acatalepsy ▫ main

[Maes Hughes sits tilted back in a chair. There is a map pinned up on the wall behind him, it appears to be a map of the Temple itself and new paper has been pinned to it with labels that indicate a lake and caverns. Maes did this on purpose, wanting to show what they had been working on in their newly christened ‘office’, but of course, that’s not his only reason for starting this video post. He raises a hand in greeting, sitting forward and now getting a new figure in the frame: Barabas.]

Yo! Hope you guys weren’t getting too comfortable after our adventures in the caverns, because Barabas and I have one more favor to ask of everyone.

[Barabas offers the video a smile, hands folded in front of him before adding,]

Well. Maybe more than one. But they’re small favors. And they’ll be helpful, hopefully, in the long run. [A glance to the other man. Go ahead, Maes.]

[Maes nods, adjusting his glasses and then continuing by pulling out a new map. This one is labeled ‘Tunnel A - Right’. A lot of it is in blue, indicating the underwater parts, and a lot of those tunnels look extra small -- indicating the size of the space. He has also drawn helpful squiggles for the eels. It’s by no means a brilliant work of cartography, but it would certainly do in a pinch and considering it was based off memory...really not bad.]

I know we were already sharing information with each other based on what we encountered in the different tunnels. What we haven’t done is tried to compile that information for future use. What if we need to go down again? What if there’s more to find down there? If we’re going to be staying here between jumps to other worlds, I don’t know about you, but I’d kind of like to have more information on this place, stuff we can reference later. I know we didn’t go down there expecting to make a map of the routes we took, so I know these are going to be rough, but I’d really like to hear from those that took the center and left tunnels about the terrain, turns, and what not that you explored. I want to make some maps for future reference basically.

[He then nods, indicating it’s back to being Barabas’s turn to elaborate on the favors they are asking.]

In the spirit of compiling information for future use, we’re also hoping to have any other details you might have to offer -- about the caverns, about any of the worlds that Astoria has sent everyone, about anything of particular note here around the Temple. There’s likely to be another influx at some point, and even for those of us already here, it could prove useful.

[A brief pause before Barabas seems to remember, adding with a pleased smile, quite proud of their little makeshift office.] We’ve repurposed [...commandeered] an empty room as an office and central location for this information, and for people to visit as they need. Consider it a sort of miniature reference library, or a headquarters for information gathering. And sharing.

Was there anything else, Maes?

Yes…[Maes nods, his expression briefly becoming solemn, although the two people here who are left that know him very well will likely recognize it as a joke. He reaches into his jacket pocket and produces, of all things, a 3x5 photograph of a brightly smiling young girl. Three years old and wearing a sun hat. As soon as the picture is revealed he is smiling like an idiot.] Just that I’ll be leaving this picture of my beautiful baby girl in this office to help brighten up the place! Say hello to my Elysia~

[And he’s back to the serious face as he adds, the light glinting off his glasses] And if any of you take it out of here we’re going to have some serious conversations about messing with a precious memento.

[There’s a pause and then Maes “realizes” that’s probably not what Barabas meant.] Oh! You mean about our office here? No, I think that was about it. Everyone’s welcome to use this and we also figure this could be a good place to talk to any new members as they arrive. All you need to tell them about this place, especially if you’re not sure how to explain it to them or if you weren’t here when we visited some of these worlds.

Just come find one of us or send us a message if you have any questions.

[On the video feed today -- once Keith has finished making sure his communicator is propped up well enough that it won’t tip -- there are two paladins for the price of one. Keith settles back so that he’s in frame along with Shiro.

Arms cross over his chest and he glances once at the white-haired man beside him before looking back to the camera.]

With so many people heading into the caverns by the lake and exploring, we thought it might be a good idea to compare notes -- since the caves are big enough it’d be hard to see everything.

[Keith fights and loses against a frown as he considers what he saw down there.] And we definitely found some things worth sharing.

It would be a good idea to compare what creatures we found as well as clues. Chances are we might run into these things again and better for everyone to be prepared.

[He sits up straight, glancing briefly at Keith before he continues.]

So, we’ll start. We didn’t find any new plant life but we did find glowing eels in the water. Be careful of them, it turns out they eat magic. The more magic you have, the more dangerous they likely are for you.

Also, the way we went, spaces were really tight. So… be careful of that. [Sorry, Daylight.] But beyond that… there was this mural. Two women, arms joined, both holding orbs -- one black and one white. It looks like someone tried to destroy the picture of the woman in white. And there were words. “Beware the light in the dark”

[You know, reassuring stuff. Not at all deeply troubling.]

