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[equivo]

"This is Krouse. Leave a message."

[ un: blackhat | text | voice | video ]

Comments

un: shinra | text

[unionized]

How extensively have you developed your network by now?

[equivo]

[ Interesting question. ]

I've made some promising acquaintances. Early days, but it's coming along.

[unionized]

Now I'm curious where I rank on the scale of promising to negligible.

[equivo]

Oh, you're up there in 'promising'.

I could ask you the same thing, but I'm more interested in why you're asking about my network. Are you looking for someone with a specific skill set?

un: Panacea | text

[ontologically]

[Immediately after Krouse's very informative post on the network, Amy feels the need to ask more private followup questions.]

Did you ever speak to Glastig Uaine?

[equivo]

[ He was kind of expecting follow up from someone. Might as well be Amy. ]

Never had the opportunity.

But I'd heard what people said about her. I wasn't sure how much was true.

[ontologically]

Her power let her hoard the essences of the dead. Not really their personalities or their memories, but a little more than just their powers.

A lot of it isn't really relevant to the situation at hand.

[She doesn't know how much Tattletale wants to keep from Krouse about Amy's discoveries. Technically it's her choice but the blonde girl is higher on the chain of command, despite Amy's own personal contempt for her.

Fortunately. It isn't relevant to the situation.]

I'm wondering if it's not a similar situation on a much bigger scale. Like an elaborate "soul" trap that lets Echo constantly recycle people with only little bits missing.

[equivo]

[ As far as Krouse is concerned, Amy is only making a comparison. Otherwise, he's not interested in the nuanced mechanics of Glastig Uaine's power. Even if she was here, it's a step in a direction ]

It could be. Preserving some kind of imprint and reviving us after a time out.

It's an interesting safety net to give us.

photo;

[maximumlegend]

[ Ping! Suddenly you receive a photo of.. a piece of paper with text on it? Apparently someone wanted to send you something, but didn't want to bother finding out where everyone lives..

It's a photo of a card that has text on it in perfect yet somehow also still legible calligraphy. It looks ridiculously fancy for what's written on it, which is-- ]

You are hereby cordially invited to:

ADAINE AND FABIAN'S BREATHTAKING BIRTHDAY BASH!

It will be held today, June 3rd, in the rec room of the apartment building. Presents are not necessary, but a good attitude is most definitely required! There will be drinks, dancing and general merriment, because we all deserve something good after that labyrinth!

Trust me - it will be the party of the century here, and you DO NOT want to miss it!

- Fabian Aramais Seacaster

P.S. If you do not know my good friend Adaine yet, make sure to get to know her at the party. She is an absolute delight, and I want her to have the best birthday party possible!

P.P.S. I'll forgive anyone else if they won't show up, but I won't forgive you specifically if you don't, dude!!!

[ For all characters who would attend, there is a log right over here! ]

text

[equivo]

[ Krouse didn't think that he and Fabian were on birthday party terms. He's never been on on birthday party terms with anyone who'd throw the kind of birthday party Fabian is describing, and that had been just fine by him.

But he supposes that pickings are slim in terms of bodies to fill out the room. It'd be a good opportunity to network, and he does want to meet the fabled Adaine in person. He also has to consider that it'd be conspicuous if he didn't show up, given that there's no plausible excuse of homework or prior obligations he can offer.

The fact he smiled a little at the intensity of that P.P.S. doesn't factor into the decision. ]

With a pitch like that, how could I say no?

See you there.

un: griffin | voice (backdated to late may)

[skaikru]

( clarke has just slid open the marked door to the basement of the hospital and is now staring at the descending steps with equal parts determination, curiosity, and dread. like one who stands at the lip of a cliff and considers jumping, but still feels the the need to let someone know where they might find her if the fall breaks something significant. she's warm around the collar, and a little fuzzy in the brain — and it's late, but she still pulls up her h.u.d and spends a few moments idly scrolling through the contact list before deciding...

yeah.

he could hold a conversation.

ring ring, krouse. then — )

Hi.

( then, because it's like 2am and she's wide awake and a little drunk, it seems at least decent to ask. )

You weren't sleeping, were you?

[equivo]

[ Her answer comes after a short pause, in a slightly creaking voice inflected with a faint uptick of surprise. ]

Hey.

[ Krouse's cigarette dangles from his left hand outside of his open window as he answers her call, his right arm braced across the windowsill to hold himself up. ]

I wasn't.

[ He shouldn't be self-conscious about that. She's obviously not sleeping either. He still feels like he's been caught out, a little twinge of embarrassment to season his greater confusion about why she'd be calling him at this hour.

