[network video] @JPHawkins; DAY 17, 1pm [open]

[rattlingthestars]

[ When the video cuts on, Jim isn't looking at the camera. His head is twisted around to stare somewhere over his shoulder as his chest heaves with exertion (or maybe fear.) There's a bruise blossoming on his cheek where he'd fallen trying to escape and a dried trail of blood from his nose to his chin that he's forgotten about.

The microphone picks up the noise of the monsters outside in the snow over the rattle of Jim's breath. When there's a break in the sound Jim seems to remember what he'd been doing and turns back to the tablet. ]

Please tell me someone else is seeing these things. They're some kind of - of - of shadow things.

[ Jim has seen weird. He's seen creepy, thanks to Captain Flint. But he's never seen anything like those. Still, something about them had seemed almost too familiar. It's that which makes him wonder if it's all in his own head. ]

If you are? Don't fight them. Just run.

Comments

@TW; video

[maskintape]

[ The video isn't focused on Tim himself - it's trained outwards towards the window of the house he's in, where a horde of the things are pressed up against the glass. ]

Yeah, it --

[ He flinches as the figures start clawing at the window with increased intensity, and the view wobbles significantly. Fuck. ]

-- it's safe to say this is - it's a problem.

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim is avoiding getting anywhere near the windows in his own shelter; he's not sure if they'll hold against the things, and he doesn't want to find out. He stares at them in Tim's video, trying to make out what it is about them that makes it feel like looking in a mirror.

The clawing draws a short yelp from Jim, and he visibly struggles to keep his cool. ]

A big problem, if there are enough of them to follow more than one of us.

[maskintape]

There any other kind of problem in this place?

[ A valid point, even if it comes off as a little snappy. HIS BAD. Tim adjusts his tone before taking the camera focus off the creatures and onto himself instead. ]

There're enough here to surround this place completely, so. Or - or to gather at the windows, at least. Same for you? Like - there's lots of them, right?

[rattlingthestars]

Well, the food stinks.

[ Sarcasm is good. Sarcasm means that he's not dead. As Jim says this, he's creeping slowly around his mountain of junk in front of the door to get a look at the windows. Sure enough, there's a crowd of them at the window, too. He tilts the screen around to show off his stalkers before sneaking back out of sight.

If the things can see. ]

I heard from someone else that they've got them, too.

[maskintape]

Oh, god.

[ Are there this many of the things for each of the people here? Tim's mind is already giving him lovely images of the entire town being carpeted with shadow creatures, packed in tightly as far as the eye can see. Do not want. NOPE. ]

Goddammit. This - see, this is what happens as soon as I say things can't get worse. God - just - goddammit.

voice only, @LELRIC

[armoured]

[The background audio of Al's feed is easily discernible as feet crunching rapidly through the snow as he and his companions flee the same monsters that are stalking Jim. Al's own footsteps, the loudest of them all, are distinctive as metal.

Although Al sounds a little tense, there's no other sign that he's running as fast as he seems to be.]

I know, we tried to fight them this morning and nothing touched them. Are you hurt? Can you still get away?

[rattlingthestars]

I'm in a house, I don't think they can get in.

[ The bruise on his cheek aches, and he can still feel the wrongness of where the thing had grabbed him through his jacket, and a quick check of himself turns up a skinned palm from the fall and the remains of the nosebleed. Eugh. ]

I'm fine. Are you - still running?

[ Surely he's not on the tablet while running for his life. Surely. ]

[armoured]

Yeah.

[Al sees nothing weird in this. They've got a fairly decent lead by now, and he's used to running for long distances without having to concentrate solely on that.]

They caught up with us as we left this morning, we're still trying to outrun them now. But if you're inside, try to barricade all the doors and windows so they can't get in.

[rattlingthestars]

[ Having epically tripped himself, he's a little worried about Al, but to be honest he doesn't have a lot of concern to spare at the moment. He does spare a moment's thought for door-guy who's apparently traveling with Al but if he's dead Al probably would've mentioned it. ]

Did they touch anybody? There's something weird going on when they touch you.

video;

[villainously]

Aye, we can see them.

