14M15 [AUDIO]

[lostundercover]

[Costigan sounds detached from the subject matter right now, but those attentive may notice a very slight slur on some words. He may or may not be intoxicated.]

Abigail Hobbs is gone, as are Walter Bishop and Rebecca Holiday.

That makes about a dozen in the last month. Anyone else worried about how many people are disappearing? No, why bother? It's not like we get along here and we're all just as fucked as they were anyway, right?

[There's a short silence before he cuts off.]

[100% encrypted to: Dick Grayson]
[He speaks noticeably clearer in his short message.]
Watch the Center. I'll be back in a week or two.

Comments

audio;

[wintershepherd]

[ Oh... not Abagail too. Even though Jack is dealing with the same thing because of Bruce's disappearance, he's still worried for Costigan. Especially given that slur... ]

Billy?

audio; 100% encrypted

[lostundercover]

[Costigan turns on the audio to reply, but then can't find any words. So there's only a short burst of silence instead.]

Re: audio; 100% encrypted

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack notes the encryption, feels safe to ask: ]

You want anything?

[ Not "need", but "want". ]

video;

[denyamenti]

Ah... I'd wondered, when I couldn't locate Doctor Holiday. But I don't think you should be so callous about it, sir.

[ Internally, Bakura laughs at how opposite this is from the anonymous conversation he'd had with Costigan recently. ]

audio;

[lostundercover]

You announce it how you want, kid.

[Excuse you. Rude. It's either callous or showing emotions and Bostonians don't show emotions.]

Re: audio;

[denyamenti]

[ And since Ryou would be flustered by the brusque response, so Bakura pretends to be. ]

I just meant... ah, well...

audio;

[wrathfulkhan]

I'd be less worried if I knew why they went.

[He's lost a 'friend' too in this recent spate of cullings.]

audio;

[lostundercover]

Because Hannibal - that asshole - murdered the Emperor.

audio;

[wrathfulkhan]

And you don't have faith in Evandau to keep whatever brought us here going. [Not a question. Not even close. But not judgmental, either.]

voice; encrypted 100%

[bludhavenknight]

Damn. I kind of knew about Holiday, she's got a baby turtle missing her. [He didn't know about Walter, though. He should probably stop by and get his pig.]

Where are you going, can I ask?

voice; encrypted 100%

[lostundercover]

You want the truth or you want to be able to answer honestly that you didn't know?

[He almost sounds amused, any and all sounds of being intoxicated gone from his voice.]

voice; encrypted 100%

[bludhavenknight]

[Does he fake being drunk? He's almost as good as Bruce.]

The truth would be nice.

[backinakidflash]

[With all the disaffection he can drum up.]

My neighbor's gone too. I saw the kedan cleaning his place out. That Todd Richards kid.

[lostundercover]

When?

[backinakidflash]

A couple days ago.

Video

[ixis]

[He doesn't look upset, per se, but Naugus does look startled.]

Ms. Hobbs has left? The girl who knew the prior Emperor's murderer? But she was dead back in her home realm. Does this mean she's gone to meet her fate?

And yes. Yes, the frequent departures are not without notice.

audio;

[lostundercover]

[Costigan's voice tightens.]

Yeah, I know. I don't know what else could have happened. Unless Hannibal wasn't there to kill here, but I- I think she's dead.

Video

[ixis]

She said she didn't know the identity of her murderer the one time I spoke with her. She simply stated her ear was discovered in another Overlander's stomach.

I'm a little aghast; her world sounded like one populated by ghouls and I told her as much.

I'm not usually one for hopeful platitudes, but there have been some instances lately of Foreigners returning after vanishing from here. Perhaps there is even the slimmest chance she will come back to Keeliai before her fate is sealed.

video;

[originalflameon]

No, sir, no one had noticed before you pointed out, no one worried because this isn't obviously a huge problem that might affect us all and you are the only smart mind in the entire turtle. [He'd even use a gold star reference if he... well. Got the reference.

He might have been spending too much time with Bucky as of late.] If what you were trying to do was to encourage us to find out more about it- well, if you used a less callous approach you'd get better results.

audio;

[lostundercover]

Listen, fuckstick, I'm not trying to encourage people. You want to do that, that's your business, not mine. I'm not a- what did you call it? A 'smart mind'? I'm just a regular guy who knows that if all theses assholes here aren't working together by now, it's not going to happen and we're all fucked.

video;

[originalflameon]

As someone who's been in many teams before, I assure you that is not true in the least. Sometimes people just need a little- push, a little something to bring them together. The right words of encouragement. Which weren't what you just said, by the way.

What were you exactly trying to accomplish? Apart from sounding like a petulant child because you happen to have lost someone? You aren't the only one who has, by the way.

audio;

[escarabajo]

[He only sort of knew Dr. Holiday, but Costigan's worries aren't far from his own. He can't refrain from answering if he's got a possible explanation: it's what he'd have wanted, if he was the one venting this out on the network.]

Someone I know guessed that it might have something to do with-- well, with Emperor Eshai's passing. [Jaime phrases this gently, because the 'murder' part probably isn't going to convince the man that they aren't as totally fucked as he believes they are.] It's harder to hold people here, maybe.

[A pause as he finds his words.]

I'm worried too. I think everybody is. It's just... tough right now, things like they are.

audio;

[lostundercover]

You have any idea what it was about the old Emperor that helped people stay here?

How many of those people you think are actually doing something about it?

audio;

[nowthatsfunny]

[Annoyed tone. Tess is used to prickly men, somehow this isn't surprising. But she won't let it pass without comment, either.]

Hey buddy, we're all sorry your friends are gone but maybe you could tone down the attitude a little, huh? What do you think is going on, if so many are disappearing? Got any bright ideas or are you just takin' it out on us?

audio;

[lostundercover]

I think the asshole we're here to fight might be involved. That's what I think.

And they weren't all friends. They were someone who knew the old Emperor's murderer from back home, a genius scientist, and a doctor. Important people.