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[ The camera doesn’t show Hank’s face at first; it shows a little mermaid girl, one hand buried in his dog’s fur, looking back at him as she swims into the tunnel to the hopefully safe place underneath the palace. The girl seems reluctant. The dog doesn’t. Sumo’s always liked kids.

Hank takes a deep breath, clears his throat, and squints upward, muttering to himself. ]

Fucking seahorses. What kind of cartoon bullshit…

[ Then the guy he’s looking at throws a very real weapon from atop his very stupid seahorse, and Hank looks a little sick. He doesn’t move the camera to show it. That’s not what he’s here for. ]

Look, anyone try to sit these royal asses down and tell them to talk to each other like goddamn adults? Can anyone even find em in this fucking mess?

[ A sigh comes from the right and the camera pans to Shiro, black edged helmet held in one hand and brows furrowed. This isn’t going to be easy and he can already feel the headache coming. But it’s this or more people die. He faces the screen squarely. ]

We need to find out what each side wants out of this conflict. We can’t get them to talk if we can’t find their common ground. It’s going to be difficult, but we need as much help as we can to find them to figure that out.

[ Roy, in some weird mixture of exasperation and pursing his lips together to prevent from laughing at Hank’s “fucking seahorses” comment, clears his throat before he speaks, coming into view at Shiro’s right, arms crossed over his chest. ]

We’re assuming they want to be adults.

[ but now that that pointlessly cynical comment is out of the way, roy turns to business. ]

They seem to be centralized in the Palace of Wahine . . . or, at least, that’s where they will be, if the King continues to advance. They seem to be amenable to talking, at any rate. [ at least, given the Princess’ seizing of the network and begging for assistance from all of them. ] The worst that could happen is they refuse to come to the table . . . so any information anyone has managed to collect about the Queen, the King, or the Princess would be appreciated, particularly in regards to motivations and who would rule this place once we leave.

[ and Roy, who pauses, turns to Hank with a sudden seriousness: ]

Do you think the seahorses go to the victor of the battle, or are they up for the taking as compensation for doing their work for them?

[ Hank takes a second to switch into bullshit mode but after that second he raises his eyebrows, answering dryly. ]

I think the seahorses are forming a union as we speak, there’s no way we’ll be able to afford em.

[ Then he looks back at the camera. ]

Come on, guys. Anyone here got experience talking morons out of stupid shit? The sooner we fix this the sooner people stop dying, so uh. Let’s put our heads together or… whatever stupid pep talk BS you wanna hear, I don’t know. Let’s just stop chasing after all this weirdo bullshit and figure out how to fix whatever the fuck it is we came here to fix, okay?

(OOC: This is meant to function as a party post sort of thing, a way for characters to share information they get from their questions, figure out strategy, argue over who’s going to deliver the final offer, etc. Answer each other’s comments, threadjack, go wild. Team Negotiation is go, y’all.)

Hello. For   of you who don’t know me, my name is Conno

[His name is ‘Conno’. Thanks a lot, network.]

I’m going to keep this     since the netwo    only appears to be working intermittently.

This is a   for those of us looking into the issue of the     princess. According to the Queen, her last known       were the Fields of Akvosia. I     that a portion of our group has been     there upon our arrival, and I encour    all of us to share what we might have uncovered about the princess in the interim. For the sake of pushing this investi    forward, discussing what we've     will be the     way of securing a potential, solid lead.

  of note: the princess had been acting strangely before her disappearance. Despondent and       , constantly referencing the “dark  ” encroaching on Akvos. And weeks prior to this, two “menfolk” had visited the palace, claiming ties to the Cir    and asking after this same darkness.

I believe one     Katha    , whom the Queen claims to have cultivated a friendship with her daughter. The other   remains unspecified and unnamed, and both had van    days before the princess had gone missing.

Again, if those of you avail    in or around the Fields can focus your search

[Shut up, Connor, says the network probably. Because it’s cutting him off rather unceremoniously here.]

