[network] @ASolomons; audio, morning of 265 [open]

[devoutish]

The fuck is going on?

[He sounds exhausted, as per usual, and his voice is hoarse and raw - he's been doing a lot of non-stop talking these past few days, trying to keep Royce engaged.]

Right - the lot of you, sound off. What happened, and what needs to be done?

Comments

[thewarningafter]

Yes.

[There's an edge of desperation in there like one would expect to hear for a lost child or pet.]

Where are you now?

[devoutish]

[He turns on the video and angles his camera to give Stephen a good view of the cloak behind him. Say hi!]

East of the museum, heading west.

[thewarningafter]

[Unseen, a grin spreads across Stephen's face. He doesn't turn his video on in return, though -- even if his face didn't appear covered in static, he doesn't want to show anyone the scars covering most of his body right now.]

How far east? I'm near the building where they had us; I was coming that way to meet Royce.

[devoutish]

Should be through the museum tomorrow.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen's grin fades as he sucks in a breath. The museum tomorrow -- that's a hell of a distance to cover, and only going to keep increasing.]

Listen -- ask it to -- no, I'll do it. Cloak. Levi. I need you to stay where you are; I'm coming from the northeast -- never mind where I'm coming from, just, just wait where you are. Alfie doesn't want you hanging around anyway.

[On Alfie's end of things, the cloak does at least appear to be paying some sort of attention to the sound of his voice on the tablet. Whether it's actually getting any of this, though, is debatable.]

[devoutish]

It's less of a bother when it's not knocking the tablet away from me.

[It almost feels like... company, sometimes? Whatever, clearly he's going crazy.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen chuckles at that.]

Seriously? I can't take this thing anywhere.

[devoutish]

Mm. It can't talk, but it can understand, can't it?

[This is basically confirmation that yes, Alfie has been talking out loud to the cloak (slash himself).]

[thewarningafter]

Yeah. At least, I think so.

[devoutish]

But you aren't sure?

[thewarningafter]

Ah...no. I'm not. I don't...have to talk to it, most of the time. It just...does what's needed. Or what it feels like doing.

[devoutish]

Yeah, it's been doing more of the latter with me, I think.

[thewarningafter]

I'm not surprised. It was the same with Royce, apparently.

[devoutish]

It helped him a bit, I hope. He was-- on his own.

[And as good as on his own, even after Alfie revived.]

[thewarningafter]

Sure. He didn't seem thrilled when he called me about it.

Listen...I appreciate you not...chasing it off or whatever.

[devoutish]

Would it have gone, if I had?

[thewarningafter]

Dunno. Maybe? I don't know everything about it.

[devoutish]

Well - it doesn't matter much now. I didn't mind it.

[thewarningafter]

Well...good.

I'll head in your direction. It should understand enough to wait for me.

[devoutish]

Very good, mate.