are turning. Uhm. ...Not completely - human.

"Mutants" - sounds... [Hollows.] ...A little rude... I think.

[It likely sounds better than "monsters", technically - but he's had that term on the mind enough that he's probably sufficiently desensitized to inclination to be offended by it in any personal way, in most situations.]

[ voice ]

[goldenclothes]

[ monsters.

she's surprisingly okay with it. ]

Do you mean like a database, Anthony? Or a wiki? [ a small trace of sarcasm in her voice that's as quick to disappear as she continues to speak. ]

There does seem to be some doubling up here and there. It saves some tedious explanations, as well. A means of storing the information so that it's... secure from non-network members might require some fiddling, but I don't think it's impossible.

[ video ]

[scramasax]

[He does actually half-wonder if she's serious - and moves into the thought that perhaps info in a place off-network would be worth something, if selectively - of course, that "something" might be a negative value, but alas.]

I -- [Stops dead and sucks off into space.

Start over. Proper greeting first.] -- Hi, Ms. Bainbridge.

Uh -- ...do you think that - the network wouldn't be good enough...? [TOne husks out, lowers, and thickens - trying hard to keep that question wholly neutral, not apologetic, and not defensive, in case the wording wasn't enough at the cost of being stupid - she did just imply that keeping it on the network wouldn't do the trick.]

audio;

[detectivetroll]

This is a great idea, man. Do you want the entries in the book I pulsed back about supernatural creatures? I can read them to you or record them for you, if you want.

video;

[scramasax]

[His tone tenses up a mite again - it's with a kind of heartiness, though. Encouragement and what would likely to be a sizable start-slash-hand to go along with it...]

Uhh -- ? Rec - ...recording them would be fine...! [High waver. Would be a good way to do it - keep the so-to-speak data there on hand after getting it over with on one of their ends!

Assuming they are doing this.]

Are you -- ...

[Was going to be an obligatory "are you sure", which'd extend past "are you sure you want to" into "are you sure it'd be worth attempting" or "are you sure it'd not be better handed to someone else" - but picks out a related and smaller-scale question.]

How - how long is it -- ...by the way...?

[In other words, just how much would Nick need to go out of his way to record its contents for any purpose?]

[Text]

[sun_sun]

I remember a wolfman
are wolfmans monsters

[Video]

[scramasax]

[Another place where there is probably a response.

Part o' his voice standing back again.]

...Please excuse me -- I can't, uhm -- is someone there? I can't -- actually -- see - what's there.

[Stilted attempt at turning it into a casual confirmation and pardon this time.]

[Voice]

[chalicejoker]

That's not a bad idea. I've got the bug market cornered, probably...

[He sighs.]

And a bunch of stuff on what to do if playing cards turn out to be really important to you, I guess.

[Video]

[scramasax]

[This is the first he's actually heard of that bit himself.]

Umm -- ...important - how, er - Hajime - ?

[Dries and thins - he's not remotely scoffing, of course, merely honestly curious on one hand and please-don't-be-nosing on the other!]

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

I agree about collecting and sharing information, but you're asking a lot of people. Nothing unreasonable, just... a lot, perhaps.

[Video]

[scramasax]

Yes -- I know -- it's a stupid idea - I'm sorry.

[Telling himself to take that as encouragement to back off before he gets his hopes up on it - wincing and sounds evasive, not convinced.]

[Voice; private]

[dominateartimus]

I don't think a lot of people would be comfortable with giving out that information, Anthony. Not everyone has a full grasp on what they're becoming.

[A sigh is heard.]

...Then there's a possibility of some people falsifying information or creating more misconceptions about a certain species.

[Video; private]

[scramasax]

[He's trying to keep his facial emoting tight. He's assuming that Xander's communicating through audio - still, it feels as if he's got less to determine lines he may or may not be stepping over with, walls in conversation he might be tracking himself to bounce off of.

So, twitch of the brow - loosening of voice.] I. But -- uhm.

No - you're right, um. [He's holding a "but" in ready-to-be-articulated position.

He realizes it doesn't have a leg to stand on. Lets it go, with, likewise, a sighing noise.]

You - you're right. [Hard ends of syllables and sentences go slipping into figurative black holes.] None of us can say that we. Actually know what we are. Yet.

...Enough to talk about it -- I-I don't know what I was thinking, um.

I won't do it.

[He still might.]

video

[stillshrill]

[ Bluntly: ] What happened to your eyes?

video

[scramasax]

[Knocked aback a moment.

But coheres, if sloppily.]

...Oh, I -- had - had to have one removed -- ... Um. Because, of - this, uhh... This gem. [Hand up to his cheekbone, fingers slip over the bottom ridge of the socket and into the back and tap the red flashing thing inside.]

The -- [And withdraws his hand, it's pointed out what it needs to.] -- other one. Just um. -- Fell out, uh. It -- didn't hurt. Either time...

[Which things out quickly, seeing as that wasn't part of the question by any stretch.]