animus_network | ☿ // 005; [text]

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☿ // 005; [text]

[This message flickers onto the network late at night, once Waver's had a chance to both check his mail and read the book delivered to him.]

Who the hell left that in my mailbox.

I am not playing games. I am not remotely pleased. If I ever find out who you are, I'm going to throttle you. And if it was an administrator, I'll do much worse than that.

[Waver didn't linger on the network for very long after posting; he eventually stormed off carrying the book in question and wearing a disturbingly calm expression.]

[action; floor fifty-five]

[Why was there an incinerator here and could it possibly come to life and kill him? Who cared? Certainly not the Clock Tower's favorite professor. Who, by the way, to be slowly coming apart from 'tranquil fury' to just plain fury as he threw his newly received book into the incinerator as hard as he could.]

Fucking tower. [He reached up to something at the level of his collarbone--a pendant hidden under his shirt, apparently. Satisfied it was still there, the magus lowered his hand and turned sharply to head back to the dorm floors.]

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I know, I know. I just...I let it get to me more than I should have. I'll be alright, Diarmuid.

[He laughed bitterly against Diarmuid's shoulder.]

If it was Jason, he's a half-assed writer.

Well, it is his month in charge and he's plenty angry with us. Why not, right?

[Now that they are standing close to each other again, Diarmuid reaches up to lightly stroke Waver's hair like he had before.]

We both let the items get to us more than we should have, but considering they were directly aimed at our weaknesses, it shouldn't be surprising. I can't help but wonder if he is trying to weaken everyone up for his monthly experiment. It's due to start soon. We should probably be extra vigilant.

...right. [Waver took a deep breath, voice steadying as he finally managed to calm himself down.]

We just have to remember he's trying to play games with our heads and not to let him start practically renting out space in there.

Easier said than done, though I do have a bit of information that might help with that...

[Thankfully, since they are standing so close together, Diarmuid can keep his voice low enough that it probably won't be overheard by anyone or anything watching.]

It's said someone who went down with the infiltrating groups actually saw what Jason looks like underneath the image he usually shows us. Have you hear about this?

...the hell do you mean 'what he looks like'.

[Oh goddammit.]

Don't tell me this glamour bullshit applies to them too.

You didn't already assume that?

[Diarmuid gives Waver a curious look.]

I think deep down I kind of figured that was the case and I know others did, but yes, they apparently are hiding behind glamour images just as much as we are. Which makes me wonder if it is for the same reason we are--to retain a facade of normalcy while trapped in a body that isn't their original one.

Though if what I was shown and told is the truth, their bodies are much more...customized than our are. At least, Jason's was. Of course, that only makes sense considering they are the ones in control here.

It makes logical sense, but I hadn't considered it. Whether that's because it hadn't occurred to me or I didn't want to...your guess is as good as mine.

[Waver sighed, repressing a shudder.]

I'm not even sure I want to imagine what kind of Lovecraftian nonsense we're dealing with.

I can't say that I blame you.

[Diarmuid shuts his eyes for a moment, drawing to mind the picture the Xion had showed him. As he does, he has to hold back his own shudder.]

Six long mismatched arms that look like he scavenged them from corpses and stitched them to his body, the face of what the Grail tells me is called a plague doctor, skin that was obviously applied to the face as an afterthought...

His eyes, though, they seem very human and very out of place. I have to admit, I was a little surprised to see such human eyes on something so obviously not. It just makes me wonder all the more of these bodies are not their original ones.

A goddamned plague doctor, are you kidding me?

[Stepping back slightly, Waver pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.]

You know what, you're probably right. There's no telling what the rest of them really look like.

Yes, the long bird-like beak is kind of hard to mistake for anything else though from what the Grail tells me it is usually a mask not the person's actual face.

[He laughs a little sadly.]

Somehow...it seems fitting. I am a little afraid to think of what the others might look like. Especially Ruana.

Sounds right--they were fairly widespread around the seventeenth century, if I'm not mistaken. As for why Jason would look like that, I'd guess 'sick joke' or 'cruel irony'.

[Either way, it was unsettling.]

...That's if she's even something we can comprehend at all.

Perhaps she looks like Ismene? How's that for nightmare material?

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

I wonder...do you think Zo actually looks like a child?

God forbid. That's the last thing I bloody need.

Waver paused--actually that was a pretty good question.]

If they're all some similar level of existence, whatever that might actually be, it stands to reason they all look different than we expect.

Different from what we expect and different from each other I expect as well. Jason's body seems like something he modified to help him work better. I wouldn't be surprised if the same applies to the others as well.

[Diarmuid shrugs.]

I suppose it doesn't do us much good to guess right now. We have no way to know until someone else is unfortunate enough to run into one of the Administrators while the glamour systems are down.

I don't know many stupid enough to try.

[Diarmuid frowns.]

I know a couple who are...I wouldn't say stupid...but reckless enough to try and find out. That is why I'm not exactly spreading this information everywhere. The person originally talked to was going to do that anyway. I think I can afford to be a little more selective about who I tell...

[He suddenly looks uncertain.]

That's okay, right? It's not bad I'm withholding information, is it?

No, that might be the smarter thing to do. I'm not against a fair handful of people knowing, but telling every other idiot is bound to end poorly.

Too many people act without thinking. Sometimes it works out. As much as I hate to say it, it seems like those boycotts did, but I expect we just got amazingly lucky with that. The moment we start thinking those kind of actions are the only way to accomplish anything...

I said before that if that worked it would be a freak chance and dumb luck, and I stand by the fact that it was. Reckless shit like that is going to get us all killed god only knows how many times.

It worries me how willing some are to throw away their lives just because they can come back. What happens if Jason decides to stop placing people back into their bodies? Or what happens if they decide to permanently kill one of us? We don't know the full range of their powers. It's entirely possible that true death is something they are just waiting to spring on us at the right moment.

People simply don't like to consider consequences sometimes.

And some of us can't not consider them.

[Diarmuid sighs, shaking his head.]

Do you think there is a reason beyond Jason being a jerk that he sent those items out to people?

There could be something behind it, but I don't know. I'd just as soon assume it's his way of playing sick little mind games.

I'm sure you're right. We all know that this month isn't going to be a good one. This kind of childish act shouldn't be surprising. I don't know why I keep looking for a deeper meaning.

[He pauses a moment before suddenly switching the topic.]

Have you heard anything about what caused the explosion in the elevators that he was so angry about?

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☿ // 005; [text]

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