[ VIDEO ]

[look]

Contact.

[ will sounds like he's giving a lecture when he comes on the screen. he's looking directly into the camera — it's easier to make eye contact with a device. ]

That's the key to all this. If you're receiving foreign sensation, you need to track down the person it originated with and make skin-to-skin contact. It'll stop the side-effects, and eventually — hopefully — break the connection. Doesn't have to be more personal than a handshake.

[ a pause, and he glances down, off-camera, visibly discomfited by the fact that the hand not holding his device is in the grip of another. ]

An... extended handshake. Whatever timer this thing is working on, we think letting go resets it.

[ the screen’s upended as sherlock hijacks the device, settling on his face (at an admittedly slightly awkward angle) a moment later. ]

But in the meantime— I’m sure you’ve all noticed that the physical links are current, unlike the memories, and arguably offer us a great deal more control. Passive sensations are the exception, but if I were to hypothetically hit my hand — as our resident neurologist has demonstrated — then Mr. Graham would feel it. [ and by hypothetically he means he's tested it, several times. ]

In the case of mutual sensations, like, say, holding one’s hand, this creates a unique feedback loop; the sensation of their hand in yours, and yours in theirs, et cetera. [ speaking of hand-holding, holding will’s hand is getting in the way of his usual gesturing; the screen's unsteady as a result. ] While I'm reluctant to test the theory with present company — no offense — I imagine this could apply to other neutral or positive sensations. If one were to engage in sexual intimacy with their link partner, for instance, then the moment of—

[ in another blur of abrupt motion, will takes his device back — and also his hand. no offense. ]

Better reset the clock to zero, Mr. Holmes.

Comments

[invisibilitea]

Oh, I didn't know you knew-

Each...

Sexual intimacy, really? Aren't there children on this ship?

[look]

He lives next door. And is also in my head.

[ and he's not touching the sexual intimacy thing thanks. ]

voice;

[welcome]

A friendly handshake sounds just fine. Especially if it will stop these awful headaches.

nope text forever sorry

[look]

The bleeding, headaches, and insomnia seem to be a side effect of separation. Which begs the question: why did they start well before even the earliest mention of shared memories?

[endureandsurvive]

[Okay this is very informative and all, but--]

omg ur old

[look]

That's subjective.

voice »

[starked]

No shit, Sherlock. [ there's then a bit of laughter that doesn't really stop because wow he cracks himself up. ]

I take that back, no shit Sherlock and hand holding buddy.

text

[look]

Hilarious. Are you saying you already figured this out?

video;

[sweetbreads]

I'd be interested to know whether or not you've observed any changes in your canine companions this month, considering they suffered as we did last month.

I hope Winston is feeling better, Will.

[ He curls his tongue around the name. It's the first time that he hasn't called him 'Mr. Graham'. ]

text. 1/2

[look]

All animals appear unaffected — if they're sharing minds with each other, it's not discernible. If they were sharing minds with one of us, I think someone might have said by now.

text;

[iceboxed]

so there's no way around it?

text;

[look]

Our physical illness upon lack of contact grew increasingly worse. Whether or not it would have broken before it killed us? We weren't able to carry that "experiment" to its conclusion.

voice;

[i_swear]

[So the headache's are getting ridiculous at this point, but like hell does Joel plan on letting anyone cozy up to him just because they've seen inside his head without his permission.]

Yeah, that ain't happening. Any idea what goes down if we keep dodging this shit?

text (...from the same room...)

[endureandsurvive]

wait is that y u look like someone is kicking u in the head? do you have one of these things right now?

[She's gotten pretty lucky with this whole brain trading thing and was kind of assuming he'd been the same way.]

video.

[oikodomae]

[ oh hey someone with answers. gonna casually ignore the whole sex part of that like the good seventeen year old she is... ]

Does it matter where the contact is made? Does it have to be hands or can it be something else?

text.

[look]

Any skin on any skin. We attempted with elbows however connection broke accidentally. Hands easier / impersonal.

text;

[puppydogeyes]

You feel it when it's finished.

[look]

Feel it how?

voice;

[2leftfeet]

As far as I can tell, it takes somewhere between three and four hours of contact for the link to dissolve.

