snowblindrpg | [network] @crescent; to die historic on the furry road [open]

[usually, the worst thing about waking up is remembering how hungry she is. But this morning, as Day 45 breaks cold and overcast as usual, the worst thing about waking up is remembering that last night, her friend got literally eaten by a monster.

She has to warn people. She couldn't save Mami, but maybe she can help others. So once she's mostly talked herself down from numb grief and fear, she turns on her tablet's video function. At first, it's aiming at a wooden tabletop, but she tilts it to show a drawing. For having been drawn last night in the dark in the hazy, panicky aftermath of mortal peril, it's pretty decent:

She clears her throat and starts to speak, her voice low and breaking despite her efforts to keep it steady.]

Four days ago, I was traveling with Alphonse Elric's group. We were attacked by this monster here. [a gray-furred, four-fingered hand moves into the video to tap at the top left of the picture with one sharp claw.] It was... well, if you've seen Alphonse, you know how tall he is. This one was taller. It had... light, instead of skin. Like what we see on the videos, sometimes. I'm not explaining it quite right, but... we got away.

[she swallows, then takes a shaky breath and points to the drawing on the right.]

Mami Tomoe and I—she's a young human girl; some of you have met her—we were on our own, yesterday. This monster attacked us last night. We—I tried to...

[she breaks off, planting her hand flat on the table to stop it from shaking. When she speaks again, her voice is hard.]

...It swallowed her. It ate her whole. That's what they do. Now we know.

[she points to the bottom drawing.]

It said things to me, before it—before it ate her. Spoke right into my head. "I want it"; "I am here"; I wrote down what I could remember. And there's something else. All of the other monsters I've seen have looked, well, they've looked human, or something like it. But this one... oh, it's easiest to just show it.

[the video swings dizzyingly as she picks up the tablet, and she taps on the screen to turn the camera. At once, the view of the tabletop and wall becomes a view of her very inhuman face, framed by her pale, tangled hair and large ears. Her eyes are tired, and her muzzle is streaked with dark, dried blood.]

...It looked like me. Like one of my people. But it... it ran on all fours, like an animal. ...I don't know what any of it means. But one thing's the same—and if anyone who's just arrived is watching this, you'd better listen. [her voice turns cold, and she looks straight into the camera.] If you see a monster, you run, got it? You run away as fast as you can, and get inside, and block the door. There's no fighting them. No fighting them at all.

[OOC: HOT GOLLY DAMN, there are enough threads here to feed a whole village of cute, thread-starved orphans. I'm capping the number of threads where it is. No more replies please, you beautiful people.]

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[freya spends an embarrassingly long time trying to find that little symbol on her tablet keyboard before giving up and focusing on the actual important conversation going on.]

You might think so, Brian, but—there is. Listen to Tim.

[she says that very quickly, definitely projecting a little. Brian was already creeping her out, but she sees a new, terrible side to how he's acting, now. Her heart aches suddenly for Tim, too—she knows this whole amnesia struggle too well.]

Tim, that—that happened to you, too?

[she's kind of stalling, asking that, trying to dredge up the details from her conversation with Tim in the hospital. She felt like she was dying then and she feels a little like dying now, so remembering is difficult.]

Not - not exactly. I mean, I've lost some memories, but. Nothing huge. And I'm - I'm still me.

[ Most of the time. ]

But yeah, I've been taken. Not an experience I'd recommend, so. Keep away from the tall thing.

[ He's actively trying to detach himself from all this, thus the unnatural calmness and composure. COPING METHODS!! ]

*This Tim says a lot of silly and confusing things, so he doesn't really listen to him often. Like whatever this weird sick stuff was.*

if it was im pⓍr tant i wⓍuld re mem ber

Brian, that isn't how it works. Important memories get lost with the ordinary ones.

[wow is the theater still open, because the projector's still on.]

And... Tim. "The tall thing"—do you mean that tall monster? That... that won't be a problem. That one's back where we left it. ...I think.

[oh wow do certain monsters follow you?? That would really suck. She really hopes that isn't true, but the little bit of seeping doubt did come through in her voice.]

You can't leave it behind. It's been following me for - for a long time. Jay died and didn't manage to escape it, so.

[ Sorry, Freya, but there's no point in Tim sugarcoating this when it looks like you're already involved. HELLA involved. Hurgh. ]

*Okay, this conversation is getting them nowhere. Tim is clearly convinced that whatever that tall thing was is the Operator, but there's one glaring difference that stands out to him.*

you said it was light
how
what is that

[she heard what u said, Tim, but Brian's is marginally the easier comment to address. And contains less death.]

I don't know. Tim, I—I tried to explain what the tall monster looked like to Brian, earlier. He... I can't explain it any better that that: it looked like it was covered in light. Flickering light.

[she waves her hands, like she's trying to indicate the monster's shape and appearance, or maybe stir up the right description out of thin air. She clenches her teeth and bares them in frustration.]

Tim, do you know what I'm talking about? Like what the videos sometimes show, when someone tries to—to make one of a monster. The "glitches".

Tearing? Static?

Tearing is when - you know, the image splits or fragments, like part of it can't keep up with the rest. Static is the - fuzz, I guess? Like visual white noise.

[ Both of which occur in videos of the thing, but he doesn't remember it happening like that in person. Maybe it wasn't the real one? Some sort of projection...?

Then again, there's a lot he doesn't remember. Who even fucking knows any more. ]

in person
notin video
thatis how itlooked?

the Operator isnot light
glitches only in v i d e o
in your M I N D

[reading Brian's oddly-spaced text makes her head hurt, let alone trying to decipher what he's trying to say, so despite her best efforts, some frustration slips into her voice:]

Oh, Brian, I don't know what you're saying. [and with INSTANT REGRET:] ...Damn it, I'm sorry—I know it isn't your fault. I really am sorry about... everything.

...Yes. Static; that's what I meant. The monster looked made out of that.

He's saying the thing - uh, the Operator - usually has that effect on video footage. Not in person.

He - he's not wrong. So maybe it's not - it isn't the same thing, but like. An extension of it? I dunno.

[ What a good job Tim is here to clumsily translate!! And put forth tentative lil theories. It still has to be related to the thing, somehow. Right? THIS MANY COINCIDENCES CAN'T ACTUALLY JUST BE COINCIDENCE

SURELY

FOR SURE ]

yes, that

*Good thing Tim is translating, something must be wrong with Freya if she doesn't understand him.*

ihave never seen
ex ten sions

*Unless people like him and Masky count?*

[network] @crescent; to die historic on the furry road [open]

it's all good!

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