Nightshift 40: M11-M20 Hallway

[rocksthecourt]

[M12]

There was this 'Avatar' again, the thing that supposedly linked one's consciousness within this video game. Klavier couldn't quite understand how such a thing could help anyone fight, but he was certain that this connection had something to do with how and why Endrance was taken. If this really wasn't something every player experienced, then there was little doubt others might find such a thing interesting, yes? He still wasn't sure how this all worked, but preserving this connection had to be the point of it all. At least in this particular case.

Any further discussion on this or the strange 'Kira' murders was cut short with the intercom announcement. If one could call it that. Herr Doktor's voice and demeanor changed come nightfall, true, but this was stranger than usual. In fact, he couldn't even be sure if it was the doctor. It was far too raspy to identify either way.

This was getting more bizarre with every evening. First taunting then what may or may not have been snoring... and now this strange dilapidated voice?

"Open the box?" he repeated. What could he possibly mean by that? ...Wait. Was this voice even addressing the patient population? It seemed too specific a thing to say to everyone. Could this be a message for Herr Doktor? Or was this a message for a specific party? Maybe someone had managed to do something recently...

Comments

[rocksthecourt]

The bulletin board. Though the idea wasn't one he was particularly fond of, Klavier fully understood the importance of anonymity on the board. Even if he chose not to do it constantly, it was unfortunately necessary in certain cases, like communicating with Kristoph. All because certain individuals liked to make things a bit more complicated than necessary.

Using Klavier's lyrics was actually a very good idea, but as Kristoph had said, this last time had attracted attention. Though not the type he was typically accustomed to. It was true. His music didn't always suit everyone's personal tastes, Forehead and Fräulein Detective being two prime examples. But this recent reaction had nothing to do with music. Those were the Gavinners' lyrics that had been up there. His lyrics. To think anything he had written as a musician --no, as anything-- had fallen under even momentary negative scrutiny was simply unfathomable. They were taken out of context, yes. And they lost their impact while written incomplete, sure. But calling them 'bad lines?'

Some people simply didn't have an eye for art, he supposed.

But this train of thought was digressing. Contemplating the mindset of tasteless clods would have to wait for another time. There was a brief exhale through his nose before he nodded. "Agreed. There are only so many lyrics we can use in context to begin with. We'll probably have to join the trend of bulletin alias names. ...Something more creative than initials."

Though obviously, initials wouldn't work in their case. It was less an idea and more a slight jab at no one in particular.

[dasgift.livejournal.com]

It was terribly difficult to avoid the urge to poke fun at the situation, but Kristoph somehow managed. For the most part, anyway.

"More creative than initials, hm?" He slipped an arm across his chest in contemplation. Pulling originality while keeping one's cover was not readily done through writing. An author's pseudonym, for instance, could easily be decrypted if their style matched any known works. Lyrics were convenient because the patient body had no access to Klavier's music (as Kristoph originally predicted). The men from 'their' Los Angeles were prior to the Gavinner's rise to fame. Unless his brother degraded to complete idiocy and leaked his lyrics, they would be relatively safe from a reveal.

That, unfortunately, returned them to the original issue: unwanted attention. The songs were flamboyant at best, hardly qualified to sneak past the eyes of prying individuals. Pity they weren't among common Americans. Using German might have proved more effective.

He sighed, albeit pleasantly. "You are likely correct. We've no choice but to resort to false names." What kind, however, was the night's question. "Preferably pedestrian. Fancy would simply throw us back into our dilemma."

[rocksthecourt]

He had to agree. As amusing as names like Superboy and Starscream could be on the bulletin board, something less extravagant would be more suitable. Luckily, with such a diverse patient body, even slightly more unusual names could be considered commonplace. Especially with so many from Japan. Klavier would personally prefer to stay away from Japanese names, however. More likely than not, anything he could think of belonged to about four other individuals.

There in lay another issue: It would be difficult to think of ordinary names not too many others might have. It would be pointless to use a name multiple people would respond to after all. This was a tricky little problem. How would they know what names were safe and which weren't?

"Anything too common would probably be taken by actual patients," he said in consideration. "...There is also the possibility of using pre-established alias names. Fictional characters or pen names, for example. Nothing too complicated would be necessary. Even a children's book would work. I doubt there are any works that could be associated with us in particular."

[dasgift.livejournal.com]

Kristoph considered the words for a moment before rising to his feet. "Works, perhaps," he mused, a teasing smile playing on his lips, "but not creators."

It was simply, really. Kristoph and Klavier Gavin, two brothers in extraordinary circumstances, whose pens flowed with allegories not their own. ...He might have stepped too far with the former--the ideas in his mind weren't quite as unfortunate as they--but overall, it worked. Almost too well.

The man pointed to himself, as though to make a declaration. "Jakob," he said, before indicating the brother below him. "Wilhelm." Die Brüder Grimm.