animus_network | [004 ★ text]

You know what, I am so sick of this. Completely sick of this!! And look at me, repeating myself and using multiple exclamation points (two!) like a rebel. Because I am a rebel!

I'm tired of all these embarrassing personal incidents. When they aren't embarrassing, they're deeply horrifying and disturbing. I just want regular old test taking anxiety again! I want worrying about whether Anya is going to ask Giles if he has a new orgasm friend yet in public! And all that demon stuff, even that was familiar.

But here it's like, oh, here's that troll kid I'm friends with and he got his arm torn off. Here's me turning myself into a troll and going creepy stalker over Aradia. (Which by the way, oh Goddess am I sorry for and eternally mortified about.) Or here's me picking up the bloody scraps of the clothes of the double of someone I'm friends with!

And don't tell me I'm using too many of's there, I told you I'm a rebel today! I just want my test taking anxiety back, darn it. I'd even take worrying over when I'm going back to college, and that was a lot of worrying.

... Okay, whining done. End whining. In other news, who's still having wacky collar-induced sickness and power-tampering shenanigans? Cause frankly I'm finding this really worrying and I want to get to the bottom of this.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I did not mean to imply that you were- simply stating that doing so would be ill-advised.

But the logical first step in doing all of this is speaking about it in person, at the very least. Not on these computers.

Well... I agree with you there.

Do you really think speaking in person would make a difference? I just assume they're stalking us no matter how we're talking. Unless the tower people stalking us isn't what you're getting at.

No, that is what I meant- I am not certain as to the extent to which they monitor our conversations outside of these consoles. I simply assumed it would be easier to misdirect in person than in a written or recorded medium.

...perhaps discovering how much they can hear is something we should work on.

That's not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how to go about it. We'd need some way to check what they did with the information, which basically means we'd need a way to contact them. Or at least hear from them. Something.

I know of one case where they've retaliated against sabotage, but that was an actual act, and a definite one. They kept the retaliation just to the people involved.

... Or I could work on my hacking project, I guess. I could also theoretically find out that way.

What about those broadcasts from before. With the boy?

[Those might be traceable, right?]

Hacking? I could ask Jin if he is willing to assist you.

[She doubts he will be, but it doesn't hurt to ask. He might just be bored enough, after all.]

I saw those, but I'm not sure what to make of them. It just feels like the plot of an 80's horror movie. If we really want to see how much they're listening, we'd have to set up some kind of test -- something that would provoke them into responding. And that sounds... dangerous.

[Not that she's unwilling, but Willow is somewhat doubtful about wanting to take on so many risks.]

Who's Jin? I have someone that offered to help me hack already, but the more the merrier!

If that is what is necessary, I would not mind being part of the bait.

[Death ain't no thing to Stregafam, bro.]

Jin is a... teammate of mine. From my world. He is very good with computers.

Are you sure? You have some way to defend yourself, right?

Oh, well, if you like him he can't be that bad. Go ahead and ask! We can put a little hacking team together.

Of course I do.

You misunderstand. Jin can be quite awful- but if it if to his benefit, he will help.

Well, good. I wouldn't want to throw you into the fire, even if you volunteered.

No offense, but do I really want to work with him if he's going to be awful?

I would volunteer regardless. If I have to die, it is not like I'm afraid.

I can talk to him, if you'd like.

[He's really not too much worse than Sollux he just... hates everything.]

Maybe you aren't, but I am for you. I'm not exactly filled with faith in this resurrection system.

I'm thinking that'd work out better, as he's your teammate and all. Thanks, Chidori. We'll figure something out from all this.

[Yes, but Sollux is a bitty child and Aradia's boyfriend. Willow was predisposed to think he was adorable.]

Even without that. I don't mind it.

It's no trouble, though I may have to direct him toward you regardless.

[Wow that's discrimination just cause he's not dating an adorable trollgirl..!]

Well... maybe you should. Death isn't fun even if you come back. I have that on good authority.

No, that's okay. It's important that we find some answers. I wouldn't mind talking to him.

[Sorry, but roomies get unashamed bias.]

I am more than prepared to face it, no matter how fun it may or may not be.

Very well- I'll speak to him as soon as I can, then.

[R u d e]

I'll keep it in mind because we can't afford to ignore anything, but I don't want to see you get hurt.

Thank you!

It's your decision, in the end.

No trouble at all.

It's partly your decision, too. I'm more of a sidekick type. But I'll let you know when I have a plan, and we can decide together what we're doing.

Alright. I will wait until then. In the meantime, good luck with finding out something else to use against the tower, I suppose.

[004 ★ text]

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