Δ [1st Cipher] SVOOL WZIPMVHH NB LOW UIRVMW

[improvident]

[Static crackles and pops over the feed.

It is a combination of a radio tuner whining listlessly between stations with decent service, the familiar whirring grumble of the dial-up tone ad infinitum, the hoarse screech of a car trying to start on a lonely highway in the middle of the night, where it has broken down for seemingly no reason at all.

Images flicker: an illustration of Lincoln's assassination, a room draped with red curtains, the Teletubbies, President Nixon, video footage of a piglet slowly decaying into loam. And then- A V O I C E.]

I GӨƬƬΛ ƧΛY. ƬΉΣƧΣ DIGƧ ΛЯΣП'Ƭ ΉΛᄂF-BΛD. I MΣΛП, IƬ'Ƨ ПӨ IПƬΣЯGΛᄂΛᄃƬIᄃ ƬIMΣ PΛLΛᄃΣ ΛПD IƬ'Ƨ ПӨƬ ƬЯЦMP ƬӨЩΣЯ, BЦƬ I GΣƬ ƬΉΣ ΛPPΣΛL.

[On occasion, between the odd frequencies scrambling the frame with black and white noise, a single eye will appear.]

VΛMPIЯΣƧ. ΛПGΣᄂƧ. ᄃΛППIBΛᄂƧ. GӨDƧ. ΛΉΛΉΛΉΛΉΛ ӨΉ BӨY, IƧ ƬΉIƧ GӨППΛ BΣ FЦП. I'ᄂᄂ BΣ ЩΛƬᄃΉIПG YӨЦ, ЩӨПDΣЯᄂΛПD.

I ' ᄂᄂ B Σ Щ Λ Ƭ ᄃ Ή I П G Y Ө Ц.

[The transmission cuts, leaving a fuzzy screen and a garbled message:]

Comments

[eyebrow waggle]

[improvident]

I'ᄂᄂ BΣ ЩΛƬᄃΉIПG ЩΉΣƬΉΣЯ I ЩΛПƬ ƬӨ ӨЯ ПӨƬ.

ƬΉΣ ᄃЦЯƧΣ ӨF PЯӨVIDΣПᄃΣ, IF YӨЦ BΣᄂIΣVΣ ƬΉΛƬ KIПD ӨF BΛᄂӨПΣY.

[goodwoofjames]

Curse? You've been cursed?

[He can see how having to watch something one doesn't want to is curse-like, but he's never heard of one like that before.]

[improvident]

ӨΉ MY, YΣƧ.

DΛЯK MΛGIᄃKƧ.

ƬΉΛƬ ӨᄂD ᄃΉΣƧƬПЦƬ.

[goodwoofjames]

I take it you don't see it as terribly dark, then.

[Good to know. Except for how the idea of a dark wizard being here is terrible.]

[improvident]

"DΛЯK" IƧ VΛGЦΣ, ƬΉΛƬ'Ƨ ᄂIKΣ ƧΛYIПG ƬΉΛƬ DΣΛƬΉ ЯIDΣƧ "Λ PΛᄂΣ ΉӨЯƧΣ." ЩΉΛƬ KIПD ӨF PΛᄂΣ? PIПK? YΣᄂᄂӨЩ?

[Asking the real questions here.]

I'D ƧΛY ƬΉΣƧΣ MΛGIᄃKƧ ЯΣƧΣMBᄂΣ ΛП ΛƧΉY GЯΛY ᄃӨᄂӨЯ.

[goodwoofjames]

My world is pretty clear about what is and isn't dark magic.

[Kind of.]

I think if you'd been cursed, you'd be thinking in more black and white terms about it.

[improvident]

YӨЦЯ ЩӨЯᄂD IƧ ΛП IПᄃЯΣDIBᄂY ᄂIMIƬIПG PᄂΛᄃΣ ЯIFΣ ЩIƬΉ ƬΉΣ PΣƬƬY IПƧΣᄃЦЯIƬIΣƧ ӨF ƬΉΣ ЦPPΣЯ ᄃᄂΛƧƧ ᄃӨПƧƬΛПƬᄂY GӨЦGIПG ƬΉΣ ᄂӨЩΣЯ ᄃᄂΛƧƧ IПƬӨ ƧЦBMIƧƧIӨП.

YӨЦЯ ЩӨЯᄂD IƧ DΣƧPΣЯΛƬΣ FӨЯ ΣΛƧY DIƧƬIПᄃƬIӨПƧ BΣƬЩΣΣП "GӨӨD" ΛПD "BΛD."

YӨЦЯ ЩӨЯᄂD IƧ ΛП ΛBӨMIПΛƬIӨП.

[goodwoofjames]

[Sirius doesn't have a clue how to respond to that.]

Just because it isn't perfect doesn't mean it's-- I mean. If it's a curse, it's a curse, you loony. Don't go insulting my world because you've got your idea of curses mixed up.