[If Allen Walker's going to be honest with himself, he needs help. Pretty badly. And the truth is that he's come no closer to finding it in this place than he has in his world, and the clock is still ticking.

But what he's also come to realize is that what he has here is access to something unlike anything he has at home, which he's been stupidly neglecting. That is, a network of hundreds of people from a multitude of backgrounds and specialties and worlds, right at his fingertips. One of them might even know something that could, indeed, help him. He can't justify squandering this resource.

Especially not when he doesn't even need to come out publicly about his... problem. He has nothing to lose by trying, and perhaps a great deal to gain.

So, after making triple-sure this is going to post anonymously, he writes,]

hello,

i would like to speak with anyone here who has knowledge of demons, or similar beings from their world.

[For lack of a better descriptor.]

especially those familiar with methods of exorcism, or the containment of them.

[He considers adding more, but perhaps the vaguer, the better in this case. It'll have to do.

He resists the powerful urge to close with a 'thank you.']

Merry Belated Christmas, everyone! ♥

I don't know a lot of you and you don't know me but I have this reaaally small favor to ask of you all!

Can you please, please, please greet or send this guy--

[ He shoves a picture of Tatsumi/occlusion to the screen. ]

a Happy Birthday greeting when you see him? He's a bit grumpy and we were supposed to throw him a nice big party in our division for him with cake and all... but considering our situations...

Anyway! All your help will go towards making his day extra special!

[ He snickers here. But then grins widely. ]

Thanks again~!

[Seiya has the tablet set up so the edges of the video feed are also the edge of the room. Behind her is Lyra the Harp, seen at right, who is one of Lucy Heartphilia's (celestial_wizard) Celestial Spirit friends. She is at the ready with harp tuned and Seiya has no mic, but hey small room will echo just fine over the feed. Seiya is dressed in her stage suit (seen at left) that she came into Exsil with since this is indoors. All around them is a circle on the floor of unlit lanterns made from.]

Seiya: Good evening, everyone! It's Christmas Day and I know I've only known some of you a short time, but I think many of us have something in common: people we miss very much. Thanks to Miss Lyra here, I've been able to prepare a small set for all of you tonight. My name is Kou Seiya, of the band Three Lights in Japan, and I hope you enjoy our short Christmas Day show! [A quick turn off-camera as she whispers with a smile] Lea, Tsuzuki, if you please? [With that she walks back to stand by Lyra and nods] 1,2...

[The ring of lanterns light up one after another and Lyra begins playing the first song and Seiya introduces it.]

( #1- Tatsuro Yamashita: Christmas Eve )

( #2- Dreams Come True: Winter Song )

( #3- Fairy Tail: Hoshiboshi no Uta )
[English lyrics transliterated into a duet by frudence with creative licensing due to stuff Lea told her in this thread. Regular text is Seiya; italics in parenthesis are Lyra singing; bold is both.]

[When Seiya starts singing, if you are looking for any deeper meaning to the music, or Seiya as a person, or really enjoy the music, you can see a backlit visage of Seiya's princess in your mind per her Musical Telepathy Ability.]
Hey there my old friend, / I can see you (You see me?)
Standing right there / just beyond my reach
Hey there my old friend, / I will swear this (You swear it?)
We have a bond that will not / ever break

When you're out walking / (The wilderness is too vast...)
You're holding back all your tears- / You're so close to tomorrow!
For your sake I'll be the star / (From my childhood...)
Shining a light / and guiding you home

For your sake I'll sing this song / (You wrote it for me?)
All that I ask: / smile once more

[During the instrumental from the video]
Hey there my old friend, / I can see you (You see me?)
Standing right there / just beyond my reach
Hey there my old friend, / I will swear this (You swear it?)
We have a bond that will not / ever break

[Both during the ending vocalization from the video]
For your sake I'll be the star / looking ever on
Shining a light / and guiding you home

[Japanese lyrics from here]

[And with that Seiya and Lyra bow, then let the lanterns dim and fade out. They will, however, keep the feed on to respond, after they turn on the regular lights.]

I heard it's possible to lock these things? Make sure that only some people see what you're sending?

[He looks a little embarrassed.]

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to show me how to do that.

Uhm. Thanks.

