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[recollecters]

Welcome to Retrospec™, the last social media network you will ever need. You are one of the few selected to test this exciting new platform based on our cutting-edge algorithms. Less than two hundred invitations have gone out, and membership is not currently open to the public. However, we hope you will come to see how useful Retrospec™ is, given time. We have for your use a variety of features such as text, voice, video, and image posts. We encourage you to explore our many options. Anyway, now that the copypaste part is out of the way! Jim here, requesting you guys make your secret meetings a little more exciting. It's not like you're not trying with the whole "let's meet off the network!" dealio, but I have some serious concerns. For one thing, no secret handshakes or phrases? Not even dramatic meeting locations? The trying rating is about half a star if that. And I'm almost bored to tears with the whole back and forth about what's going on. Not bored enough to give you a cheat sheet, but still. I can't get myself taken off surveillance duty, so at least try to make it a little more exciting! You guys might like this wikihow. Later! Jim Halloway Research & Development Retrspec Incorporated Please feel free to use this post as a network mingle. Every toplevel can be considered a new post, and threadjacking is permitted. No NPC response will be given. Usernames are the character's full real AU names, not aliases or chosen nicknames or usernames, and seemed to have filled themselves in; nothing characters do can change or obscure their names currently. Characters who have been in game for more than one month will find they can change their profile pictures; newcomers are locked into their first choice. At various points throughout the day users will be sent images of themselves from behind, regardless of where they are. There doesn't seem to be any way to catch whoever might be taking and sending these, however, especially since being alone in a room doesn't seem to be a deterrent.

Comments

[originallutece]

They wouldn't be chasing you to play Star Crossing, I can tell you that much.

[OHO LOOK AT CLEVER HER, REFERENCING THE VIDEO GAMES]

[roseblooms]

Star...Crossing...

Do you by any chance mean "StarCraft"?

[originallutece]

[. . .]

You're missing my point.

[roseblooms]

I'm commenting on the fact that you just tried to nerd me and your nerding backfired.

[originallutece]

I was trying to relate to you via one of your interests, and incidentally I'm going to spike your coffee and yours alone.

[And since she's gotten into her car, she's gotten the last word in, so eat it, boyo. It's not ten minutes later that her BMW is coming to a halt in front of his apartment door.]

[roseblooms]

[...Okay, but now that just begs the question of whether or not she really DID make a love elixir, and the fact that she's not answering in the first place is...suspect.

But here she is, and so he's quick to grab his coat and — with some reluctance — his phone, and head down to meet her, waving lightly in greeting before sliding into the passenger seat of her car.]

Good evening, professor. Did the labwork go well?

[originallutece]

I was a bit more pleased with my efforts before all this nonsense began. Which reminds me--

[In one swift movement, she tosses him her phone.]

I want to start comparisons between separate applications. Are your pictures any different from mine?

[roseblooms]

[...Is she seriously trusting him to look through her phone? Good god. WELL, IF SHE INSISTS...]

Meaning, are there similarities in composition and whatnot? I thought you said you hadn't received any.

[originallutece]

[AS IF HE'LL DO ANYTHING BUT LOOK AT WHAT HE'S TOLD.]

That changed over the past few minutes. There's one that must have been taken earlier today, and one taken as I was texting you.

[roseblooms]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[Though it does give him something to focus on looking into, which he proceeds to do with a few efficient taps of his fingertips.]

You didn't say anything. While we were texting, I mean. Did you only receive them afterward?

[originallutece]

No.

[A beat. As they pull away from the curb, she adds reluctantly:]

I hardly wanted to tell you I was worried where Mr. Halloway might see.

[roseblooms]

...That's understandable.

[He pauses, drawing in a deep slow breath, and then gradually lets it out again in almost a sigh.]

Truth be told, I'm none too comfortable with it, myself. I just didn't see any point in advertising that fact either — particularly in light of all of the other reactions people have been having.

If reactions are what they're looking for, I hardly want to indulge them in it.

[originallutece]

Exactly.

[She frowns at the road.]

Some of the photos taken . . . however they were taken speaks of highly disturbing methods. Bolt lock or not, I don't think this will stop. In truth . . . I'm glad to have company tonight.

[roseblooms]

Surely the police will be able to do something. And...of course, you know I'm always willing to oblige you.

["Are you her lab assistant or her lackey?" Well. ...Well.]

You're not the only professor who's ended up subject to it.

[originallutece]

[She offers him a slight smile for that offer. In truth, she hardly knows what he might do for her; he can't very well stay the night. But perhaps they'll share a spot of tea before she sends her assistant on his way.]

You have far more faith in the police than I do. I can't imagine this report will do very much, not if there's no hint of a culprit and the photos aren't particularly malicious or salacious.

[roseblooms]

Surely there's something, some technicality a creative mind could come up with. Menacing or invasion of privacy or...

[He motions vaguely, an idle wave of his hand.]

This is why I'm not a lawyer. But something, surely.

[originallutece]

And yet they haven't over the past three months. That's what worries me. Surely you and I aren't the first. Which reminds me-- are you going to be filing a report?

[roseblooms]

Of course I am. But I imagine mine will have more weight coming on the heels of yours. Corroborating evidence, and so on.

[He pauses, then checks both of their phones, then stashes them temporarily in the glove compartment before lowering his voice and adding.]

A friend of mine on the police force intends to look into things personally, as well.

[originallutece]

[She tips her head in silent acknowledgement: that will be helpful. She'd say so, too, except she quite agrees with his lowered voice, and the less said aloud, the better.]

. . . are the photos at all similar?

[roseblooms]

Well. They're both candid photographs taken from behind, but in terms of the composition, it looks as though both were simply taken in haste, not with an intent to capture something in particular.

[He pauses, sinking a little lower in his seat as he muses.]

So. The message, if there is one, isn't the content of the photograph; it's the fact that they were taken at all.

[originallutece]

Charming.

[And deeply worrying. Rosalind exhales visibly, her fingers tightening around the wheel.]

Are you all right? At least mine were taken in relative public; I can't imagine having one taken in my apartment.

[roseblooms]

I'm — managing.

[He sighs, raking his hands through his hair.]

It stands to reason that the point of all this is, in some way, to provoke a reaction. Look at the outcry that resulted, and in just a handful of hours. If that's the case, then there's a part of me that's loath to give them the reaction they're so evidently hoping for.

...But it's unsettling. I keep telling myself that I haven't anything anyone could possibly want, but I'm not sure whether the notion of pure randomness in its purpose actually makes me feel better or worse.

[originallutece]

[She hums softly, an acknowledgement of all that. In truth, she agrees: the notion of random chance is a touch more unnerving, because at least if there's a reason, one might have a course of further action. Whether it's appeasement or revenge hardly matters; one would have more options. But if it's just random chance, what's there to do but be unnerved?]

You ought to stay with a friend tonight. It'd help. Better to face this kind of thing with company than alone.

[They pull up near the police station, and Rosalind finally glances over fully at him.]

I know I might.

[roseblooms]

It's...interesting you say that, actually. When I mentioned the friend of mine looking into things...

[He trails off, leaving that open-ended, but with a fairly clear implication inherent in what he's not saying: that he was certainly planning on tagging along.]

[originallutece]

[Her eyebrows tick up. Ah. Well. That's certainly an endeavor, and one she faintly approves of.]

I see.

[It isn't until they've closed the doors and Rosalind's locked the car that she adds:]

How large are your chances of being arrested, do you imagine?