39 // video/action // c2hlbmFuaWdhbnMh

[40410]

(ooc: Two for the price of one; tag either, neither or both as you desire! But please specify which you've gone for in your tag somewhere. If you're not sure wtf is going on, feel free to check this ooc post.)

39a // videoHere's a video feed of that good old room which some of you might recognise as Alex's. It's dark, but that's actually

Comments

[audio-ish?]

[paper_knight]

An empty feed is always a little odd, and he can recognize Alex's room, which makes it doubly odd. Alex is always in, isn't he?

"Alex?"

It's a quick check in case Alex is somewhere out of the camera's view, or elsewhere with his personal comm. But Mark's nosy and easily worried; he's already heading over.

[video!]

[40410]

Mosa goes quiet for a moment and sits still, in case that voice means food is imminent.

When nobody actually approaches the terrarium, he opens his mouth like a hinge and starts chirping away again, more insistently. It's dinnertime, elusive owner. Serve up.

[action]

[paper_knight]

What, still no Alex? He moves faster. Stairs stairs lots of stairs. Alex why do you live so high up.

[action]

[40410]

Well if you stand on a high floor then Slenderman can't wait wrong series.

Good news, Mark: you won't have to break down the door to get in. Someone's already done that for you, and it's dangling from its hinges in rent splinters.

Beyond it, in the dark, is the silent glass eye of a camcorder on a tripod. Mark is on Candid Camera.

[video]

[timisnotme]

*Shit. Someone going into the forest? That can't be good.*

Uh... Hello? Where are you going?

[video]

[40410]

[ Alex hears a voice and pauses for a moment, looking around for its source. Where's it coming from? The communicator?

He doesn't recognise who's talking; the mask has temporarily torn a new person into him who doesn't know Tim or realise that he's worried. But he turns to look back, and the moonlight reflects off the smooth white curve of his mask. ]

Re: [video]

[timisnotme]

*Tim's stomach drops out when he sees the mask and for a moment he's too stunned to even react.*

Wh--.... you?

*Had the Operator made more? Had there always been more? Had Markus' stabbing rampage really been making more minions somehow? The figure looked far too tall to be Poland but...*

Where are you going?

[video]

[40410]

[ He turns a little further, then walks slowly towards the communicator on the ground, moving like a stutter.

He begins to open his mouth under the mask, but his throat is full of dryness and static and no sound will come out. It shouldn't come out. Speaking is forbidden, and he's not had as much time as Markus to work his way around the rule.

He stands over the communicator and nudges it with his foot. ]

[timid audio]

[41810]

... Alex?

[scaly video]

[40410]

[ The chirping pauses for a moment, then starts again with twofold enthusiasm. Hey. Hey voice, Mosa wants his dinner already. ]

[confused audio ---> concerned action]

[41810]

...

where did that thing even come from.

[J decides to go upstairs to Alex's room and see the haps...]

[locked action]

[40410]

[ The haps include a locked door, funnily enough. A door with a spyhole in it, for all you might be able to see through the wrong end of a spyhole.

But only one lock holds it closed. All the rest are padlocks and bolts, and those are only operable when you're on the inside of the room. Alex is less worried about someone getting in than he is about someone getting him. ]

[RIGHT DOWN TO ACTION!]

[echo_of_utopia]

[ On the one hand there are many places the owner of this empty room could be. The library, the dining hall, perhaps outside or in the kitchen or maybe staying with a friend.

On the other hand this room belongs to Alex Kralie.

Lamb doesn't even bother sending a message. If she finds him she might as well claim that having a friendly surprise chat in one of the tea rooms was part of the plan all along.

And if she doesn't... ]

[YOU DON'T HANG AROUND!]

[40410]

[ She won't find Alex.

She will find a door that's hanging open and has been split by something sharp and heavy, such as, ooh, let's take a wild guess and say an axe. ]

[echo_of_utopia]

[ Well, that's a comforting sight. Lamb waits a moment, making sure she can hear the whirr of her bot close by. ]

Alex?

[ This is not the short version of 'Alex, are you there?'. She has her suspicions on that.

This is an abbreviation for 'Alex, in case you or somebody who is a friend of yours is actually in there, please don't hit me with something sharp and heavy, such as for example an axe'.

She braces herself and steps inside. ]

[40410]

[ She still has the bot! That makes Alex so happy.

Or at least it would were he in the general vicinity, wielding an axe or otherwise.

The crocodile's gone from its terrarium. A cluster of camera wasps is charging on the desk. The drawers of Alex's desk have been rifled through (by two different people now; good lord Alex's friends) and various papers pulled out: papers of scribbled notes and doodled storyboards and printed footage stills with suspicious blurs circled in pen. ]

[MORE ACTION~]

[sadfreezingbrit]

[ Coping with virus-induced insomnia, lesson #329: Take a walk outside. Clear your head. Hope the cold night air freezes your fucking guardian angel right up.

Not included in this chapter: How to cope with the unexpected and somewhat unnerving sight of-- ]

Markus?

[OH BABY I'M GETTING SO MUCH ACTION.]

[40410]

[ Wait, who? Good lord, people tonight and their habit of assigning unfamiliar names to him. Not like when he was a young lad an hour or so ago. People had respect then and only threw their own confusing names around.

Anyway.

He stops walking, and stares straight at Philip, tilting his head slightly in question. ]

[ALL THE ACTION. ALL OF IT.]

[sadfreezingbrit]

[ As a Frictional Games protagonist Philip is only equipped with two ways of coping with danger:

1.) Hide from it in a closet
2.) Walk directly into it

Despite the wealth of closets in Wonderland there has yet to be one of them installed outdoors. So... ]

Hey, what are you doing out here?

[YOU CANNOT HOPE TO BEAT ME IN AN ACTION-OFF. I AM SIMPLY THE BEST THERE IS.]

[40410]

[ ...Telling this man that he can't talk would possibly be useful.

Although if he could he wouldn't have to.

This line of thought is extremely silly. He goes back to regarding Philip, then takes a slow look around at the darkened trees surrounding them, then looks at Philip again.

That counts as an eloquent and understandable response, right? ]