.01 【voice】

[lightburnt]

[There's some shuffling around as someone new tries to figure out how the communicator works.]

Ah, what's this? Is it some kind of telephone? It doesn't quite look like one, but it might be... Can't see what else it could possibly be. Mm...

[And she begins to speak into it directly.] Excuse me, but is this contacting anyone? I've awakened

Comments

[metalicvirus]

[A low yawn. Alice has obviously gotten Hayden to wake up and face the day.]

Hayden Tenno. You're in Jigoku Apartments, which seems to be... [There is a sudden thud, a lot of cursing, the sounds of something being kicked, and then a ripping noise and the slap of flesh meeting flesh as something can be heard crawling away.] Bloody thing, what has gottten it and it's littermates this week? They're everywhere... [He returns to speaking to Alice.] As I was saying, this place seems to be some bizzare haunted town scene, with people being dropped in from random worlds to serve some purpose here. Keep an eye out, there should be a roll of red tape near you to serve as a ward against these things, though they are in a mood this week... [More thuds, and more sounds that are most likely Hayden slapping tape on them to chase the physical ones out of his apartment so he can reseal his door.]

[lightburnt]

...How odd. I don't know what purpose I could possibly serve to any ghosts or spirits, but perhaps that isn't something intended for me to know, if the rest of the population here hasn't presumably got any idea either.

Some kind of enchanted tape, then? I think I saw some lying around... Ah, yes, here it is. [She frowns, though it can't be seen.] From the sounds of it, Mister Tenno, it's not very effective at the moment. I'll be careful, and hopefully you will too.

[metalicvirus]

As careful as I ever am.

[Which, for Hayden is a strange mixture of not careful enough and perhaps far too careful. He sighs, moving around his apartment] The tape's effective, there's just one on this floor really obsessed with getting the apartment I'm in back, so much so that it burns itself on the tape trying to get me to leave. However, you've come in just when the bloody things have kicked their reactions up to top gear. Usually they don't cause this much trouble, but all of a sudden, everything has kicked into high gear. Must be something big coming, agitating them.

[lightburnt]

Hm... Have you noticed anything out of the 'ordinary' beyond the ghost's eagerness to cause trouble? Other unusual goings on? Magic can do many things, it's good to keep an eye out.

[Voice]

[angelsaysfucku]

[On the other end of the connection, there is the sound of someone moving, then a clearing of a throat.]

Is somebody there? You said your name is Alice, right? I'm An-- [Silence, as the girl speaking pauses.] My name is Laurie, I'm..

I just woke up here, too. I don't know what's going on, but if you hear from a guy named Hayden, he's pretty helpful.

I don't know if anyone told you yet, but I heard not to go out in the fog. Not that I think you would be that silly anyway, I mean.. who would, right? Anyway, I don't have any theories about this place, but.. it's just nice to hear somebody else's voice.

[Voice]

[lightburnt]

Hello then, Miss Laurie.

Yes, I've spoken with Mister Tenno. Helpful's definitely an accurate word to describe him.

I wouldn't be able to walk into the fog anyway. [There's a small, self-deprecating laugh.] There's risks for someone like me that might not apply to everyone else. But I guess the specifics don't matter, the point is that it's safer for everyone if the fog's off-limits, right? Unless someone is strong enough to brave the fog and whatever it might hold... I wouldn't know.

For me, it's nice to hear a voice I haven't heard thousands of times before. Eventually the same thing again and again gets a little old.

[Voice]

[angelsaysfucku]

I owe him a lot, he really helped me out since I got here. Helpful is one word for it, yeah.

... Special risks, huh? I guess we all have some of those, though maybe all a bit different. If this place feeds off of people's fears like I feel it does, then I might have a really special.. [She pauses] ... circumstance looking for me right now.. not a nice thought.. but yeah, off-limit fog works for all of us, I guess. I don't wanna know what it holds, no way I'd go out there.

I guess we're both benefiting, then. It's nice talking with you so far, Alice.

[Voice] sorry this took so long!

[lightburnt]

Feeds off of fear... That's fascinating. A frightening concept, but fascinating. Do you think this because of all the spirits?

When you say looking for you... Is there someone chasing you? I wouldn't think they'd be able to reach you here, unless they too had been summoned.

It's also nice talking with you, Miss Laurie. I'm glad the people here are kinder than I expected.

[petalsofdeath]

This is a place of the damned, howling and knocking at our doors.

[lightburnt]

That description makes this sound like it really is an afterlife, though an unpleasant kind.

[petalsofdeath]

It is unpleasant, but I do not think that we are dead. I don't believe that I am dead, and it would seem that the others who have these little... toys... are alive as well. I have little trust for a creature without one.

apologies for the lateness!

[lightburnt]

Toys? A metaphor of some kind?