[There's a lot of purring in the background, and Ken is staring, unsure, at the fluffy cat in his arms, pleasantly rubbing up against Ken.]

I thought he might bite or scratch me, but he seems to be fine with this. [Still unsure as he pets the fur lightly.]

Weird spontaneous curses to hug aside, could anyone tell me more about the carousel?

[Charlie's in her rooftop garden again and it's flourishing. Charlie's not recording that, though. She's recording her fox, Phantom, who is tearing around the garden at top speed. At one point, Charlie gives up trying to track him and just lets the device rest on the arm of her chair. Phantom zips by a few times before stopping to investigate the camera, sniffing it and peering into it with curiosity.

There's a meow nearby that gets both Charlie and Phantoms attention and Charlie's arm comes into view. It's scratched up slightly. No big deal. When her arm retracts, she's holding Petrichor who apparently gives no fucks about this and is purring loudly.

Phantom is watching this, standing on his hind legs with one paw on the armrest. This knocks the device over and Charlie swears, leaning and reaching for it.

When the camera settles, it's filming Charlie who has a couple more fine scratches just on her jawline. Phantom and Petrichor are curled up against her, Petrichor with his head on her shoulder and Phantom with his paws in the air. She's cursed to hug the cats but it's mild.]

Life lesson for the day; Don't hug Hypnos. She's not a fan.

[And with that, she shuts the feed off, one arm around the cat who is enjoying this very much so indeed.]

[Children are laughing and screaming over the video feed. Natasha's at the playground, her profile viewable in the feed. Her red hair is made even more red because of the sunlight. Her voice is steady, amused.]

I was practicing backflips when I slipped and fell and... I landed on that jungle gym. Scared the kids, but the parents acted like it was pretty normal.

[She looks down at the device she'd found in her pocket.]

I guess Stark decided to wax my floor. I never slip and fall when I'm doing floor exercises.

[Judging by what the video has captured of his surroundings, it looks like Fischer has found his way to the zoo.]

Someone, anyone, I don't care who... [He also looks more determined than usual.] Someone needs to bring me a ladder. Or something. [He turns to look to his right and the camera turns with him, revealing that he's at the lion enclosure.]

I need to hug them.

[This could get ugly.]

[Hello, City. You get to be treated to a white kitty face for a moment. Then the kitty leaves and there is Lantis hugging an orange one.

He glances over and sees what is going on and sighs.]

You should leave that alone...

[So he punishes the white one by giving her a hug too. Now he has both cats in his arms and they're just purring away.]

[It seems that Jack has suffered the full brunt of this curse, what with the scratches plainly visible on his face and hands — not to mention the four or five cats currently on and surrounding him, some meowing for attention, others purring, but all looking fairly content.]

So... Uh. [He looks somewhat sheepishly into the camera.] Does anyone know if there's an animal shelter here? Or, uh... Is anyone looking for a pet cat? They all just kind of followed me home, but...well, I can't keep all of them. [Even if he looks like he would rather like to.]

[Filtered from Known DELILAH Members || Unhackable]
Three days now and but spare mention of the 'deity' who appeared on the Network declaring that the 'usual sacrifices' had been made. Never mind the fact that I was a horse. That, at this point, is entirely immaterial. It's the rest of that ordeal that's left me with something to untangle.

I've found the very entry to the Network:

'It is my duty to inform you that on your behalf, the deities of the City have completed the usual sacrifice. The chosen eight Citizens have been processed and the satisfaction of the forces has been reached.'

And all that suggests to me is that theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeas;kldfjjjjjssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssslaaaaaaaaalskjdfkla;jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjll

asldkfjaskldewrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooisdafffkljl;asdfasdasdfasdfasdfasdfasdrliawuerweiorusertagiojdf;kreuio;taetoyi;gserhgtoawue4r59438tugisfl/vgjksdtu34958304981094risdjklvdfgjrlekgjsdflkgdfjklgjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjdfklgjlkbjseriurrrrrrrrrrrr


88888888888888888888888888888888888888888734399sodkfj;klasjdf asldkjweiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwwwwwwwwwoseir

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllsadfewrweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiuweriuwer234sadlkf][[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]asdflkjasdfffffffffff

ddfsssssssvgfssbvdgmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmasdfffff
[//end filter]

[ooc: Cat-like typing detected! ...this cracky nonsense brought to you by Cain's two cats, Kassandra (who fell out of the sky once during an event and whom Merry named after the particularly charming creepy-as-hell Duke Cassandra Gladstone) and Noir (who is actually a hyper-realistic solar-powered robot cat built for him by a young Dietrich von Lohengrin during another event and given the name "Noir" after the name aged-down!Riff gave to cat!Cain during, yes, still another curse.). TL;DR on Cain's cats. Cain was planning on making a good, sensible, tl;dr post...and then Kassandra came up to him...and then Noir came up to him... And then he hugged them... And then there was a lot of walking around on his Network device... And this happened. Have fun with it.]

[ Observing the network today is a lesson in every day of Yusuf's life sympathy? Compassion? Something of the sort. ]

I see the network has decided to appreciate the smarter of the two most common household companions. [ And for your viewing pleasure, you can have a shot of Pancake, who is going to town on a nearly empty jar of peanut butter and looking particularly ridiculous while doing so. ] I applaud you all.

