snowblindrpg | [network] DAY 014, video; @fullmetal [open]

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[network] DAY 014, video; @fullmetal [open]

[ afternoon; ]

[ maybe most people aren't alarmed by the strange light, the voices that thunder all around him, but Ed's hackles are up immediately. he woke with a nagging headache, something burning just behind his temples and eyes. it makes it more than difficult to see, the glare of too-white snow making it even worse. ]

...does everyone hear that? [ he's never been the sappy type when it comes to somber, sad music, but the chorus is loud in his ears and it's bad enough he feels like he has to travel when his head may well split into two. ]

I don't know who it is, but they need to cut it out already! [ he hopes he's not the only one who saw the light, who keeps seeing shadows at the edges of his vision, leaving his muscles wound tight with tension and uncertainty. Edward stumbles for a moment, dropping the tablet, the video catching him rubbing furiously at the bridge of his nose and his eyes, in pain. ] Anyone know a good doctor?

[ night; ]

[ it has to be the shadows from before, the ones Tim showed him, and when the video clicks on, Edward's voice is just this side of too quick, eyes widened, sweat prickled at his brow. he's trapped in a building with what he's sure must be Pride, a homunculus who lurks and kills by the very shadows humans make. that, or it's the beast he and Al created, the thing that should have been his mother, should have been... oh, god. he jumps violently, pressing into another corner, his arm and leg tingling as though they're waiting to be ripped from his body yet again.

he turns too look over his shoulder, but groans, pressing his hands to his eyes, rubbing at them until they're red-rimmed. a whimper. ]

W-what the hell is this place? There is something here, and I don't know who it is, but it better cut it out already! It's just... staring. [ he has no alchemy here, no way to protect himself and that's perhaps the worst part of it all. however, the video flutters, Ed looks at the screen curiously. ] The beacon? [ and he shouldn't do anything with it, but the pain, the flickering shadows and the sure-fire feeling of someone breathing down his neck, means he raises one hand, the video cutting out briefly. the screen is black, then focuses back into view, Edward looking less frightened, but still wide eyed. ]

It... stopped. It's gone.

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I hear it too.

[ Ellana is wearing a rather grim expression. She has a headache, the light's too bright and something is circling the house outside; she just knows it. But she keeps going to the door, hand on the knob because she wants to get closer to that light. The only reason she doesn't is because she's not alone here in the house. Cullen's not feeling well either. She wants to take care of him instead of pushing forward anymore. It was hard enough moving that morning. ]

I think it's the same people who are outside the house. I won't let them in.

[ Her paranoia is running high right now. ]

There's someone out there? Where are you?

[ he doesn't know this woman, but if there's someone trying to get to where she is, he'll find her and help her. the group isn't that large here and they had to help one another first and foremost. ]

Anything you can put against the doors? Beds, bookshelves...? Not sure if they lock when it's not dark. [ he winces again, because he has the same creeping feeling that there's something at the edge of his vision, something he's not seeing. ]

I don't know exactly. East of the school.

[ She hasn't been inside that big building yet, but she knows it's used as a landmark in this town. ]

There's furniture. But right now, I keep wanting to go out. I know I shouldn't.

[ But the singing. She wants to get closer to it. ]

The doors lock at night.

Make it difficult to get out, then. Block the doors if you have to. I... think there's something following me, but I can't see it. Everytime I look it's gone. They're playing games with us, whoever they are.

[ but ever hint at shadow makes his stomach jump, makes him want to shut off all the light in the place, but he can't exactly take away the glow of the sun, after all. ]

They're trying to make me afraid, but I won't be.

[ She glares at the closed door, before moving to pick a piece of furniture to put in front of it. ]

Are you someplace where they can't reach you?

[Al has, of course, been hearing the song too. He's not sure if it's related, but a fear has been worming its way into his veins all day, as if someone's eyes are on him and danger is just around the next corner.

He's doing his best to ignore it, trying to dismiss it as needless paranoia, and being able to talk to his brother is a good distraction. He was about to agree on hearing it, and perhaps embark in a discussion on theories to where it might be coming from, when...]

Brother!

[Is he injured? Why is he in pain? It must be serious if the usually stubborn Ed wants a doctor.]

Brother, what's wrong?!

