( private // unhackable )

[ voice ]

It looks like everyone's seen the boxes by now. If the outbreak of curses means anything, then a lot of you have pushed the button, too. Human nature can't be changed, but are we really that selfish and that gullible? The button curses someone, all right, but how likely is it that it gives you what you want?

Well, it involves curses, so the Curse Brigade is involved, too! Everyone, bring your box to the deities' office and drop it in the pile in front of the door. If you see a box that isn't yours, bring that, too, before someone pushes the button. Until those bastards get rid of it, we'll guard the pile, to make sure no one starts using it as an excuse to push more buttons.

[ cut to video ]

[The door of the deity office can be seen, now with four boxes piled in front of it.]

[ cut back to voice ]

Let's show the people in charge that not all of us are so easily taken in.

( private // unhackable )

[ voice ]

It's that time again, huh? I've already seen some old friends. Anise, it's too bad it's not snowing yet, or I think Tieria would have gotten a hit in himself this time. Everyone else, I know Halloween's over, but I think we've still got some leftover candy! So as long as you're friendly, you can stop by.

For the rest of you guys who live here, just remember that not everyone who shows up these days is friendly. I know some of you think these people are annoying, but some of them are downright dangerous. Just make sure you know the difference.

[OOC: Feel free to fourth-wall! Pretty much anything is fair game, although I'd prefer no more Ali showing up--he's had his fill of that in Setsuna's post. And yes, he spent the past twenty-four hours dead. But he's not going to mention it, shhhh.]

[ voice ]

I've got to apologize to anyone who was bothered by a little robot who repeats things in the past few days. I got careless because I wasn't cursed during the time with the bear. It never occurred to me that Haro might have been cursed instead. I don't know how he got a hold of a Network device that wasn't mine, but from the looks of it, he was using it an awful lot. I just hope he didn't bother anyone too much!

I've got some more important business now, though. Halloween's coming up, and I've got a couple of friends who've never had the chance to celebrate it. I'd really appreciate it if everyone would take a look at some pictures of them and come up with some suggestions.

...for their costumes, of course! I'd love to hear everyone's ideas.

( Celestial Being filter // unhackable )

Since we're moving, we've got an extra table we should get rid of. It's not very useful, so moving it isn't worth the trouble.

...I don't know what we should do with the cat. Do any of us even want to take care of it?

[OOC: Lockon has gotten caught in Rue's heart-stealing plot as well! However, because of a combination of his own messed-up-ness and a timely Setsuna appearance, he hasn't had his heart stolen--just a shard of it, the emotion of "affection." What this means is that while he will still be concerned for/protective of people and still be relatively upbeat, he'll also be noticeably more distant and cynical than usual. If you know him, feel free to notice that something is wrong.]

( private to Setsuna and Tieria // unhackable )

I've seen a lot of people worrying about the curses coming up in October. It's starting to worry me.

Don't get me wrong! I'm not worried about those curses. I've been here since last December, and I've been through a lot of nasty curses. There were zombies before Christmas and an invading hair monster in May. I was out of here the first week of August, so I missed a couple of the uglier curses, but I still got hit with that one separating random people and throwing them back together at midnight. That was nothing compared to some of what we've seen here, though!

There was that mess with the prison just last month--shouldn't we be worrying about reinstating the police force before we start going over things we can't change? I won't tell you the curses won't be tough, because they will be. But we've got better things to do than fret about them.

Like I said, I'm not worried about the curses. I've seen the City and its people make it through some bad stuff in the time I've been here. I'm worried that people are going to discourage themselves before it even starts. We're in this together. We've all got our teams, and those of us who don't can make one. You could even give it a cool name. So long as we remember that and work together, we'll be all right no matter what the curses are.

[Later Edit]

Hey, hey, what's up with this curse? I don't do enough seducing to have a seduction style! It's just not my thing.

[OOC: Affected with the Quizzes & Questionnaires curse! So is Tieria; his post will be up later today.]

[ voice post ]

I told everyone there wasn't any reason to worry about me! And I was right. I got released on parole. That sounds pretty funny to say.

But in the past I might not have been so right. I might've made people worry about me when talking to them more clearly, and taking better care of myself, would have stopped all that. That was the problem after all--and here I thought it was all the battles I fought to fix the world. Well, that was a problem, too. You don't fix the world by fighting battles. You don't even change the world that way. I'm still not completely sure how you do it, but Setsuna has some good ideas. So does my brother.

