Network: Voice because Alex gotta Alex.

[11calls]

Who: Alex Reagan
Username: alexreagan
Warnings: None right now, will edit to include if things come up.


[Because Alex is most at home in the audio format, that's what she's set this up in, and will respond to everything in an audio format. Her voice is cool and radio ready, but with a Canadian accent that sometimes trips her up on center words.]

You know, it's so weird that this is like five years later than when I'm from. Like the tech and everything is so close but so different. Back home, my podcast was pretty well known, but now there's so many, it's shocking to me. I knew things would get bigger, but I never expected this!

[Alex has been poking around on the podcast apps, of course and trying to see if her show is there on it. It's not, which is both reassuring and not. But it's second nature for Alex to explain what a podcast is so she does:]

A podcast is like radio on demand on the internet, if you know what radio is. Back home, I worked for Pacific Northwest Stories, and I started my podcast with the idea of doing various stories on interesting people with interesting jobs.

[And all that ended up f i n e. Really. Totally fine. Which is one of the reason Alex gets to the heart of the matter:]

One thing I love is people's stories. I'd been working as a producer telling people's stories for three years before I ended up on my own show, and honestly I kind of miss it. More than kind of. Honestly, it's just something that would make me feel more normal. So if anyone's interested, I've got a meal on me if you're willing to talk at my record and answer questions. Oh! I'm Alex, by the way. Alex Reagan.

[A soft and self deprecating laugh follows before Alex adds:]

Which of course you already know from my username. Sorry.

Comments

[11calls]

The Black Tapes Podcast.

[It's a reflex for her to answer that first. And there's just something straight up interesting about someone else from a different world doing the same sort of stuff that Strand and Tannis Braun did.]

Where you working at archiving them from a skeptical standpoint or more of a these are real things that really happened kind of one?

[eyeknowyou]

More of the latter. A simple non-bias account of things that have been claimed to occur. We have accrued items as well, pieces tied to some of these statements, but those were covered by those that worked in Artefact Storage and the Archives; I was busy with scheduling, funding, meetings, the affairs no one wants to think of. I did get some stories by osmosis, however.

[Interesting name for a podcast...]

Is there a reason it was called that?

[11calls]

That must have been difficult, to run an Institute like that and only make do with second hand stories. I imagine you had to have an interest in it to have created an Institute that specializes in that?

And yeah, there was a reason for it. The Black Tapes came out of working on interesting people and interesting jobs and focusing on ghost hunters. In my research with other paranormal investigators I kept hearing a name: Strand. He's a paranormal investigator who doesn't believe in the supernatural to the tune of putting a million dollars up for a case that he can't disprove. Dr. Strand has thousands of cases that he'd been able to disprove which he kept in white VHS cases. He had a much smaller about of cases that he kept in Black VHS cases. The Black Tapes were the ones he couldn't disprove to his satisfaction "yet." My show was us reexaming those unsolved cases together as well as my investigating Dr. Strand himself.

[eyeknowyou]

I had several benefactors who did well with donations, along with some government grants. I have found that people are rather excited to help archive the unexplainable.

[Especially if you could blackmail them.]

That is interesting. How long did he have to try to disprove them? Will you tell me one of the stories in the black tapes, or recreate the podcast here? I think I could see myself becoming a rather dedicated fan.

[11calls]

Still, I can't imagine having info like that and not wanting to dive into it. I know I wouldn't be able to keep away.

[An understatement, considering the state of things back home. But Alex is more than a little relieved that he's focusing on the tapes rather than anything surrounding them. Possibly ending the world doesn't reflect well on someone.]

I wouldn't want to recreate the podcast itself without Dr. Strand. He's an essential part of it. But I can definitely tell you what the tapes I worked on with him were. He doesn't really have a set timeline on them--just whenever the science would catch up with the tapes. The earliest tape Dr. Strand has is from 1967, as far I'm aware of.

[eyeknowyou]

With talk like that, I might have a job for you, Ms. Reagan. You would make a wonderful archivist.

[Inquisitive. Curious. Driven.

Now, if only she was someone that could be manipulated…]

I would love to hear about any that you are willing to share. Perhaps you could even write them out for me, as a record. [He laughed, low and quiet.] Old habits, as they say.

[11calls]

Well, I appreciate the compliment, Mr. Bouchard. Are you planning on opening something like you have back home here?

I guess I could write them now. I mean normally I do everything in audio and transcribe it later anyway, I guess it means that I can skip a step. An audio story from you for one I write down?

[eyeknowyou]

I would like to, but starting with zero resources will make it far more difficult. My benefactors didn't seem to join in this kidnapping.

[Not yet an employee...]

I was hoping to share it with my archivist. Let him have a chance to read it. That is his preferred method of these things.

[It wasn't.]

[11calls]

I understand. Sorry, was just going back to you wanting a story from me for one from you.

[But moving on.]

You're not the only one from your world here?

[eyeknowyou]

I do, but [I want to feed it to my eldritch employee] I would like to keep it. Something to review with my archivist.

[Sure. Suuure.]

There are several of us. Employees of mine, in fact. You are the only one from yours?

[11calls]

Okay, sure I can definitely do that.

[Alex is a lot of things but she tries not to be a hypocrite, so sharing stories makes a lot of sense to her.]

Unfortunately, it seems like it's just me.

[Which in some ways sucks and in some ways is a relief.]

[eyeknowyou]

That is a shame, being alone. But I suppose it does allow for a networking opportunity.

[Which he may or may not exploit.]

[11calls]

I guess so. I mean, it's not as if I'm going to sit around waiting for one of them to show up, you know?

So, Mr. Bouchard, when would you like to meet for our story exchange?

[eyeknowyou]

I would hope not. Time is fleeting.

My schedule appears to be rather open, Ms. Reagan. A week from now, perhaps? It will give you time to write down your story.

[11calls]

One of the tapes.

[That's what she's agreed to, and not her own story. Thankfully Alex doesn't know about the tape that she'd have eventually.]

Should we call it next Wednesday, then?

[eyeknowyou]

Of course. One of the tapes.

[For now. That might have to change in the future.]

That sounds perfect. I look forward to it.

[11calls]

Nice talking to you, Mr. Bouchard. Have a good day.

[Cause you known, pays to be polite.]