[1] video. | un:sk8rboi

[thirteenth]

WHO: Roxas and you!
WHERE: Libra
WHEN: around 11pm on 10/24
WHAT: Roxas has no idea what's going on here, but maybe you can help.
WARNINGS: none!



[The video never shows his face. It's a feed of the sky, of the aurora that only they can see. It just stays on for a while, probably about thirty uninterrupted seconds of the shifting lights accompanied by the sounds of a light breeze and distant traffic.]

It's been four days. There isn't anything in the news about it.

[His tone is mixed wonder and distrust, but it's hardly strange for that to be the case for a first-time poster, isn't it?]

I can't get rid of this app. The sky's changed. There's... weird things happening. But a lot of the people I'm seeing make posts seem to know a little more. So I'm giving it a shot.

[No matter what, though, he hasn't turned the camera on himself. He's not that ready to trust yet.]

What's happening?

Comments

video; un: midnightfishing

[illucesco]

—oh, hey, you’re new.

[Has it really just been a matter of months since Noctis himself was new to the app? And now here he is on the other side of it.]

From what I know the sky’s just…kind of been like that for a while, people like us just never saw it before. [A pause.] And, uh, yeah, there’s no getting rid of the app, either. I know people who’ve tried.

I’m going to DM you something in a bit. Don’t worry, it’s significantly less ad-riddled. [And he’s just going to drop off a link to the Gemini app in Roxas’s DMs.]

video · un: vinviv

[mehjin]

Sky's always been that way. You just couldn't see it 'til now.

[viv isn't half as hesitant to show her face as roxas is — she's positively eager, in fact, which is why he'll be receiving a feed of this weird... purple woman casually lifting a hand in greeting, her face impassive.]

Welcome to the party.

video. un: sk8rboi

[thirteenth]

[the feed is still the sky; but he's not missing that this is a purple woman. what the fuck.]

... Are you purple?

[this is the most important part of this conversation, hang on.]

Video

[prunedworlds]

"It's not on the news because most people can't see it. You started seeing it when this app appeared, right?"

Granted she's an otherworlder, herself, but she's heard about how it goes.

voice. un: sk8rboi

[thirteenth]

[oh, that's helpful. weird, but helpful.]

I even tried factory resetting my phone. Not a huge deal, since I broke the last one a week ago, but.. still. This is supposed to be...what, magical spyware?

[mehjin]

Yup.

[she doesn't elaborate.]

voice. un: sk8rboi

[thirteenth]

Weirdly enough, yeah. Couple... other things started happening, too, at the same time. Are we having a collective stroke or something?

[thirteenth]

... Have you always been purple?

[that's okay he's got questions]

[prunedworlds]

"Not really. Just one of those things where people without magic can't normally see or notice all the magical stuff going on. But the app makes people able to, somehow?"

Don't ask her how she had not clue.

"It's been around for a couple years, I think. I'm not sure, I've only been here a little over a year."

[illucesco]

As much as any app can be considered spyware to some degree, these days. But no, it’s magic social media. Blame Zodiac.

[Noctis usually does.]

It’s ultimately harmless, just annoying. But it showing up on your phone does mean that you’re going to be dealing with a lot more overtly supernatural stuff soon. And I do mean a lot more.

[thirteenth]

Magic. Actual magic?

[surely he heard that wrong. of course, it makes everything make sense, but that's just not possible.]

You've seen the magic happening?

[mehjin]

Nope. Just woke up like this one day, year and a half ago?

[thirteenth]

Supernatural.. how?

[Because things are weird, but...]

Is this stuff gonna follow me outta the city?

[thirteenth]

Do people usually see that you're purple? Could I have seen you around town and just not known about it?

[mehjin]

They don't, and yeah, you could've. People who haven't been touched by the paranormal just... don't perceive any of it. My family still think I'm totally normal.

Which beats having to try and explain this, I guess.

[illucesco]

Probably! I leave the city sometimes to go fishing, and the ambient weirdness sticks around. But it doesn’t get as weird and life-threatening as it does in the city.

[A pause.]

It, uh, does get life-threatening a little too often.

[prunedworlds]

"Yep, actual magic! Like in the movies and stuff!"

Ritsuka that probably isn't helping--

"I can even do some, too, actually."

[thirteenth]

Life-threatening?!

[oh boy.]

I have to travel for work! [this kid sounds like he's 14] What are my parents gonna do if some ghost takes my plane down over the Pacific?! [weirdly, he sounds more annoyed than scared.]

[thirteenth]

So, wait, doesn't that mean you've always been purple, and couldn't see it, either?

[This one has a talent for existential crises.]

[thirteenth]

You can do some? Show me!

[Ahhh, there's the excited kid.]

[prunedworlds]

Oh boy with that excited look, how could she possibly resist?

"Let's see... Oh! I know!"

Setting the phone down on a low surface that would give a good view, she stepped in front of it and... Suddenly, there was a fox sitting where she'd been. A three-tailed, winged fox at that.

"Teeechnically this is sort of a curse, but it still counts, right?"

[mehjin]

[...

huh.]

Y'know, I never actually thought of that. Maybe I was... but people like us who have the app do get random physical changes sometimes soooooo.

Could go either way.

[illucesco]

Not outside the city! [Somewhere Edward Kenway sneezes.] Just in the city. No ghost is going to take your plane down—

—hold on, work? You sound like you're fourteen, do you act in movies or something?

UN: JOJO

[standless]

[A very friendly bat answers the phone! He fits into the screen with unfortunate ease.]

Not to worry young man, the sky hasn't changed at all! And truthfully I should say that things seem quite typical in the city at this moment...

[Oh but that isn't very helpful is it. Give him a moment.] Though, could it be that you presumed much of it mere decoration until now? I have been mistaken for such, repeatedly in fact!

text; un: doordasher

[doublethumbsup]

oh oh ok i got u dude
nice vid btw

so like
its some kinda magic world? i guess
did u get through the weird maze thing too ?
and like sometimes u just wake up a new guy i guess

ok maybe i dont got u
but uuhhhhh
people are p cool?