Video | UN: Opera_Ghost

[not_a_possum]

WHO: Moxxie aka Maxwell Lansky and the network
WHERE: The network (filming from his apartment)
WHEN: Late Tuesday evening (a few days after he turned into an imp)
WHAT: After several days of drinking and freaking out in his apartment, Moxxie decides to share his woes with the network
WARNINGS: Severe drunkenness

The video seems to be filming from a weird angle on the ground, like the person making the video doesn't even know he's doing it. A few empty wine bottles are discarded on the ground, but there's no one in the shot. Until one tiny hoofed foot steps down in front of the camera. Then another. Then, as the hoofed feet walk past, a tail can be seen. It almost looks like a possum tail, if possums had large, triangular tips to their tails. Then, suddenly, whatever's in this video turns around and picks up his phone. They'll be able to see a little imp holding a partially empty bottle of wine talking into the video.

To those who know Maxwell Lansky, also known as Moxxie, whether it's from Kaisou University or because they're a barista who has had the misfortune of taking his coffee order, they might get the sense that they recognize him, but it's really his voice that gives away just who this is. His currently slurring, very drunk voice. He is also wearing a cute little suit with a red bow tie that he stole from a ventriloquist dummy.

"All right, errybody. Listen up. I don't know what is goin' on here, but first I wake up with a new app on my phone, and now...I'm all..."

He gestures down at himself.

"I haven't been able to teach classes since this all started...I'll prolly lose my job, and sorry, no one's getting their finals...'cause errytime...everytime I go outside, people say I'm a possum. I am not a possum. I'm gonna just...I'm gonna send an e-mail. Everyone got an 'A'."

He takes a huge drink.

"I don't know if this app has anything to do with this. I just want you all to know. I am not a possum."

And then he turns off the video. That's it. That's the video.

Comments

video; un: Litania

[chatterboxing]

[Here is one (1) college student just kind of giving her phone a somewhat confused look. Lita's in university for dance reasons, but with how the various performing arts overlap in some ways, she can at least recognize some students or teachers from some of the other classes.

Moxxie might not look like he did before, but recognizing him by other means—like, say, by voice—isn't out of the question.]

Holy shit, Moxxie? That you?

Video; un: Opera_Ghost

[not_a_possum]

[He stares back at the screen, blinking. Between his drunkenness and the sheer number of students he sees in a day he's having trouble placing her, but he can take a guess at where he might have seen her before from her apparent age.]

Yeah? ...you go to Kaisou University, don't you? I'm gonna...I'm gonna be missing classes for the next...

[He stares down at himself.]

Um...I don't know...

[chatterboxing]

[How many students has he seen that happen to have pink hair? Even before any of this stuff started happening, she had been dying it, and at some point after she found herself involved, her hair just...became naturally pink.]

Yeah, I'm Lita, an' I'm there for dance stuff. But uh, guess this explains what's up with the theater classes.

Anyway, about uh, the whole Definitely Not A Possum thing. Which, jus' for the record, a possum ain't what I'm seeing here.

I'm pretty sure there's at least like twenty people that can give a better explanation than me, but like, everyone that ends up gettin' that app apparently has some kinda weird spirit stuff goin' on, an' that means you start seein' or experiencin' weird things that other people can't notice or if they do notice they see it as somethin' normal instead o' what it really is.

[not_a_possum]

[Not many, but she could always be a different person with pink hair. That's...actually not too likely, but right now he barely knows which way is up.]

Oh. That explains...that explains a lot. Because I noticed I don't look like a possum, and I'm glad someone sees I'm not a possum, because apparently...apparently that's what most people see now. So I can't teach class, 'cause they'll think there's a possum in the classroom trying to teach them.

[It makes sense, but he really feels like he got the short end of the stick here with his transformation.]

audio; un: GoldenGuard

[cardinalrule]

I have no idea what a possum is, but it sounds fake and you're clearly some kind of bipedal demon. Humans don't know what they're talking about.

[He sounds very sure of all of this.]

audio; un: Opera_Ghost

[not_a_possum]

I...

[He looks down at himself, so stricken by the second part of what was said that he's not quite ready to address the possum thing yet. He'll notice that comment. Eventually. He really does look like a demon, doesn't he? He runs his hand along one of his horns. Yeah, he...he supposes this kid isn't wrong.]

Huh. Yeah, I probably am. I'm just a demon now. That's fine. Everything's fine.

[cardinalrule]

[Even Hunter can tell this doesn't seem fine.]

What did you used to be, exactly? A human?

[not_a_possum]

Yeah, until a few days ago, then...poof.

