» the city network

[ Well, here's some footage! Of something red and long and...

fleshy and sharp and with eyes??

It's probably fine. It's laying there nicely on the grass of some park, until a hand wraps around the hilt and the footage ends! Now there's just a husky voice, sounding a little bemused. ]

Well, there you have it. For whatever reason, I almost tripped over this just getting out of bed this morning.

And I know I'm not getting this back for my good behavior and perfect manners.

[Normally, Brook would be perfectly happy to make a video post. It'd just be like his weekly recorded updates for his blog back home. Given the state he's in, though, he doesn't want to risk putting his face on camera. What if he looks as bad as he feels?

Why does he feel bad in the first place? Nothing makes any sense.]

ok, i know that for whatever reason, everyone's powers and shit have been weakened since they got here.
but has anybody else been feeling... weird?
like wobbly or your head hurting. or your legs not working right.
or like you have to lie down for a while until your eyes go back to normal.
idk, is this smth else that just happens here like weeds trying to eat you?

((OOC: Brook just hasn't realized that nerfing means he has to eat and sleep now, so he's been wandering around on little more than a Starbucks cake pop and no rest for days. That said, once people help him figure that out, he'll likely react to the thought of eating with disgust. This might hit a little close to disordered eating patterns, so please keep yourself safe if that's a trigger! Brook also has a permissions page with a long list of content warnings and an opt-out form, because I'm the Grim Reaper is a minefield of common triggers, and I don't want to suddenly spring anything unwanted on anyone.))

So there's a problem.

[Introductions? No, none of that.

The video comes online to show two individuals: Alucard, who clearly has seen better days on account of how grungy he appears, twigs in his hair, and a bottle of wine in his hand. Rosella, clearly dressed in a gown fit for a princess, is on the ground with eyes closed and not breathing. As Alucard moves his phone to show her looking kind of dead, it's clear that both these people are in the recently revealed gardens where the suspicious tea party is located.]

I found this young lady like this, along with an empty tea cup. Presumably, she's been poisoned, but I lack any ability to undo the damage done. I don't believe she is dead, but who knows how much longer she has.

[He has a drink from his bottle before he continues.]

If someone has any knowledge on these teas and what best to do next, that'd be ideal.

Hello. My name is Onni Hotakainen.

As I understand it, I'm addressing everyone here who has one of these communication devices?

[It's obvious this text is written by someone who's far more experienced with writing letters than someone who texts on a regular basis. Look at that grammar and punctuation!]

I have a few questions I was hoping someone might be willing to answer. They might be redundant! I just got here and don't know anything much about this place. I thought the current residents might be suited to answer.

1. Does anyone know what happened to the people who were here?
2. Does anyone know why all the books and papers are empty?
3. Does anyone know where all the animals have gone? It's impossible to hunt here.
4. Does anyone know where this place is in the world?

I'll post again if I think of more.

Thanks for any answers.

- Onni H.

[ hello and welcome to Boredom Hours, sponsored by one too many midafternoon beers and a perpetual inability to not immediately make his ennui everyone else's problem. today's host is... Reno!

when the video starts, it's to a shockingly decently framed shot of Reno doing the hooligan squat on the front stoop of his apartment building. he's got a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth, and once he's sure that the video is rolling he takes a long drag of it before he speaks. ]

Sup. I'm Reno. Some of ya may know me from my colorful past as "guy who got yanked into pool by tentacle monster."

[ probably nobody knows him that way but it's fine. we are not concerned with strict veracity here. Reno blows a neat smoke ring and grins the kind of grin that means he knows he's being a pain in the ass. ]

I was thinkin', y'know, there's only so many of us. Probably ain't a bad idea to get to know each other, right? [ he gestures with his cigarette as he speaks as if to underscore his words. ] We need some conversation starters. Some icebreakers, y'know? Everybody's favorite highlight from their corporate bonding retreats.

So! [ he holds up a hand to count on.

one finger. ] Two truths and a lie. Post 'em, let other people guess. I'll leave mine too. Shoutout to the blond girlie who had that party a couple months back for this one.

[ two fingers. ] Hot or not. Or smash or pass, whatever you wanna call it. Post yourself and let people vote, if you're brave. Or post your friends if you want to fuck around. You can all see my face right now so count that as my submission.

[ three fingers. ] Creativity exercise, open prompt. You can go anywhere, be anybody, do anything you want. The world ain't ending and there's no war or whatever the hell going on. Who are you and what are you doing? [ brief smoke break, and then Reno stubs the butt out on the cement, exhaling as he says, ] Me, I wanna make mediocre coffee for minimum wage and not worry about shit except makin' rent.

[ and lastly, four fingers. ] "Reno, this is fuckin' stupid and I don't want to do it." Okay, nobody's got a gun to your head. We ain't even got guns here. Do what you want.

