[At present, the video is aimed at approximately nothing. Though it happens to be blue. And possibly furry. Those who are familiar might be able to identify the image as some part of Ba'ul, and the voice as Judith.]

Oh, I think we're alright.

[She doesn't need words to talk to Ba'ul, but sometimes she uses them regardless, particularly when she doesn't think anyone else is listening.]

But don't you think some of the people out here shouldn't be?

[A soft laugh.]

Yes, him too.

[Meaning Ken. Ba'ul thinks the kid should have stayed in the glass city, but Ba'ul also recognises determination and was grateful for the escort out.

That comment is followed by a thoughtful pause. And then:]

How fast do you think you can fly?

[ooc: I am offering false hope to anyone who wants to take me up on it. He won't get fast enough. He'll just bounce off and screw up one of your chances to get inside. >D]

[The feed starts off as a voice one, silence, static, but then laughter slowly creeps in. It’s cute, but creepy.]

Mmmhahahahahahaha!

I wonder where they are? My knight in shining armor and my true knight!

[She makes a soft sound, amused at what she just said, before a melodramatic sigh ends her amusement.]

Flynn, Yuri, why don’t you be dears and pick your princess up from the desert? It’s not nice to leave her out here, all hot and sweaty. Oh, it’s terrible!

[It’s easy to tell it’s Estelle speaking now, but there’s something terribly off.

It’s then that the video feed turns on, showing Estelle:

( video; non IC cut )

[ For those inside of the desert safe zone, they might come across a sniffling, dressed up (courtesy of a douche ) Agito wandering around, looking more than little lost. ]

[ A very, very strange look for this particular shark. Luckily enough, the device was kind enough to turn itself on audio, and not video. ]

Stupid, god damned-- shit.

Why does it feel so empty in here?

Aaaa-kiiii-tooooo.

[ A brief pause. ]

[ Then he burst out into giggles. ]

[The ongoing downpour flooded the Underground. Although he didn't need to breath, Luke wasn't about to take a dip. Better to stay topside and risk a curse than trying to navigate around endless clogs of the drowned while weighed down from lungs taking on water.

So come midnight, instead of being well away below from the City, he was at Oh Aces. Going over the books, he noticed too late what the damn curse in effect dug up and posted.

Several hits on 'delete' couldn't remove it.

Fortunately, the City's majority were still in 'Desert City'. Any transmission from here to there would be broken. Plus, they would be too preoccupied with their own survival to take much notice.

Those in 'Glass City' would be transfixed by the 'other side' going-ons.

If a few did happen to see it? Give a brief explanation and leave at that.]



(OOC - private/filtered comments aren't viewable)

[Video Post || Filtered from Known DELILAH Members || Unhackable]
[Blink--! And, of course, it's difficult to see anything at first. But one wonders if there's anything to be seen: some concrete walls, dust and dirt, loosely hanging wires and pipes overhead, and the dull clamor of voices at some remove. Nothing much to see, not in such a general sweep. And the focus disappears... But it returns again after a moment... And, viewed from across the top of a suitcase (or perhaps a small trunk?) here sits Cain: hatless, coatless, tie-loosened, sleeves-rolled-up, dusty, mud-spattered, sunburned, disheveled, possibly a little bruised, exhausted, and frustrated. He's even evidently sitting on the floor at the moment, for lack of anywhere else to sit. A glimpse of desert sky can be seen from the small window in the concrete wall behind him. The sun is shining into this tiny room--which he has, perhaps, claimed as his own--and he is keeping to the shadows. He will keep to terseness and gravity for the time being. And he speaks directly to the camera.]

Riff, I have yet to see you since this ordeal began. You said you'd find me. I'm in the shelter the 'deities' provided--what little shelter it is. It's still hot during the day, cold at night, and full of leaks when it rains. It would be like them to make it rain in a desert, if only to torment us with the rain itself and all the creatures that new water revives. I suppose the only better thing about it is that there's water enough for us and a means to get out of this desert that does seem to work if one can bear the waiting.

I'll be here until my wait is over. I can bear it. You'll be able to find me, Riff. I would like it if you would.

[A pause, and some due consideration in this regard. His eyes narrow ever so slightly.]

You had better find me before my number comes up.

[He sets his jaw. There is nothing more to say. He looks vaguely aside as though he hears someone or as though, perhaps, someone is passing by or coming into the same room. In this near-distracted state, he reaches over to his device again where it sits on his luggage (locked, of course, given its contents), and he turns it off again, ending the connection in a--

--blink.]
[//video post ends]
[//end filter]

[ooc: As before, this filter does not work on the Glass City side of things. Also, I'm counting the days based on the IRL calendar, not the tweaked out Desert City calendar. It'll make my life easier later on. So disregard that, generally. And, finally, unhappy Cain is unhappy. QED.]

[VOICE | Glass City (but not for long)]

I know this isn't the safest thing, and I'm sorry if it upsets anyone. But... well.

If you haven't heard, they've said that the price for going over to the Desert is this: every hour spent there means one more day you'll have to stay in the City.

[A long pause.]

