2 ★ [video]

[darkinferno]

[Hello, Retrospeccers! This sure is a video post meant to get your attention. Dante and Arlene are sitting next to each other somewhere on R.U.'s campus, making a joint recording. Give Dante a moment to make sure that it’s recording, and he’ll begin:]

Hey, this is for all the college students on the network--or at least, those of us around that age. Let’s say those of you 17, 18 to 22 or 23. In case you haven’t met me, I’m Dante.

I’m Arlene. You might have seen me in the Founder’s Day parade. [She winks, offering the camera her best royal wave.]

Now, there are a lot of us here to keep track of. Unless you’re in the same major or gen-ed classes, it’s pretty hard to meet up and recognize each other around campus. So Arlene and I came up with the idea--

I mean, I did, he kind of got involved by accident--

--to have a party where everyone can get to meet each other.

Mingle, have a good time, dance--I can assure you we have an excellent playlist lined up--everything you’d expect.

BYOB, bring your IDs, this is a public network so let’s not give the RPD a reason to come down on our heads. No bullshit or you’ll be thrown out.

[Does he mean that? Hell no. But he’s already tested a few of the police department members between commenting to them on the network or misfiring texts or, in that one case, running into them in person… so sure, he’s not above paying some lip-service to pretend he’s going to play all of this by the rules.]

Message me or Arlene for an invite and location or if you want to know anything more about it. Even if you don’t like us--hell, I don’t like her--

Excuse you. [She gives him a playful shove in the arm. At least, that was the plan, but there’s a sudden small flash of arcing electricity that seems to startle her as much as it does him. She takes a step back, her hair bristling with static, looking at Dante like this is his fault somehow, while Dante stares at her in apparent bewilderment. After a moment, he seems to remember that they’re still recording, and turns back to the camera, finishing:]

--there should be enough people there to avoid people you don’t want to talk to. It’ll be a good time.

You don’t want to miss out. Dante, a word?

[End video.]



[[ooc: As mentioned before, there is going to be a party log going up this Friday night for the college-aged Retrospeccers! Dante and Arlene will both be top-leveling below, so feel free to ask them for details and invites! (Discussions may be taken to private inboxes if they approach topics best kept off the network, such as drinking, and it can be assumed that they sent the location and instructions on how to get there to private inboxes as well--they really don't want random people crashing!)

This event is open to anyone of college age on the Retrospec network, as well as older high schoolers that might have an older friend willing to help them get in. Unfortunately characters that are obviously younger won't be able to get in, as just getting to the party involves a small amount of trespassing (it's an old abandoned warehouse on the fringes of the city), and there will be underage drinking (your party hosts are not very good role models) and they don't want to risk getting outed.

Any questions should be directed to the ooc planning post and DC and I will do our best to answer! Alternatively, use the post to make plans for what you want to happen! It'll be a big mingle post and will hopefully be lots of fun.]]

Comments

[twelfthspark]

Only almost?

[But he can probably tell her heart isn't really in teasing him at the moment; the words are stingless, sounding like a habit. She bends down, reaching under the table to touch the metal pole supporting it, and the buildup discharges almost before she makes contact. Arlene swears under her breath, yanking her fingers back from the stinging touch.]

That was, uh. New.

[darkinferno]

Twice in a row, huh?

[He frowns, folding his arms. He's probably paranoid now--he's certain he's paranoid now--but with everything that's been going on and the weird stuff that happened with his fighting tests last week...]

Have you noticed that happening a lot lately?

[twelfthspark]

Figured it was the weather...

[No, that sounds like a lame excuse even as she says it. For one thing, it's not even thunderstorm season. For another, the first one was too strong to be just static, as Dante would very well know since he was on the receiving end.]

[darkinferno]

[And as she probably expected, Dante gives a disdainful snort.]

The weather? The weather's responsible for stuff like clothes picking up static electricity and crackling a bit when you pull your jacket off. Not giving you enough electricity that it literally arcs across.

[He wonders...

Dante glances around, then points at a clock on the wall.]

See if you can do it to that clock.

[twelfthspark]

It wasn't- Ugh. Fine.

[- wasn't like that any of the other times, she almost said. Just the weird static charges... and things seeming to break down for her even more often than they've been doing for everyone--was she actually shorting them out? She thinks back to the blackout, when she touched a jammed automatic door on campus and it briefly shuddered back to life, if only enough to get her fingers into.

The factor in common has been her, every time.

The clock is just out of reach, forcing her to drag a chair over to stand on. She's sure Dante picked something inconvenient on purpose. Arlene lays her fingertips on its surface and...

No flash, no drama, but the display does flicker.]

[darkinferno]

[A flicker of energy. It's not enough for Dante to know one way or the other if it has anything to do with Arlene, but there's another way for them to find out.]

