013✖; (video)

[circumitus]

[Rey is looking significantly different now than most have seen her prior to the jump. For one, her hair is much shorter, almost pixie-ish, but not so much as cut as it has been growing back. While she has an array of new scars, the most notable one right now would be a nasty-looking horizontal gash across her throat that resembles a knife blade.

[Other than that, she looks no more worse for wear than her last public appearance. But she's not really here to talk about her harsher mien.]

"Other people saw it, right? Outside of the pods at the jump?

"Seems that it's been watching us for a long time."

[She looks away briefly, biting the inside of her cheek, and then back to the screen.]

"Whatever is happening to us, this connection we share... Perhaps it's supposed to help us fight it. Not sure how yet, but if it wants us alone and it can't control us to the point where we have it scared, it'd be nice to think that we've been given more of a fighting chance than the old crew ever had." [Hey, she's at least trying to be optimistic here.] "So maybe we should be learning how to control our link, rather than resist it."

['The clock has stopped.' 'It means the path planned for you is gone now.']

[Taking a deep breath, her eyes close. When they reopen, her expression changes. Even her voice is different when she speaks; suddenly hardened by fortitude.]

"Don't know about you, but I say fuck it. I plan on taking my own path."

Comments

[voice]

[ryuuzaki]

I saw it.

[A statement of fact, but he doesn't sound happy about it.]

I'd ask you what kind of path you have planned, but it might be better not to discuss it here.

[voice]

[circumitus]

Good.

[Rey almost feels bad about being relieved by this news. That it's not just her that its hatred and anger has been directed at. Helps her understand the situation a little more.]

No, possibly not. [Hmm.] Can meet sometime, whenever's convenient.

[voice - private]

[ryuuzaki]

Anytime, within reason.

[There's Darcy to consider, but Bail is looking out for her now and then, too.]

Where are you?

[Video]

[tadashiwashere]

[Tadashi's eyebrows are furrowed in concern when he clicks on his video to respond. He hesitates for a minute, then steels himself and nods, somewhat grim.]

I think so. I thought it was just another nightmare -- what is it, exactly? How did it survive the jump?

[Video]

[circumitus]

Don't know what it is, but it seems to have been responsible for the disappearance of the old crew.

As for how it survives... Have a couple theories.

One, given the nature of its existence here, it somehow isn't affected when the ship is traveling through time and space like it would to any other organic life. [Hell, maybe it wound up piggybacking onto the ship during a jump in the first place, but she has no basis for that.]

Two, it stays in the White Room -- the Tranquility's core. It's supposedly safe there.

..."Safe" being relative, of course.

[Video]

[tadashiwashere]

[Tadashi's expression becomes more guarded with this information. How did he miss hearing about this? He makes a note to go continue pouring over all the information available to him as soon as he is able.]

What happened the last time someone came in contact with it? Does it usually come so close to passengers?

[Behind the disappearance of the old crew, though. That has him concerned. If the feeling he'd had when he spotted the figure was anything to go off of, it wanted the new crew gone as well. ]

I think I'm missing a lot of information here. Hope you don't mind if I pepper you with questions.

text.

[brainsqueeze]

How would the connection help?

text.

[circumitus]

don't entirely know for certain yet. but it doesn't seem as though what's happening to us now is going away anytime soon like it did the last time. may as well try and exercise some control over our own heads before it makes its next move to mindfuck us again.

text.

[brainsqueeze]

Point. I'm just worried where it will lead.

Video

[shallbeavenged]

It hates us.

[It's been a while since she's felt that much hatred.]

That much hatred will only lead to terrible things. We need to be ready for that.

Video

[circumitus]

Agreed. Felt that too. Looks like we've done something to piss it off. Could use that to our advantage.

Video

[shallbeavenged]

If we can refrain from getting angry in return it will give us the upper hand. People with that much anger tend to make mistakes and act without thinking.

video; private

[familybusiness]

I have a little bit of experience with mental abilities from back home. If you want to try and practice, see if we can figure out how to control what's going on, I'd be up for it.

[It might be another example of a slippery slope, but what other choice do they have, now?]

video; private

[circumitus]

Good. Will take you up on that. The sooner we have a handle on this, the more prepared we'll be. If nothing else, it'll be easier to work together without getting distracted.

You have a particular place in mind to practice?

video; private

[familybusiness]

Anywhere quiet would work, I think. Either of our rooms, maybe, or the gardens?

[video]

[tongueamok]

And here I was hoping it was just a trick of the light.

[Though he knows better than to be that optimistic.]

This connection, though... how do we learn to control it? And how do we know that'll even help?

[video]

[circumitus]

Unless we're all seeing tricks, it's unlikely.

[It's okay, bro. There's nothing wrong with hopeless optimism... Sort of.]

Think it's going to take some time and training. [Gonna need a montage.] Either way, it doesn't seem to be going away like it did last time, which is all the more reason for us to try and figure it out ourselves before it gets out of our control.

video;

[servator]

[ .....

There's a tiny smile. ]

You seem... different.

[ quickly: ] Not in a bad way.

video;

[circumitus]

[She runs a hand over her much shorter hair.]

Suppose some would take that as a flattering compliment that you noticed. [At least she looks better than she did "months" ago.

[Pause.]

Went home for a bit, in case you were wondering. Didn't seem to miss any jumps, though.

[This place is weird.]

text.

[forgodssake]

the link is providing a few interesting psychic functions I can see:
- thinning the barrier between us and the space "it" occupies (the space that is also full of a sort of psychic white noise in which "it" exists)
- strengthening our connection with "it", forcing it to remain attached
- both of these are lending us psychic influence that "it" has demonstrated before

we're not just controlling our link so much as having some control over "it". but in the meantime, it would be at least worth it if people could master what they're doing.

text.

[circumitus]

seems that all of these things have it pretty pissed off. can't say that's a bad thing.

it's just too bad that none of the bastards from here had left a how-to guide on how to control this connection the right way, unless you have any pointers. so far have just been winging it and some methods have been more effective than others.

[kutte]

That's a hell of a pep talk.

[circumitus]

Oh. Shit. Was that a pep talk?

[text] shhh I'm not late

[theroadwarrior]

could be a bad thing.

linking up.

[text] it's okay i won't tell anyone

[circumitus]

true.
but it also could be a bad thing not to.