Anyway, Todd and Justin and I are going to cross over. For a while, anyway. [Which means as long as they can get away with it, racking up time, but he doesn't feel like he needs to say it.] We'll bring over anything we can get that it seems like people might need-- bottles of water, and food, and things like that-- but if anyone there can hear this, if there's anything special that we wouldn't think of... Try to let us know, and we'll do what we can.

[Another long pause. Then, quietly:]

Good luck, everyone.


[ooc; this would've been posted earlier today, so all comments will be still from Glass as they prep to go over, unless otherwise noted. ♥]

As you may have gathered based upon some reactions that were broadcast to the Network, the slugs that have resurfaced after the rain are not your typical garden slugs.

We've seen them before; these are sentient, parasitic life forms which are capable of entering a humanoid host through the ear and gaining control over their actions. They can be removed by flushing the ear canal with salt water - but given our current water supplies, even after the rain, prevention is vital. It's important that we stay alert and look out for each other. Obviously, don't let them near your ears, and use whatever means you have to secure your shelters against them. If you have material that will allow you to do so without obstructing your hearing, cover your ears when you sleep.

[There's a hint of ... something in his voice as he talks about the slugs. But it's slight; maybe just stress from everything happening? Either way, he's using his even, empathic-but-professional tone to cover it.]

Of course, if you notice that someone is behaving erratically, bring it to our attention immediately. The slugs don't seem to be behaving exactly as they have previously, but those who are affected are still dangerous to themselves and to others.

As always, the most important thing is that we keep looking out for one another.


[filtered from Chase]

Since we seem to have cracked the code for passing over to the other City - is anyone planning a trip anytime soon?


[private to House]

I think we should try to get Chase out of here. His temperature's hit 104. They have more supplies and an intact hospital, and we should be able to communicate well enough to let Cameron know.

This is bloody ridiculous.

First off, I've been in this line for the past two days, because each time I get close I feel as though I have no right to go through until everyone else has.

And now it's growing slugs.

What are these things?

Rosella, where are you?

[After the rainfall from yesterday, the slugs were infesting any person they could get to and Sasuke was no different. It was more forced in his case at first before they took full control, at least-- just an extra shove in the right direction to push him over the edge, it was pretty easy actually between his thoughts and his memories. Thoughts of killing the people involved with the massacre of his clan, everything was blurred but he just wanted them to die for what they'd done.

First all you can hear on the feed is maniacal laughter before the laughter settles down and the video feed adjusts with Sasuke standing over a dead body lying in the sand, the blood stains on his clothes and face make it clear what just happened] That was too easy-- well that's one down at least.

[ooc; Forward dated to sometime on Friday. Sasuke will be affected from Friday until Sunday, see this post for details and also if you want to volunteer. If you'd rather not action / log it out, feel free to assume the encounter between those dates! Otherwise it's just more NPCs that'll end up dead oops]

[This post is nothing but a video file download, named only for a date about a month in the past. It's not posted like a normal video entry recorded specifically for the Network, because it comes from Curt's personal collection.

Anyone stupid enough (or voyeuristic enough) to actually watch something something from Curt's personal video collection. Is treated to a totally innocuous clip of Curt making goofy faces with Stephen laughing in the background.

"Say hi to the camera," says Curt, pointing the camera in the other direction.

Stephen, bass in hand, waves.

"We should make a music video or something. Or just have Neil get all our gigs on...digital? Yeah. And not just the bigger concerts, cuz--"

The video cuts off suddenly and then back to a view mostly of Curt's hand. "Yeah, it's off now," which is clearly a lie because when Curt's hand moves away, there's a tilted and slightly obstucted view of his bed, with Stephen in the middle. And when Curt pounces it's clear that yes, this is exactly that kind of video and this is probably the point when you should stop watching unless you didn't get enough of Stephen's relatively furry chest during the curse a few weeks ago. After a few minutes of increasingly steamy shirtless makeouts, Curt is really close to getting Stephen's pants off when Stephen happens to look up.

"Dude, it is not off, the light is still on."

"What? No, it shouldn't be recording." Curt sighs. "I'll check." And after a nice view of (clothed) rock star crotch, the video ends.]

Yuri and I are headed back to the Sand City to help our friends find a way back. If anyone of you would like to accompany us, please don't hesitate to let us know.

And Yuri, please don't forget to bring that pack. We need those supplies for the desert trek. It may be a while before we can find Lady Estellise and the others.

[ There's a bit of a glitchy video feed showing Eames' mug in the cramped room provided by the safe zone housing. ]

I'm not sure whether or not someone has already offered a solution to our little slimy problem- [ there's jostling movement as Eames flicks a slug off of his shoulder before he turns the camera toward the ground where he has a shallow pan set up. There's amber fluid in the pan with a rather large congregation of slugs floating inside it, a neat stack of a rather ratty looking six-pack of emptied beer cans nearby. ]

You can use beer to create traps for the slugs. It doesn't particularly matter what brand as slugs aren't the pickiest of the bunch - they'll try to get to the source and promptly drown themselves.

[ He pokes at the pan with the tip of his shoe - the slugs roll around with the momentum, dead. Eames makes a bit of a disgruntled sound. ] Yeast makes the compound a bit more appetizing for the bastards, but I hardly expect anyone to have packets of the stuff around on this side.

Enjoy yourselves.

[ Blip! Off goes the feed. ]