002 | Video

[firewalled]

Name: Rich Goranski
Date: Backdated to Oct 14
Format: Video for initial post; various in comments

[Without so much as an introduction, a video plays. It's a little shaky with the recorder's nerves, and occasionally, a long talon partly covers the view of the scene, but it still shows what it needs to quite clearly.

Eventually, even with the struggle still continuing, the camera is turned away from the action, towards Rich. He has to hope what he just got will be enough to get the Coven to actually believe him this time, but right now, he doesn't have time to wait around. Direct action is needed, so he pings the friends he trusted: Michael Mell, Myr, and Niles. The message is still sent to everyone, however, so everyone can view the video and the panic in Rich's eyes when the camera is turned back to him.]

The SQUIP has lost it. It's going full villain again and I need back up. Meet me near the inn, I think it's trying to take Heere there.

[Without an explanation of what entails the SQUIP going full villain or who 'Heere' may be, he continues.]

Everyone else, please stay safe and-[He's cut off by something happening off screen, which makes him swear and stuff his watch into his pocket. There's about a minute more of muffled yelling and darkness before the recording eventually ends.]

~*~

[Hours later, there's another video tacked on to the earlier one, once the mist has finally started to fade away. Rich is back inside, his changes from before calming down enough that he isn't at risk of burning down Justine's whole cottage. He looks tired and worn, a few nasty scrapes on his face, but... there is a sort of relief in his expression, some sort of certainty that, no matter what happens next, he did what was right.]

Hey everyone. Sorry about that... I know I promised to be less of a downer the next time I posted on here, but... shit happens.

I'm just letting everyone know the SQUIP is knocked out. It had been using magic to charm and mind control several people, including someone I was bonded to, Justine, and a friend from home, Jeremy Heere.

Two of the people it was Bonded with, Linden Tailor and Connor, are also unconscious... guess some sort of trauma went through the connection when we stopped it. Since it was actively using mind control magic, I used Mountain Dew Red to deactivate... the part of it that was still a supercomputer, I guess. It should recover fine, and while it's passed out, I'm going to bring the recording to the Coven so they can see I wasn't lying when I told them what it did in my world.

If any of you were being controlled by it, let me know. It got to quite a few people when I saw it, but its powers should have worn off by now. It can be... a little traumatic, though, so my door's open if you wanna talk. Hopefully now that the SQUIP was... de-SQUIPped, somehow, this shouldn't happen again.

[With another tired wave, Rich signs off. He'd love to stay and chat but... he's pretty sure his roommates are still going to need a little more help in the fallout.]

((Everyone is free to respond! Rich will respond when he's done dealing with his roomies, who are likely either a) dealing with mind control withdrawal or b) having panic attacks over the SQUIP. Other players on Team Anti-Bastard Computer Man will also be responding a few hours after the events of the battle, providing information on what went down and vouching that yes, Shit Was Bad.))

Comments

[hoboagogo]

not lobotomize someone just because theyre doing what they were programmed to
i aint saying its in the right but fuck man you gotta admit thats messed up

look we already knew talking wouldnt work because it used to be a robot it probably doesnt know what feelings are
but the witches with the coven couldn't help you with the mind control spells or whatever?

Private; Audio;

[ishisstrength]

Connor is alright.

I am taking care of him until he wakes up.

[She's tired and in pain but Justine isn't particularly focused on herself right now.]

audio;

[ishisstrength]

[Justine doesn't know this man but she's heard a little bit about him through Rich.]

He's alright now but we're trying to continue to keep him safe. If you could keep looking out for him. I'm sure that will help.

Text

[ishisstrength]

I recommend being a little delicate with your questions.

[text; private]

[ishisstrength]

Linden is safe.

[hoboagogo]

Delicacy ain't ever been a strong point've mine.

Action for Rich

[ishisstrength]

Are you sure you're alright?

[It's a little later that day when Justine returns to their room to find Rich sitting on the floor. She'd tried to find some books for him but she doesn't think he's too interested in reading right now.] You shouldn't push yourself. It's okay to take some time.

[She places a plate with a sandwich next to him and takes a seat at his side. It's been difficult since their return but Justine's been trying her best not to think about it. SQUIP had her under his influence since her death months before... maybe before Rich had been in the city. She doesn't know and she's too uncertain of herself to ask.]

What can I do for you?

[She wants to focus on him and Michael and Jeremy...]

[ishisstrength]

Consider this time to practice. Please?
Rich has had a hard time.

[hoboagogo]

yeah most of us have. and i let him crash on my couch during a lot of it.

but i aint gonna pretend its totally fine he apparently killed half of someones mind. if i got the wrong idea, i'll take corrections, but this dont feel right to me.

