[17: video]

[paper_knight]

Mark stands facing the camera, deliberately filming himself. It isn't something he's terribly comfortable with, but he's guessed that he's more approachable this way than as a disembodied voice on the radio. There's a world map tacked to his wall, a box of pins and a ball of yarn at the ready on his desk. He clears his throat and begins, a little

Comments

[timisnotme]

Helena, Alabama.

Don't bother looking it up. Anywhere in Alabama is the same as anywhere else. 2010.

[paper_knight]

He looks it up anyway.

"Helena...London...LA. Thanks, Tim."

[timisnotme]

And since J and Alex won't respond to you because they're busy being hermits in their rooms, they're both from there too.

[paper_knight]

"Heh. Thanks. The Operator too, right? I don't think he's going to be responding either."

[keepshappening]

put one for houston
then set the map on fire
and then take the pin and move it to outside of the realm of fucking reality itself about 12 times through four plus planets

DAVE! =D

[paper_knight]

A moment of stunned blinking.

"All right, Houston. And I'll set your second pin over here with Miss Ivanova's."

Yes, he's already been forced to make an off-the-map category.

"Can you give me a year?"

B)

[keepshappening]

2009

what is mapping out coordinates going to accomplish

[paper_knight]

That's four from 2009-2010 and counting. He unwinds some more yarn.

"I'm just looking for patterns, at the moment. Is there anyone here that you know from home?"

[tagged_tongue]

I lived in LA. I was still living there until I was brought here.

[paper_knight]

"What year were you taken?"

[tagged_tongue]

1997.

[paper_knight]

"Was there a big earthquake in Japan around 1993?"

[reckless_eagle]

My husband and I are like, from 1410. He's Lithuania and I'm Poland, but like, we were traveling from Malbork Castle in the Teutonic Order's land, coming back to Kraków.

[paper_knight]

"Thank you. Seems like you're from quite a while back, by Mansion standards."

Two pins go up on the map, and, because it's been nagging at him, now that he's not fighting off exhaustion:

"I've met your husband. Poland and Lithuania are both countries--not names, as far as I know."

[reckless_eagle]

Well, we are nations. Like... Think of it like being the souls of our people, their identity and memories and values and stuff.

And I'm pretty sure we're like, the earliest.

[paper_knight]

Blink.

Well.

All right then.

"You mean that literally? You're not human?"

ffff "warden yarn" I love you

[40410]

Yeah, he's come across that question before. But Mark's a friend, so he'll - No, well, first he'll check something.

"Is just anyone gonna be able to read that map?"

He even asks it non-confrontationally. You do still remember how to do things non-confrontationally, don't you, Alex?

[paper_knight]

He has to stop and think about that one.

"I can't tell you what the Mansion will decide to broadcast."

Now that it's been brought to his attention, Mark's had his research used for nefarious purposes once before. And he certainly doesn't know everyone in the mansion. After another moment's pause, he snaps his fingers.

"...But I can code my notes."

[40410]

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

Honestly, Alex would code his own if he could be sure of always remembering the key.

"It's... just going on the map, right? Nowhere else?"

That question isn't paranoid. It stems from the perfectly reasonable fact that everyone's out to get him.

[paper_knight]

"It's going in a notebook that I keep on me, too."

Not that it actually keeps it secure, but he's trying, here.

"What's got you so worried? Everything all right?"