[ so like.

the text keeps appearing and reappearing. like someone's deleting their post? repeatedly. eventually one sticks, though: ]

NO ONE PANIC
The rat infestation is mine


[ that's it. that's the post. ]

nice digs. appreciate the free rent. dont so much appreciate being here in the first place and getting hit with expectations right off the bat.

so is there a going rate for helping out with this shit or are we all here pro bono and as a show of good faith? bc this isnt exactly what id call living my best life.

hit me up if youve got any proof of a cash bonus for being a warrior of light or w/e the fuck.

[ Hi, Acatalepsy, how are you guys. ]

 So, correct me if I'm wrong about this. 

[Hank doesn't bother with an intro, just starts right on in. The angle he's holding his wrist shows both his face and the stick he's dragging along the wall behind him, which has been in a fire at some point in the recent past and leaves a long black trail of ash over the wall as he walks.]

But when all you heroes trooped into the haunted caves under the mysterious freaky lake the communication plan was along the lines of, 'gee, if someone gets their feet ate off by some freaky bullshit I sure do hope they yell real loud so I can get there before they bleed out' right? I mean, I trust you guys know to make a post letting us all know if you need backup, but what if this- [Here the screen shakes as Hank wiggles his wrist, indicating the watch] -gets busted, or stolen, or whatever? 

I don't know, I was just thinking, next time a bunch of us, or just anyone, goes into something that might get bad there should be some kind of post stuck to the top of our feed that we could all check, just something like this-

[He stops walking, still talking as he starts to scratch a little list in ash onto the wall beside him.]

Hey, I wonder how little Suzy's doing. Oh, she checked in an hour ago, she's probably fine.

[He writes Suzy on the wall, and a checkmark next to her name.]

How about JimBob the Murder Bot? Oh, he hasn't checked in for about seven hours, I should take someone to go look for him.

[Next to JimBob the Murder Bot he doodles a little skull. Sorry Jimbo, it's hard out there for a figurative probably-dead robot. Better luck next time.]

Or maybe you guys would rather do some kinda daily role call like in school or, hell, maybe it's just more fun to lone wolf your way through all this world saving shit, what do I know. Decide amongst yourselves. I might be around, I might not. Just thought I'd throw this out there. I'm gonna go eat. 

So.

[It's a wonderful way to start a video out, Cayde's quite aware of that; eloquence, thy name is Exo.]

Anyone feeling a little...strange recently? Perhaps a bit normal?

[He's weedling for answers and not being subtle about it, no apologies ever. Not when he can feel his Light racing through his veins in sharp pulses. The start and stop nature of it, and what Astoria had said previously about the temple itself, is equal parts comforting and horrifying. One moment he feels alive and the next nothing, back to nothing more than a dulled machine.]

I know our lovely lady in the sky supposedly gave us all magic, I don't know I've only seen it, but I mean. Anyone feeling a little bit more like themselves then they have in a while?

[This is way too much of a coincidence.]

Hello? Can everyone hear me? Connor, are you sure everyone can hear me? Positive? ... Alright.

[Konoha clears her throat rather loudly, holding her watch-thing very close to her mouth by the sound of things.]

Hello! This is Konoha... some of you know me, and some of you maybe don't yet, but um, I'm the... well in my world we say jinba but I'm the centaur. The... brown one? The girl one? Mikuni is the man, even if he looks beautiful!

And anyway, what I wanted to tell everyone was that... I can make food. I say "make" but I'm not really sure, it just... appears, so, I can... "summon" food? "Create" food. It's definitely not me, my world doesn't have stuff like this, but I guess the witch gave it to me and it is useful, so-

[A cough interrupts her, but she keeps going after a moment.]

I just thought everyone should know in case we end up somewhere like the metal world again. Or if you just want to eat something in particular we don't have here? I can't make things I don't know about... and it doesn't come cooked or anything, just for your information! Some people are... pretty sick and I want to help, so-

And also, apparently people have been posting really important things on this for a while now and I didn't see them, but I'll try to check better from now on, promise! Akira and Connor taught me some things, so. You can use this to contact me now!

