TWENTY SIX: VIDEO

[puppydogeyes]

[ The feed opens on the familiar view of the security offices, and the possibly very familiar view of Tyke looking really annoyed. Though central on the video, there are two young men stood behind her, one looking particularly sullen, the other sheepish but friendly. ]

For any of you newer to the ship, my name is Tyke, I'm head of security. I'd give you the usual rundown on what that means, but we've got more immediate shit to deal with. It's been reported that there's a creature called a boggart loose on the ship.

[ She says 'report' and 'boggart' half incredibly unimpressed, half irritated. ]

This boggart shouldn't pose an urgent threat, but it's still gonna be trying to freak people out.

[ At which point she decides she's not the one that should be explaining the details of weird magic monsters, and steps back enough to nudge Remus more fully in front of the camera.

He knew it was coming eventually, but Remus still gives Tyke a startled look, then Draco an expectant one, shuffling to the side to make more room for him in the frame. There's a long second before Draco moves an inch in a helpful direction, his expression stormy and focus cast past the camera lens like he's ignoring it as Remus addresses the network. ]

It's a nonbeing--a nonhuman spiritous apparition. It can't hurt you-- [ is a lie told out of the impulse to be reassuring, followed by a mild grimace and swift correction. (And a cynical glance aside from Draco.) ] It won't kill you. It might hurt you. We're very sorry about all of this.

It will appear as something that frightens you. Whatever you see, it's not real, but it is corporeal. And amortal. You can't kill it. Get away from it, and let one of us know where you saw it. If we can pin it down somewhere, we can take care of it.

[ No they can't. ]

It will help if you stay in pairs or groups. If it's trying to scare more than one person, it might make mistakes.

You might get lucky, [ because Draco had to chime in eventually. ] If you're a-- if you're non-magical, you'll probably be too dense to see it as anything but a figment of your imagination. 'course, maybe not now.

It'll probably be found in dark spaces, you know, waiting in your wardrobe or under your bed, or in the bathroom before you turn the light on, or--

[ Remus steps on his foot--placidly, but not very subtly. Not interested in letting anymore wizard squabbling get played out on the network, Tyke neatly steps in again. ]

We'll be working on containing and dealing with it. Stay in your rooms unless necessary, report any sightings, and keep your heads level.

[ The last thing she wants is real passenger on passenger harm done because of this thing stirring people up. To her side, Remus tightens his mouth in a way that's half smile and half wince, like well there you have it, and glances at Tyke to check for permission before he shuts off the feed. ]

[[ ooc: blue is tyke, red is remus and green is draco! ]]

Comments

voice.

[darkart]

How long has it been on the ship?

[ This is probably only the second or third time Severus's voice has been heard on the network, and definitely the only time he's used it on purpose outside of a lock.

To say he sounds tense and irritated would be a hilarious understatement, so let's go with that. ]

voice.

[sidewinding]

Lupin's had it since jump thirty-four.

[ Meekness or guilt are cleanly eradicated from his voice, although that just sort of leaves him sounding hollow and a bit petulant. Already.

Special emphasis on this number, though. And name. ]

video;

[capsize]

So we're just meant to hide until you've dealt with it?

[ You being a bunch of squabbling idiots, as far as he can tell. ]

video;

[puppydogeyes]

[Just ignoring the wizards for a moment, even as she looks really unimpressed at Hook's comment.]

You gonna tell me you know how to handle something like this?

video

[overdraws]

[ Allison's cutting to the chase, here. ] I can expand my patrols if you need me to, ma'am.

video

[puppydogeyes]

[She nods, though it's less expanded patrols and more:]

We'll be doing dedicated sweeps til we find it.

[A beat.]

You don't have to call me that.

video;

[bespectacle]

What sort of counterspells have you tried? Have you made contact since or during the scape?

[Harry doesn't necessarily look like he is watching the raging exchange between his fellow wizards and witches on the other thread, but his expression looks kind of complicated!! so maybe there is that

intimation.]

video;

[sidewinding]

Gonna save the day again, are you?

voice

[alsohawkeye]

If we [ she mimics Draco's awkward little pause because it was so charming ] non-magical people do run into it, what's the best way to handle it?

[ She actually knows the answer to this already but apparently some people are getting touchy about who knew what when so she'll just focus on getting out useful facts and try not to make it any worse. ]

voice

[fullmoon]

[ Hello actually-welcome voice. Remus sees what you're doing and appreciates it. ]

The same way you would handle whatever it's imitating. It will follow the script, so to speak. You can beat it back. You just won't be able to kill it, and if you stick around too long it might change into something worse.