[ Not so much "filtered" as loosely addressed to those of you who live in the house of dream criminals- I mean, the house. ]

Who ever has shopping duties this week should be aware that we have no more peanut butter.

I think I'm going to stay inside today, so I can't risk inhaling cat hair.

Speaking of animals, I finally got myself something to keep me company.

[He goes off camera and comes back holding an iguana.]

She might not be a traditional pet, from what I understand, but I figured that a reptile would be safe enough for me, since they don't have hair.

I'm thinking of naming her Spike.

[Cue some very colorful French curses which involve the many various demons of Hell and a number of their body parts. Also,]

I am going to skin the next cat I see.


[[ooc; Delacroix is out for her morning jog (although why would you do that when you reap no cardio-vascular benefits? haaabit, that's why) and has been forced to chase after and hug eeeeevery cat that's crossed her path \o/]]

[Guess who hugged a little too hard]



(OOC - Link 100% safe for viewing)

[Rex is back, only this time his creepiness is offset by the fact that he's currently cradling a... hairless sphynx cat in his arms. Somebody's found himself a soulmate! He's idly rubbing its belly with one gloved hand, and the cat looks at the communication device with its wrinkly, scowly face, as if to say "You got a problem with this?" Rex's eyes are red-rimmed and a bit watery, thanks to, WHOOPS, A CAT ALLERGY. It turns out sphynx cats aren't hypoallergenic.]

I still don't believe there's anything magical about this. With the right stimuli, people can be compelled to do anything.

[Hmph. As if on cue, he cuddles the cat even more. Ughhh, this disgusts him.]

Anyway. The reason for this transmission is... I'm in need of a job. I'm a scientist-- an engineer by trade. I have a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and-- [The cat bats at his wig. He scowls and swats its paw, causing the cat to play-bat at his hand and snag its claws on his glove. WHY CAN'T HE STOP HUGGING IT.] a degree in computer programming. I've also provided my share of medical services. [Both in the army and, uh, to his... human test subjects.] As you can imagine, such versatility has given me a wide range of experiences that would suit any employer well. A full resume can be provided upon request.

If there are any openings for jobs in the sciences, I'd be most grateful if you let me knew.

[The cat yowls and Rex shoots it a scowl.]

I hate cats...

Don't you assholes know what cat scratch fever is?

That was a close one Banner [Bruce says to himself as he turns the video on and directs the comm at the fountain that is inches away from him. The video isn’t completely steady as Bruce shifts with a nervous energy.

He turns the video around to show his face. It’s pale, and he is making an effort to breathe slowly. He doesn't think the other guy would do any good at getting answers from people.]

Is it customary to almost be dumped into a fountain or was this arranged just for me?

I don't know where it came from, but all that I would really like to do today is to read a good book while having a cat curled up that I could pet. [ A beat, and the smile is audible in her voice. ] If this is another curse, I do not mind it at all.

[ filtered to the magic house inhabitants Howl, Sophie, Pavel and Peter ]

Would any of you mind if I were to bring home a cat?

[ Rhodes has picked up a cat. One that's hissing at him, granted, but he's holding it up with one hand and scratching its ears with the other, unconcerned. He's also clearly mid-sentence when the device clicks on. ] — went home. And made me CEO, what did he think.

[ A sigh, and he doesn't say anything for a moment; the cat hisses again and swats at him. ] Guess I might as well take you along, get you fed a little.

[ And then he notices that his device is on. Rather than immediately turning it off, though, he turns to it. ] Tony Stark's left the City. Howard, Rogers, do you have a moment?

[ And then it clicks off. ]

[Justin isn't a fan of talking out loud when typing will do, but this is video for a reason. That reason is a thin orange tabby who is curled up quite happily in Justin's lap, sound asleep and purring.

Does this cat belong to anyone? I hu--I... I mean, I found her. On my way home from work. Please message me if she's yours.

[The video feed ends, but Justin keeps talking in a rather melancholy monotone.]

This curse--many of the curses--are harmless, but no one in the City should become too... compliant. It's tempting to become accustomed to curses, to--to death. In a place where death is seldom more than a temporary and upsetting setback, we shouldn't be careless. We shouldn't assume that, if we die, we'll come back.

Not everyone comes back, not every time. Death can be permanent, even here. Some of you know that--maybe you've heard, or maybe you've been here long enough to see someone die and not return--but if you don't, keep it in mind. Be careful. Don't take unnecessary risks during curses or... or take the life that you have for granted. Even if you're dead within the City, you still have this existence; don't treat it lightly.

[There's a breath as if he's getting ready to say something else, but he evidently thinks better of it and ends the feed.]

( [Filtered to Police / Unhackable] )

( [Private / Unhackable] )


[ooc: Image in the police report is from a show and not exactly how the crime scene was, but it gets the idea across and you can pretend.  And you missed tl;dr filtered posts from Justin, right?  Right?  ...No?  Okay.
I also feel a need to tell you that the cat up there is one of mine and she's a doll in spite of her sickliness.]