Alone on a wide wide sea.

[abidinglaw]

[For some time now one node on the Journal network has been broadcasting an anonymous patch of sky broken only occasionally by the pacing back and forth of a quaking, sea-soaked man. His hair is matted and bedraggled, his arms are wrapped around his shoulders to conserve what little warmth he has. Occasionally there are sounds of a voice straining in physical exertion or cursing, or joyous laughter. Otherwise the sea dominates the audible side of the broadcast. Lapping, crashing, rushing water, rhythmic as a heart beat.

More rarely still, the man sits in the sand with the book at his feet, flicking through and reading. Throughout the day he makes his way through the guide, a selection of entries, a smattering of all that the curious book has to offer. It is a work of fiction, he knows this, but it is evidence of human life. It is a distraction from the cold.

By chance, however much he deviates, his journal always eventually ends up on the page required to broadcast video. It is by chance, too, that the journal picks up a selection of his musings - decisions on which tree along the beach would make the most suitable shelter, theories on the subject of nautical headings and snatches of naval protocol.

It is around mid-day that he addresses the journal directly. Sitting again with the book at his feet, he speaks out of a desire to hear the steady, authoritative tone of a voice in control.]

It was under the section on communication.. yes.. 'If you are reading this, then you have already discovered the journals.' Now, some superstitious nonsense, but ... Ah yes, 'if you want to set up meetings, pass a greeting or call for help.' Here we are. Now... No. As I expected. Nothing more than a string of ridiculous fantasies. Damn.

ooc: SO! Hi! Grab his attention at any time in his rambling failed-fire-building beach-stranding antics, or later at the bar post-retrieval. It's all fair game as far as I'm concerned.]

Comments

1/?

[all7seas]

[Jack has made a questionably comfortable bed of sawdust practice dummies stacked in a corner of the barracks and has just settled in top of them for a nap--the place has been relatively quiet since the battle dome arrived--when a familiar voice emanates from the journal sprawled open nearby.]

2/?

[all7seas]

[Well that's the voice of a dead man, isn't it just. Buggering journal.]

3/?

[all7seas]

[Madness. Perhaps Bonesy'll give me more of his pills.]

4/?

[all7seas]

5/done----VOICE

[all7seas]

Erm--------is there someone there, or are you in fact an audible manifestation of some sort of traumatic and or worrisome fragmental bit of memory?

VOICE!

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

[After all the requisite standing up and checking trees for hidden interloper sort of stuff, a voice does finally come back to Jack.]

Someone is here.

[voice]

[thedicearecast.livejournal.com]

[It's less the man that catches Amelia's attention first, and more the sounds coming from that journal entry. As someone from a desert who has never seen or heard the ocean, the sound of water moving like that is fascinating. But nice though it is, whoever the man is keeps speaking, in what largely comes off as nonsense. Amelia figures out pretty quickly that this is a new person--not that it's hard to tell.

When he actually speaks to the journal (and by extension, the network), she lets out a sigh. Might as well not leave him lost any longer.]

It's ridiculous, but it's not fantasy. Everything that's happening is real.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

That .. goes without saying.

[For all the certainty of his words, his tone is doubtful. He is, after all, talking to a book.]

[thedicearecast.livejournal.com]

If you just believe me like that, you really might be crazy.

[Amelia's tone is rather flat as she says this.]

People I trust completely told me about where I was when I first got here, and I still had trouble accepting it. I'm a complete stranger to you.

[Voice]

[fallenambitions]

[... What on earth was this man babbling about? From the video, this man didn't seem quite sane in appearance. Either the man lost his mind or was new and didn't quite grasp the concept of the journal just.]

Is that an attempt to sound like a recording?

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Excuse me?

No.

Sorry, I had thought that I was...

[He looks around the book while he talks and pauses, certain he'll find someone standing and watching him. No such person shows themselves of course. Quite rude of them.]

Alone.

Where are you?

[fallenambitions]

You recited where I could possibly be. If I'm not there, try the journal.

[Voice]

[mountain-sage.livejournal.com]

[The indirect musings make it difficult for Saleh to tell if the man needs help.]

Do you need assistance?

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Thank you, yes. Have you heard any rumors of a ship with a fanged mouth at its stern? It would be an ancient vessel - alive with barnacles and bedecked with weeds. Tell me, has it been sighted in these waters?

[ action ]

[herotypical]

[ so, luceti has a bar. it's a pretty fab bar, if you ask buffy. but maybe you don't want to ask her about the bar. maybe you just want to ask her about the fastest way to get a drink. that's okay too. ]

Re: [ action ]

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Excuse me - madam? Excuse me.

[Voice]

[derek-bliss.livejournal.com]

'Friad it's pretty real.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

So I am led to believe.

You will excuse me if I sound a little skeptical.

[hakoiri.livejournal.com]

Luceti does seem fantasylike, doesn't it? I wouldn't say that it's ridiculous, though. There are many words to describe this world.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

I can think of a fair few, yes.

[ voice ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Generally accusing people of being figments of your imagination is kiiiiiind of rude.

[ dawn. seriously now, darling. ]

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Yet I would do my utmost to help a stranger in need.

[voice]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Hey, Raine worked hard on that guide. None of it's nonsense! You can hear me, right?

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Calm down, please.

[If he'd known he was being overheard, he'd ....

Probably insulted Luceti some other way. Still, he'd better try to resolve the situation;]

It is an admirable fiction.

[toyaka-shifter.livejournal.com]

[A fairly young sounding voice, perhaps that of a teenager comes on sounding somewhat amused]

You know, you'd be surprised what fantasies and superstitions can turn out to be true.