08 ⚜ Audio | ID: Anonymous

[restingstitchface]

[His tone of voice is calm, dry and disapproving, and measured from word to word. Dr. Crane is today Professor Crane; and he has the whole network to whom he can deliver his lecture.]

Outside, life goes on. The world falls silent and all you hear is the ticking of the clock. But time is not something only you ignorant folk can conceptualize. There are beings here who are beyond time altogether. They exist outside any point of existence we can imagine; they never began to exist and they will never go out of existence. Some philosophers claim that their divine sustenance of the universe at each moment, their changing from moment to moment, makes these beings temporal in nature.

As humans, we wish that things don't happen in our time, and we wish that our children live to see happier times. And now I'm in here, you're closing your eyes and ignoring the whisperings from the back of your minds and telling yourself those times will come. You don't want to hear that you are in danger of dying, to sleep, to sleep per chance to dream, for in this sleep of death you are scared of the dreams that will come. You cannot face the agony and flee inside your minds.

[A pause. Fear is theatrics, and people will be wondering what he'll say next, he believes. Those familiar with Crane from his therapy sessions can notice a stark difference in what come next. His tone increasingly becomes strident, rasping and sardonic. Sharp as a knife. Cold and unrelenting.]

Well, inside here, the mind holds all the power. You believe that you can break me. You believe that you can ignore me. You believe that you can contain me and laugh at me. But the time I am spending in here is not wasted time. I already know what you'll say; that I'll answer for this; that I won't get away with this; that you won't grant me the satisfaction of scaring you; that I disgust you; that you'll kill me. You delude yourselves that your new Ambassador will keep you safe. You laugh and you joke. Well, I'm not joking. Not today. I have seen such ignorance too many times. Today will be the last.

Before I was thrown inside these walls, I emptied the remains of my toxin into Nonah's transport system. And when the dawn comes, the gas shall be released, and your city shall explode in chaos and violence. Then it shall lie in ruins, from hence I will decide upon the next part of the country where to host my experiment. I will witness my toxin's effects on as many people as I can. Children, adults, intergalactic police, the elderly. You're all the same to me. Within you I live.

I am the Scarecrow, and I am fear.

[The line goes dead.

This is Jonathan Crane's birthday present to himself. Now, does he mean the train that runs through the centre of Nonah? Her buses? Or her airports? It is a mystery.]


[OOC: This message warning of an imminent terror attack is a hoax. Details can be read here.]

Comments

Audio

[112ounces]

[ This is Carl's first therapist. It's chilling, to think back to their first session. How much did he planned to use from Carl's session to hurt others? Or used other people's sessions to to manipulate him? What did he thought when he learned his own patients were in the university? That Carl was there?

He doesn't care. People like Crane don't care. ]

Well. Thanks for the warning.

[ Asshole. ]

Audio

[restingstitchface]

[The reply comes a minute later. His soft, breathless voice punctures the silence; he can't control his fascination. His fascination, mind. Not his state of mind. Though many, he knows, believe he lacks any semblance of one.]

You're welcome. Though I'm simply doing the duty of any citizen by alerting the authorities.

[In a threat over the network. Oops?]

Audio

[112ounces]

You just want to see if anyone made a compilation of clips of people reacting to your . . . alert at the end of day. Reaction videos are all the rage on Internet, apparently.

[ God. Maybe he should stop talking to him. Dad would freak out. ]

[voice]; ID reads Kaitou KID

[tuxedo_magician]

Ah.

I wondered when you show up again.

text

[restingstitchface]

Boo.

Speaking to someone for the second time can be as difficult as the first. Fortunately, I can help you with that.

[voice] wow, English what are you even.

[tuxedo_magician]

Ah, getting into the spirit of the season, are we~?

You speak as if I have trouble conversing with others.

private; voice

[walkingballpit]

[Robbie's voice is tight, strained. It's the mention of children in the list of people that Crane doesn't care if he hurts that really affected him. ]

If we don't stop it - and that's a big if - I hope someday it hits you, what you've done. I hope you feel the weight of it squeezing down on your lungs with every breath you take.

You could have taken the time in the monologue to be more specific about, you know, where the toxin is. How to stop whatever device activates the release. Drawn out a handy map so that I don't have to spend the next 24 hours wandering through abandoned subway tunnels.

voice; Crane can't do private, cause he's a criminal

[restingstitchface]

Yes, I could have. But where's the pleasure in that? It's more thrilling to watch you running through those tunnels like rats, knowing you can't stop it.

Like it's your decision to go crawling through those frightening spaces, it's mine on when I wish to speak.

[Deal with it.]

voice; I'm stupid - but luckily so is Robbie sometimes.

[walkingballpit]

The odds of me figuring out how to disable a bomb without blowing myself up are pretty slim. What if I promise to broadcast the attempt live for your, ahem, enjoyment?

