» the city network

I suppose there's no reason to put this off any longer.

Recall a month ago I said that someone stole a book from me. To be more forthcoming, it's known as a skin bible from my world. About as charming as you can expect. I was concerned that the person in question would use a ritual instructed in the book.

If you experienced a series of wretched rooms, the replaying of your memories, that sort of thing -- that was the result of the ritual, at least in its limited form.

[He says with a sneer:] And you can thank Fearne for the lovely time you had. I'd exercise some caution with your belongings around her, suffice it to say.

...Though I will also bear the responsibility of being the owner of that book. I had no intention of ever using it myself, but it seems some people can't fucking help themselves.

That'll be all. Please try not to get yourselves sick or injured, I'm tired.

( the video opens with aerith herself, tucked into an old arm chair; it looks like it could be in any of the apartments, but that's unlikely, given the bookshelves behind her, which appear to be more like the ones in the media store. still--she could be in any of the city's various cafes, it's hard to say.

case in point - there's a large book open, spread across her lap, though the words are hard to decipher from the video's resolution, and there's no hint of the title. )

Okay! ( bright and warm, as she leans forward, hands spread over the pages of the book. ) Today's story is a choose-your-own adventure, are you ready?

Ahem, ahem. ( her voice rises and falls in pitch, all full of dramatics. ) To start: you find yourself in a large clearing, full of green grass and well-tilled land. You can't remember how you arrived in this place, but even so...! You feel as though your hands must seek the dirt beneath your feet, as though you must start digging holes, holes for seeds, seeds which... Well.

( her fingers turn the page--and she lifts up a little packet from within the book, not unlike the ones from the cursed tea party, but this one clearly labeled with both pictures and text. some sort of root vegetable. bright orange. )

You find right there, at your fingertips. Now, the question is - out of all these seeds you find, what would you want to grow, and what would you never want to see in a garden, or worse, on your dinner plate?

--Okay, maybe this is less a choose-your-own-adventure and more a terrible marketing tactic. ( dropping the packet of seeds into the book, she pushes both sides of it closed with a snap--and a laugh. ) But I'm wondering what kind of fruits and vegetables are worth growing in my garden. I don't know that I trust the food here, so I want to start growing more things just in case, and...

Everyone has different tastes! So tell me a little bit about the food you like, or even flowers, and maybe I can make a special delivery in...you know, a few months once everything's growing. That's all from Gainsborough Greenery! ( she leans forward with a little wave, before her hand takes over the screen of her phone to cut the video. )

[Although she's still wary about the mall based on her first experience with it, Bulla has a renewed sense of optimism. She now has a purpose to brave that place and make sure it's safe to go there.]

Hi everyone! With the Sunlight at Midnight Gala coming up, I wanted to offer my help as a fashion consultant.

[Really, she just wants shopping buddies, but she's quite willing to be helpful about it.]

We can go shopping and I can help you put together a formal outfit you'll look amazing in! Looking good is always a great mood booster, right?

[Or so she believes.]

Plus if there's a special someone you're planning to ask to go to the gala with you, you can be sure you'll look your best.

[The feed opens up to Hythlodaeus on his couch, a small pile of fabric beside him. While his mask ever remains hanging around his neck (an attempt to blend his own culture with the world he's slowly coming to learn about), he's wearing a simple--if oversized--sweater made of a soft fabric. Thankfully nothing near as terrible as the plaid abomination he wore at Don Quixote's party some months ago.]

I've a few questions for you all, if you would indulge me--though nothing nearly as philosophical as the last question I posed here, I assure you. Rather, with the gala coming up I thought it best to try and clear up some confusion I had beforehand.

One: is there a difference between a "sweater" and a "jumper?"

Two. With regards to these "leggings," does one wear them on their own, or are they part of a greater ensemble? They seem awfully thin compared to most of the leg coverings I've seen.

Three, while I can see the raised heel on some hupodema as a method of bringing attention to the shape of one's leg, I've seen a fair few where the entirety of the sole is raised. Is there a reason behind this beyond adding to one's height?

And four, which I am entirely baffled on...

[He picks up the piece of clothing beside him, revealing a pair of pants he could only have pulled out of a generic-brand Hot Topic.]

What in the world are these supposed to be worn with and what are all the belts and chains for?


((Feel free to threadjack as you please throughout if your character has any controversial fashion opinions!))

well now, isn't THIS a dubious surprise
"THE CITY THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE"
i wonder what manner of service they think i've performed, precisely?

well
if this is some sort of token of appreciation for my contribution to our recent "smash or pass" activities
then i suppose all i have to say is: YOU'RE WELCOME
glad you liked it, so on and so forth

all the same, knowing the sort of tricks this place gets up to, i rather think i'd better see about employing the services of a decent mechanic before i trust the reliability of this...gift of theirs

just to be certain it's not about to mysteriously glue me to the driver's seat
or explode
or compel me to confess my earliest childhood memory or some bollocks like that

i don't suppose there's anyone about who'd be willing to perform a look-over on one of these?