Hang on. Let's try this a different way.

[He steps up onto the edge of the chair behind her, reaching over her head to pluck the clock from the wall entirely before stepping back down. It's a battery-operated clock, easy enough to pull out the batteries and toss them to the table next to his phone.

Once that's done, he offers the clock back to her.]

Now try it.

[If anything shows up on the clock's display, they'll know it's her.]

[twelfthspark]

[It doesn't take a genius to see where he's going with this. She's only grumpy that she didn't think of it first. Arlene takes the clock in both hands, holding it out from her body like she expects it to explode.

For the length of a couple breaths, nothing happens. She glares at the blank display, willing it to do something.

And the screen lights up. A brightly blinking 12:00 appears on the clock face.

Arlene swears in an awed-sounding whisper.]

[darkinferno]

[Dante lets out a low whistle, watching the numbers blink.]

It's you.

It's not static electricity--that's coming from you.

[So what the hell does that mean...? People aren't just able to spark electricity from their hands. That's impossible.

But then again, these past two months have been one impossible thing after another. Dante shakes his head, trying to convince himself that no, this can't be real, but runs a hand through his hair before finally speaking.]

I'm not saying it.

[twelfthspark]

I am. [The numbers blink out again a few seconds later, but she knows she wasn't imagining it. Dante saw it too.]

I can do magic. Holy shit.

[She sets the clock aside on the table. Holding out her hands, she thinks of the little incidents: the door, the clock, the toaster (which they never did get working again, good thing it wasn't hers). As she stares at her outstretched fingertips she tries to feel what she felt when she accidentally zapped Dante. A few tiny sparks jump between her fingers--a few more--a sudden bright flash, gone as soon as it appeared.

This is a thing. This is really happening.]

[darkinferno]

[Magic. Arlene is capable of magic.

Dante shakes his head again as she summons more of the sparks, followed by a sudden bright flash of electricity. Everything in his brain is protesting that there's no such thing as magic, that this is too much, too unbelievable, but it's hard to argue with the evidence that's right before his eyes.

Arlene can power that clock. He can use a sword, even though he'd never touched one in his life before a few days ago.

Things are changing.]

Holy shit is right. I thought that sort of stuff was only in fairy tales.

[twelfthspark]

Are we a hundred percent sure this isn't a dream? Here, let me zap you again, we'll see if it hurts.

[She wiggles her fingers at him, trying to hold back the giddy laughter building in her chest. Holy great glittery crap, this is impossible and amazing.]

[darkinferno]

Don't even think about it.

[He folds his arms, giving her a stern look. That had hurt! He's in no hurry to get shocked by Arlene again.]

Where do you think it came from? Do you have any memories of using magic like that...?

[twelfthspark]

[Does she? No... nothing's coming up aside from the incidents over the last couple weeks. She shakes her head, her grin fading a little though not completely gone.]

No, I don't... but you saw it.

[Her hand comes up to her chest, covering the end of her new tattoo where it peeks out from under her shirt.]

Whatever it is, I know it's mine.

[darkinferno]

[There's a frown on his face--he doesn't necessarily doubt her, but at the same time, if neither of them remember something like this, is it legit...?]

Then the question is, is there a reason neither of us remember magic existing? Or is whatever's causing this messing up?

[If Retrospec is the common thread here, does this mean that they're manually triggering these somehow...? Is there any rhyme or reason to these memories...?]

[twelfthspark]

[She snaps her fingers experimentally, and a few sparks shower down.]

Does it matter? It obviously exists now.

[darkinferno]

[Dante shakes his head. Yeah, the magic is cool, but doesn't she want to look at the bigger picture, too?]

Yeah, but if these are memories we're getting back, then we should both remember magic existing, right? If you can use it, I'd have expected that to trigger some sort of memory.

But it hasn't. And you're positive that it's yours-- [Something he can understand, given his recent experience with using swords] --so why don't we remember? Even if it was something really rare, you should at least remember something about it.

So either there's a reason why we aren't remembering, or Retrospect--assuming they're responsible for this--is screwing up somehow. Aren't you curious at all?

I just didn't think of a specific regain in time lol

[twelfthspark]

Maybe remembering how to use it is the memory.

[If she sounds a little less recklessly confident than she did a minute ago, she's still not going to acknowledge any doubts she may have. Dante has a point, but he doesn't need to know that.]

I think you're expecting this to make too much sense.

haha no worries dante's just an ass with a one-track mind

[darkinferno]

Probably.

[Dante scowls, leaning back against the table.]

I'm getting tired of feeling like they're messing with us. If they want us to remember stuff, fine. But at least do it in a way that makes sense.

[He pauses, letting his words sit for a moment, then shakes his head again.]

Whatever. So you've got magic now. What're you going to do about it?