Chapter Text
Luca almost kicked the box when he opened his door that morning.
“Oh, what’s this supposed to be? A prank?” he muttered, bending down to snatch it up. It wasn’t heavy, but the paper note taped on top made him pause.
“A gift from us. Everyone gets one.”
He squinted at the short letter. “Us? …Great. Real clear. Thanks, mysterious handwriting person.” He snorted, already tearing the lid open. Inside was something that made him blink twice, then grin like a kid sneaking into a workshop. A sleek rectangle of glass and metal, cold to the touch with some sort of mark on the back.
“Well hello, beautiful!” Luca sat right there in the hallway, cross-legged, holding the device up to the light. “You’re way too fancy to just show up in a box. Where are your gears, your screws, your wires?” He turned it over, then back again. “What are you made of, huh?” Curiosity flared bright in his chest. He jabbed the surface with a fingertip. The screen burst to life, glowing symbols swimming across it. Luca laughed out loud, startled but delighted.
“Oh ho, you light up! Tracy’s gonna lose her mind when she sees this. Bet she’ll want to take it apart piece by piece!”
He tapped another icon, grinning at the strange, fluid response. For once, though, he had no idea what any of it meant. Circuits and signals, sure, but the patterns were alien, far beyond his inventions. He scratched his head, muttering, “Alright, so… maybe I’m not the brightest torch outside the lab. Still counts if I figure it out eventually, right?”
The device vibrated suddenly in his hands, and he yelped, nearly dropping it. His grin faltered, then returned just as quick.
“Okay. You’re alive. Fantastic.”
But the thrill in his eyes was undeniable. The spark of an inventor faced with a mystery that begged to be solved.
Luca plopped the strange machine onto his cluttered desk, pushing aside half-finished sketches and scraps of copper wire. The folded note that came with it slipped free. Beneath the scrawled message was… a list? Names with peculiar strings of numbers beside them.
“Phone numbers…?” He mouthed slowly. Each survivor’s name neatly lined up. Tracy, Norton, Emily, Eli, and so on.
The glowing screen reflected in his wide eyes as he poked at it again. Symbols shuffled, one flick of his thumb bringing up what looked like… letters forming across the glass? Not engraved. Not painted. They appeared, sharp and clear, only to vanish again with another touch.
“…You can write on it? Instantly?” He leaned so close his nose nearly touched the screen. “But no ink, no typewriter keys… this is– this is soo coool!”
His laughter echoed through the room. He jabbed at the icon that looked most promising — two speech bubbles. A new window slid open with a blinking line at the bottom, waiting.
Curious, he tapped in a word.
‘hello’.
...
The letters popped onto the screen without delay. He nearly jumped out of his chair.
“It speaks back what I type! Tracy has to see this.” Another jab of the finger. He fiddled with the names from the note, dragging them one by one into the glowing box. A header appeared at the top:
New Group Created.
Group Name:...
Luca’s grin widened. “A group… a gathering… no-” he tapped quickly, naming it with a flourish
[Kool svrvivors club]
The screen changed, sealing his decision.
“There! Everyone all in one place. Faster than letters, quicker than running down the manor halls.” He laughed again, giddy. “Now let’s see if anyone answers…”
He typed another line, biting back a bubbling chuckle.
[Prisoner]: Test, test
Yoo can anybdy hear mw?
He hit send. The words blinked into existence, glowing as though waiting for replies. Luca leaned back, heart pounding with excitement, muttering to himself, “If this works… we’ll never have to explore half the hall to find someone again.” He hated looking dumb.
[Kool svrvivors Club]
04.30
[Mechanic]: …Luca? That you? What is this?
[Prisoner]: IT WOOORKSSS HUZZAH!! Tracy look look i made a club
[Mechanic]: A club? You realize we’ve got whole lotta empty rooms right?
[Prisoner]: no NO you don’t get it!! its like…letters. but FAST letters. instant. faster than lightning–
wait no…faster than thoughts 🤯
[Mechanic]: …
[Mechanic]: Wait. You’re RIGHT.
[Prisoner]: course I Am!!
[Doctor]: Good heavens. What in the world is this contraption?
[Prisoner]: SCIENCE, Ms. Emily!! or maybe sorcery. Doesn’t matter, one day i’ll find the answer!
[Seer]: Dangerous. Objects that appear without origin and whisper to all at once… bear the Witch’s mark. They are not gifts without cost.
[Prisoner]: ohh Mr.Eli you’re such a buzzkill 🙄
listen, now we can ALL talk without dashing about like chickens with no heads
[Prospector]: Chickens without…
hold on, my wardrobe spat out a little box this morning and it buzzed at me.
