compnetwork | Fifth Curse

[Video]

So, has anyone else noticed that the network's been performing slowly lately? Unless it's something wrong with my COMP...

It's a little irritating, to be honest. I've run a few scans, but my antivirus isn't catching anything. Anybody happen to know someone good for checking out these things? There shouldn't be any files on here that would cause it to go so slowly all of the sudden.

[With a light shrug, he ends the feed there...]

[Video; FAIL!Filtered to men]

[...Only to start up another "filtered" one.]

So now that Tanabata's over with...

Men of Hinoto-Ri! I invite you to gather around and begin nominations for "cutest in a yukata." Nominations can be whoever you want, but... well, this is filtered to the men only, so it might be a little awkward if you aren't careful! Of course, anonymous nominations are possible as well if you want to take that route!

Voting starts in 24 hours, so get your nominations in before that!

((OOC: Yes, anyone can see the filtered portion. And anonymous posts are welcome, so you can simply indicate such in the subject line! Of course, assuming the virus hasn't killed your character's ability to filter/anon or anything...))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[When Joshua's response comes through, something is going terribly wrong with the his COMP's translator. Some of the words that come through are intelligible, while the rest sounds like some extremely foreign, completely alien language.

Stranger still, the speaker's lip movements match the foreign language, but seem out of sync with the words that come through clearly...]

I haven't noticed Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ weird about ŽŸ‚ÉA my ðÚ¹Ä¨«Ü??

[His brow is furrowed and... he honestly doesn't seem to notice that there's a problem.]

Perhaps ‰¼–¼ æ–‡å— virus on your åŒ–ã‘??

Hmmm! It could be. But I also haven't had trouble communicating with people up until now. For some reason, you're the only one coming up garbled.

[As if Joshua obviously knows his video is screwing up.]

[Joshua looks a little surprised by this.]

I'm ê—•\ðÚ¹ garbled? That's strange, you're ɐkɐˈzʲæ HÃ⁠¤Ã fine for me? What's šðèæ\—• problem with my żŘ§Ů�ĽŘš?

[He checks his watch's setting, trying to spot the problem, without much luck.]

I can hardly understand what you're saying. Some of your words are totally unintelligible.

[...Is it the same problem at the root? Or did they just end up with different ones at the same time by coincidence?]

Unintelligible?

&dì**┬ª{·Pπ(₧Ä)Ç c╫─°ì*ú6HHbò8&dì*Ã⁠¤rđčŠĐćž▒ µQ9!Åëè²*à·/ ▓ë.╨▒ε*e}│]«kQ ╔┤:Ñ╨∩╢*≡*a°Cö⌡÷╜┘ Φ╒¿*$π╨9??

[The more he tries to speak, the worse and more garbled his words become, until nothing he says is coming through properly anymore, all sounding like this strange foreign language.

Joshua doesn't stop until a flashing message appears in the corner of his glasses saying TRANSLATION ERROR. He pauses, then grimaces, gritting his teeth for a moment before he starts speaking very, very slowly in Japanese...]

I... discovered the... problem. My translator is... not working... correctly. Something has... gone wrong... with it?

Can... you speak... Japanese?

[While his grammar and pronunciation of Japanese are completely flawless, Joshua still struggles to speak it, as though he is mentally straining himself to find the proper words.]

[Hizumi speaks in a flawless Japanese in return! ...Well, as long as you don't count a fake Kansai accent as a flaw, at any rate.]

Sure can! But d'you mind if I ask what language you're used to speakin' in?

[He certainly doesn't mind it, at least. He himself is speaking with a very proper Yamanote accent in return. Joshua gives a bit of a bitter laugh, pressing his hand against his forehead gently.]

This is... going to sound... a bit complicated. Japanese is... my native language... but where I'm from we... we were installed with this... microchip that... forces us to speak this... common tongue. It feels extremely unnatural... to force myself to speak Japanese.

I apologize for... struggling like this.

Well, it's not really a problem. Installed, though?

[That's an interesting way of putting it. Then again, with that collar he's got...]

Was that kinda thing normal for clones where you're from?

[Joshua looks up sharply and blurts out an unintelligible phrase before he can help himself.]

6╜█(*iLb▄E╦(░**Ñßâ⌐*╢??

[He catches himself, pressing his hand gently over his mouth as he clears his throat. His expression becomes a little more grave...]

How did you... know what I am? [Joshua takes a moment, then touches his collar, looking entirely unhappy.] Who told you?

[Bingo.]

Someone I know mentioned it. People goin' around with collars like yours- [He even gestures at his own neck, here.] -are clones.

So it's true?

I'm not sure who... told you that... But they shouldn't have.

[Joshua glances off to the side... Well this was entirely unpleasant and not what he'd expected to talk about.]

Yes, it's true. We've come from... the same place. And we're clones.

Well, that person's probably gettin' into things they shouldn't, so I'm not that surprised.

[Particularly since clones of all things.]

You went and got a checkup, right? It might be helpful if you've got any... problems croppin' up.

Fifth Curse

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