5th (lack of sleep note) one's very own black tape. Audio at first.

[11calls]

[This post is audio, and it's coming from Alex's office and she sounds a little... forced amused.]

Okay, so I know this is way later than we thought it'd be happening, but you know given the whole half the population coming down with the virus that was released in May, and then half of us getting kidnapped in June, it makes sense that it would be. But yeah, Pokemon Go is finally a go. Go out and play it! Go Team Red! That is a lot of "goes" in one statement! [There's a little laugh, but it's not full on Alex's. As for the team, it's not Alex has biases, it's just that she's Team Red, guys.]

On a more serious note, I'm hoping that some of our really techy people will take a look at this video and tell me if there's any sign of like CGI or whatever beyond something that we would be able to use back home. [There's no CGI or anything, it's real.] I already know that it's not been used if it's from my time or whatever. Even if you can't, I'm hoping that there's a way that this thing is like IP stamped or something by who sent it to me back home, so I can prove it's them. [Because fuck Thomas Warren.]

I'm not filtering the video away from anyone, but I should warn you that it's a bit... [Alex is just going to flounder here for the right word which isn't very Alex.] Creepy. It's creepy and sort of...demonic. But I promise it's not a jumpscare video, and it was taken back home and it just showed up on my device here. [Which is why Alex is at her office making copies of it, because she knows that it's going to be a thing.]

But I really do appreciate any help you guys can give me with it. [Please ignore the slightly desperate tone in her voice, she may have watched this multiple times already today.]



[Alex has cut the part of the video that's just a minute of what seems like nanny cam footage with nothing happening. So, when the video starts on the network, it's got some sort of night vision filter, so it's easy to see in the darkness of the bedroom. There's a bed pushed against the window and a person sleeping in the bed. The camera lingers in on a shot of a foot out from beneath the sheets, before it starts to pan up the leg of the person in the bed.

Then it stops, and the camera moves instead to the corner of the room. There, in the shadows of it, there appears to be something moving. It's large, overly so, even though it's stooping down. It's a mass of black that's darker than the shadows, and there's long, spidery arms that stretch down to the floor and shake. The camera lingers on the demon for a minute, and it's also clearly watching the person in the bed. If anyone makes the effort to lighten the footage (Alex hasn't yet, because she's creeped out enough already she doesn't want to do anything that might jeopardize what data they find) they'd see much more detail on the demon: how it looks like a gnarled tree, the large and hungriness of its eyes, and the twisting length of it's fingers and the crazed over-sized smile.

The camera looks away from the demon and then back to the person in the bed, the camera slowly moving up her body until it lingers on her face. Because yep, that's Alex's bedroom at home, and that's Alex. The video stops after you can see her face, and then Alex switches it to video in her office so she can be seen, even if she looks a little pale in the bright light of her office.]

I'm fine. It happened back home months ago now. Other things happened, a lot of other things happened. so I couldn't fully investigate it at the time, but now that I've got it, and I've got you guys I figure no time like the present right? But yeah, that's actually my apartment back in Seattle, a day or so before I ended up here. Well, got my memories from home anyway. I am just seriously hoping that you guys can help.

[And a muttered:] Someone owes me a million dollars if you can't.

Comments

private

[somnioergosum]

[Ronan starts to speak and stops several times. He is this close to snapping back at her or rather, snapping back at her without offering any helpful advice. If this were something less serious or if he were a worse person, he would have ended it there, without spelling it out for her. But-- fuck it all.

He pauses to make sure this is a relatively secure channel or at least has the illusion of one before making his response.]

A demon almost killed me. My friend sacrificed himself to kill it. That was the only way.

You wanted advice? You got it. Don't shoot the messenger cause it's not what you want to hear.

Re: private

[11calls]

[When Alex responds, it's a little later and she's much calmer. Her apology is written in her voice before she even speaks.]

I'm sorry. I didn't know. That's a terrible thing. Unfortunately, in my world we haven't discovered a way to kill a demon. Only a box that transfers them from person to person, that the man who recorded me has. But we are working on it. I swear.

[somnioergosum]

[There's a fine line between revealing too much and giving no hope. Ronan is used to walking them, but well over a year later-- close to two now-- those events still leave him off balance.]

Yeah well, he got better but-- it still took a life to do it.

[More than one, really.]

Never heard of a box. If yours is different, maybe it'll be better. I wouldn't count on it.

[He hesitates.]

If you find some other way to kill it, could...

[No, he won't ask for help. Forget it. It's all over now.]

Well, if you're ever desperate enough to know how we did it, you've got my number.

[11calls]

[Alex can hear that question, in her voice. It's one of the things that makes her a good reporter.]

I'll let you know if we figure it out.

[The words have the weight of a promise, even if the demon situation in their world sounds very different.]

And thank you. For telling me, I mean.

[somnioergosum]

Just don't go spilling all my secrets to everyone.

[Then, cause she'll need it, he speaks in a flat voice.]

Good luck.

[11calls]

Don't worry, I won't.

[Alex knows she's going to need it.]

Thanks. You too.