open log + text

[magicmusic]

WHO: Raine, you, and the network
WHERE: Brick alley & Libra app
WHEN: May 2
WHAT: Raine found this weird app on their phone while walking around town
WARNINGS: None at the moment

[A very human, slightly aging person is in line at the coffee shop, their larger bag over one shoulder. No sense advertising they have their instrument with them. They'll offer to put their change to whomever has the order behind them. Maybe it's even yours! After that, they take a seat at one of the little outdoor tables and sips at their coffee while scrolling through their phone...

Eventually it does get to be mid-afternoon, and they'll make a quick dash to one of the concert halls occasionally bumping into people here and there] Sorry- Just getting through, sorry. [Hopefully they don't spill what's left of their coffee. But maybe there's some unlucky soul who gets splashed on them. Probably a weird thing to notice though is any puddles or spills along the sidewalk seem to split when they step into them.]

Text; UN: levelinbard

[The post itself comes from a username "levelinbard". But there is no other identity indicator visible.]

Seeing as this app cannot be uninstalled, I have some other questions. Has anyone been able to go back through its archive and see what the first couple of posts were? How long has it been availabe and in use? What exactly are we expected to do with this?

Also how do I silence this app? I can't have it ringing, and it bypassed my phone's silence settings.

Comments

actiooon;

[traaaaaash]

[ Eda was just stocking up on food, since she now has a child living with her, as well as some spare clothes for the poor kid. Internally, she's pretty much trying not to freak out. She already feels La Lechuza nipping at the edge of her consciousness, and ugh, she's gonna need to go rodent hunting tonight.

At the moment, though, she's just making her way through the crowd, shopping bags not too heavy because she's making them float just a little, just so it looks like she's carrying them but she isn't. And she's quite used to people bumping into her when it's this full, but then -- then she hears that voice, and, well, her bags drop.

She turns around, and sure enough, the person next to her looks way too familiar. ]

Is that -- Raine Whispers, is that you?

[magicmusic]

[As soon as they take on step past the bump, they can tell whatever was being carried fell. Damn. They almost don't even see the person with their bag blocking the view until they turn fully around.

Oh.

Oh no.]

Eda- Edalyn.

[traaaaaash]

[ It's them, it's really them. What kind of serendipity is this, that she doesn't see them for twenty years and now just bumps into them in the street?

Well. Things like that have been known to happen. Suddenly, all sorts of feelings slosh around in Eda's belly, and she really doesn't want to look closer at any of them.

Mostly, though, she's happy to see a familiar, once-beloved face. It's been a bit of a day, and a friendly catch-up with an ex might just serve as a little pick-me-up. She smiles broadly at them. ]

I don't believe it, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?

text; un: ecraig

[fiddlestick]

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone's figured out a way to silence it fully. At least that only happens when Zodiac sends a message.

[Still, it's loud and annoying]

I think it's meant to connect us with people under going strange circumstances, or to get Zodiac to profit from us. Probably both, actually.

[magicmusic]

Has anyone tried factory resetting? Or getting a new phone altogether?

I wouldn't be surprised if it is both. I'd rather not be involved in any of it.

[fiddlestick]

I tried factory reset. Haven't tried a new phone, but I have a feeling you'd be wasting your money.

Sorry, but I'm not sure how much of a choice you'll have. Weird stuff is going to happen whether you look at the app or not.

[magicmusic]

Well they have no business with me then. I'm doing no such thing, especially not for them.

[But even they have to admit, the more they look into it, the more curious they are about it.]

Action;

[cardinalrule]

[Hunter is in his way to school when he stops for coffee. He doesn't usually do this, he likes to get there early so he can read or work in Zodiac paperwork or get a jump on some extra credit homework he asked for, but with everything that's been happening recently he's been sleeping even less than usual and could use the pick-me-up. Flapjack hangs out in a tree outside to wait for him - after a few unfortunate incidents the two of them learned that creatures that look like wild animals generally aren't welcome in businesses.

He's in line, head down as he tries to fumble through an email on his phone. Typing with the keyboard is still tricky for him, so he doesn't even notice who he's standing behind until they offer to pay for some of his order with his change. Raising an eyebrow, he looks up and -

Oh, Titan.]

Raine Whispers?!

[magicmusic]

[Their shoulders hunch just a hair at the name - did not expect to hear anyone saying it. Looking around, it takes a moment before they look down a few inches.

Oh. Um. They blink owlishly behind their glasses once.]

Hello? I don't think we've met.

[Said in that oh so lovely "adult being polite to a child they don't know" tone.]

[cardinalrule]

[Hunter freezes, staring, as he hears that response.]

You don't -

[Oh. His ears. They're round, much like Eda's, much like a regular human's. There's a sinking feeling in the pit of Hunter's stomach, and he doesn't like it. It's one thing for the Owl Lady to be some bizarre human version of herself, she's a criminal, a wild witch, and a thorn in the side of the Emperor, so if she remains a regular human it's no skin off his back (except he knows Luz would probably be devastated, but he tries to ignore that thought).

But Raine? Raine is one of the Coven Heads, one of the people needed for the Day of Unity. They're also one of the few people in Hunter's life who didn't treat him terribly, and a potentially valuable ally in creating a portal back to the Boiling Isles.

Okay. This is fine, he can fix this. He does his best to launch into the authority he carries as the Golden Guard, but it isn't quite working, and he sounds a little desperate.]