[ The camera cuts on, and Jude stares at it for a few seconds. He hesitates, before leaping right into what he wanted to discuss here. ]

I realize because of our actions while we were stuck on the moonbase that we've changed things here on Earth, but just because the environment in Exsilium is different I think the chances are pretty high that the United Earth will come after us again now that we're back on the planet. And as far as I know we don't actually have any reliable means of uncovering any plots against us. There's no telling when and how they'll strike, and even if there was... do we even have any plans ourselves on how to deal with it? Unless we have advance warning and several days to move people back up to the moon I haven't heard about any ways to protect the Transports from the United Earth.

Besides that, I can't be the only one that would like to think of a defense plan that would protect the citizens of Exsilium as well.

So this Christmas thing is pretty great, but it isn't something I really knew about 'til I left home. When I was a kid we had a solstice festival thing instead. Today's the 21st... shortest day of the year. Not that you could tell, what with how dark it tends to be around here anyhow, perma-winter and all that. [A shrug nobody can see. This feels so weird. Okay, come on Lea, you can be social. Maybe. Sort of. Just. Say something nice.]

Well, I guess happy solstice anyhow. Keep a light on you, just in case.

[Nailed it.]

setting: video

[ A good deal of you may not recognize this man: dark brown hair, blue eyes behind glasses staring soberly forward, and if you look for it, there are signs that the suit he's wearing hasn't been properly laundered for some time. He blinks before clearing his throat, then nods--at you, perhaps? ]

While we are on the subject of bringing order and usefulness here--

[ He pushes up those glasses. ]

As of today, I and my colleagues have started a freelance agency. To put it shortly, if you should need any service done--scientific research or development, bodyguard services, counseling, or cleaning, for example--any one of us will be able to assist you. For a negotiated fee, of course.

[ For the sake of a friendly appearance, he attempts a smile, though it seems a natural one. ]

I can guarantee that any task will be performed upon request for the right price.

[ The smile doesn't even fade as he again clears his throat. ]

Should anyone require our services, please contact me. My name is Seiichirou Tatsumi--Unit 141 in the East Wing, and you may contact me in any way you see fit. You may also contact Asato Tsuzuki, Yutaka Watari, or Hisoka Kurosaki--these three gentlemen and I will be happy to serve any way that we can.

[ click. ]

[Hello network, you might know this one: small framed with long, dark hair, violet eyes, perpetually clueless expression, dressed in a soft blue sweater, hair pulled back with long bangs free. Mahdi's voice is airy and nervous.]

Hey, um! It's me, Mahdi. I'm really sorry to do this when everyone else is making really good posts about important things, or going through really difficult things, but I just have some stuff I need to say and I think doing this is better than like, dropping off a dozen notes to individual people's inboxes. I kept putting it off, but there's probably never gonna be a good time.

[Mahdi pauses for a long moment, fussing with long strands of hair in nimble fingertips, frowning. The angel takes a deep, nervous breath.]

The thing is... I'm not a boy or a girl, I'm just me, sort of neither and both. I guess if I really thought about it, I'd say I'm a little bit more of a girl than a boy, but I'm still in between. Where I'm from, that's not as uncommon as it seems to be here. It's also - [Mahdi clears hir throat] like, it's not a big deal, because it's just an ordinary part of life. If someone realizes one day that they are a girl when they were a boy before, or they were a girl and now they are androgynous, or whatever, it's just a part of life. Like it's not any more interesting than someone picking a new style of dressing, or a new hobby. If that person changes their name, everyone does their best to learn it. It's all about just accepting people for who they are, whoever they are.

I know it's different for a lot of people and cultures. Even though genders other than male and female exist in many human cultures, and have throughout history, it seems some cultures are just as invested in the idea that there are only two. And that there are rules about how those two kinds of people should behave. I don't know anything about cultures other than human ones, I mean, aside from mine, though. So. Um. [A shrug, and Mahdi glances off-screen awkwardly.]

I don't mean to inconvenience anyone, or make it awkward, since I know this stuff might be confusing for a lot of people, and others will be like "why is that even worth saying anything about". But, I just wanted my friends - and future friends! [smiling] - to understand me a little better. So, in conclusion: [Ze points to hirself] not a girl. Not a boy. Just me.

If anyone has any questions, I'll try to answer them as much as I can. I'm gonna take a quick walk to the observatory and if you want to talk to me in person, we can do it there!

