[network] @standardissue; Catch a tiger by the toe [open] [Day 158, after lockdown]

[deus_ex_phs]

[Kunsel doesn't have his helmet on when he turns the video feed on, mostly because he feels like this is something important enough that people need to see his expression, to know how deadly serious he is. His eyes glow faintly in the darkness that comes after nightfall, though it's washed out slightly by the light being cast by the tablet.]

To anyone in the Entrance area, or anyone who might end up here, there's a situation in the fire station you need to be aware of.

[As though to punctuate his statement, something behind him rattles, like someone behind a door trying to get out. Kunsel takes this as his cue to turn the tablet's camera to focus on a door that's been blocked by a bed, with the door's handle handcuffed to the frame itself. It's hard to make out in the light, but on the door itself, written in thick black marker, are the words "OPEN WITH CAUTION. MONSTER INSIDE."]

Last night when we stopped here, an anomaly emerged from one of the mirrors in the bathroom. Half humanoid, half insect, and it looked like a mirror itself. We only barely managed to block it inside the bathroom. We left this morning, then came back tonight.

[The door rattles again.]

And it's still here.

[He turns the tablet back toward himself now, still grim and serious.]

If you can, I'd recommend avoiding the fire station entirely. We don't know how well this setup might hold. If you can't, then don't unblock the door, even if you think the anomaly is gone.

Comments

@kingdomkey ; audio

[seekthelight]

So the monsters are evolving?

[It's something he'd seen with the Heartless back home so he's not really surprised...

But he is terrified. Just a little bit.]

Or has this happened before?

@standardissue; audio

[deus_ex_phs]

Evolving? I don't know. I don't know if anyone's ever caught one like this before.

[seekthelight]

I thought they always disappeared when morning comes. Or maybe that one disappeared then came back?

[He's unnerved by it all the same. But..if it is possible to trap them...it has to be possible to beat them, right?]

[deus_ex_phs]

Do they really disappear? Or just leave, Sora? Maybe the difference here is that it can't leave.

[seekthelight]

[Sora's quiet for a moment.]

If that's the case..they have to go somewhere. So couldn't we figure out a way to track it? Figure out where it's going?

[deus_ex_phs]

They could just be wandering. We do run into them outside, after all. Even the Admin's referred to them as "wandering anomalies" before. Tracking them, though...

[That is a thought.]

How would you do something like that? I've never seen them leave tracks behind.

[seekthelight]

[Hm.]

You could make them leave tracks. Or a trail, I guess. If there was a way to attach something to one of them that could stain the snow, we could follow the trail that's left behind.

[deus_ex_phs]

[A little rueful, a little wry-]

A little hard to do that when everything we throw at them goes right through them, except for rubble. Maybe if you coated something with rubble...

[seekthelight]

But that's what I mean by evolving! If things normally go through them, that would mean they were ghost like--or shadow like. Why is it stuck in a room if normally things go right through it? Shouldn't it be able to get out then?

[deus_ex_phs]

They've never been able to go through walls before, Sora.

[seekthelight]

Have they gotten trapped in rooms before?

[deus_ex_phs]

If they have, no one's told me about it, but that doesn't mean that they haven't. How often do people actually mention their encounters on the network?

[seekthelight]

That would be something worth talking about though, wouldn't it?

[Sorry, Kunsel. He's just really trying to make sense of this. The monsters were don't follow any of the rules he's use to.]

...If we could attach rubble to one, though--make it drag behind it--it would definitely leave a path in the snow that way.

[deus_ex_phs]

Unless you're trying not to think about it, or if you don't think anyone would care. Probably a lot of other reasons why people don't bring their encounters up.

You'd need to think of a way to keep it from taking it off afterwards, as well as how to get it on in the first place without it killing you.

[seekthelight]

...Why would people think no one cares, though? We're all stuck here together, aren't we? Shouldn't we be working together and looking out for one another?

One of those foot traps could work! If we could figure out a material that would work.

[deus_ex_phs]

There's as many different reasons as there are people. For me, I encountered a danger, I dealt with it and it's over. I make note of it, but I don't usually see a reason to bring it up. People have enough things to worry about.

Hmm. That's a thought. Or you could take an existing trap and somehow coat it with rubble. Maybe with glue?

[seekthelight]

I guess that's...I just...it seems like we're all divided enough as it is here. I mean, any information, even if it seems trivial, could still be important at some point right?

That might actually work! Then you could leave it outside the door and rig the door itself to either blow or just pull open and then you can snare the monster!

[deus_ex_phs]

That's why I make note of it, Sora. And I mean that literally. I keep all sorts of notes on my tablet so that I can refer to them as I need.

If you manage to rig something like that up, let me know how it goes. I'll return the favor if we do anything like that.

[seekthelight]

That's probably something a lot of people do, I guess.

I will. Promise!

@determination, video

[despiteeverything]

Yes.

[This question is actually a bit confu and for them.]

They used to just be like... Shadows, and they didn't try to do things like open windows. It's like they're learning.

[Video now]

[seekthelight]

[Oh hello Frisk.]

I thought so. I remember being told that they were just kind of..ghost like? But if you can lock one inside a room...either something in that room is keeping them inside it or they've evolved to be more solid now which could work in our favor, right?

Re: [Video now]

[despiteeverything]

I don't think the solid thing is that new. They have to grab us somehow, right? One knocked me over when I died here.

[It was the last thing they remember actually.]

[seekthelight]

Then why can't we hurt them?

[It's said softly, thoughtfully, as Sora tries to make sense of this.]

[despiteeverything]

Hmmm...

Maybe it's some kinda magic? Or...

[They're a bit reluctant to talk about this part.]

we haven't found the right stuff that works yet? One of those girls from a while back was able to hit one with a spear that um... it had something to do with the buildings here? The anomaly didn't really care, though.

[seekthelight]

It could be. I mean, it would make sense...that would just make it a little harder to counter.

[Especially since they were all without their various abilities here.]

So stuff from the buildings can allow you to hit them but it doesn't do damage.

Great.

[That last part is said through a sigh because man this just seems impossible.]