...It's a little hard to say this. But Setsuna's been teaching me a lot about understanding lately. I brushed it off at first, because I've always been good at understanding people, and that didn't really help anything. But I'm starting to realize that there are still people I don't understand, and one of them just might be myself. That's part of understanding, too.

I'm sorry it took me this long. Setsuna, Lyle, I'll do my best here and now. For both of you.

So I might not be here for too much longer. Who knows? But while I'm here, I'll try to understand myself enough that I don't have to make anyone worry about me in the future.

And for those of you who've been imprisoned unfairly? Don't worry about that, either. We're going to get you out. We won't let you miss out on having a future to understand.

[ end voice ]

[OOC: Dramatic Gundam speech is go. Strikes are hackable to those with Celestial Being codes.]

[ video || accidental? ]

[ Someone steps on the button to turn on video. It might take a moment for viewers to realize who: it's Lockon himself, and although it's hard to make out just who he's facing from this angle, he's obviously gearing up for a fight. ]

Once I started looking at the Network today, I knew you guys would be coming for me. I just wonder what took you so long, and why you picked up so many more innocent people first. This place isn't good with priorities, is it? You throw heroes and teenagers in a cell in the morning, and leave hardened soldiers until mid-afternoon? You've got to shape up on that!

I know what I'm guilty of. I killed a lot of people in battle, and that was wrong. I always knew it was wrong. Are you still going to try to take me?

...I thought as much! Well, there's nothing for it now.

[ Instead of starting the fight he's clearly prepared for, though, here he turns to the Network device and gives a little wave. ]

I don't want anybody worrying about me--I can handle this. I'll be all righ--

[ Monstrous hands settle squarely on each of his shoulders, and he hurriedly steps on the device again to turn it off before any violence or pain can make it on camera. ]

[ end video ]

[ voice ]

I know everyone's a little wound up from the dark and the animals, so I thought some good news would cheer us up. Setsuna F. Seiei is back in the City, and he's doing fine. Even if he is a little different. To me, that says things are looking up--

Huh? Not you, too, Zia!

[ video ]

[ Have some video of this kitten viciously and repeatedly attacking this robot. ]

Not a threat! Not a threat!

I know you're not, Haro! She's just cursed. Try to bear it until it's over!

[ And Haro rolls frantically away, chased by a furious kitten. ]

[ end video ]

[ video ]

--this button do?

[ Evidentally it turns on the video, because viewers of the Network are now treated to a glimpse of Lockon's bedroom, but...slightly different. He's sitting on the edge of his bed (and no, there is not someone else in the bed. Sorry, it's just him), hand raised to his face to fiddle with something; the Network device is recording him from across the room. This gives viewers ample opportunity to see the changes wrought to his surroundings: Haro is now made of brass, glass, and gears instead of futuristic plastic, and an unfamiliar weapon lies on the bed. ]

I don't know...what about this?

[ Lockon rises to his feet and turns: viewers can now see that it's his eyepatch that's been altered. There's a glass and copper dial on it. He tweaks it a little bit more, and then--

--stumbles, trips, and lands on the floor on the other side of his bed. ]

Ah! Depth perception!

[OOC: assume backdated to earlier in the day!]

[ filtered against Eden // unhackable ]

This is Eden Mac Cionaoith. This is some kind of magic spirit inhabiting her body. I think it's called a sidhe. I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling she's been hurting people. She's definitely dangerous. I don't know about you, but I'm not happy about it. We need to get Eden back.

I can't really do a whole lot myself, though, since magic doesn't even exist where I'm from. Who here knows how to deal with things like this?

This is going to take all the help I can get, so even if you're cursed, don't let that stop you. Who knows? Maybe bad poetry is its weakness. But I wouldn't count on it.

[ voice ]

There isn't really any need to complain so much about this curse, you know. The marker will come off eventually.

I have a favor to ask the Network, though, so--

Hold on a minute.

[ His voice gets a little more distant as he moves away from the device. ]

Hey, Setsuna, you're not busy, are you? There's something I need to do. Just stand still for a moment.

...What are you doing.

I'm labeling you. It's important. This way there won't be any confusion.

[ A moment of baffled silence. ]

Lockon Stratos, I am not your Gundam maniac.

[ Laughter from Lockon, and then he's picking up the device again. ]

Sorry about that! It's a simple favor, though. If you see a guy who looks like me, but with both eyes, just let me know where he is, all right? I need to talk to him about something today.

