[OTA]

[icanhearscreams]

Stop talking stop talking stop talking stop talking it's like the screaming it's not real it can't be real it has to be fake. Just another hallucination.

Stop it, stop it, stop it! It's not real! It's not... just stop...

Comments

[ofinspiration]

If one more person starts screaming in our heads over every little thing...

[ She doesn't finish the thought, but the tone suggests murder. ]

[icanhearscreams]

[He will totally fight back! ... Badly. But he will try.]

Who said that? What -

[ofinspiration]

[ Sigh. ]

You're thinking very loudly. We can all hear you.

[icanhearscreams]

I - oh. Wait.

Why?

[ofinspiration]

Because our hosts find it entertaining to subject us to everyone else's inane chatter day and night? I don't know, I've never asked them.

I suppose it does make finding each other on jaunts easier, but I'm not sure it's worth all this.

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

-=the voice is young, that much he can tell. he can more than relate to the fears of voices in his head. the sounds of screaming children will always plague him, if only because he's never been able to help them. he's never had the chance.

so after a moment's hesitation he reaches out psychically to locate the boy and seeks him out, not wanting to add his voice to the cacophony that he must be dealing with now. He comes up on him slowly, though letting him know he's approaching=-

I heard your message. I believe I can help.

[icanhearscreams]

[He turns around, looking confused.]

My... huh? Help how?

[The soda has worn off again, and he just feels too tired. But he doesn't want to sleep, even if he really should.]

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

On the network. In our minds. You were... upset.

-=he sounds sincere enough, but at the moment his eyes are the same onyx black as his skin, making him visually difficult to read=-

While I cannot help you to silence the voices completely, I have learned ways to... make them seem less intrusive, as well as to keep others out when they are not wanted.

[icanhearscreams]

I... yeah. That. I need that.

[Even if he is looking over Zak warily. He isn't used to seeing nonhumans.]

I've got to get some rest.

[hiding_honor_in_darkness]

My name is Zaknafein Do'Urden.

-=he offers with a nod of his head=-

If you are willing, I can bring you to the Workshop. It is a quiet repose in comparison to all this.

-=gestures at all the lights and noise around them=-

[dino_zarf]

No!

[Tone doesn't always come across to everyone on the network, but the voice that immediately follows that insistent statement is very much different.]

Sorry, Rose gets upset when people try to stop her from talking. There are ways to block a lot of this.

[icanhearscreams]

Ah!

[Okay, that... surprised him.]

... Who's Rose, and how do I do that?

[dino_zarf]

Me!

[She's not keen to stay out of that]

Rose is my daughter. You have to learn a bit about how the network works before you can build your protections.

[icanhearscreams]

I... why is this a thing?

[dino_zarf]

One of many questions we all have about this. It has its uses for communicating without people overhearing though. And I have to admit it's nice that Rosie can just tell us what she wants.

[fridgeninja]

I'm pretty sure I'm not a hallucination.

[icanhearscreams]

It's... but you're in my head?

[fridgeninja]

Yes. But I'm not just in your head. And you're in my head, too.

[icanhearscreams]

... This is dumb and confusing.

[fridgeninja]

It's rough on everyone at first.

If you need to know anything, I'm happy to help.

[sharkened]

It took me some time to get used to my first time here, but you do get used to it. It's a pain sometimes, but also very useful.

[You know, for yelling help or receiving warnings or just, you know, talking when you're lonely.]

I heard there are ways to control the network, but I haven't really paid attention.

[icanhearscreams]

I - it's weird. It's hard to think like this.

[sharkened]

When you get used to it, it will be easier to hear your own thoughts again. Though you need to be careful not to let them all out...

[He's pretty sure he's let some unwanted thoughts out.]

[icanhearscreams]

Sounds like it could be pretty inconvenient.

[sharkened]

If you have a lot to hide... but like I said, you can learn to control this stuff.