They were carved into the stone. The woman in white had long hair. The one holding the black orb had short hair. Surrounding the mural was words of a language we couldn’t understand. Only the warning was clear. It looked messy like they were in a hurry or so to make it.

[Just gets better and better, doesn’t it. His frown might say it all.]

So… anyone else find anything down there? Or have any clue what any of this means? [Because the only ideas running through Keith’s head aren’t pleasant ones.] At the very least, we may as well all be on the same page.

 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. 

[We open on a young man who looks —tired, mostly. Longish hair, though he’s at least better shaven now than upon his arrival. The one odd thing is that his left arm appears to be flickering between something that looks like metal and normal skin. It’s clear he’s rather annoyed by it, but he finds a lot about this place annoying.]

Been here about a month, so I guess it’s as good a time as any to introduce myself. [Translation: Steve probably made him do it.] I’m James. From Brooklyn, or so I’m told. I’ve already got some idea of what’s going on here, but this —[with a nod to his arm] is gettin’ real annoying. Is there anyone it’s actually staying for? For more than five minutes?

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.]

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… ]]

Hey guys! I know we’re all busy right now with all the wild stuff you guys have managed to find out but wanted to get your opinion on something.

It’ll be real quick, I swear.

If I attempted to convince a citizen here to let me try out the Mass Subconscious thing out - Where does that land on the ‘good idea’ scale that ranges from one to ten?

( ooc; this post is connected to this little event of daylight's! if you have any concerns/questions/comments, please feel to leave them over at the top-level. o / )

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!))

Hey guys! It's Daylight!

Hi!

I don’t want to cause any trouble and all but I’m getting hungry.

[ how about some background information. ]

Usually I don’t need to eat or sleep but since my eternal efficiency system is no longer working, I need to sleep and, soon enough, eat. I had reserves of arc fuel in me but they're depleted now so I am starting to feel hunger pangs.

Which is cool! First time I've felt them!

But also kind of worrying.

I guess what I’m trying to ask is if you have any recommendations for foods or drinks I can eat that won't muck up my systems? Meddy is already trying to figure out what I can have but it wouldn't hurt for them to get suggestions on where to start, you know?

From what I've gathered from the list Meddy has, its mostly made of liquids and considered mild-flavoured at best.

So yeah. Thanks for listening! Thanks for reading? I don't know how to end this but you know what I mean.

Seriously. Thanks if you can help me out on this.

[after the Syndicate and the King have sent their messages, the Circle's watches light up with a third unceremonious communication -- but hey, at least it's someone from their number this time. Vern's scowling, but his tone's even enough.]

Hey.

Astoria wants us to change things here, right? I submit that the best way to do that is to take advantage of what we are. I know a lot of us have been getting to know people and getting more involved with the city, but when it comes down to it, we're neutral outsiders. Sometimes you need those, in a place like this: people with clear eyes and no strong prior investment except maybe a general wish to not see the people of this city offing themselves.

I've got a proposal. I don't know all your powers and backgrounds, but I know we've got a pretty good range of skills and capabilities here. I think we'd do well to split ourselves up. Some of us can concentrate on mediating -- break up fights in the street, take care of those who get caught up, try to damp down things before they can blow up into fights in the first place.

And some of us go figure out what in the hells the truth is behind this. I think a lot of us figure this poor child's death was preplanned in some way -- I certainly overheard talk that pointed to that myself -- but we're not sure exactly what the angle is here. Are the Syndicate just trying to kill the King? Take control of the seat of power? Some of us have figured out that there's no obvious natural water sources that would support this city, and the King's got some sort of blessing -- if the King controls the water, is that the power that's being fought over, rather than the actual throne?

Let's find out, and then let's figure out a way to use that to calm everyone down. If that takes locking the Crown and the Syndicate leaders in a room until they kiss and make up, or some kind of public broadcast, let's make it happen.

If you're up for this, we can form groups and take objectives. I'm not a great organizer, but even I can figure out where you're most likely to be useful if you need help.

And if you'd rather do your own thing -- well, go ahead. I'm not your leader or your mother.

[...he pauses as something obviously distracts him, eyes going briefly unfocused behind his glasses, listening to something that can't be seen on the screen]

Ah, and the King's just told me not to trust the Guard, and to find someone named Jalin, and now he seems to be occupied and won't tell me any more. So that's an extra complication. Anyone recognize that name?

So, asking for a friend: let's say someone was a falsely accused war criminal wanted on an intergalactic level back at home. Would he have any reason to worry about showing his face here?

