ataraxion | (voice.) + (text.)

[First thing to note: Sam's got a killer hangover.

Second thing to note: he's still in the library, nursing his hangover with coffee and scanning through the network out of sheer desperation for something to find. Anything to pass the time, really. It's hours into his work that he finds something that might be familiar. Give him a few hours, a little irritation, and nothing remotely helpful in the remaining library aaaand -- ]

Alright, so get this.

There's a quote put up on a secondary sub-network, and I think it's from our friend with the red face.

[He scooches in his seat, looking over the words.]

"Such is the appearance of black birds." Now -- I can't put my exact finger on the chapters, but I remember in one of my Mythology courses, there uh -- it was a passage. From an old Greek text I read through during one of our big finals in my last year of undergrad. [A sound of frustration, some moosey grumbling about an Essay From Hell. Then he snaps his fingers, brow furrowed.] Pausanias. He, he wrote a big long piece detailing his firsthand point of view of Greece, way back when; I remember using it as a cited work for a few written works in classic greek literature.

[huff scoff first world college boy problems.]

Or -- it could not mean anything at all. Maybe if doesn't even have to do with the actual passage. Or maybe Mr. Smiles just likes to post from super ancient literature for kicks with no rhyme or reason.

I don't know. Anybody got extended knowledge in old Greek literature? I don't exactly have the actual texts around to figure anything out, anyway. Don't know if any of you do, or if it even means anything at all. I can't find anything else besides this, but maybe someone who's better at surfing through the different places around here can do a better job than me dishing out more stuff hiding out.

But then there's more. Something about Scylla turning back?

[He'll just copy/paste the full message from the page.]

SUCH IS THE APPEARANCE OF THE BLACKBIRDS.
SCYLLA TURNED BACK; SHE DARED NOT TRUST HERSELF FAR OUT AT SEA.

And speaking of... this. Who's had firsthand experience with this Red Smiley, anyway? How'd those go? I know it hasn't been all that fun, but any kind of first-hand experience about the guy, I'd love to hear. If it's not too much trouble for you.

[Man, his head is killing him.

......................................................]

Or maybe something a little easier: anybody have any remedies for space hangovers?

((ooc: the first part totally just an ic shout out to the tumblr pages, but see if you can figure it out! characters can ICly figure it out too, if they can figure out all that technical mumbo jumbo and actually find the correct sub-networks and stuff. EDIT: there's more stuff, oops.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[w/e you just don't appreciate good mysteries!!]

No, but maybe its warning us something else is steering us there. Whatever Smiley is.

It's just an idea, though. Could be that it's all just some big random metaphor for something else. I know a lot of people are worried about there being a Charybdis somewhere in this equation.

[ it's true he doesn't he's got better shit to do these days ty ]

I think this entire thing is a big random metaphor for a big random metaphor, rinse and repeat. I've been here for nearly a year and I have yet to get any straight answers from anything.

[ but wait why would you say that. ]

... Charybdis. Like an actual one? [ he'd prefer metaphorical in this case. ]

Then I'm guessing my time here will be just as fun.

[He doesn't sound too thrilled about the whole 'lack of answers' thing.

He'll be a squirdward like you in no time.]

I wouldn't think actual, no. But should we really say something like that can't happen to a place like this? It's seen its fair share of weird. I thought maybe -- wormhole?

[He shrugs. Just braining up ideas.]

But honestly, it's just another random idea people considered. I don't really put much into it, especially since only Scylla was mentioned; no other reference to that scene in the tale. Could be a lot of things.

Hey, you're already doing better than I did, actually. I just got stuck in cyclical conversations about Warholian dinner parties.

[ neal caffrey is not the most legit inside man to have ever. don't make his mistakes, child. ]

They might just mean a real Scylla. [ err. ] Not from the myths, but the ship. The one the pirates were on.

[snort]

Pretty caught up on a measly little pirate ship. This smiley guy.

[Not that Sam really honestly thinks the pirate ship is small pickings. Not if they went to such lengths to murder them all. But even so, for a big ship like this, for the fact that the ship's destroyed, for the fact that the pirates are dead — what's with the honorable mention?]

Why do you think that is?

[ pretty much the same reasons sam's thinking, actually. ]

The so-called Tranquility crew didn't want us talking to the pirates. Or they didn't like that we were, considering their strictly enforced no-hostages policy.

Which might have nothing to do with your network scavenger hunt, honestly, but I'd rather know what they didn't want us to hear.

Yeah. Same here.

Whether we like the answers or not.

[ so maybe he does like you, even if you're creepily bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for someone with a hangover on a murder ship. ]

Josh, by the way. Was there a name in that dissertation, or... ?

Sam.

[His mind stutters on a last name, because he usually doesn't offer a last name; most of the time, it's never his own. Some weird pop culture reference Dean prides himself knowing, most of the time. Since the guy didn't exactly throw his last name out there, it's not something he thinks on for long.]

Good to meet you, Josh. I'm guessing you've been around enough months to start hating conspiracy theories and cryptic audio messages.

You too. And... yeah, enough. Jump ten. I can only imagine how grumpy I'll be when I hit my one year anniversary.

But if you do ever want to spin theories - give me a call. I promise I'll try not to be a Debbie Downer about it.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[Said with a smile about it.]

I'll let you know if I run into anymore creepy mystery-messages.

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