( 1 ) ( VIDEO )

[stillbetter]

[Sorry, guys. She's one of those newbies.]

For God's sake. Really? This has got to be a first. Do these people even know who they're taking in? What am I even going to do here? I'm just a radio host back home, not - whatever you think I am.

[She is no soldier worth kidnapping, no, not at all, thank you very much.]

I can't do this.

I won't do this.

[Look. She's even throwing in a pause to show how serious she is.]

Besides, Fred wouldn't begin to know what to do without me. My fiancé? I have a life back home, you know, and it can't wait. So - you ought to put me back. As soon as possible, if that's not too much trouble.

[She has spoken. ... Then she starts to press random buttons because what am this technology.]

... Hello? Can anyone hear me?

[...

beep beep beep]

Comments

video;

[velveteened]

( aahaha, oh dear )

Yes, we can hear you!

[stillbetter]

Oh! Good. Who am I talking to?

video.

[affections]

( What in the name of drunken hopscotching Christ? )

Poppy?

( Poppy. Poppy. Of all the-- right, well, not myriad, but certainly a handful of people who she'd rather have here, there's Poppy? )

Where are you?

( But what does she mean, fiancé? They're married, for fuck's sake. )

[stillbetter]

[What. What. What.]

Julia. [Of all the people they could have kidnapped -

... actually, no, she isn't surprised Jules was one of them. She probably had it coming.]

I'm in - a room. It was assigned to me. Is Fred with you?

Permavid

[governorkang]

[If the deeper-than-human, oddly accented voice doesn't give away that this isn't a human, the bronze-ish scales and horns on the screen do.]

We all have lives back home, ma'am. And I wouldn't recommend asking them to put you back; the last time that happened, the United Earth followed and destroyed that person's world.

[stillbetter]

[Good. God.]

What in the world are you wearing?

[Sorry, you were saying something relevant?]

audio.

[clario]

Sorry, but that's the way it works here. Best get used to it.

[stillbetter]

That's the way it works here. [Oh no it ain't. She's just going to laugh humorlessly.] They send us in to this - war - completely unprepared, and they expect us to just accept it? I will not get used to this. It's not right.

[Video]

[subtlecoruscate]

If they could just put us back…we wouldn't still be here...

[stillbetter]

Not if they're forcing us to stay.

[deducta]

Unfortunately asking to be sent back doesn't really work. From what I've gathered once you're here, you're generally here for a while.

[stillbetter]

How long is a while?

video

[ladyofrivendell]

[Celebrian is working on a painting when she turns to her tablet. There's green paint streaked across one of her cheeks and a bit of color in her hair as well.]

You are heard but there is nothing to be done for you. There are others here who need to return home as well, you are no different.

[stillbetter]

So - let's all come together. Surely we can organize some kind of association.

video

[khajidont]

[Is she old enough to be called ma'am? If not... well, he's calling her that anyway, because she is speaking with enough disgruntled authority in her voice to make up for it.]

Sorry ma'am, unless you figure out something else none of us have, you're stuck here. If we could just go home, it would be a lot less crowded.

[stillbetter]

[She is old enough, sort of, but it's still a little painful to hear. Still - he looks like a teenager, so it's understandable. But still!!]

It's just hard to believe that nothing can be done about it!

text

[lazyinlove]

they can't. Didn't you get the tour?

[stillbetter]

Yes, I did. Quite the tour.

voice;

[skennen]

[See, he likes those new arrivals, but there's one little obstacle getting in the way of his usual so how do you feel about resistances... of resistances spiel.]

What is a... radio host?

[stillbetter]

[Sorry, she's going to have to be quiet for a moment.]

You're serious.

Video

[maddeninghatter]

[ He doesn't often use video, but in this case, her being able to see his shit-eating grin is essential. ]

Poppy Chadwick.

[stillbetter]

[Oh.

Oh dear.]

... You.

text

[crocodilesmiles]

Why are you telling us? I don't mean to be rude, honest, but this is a network the Initiative monitors, not one they um... really use?

[stillbetter]

If they monitor it, what's stopping them from answering? [Hm? Hm?]

voice

[payback]

... You're acting a little silly, you know.

[stillbetter]

Am I? Because - from where I'm standing, I'm the only one being remotely sensible about any of this.