... first it's shrinking, then zombies, an' now kidnapping.

Very funny, Komui. Tell Allen t'let me outta the Ark.

The hell is on my face...?

[and the image flickers. Hello Marina, there is a very familiar person on the screen. The eyes though, they should be different. The eyes are cold and hard.]

This was not our agreement, Yuuko-san.

[and the video pans back to reveal a far older version of Sakura clothed in a dark black dress. There is blood caked in her hair and scattered across her chest. This doesn't seem to bother her, as she continues in clipped tones.]

I paid my price. I have given you my reputation as God's favored daughter. I have given you my right leg.

I was not supposed to be saved. [troubled now and the hard look slips a fraction. She presses one bloodstained hand to her heart.]

Please...let me go on to my world. I'm running out of time.

[Just as before, the cork-board between the Shelter's common and dining room lays bare, except for a single square notecard tacked to the center. On it, in green marker, a question is written in neat, capital letters.]

HOW DO YOU HONOR YOUR DEAD?

[There are other, blank cards present, and an array of colored markers readily available for any and all replies.]

((ooc: For that it's worth, the font will be recognizable to those characters who remember him replying to the last round of comments; but the handwriting cannot be traced back to any notes he wrote in his normal handwriting.))

Hey, you. Lavi. You out there? You didn't starve or anything, did you?

[ a pause, a hint of something that may have been a snort. ]

It's not like I'm worried about him or anything, got it? He just hasn't been chattering as much lately is all. You get used to an irritant, and you notice when it up and leaves. Like there aren't enough irritants down here now. Is their little leader even around? Or did he go and starve too?

[Lockon and Haro were out and about, fetching various items to make their small house a little more like home, and less like a slightly more furnished version of a Shelter cell room. After thinking about leaving the underground halls almost nonstop for days, now that he was shopping, he couldn't think of what he needed, or where to get it.]

[voice | open]
Would anyone have any idea where our warden might keep the grills? I heard there was fishing, and it'd be a shame to just have to bake it. [After a pause.] Maybe some power tools, too...

---

[voice | filtered to the Meisters]
I found that new place I mentioned pretty fast. [He gave up directions to his small abode in Sector 4.] Not a lot of room for guests, though don't let that stop you from coming over.

---

[voice | private to Lacus Clyne]
[Lockon didn't doubt for a moment that she would be unable to find him if he just hid in his room for the day, but he wasn't the kind of man to go back on his promises in the first place...] Lacus, I've picked up some items, and started cleaning. [He gave up the directions to the house.] If you still want to help, you can come by at any time.

---

[voice | private to Sakura Kinomoto]
Sakura, did you still want to come over today? I'd like to hear some of the music you were talking about, if you had any. I even picked up a small stereo at the store.


(( ooc: Please feel free to catch Lockon as he's out and about! His home is in Sector 4, so there will be plenty of crossing between there and the various stores as he stocks up. <3 Just title your posts with where, and I'll run with it! ))

[Hello video. Pan in on the face of this energetic redhead and tapping the communicator's screen to get your attention. Takes in a deep breath, then, loudly:]

Uhm! Hello!

I need to know-- who decorated this place? I mean, it's absolutely hideous! These 'robots' you've got going on? No offense, but I've seen soup cans that look better~ same thing with that room I woke up in!

Ugh. It's no wonder my managers sent me here under the guise of an inmate, the interior decorators must have gotten their fashion advice from like, cavemen or something. No worries, ah-- Marina, was it? Risette will do her best~!

[There is the sound of someone clearing their throat, before a somewhat young and genderless voice can be heard over the communicator.]

If the person, entity, group, or otherwise responsible for my capture would present themselves, I'd like to discuss the nature of this imprisonment. While I understand how some of the listed transgressions could be considered crimes, this seems more like a kidnapping. There are certain procedures to be followed in an arrest, and I seem to have been unconscious through them.

[A pause. Then, with less certainty,] Some of these charges are also... questionable. I would ask for your reasoning, if you please.

[Another pause.]

This seems to be recording, but who am I speaking to, if anyone?

warning: depressed loli ahead!

[Sakura. Wants to fly.

She wished that she could summon her Fly card, soar over the tops of the buildings, and just feel that wind. Maybe - just maybe feeling that breeze would dry the tears that were...

Tears?]

Eh...I guess my name really is Tears...heh...[and she'll retreat quietly to the corner of the park. and have a little sob to herself. Sad Sakura has been trying to stick it out, but an 11 year old really can't go so long without yearning for her family. ;;]

[Deidara can be found on his hands and knees in the park. The bandages have finally been removed from his hands, but there seem to have been new ones added in a couple random locations. He asked for it, though.

He can currently be seen digging into the ground with a small hand shovel. Unwanted dirt is set to one side, while choice scoops are being placed into a sack on the other side.

It might not be the best time of day to be doing this, but he figured if he did it after dark it would appear far less innocent.]

[Muttered] Damn machine, un.

So let ε < 0...

[ some rustling noises and then a happy voice ]

Ah! So that is how this operates!

Good evening! My name is Adam!

[And here is a happy Sakamoto, who waves to everyone through the camera, grinning as always.]

It seems like people here get very cranky about Valentine's Day! There's no reason to be bitter about it, ahaha! It's just a day about love and sex and chocolate, ahahaha! There's no reason to be unhappy!