[Her tone's clipped, short. If Asriel hadn't been so dead set on running 'experiments' on the whole thing, her day might've been a lot shorter--]

text;

[virtuoso]

Dissolve = gradual? Anything 2 mark the occasion or simply the absence of the link? B exact, PLS.

[ you want clipped, have some abbreviations. ]

text;

[tinytactician]

Physical contact? With EVERYONE we're receiving memories from?

text;

[virtuoso]

Potentially, but likely only w/links that have physical element 2 transfers.

video;

[coy]

And that's the only way to get rid of them? [ sex with tyler's great by her but there's other people she'd rather not...]

text;

[virtuoso]

[ sorry are you assuming it's just the sex, or. if so, he's barreling right over that. ]

Possibly? Early days. So far seems 2 B that or unconsciousness.

visual »

[unparental]

...how extended are we talking, here?

[ not sure if want. ]

text!!

[virtuoso]

Upwards of 2 hrs.

[ that's as far as they've gotten. totally not sherlock's fault. ]

( voice. )

[overthought]

I'm almost jealous that I don't get to participate with the rest of you.

[but seriously being in someone's head isn't that bad. trust her.]

( text. )

[virtuoso]

Y not participating?

Insomnia?

visual »

[became]

It's an interesting theory.

[ oh like he wasn't gonna troll this. ]

text.

[virtuoso]

Unlikely 2 test it myself NEtime soon, unfortunately.

[ not that he's hoping this isn't a one-time link per person, because it'd be totally silly to hope for more mind melding on the off chance someone somewhere will confirm said theory. ]

video.

[mansuetus]

Considerate la vostra semenza:
fatti non foste a viver come bruti,
ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza!

Follow virtue and knowledge, indeed. I must say, if there are those who have something orientated in me, I would be glad to assist in ending it.

text.

[look]

You speak Italian?

video »

[foreshadowed]

Of course.

[ she has to offer an impish little grin because really ]

Think of the ship not as cruel or unexplained or unpredictable; simply as romantic.

text »

[look]

Love is cruel and unexplained and unpredictable just as much as it is romantic.

text

[jurisimpudent]

Any indication it leads to cessation of effects and not merely relief of them? Have there been any attested cases of the condition being cured?

text

[look]

001 » 011 says the cure comes with positive sensation.

[blasphemous]

If anyone starts humming Rocky Horror songs... [This is really not the ideal situation to be in.]

How did you two figure this out? [Was it teamwork? Did you guys hug it out?]

text!

[virtuoso]

Experimentation.

[ is that too vague. he's leaving it there. ]

text;

[stimulations]

Well, that's a much easier solution than I would've expected. No hidden catch?

text;

[virtuoso]

Not yet.

No violent aversion to human contact?

(TEXT)

[eidetics]

[Someone's dealing with one hell of a migraine right now.]

Fuck this.

[Yep, that's her contribution.]

(TEXT)

[virtuoso]

Valid contribution. That said, still fascinating.

[ he's compartmentalizing like a motherfucker to ignore the violation of privacy, but she's not wrong. ]

voice;

[jilt]

Just how long have the pair of you been attempting to test this?

text;

[virtuoso]

Testing, not attempting.

[ casually doesn't answer the question. ]

[leaps]

Will Graham?

[ sorry sherlock sulu only has eyes for your assistant ]

[virtuoso]

[ wow whatever he'll just spy on your conversation anyway!! ]

[slowest]

No way, that's awesome. Can do. I thought we'd just be stuck with it like last month.

Hey, why does touching work, though?

Is it magic?

text;

[virtuoso]

[ right back to texting, but at least he's typing properly this time. ]

Doubt it. Very loose definition of science, but it still qualifies. Think of symptoms as an open wound; requires stitches in order to properly heal.

[ which very creepily implies one entity instead of two, but he's skipping over the existential issues for now. ]

Find your window?

video; i'm so late dishonor on my cow

[uncurse]

I sincerely hope the last thing on anyone's mind right now is sex with the people digging around in their heads.

[ there's a brow-furrowed look of concern because she'd spent enough time with will in person to get an idea of what wide personal boundaries he's got. and sherlock definitely seemed to shake those up. so while she won't vocalize concern, half her reason for response is an implicit 'r u ok friend.' ]

video; no problem yo

[look]

Depends what's in the other person's head.

[ seriously he's learned some pretty tmi stuff about a woman calling herself irene. ]