[kutte]

Are those your experts? [ SKEPTICAL NGL. ] What're you putting our chances at?

[puppydogeyes]

Same world.

[And she's relying on that for the moment, as much of a mess as they're making squabbling with each other.]

Thing's interested in fear. We keep steady, don't start freaking out so much we're turning on each other, should be decent.

[She isn't ignoring the chance the ship's made it worse than what Remus has told her. She's just not leaping to it without evidence.]

voice.

[wiped]

How are you going to "take care" of it?

[ this is video but lbr the air quotes are right there in his tone. ]

voice.

[sidewinding]

Probably stuff it in a bureau again.

[ That particularly lazy drawl gives a distinct air of not giving a fuck, but he's doing his bit. Answering questions. Good citizen Draco Malfoy. ]

[altercate]

Hurt us how?

hi derek sorry about your baseline humanness

[fullmoon]

The same way whatever you're afraid of would.

[ He's so sorry. But also nearly always cool-headed, so it might be hard to tell. He does rub a temple, though. ]

It can copy—physical harm, of course, and magic, at home. I don't know if something from our world would be able to imitate magic from someone else's.

[ Spoilers: yes. ]

[puppydogeyes]

[Switching to text so no one can hear it in her voice, but the sudden worry is still evident in her expression as she types.]

Just stay in your room.

( audio )

[pushfall]

[ Let's get to what really matters here. ]

In the bathroom before you turn the light on. Seriously?

private.

[darkart]

Don't bother, you're not going to get anything useful out of any of them.

voice ;

[50000volts]

Are you fucking kidding me?! I was just about to report a manticore sighting outside Comms! So it was this boggart thing? [ Darcy is clearly still panicked, and practically shrieking when she gets to her sticking point: ] It was definitely trying to kill me!

[ And yet she is definitely not dead. Or even at least ripped partially to shreds, and there's no reason she shouldn't have been. Whatever, it was terrifying. You go deal with that!

After taking a moment to calm herself, she continues. ] Ryuuzaki, if you can hear me... [ There's a note of hesitation, a breath of resolve audible over the line. ] Please report in.

voice ;

[sidewinding]

Where is it now?

[ There is sort of a hungry edge to his tone. It's become kind of a competition, and he's going to win.

And Merlin knows he wants out of this room. ]

voice;

[doggedly]

Thanks for the information.

[very cool because it's just a boggart.]

Malfoy's checked all the toilet for us, then? That's good. I was in the gardens, not much to report, but I s'ppose I'll get back to it.

voice;

[fullmoon]

All but the ones on the first floor, it seems.

[trusted]

Something lurking in the corridors trying to freak people out. Huh. Anybody told it that schtick's gettin' old?

[fullmoon]

Originality isn't really one of its priorities.

video.

[milagros]

( congratulations, draco, you're about to introduce the ship at large to a side of dr gallo not previously witnessed aboard the tranquility-- it is obvious now, if it wasn't before, that any steadiness in her usual manner is just her actual mood, because there is nothing subtle about her incredulity or her immediate, perplexed anger. she has watched the initial broadcast, she has flicked through the subsequent discussions, and someone is in trouble. )

You set it loose, Draco?

( did you know that dr hardass could do the mom voice. you do now. )

voice.

[sidewinding]

Yes, I set it loose.

[ He doesn't give a video feed in return, on the move, sounding harried already even without highly unnecessary questions sent his way. The wind bristling the microphone sensors implies he must be moving very swiftly. ]

It wasn't meant to run rampant for weeks on end.

audio

[fade_away]

It's a Fearling?

[He hasn't dealt with them personally yet but he knows what they are. Because of course there's something from his world that matches that description fairly well.]

audio

[fullmoon]

That's not a word I've heard anyone use for them, but if a Fearling is what it sounds like, they might be similar.

voice; private to tyke (he's learning!)

[judex]

I could remove one of the blonde one's fingers for every hour they fail to find it.

[ Just an offer. ]

voice; private

[puppydogeyes]

[The fact this is voice at least gives Taylor a second to school her immediate what the fuck expression.]

Pretty sure the pain'd be more distraction than we'd want.

[And that Remus and Sirius wouldn't find the safety of Draco's fingers to be sufficient motivation.]