[heerequeerandfulloffear]

[It's a good effort, Rich, but Jeremy's intent on ignoring his physical body for a while. It's not a trigger if you ignore it, right?]

That's the thing. I hate saying this over and over but I don't remember.

[He tugs at a lock of hair.]

That guy who's getting married to the SQUIP--I was talking with him outside, and I don't know how I got there, and then we were on the ground. I thought he was making out with me at first, but I... He took me to this hospital place. I was on the way back from there the next morning when I saw the SQUIP.

[He stares at the pillow in his hands, tugging at a loose thread and winding it around his finger like the hair.]

I should have called you on the watch, but I didn't think of that until two seconds ago. I was kinda out of it, anyway.

--> action!

[faithlikeaseed]

Fur and feathers, [he echoes, for want of anything else wise to say; he's been so rattled, so worked over by grief and guilt, he's not...functioning, entirely.]

I'll be by the door; you've only got to knock.

[As he is, when she arrives, and he will open the door to Linden's cottage when she knocks. Covered in burns, with a makeshift blindfold wrapped around his face and an ill-fitting set of clothes on, he looks like he's seen better days.] Serah--?

...Don't think I know your name, if you're the one as offered to come help Linden. [Wet fur and feathers are definitely there, but. With the mist doing what it was, that could be anyone smelling like that.]

[ishisstrength]

It was a machine. Not a person.
All Rich did was turn off the machine. It is still alive.

[Though as one of those controlled by SQUIP, Justine isn't sure how she feels about that.]

You can have your opinions about it but it's done.
So please keep them to yourself. Rich doesn't need this.

[hoboagogo]

see i ain't clear on that. i thought they said it had turned into a person here. people keep saying different shit.

what, are you his mom here? rich can decide what he does or doesn't need.

audio;

[faithlikeaseed]

[Tiredly,] The Coven had their hands full with the rest of the mist's effects. There wasn't time.

[More like they'd all been spooked into acting rather than waiting to see how things played out, but Myr's hardly one to argue it was better to leave people indefinitely under a demon's thrall.]

[ishisstrength]

Part of it is but part of it was still following its programming.

[Or that's what Justine thinks.]

I am not his mom but I am his friend. I care about him. [She's also nearly the same age as Rich and has made out with him on at least occasion, it'd be awkward to be his mom.]

[hoboagogo]

bullshit i talked to rich about this weeks ago. he said he was gonna go over and talk to them.

[hoboagogo]

what the hell do you expect when you suddenly give a computer a brain. i told him all that when we talked about this last month.

he said hed talk to the coven because it was learning mind control magic but instead if guess he decided to go full vigilante

[ishisstrength]

It had me mind controlled for months. I understand what you mean but do you know what that's like? To not have control because someone else has decided for you?

You aren't trying to understand. You're making assumptions with partial information.

[hoboagogo]

yeah, actually, i do.

and ive seen what its like when someone has their mind fucked with. back home itd happen all the time. people out laying in the streets, walking in front of trains and shit because part of their minds got shut off. hundreds of em dying of thirst in gutters or splayed on the sidewlak.

yeah see if you scroll up youre gonna see where i told you i'd take corrections because i might not have all the info.

[firewalled]

you're talking to one of the people I went to the coven with dude

They didnt do a fucking thing okay
I've been dealing with this for months you honestly think I didnt try every option?

[hoboagogo]

no, i'm asking you what came of it and all these people are flipping out insteadve letting me talk to you.

so they decided mind control spells are totally legal and the guy wasnt doing anything wrong?

[ishisstrength]

Then be kind.
If you really know what it's like.
Stop attacking.
There's been enough fighting. Please.

[hoboagogo]

you and me have got real different definitions of attacking

look no one was talking to you so how about you butt out

[firewalled]

I think tensions are a little high, dude
And I mean u kinda do sound lowkey harsh

Anyways I told them and they didnt believe me
Witness statements dont count as proof I guess
Visible injuries neither
They said it sounded like it was something we were more suited to handle on our own instead of making it messy by getting involved

And then it literally got messy and I didnt have any other choices
I didnt know what the dew was gonna do, I was hoping itd just weaken it and glitch it out
That's what it did for mine
The lobotomy thing was not my plan

[hoboagogo]

yeah, i do. so i dont care if you wanna get on my case for it, thats fine. i'm actually talking to you, so you got the right.

glad you actually went to them but thats pretty screwed up about the coven.
did they say what would count as proof or no?
and i dunno how they think we're better to handle it when none of us even know what we're doing.

not gonna lie the coven seems to be run by idiots, between this and sending us to dorkhart.

the whole things fucked man.
what are you gonna do about it? i mean you said its still alive, just part of its brain doesnt work.