Or maybe it's not so much that he's awake as it is that he answered, accepting the call as soon as he processed who it was coming from. Just in case it was an emergency, which feels particularly stupid now that it's evidently not one. ]

What's up?

[ What's up? He shifts in place, cringing slightly at himself. ]

[skaikru]

( the staircase is well lit and up to building code, yet somehow still manages to feel incredibly steep and swim a little before her eyes as she walks. the joys of these ear pieces compared to hand held radios or cell phones is that they're relatively hands free, and the ease of stream of consciousness had made a voice call the obvious choice over texting — though that would have potentially spared both of their dignities.

what's up? )

I wanted to ask you some questions.

( there is an oddly light, sing-song levity flitting through on certain consonants when she speaks. easy, bold, and sparing absolutely nothing before launching directly into the aforementioned (gentle) interrogation: )

About parahumans. And your teleportation. Were you born with powers? How does it work? Does it require conscious intent, or is it more like an instinctual thing? What's your limit before it starts to wear you down?

( the staircase hand-railings is really the mvp of the evening here, and as she speaks clarke manages to make it to level ground without even coming close to slipping. )

Does it hurt to do? Oh — ( then, muffled, the hint of an exchange of pleasantries as she companion bots shuffling around the basement computer room welcome her warmly and clarke awkwardly says yeah, hi, hello in turn. )

[equivo]

[ Someone's in a good mood. Evidently, that comes with being incredibly nosy. Krouse listens through her short barrage of questions with a growing slight smile, eyebrows tugging together in bemusement as he tries to puzzle out what could have brought this on at two in the goddamn morning.

The voices in the background are familiar. Clarke's out among the bots, somewhere, which makes this all the more peculiar. ]

Well, that's not an invasive line of questioning at all.

[ He sounds amused, not annoyed, as he settles back down against the windowsill. ]

No one's born a parahuman. Some people are born with the potential, but it doesn't activate until you have a trigger event. I don't know how it works, in terms of the physics, and I don't think anyone does. Conscious intent, but I knew how to use it as soon as I got it. [ A short pause, timed to an inhale. ] I don't know what my limit is. I've never hit it.

And no. It doesn't hurt. [ Another pause, this one nearly silent except for the quiet brush of the breeze and ambient background noise of the city. ] It feels like pressing against whatever I want to move, how it compares to whatever else I'm locking onto. Not shapes, or weight, exactly, just - heft. Resonance.

Are you putting together a dossier, or something? Want to send me this in writing so I can give you the essay version?

[ Now he's teasing her, with the full awareness that he might be inviting her to actually do just that. ]

un: tt; backdated to late may

[thinkerseven]

[ A little while after his conversation with Clarke, Trickster will receive a text message on his HUD.

It is a word-for-word replica of the WikiHow article on gun safety, cobbled together from Tattletale's memory, her power filling in any gaps she's forgotten.

There is no additional commentary. ]

After Mission 004

[wannasmash]

krouse-kun i need your help. this is very important.
i don't know how to do this at all and i don't know who else to ask. please help me.

how do dates work?

[equivo]

You've come to the right place.

[ He has not. ]

How time sensitive is this?

[wannasmash]

[ Thank the gods, he's saved. (No he isn't.) ]

uh well we just got back from moorecroft so i guess whenever we get a chance?

oh no
it could happen at any time!!!

text; un: tt; 2 hours into krouse's birthday

[thinkerseven]

stop moping about ur bday so much its cliche nd annoying

[equivo]

have you ever considered a second career working for hallmark

[thinkerseven]

u know i never got convicted for all those felonies so it could work. nothing else stopping me

since im gonna b the greeting card kingpin of the new earth ill give u another 1 for free due 2 my kind heart and generosity:

go fuck urself and have a kwik trip cake

text; un: appleaday

[saudades]

helloooooo, krouse-kun!
i hope you have been doing well. ♥

the weather is turning quite chilly, don't you think? i was wondering if you might join me for a drink to warm our bones. maybe some tea?

[:)]

[equivo]

Sure. I'm game. Where?

And I've been great. Catching up on my smoking. Real time consuming hobby.

[saudades]

good to hear! it's always important to find a means of whiling away the hours to stave off boredom.

corinne's cafe, in an hour? unless your schedule is too packed for such short notice, of course~

backdated to 12/09 | text un: mason

[ingestion]

you are invited to (1) cool party at the maximum on 12/13
from 7pm-???
pet rock contest, best decorated rock wins a prize
party games, drinks, sleepover, and a SNES!

rsvp with heather mason

ps: if you cannot come, donations for the cause are happily accepted