You don't... remember me, that's all. It's possible the large amount of magic radiating out from the spirit veins crossing through this city must have altered your memories and your appearance. The only other option I can think of is that someone deliberately did this to you, maybe with some kind of alteration potion - I'll have to see what texts Zodiac has and do some research to figure it out.

[He doesn't notice he's holding up the line.]

un: rexarchaes

[crystallinememories]

From what I've been told, the network has been active since January, and was created in response to odd Spirit Realm readings and, for lack of a better way to put it, people being dragged here from other dimensions.

[He did see that you already know something about magic, so. Best to just be clear.]

I'm not certain what we're expected to do with it, exactly, except that the company line has been that we've received it due to our Spirit readings being particular abnormal, and it seems to have been accompanied by odd manifestations. For example, shortly before I discovered the app my eyes had changed color and I'd acquired a number of tattoos. No one seems to know what's causing that.

[magicmusic]

So still relatively new.

Your appearance completely changed? How long was it before it fully took effect?

[crystallinememories]

Not completely; aside from the additions, I look the same as I always did. Moreover, anyone who is not already able to see things related to the Spirit Realm have seemed to notice no difference.

But as for how long it took... I cannot say for certain, as I was not gazing into a mirror while it happened, but to me it seemed quite sudden. I would guess it was instantaneous, but at the most the transition would have been a few hours.

un: litnotlaw

[arcanistic]

Unfortunately, it seems as if we are all stuck in the same situation, though how it actually appears on the phone is still puzzling. At least, from what I have seen.

I am also unsure how to silence it- I accidentally startled several others when the notification came through in the library recently.

At least there are others to commiserate with?

[magicmusic]

Yes, it caused a stir with the people I work with when it went off recently.

There are, I was just hoping for some kind of solution. Seeing as there isn't, I'll have to be careful where I leave it.

[arcanistic]

I'm certain my professors did not appreciate the interruption in class. Luckily, I was able to fix it before it got worse.

Likewise- though from what I can tell, it doesn't seem to make that much noise or attention often, so there are small mercies, I suppose.

Action

[neverbreaks]

[ Luisa hadn’t really spent a lot of time in Brick Alley, other than a quick look around when she had first arrived. But she had a bit of time that afternoon before helping out at the restaurant, so she decided to take her time in order to really see what was there.

She’s walking at a leisurely pace when she feels someone run into her, and…well, she’s a pretty solid person, so she doesn’t quite move. But she does feel something wet suddenly on her clothes.

As she turns and sees someone, she takes a step back. ]

Oh! Sorry.

[magicmusic]

[Yeah, Raine isn't all that big, so running into Luisa is like bumping into a cement column. And that hot coffee getting just to the edge of her top, oh no.]

No, no, that's all right, I was in a hurry.

[Once steady on their feet again, they wave their hand dismissively to the apology, distracting from pulling the liquid from her top and out of the way.]

[neverbreaks]

[ She waits to make sure they're stable, then takes another step back to give them some room. The street was a bit narrow, so she does feel bad about taking up a lot of room, even if she can't necessarily help it. ]

You sure? You're not hurt, are you?

[ Because she knows she's pretty...well, tough. ]

action;

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto just so happens to be the lucky duck next in line who gets Raine's change applied to his order. And being that his order is just a (double) shot of espresso, just that bit of mindless kindness covered a lot of the bill. Any penny saved is a big help to Alberto, who's fourteen and survives off odd jobs assigned by Zodiac and gets by on bubkes, and more than that, he's not the type who expects handouts — stupidly bent on being self-sufficient. So... just that small gesture, for him, warrants a personal thank you.

...Which he's still really awkward about anyway, when he does go find Raine on the patio, sipping their own coffee, scrolling on their phone. Alberto sidles up to them, espresso held in both hands gingerly, and stands contraposto comfortably with a half-lidded, lopsided smile on, affecting some vague smoothness so he doesn't seem, like, so pitiful, naturally... aaand immediately fumbles his cool facade once he gets their attention. Can't even keep consistent eye contact. Mannaggia... ]

Ciaooo~ ...Uh—! I— ...Thanks. For that. In there. For this.

[ He gestures backwards toward the shop with his head, then raises the cup in his hands at Raine demonstratively, giving them a little nod. He feigns another warm, smug smirk, trying to regain some cool composure and play it off like he's just being funny and not actually inwardly feeling really awkward accepting random kindness from strange adults. Ah, to be fourteen... A helluva ride at every turn. ]

[magicmusic]

[Raine entirely focused on anyone else coming out, focused on reading this weird app and its forum? Definitely a forum. But coming so close by does get their attention. They glance up over the rim of their glasses to see a ...kid.

Wait. Thanking them for... Coff-OH. The realization is clear after a moment and they smile.]

You're welcome. Though... [Is that espresso???] You might want to take it easy on that drink.

text: un: BRUNO

[wedonttalkabout]

i'm not so great with the new technology questions but i've had this thing since i arived here in january? so at least since then.

did you consider just hucking the whole phone into the nearest body of water?

[They still need to use their phone, Bruno, c'mon.]

[magicmusic]

['Since I arrived'. So one of the ones the yread about coming through a portal.

ALSO YEAH THEY KINDA Need their phone for things.]

I did, actually. And unfortunately it isn't really an option for me.