03 | video

[fistofthejoestar]

[Jonathan looks uncharacteristically...troubled? harried, at the very least, as he turns on the communicator. maybe it's because he was slumming it up in Maurtia Falls in the middle of the night with a recently crazy grandson before dealing with whatever this problem is. who knows.]

I'm sorry to trouble the entire network with such a petty question, but I'm afraid I really don't know a better place to ask. I'm trying to locate a...Doctor Hannibal Lecter? Or someone who knows him, at the very least.

[this is said with a small measure of uncertainty, both at the impropriety of the whole thing and...well, he'd done a little poking around the guy's communicator to try and find his address, and he's not entirely sure he wants to meet him. also there were apparently several versions of him that have been in the city? awkward.]

I suppose there must have been some sort of mistake at the post office, or he perhaps once lived here at some point, because I received his communicator in the mail today. It's not the sort of thing that people should be without for long, so I'd like to return it as soon as possible.

[another pause, this one out of chagrin that he doesn't have anything less obnoxious to add to this whole thing.]

Thank you for indulging me.

[close enough.]

Comments

video;

[handwringing]

It was sent to you in the mail?

[That doesn't seem right. After a communication from "Hans" appearing on the network, Elsa is seriously starting to worry about what happens to communicators after people leave.]

I suppose there wasn't a return address?

video;

[fistofthejoestar]

No, there wasn't. It was - ah, just a moment.

[he stands up and walks out of the camera view, before returning shortly with the wrapping that had enclosed the mystery comm. he balances it gently on his knees so that Elsa can see it quite clearly - no return address to be found.]

I assume someone had found it and was attempting to return it without really knowing where he lived.

video;

[handwringing]

Hmm, that's strange. No note or anything?

[She taps her chin.] I didn't know the man, so I can't say if he's here or not. I hope you find him and are able to return it, though. And if not... it would probably be good to keep it safe, just in case.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Hannibal...is?

[someone knows this story from a helpful mortal.]

[fistofthejoestar]

[it takes Jonathan a moment to parse this response, mostly because he isn't sure if he's asking him a question or making a statement. Hannibal is what? he doesn't know, man.]

Perhaps? I'm afraid I've never met the man, so I can only relate what I've seen on this network.

[slightlyoffchilt]

My seer has informed me that he is a god of murder. Whatever chalice of his you have found, I suggest you demonstrate caution.

video;

[andaway]

[Clark frowns, pushing his glasses up before he speaks.]

So it was sent to you on the mail? Who sent it, do you know?

video;

[fistofthejoestar]

I really don't have the faintest clue. There wasn't anything inside except the communicator, and - [a brief flicker of the video as he moves it to show the neatly arranged (and return address-less) wrapping he's kept nearby since showing Elsa]

I imagine it was someone who also didn't know him trying to return it however they could.

video;

[andaway]

Maybe... but now that you mention it, we don't really know what happens to them when we leave, do we? The communicators just stop replying but are they stashed somewhere, or simply reused?

Have you tried posting anything from that communicator?

text

[gevurah]

[ After Abigail revealed certain horrors, this catches Kate's immediate interest. ]

He isn't around anymore from what I've heard.

Was it specifically mailed to you?

video

[fistofthejoestar]

[sorry Kate, he's too tired to play grandpa with the text. video's probably smarter in his end anyway, considering the communicator and all.]

He isn't? I don't mean to doubt you, but are you absolutely certain? This communicator still functions.

[his mouth flattens into a line, obviously troubled by the news]

It doesn't have my name on it, no, but it was with the rest of my mail when I took it inside.

[video]

[yatagarasu]

You got one too? Mine belongs to a guy named Captain Harlock...

[video]

[fistofthejoestar]

Is that so? [the plot thickens, it seems] I don't suppose he seems to be any more present in this world than Doctor Lecter?

voice;

[infomodder]

[Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope. No. No way. He's not here. Will refuses to believe it, and that's easier when he, too, got a communicator that is not his.]

Doctor Lecter hasn't been here for a few months. [Will's voice is definite, the final verdict. He knows.] And you can add me onto the list of having received a communicator.

[That part he sounds somewhat baffled by.]

video;

[fistofthejoestar]

[the man's tone is quite certain, and Jonathan faintly recognizes it as someone who spoke with the doctor during his guilty perusal of the guy's conversations. even if it makes this all the most mystifying, he's willing to accept that answer.]

That makes at least three of us that I know. If they aren't lost, I can't imagine what point they're meant to serve. I certainly didn't request this.

[gluestick]

Return it to the post. Isn't that what you do in these sort of situations? [He has like... vague recollections that that is what you do, but he's not certain.]

[fistofthejoestar]

I would, but there's no return address on the package. It wouldn't have anywhere else to go.

[and this is some guy's communicator, although apparently this guy is no longer here. it still seems wrong to simply throw it back into the abyss.]

[altercate]

Was there a return address?

[fistofthejoestar]

No, or anything in the package aside from the communicator.

video.

[selfequipped]

Hey, a couple of strange questions, but bear with me.

Does it still connect to our network?

And can I have a look at it? I have psychometry. [So, maybe she can do something with it.]

video.

[fistofthejoestar]

There's nothing strange about them at all. [he smiles softly] It does connect to the network, yes - I've been able to access all of his posts, and I imagine I could comment with it as well if I was inclined.

You're more than welcome to come inspect it, if you like. I'm interested in clearing up this whole thing if it's possible.

text

[heavyhitter]

yeah fat chance we all know u stole that shit

video

[fistofthejoestar]

[he frowns lightly, although doesn't really seem to be outraged by the accusation. possibly because it's from Ramir, possibly because he knows it's not true.]

I'm afraid that I didn't. I can show you the wrappings it came in, if you'd like proof.

video

[youbastard]

[ Someone getting mailed people's communicators is actually a pretty disturbing thought to think about. Ellie's voice has a hint of a quasi-British accent and just a tiny bit of concern can be heard in the tone. ]

Did you try asking the post office about it? To see if they had any sort of idea as to how you could have ended up with something like that? [ A beat ] Can you access everything of his on it? [ There's emphasis on everything. ]

video

[fistofthejoestar]

Yes, everything. [his tone makes it clear he understands the undertone of the question, and it's just as unsettling to him.]

I have someone coming over to use their powers on it, but afterwards I'm going to stop by the post office as well as the government. Hopefully we'll be able to clear things up sooner rather than later.