[OOC: may be somewhat slow, but not passing up this curse.]

[ accidental video post ]

[ There is a scratchy thud as a Network device hits shifting ground and, predictably, switches on. A second later, there's a louder thump and a startled "oof." What the camera shows is probably more interesting than that, though: ]



[ Except that because of the perspective, it actually looks more like this (minus the tourists) to anyone watching. Enjoy your Gundam crotch. ]

...Hm?

[ Footsteps: scuff scuff scuff. Whoever it is isn't on the screen, though. ]

That's right: there's still this place, isn't there? I hope Haro didn't get too lonely.

[ There's a pause, and then with a hint of alarm: ]

It's recording?

[ A gloved hand comes into view long enough to turn the Network device off. ]

( celestial being // unhackable )

[ video ]

[ The camera shows no people, but after a moment, it pans up to show a window...with a rather large hole in it and broken glass scattered in front of it. Something broke it from outside. ]

[ end video ]

[ voice ]

So that's what the situation is now. Has anyone else had someone breaking their windows and trying to take their stuff? It happened early this morning, so it wasn't a killer plant. I couldn't see who did it or how, but the noise definitely woke me up. They weren't very subtle.

Whatever it was, we're going to need to replace that window, so now is as good a time as any for this. I'm looking for a new job. I wish I could say I have a lot of useful experience, but the truth is, I was a soldier back home, and I don't want to fight here, too. Anyway, I was a sniper and my aim isn't what it once was, so there are practical problems with that too. But I'm good with people, and I don't complain. That kind of attitude counts for something, right?

[OOC: In reference to this plot! And yes, Lockon will still be disappearing from the City come Friday, but he'll try to show up for any job he gets after that. Really.]

( private // unhackable )

I don't know if anyone else has noticed yet, but my brother and his girlfriend have left the City. I'm sure Lyle and Anew would have stuck around a little longer if they could have, so I hope nobody's too disappointed in them for going. At least they got to leave together.

Did anyone else notice that the plants are growing really well the past couple of days? Not all curses are that bad.

[OOC: still technically semi-hiatused, but trying to get back into things for a bit before Otakon.]

[ voice ]

Last Sunday was tough for some people, wasn't it?

Well, I've got a question for everybody: when's the next holiday, and what can we do to keep the City from ruining it for us? There's probably going to be a curse, but if we plan something else to do anyway, we might--

[ Coming from a slight distance: ]

Yo dawg! Yo dawg!

--huh? So that's what happened to you!

[ And closer now: ]

What up! What up!

You really want to show everyone? I'm not sure that's such a good idea, but all right. We'll go with it!

[ The feed switches to video, and...BEHOLD. ]

I don't know about you, but I think he's kind of cute.

( private to Eden // unhackable )

( private to Kaoru // unhackable )

As it turns out, I was wrong about the random curses--they came on the second weekend this month. I've seen two theories so far: one's that it's seasonal (thanks, Tieria!), and the other's that the deities saw that we'd figured it out and decided to mess with us some more. In any case, I hope nobody relied too much on my warning being right. Sorry about that.

But since it looks like those weekends are here to stay, what do you think we should call them? It's easier to be ready for something like that, and not get too worried about it, when you give it a name. I've been told that the names I come up with are ridiculous, so I'm asking everyone else instead. We're stuck inside today until the gas dissipates. We might as well take the time to come up with something useful.

[ voice ]

--the right button? Is this it? These things are so annoying...

[ The voice: possibly somewhat familiar, albeit with a more noticeable accent as well as an age difference. The transmission cuts out, but after a moment comes back at a reduced volume. ]

--still with our parents, so I don't have to look for her. But Lyle is--

[ video ]

All right. It's working now!

[ The picture: a teenage boy, about fourteen, who will definitely look familiar to some. ]

I know everyone's confused, but I could really use some help finding my brother so we can go home. His name is Lyle Dylandy, and he looks just like me, since we're twins.

I'm still not sure where this is--everyone just says "the City," but I know it's not Dublin, and I haven't been able to find another name. The important thing is, there has to be a way out of here, and once I can get back together with my brother, I'll find it. The time travel is cool--if it was just that I'd stay here a while longer and try to learn more. I mean, time travel! But these curses are dangerous. No one should have to stay here.

So if you see him, tell him that I know he'd rather be off on his own, but we should do this together, and he should come meet me by the fountain. And if we find out anything about an exit, I'll let the rest of you know.