IC INBOX

[maskintape]

It's Tim. I guess I'm busy, so... Leave a message.

Comments

[maskintape]

[ He's

He's serious, isn't he.

Well, at... least Tim's distraction seems to be working? Jay's insatiable lust for tapes conquers all. Apparently. ]

Yeah, ok
I guess keeping an eye open for them won't hurt
just don't get your hopes up too high

[genreblindness]

[Jay's life is like 99% watching/editing/uploading tapes okay, of course it conquers all.]

You'll watch out for them too, right?
It'll be a lot easier that way.

[maskintape]

The jewel of my foraging career is a can of cat food
so I doubt I'll be much help
but sure I'll keep my eyes open

[ while keeping his palm firmly lodged in his face at all times ]

[genreblindness]

Thanks

[Surely you'll give him any tapes you find, right? You wouldn't keep things from him again, would you Tim? Friend. Buddy. Pal.]

[maskintape]

don't thank me unless I find anything
like I said I don't think there are going to be any blank tapes here.
And I DO owe you, so

[genreblindness]

Even so it's still somejf

[whoops haha that keysmashlet definitely wasn't due to any terrifying hallucinations or anything hahahaha]

[maskintape]

[ Guess who needs no encouragement to worry thanks to the whole paranoia thing

THIS GUY ]

JAY
if yuo don't answer in 5 mins i'm going to call

[genreblindness]

[There sure is no answer in five minutes! It's almost like he's too busy yelling at people and/or things that are not there or something.]

[maskintape]

[ Yeah no he's attempting a video call now. And will keep doing so until Jay answers or calls him back or SOMETHING. This is not okay this is not okay ]

[genreblindness]

[Good news, it's getting picked up! Enjoy a screenful of Jay looking even more haggard and nervous than usual.]

Sorry, I was. There were things.

[maskintape]

There's nothing there now--

[ Sorry, all this stress and short-breathed-ness is only exacerbating the coughing. Pls stand by. ]

-- ugh. So just. It - it's probably not real, just. Leave the video running. That should --

[ COUGH COUGH HACK. GDIT JAY STOP WORRYING HIM ]

[genreblindness]

...Are you okay?

[YES THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION RIGHT NOW]

[maskintape]

[ Jay is getting one of the Looks. The ones that say "are u serious" and "my sideburns are great."

It's a little dampened by the fact that he's still coughing, but shh. HE'S NODDING. HE'S FINE. ]

-- it's, if - if you leave it running while you sleep I can - [HACK HACK] - check on you or you can yell and I'll-- I'll hear.

[ Just gonna swig from his water bottle now. No pills, though. Gotta save those. ]

[genreblindness]

[Well, Tim's getting a Look right back. A look that says "I'm worried about you even though I don't entirely trust you at the moment" and "I am an actual corgi look at me wow"]

I, uh. Don't think sleep's going to be much of a thing.

[He looks off to the side and swallows.]

Are you getting any, like, distortion or anything on your end?

[maskintape]

[ Distortion, eh. Tim chews on his lip to try and hold the coughing back and examines the feed carefully. He can't see anything weird.

Unfortunately, when he lets out the coughs he's been holding in, his video feed skips out and tears for a few seconds. So while he isn't seeing anything, Jay will. Have fun. ]

Urgh. Uh, no. Nope. You're all clear.

[genreblindness]

[shit

shitshitshit

time to panic and look around wildly for any signs of spooky abominations

which of course are right there because the hallucinations are only going to keep getting worse]

[maskintape]

Jay? Jay!

[ What the fuck. He just said everything was fine! ]

There's nothing there. Jay.

[genreblindness]

The, the video was. There was a bit of tearing right when you said that.

[He gestures into the tablet camera, still glancing here and there.]

And the footage I took earlier while I was outside, that was distorted too. Unless that was just in my head, I don't know.

[maskintape]

[ He looks behind himself reflexively to make sure it's nothing on his end causing the distortion. What a twist that would be!!!

Nope. Nothing. ]

It - maybe it was the signal? Both times? I mean, I dunno... snow interferes with like, the TV and internet, so. It could glitch out the recording or call function too.

[ COUGH COUGH MISERABLE COUGH. He really doesn't want the Operator to be here, ok. For lots of reasons. ]

[genreblindness]

[THE MOST SKEPTICAL LOOK.]

Do you really think it was the signal.

[Come on, man. Really.]

[maskintape]

I think we shouldn't discount anything in this place. None of it makes any sense anyway.

[ meaning no, he doesn't think it was the signal, but shush ]

[genreblindness]

Right, maybe it's aliens or magic or something instead.

[His dry tone makes it clear he still doesn't believe in all that stuff, but the truth is that he's not even sure about that anymore.]

[maskintape]

You had someone claiming it was magic, too, huh. Crazy.

[ Crazy, but... ]

We - I think we should, uhh. We should, sort of - let people think it is magic or whatever they believe? 'Cause... it might be easier to deal with than them knowing it could be that thing, so... And we shouldn't exactly be getting other people involved more than they have to be. Y'know, for now.

[ Meaning "I don't want everyone to know this is totally my fault oh god jay be a pal" ]

[genreblindness]

[nope not getting it hurrr]

They kind of are involved already, though, aren't they? If it brought them here.

[PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW, TIM. AND JAY SHOULD BE THE ONE TO TELL THEM.]

[maskintape]

Not involved the same way we are, if they don't know that it's responsible.

[ COUGH COUGH ]

P- uh, possibly responsible.