And, hey, Sentience, and whoever else is out there! We should have a party, or something, to celebrate! Because people need to remember that it's a fun holiday, and not something that people should be grouchy about, haha!

[ It would seem that the Master is outside the library -- it's not clear whether he's just come out of it or is just about to go inside but apparently, he is one to pay attention to the fact that one shouldn't talk inside a library. Manners: he does have them, he just doesn't always make use of them. Feel free to pester him in person.

Regardless, he glances up at the entrance to the building for a brief moment, before turning his attention back to the headset; he speaks clearly and calmly, his tone level. ]

And yet more join us. It's almost as if Sentience doesn't want us to get lonely. It really is cute, isn't it? Thoughtful, even. Or maybe quaint would be the better word. (There's a slight pause and he seems to brighten for the briefest of moments, as if remembering something.)

--Oh! But it's children's day. Next thing we know, Sentience will be arranging a prison wide game of hide and seek. I wonder what we'd find, what secrets are hidden here. (He smiles for a moment.) Because, you see, I get the feeling that there are a large number of skeletons being hidden (his tone switches to something bordering on sympathetic and compassionate) and skeletons like those are going to be woefully detrimental to the rehabilitation Sentience hopes and believes we're all capable of.

Maybe story-time would be better than hide-and-seek -- what do you think? Oh, and sleep tight. I'm sure all bed bugs have been taken care of.

[ There's really not much to see at first, just a blur of colour and images as the headset is removed and set aside. It looks to be sand that it's nestled in, and beyond the little dunes in the camera's prspective, a glimpse of water. The beach. A bit late for the events of the day, but all the better. Less crowds, less headache, more privacy and (relative) peace.

Of Adachi himself, it's only his shoes visible in the camera's line-of-sight, scuffed brown and looking more like sneakers than anything else, the line of his legs and the edge of his jacket on the far edge of the screen. Sitting in the sand, perhaps relaxing.

It's odd to think of himself as relaxing in a prison, of all places, yet he's had more rest in the facility than he ever has back home. No job to run him down, no boss to run him even harder, no teenagers to infuriate him and get in his way (at least, there had been no teenagers). Two of the new 'inmates' help matters none, and after a small while of silence and sitting, there comes a sigh. It's a tired sort of sound. ]

I could really go for some of that Asahi right now. Maybe even Sapporo.

[ his voice is initially soft. as if he's simply murmuring to himself: ]

"Precognition" makes due process kind of hard to maintain, doesn't it?



[ here, a long, thoughtful pause. if it's the business with the TV world that brought him here... the others could be here, too. time to tread carefully.

calm, quiet, composed. typical souji. ]

Ah.

I've been filled in on the generalities about this place, but - I'm still a little fuzzy on the details. Moving from place to place so rapidly, especially without prior warning, has been—very disorienting.

Any information you'd be willing to provide would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Please let this be a dream, please? Dad's going to kill me when he finds out. Prison? That's going to look great on any college applications.

I'd also, uh, really appreciate it if you re-reviewed what the hell you think I did! I have stuff to do. Important, moral stuff, that is probably more important than your stupid preventative measures. I know it says I won't be leaving but-- You want criminals? I've got a criminal for you. In fact, I was just on my way to apprehend said scumbag and prevent a worse crime than he's already done--

But-- [sighing.]

Okay, okay. Okay. It's obvious this isn't working. Probably that it wasn't going to work from the start. So... I don't know. I'll figure something out.

[Mystic Maya was hurt. badly.]

[Pearl woke up at around six or seven to find herself in the hospital, wearing a hospital gown but not...sick or injured or anything, as far as she could tell.]

[but someone had hurt Mystic Maya, and her cousin wouldn't tell her who, how, or why. laughed it off and said she'd fallen.]

[...and told her she shouldn't channel Dahlia again.]

Could someone tell me what happened last night? I think...I think I hurt someone important to me.

[Hey look! It's Sakura, fortunately not crying this time, but instead she's practicing. And she's pretty good at it too! Ever since Josak-san invited her onto the cheerleading squad, well, Sakura's been excited about it. She couldn't find a baton, so she's using her Star wand. It's kind of gaudy and out of place. But a cheerleader's gotta do what a cheerleader's gotta do.]

[She's totally concentrating, but then her eyes slowly start to glaze over. Sakura's beginning to think about what exactly she's doing in Marina...all the awesome people she's met...and how to pay back Yuuki for her kindness...]

[Distraction's not good because Sakura misses the baton as it flies back to her, smacking her in the forehead.]

Ow!!

Some people are cheerful today.~

But I'm going to take a page from the Hitachiin's book. I'm bored.~

[So bored he's currently in the dinning area, lining cards up. Probably going to start making a tower with them. Feel free to notice if in the area.]

Predictability is such a horrible disease.~

Good morning, criminals! Today marks the forty-seventh day of the third generation. It should be a warm, sunny day, and those of you who are recovering from last night are encouraged to spend some time outdoors and enjoy it. I would like to inform everyone who might not be aware that the threat has been handled. It is most regrettable that such a thing happened, but this is precisely why this system does not bring criminals back from the dead.

I have one last, fairly significant code adjustment to make to this system. Please bear with me if I cannot converse with you this morning. If you require my input, please feel free to come visit the kiosk in Sector 1, and I will address your concerns there. Thank you for your understanding.