[ it's serious enough, because he can't focus, can't look around without pressure behind his eyes threatening to overcome him. if he can't see, can't watch the surroundings, he won't be able to see when whatever it is that's watching him (and he knows something is) comes for him. without alchemy, he feels even more helpless. ]

Hey, Al. [ his voice is shaky at best, but he reaches for the tablet, forcing a half-smile across his lips. ] Just a headache, I'll be fine. Probably the cold. I hate the cold, you know that. [ because he doesn't want his brother worrying anymore than he has to. ]

Just woke up with it, I'll be fine, I promise. A stupid headache won't stop me. [ he rubs at his eyes again, scrubs a hand over his face before he lets out a sigh. ] Hey, I have a theory. About those shadows and... and whatever's causing this. I think someone is following me, they're not close, but I can't shake the feeling.

You too?

[He lowers his voice, as if somehow that could make a difference in the mysterious entity overhearing. Even just Ed mentioning it makes a shiver pass down his spine, wrenching his attention to his surroundings in a state of tense alertness.]

Do you think they did this to you somehow?

[Ed says it's the cold, but a tiny voice in Al's brain is insisting that someone is responsible for it. Maybe even someone he's talked to before. How does he know who he can trust?]

I don't know, Al. They didn't exactly have the time, it just... started happening. It's hard to keep my eyes open, so maybe they did. But there's something out there, and I don't want to go in blind. Alchemy would be really nice right about now.

[ because at least then he could protect himself, but right now he has nothing to help himself with. ]

It's all in the shadows, Al. That video, and now this? Greed's here, after all, then any of the others could be here as well. Even Pride.

[There's a sharp intake of breath, before the sound of metal hitting metal when Al literally facepalms.]

How could I be so stupid? Of course Pride is here, and I think one of the people with me might be Envy in disguise.

[Never mind that both of these homunculus have already been essentially dealt with.]

You think Envy is here?

[ If Greed, Pride and Envy were all here, that meant that the others were likely here as well, somewhere. Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath... he wouldn't think it possible for any of them to return to life, but it could be another incarnation, much like Greed and Ling. couldn't it? Father bringing them life again. ]

Al, who is it? We have to be careful, we don't have Alchemy here, and we'll have to think of someway to get rid of them without it. We can't break them down, can't even defend ourselves. If Pride has power here, can use his shadows, then what powers do the others have?

[ he frowns deeply, a dark, concerned look falling across his face. ] This is bad, Al. They could be behind all of this.

[If Al were in his right mind, there's no way he would allow himself to give into this sort of baseless paranoia. Logically, he knows that many of the homunculus are dead, and Father is too busy to be creating any new ones at the moment, but...

But the voice at the back of his mind keeps on in a poisonous whisper, making him believe the worst case scenario and having him jump even at friendly faces.]

I know, I think they are and I think they know we're onto them. I'm pretty sure Envy is hiding in my group of companions, and I don't know them well enough to tell which one!

[ right mind or not, the fact that Al thinks Envy is among them? even worse. the homunculi were near impossible to defeat with Alchemy, and now they have to find a way to get around them without it? ]

Great, we'll have to be careful. We can't let them know we're onto them, not here. Not with Pride and Greed...

[ he winces when pain shoots through his head again, hands dragging over his face. ] Could it be truth, doing this? How can we all be here, when... when Envy and Pride... and even Greed, they're...

[ he lets out something akin to a whimper, pressing both hands hard against his eyes, the camera having been dropped again, focusing on Ed where he's fallen to his knees in the snow. ]

Brother!

[The worry tears through him and the fear too. Fear that the unnatural streak of paranoia increases tenfold - his brother is hurt, he could even be dying, and there's nothing that Al can do about it.]

You have to get somewhere defensible and take care of yourself, I'll take care of Envy.

[He will pound the everloving shit out of him.]

I'm fine, Al, I'm fine.

[ even though Ed knows he's not at all. he has the headache from hell, and there's someone or something following him, always out of the corner of his eye. it makes his heart beat too quickly, his breathing pick up. ]

It's not Envy I'm worried about right now.

[Envy is the one that Al is most concerned about, he's convinced that the homunculus is someone in his party and that's why things have been going so wrong. But maybe Ed is right to be concerned about Pride instead, something must be haunting him through the shadows.]

You don't think Pride could be causing your pain, do you?

[He had managed to get inside Al and control his armour, but could he do the same for someone completely organic?]

