4 - voice

[lackey]

[Mike's first audio network post is a little noisy: there's a busy road somewhere near him and, every once in a while, a small-sounding dog barks.]

Lost another month, last month. Hear 'bout that happenin' a lot. Good thing, though. If you didn't know it was happenin' to other people, too, might start thinkin' that you were goin' nuts. Or that the government was screwin' with you. Or that you got abducted by aliens... After gettin' abducted by the god machine. That'd be somethin'.

Anyway.

I was gonna ask what happened last month, but I figured I could just guess what happened. So, guessin' now.

[He clears his throat, coughs lightly.]

Last month! October? Starts out real quiet, just like it is now. Then, around the middle of the month, the Russians show up. I mean, show up. Like in boats. You ever see that movie with the guys? The guys wearin' short shorts and capes? There were like 200 or 400 of 'em or something. But in the movie, the big enemy army all showed up in boats. The guys look out at the ocean and it's like shit, that's a lot of boats. That's how it was last month. With the Russians.

Then there's a big battle, right? US soldiers and heroes versus Russians. And it lasts like a week? No, two weeks. Two weeks for sure. Total bloodbath. People dyin' all over. The soldiers and you heroes are puttin' up one hell of a fight, but the Russians keep comin'. There's just so many of 'em and it turns out they've got those power-blockin' things?

By the end of the month, they're winnin'. They're winnin' and they're about to take over.

[A pause for effect.]

Why don't they? 'Cause a hero stops 'em. He gets clear of their uh... blockin' things... And this hero has like... You ever see that other movie about the guy with the, uh... knife thing? Full of sand? Magic sand? And that guy could rewind time with his magic sand knife? That's what this hero did. Except like a power instead of a knife. Or maybe he had that knife? Or a similar knife? Don't know if the movie was based on a true story or not. Probably not. Sometimes they do that, they tell you it's based on a true story and they're lyin'...

But yeah. That's my guess. Which means it's not November now, it's still October, and you guys probably only have a couple days before the Russians show up again? Kinda sucks, if I'm right. I'd keep an eye out for those boats if I were you.

video

[dicktate]

It's that time again where all the pretty new faces start showing up. You are all probably confused, but the only thing you have to know is this face, because I am beautiful.

[ Finger frames. He'll give them a second to take it all in. ]

Remember it, because it will be useful for many reasons.

This face belongs to Jinseok Jin--me--and it is important for you to live. Not just because I am very handsome, but I am also one of the imPort Spokespeople, and to everyone who is pretty and lost, I can help you. Together, me and you, one on one. I can make sure you settle well.

Except if you are ugly, then Ana Ramir will help you.

009 ★ Video

[unbreaker]

[School has let out for the day by the time this broadcast goes up. You can tell because Josuke hasn't changed out of his uniform. (Never mind Heropa High doesn't require uniforms. Or the fact that Josuke wears his uniform a lot.) He's seated cross-legged on the carpeted floor of his bedroom which, for those of you who know that it's usually overrun with animals, happens to be curiously quiet today.]

So, uh...

[He raises his right hand and scratches lightly at his chin.]

I guess it's been sort of a while since I had anything to say on the Network? Sorry about that.

[It's really weird thinking he hasn't made a post for a couple of months. Not that he hasn't been around on other peoples', driving them nuts by pushing their buttons. In fact, one of those people is even responsible for Josuke feeling the need to make this post!]

Anyway, I actually got a couple of things I wanna talk about today! First up, Veterans Day just passed...we don't celebrate that back home, but we got Self-Defense Force Day and it's pretty much the same thing. You know, for remembering the people we've lost to wars. I figured since we're fightin' a war and we've had casualties, too—lost people either due to the fighting or the Porter—we deserve a way to remember 'em by. So, uh...I set up a message board for doing just that.

[Briefly, Josuke leans forward to take up his comm and tap out a LINK that soon appears onscreen for everybody to access. The comm's set back down again in front of him, then. Probably on a stack of school textbooks and homework he'll forget to do until five minutes before class Monday.]

If you got people you miss who aren't here no more, check it out. You can say something about 'em, or say what you'd have said if you'd been given a chance to say goodbye.

The other thing is, and it's pretty important, too... [Josuke's eyes narrow, his expression becoming serious.] ...even if Halloween did just pass, there's been more talk of fear lately than I think's healthy for anyone. Especially 'cause there hasn't been as much talk in circulation about how to overcome our fears.

I'm not an expert, but I do know the first step to owning your own fears is not running from 'em. It's not supposed to be easy, so don't get discouraged if at first you feel like it's gonna be impossible. I promise, it's not. Take a look around you and see how many people you got supporting you? A whole imPort community, some of 'em probably from your home. You can do this. And this is how.

[This is it, this is what this post has been building up to.

Josuke's gaze flicks to the side, towards something off screen, and while he tries to keep his expression militant, it's obvious in the arch of his brows and the faint grimace curling his lips that he doesn't want to do this. And why? Well, because he's afraid.

Afraid of the turtle he suddenly scoops up and holds out in view of the camera. Its little feet waggle nonthreatening in thin air and, as its tiny head slowly pokes around from left to right, it's clear that it's trying to make sense of what's going on.]

You just gotta...reach out and grab your fears with both hands. L-like so. And tell 'em, "You don't got me! I got you."

[Because he really looks like he's got this, right? But at least he's trying!]

A-and that's how you do it!

[Now, uh...how does he turn off the broadcast without looking like he's in too much of a hurry to set the turtle back down again? Looks like using his toes will have to suffice!]