exsilium | video | forward dated to the network's return after the newbie surge!

[ He looks tired and slightly less chipper than usual, but that's basically the theme of the week, so no surprises there. Right to business, then! ]

Adrasteius is gone, which means I'll be taking over the Transport Clinic — which I guess can just be shortened to the Clinic, now. [ sigh. :c ] We've got people organizing supply runs, which is great, but we're always open to have a few more volunteered hands around. No training or previous experience required, promise, just let me know if you're interested.

Anyway, I hope everyone caught AI's announcement, about the revival technology getting left behind. Consider this a friendly reminder to try to avoid dying, alright? If there are any accidents, on missions or otherwise, I have a spell to resurrect the recently dead. Not that that means you should start getting reckless, because my supplies for it are limited. If anyone else has a similar ability, now would be a really, really good time to speak up about it.

[ He pauses here, starts to add a smile, and... rubs his hands over his face instead. He mumbles something that sort of sounds like don't even have a medical wing yet, and ends the feed. ]

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I haven't done anything yet, but... it is redundant. And denial never helps anything.

No, but-

Pretending it never even happened... [ so close, so soon. ] -that's the same thing, isn't it?

[ wearily: ] No one's pretending anything. But the population of Exsilium and the majority of the Initiative has been murdered, and the Transport Clinic was named that to set it apart from them. There's not really an easy name for it anymore, that won't remind us of that.

But that's not a bad thing. We can't forget. We have to remember it every single day.

Look, why don't we name it after them instead? That'll solve both problems.

The Exile Clinic?

[ a pause ]

Alright.

...Yeah?

[ wow that went better than expected.

and after a beat: ]

It has a nice ring to it.

It does. [ That's with a small smile, which gains a wry twist. ] But once we bring everyone back, I'm changing it back to Transport Clinic. We're definitely not equipped to give the impression that we can handle everyone.

[ there's a longer pause while he considers that. once not if. ]

...You really think it'll happen, Ashraf?

I know it will happen, actually. You've seen all the resourcefulness and amazing abilities we have around here, right?

Yeah... [ he's seen Ashraf's abilities, and that's something. something he can't ever repay, the gift of having one friend back he'd thought was gone forever. ]

But if you can't bring them back, then-

I'm just saying nobody cared enough to do anything the first time around.

[ He pauses, smile fading. ]

Is that really how you see it? That nobody cared?

Maybe.

[ But it's Ashraf, so he squirms. ]

I don't know what I'm supposed to think anymore.

No one really knows what they're supposed to think, and there is no easy answer to any of this. But... [ He lets out a breath, slow. ] I hope you haven't said that in range of any of the remaining Initiative members.

No. Jeez, of course not... [ But there's a sullen edge to his tone. ]

But that doesn't mean I think they made the right choice. Nobody told them had to ship us off to this sardine can while all their friends died instead.

What if they hadn't shipped us off? What would have happened?

You know, some of us do this saving the world saving thing as a hobby, Ashraf. A bunch of us working together could've stopped anything.

That might be true. But an organization well-versed in using time travel to right wrongs didn't think they could do it in time to save Exsilium. Are you so sure they were wrong that you'd be willing to bet all those lives on it? [ A beat, and he shakes his head. ] I don't know that you have that right.

But- [ oh no he's making sense that's a bad sign he knows it is. ]

...But isn't a bet better than just letting them die? Now they're all gone and they never even had a chance.

But they're not gone forever. [ His voice grows a little harder. ] Now that we who are able to travel in time are safely here, our job is to undo the bombing and punish the United Earth for their violence — not just against Exsilium, but against all the worlds they've destroyed.

If you'd taken that bet and lost it, you wouldn't be there for that. And we need you for it.

Maybe.

[ And there's a pause, because. He needs to say it somehow, but probably not without at least a private setting shielding the words. ]

-I'm kinda retired for now.

[ and he... cocks a brow ]

Meaning?

I- [ It's harder to say it - even just to Ashraf - than it should be. ] ...I don't know yet.

After what happened I just don't know if I can do it anymore.

[ wait hang on now he's just
confused ]

Do what?

You know. Keep up with the vigilante stuff.

[ ...oh dear god what if ashraf doesn’t get it... ]

Come on, you gotta know what I’m talking about...

[ wait
oh god
what's happening ]

Vigilante stuff? I... think you've lost me, sorry.

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