[ the feed opens to julius in the garden, standing beneath a fruit tree - a young man in his early twenties, with blond hair and clear golden eyes. he looks a tad tired, with dark shadows under his eyes - but for those who knew him from before, he appears to be in better condition than they last saw him.

notably, he wasn't at the icebreaker. but - those are minor details. ]

Hello, everyone. My name is Julius.

[ he gestures to the greenery behind him with a sweep of his hand, a slight smile tugging at his lips ]

I'm interested in developing the garden - we may need to upkeep it ourselves in the future, and I would imagine the relevant skills would be necessary in other worlds for ensuring a consistent food supply. However, I don't have much knowledge on cultivation myself. If we work together, we'll have a better chance at succeeding.

[ his expression settles back into its usual quiet seriousness now, as appropriate for something more dangerous ]

I was a soldier back home, and I used to teach drills to my teammates. In the interest of keeping our skills sharp, I would also like to propose some sparring sessions and other exercises.

[ a pause, before: ]

If you're interested in either of these, please let me know. I look forward to working with everyone here.

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.

[Keith spent a long time debating whether to bother with video for this or just go with text. But the truth is, for what he's aiming for, it's better to do this virtual-face to virtual-face. Or something. He's even done bothering with the frankly ridiculous mask. For now.

The video opens to a fairly normal looking teenager (aside from the fact that what's visible of him is definitely dressed in a skin-tight vaguely glowy futuristic space suit), hesitating a moment like he's still debating on how to begin.]

So. Uh.

[Good start, Keith. Solid.]

I guess all of us are stuck in the same boat whether we want to be or not. And apparently that boat is headed for some other world before we know it.

I'll be honest. I don't know if we can trust this Astoria as far as we can throw her. [And he knows she can hear this, but he's said as much to her face, so there's that.] But for now I guess I plan on going along to see how things play out. [Which after discussing with Shiro, he feels pretty okay about, as plans go.]

But... just waltzing into other worlds, and potentially meddling in them... that could go bad really quickly if someone makes an enemy of the wrong person. If that happens, it might not be a terrible idea to know what we've got on our side.

Not just magic either. Because... that's really new to me at least. But we all bring some experience or skills or knowledge or something to the table, right? If we're gonna be any sort of team, we may as well know our strengths. And what we might be lacking.

[Maybe? Keith is now wondering if it was a bad idea to give him a way to talk to so many people at once. But he's committed now, no help for it. So he'll even go first.]

I'm Keith. Uh... I guess I'm pretty good with a sword. Pretty good in anything that flies. And I'm mostly used to being in space, lately. But it does't sound like that'll be helpful in this El Minha place. Also apparently I can fly now. So... there's that.

Anyone else feel like sharing?


(( hit him up, hit each other up, threadjack as you like! ))

[What's shakin', fellow Circle members? Are y'all getting used to the temple? Raiding the kitchen? Checking out the forest? Venting some of that I've-been-kidnapped-by-an-interdimensional-witch-possibly-for-the-n'th-time steam in the sparring ring? Regardless, you are getting a brief video message:]

Hiii, everyone! I'm setting up a game in the big room next to the kitchen, so come play if you want!

[If you choose to investigate, you'll find that there's a collection of bottles, pencils, silverware, etc.-- anything Keiichi could get his hands on that's small, semi-pointed and that can theoretically spin-- laid out in the middle of the room. And, all around the room, there have been several questions written neatly in chalk on the stone walls. When Keiichi sees you, you'll get the spiel (or, if you're lucky enough that he's distracted, the "rules" are written higher up on one wall for anyone he missed).]

Oh! Hi! Did you want to play? It's an icebreaker game! You take one of the spinners-- I did the best I could, haha!-- and pair up with someone or get in a group, sit down and take turns spinning! Whatever question the spinner's pointing at, you answer! Or you could just all answer each question, it doesn't matter! The point is just to meet the other people we're going to be living with here and have fun! Oh! And, don't worry! I'm going to clean up all the chalk when everyone's done! Have fun, okay?!

( questions under the cut! )

[So! What'll it be, Circle? Do you grump at the mass text? Walk right on through? Actually sit down and play an icebreaker game with all these perfect strangers? (Intend to walk on through and then get roped into playing by the host?!?) Sneakily add some extra, more interesting questions to the wall while Keiichi's not looking? Up to you! Play in groups, play in pairs, refuse to play at all, DO AS YOU WILL. ALSO here's a RNG if you wanna go that way instead of picking questions yourself.]