TO EVERYONE

[princessvegas]

[ In her domain, Julie sits in a booth, bent over the table with a stack of paper and pen. She bites the tip of her tongue in concentration, then starts writing invitations. She intends to leave them all over the Horizon, fliers more than proper addressed invites.

Soon, all of the off-worlders are able to see writing in their vision. This writing appears to simply be written on any nearby surface: a tabletop, on the page of a book in place of the text, in a pool of water. It sparkles to summon attention to itself, just enough of a twinkle to earn a glance. ]



[ It's signed at the bottom, Julie Lawry.

Soon, other thoughts may begin appearing in your vision, sparkling until they catch your eye. Your own thoughts can be broadcast too. If you put in a little effort, you can even send them directly to a specific person, or a group.

And most of you are welcome to the party. ]

Comments

[Open]

[rinwell]

[ Seeing sparkling letters out of the corner of one eye, letters no one else can see, almost has Rinwell concerned she might be getting sunstroke out in the desert. It's not as hot here as in Calaglia, but she was raised in a land of ice and snow - it's a big difference for someone like her. It's a relief when the message disappears after a short time, and she retreats indoors to find some water in the mess hall.

Probably just a bit dehydrated, right?

When the message reappears, she'd successfully relocated back to the barracks, and there's a flinch in surprise as the words overwrite what she was reading, taking up space opposite some very boring diagrams in her copy of "Peace & War: Notorious Battles of the Free Cities" (3rd Edition).

She stares at the invite for a very, very long moment, wracking her brain over the contents. ]

WHAT'S A HALLOWEEN?
~Rinwell

[ ..well. she didn't mean to shout that. or reply at all, actually. ]

[princessvegas]

[ Julie is very carefully and concentratedly copying her invite over and over (she needs a lot and copiers are not a thing in Abraxas), but when she flips to a new sheet, it's suddenly taken over by someone else's writing.

She doesn't know what's happening. This is not something that she's encountered in the Horizon before. With a sharp look up and around at her surroundings, she says out loud: ]

What the fuck?

[ There's no one near her -- her horde of fabricated clubgoers are all out on the dance floor, having a good time, and the bartender isn't paying her any mind.

Outside of Cadens, where Julie has never been, comes more twinkling. ]

What the fuck?
- Julie Lawry

[open]

[gardienne]

what dreadful penmanship

- eponine

[Eponine definitely didn't mean to send that but between her lack of literacy skills, Julie's handwriting, her being freaked out by the message to begin with, as well as still coursing with adrenaline after hurting Susan, it takes her ten minutes to decipher Julie's invitation]

why a scare at a party?

[princessvegas]

[ In all honesty, Julie still does not know what's happening or why she's seeing these messages from other people, but this one in particular doesn't get the cursory "what's going on?" discussion. Oh no. If she's going to have to read this shit, it's not gonna be from her. ]

I'm surprised you can read it at all. This isn't for you.
- Julie Lawry

[gardienne]

im not stupid. I cam read my letters. and write them.
stupid anyway.
no one wants to be scared at a party.
they should only look on your face and run away.

- eponine

[She hadn't meant the last part to show. Or the first part, really. How is this happening at all?

[rinwell]

[ Why did that thought appear on her book? Why did HER OWN thought appear on her book?? ]

OH GREAT DAHNA WHAT'S HAPPENING
~Rinwell

[ It's obviously some sort of magic, it HAS to be, but there's no one else around for her to ask and she's NOT asking the guards, and and

And hey, you know, maybe if she.. Her brow furrows, and she tries to concentrate. ]

It was just a question!

I mean it, though.

What's a Halloween?
~Rinwell

[princessvegas]

[ Julie groans aloud. Is this going to be a thing now? Why won't this brat leave her alone? Tell her not to pick a fight, she picks a fight and loses. Tell her to stop bugging you on the beach, she doesn't. Now Julie can't even just exist without having to read this shit?

She concentrates all her effort on her following thought. ]

Fuck off.
- Julie Lawry

[princessvegas]

[ The reply comes back quick, Julie watching in horror as they appear to be having a psychic text conversation against their own wills. ]

I don't know what's going on. Halloween is a holiday. You dress up and party and eat candy.

Nice to meet you, I guess.
- Julie Lawry

[gardienne]

[because eponine has no one else and god she needs to feel something, even if it's hate. She's been numb ever since she hurt Susan.]

how do you read these? how is it my thoughts send? can we now not think an insult without it coming on here?

[princessvegas]

[ It's actually a fair question, and though Julie doesn't really have any answers, she supposes that Eponine won't be able to stop bugging her unless she figures it out. ]

I don't know, girl. Your words are just kind of showing up in front of me. Like you wrote them. Are you thinking AT me?

[rinwell]

[ Oh look, MORE things they didn't tell her about after pulling her out of an underground pool of water.