I don't think so, but he's here. I can feel it, Al. Every time I turn my head, I see something. I can't tell what it is, but it's there.

[ he sounds a hair more tense than he usually would, looking back over his shoulder again warily, then back to the camera. ] I'll just get to a house, and maybe it will stop. I have a weapon, but not sure what good it will do me here. Feels like my fingers are going to freeze off. Be careful with Envy, you can't fight him alone.

We can't do this alone, not without alchemy.

Don't worry about me, brother, I can take care of Envy.

[There's a ring of steel in his voice. He may not have alchemy, but Al is still an amazing hand to hand fighter, and Ed should know that very few people have ever managed to best him on that count.]

When you find shelter, set a fire even if you have to use pieces of furniture. Just make sure it stays light, and then stay in the light.

Try not to lose your head, yeah? Can't exactly fix it for you here, huh?

[ he bites the joke out through his teeth and stands, the video jostling as he does so. ]

I'll try, yeah. Besides, can't let... a little kid beat me, right? [ though the longer he walks, the more the paranoia sets in, the more real those shadows at his back feel. ]

[Al is too paranoid and too afraid to joke now, which in itself should say something about how unnatural this all is, but he's too far gone to notice.]

...just don't let yourself get hurt, Ed.

[Serious. Scared.]

Get inside. We should probably-- you need to move fast, and they could be listening over these things.

Moving as fast as I can, yeah? Not as tall and fast as you are, remember?

[ the fear is creeping slowly up his throat, closing it, making it hard to focus and breathe, the pain behind his eyes still sharp and real. ]

You stay safe, Al, okay? You'll be fine -- no one can beat you in a fight. If you.... find Envy, be careful. I'll find you, Al. I always do.

[A sudden and intense wave of paranoia sweeps over Al, arresting him with the all-consuming fear that this is what they want. They want Ed to come for him, that way they can trap both of them together.

Not trusting himself to speak, he just makes a non-committal sort of hum, and then hurriedly turns the tablet off before Ed can try and find him. His hands are shaking, and he already misses the presence of his brother, but he can't risk it.

Stay safe, Ed...]

[Okay, so Clayton is already well on his way to a paranoid breakdown and that little headache he woke up with is really starting to become debilitating to the point where he kind of doesn't want to stare at his tablet too long, and he should probably be focusing on the group while they're traveling, but also YES HELLO did someone say they needed a doctor]

Yeah, I'm a doctor. What's the matter?

[ Ed is extremely stubborn, and asking for a doctor in any form means he's in a great deal of pain. he hadn't exactly expected to get an answer and so startles when he hears the voice. ]

Yeah, got anything to cure a headache that will split your head apart? Because I'm pretty sure mine's going to.

[Clayton huffs a weak laugh--weak because it hurts to laugh and the situation isn't all that funny to begin with. An attempt was made!]

Eh...got some aspirin, but I'm afraid that ain't gonna do you more good 'n it's done me. I've got a migraine comin' on, too.

[There's a noticeable pause. Clayton takes a deep breath; either he's recovering after speaking, or he's just thought of something very troubling. It's a little bit of both.]

How're ya feelin' otherwise?

Oh, feeling great. Someone breathing down my neck, my head about to split open -- it's great.

[ he's mumbling through gritted teeth as he marches on in the snow, carrying the tablet, the video shaking. ]

Can only hope this will pass. Has... anything like this happened here before?

[Clayton sniffs in slight affront.]

Now, ain't no need t' go takin' it out on the rest a us.

[Which he totally understands, being in pain and being frustrated that he's in pain, and maybe his tone would be more gentle and understanding if he wasn't in a similar situation himself, but also, r u d e]

We had somethin'...kinda similar happen early on. Folks gettin' headaches, seein' things, feelin' sick. Ain't nothin' quite like...whatever this is.

[Clayton bites his lip. He doesn't want to admit that he can feel It infringing on his thoughts. That's not something you just bring up to people assuming that they'll be experiencing the same things. Not unless you're feeling a lot more paranoid and anxious like he will be in a few more hours, anyway.]

Gave us shots, next mornin', an' cleared it all right up. Startin' t' think we'll be gettin' another batch tomorrow if this keeps up.

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[network] DAY 014, video; @fullmetal [open]

{ video | @Lavellan } afternoon

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video afternoon

private;

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permaprivate;

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afternoon - voice - @claytonator

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