[ his four fingers curl in so he can offer a cheerful, if a bit manic, thumbs-up before he reaches out to turn off the video.

just before he touches the button, though, he pauses as if something just occurred to him— ] Oh, shit—also, drop map pins for your favorite restaurant in this place. I'm in the market for new eats, bonus points if it's spicy.

[ okay, now he's gone. ]

( The feed starts in a dimly-lit room, dust motes drifting through the nearby window which looks surprisingly new compared to the other brick around it. The camera shifts a little, as if someone is adjusting the phone to make sure it's going to stay this time... and then Angela's voice starts.

She also flicks on one of the overhead lights, not as bright as the fluorescents in the office buildings--more moody--and sits in a very comfy-looking chair in the center of the shot. )

Good morning. I am Angela, the proprietor of The Bookstore, a shop located at the edge of District 1 and 2. Our goal is to record the stories of this city and its unwilling inhabitants; these books, small or large, are able to be lent out to anyone who stops by and trades a story of their own for it, thus continually giving The Bookstore a source of "income", as it were. Feel free to stop by any time, and I or one of my recordkeepers will assist you.

( Does that just sound like a weird-ass library? Sure. Anyway, her shilling done--

but not the shilling of The Bookstore's number one employee (self-proclaimed)-- )

Forsooth!!! And that is not all -- there are many empty books one may use to pen their own story if they should like, and our recordkeepers are all helpful indeed!!! There is myself, the magnificent Don Quixote, who ardently seeks to record every valiant tale no matter how big or small it may seem, how important or trivial, for every one is worth the words spoken! There is Yesod, who's keen eye for detail shall leave no stone unturned as he asks question after question in order to best refine thy tale to a story that shall resound across the ages to come! Of course, there are those who seem difficult to speak to, such as Mistress Gebura, but I can assure thee--

( YEAH OKAY WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT Angela is shoving Don Quixote out of frame with her foot, where did she come from... from behind one of the bookshelves?? Get back there.

Anyway, once again, shilling done. )

With that out of the way, I had a few questions to ask.

( Angela crosses her legs at the ankles, back straight... so very serious...!! Ignore the put-out mumblings of one of her employees just out of sight, thank you. )

One: What are some hobbies or activities you enjoy, and what do you like about them? Two: What is your favorite ice cream flavor, and why? And three: If you could change one thing about your own story, what would it be?

( ...okay! )

[ooc: don quixote icanfixer will probably jump into conversations too, as a warning, but frankly any of the bookstore's employees can do so if they're around and feel like it... what's she going to do, fire you? that's all the notes here tho happy october everyone]

I'm sure a few of you have heard about our friend in the pool by now.

Someone told me about an incident with the mannequins at the mall too.

Has anything else like that happened here? Any encounters with monsters, spirits, or whatever else you want to call them?

I'm going to do some investigating around different places if anyone has any suggestions. I'm going to start with the mall.

( ooc: feel free to bother him in person at the mall! )

I've an odd question to ask, if you'll indulge me.

Let us say a world exists where all work toward the betterment of their world, where none go without, and no one need be separated from their loved ones before they could bid farewell. Each day is peaceful and productive, and you know your place within it. You need not leave until you are ready, and only when you feel fulfilled.

Would you choose to live in this world or the one you came from? Why?

And to those who know why I ask this question, I pray you answer as well, and do so honestly. I promise 'tis in the spirit of keeping an open mind.

[ HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. okay, okay, okay. he'll press enter. ]


friendly neighborhood anonymous here.

so this was going to be a post about a database i'm working on with some other people and hopefully more people but one of those people seems to be unreachable now so this is also an APB for Gregor.

onto other shit: we've been working on a document that keeps all the facts we know and all the theories we're currently trying to prove/disprove. it's encrypted for obvious reasons but click the link and I'll get you access no problem [ for all those who have come across his videos on how to use encryptions and how to make yourself purely anonymous, fear not! the stupid naming conventions continue: satanwasababyboomer.doc but its safe to assume that anyone who clicks gains both access to view and edit pretty quickly. ]

this tech is pretty old for me. i'm doing what i can to make it both secure AND accessible. if you're talented with early 2000s technology c'mon down. maybe you can make something work that i can't.

i have to admit i'm not the greatest at keeping on top of things like this. could really use the extra hands in general. there are some other people looking to do the same thing as this but hard copy. mingle with them if that's your bag. assuming they reply here (please reply here if/when you see this... if you want to).

also just for my own curiosities: calling all tech people. engineers, programmers, whatever. let's put our heads together. help one another out.

ps: if you want to annoy someone that's pissing you off I recorded fart sounds, you're welcome.