[Wait. It finally registered.]

Wait, a little bit ago...did you say you don't know what a possum is?

[cardinalrule]

There might be some kind of magic reason for this. Maybe a potion? Did you eat anything strange recently?

[It could also be a curse. Hmm....]

Yes? I'm guessing it's some kind of creature?

[not_a_possum]

No. Just normal food. From the grocery store.

...yeah. They're small, have naked tails, eat trash? How have you not seen one?

[cardinalrule]

So it probably wasn't a potion.... [Hmmm.]

Are you sure you're not talking about a ratworm?

UN: ecraig; audio

[fiddlestick]

[There's so much to unpack about this video. Like the fact that his missing professor has apparently turned into a demon. Or that people were mistaking him for a possum. So many angles to approach this at but also...

Quietly to himself, as if he didn't realize the audio was picking him up]

I spent three days studying for that final...

[Like he guesses it's good he's getting an automatic A??? BUT ALL THOSE STUDY HOURS WERE FOR NOTHING]

[not_a_possum]

[Normally he'd be apologetic, but right now he's drunk and stressed from all of this.]

Sorry, but I'm Professor Possum right now, and I can't give tests.

[fiddlestick]

Ah-

[Crap, the app picked up him saying that? Drat. ]

Sorry Professor! I didn't mean for that to be heard- [He clears throat]

You just suddenly turned into a... [...] well, not-a-possum?

[not_a_possum]

Yep. Just woke up, and poof, I'm a...a...

[He moves his tail in front of his face to get a better look at it.]

A tiny demon looking thing.

[fiddlestick]

What? That's terrible...!

And you have no memory of how it might've happened?

[not_a_possum]

No. Before that everything was completely perfectly normal like a normal day.

[He wavers a little bit, the amount of wine he's drunk making him feel a bit woozy.]

Except this new app on my phone. The one I'm talking on right now.

video: UN: trienemybest

[droptheious]

Yooooou definitely don't look like a Phalangeriform,no. You uh-

[He looks like a demon, he thinks, but doesn't say out loud. Varian doesn't have the best history with demons. ]

So this just...happened? Was it the app when this started? Or were you standing in a particular part of the city? I'm trying to work out where the spirit realm is weaker, my theory is that it might be causing...spikes like this.

[not_a_possum]

Yeah, the app...the app had just appeared, and it was a little bit after...and then poof.

[He's trying to be coherent because he does want answers, but with all the wine his head is fuzzy.]

I was just...in my apartment, though. Nowhere special. Nothing weirds happened here before.

[droptheious]

I'm really starting to think the app is the starting point for everyone's problems. I'm not quite sure how it can create actual changes in a person, but it has to be setting something off for it to keep happening.

[Moxxie doing the very best he can, what a champ!]

Hrmmm- it sounds like strange happenings have gone on in people's homes before now, too. Maybe our living quarters are some sort of...conduit for the strange happenings? Maybe?

[not_a_possum]

Yeah...this is a terrible app...I should uninstall...

[After a few minutes.]

It won't uninstall. I wonder if I can leave a review. Zero stars. I hate this.

Maybe. Or maybe it happens at night. Scary stuff's supposed to happen in the dark, right?

[And Professor Lansky, at least, is usually in bed at night.]

[droptheious]

...I don't really understand what you mean by stars, I'm sorry. I'm...not from a time period where these things...exist. But if you think it would help, you should give it a try.

[What do constellations have to do with anything? He doesn't know.]

I think that's more because humans, by their nature, are diurnal creatures so we naturally fear the dark. It's more that things seem scary, because our brains are hard-wired to be wary of the darkness.

[not_a_possum]

It's...no. It's just a review system, it wouldn't help...

Wait. What do you mean you're not from a time period with star ratings?

[incompletely]

[ Moxxie is absolutely Tenn's teacher since Tenn is, indeed, looking to go into musical theater. Tenn is, uh, definitely stunned to see his teacher like this, but: ]

Professor, I know it's already been said, but if it's still any consolation, you don't look like a...possum.

[ He looks like a demon actually, but that doesn't seem like something Tenn should say?! ]

A lot of strange things have been happening to those of us on the app, though I can't say that I've seen something like this yet. Still, are you feeling alright?

[not_a_possum]

Yeah, I noticed. People outside don't seem to think so, though.

[He's glad, at least, the people on this app seem to see him how he really looks, but this is definitely a huge problem either way.]

Aside from the room being tilty from all the wine and the growing sense of dread from trying to figure out what I'm going to do if I never change back, I feel fiiiiine.