002 - Audio

[iamtetsuo]

[It's time to play the 'who's awake at 1 AM' game! If you're not, Tetsuo's talking softly enough that it might not wake you. If you want to see or answer this later in the day when normal people are awake, feel free, but please specify.]

Everybody's got powers, right? That's why they want us to stick around...

[You can just hear how much he likes that prospect. He all but spits those last two words out like it's a curse.]

So anyway, I'm curious.

How many of you have 'side effects' from them? Anybody know? I know there's gotta be more than one... but it's not all of you, is it?

I - nnghh. I wanna know why that is... why's it only some people?

Comments

[cartesianspidertank]

Is it behind me????

[ Tachikoma looks behind her, looking scared!! ]

Is it invisible???

[ If that's the case better turn invisible too! Tachikoma ducks behind the doorframe and activates her Thermoptic Camouflage, almost perfectly blending into the surface next to her. ]

[iamtetsuo]

[It's about as peaceful as nights get here in Nonah, with a nice breeze drifting through the midnight air and rustling the leaves. All around, there's very little out and about. Somewhere, an owl sounds.

And then there's two more-or-less kids locked in a spiral of scaring each other. Tetsuo screams again for good measure, flattening himself as much as possible against the wall, not daring to move enough to stand up.]

[cartesianspidertank]

[ Tachikoma remains petrified and against the wall! Maybe the invisible monster could see her even if she was invisible better not risk moving!!! But it was pretty bad that she was in human form because she barely had any useful scanners in this form except like smell and she didn't smell anything particularly noticeable its too bad she didn't have like dog smell or something anyway she better call BACKUP.

She hacked into the police dispatch and inserted an APB on the location warning of INVISIBLE MONSTER. ]

[bindsthedead]

[One advantage of being registered? Being able to access the emergency notification system. Upon getting the INVISIBLE MONSTER notice, Sabriel headed over, armor, sword, and bells hastily thrown on, all of her senses reaching out to try to find the threat, with one hand resting on her half-drawn sword.]

Is anyone there? [Her tone isn't particularly threatening, at least.]

[cartesianspidertank]

Tachikoma dropped her cloaking and peaked her head out. "Sabriel! SSsshhhh! There's an invisible monster!!!"

[iamtetsuo]

[Shit. More - people? Things?? There's a little kid that might be a tank that might be a - he doesn't even know. And.. invisible monsters now? God, what was WRONG with him? Was this even real? Or was this all in his head?

FUCK if he ever knows lately. It's just as insane as anything else, it might as well be.

He slowly drags himself to his feet, hazarding a glance out of the house. If nothing else, he's curious, and nothing's actually happened yet.]

[bindsthedead]

Tachikoma? [Heading right over to make sure she's all right.]

What are you doing out here- and what makes you think there's a monster? [Although Sabriel's drawing here sword, just in case.]

Stay close to me.

[cartesianspidertank]

I came over because Tetsuo -

[ She points at Tetsuo ]

- was seeing something strange, and when I came over he saw something outside and screamed, and I can see anything but it's too dangerous to try to change back and try to scan for it!!

[ Definitely too dangerous, not that she's too afraid. ]

[iamtetsuo]

[That's definitely a very weirded out teenager over there, staring at the two. Especially...

He doesn't even know. As the little girl who looks like the tank sounded explains further, Tetsuo straightens up and glares off to the side. Don't blame him for this. This is clearly not his fault in any way, shape or form.]

[bindsthedead]

You're Tetsuo, right? [Sabriel turns to address him, doing her best to seem friendly and approachable despite her armor and weapon. Her free hand is resting on Tachikoma's shoulder.]

What did you see, and do you think it's dangerous?

i'm so sorry, I hope I'm not annoying people by going

[iamtetsuo]

Nothing.

[The problem with hallucinating stuff sometimes is even when it's normal, it can still get to you.]

Hey, wait -- how'd you know my name??

[cartesianspidertank]

You're network tag, duh.

But lower your voice, the invisible monster!!!

[bindsthedead]

[It's not that an invisible monster is impossible- really, after fighting dragons and land sharks and whatever Melkor was, an invisible monster would seem almost normal.]

Tetsuo- can you tell me what you saw? It might be important. Or perhaps you heard something.

[iamtetsuo]

I said it was nothing!

[because the actual answer is just embarrassing beyond words]

[cartesianspidertank]

Do you mean that there isn't an invisible monster or there is one and you didn't see it because it was invisible??

[bindsthedead]

Can we just try to put this together? Tachikoma, did anything make you think there was a monster beyond Tetsuo's reactions?

[cartesianspidertank]

[ Tachikoma thought for a second. ]

Hmm... now that you mention it... no.

[iamtetsuo]

...

[He's resolutely saying nothing]

[bindsthedead]

Tachikoma, what shape were you in when you answered the door? [Because Sabriel is starting to form a theory.]

[cartesianspidertank]

Tank, I think! Although I was in the middle of shifting to human!

[iamtetsuo]

[This is a really nice wall he's staring at. Because - wait, that's actually something he DID see?! He didn't just...

A tank really, truly did ring the doorbell.

...

FUCK AMERICA AHG]

[bindsthedead]

Tachikoma, that might have been... alarming for someone who doesn't know you.

I really don't think there's a monster, just a misunderstanding. Right, Tetsuo?

[iamtetsuo]

......

It's a goddamn tank! The hell was I supposed to do?!

[cartesianspidertank]

But I even transformed on the Network before I came over???

[ It shouldn't have been a surprise??? ]

[bindsthedead]

Tachikoma, sometimes people take longer to get used to these sorts of things. I'm sure Tetsuo is very sorry for scaring you like that. [And Sabriel sheathes her sword, since there clearly isn't much need for it.]

Aren't you, Tetsuo?