( in case that's not indication enough, the pirate even turns his camera to the fleet of windows, with vile little faces pressed against glass. they're far too visible during the daylight, harder to ignore. they're definitely there, and they're definitely not inclined to leave. )

I don't know what they are, but I don't want to get close enough to find out.

[rattlingthestars]

Yeah, I wouldn't do that. It hurts when they touch you.

[ Jim rubs absently at the trail of blood from his nose to his chin. Now that he's out of the snow and no longer running, it's dried enough to start itching and remind him of its existence.

Still, all he can feel is relief that he's not going completely around the bend. ]

[villainously]

Good to know, but that still means we're bloody trapped here until they get it in their heads to bugger off. Can't scare them for shit.

( and he hates staring at the blood things, too, but he would rather know what they're doing then be surprised when they break through the glass. )

I haven't got a weapon, I can't cut through them. All they do is stare. Even getting close to them... ( yeah, it's unsettling enough he doesn't want to try it again. )

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim would kill for that little pistol he had during the mutiny, he really would. A pointy stick would be better than defenselessness.

Meanwhile, he's planted himself firmly behind his barricade and isn't looking out any windows. If they can't see him, maybe they'll go away. ]

Maybe they're trying to starve us out. Or herd us somewhere.

id clem, text

[neverbitten]

i can see them but they're not interested in me or who i'm with.

they're just ignoring us.

[They're still creepy as hell though.]

[rattlingthestars]

[ That's new. Everyone else Jim's talked to so far has said that they're being stalked. ]

They didn't try to get in where you were staying last night?

[neverbitten]

no, we saw some of them, but they didn't even seem to see us. i don't know why. it's weird

[rattlingthestars]

[ That is weird. At first Jim wonders if it has to do with there being more than one of them - maybe they're picking off weaker people - but Al said they're attacking them, too, and apparently there's a big group of people with him. Maybe that guy was right and all this is just to mess with them. ]

Are you out there walking around now?

video; @franziskavonkarma

[whippings]

Why did you even bother trying to fight them?

( Guess who's barricaded herself into the house? )

[rattlingthestars]

[ Oh great, it's Captain Know-it-All. Jim rolls his eyes theatrically. ]

There was a whole group of them outside the door when it opened this morning. I had to run.

[whippings]

( That roll of the eyes simply feeds her ego. )

Clearly not fast enough.

[rattlingthestars]

Fast enough not to die.

[ And really, isn't that what's important? ]

audio; if you don't mind me being late to the party!

[heroproceeding]

[ Zack's been pretty preoccupied in the school by then and he might have not even bothered talking to anyone (hey, the tablet's are kinda inconvenient in their size if you ask him. Less hands and when you're on the go, that's trouble.) But the mention of monsters draws more than enough attention as he frowns down at the update.

He voice is quiet for him as he responds and good chances, Jim will hear more than one set of footsteps from his side, no matter how cautious Zack's being. ] Shadow things? You aren't still in the school, are you? [ He's really hoping this kid didn't decide to hide in one of the closets considering what he'd heard from other people. ]

video; no such thing, get in here!

[rattlingthestars]

[ It's a voice and a name Jim doesn't recognize yet, but that was the whole point of posting directly to the network. To warn people.]

They're everywhere, not just in the school. You need to get somewhere and hide.

audio forever on this end; ALL UP IN THIS BUSINESS THEN

[heroproceeding]

What? [ That's startling. And not good. Not good at all. His thoughts swarm to the others he's spoken to through this network, wondering what if's and something in him sinks hard and fast. Everyone he's spoken to thought they were just in this school, but now they're out?

Damn it. Al seems to be in one piece at least, and he knows Tadashi's with him, too. But anyone else he knows he hasn't heard from lately and... ] Listen- you think that barricade will last you a while? Those things still there?

[ Yes, he's totally ignoring those warnings, Jim. He can handle himself (he thinks). He's more concerned about everyone else. ]

[rattlingthestars]

I've got enough stuff piled in front of the door to keep them out for a while. [ Jim hopes he sounds confident, even if he doesn't necessarily feel it. There is a huge pile of boxes at the door, at least, and they windows are sealed tight enough that they don't seem to have a way through. ] I'm telling you, you've got to get somewhere safe.