...also, cut the crap. You're either a real shrink or you do a good enough impression to know that I don't decide to try and save people. Just like you don't decide to fill open spaces with your stinkbombs from hell and to brag about it. It's a compulsion. Don't try to make yourself sound any better when you'd be thrilled if the endgame was another Stamford.

text;

[textualhealing]

You know telling us what you're gonna do before you do it is some obvious trolling. And also really dumb.
How is no one else pointing this out yet?
Obvious troll is obvious.

text;

[restingstitchface]

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.

This is no forewarning, Jeff. This is foreshadowing.

You know what, when and where the toxin is. Except uncertainty sets in to rot. None of this is real? How can you say that? The future hasn't begun. Yet, you're bright enough to notice the obvious, at least. How good for you.

text;

[textualhealing]

Yeah except this is less a build up of suspension and more like a guy cheerfully saying 'hey, duck, i'm gonna punch you' and then you duck and he misses.
It's not even threatening.

video

[viced]

You don't think we're not going to be able to handle this better this time around?

permatext

[restingstitchface]

Nope. Third time's the charm. Of course, that's if you believe in superstition.

permavid

[viced]

I don't.

So I think you'll be surprised.

video

[mousquetaire]

[ Dear God. Is there much that this man loves more than the sound of his own voice? ]

The Scarecrow. Do you know the thing about a scarecrow, Crane?

[ His expression is set, taut. He hasn't lost charge of his temper, but it's nipping at the edges of every word. Scorn sits with them. He hates this man, and it shows. How badly it shows. ]

They don't work.

Oh, for the first weeks, they do. The crows will stay away from your fields, away from your crops. Your farm will be free. But the longer it's there, the longer it stands to do its work, the less effective it is. Crows are smarter than you'd credit them. They start to see it for what it is. They see that it's not a man, not really. It's just a puppet. Just a stick, dressed in old clothes and full of straw. It won't keep them from the fields.

Eventually, they'll even start to sit on it. It's not a thing that scares them, it's a perch where they can take their rest. The more used to it they get, the less frightening it is.

[ He leans forward, eyes dark and acute. ]

Do you really think we're not ready for you? You've stood too long among us, Crane. We all know what you are, now.

[ And despite those brave words, he will be making all haste towards Nonah. What he says is no good at all, if he can't back it up. ]

Audio

[restingstitchface]

[Considering the amount of times he's tilled a cornfield, and seen the damage birds, vermin and insects inflict on crops, D'artagnan's words are meaningless. He sits with his left leg crossed, and his hands on his knee. If he had his mask here he would switch to video. So he wields his voice like a knife.]

Stood amongst you? No, I've never hidden what I am. You've just never been bright enough to grasp the concept. A simple mind thinking in simple terms. A scarecrow is more than a hay-man nailed to a cross in a field, you know. The cross is the symbol of the crucifixion. They represent the harvest, and they embody the cross-cultural fear of a blighted yield; the fear of starvation if the crows eat the harvest.

You claim you're not scared, and that's ok. Humanity as a whole is deluded. Say familarity breeds contempt, if you like; I welcome such candor. It doesn't matter, either way. I know where you're going. You're frightened of eating your words, are you not?

[voice]

[goingnova]

...is this some kind of joke?

permavoice

[restingstitchface]

It's no joke, I assure you. You know who I am and you know what I can do.

Text ID: Anonymous

[followorders]

What gas?

permatext; I'm sorry he's a cocky asshole

[restingstitchface]

My toxin. My creation.

My tool.

... You can discover the details by parsing for relevant news and discussion. Research is a valuable skill. I suggest you utelize it.

[Do you even read, bro?]

video;

[angelfire]

A gift to yourself, Jonathan?

[ Or a sacrifice? Who can tell. But it's interesting, that first part. Crane could be as much talking about himself, but he can taste the effect of the dream they'd shared in his words. ]

I am quite starting to worry about you. All this merrymaking will only get you in more trouble. [ And what use will you be to me then? ]

text

[restingstitchface]

Well, I'll try to be on my best behavior. But everyone knows how intelligent I am, and there is so little to do here...

[He needs that buzz!]

I refuse to be bored when there are so many fascinating people. It's not like I can vacate my cell and walk among the people here. So I did what I do. They're the ones choosing to run around like vermin.

[Don't tell him to pack his toys up. He's bored :| ]

text; from Bruce Wayne

[chiroptophobic]

The same again? Really?

permatext

[restingstitchface]

Ah, Bruce Wayne. One of the slower members of this community.

You speak of my work as though it's lacking the necessity of spontaneous change. But isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves? My toxin is an instrument to be used. A craftsman never discards his hammer.

Now, I tire of your pointless jargon. By chance you find a brain somewhere in that Ivy League education of yours, I'll be happy to speak to you again.