[ the video comes first!

heine films from where he's sitting on top of a mailbox on a street corner. it's a slow pan across an empty intersection just northeast of the bank—the bank building itself is visible, as a landmark for where he is, but he also makes a point of filming as much down each street as he can manage. master film director heine is not, but at least he manages to pick out a few identifying storefronts so people can triangulate themselves!

there's no talking, or really any sound at all (which for heine is still one of the worst parts of this place). once he's filmed enough that he thinks the location has been conveyed, the video cuts off.

when he uploads it, it's with a text accompaniment: ]

let me get this out of the way first: i'm not trying to die
and i also don't want to kill anyone [ today, anyway! ]


but if you're also here without the weapons you're used to
don't want to get stuck with your thumb up your ass if shit goes wrong
and think you could use a good fight to keep your skills sharp

then hopefully you can figure out from the video where to go
if you can't then [ he is judging you slightly ] ask for directions



rules:
1) i have knives but if you want to use something else that's on you
2) no sparring bullshit, we fight like we mean it
3) i'll go easy if you need but don't ask me to teach you

[ yes it has been some days. yes this is not the first time she's spoken to the network at large. this time, however, she is showing her face and standing quite proudly this morning in front of a parking lot. cars, empty of gas but otherwise whole, scatter the background. ]

Good morn, dear fellows! I have come to thee today to ask a favor, to grant thee an honor, and help this young knight with a missive most important to all!

[ a beat. she swings into frame an umbrella, popping open the apple printed "lance" with a laugh before closing it as she continues, easy-going like she isn't going to be talking about what she is.

unbeknownst to most, don quixote needs this. ]

Thou may have seen some days ago an anonymous message regarding murder. Well! I am here now, asking thee to assist me with something like it -- nay, the exact same! I would like to see for myself, and as proof of the effects for others, what happens when one dies.

I shall not fight thee, unless thou shall wish for it for I am most happy to oblige, and I shall take only one volunteer. Whomever has the daring, the will, and the capacity to kill, I ask that thee throw thy hand up and seek to claim my life! My dear friends need not apply, for I shall reject thee post-haste!

[ she is NOT letting a fellow sinner do it. not her coworkers. she's been fussed at and she's going to be fussed at again. she might let one of the other city-dwellers do it, given they're both fixers (or formerly) but not her coworkers, war vet be damned.

gregor couldn't do it the other time, after all. ]

However, allow me to lay bare the possibilities of what may happen to thee should thou take it upon thyself to do so.

There is a chance thou may forget that which is most precious to thee, that thou will forget the moment of my death itself, and face... certain difficulties in speaking about it. [ she doesn't know if kromer mentioned that, but it's something regardless. ] I may suffer the same. The goal of this is to learn if it is the victim who forgets, if it is the murderer who doth, or if both have it struck from their mind; the secondary goal, a more personal one, is to learn if both may suffer from the others I have mentioned.

... I understand it is difficult to think of killing another, but I can assure thee, such a thing comes up frequently in my work. We are ever prepared to do so, and to die just as well!

[ helps they don't stay dead but she's not. gonna. say that. it might be odd to wonder what effects who in this case, but. well. a lady keeps her secrets. ]

Any who wish to act as witness may attend as well, for we will have need of thee. I thank thee heartily for thy time and thy consideration on the matter.

[ a small bow, hand to her chest and umbrella tucked behind her, and that's that. ]

[Specifics tbd, but there's a drunk Midnight involved and he doesn't have a shirt and might've lost his pants. he's fucking naked.

But for now.]

a guy lost his clothes to the washer. anybody saw a pink shirt?

[Attached is a picture of Midnight. I have no fanart, so you must imagine this guy: no shirt, Jojo-posing, wearing a pink feathery thing, drunk, fly open.]

and here's the guy who lost his stuff

[Alright. He didn't want to be the first one to bring this up, but now that there's already been some Nonsense™ involving (attempted?) murder, he might as well.]

so how sure are any of us that we're actually alive here anyway
i dunno bout anyone else but i was definitely about to bite the big one before i woke up on that train
and if people don't actually remember it if they try to kill someone or when they're about to die here maybe it's because we're already dead and this is some kind of fucked up afterlife

[ literally so sorry to anyone who decides to check this out-- ]

HARK!!!!!!

There are new lands to discover! Such as yonder... "bowling alley"! I have seen shadows behind the contraptions at the end, but chasing them leads to nothing -- it is most perplexing. Nonetheless!!! I wished to share to all the goodly news, and to ask a simple question to all of thee!!!!

[ a beat. a blessed pause. then, very simply asked: ]

Do thee believe in justice?!

We should assume communications are being monitored by our captors. Be careful what you reveal here.

[ Short and to the point, this is all Setsuna has to say. ]

Different worlds? Okay. Still, I gotta see what I'm working with here since the last time I was in a place with people from whatever universe was at 1 AM at the coffee shop and everyone had the grand idea to suddenly order Neapolitan frappuccinos. So here's how I'm going to narrow down and categorize all of you for my sake.

First off, how do you pronounce GIF? With a 'g' or a 'j'

Answer carefully 😉😉😉

(and if you don't get it, don't worry about it, you just get sorted into the other category)