001 Video | Day 45 | Oliver Sumner

[bonesandskin]

[Static flickers, the image of what looks perhaps altogether too much like another corpse visible between the stuttering lines of interference. This corpse, however, is not a familiar one. The view is pointed upward, showing the body to be that of a man, leaning against a tree near the edge of the forest, dressed in slightly ratty, Victorian-esque clothing and spattered with blood, oil, grease, and gods know what else. Though the picture sometimes cuts back and forth to black and white, there's enough time with color to show that his skin is tinged an unhealthy shade of yellow which has gone a little green in places, including along the edges of the dark circles that mark his slightly sunken eye sockets and around the bruises visible through the scruff and stubble along his jaw. Creamy, off-white lines and crusted smudges mark various wounds, all of which appear to be in some stage of healing, including the most prominent of them, a thin line that spans the base of his throat, just above his collarbone. It's obviously fairly fresh, even though it's already closed over, as it's one of the injuries that looks somewhat raw at the edges.

Now, squint and you might almost be able to tell that-- oh, yes-- yes, he's breathing, before the video is consumed by static and the audio picks up a thick, British accent draped over a raw-throated voice.]

Hn? Well, this is-- interesting.

01 || River Tam || Day 45

[enchangement]

[ The shot opens with two small toy dinosaurs, standing facing each other on the railing of a wooden bridge.

A young woman's voice begins talking: ]

We've played this game before. We are veterans in the sport.

Perhaps it was an oversight to bring a professional lab rat to a new lab. Perhaps she broke their teeth before they put her down she can't remember.

There's something in the water.

[ The camera angle shifts - here is a face full of an older teenage girl, long hair damp and brow furrowed. She seems to understand that this is recording, peering at the communicator intently before waving her arm wildly in a futile attempt to shake it off.

Quietly: ]

So what is the difference between a sport and a game? Hunting labrats is fun for the ones holding the gun, pull the trigger if you're ruthless, put down the broken specimens, they're just dragging down the standard deviation isn't that it?

Keep them fighting keep them starving keep them sleeping keep them kept.

[ She sighs and rubs a hand over her face. ] We are not a fan of these particular sports. Lab rats can still chew through the ropes, the wires, the bones.

Just give us time.

Just...

[ Her voice cracks at this point and there's a small sob snuffled in there, but the girl regains her composure fairly quickly. ]

Be polite, River. Say hello.

Hello.

009 || Sharon Carter || PMs

[agentx13]

Private to Mina
One of our new arrivals would like to meet people from another time period. Would you be willing to meet with her?

Private to Logan
I have a huge favor to ask, yet again. One day, you'll have to let me know how I'm supposed to repay you.

Private to Bruce Banner
Could we meet sometime when there isn't a body between us? We have things to discuss.

Private to Tony
I'd appreciate it if I could take up a couple minutes of your time, Tony. Nothing bad this time, I promise.

Private to Kenzi
Would you have time for a quick word if I stop by your place in half an hour? I'd like to talk with you alone this time.

01 | Darwin | Day 45 (video)

[evolv]

[The display opens on the cemetery. The only interesting thing is a pile of rock and ash in front of a gravestone. How long has that been there? The cemetery isn't a wholly popular place, it could have been days. For a long moment, nothing happens. Birds chirp, wine rustles the trees.

Then-- there, do you see it? A piece of the rubble twitches slightly, then begins to roll up the pile. Another joins it in motion. Pretty soon all the pieces are shaking and rolling over each other, reshaping into the vague form of a body. A line of stones reach out towards the camera, pulling it up and in. Finally, the round shape on top solidifies into a head, complete with a face, the eyes open wide and he gasps, taking in the first breath of life he's had for days.]

Wha-- [He breathes heavily, slowly becoming more human than statue. His clothes are tattered, singed, and dusty.] What the hell?

008 | Anna Milton | [VIDEO]

[afallenstar]

[ She's distracted, sure, but Anna manages to pull together something resembling calm and composed for her addressing of the network. ]

In light of everything that has happened lately, I wonder if it would be a good idea to set up some sort of system to check in with one another. Two or three people you let know you're still- [ don't say alive, don't say alive, don't say alive ] in town and safe. Relatively speaking. It might help us recognise when people are going missing, figure out patterns. It's just an idea.

( private messages to Jesse, Kenzi, Galen, Ghoul, Castiel and Gabriel )