[Prisoner]: SEE?? told ya. we ALL got one. welcome to the [Kool Person Club]✨✨✨
[Mechanic]: Luca. It’s spelled cool.
[Prisoner]: uuhhh i KNOW that tracy…it’s kooler this way 😏
[Gardener]: hiii!! Mr. Balsa, how did you make that sparkle appear??
[Prisoner]: oh oh those’re called EMOJIS! 🎉😈
just click the lil button at the top corner and BAM
[Gardener]: 🥰🥰
[Gardener]: Thank you, Mr. Balsa!! 🥰
[Coordinator]: Why is my thing filled with hearts?
[Coordinator]: And why did it start glowing at four in the morning? I nearly shot it.
[Prisoner]: HELLOOO ms martha welcome to the club ✨
don’t shoot it pls
[Lawyer]: Excuse me. Does this mean we can… exchange notes privately? Instantly? That is amazing. My clients will be most satisfied.
[Mechanic]: No one wants your “legal” services, Mr.Freddy.
[Lawyer]: How Rude.
[Magician]: 🪄 behold! Instant card trick!!
Seen by Prisoner, Mechanic and 5 others.
[Magician]: …why does no one seem impressed.
[Prospector]: Because you typed it. That’s not a trick.
[Magician]: You wound me.
[Seer]: You wound us all.
[Prisoner]: ths is already the best thing everrr
[Mechanic]: yeahh this is super efficient! :>>
[Doctor]: Or catastrophic. This will keep Luca awake for weeks.
[Prisoner]: TOO LATE ALREADY AWAKE!!
Seen by Mechanic, prospector and 3 others.
[Kool Person Club]
12:23
[Explorer]: …hello?…can everyone see what I write here?
[Prisoner]: MR.KURT!! lil buddy you made it!! ✨✨
[Explorer]: Please don’t call me little. And…what is this? My bookcase coughed out a box this morning.
[Mechanic]: Don’t question it too much, Mr.Kurt. Just…accept the chaos:D
[Explorer]: …I don’t like chaos.
[Perfumer]: Then I suppose you’ve joined the wrong “club”.
[Prisoner]: YEAHH
[Forward]: WOOOOOOO WHAT IS THIS THING, A SECRET TEAM HUDDLE?? COUNT ME IN!!
[Mechanic]: oh no he found the caps lock😬
🫨reacted by [Prisoner]
[Prisoner]: IT’S CONTAGOIUS!!!
[Acrobat]: *jumps in with a somersault* Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between–behold, the club of the century! 🎪✨
[Explorer]: …did you really have to type that?
[Acrobat]: Every word deserves an entrance, little navigator.
[Explorer]: …Stop calling me little.
[Priestess]: This… glow feels like a portal. Perhaps to a higher realm…
[Prisoner]: nah its just SCIENCE!!
[Prisoner]: probably.
[Coordinator]: If it is science, we should use it responsibly. No spamming, no pointless clutter, perhaps we could discuss strategies.
[Prisoner]: too late, we’re already 90% pointless clutter 🎉
[Forward]: HE’S RIGHT✅️ ✅️
[Enchantress]: The glass hums with unseen power. I sense… chaos, joy, perhaps doom.
[Mechanic]: so… just like us then.
[Gardener]: 🥰🥰🥰
[Perfumer]: …Did she just respond to a prophecy with heart emojis?
[Acrobat]: Iconic.
Seen by Gardener, Mechanic and 6 others.
[Kool Person Club]
13.05
[Prisoner] has changed their nickname to [luca balls,The greatest inventer].
[luca balls,The greatest inventer]: GOT IT! Finally Able to change our names.
[Mechanic]: ya didn't even spell inventor correctly :p
[luca balls,The greatest inventer] has changed [Mechanic]’s nickname to [robotnik].
[Robotnik]: ...robotnik?
[luca balls,The greatest inventer]: I don't know it jut felt right … i geuss?
[Prospector]: How did you do that?
[Robotnik]: beuhh Change your nickname luca it's so long🫥
[Robotnik] has changed [luca balls,The greatest inventer]’s nickname to [lucarat].
[Lucarat]: damn…
[Lucarat]: replying to
[Prospector]: How did you do that?
Like this Mr.nort!
[Lucarat] has changed [Prospector]’s nickname to [Mr.mole].
[Robotnik]: mole and rat? Heh I guess Yall match.
[Lucarat]: AWWW🥰 you jealous trace??
[Lucarat]: dont worry! Your still my best of friend!>.>
[Mr.mole]: …brat
Change it back.
Seen by lucarat, robotnick and 3 others.
_______