INTERSTELLAR IC CONTACT

[tigermillionaire]

DISPLAYING SUBJECT: TIGER UNIVERSE Label: PRIDE RECORDS Band: SYSTEM CRASH Instrument: KEYBOARD SYNTH/BACKUP VOCALS Fame Lvl: 0 Current MP: 5 Short Description: ► Miniature rebel and preteen heart throb, Steven "Tiger" Universe is a whole lot of stage presence in a very small package. Also, he is kind of a jerk, though most of that is the frustrated lashing out of a confused, messed up kid. The audience loves him, though! Regains So Far: ► None yet! Contact Player: ► quixocalypse ► AIM: uncannyArtisan ► PM this account IC CONTACT ► PHONE: 1-555-228-6309 ► TEXT: 1-555-228-6309 ► EMAIL: tigeruniverse@priderecords.prc ► TWITTER: tigeruniverseofficial ► FACEBOOK: Tiger Universe Official ► TUMBLR: tigeruniverseofficial

Comments

[panspermia]

hey you're at the party right? where are you

[panspermia]

are you ok i need to talk to you

[panspermia]

please text me back man

text;

[giglio_madonna]

[This isn't EXACTLY how she wanted to use Tiger's phone number.... But it can't be helped.]

How are you doing?

[tigermillionaire]

[It takes a little while for him to get back to her.]

ok i guess

[giglio_madonna]

you didn't get hurt did you?

[tigermillionaire]

someone tried...
did you try to hurt people?

[giglio_madonna]

[More like "succeeded". Twice. In one go. Luce isn't sure what to make of her apparent skill towards murder.]

[But she won't tell Tiger those gory details.]

Yes. Yuffie stopped me and snapped me out of whatever had happened.

I'm sorry you had to see something like that.

[tigermillionaire]

why did you?

[He knows something weird was going on, but he wants to hear it from one of them. Why did they do it?]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Hey Tiger, it's Lucifer.

You got a minute?

No revenge EP involved.

[tigermillionaire]

oh
hi
sure i guess

[not sure if want]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

[Wow, he actually responded. This is already shaping up to be better than anticipated.]

I wanted to ask you a couple things. For this song-writing contest. I figured you'd want to give me something, since the alternative involves tabloid-style cut-and-paste.

So what's your favorite part of this whole music-making thing?

[tigermillionaire]

[Oh right, that thing. Tiger just kind of figured that whoever got him would just write something stupid anyway - he didn't anticipate he'd have to talk to them about it. Especially not that he'd have to answer a question like that.]

I dunno
nothing probably

[...He's probably just being difficult.]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Wow, I love writing about nothing.

So why do you do it if you don't like it?

sometime before like now

[blindfoldcode]

[Kido's used to Tiger showing up in her room at night. At this point she finds it easier to sleep with him around than without.

She's also become the queen of working herself until she can't anymore and then crashing and burning. She's barely awake when Tiger shows up, still fully dressed and sprawled in bed.]

Hey, kid. Can't sleep? [She asks him that literally every time.]

[tigermillionaire]

[She doesn't look like she went to bed properly. That's okay. Tiger, for his part, actually got into his shorts and tank top like he usually does for bed - he'd been tossing and turning for a while before he decided to come over.]

Yeah.

[It's spoken softly. This is habitual at this point. He doesn't want to talk too much and wake her up, especially since it seems like she was about to fall asleep, so he just crawls into the bed and lies down next to her.]

[blindfoldcode]

[No his presence is a good thing. Kido groans and rubs her eyes, sitting up. Sleeping in her clothes is, she is aware, a bad thing. She doesn't quite get up, but she does start to wriggle out of her hoodie and tee shirt. She's left in just a spaghetti strap undershirt, tossing her outer layers aside and getting up to change into more comfortable pants, too.

But man there's something weird going on with her shoulders. Her skin is all red and weird and patchy and it's... not normally like that.]

Need a drink or anything?

[tigermillionaire]

[Tiger has already curled up beneath the blankets, but he's far from asleep. He glances up at her in the darkness and mumbles: "Okay." Both because it sounds kind of nice and because sometimes he just tries to let Kido look after him these days because he knows she wants to.

He pauses, though, when he also notices the odd blotchiness of the skin beneath her t-shirt. He's not sure if his eyes are playing tricks on him or what. He doesn't say anything.]

[blindfoldcode]

[She can't help it. She's a big sister, it's a part of who she is. She'll disappear for a few seconds and be back with a glass of water.

Then she sort of just. Collapses in bed again.] You're okay, right?

[panspermia]

stiger
if you can answer please text me
you don't have to tell me anything it's ok
i just want to know you're there
please

[UNKNOWN NUMBER CALLING]

[panspermia]

[tigermillionaire]

[It takes a long time for Steven to actually answer. It feels simultaneously like forever since that morning, and like it's been no time at all. Garnet is gone somewhere and no one from his band is left. Kido is gone. Pinkie is gone. Trucy is gone. He doesn't know if they're dead too or if they just got taken somewhere, but in the end he's alone anyway.

He keeps the phone beneath the sheets with him, feeling too sick to head up. He doesn't really think anything is going to come of it. He already tried texting Greg's secret line, probably dozens of times, but there wasn't an answer. Nothing to disprove what Garnet said. He feels like he's dead, too.

He can't even risk having the sound on, but he's been trying to watch it anyway. Like the hope that maybe it will eventually light up is the only thing still stringing him along. He can't help but feel like he should be stronger than this, but it's hard to say who he's being strong for at this point.

Finally, it happens. He sees the call in a state of total numbness and shock. He answers it before he can think. He doesn't speak, too afraid that the person on the other side is faking, that they are trying to draw him out. Maybe one of the bad guys took his phone. He doesn't know.

But his breath hitches all the same.]

[panspermia]

[ He'd feared the worst when the calls failed. The phone discovered by Steven's keepers and confiscated or destroyed. Worse yet, Steven himself throwing it away, either after Greg's cruel dismissal or after this morning's news.

Still he kept trying, punching the number into the payphone again and again. He had to get through. He had to let Steven know.

When finally the line clicked to life, Greg could have felt his heart try to leap out of his mouth, his voice hoarse and strained.]

Steven?!

[tigermillionaire]

[He gasps raggedly, the words barely making it out in a whine.]

Dad...

[He covers his mouth with his hand, trying to keep the wail of utter relief and desperation from making it out. He has to be quiet. He can't let them know, no matter how important this is.]

[panspermia]

[ He hears the relief in his son's voice, the restrained tears. He can only imagine the suffering Steven's been through these last few hours. Greg swallows, throat tight, and does his best to keep his voice even. He needs Steven to hear this message, and he doesn't know how long he can keep composed enough to say it. ]

Steven. I'm... I'm okay. I'm not hurt, we're all safe... [ He gulps for air. ] I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to think...