ATT: skyslipper.jpg

[ hello and welcome to Boredom Hours, sponsored by one too many midafternoon beers and a perpetual inability to not immediately make his ennui everyone else's problem. today's host is... Reno!

when the video starts, it's to a shockingly decently framed shot of Reno doing the hooligan squat on the front stoop of his apartment building. he's got a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth, and once he's sure that the video is rolling he takes a long drag of it before he speaks. ]

Sup. I'm Reno. Some of ya may know me from my colorful past as "guy who got yanked into pool by tentacle monster."

[ probably nobody knows him that way but it's fine. we are not concerned with strict veracity here. Reno blows a neat smoke ring and grins the kind of grin that means he knows he's being a pain in the ass. ]

I was thinkin', y'know, there's only so many of us. Probably ain't a bad idea to get to know each other, right? [ he gestures with his cigarette as he speaks as if to underscore his words. ] We need some conversation starters. Some icebreakers, y'know? Everybody's favorite highlight from their corporate bonding retreats.

So! [ he holds up a hand to count on.

one finger. ] Two truths and a lie. Post 'em, let other people guess. I'll leave mine too. Shoutout to the blond girlie who had that party a couple months back for this one.

[ two fingers. ] Hot or not. Or smash or pass, whatever you wanna call it. Post yourself and let people vote, if you're brave. Or post your friends if you want to fuck around. You can all see my face right now so count that as my submission.

[ three fingers. ] Creativity exercise, open prompt. You can go anywhere, be anybody, do anything you want. The world ain't ending and there's no war or whatever the hell going on. Who are you and what are you doing? [ brief smoke break, and then Reno stubs the butt out on the cement, exhaling as he says, ] Me, I wanna make mediocre coffee for minimum wage and not worry about shit except makin' rent.

[ and lastly, four fingers. ] "Reno, this is fuckin' stupid and I don't want to do it." Okay, nobody's got a gun to your head. We ain't even got guns here. Do what you want.

[ his four fingers curl in so he can offer a cheerful, if a bit manic, thumbs-up before he reaches out to turn off the video.

just before he touches the button, though, he pauses as if something just occurred to him— ] Oh, shit—also, drop map pins for your favorite restaurant in this place. I'm in the market for new eats, bonus points if it's spicy.

[ okay, now he's gone. ]

...The spirits that inhabit this settlement are not happy. Are we- does anyone know of Samhain?

[Said while digging into a tub of ice cream.]

The time when the doors between the world of the living, and the dead, are left open.

And why exactly is it that you require my help with your little aetherology lesson? I seem to recall you passed that course with flying colors during our time at the akadaemia.

[The feed is dark for a moment, and then the video at last cuts on to accompany the unabashed grumbling, revealing two figures who could not be more different if they tried. The one is white-haired and scowling, permanent furrows creasing his brow as his luminous yellow eyes narrow into the camera - as if by doing so it might surrender up its deepest, darkest secrets. Beside him is a man with a loose lavender braid hanging over his left shoulder and an expression filled with both amusement and mischief.]

And ‘tis an achievement I hold close to my heart to this day. But you’ve always been better at public speaking than me, and I’d hate to have a fine lesson such as this be soured by my sub-par presentation skills.

A fine lesson which borders on ridiculous if you ask me. What use is a discussion of the elemental wheel in a city which can scarcely scrape together enough aether for the most rudimentary of spells? –-and why is this blasted thing blinking again? Don’t tell me you’ve already begun to make a record of our conversation!

Because it’s an integral part of our world, of course. If we’re to share something about Etheirys with others, why not pick the most important part?

But yes. Observant as ever. [Pleased as punch, Hythlodaeus turns his attention to the camera as if he hasn’t just pressganged his dear friend into this] As you’ve already gathered, we’re here to share a bit of our world with the rest of you, and it is my hope that you’re inspired to join me in sharing something of your own worlds in kind. ‘Tis a project of mine I’m most eager to begin.

For my first guest, I have with me today the illustrious Emet-Selch of the Convocation of Fourteen.

[He steps to the side, and gestures to a drawing on the whiteboard]

If you would be so kind?

[A slow, painfully put-upon sigh follows, as if Emet-Selch would much rather be anywhere else. Yet there comes a visible moment where the man appears to give in and collect himself. His posture straightens, and with one last quiet huff, he flourishes widely - almost theatrically towards the whiteboard his companion had indicated but seconds before.]

Behold, the elemental wheel in all its glory.

( [RESUME PLAYBACK | Lesson 1: Basic Aetherology and Elemental Aspects. )

quick poll, what's your favorite animal and on a scale from 1-10 how badly do you want to see one again?

[He's doing a poll in the stupidest way possible, what of it. At least this time there isn't naked people involved (yet).]