So... thanks? Good... bye? Connor, which one is bet- oops.

[The video opens on a patch of dirt, a leg stretched out along one edge of the screen. Next to the leg a number of very small muddy spots map out a connect-the-dots picture that more creative minds - or just anyone who's ever been a bored teenager - might recognize as a sort-of accurate depiction of one particular x-rated body part. A voice, cracking and hoarse like it has to drag itself over gravel to get its words out, starts speaking immediately.]

Hey, you know what makes me-

[His coughing is harsh and wet but it's only a few seconds before it stops. Hank mutters a curse under his breath, just audible, and hacks up a loogie, spitting it so it lands just so off the end of the art in the dirt next to him. The dirt there goes wet and dark, and with this artistic rendering of a drop of splooge, his masterpiece is complete. When he leans back the camera's in a different position; in the opposite corner from the dirt the screen shows the massive head of a Saint Bernard, taking up a good part of the screen and the majority of Hank's lap.]

You know what makes me feel better when I'm feeling like shit? Bitching about it. Let's bitch, guys. Tell me how shitty you've got it right now. It's not like anyone's got anything else to do here, right? I mean, not unless someone can get this big furry boulder to unglue itself from my lap. I'd have something to do if he'd just play. Look, watch this, it's pathetic.

Hey, Sumo. Fetch. 

[Anyone with motion sickness might want to look away; the screen jerks around wildly as the arm with the camera on it moves to grab a rock and hold it in the air like Hank's going to throw it. Then the screen goes still again as Hank has to lean forward to cough, his dog's big, placid face now taking up the whole view. Sumo gives a single low whuff, lifts his head, and apparently settles himself right over the camera because the screen goes dark. There's the muffled sound of Hank cursing, trying to say Sumo's name between coughs, and then nothing as Hank manages to work his other hand under Sumo's jaw and shut the recording off.]

Soooo how's everyone feeling?

[THIS MESSAGE HAS A PURPOSE HE SWEARS]

Serious question, by the way. I talked to Astoria as soon as we got back, and she was pretty worried about the way I. . . felt to her?

[GOD PUTTING IT THAT WAY SOUND WEIRD]

She said that I brought something back with me from Struxta. Something dark, evil, heavy. . . wrong? I don't know about you guys but absolutely none of that is confidence inspiring. Wonder why.

[AHA]

She also told me that the wilting plants around the temple aren't normal. "Everything here seems to be just here. Present, alive, blooming," is what she said, word for word. She's never seen anything here die before.

[. . .]

I don't really know what she's talking about, especially because I feel just fine. I don't think she does yet either, though I imagine she's going to investigate. Just be careful, all right? And if you notice anything off about yourself, let me or someone else know.






Because if we all came back possessed by space demons or infected by robot tuberculosis I'm gonna be pretty pissed.

Hey everyone! I’m Ann Takamaki, for those I haven’t had the chance to meet yet. So before heading off to Struxta, Jing and I got talking about how rough it can be for new arrivals here, and we figured we couldn’t be the only ones who thought there had to be something we could do to make their lives a little easier. Some of you have probably thought about it too, right?

Since so many people here have been very friendly and welcoming and willing to help one another, Ann and I thought we might present this idea to everyone. It seems especially important now that new people are arriving once more.

[Those interested in helping their future fellow Circle members, stay tuned!]

We noticed that a lot of people turn up here without much more than the clothes on their back… the temple provides most of the bare necessities, but showing up here at all is still pretty disorienting. The lantern festival really went a long way in helping to further a sense of community, and it was a pretty warm welcome for our newest Circle members.

We also felt it would be useful for us to do a little more advanced preparation along those same lines in the future as well.

