☀ VOICE

[errandry]

[ SLAM.

the groan of a drawer pulling open. tap tap. tap. tap tap tap. tap. tap.

and SLAM again—before the drawer creaks open one last time. ]

Che, figured. [ ... ] Uh. Sorry ... about that.

[ a slightly overlong silence before the feed switches off. ]



PRIVATE ][ attn: long-haired jerk vigilante #4503

... hey. You there?

[ pause, some shuffling. ]

I wanted to ask you about something.

Comments

video;

[auguria]

[Curiosity killed the birdy.]

What are you doing, Kazuma?

video; - 1/2

[errandry]

... Jast, right? Just Kazu's fine.

video;

[errandry]

[ ... tap tap. ]

Think I messed up my speakers, one sec.

video;

[auguria]

[Jast tilts his head. He doesn't get how these devices work, it's practically magic to him, but he's sure Kazuma knows what he's doing???]

Kazu, yes. [A soft little laugh.] Are you having trouble?

private;

[vesperian]

Kazu? Something up?

video;

[errandry]

Nah, I've got it. Just checking how easy these things turn on.

private;

[errandry]

I ... I dunno.

[ MORE PAUSING. ]

You're okay, right—you didn't get sacrificed to a zombie cult and eaten this weekend or anything?

video;

[auguria]

These things?

[He lifts the device, camera refocusing. He has a look on has face which suggests he does not trust 'these things.']

video;

[errandry]

The comms, yeah. They got anything like 'em where you're from?

Private

[worldofourown]

...

What are you doing?

Private

[errandry]

Just testing something. Forgot they posted for you too.

video;

[auguria]

[He pauses, trying to think of how to explain.]

Maybe? My order... we are always connected, no need for... things. The humans have them, I think?

Private

[worldofourown]

Testing what? The Network device?

Private

[errandry]

Baaaasically, yeah.

video;

[errandry]

... Huuuuh. Like mind-links, that kinda thing?

Private

[worldofourown]

You could crush that thing, or set it alight - and it will still find its way back to you.

[Just FYI :|]

Private

[errandry]

[ ...




...




. . . ]

... what the shit, are they bonded to us or something?

Private

[worldofourown]

They certainly are parasitic in nature.

Private

[errandry]

... I'm just gonna hope parasitic doesn't mean what you think it means.

Private

[worldofourown]

What if it does?

...These devices attach themselves to us. Give us not one blessed moment of privacy. Record our miseries like a pair of extra eyeballs. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a symbiotic relationship with the citizens here.

1/3

[errandry]

Private

[errandry]

[ LONG SILENCE. ]

Private

[errandry]

... you ever replaced the batteries on yours?

private;

[vesperian]

My weekend was pretty uneventful. [shrug] The deities don't like to curse me so much anymore.

Private

[worldofourown]

Never.

They seem to run without ever stopping.