At least Rinwell isn't the only one caught out, it seems. ]

This hasn't happened here before, then? How do we make it stop?

[ And then, a distracted segue, because ooo a topic near and dear to Rinwell's heart: ]

Oh.

Well, I do like candy. There's really a holiday for that sort of thing?

Nice to meet you, Julie! Or, write you? Think you?

this is really weird

~Rinwell

[princessvegas]

[ As if sensing her consternation with this new development in Weird Shit the Singularity Does to Them, the bartender comes by and places a drink next to Julie's stack of papers. She immediately throws the whole thing back (it's immediately replaced with another), then puts her pen to the side. She thinks twice, takes the pen apart and sets the ink on a different table, then comes back to continue sussing this out. ]

No, this hasn't ever happened. I was writing stuff down. On paper. Invitations. The Singularity...

[ That thought seems to end as Julie realizes the danger in thinking about the thing currently transcribing her thoughts. ]

At home there is, at least. But it's always the best party of the year.

Where are you? I haven't heard your name before. They got you in the dungeon?

[rinwell]

Um.

[ Yup, still confused here, and cutting off that thought about the Singularity has her on fuller alert.. ]

Well, it was a very nice invite? The sparkling effect especially.

[ Shifting on the blankets so she can cross her legs more comfortably, Rinwell closes the book a moment, trying to think and not Think Out Loud. If that's what's happening here, at least.

Then cracks it open again. ]

There's no parties on Dahna. Not for Dahnans, anyway. Where's your home?

I've only been here a week, maybe a little more. It's really hot--

Wait, what dungeon? I think the Outpost has a brig, but--

[princessvegas]

It sparkles? Yours sparkles here too.

[ As her focus narrows on the conversation, the music and crowd dim somewhat, as if turning the volume down on a television. That's all it ever is -- background noise so that she doesn't feel alone. She glances up to satisfy herself that her manifested friends are still there, but then returns to this Rinwell. ]

Where's Dahna? I'm from America. Las Vegas. Well, kind of. Why doesn't Dahna have parties?

[ She is working under the assumption that "Dahna" must be a region in some other country. It sounds Indian. Isn't that the capital of India? New Dahna?

But then comes the next sentences. Only been here a week... the Outpost. Horror slowly dawns on her, unfurling across her face as she thinks back. ]

Are you not in Thorne?

[rinwell]

It does! They're golden, with a bit of pink.

[ She's not thinking in sparkles, but to hear her own words have a similar affect earns a soft 'huh' under Rinwell's breath. ]

Dahna is the name of my world. I'm from Cyslodia. Is America your world?

The Renans would sooner see us all dead than let slaves have parties.

[ ...oh, did that get said 'out loud'. it did, didn't it.

ANYWAY ]

No, I'm in Cadens. One of the "Free Cities". Why would I be in Thorne?

[princessvegas]

[ Ohh, this is bad. This is real bad. If Rinwell has never been to Thorne, then that must mean... ]

Fuck. I gotta go find some people and talk to them.

[not_caroline]

oh shit its spreading

fucking telepathys a plague now, were all getting infected with other peoples brain rot
- coraline

[Hers is the curling script of someone who's learned cursive and promptly decided it was bullshit. Much more immediately legible than the party invite.]

[princessvegas]

You figured out how to control it yet?

[ Wow excuse you child, Julie has perfectly great handwriting. Sorry that you don't know basic skills that have been used for centuries. ]

[not_caroline]

kinda sorta. susan buttdialled me earlier so weve worked some bits out already.

the words follow you if you move away and if you only send it to one person other people cant see it.

[princessvegas]

So just think it at one specific person, right? I mean, I guess you can't tell me if it's working, since I'm talking... thinking at you.

[ It is working, even if neither of them can really confirm it. ]

Coraline? Hey you came with the first group, right?

[rinwell]

Talk to who? Why?

[ Well this sure is one good way to make Rinwell trust her hosts AND everything else about this situation even less.

Maybe she should go and find Alice.. ]

[gardienne]

no?

Well yes now I am. It is no wonder there is a scowl on my lips is there?

[That’s a horrible thought really though, that whatever she thinks will show up in her scrawled chicken scratch.]

will we never have a private thought again? I don’t like this magic.

[not_caroline]

yeah like i live with two other well bitches and they couldn't see it when it happened so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[It was good to know, and very good for trolling.]

yeah thats me. started in jail, jon sims got me out before he did a dumb and got shoved in there.

[skitter]

#dislike - skitter

[Taylor is half-asleep when it comes across her pillow, her first night in Solvunn, and it startled her awake. So sorry, Julie got the first-shock response.]

[princessvegas]

I'll talk to you later, Rinwell.

[ She's already rushing out of her domain to go see if she can spot any of the people she has in mind. A mind that she works very hard to contain her thoughts in as she goes. ]