And not just the fun stuff, but the practical stuff, too! Obviously, we’ll need a name. ‘Welcome Committee’ is nice and straightforward, but it’s a little boring, don’t you think? Maybe ‘Full Circle,’ or— oh, how about ‘Salutation Squad?’

[Please don’t let Ann name this group. If Jing has any objections to Ann’s rather creative suggestions, it’s not at all evident in her tone of voice; she actually seems rather amused by it, so if anyone else wants to be the voice of reason, please speak up.]

...In addition, we hope to provide a central place for everyone in the Circle, but especially our newcomers, to access supplies - mainly basic items such as changes of clothes, soap, and other things required for hygiene. Hopefully as we make this place more our home for the moment, we can also build up other resources as well, such as more advanced medical supplies or electronic items.

So, what do we need from you guys? Easy! Volunteers to help show people around and get them settled, and people to gather supplies both here and in the worlds we end up visiting. If you have an ability or some other practical skills that could be used to make or fix things, that would be great, too. Any powers that people have gotten from Astoria-san could definitely prove useful in some cases, but you don’t have to be superpowered to be able to help! The little things will really add up, and make all the difference to people who turn up and find themselves feeling out of place.

Now, as for welcoming our newest members...

Obviously, we can’t have a lantern festival every time we come back from another world, but we were thinking we could do some kind of gathering to help people feel welcome when they do show up. Maybe we could all get together and have a potluck dinner? Let us know if you guys have any ideas, too, and talk to each other! We’d really love to hear from everyone.

[Ann and Jing out.]

[[ OOC Note: Please feel free to mingle and tag around to others below! There are IC comment headers below for: welcome packages, committee volunteers, general requests and party planning. Of course, the actual party will have to be pushed back due to the illness plot, but at least the groundwork will be laid! Hopefully we can all still pull something together before the next world jump… ]]

Hello. For those of you I haven’t met, my name is Connor. And as many of you may be aware of, a handful of Circle members have devoted their time to researching and uncovering the endless amounts of data stored in the Library; I am one of them. To expedite the process, I connected directly to their servers, and though the experience was difficult, I did come away with workable data that might act as a lead to further investigate the state of Struxta. To those who aided me in coming back online afterwards: you have my gratitude. I’m in your debt, and if you ever need me to return the favor, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I’m sending this message to summarize, to the best of my ability, the information made available to us through this research, as well as any data I’ve pieced together personally. I think it only makes sense for everyone here to be on “the same page” if we’re all meant to work together as a team. If you have any questions, or wish to discuss this information between yourselves, don’t hesitate to do so. Especially if you have something more to contribute, or if you believe I’ve missed something.

The research as a whole focused mostly on a few points of interest: what happened to organic life, the origins of AI in this world, and the nature of the Mass Subconscious.

( cut for a big ol' info dump )

((ooc; This post is quite obviously just one big general info dump for what was uncovered at the Library. The ooc info post can be found here, but this is an opportunity for your characters to ICly consider the implications of… all of this, and chatter amongst themselves! Feel free to use this post as a means of discussion if you like!))

This food is a disgrace, but I'll give it some credit for getting me thinking about this world. I've started down a very, very deep rabbit hole and I'm starting to realize that this isn't a one man job at all. I've seen a lot of you in the library anyway, so who would be willing to shift their research and dedicate some time to looking into the food goo machines, production history, or possibly the connection between that and the burning question: "what happened to the organic life forms?"

I wouldn't mind hearing what other people have been researching either. We're never going to get anywhere if we don't start comparing notes. I'd prefer to do that in person, but I understand that might be difficult to do, so at least here it would be compiled in one place.

-M. Hughes


((ooc: If your character is interested in helping Hughes, indicate how long they might spend on this so I can give the mods a good answer. I don't want to keep making assumptions about Maes' research project: see link))]

Due to Chelseamod's ineptness with Dreamwidth communities, the tag post is now awkwardly floating around amongst your entries.

VIEW IT, IN ALL OF ITS GLORY.