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[payback]

[Doop doop doop... just in the castle lobby, but you know, it's Paradisa. There's always a journal open somewhere when things happen.

For a few minutes the journal picks up dictation of... mostly nothing. Rin talking quietly to someone, apparently Tad, from her tone and how there's no response back. This continues for a few minutes before she suddenly cries out sharply.]

Ouch!! Oh - jeez...

[There's silence for a moment. Whatever just happened, from her reaction it sounds like this was painful! But when she speaks she sounds... hesitant, and kind of nervous. A little more normal for her at this point.]

What's this...?

Comments

[gunslinger]

What happened?!

[payback]

There are numbers on my hand now. That's not normal, is it?

IDK DID SHE HAVE NUMBERS BEFORE? /KNOWS NOTHING

[gunslinger]

Uh...

[ Looking at his hand now. He's not the best person to ask. ]

What are the numbers?

nope they're new!

[payback]

Seventy-two, and two zeros. Somebody said like a timer?

[gunslinger]

[ What does that mean? 72 minutes? 72 hours? 3 days? Hmmm... ]

That's kinda concerning. Want me to take a look at it?

[payback]

... Yeah. It's just like, printed on my hand... it's not hurting me or anything, at least not now, I guess it did when it showed up though?

[gunslinger]

Well if it's not something you recognize from your own world, it could be castle induced or...something else.

The numbers haven't changed at all?

[payback]

No, they did. It went down from seventy-two and two zeros to seventy-one and fifty-nine.

[gunslinger]

Then yeah I'd say that sounds exactly like a timer. I can try to analyze it, but I don't know what I'll find, if anything.

[payback]

Would it hurt?

[gunslinger]

No, it doesn't hurt. The most you'd feel is a tingle, and that's only if you're paying attention.

[payback]

Okay, we can do that!

[gunslinger]

Where are you at?

[payback]

In the lobby. Should I just wait here?

[gunslinger]

That's fine. It'll just take me a few minutes.

[payback]

Okay... I'll be here! [And she will be.]

[gunslinger]

[ And he'll be walking through the entryway after about five minutes, car parked outside. It's not like she even knows what he looks like anymore, so Jr. waves to catch her attention when he walks over. LOOK HE HAS NUMBERS TOO but they are not fancy magic timers. ]

Hey Rin. I'm Jr.

[payback]

Oh, hi!

[A pause. Just a kid...? But he seems to know what he's doing...]

Um, what do you wanna do?

[gunslinger]

[ He goes by Jr., are you THAT surprised?

Out of his pocket he pulls free what looks like a small, oddly shaped industrial remote. When he hits a specific button, though, a holographic screen and keyboard both appear. ]

Well if you wanna go ahead and get started, just hold out your hand.

[payback]

[Hesitationnnnnnnnnnnnn...]

Will it hurt?

[gunslinger]

Don't worry, I said it wouldn't.

[payback]

[She holds out her hand, anyhow. Watching closely.]

[gunslinger]

[ Jr. reaches out to let his hand hover over hers. ]

Ether Drive.

[ Instantaneously, a white glow covers her hand and his for a moment, followed by his own eyes seeming to glow a brighter blue as he observes the numbers. It passes quickly, though, as the information is scanned into the connection gear he's still holding with his other hand.

At the beep, his gaze moves to the translucent screen to see a big red Connection Error. Please scan again. typed across the screen. With a shrug, he turns it around so she can read. ]

It's definitely castle related.

[payback]

... I guess this thing doesn't happen that commonly, huh?

[gunslinger]

Haven't heard of it yet. Something's probably going to happen in three days.