[A bright, if a little forced, smile.]

Thanks everyone!

[The video ends.]

[TEXT ADDENDUM]

IN terms of pronouns I prefer 'hir' instead of 'him or her' and 'ze' instead of 'he' or 'she'. If that's too hard to remember, just using my name or 'they and their' is acceptable. Please and thank you!


[OOC: just let me know if you'd like to do an action thread here or if I should open a log post!]

( So here's a friendly robot-face for you, network. Between the big political speeches and the kittens because he has always had excellent timing. But he's looking significantly less beat-up than he did previously, dents straightened out and looking polished up. )

Okay, here's a question for you. If you've decided to settle down on your home planet that's suddenly not-dead and start up a new government after a civil war that lasted for ages, would you elect the one bot who served directly under the guy who started the entire thing in the first place?

Because I'm really trying to see what anyone could have seen in Starscream and I just don't get it.

( He's really sorry about your problems, Exs, but he's not here for organic squabbling. If he was even aware of it in the first place. Which he isn't, because he just got back from his own universe. )

So, what'd I miss?

[Sonya appears on the screen without her usual preambles or cheerful introductions. Her manner is very, very controlled. The casual Bronx vowels that occasionally creep into her speech are gone. The profanities are gone. Every once in a while, she glances down; this is a prepared statement.]

Earlier today, Jesse Pinkman snuck into one of the prisoner cells under false pretenses. He’d been friends with one of the mutineers before all of this happened, so he claimed to merely want to visit.

While he was in there, he mutilated this prisoner in spirit and soul. He ripped from her her ability, her inborn gift, to cast spells. He tore away from her something as vital to her as eyesight or touch might be for you. And did he did this to defend someone? To stop an attack or a threatened attack? No: he did it to punish her. To make her suffer. And then he said to her that this is how things are running now.

( fuzzy drama funny drama drama drama fuuuck (ps not an ic cut) )

Hello!

[when this video post starts, the focus is somewhere... around the top of her head. Colette's eyes widen as she notices that she's holding it too high, so the view suddenly jumps down (yep, she just over corrected). Nibbling on her lip a little, she tilts it higher again... perfect! Determined not to let the view vary she tries her best not to move it]

My name is Colette Brunel. I haven't talked to everyone like this yet, so... hello! It's really nice to meet you all.

I'm sorry to bother everyone like this, but I wanted to ask something. Even though we... don't live on Earth anymore [her gaze grows a mite somber as she talks about it] it still sounds like a very important world. A lot of people here come from Earth, and we're supposed to travel throughout Earth's history! I come from another world that is very different, so I would really like to learn more about Earth if I can.

And so... if anyone knows anything about Earth and has a little time to spare, I'd love to ask some questions! O-Or, if you would rather just tell me a few facts and not be asked any questions, that's okay too. Anything would be helpful.

[although, a thought strikes her] Ah! That doesn't mean that I don't want to talk to people if they're not from Earth. I'd like to hear about everyone's homes! They all sound really beautiful in their own way, and it would be nice to hear about many worlds.

[she pauses, and smiles sheepishly! She's not one to get shy, but she feels a little bad making requests like this when everyone is probably busy]

The more I talk to other people here, the more it sounds like the UE's genetech is what we have to watch out for. While there are ways of shifting things in the past to lessen the effect, we have more pressing concerns right now. [like, oh, that nuclear missile strike]

Out of the other people who were taken, what innate powers do you have? We need to know just how much the UE got from us - and more importantly, what they couldn't get, because those powers represent our best offense and defense right now.

May as well start myself.

[Text]
high-level telepathy and telekinesis

I cant believe we had to take the morning shift. It's way too early. No one would want to attack this early, they'd be too tired.

[But what was he supposed to do? Tatsumi had told him he had the shift with Hisoka, and he didn't want to leave his partner to do the job alone. Bad things happened when he did.

Tsuzuki bounced a ball against the neightbouring wall, oblivious to the sounds it made. He just brought it along because he needed the distraction. He turned to Hisoka, en eyebrow raised.]

Hey, have you had your coffee yet? You don't look too good.

A question for our usual audience.

If the Initiative ordered you to lay down your life, with no hope of resurrection, for their cause, would you do it?

[When Jaime turns the tablet on, he's standing in front of the cinema that a couple of the other Transports had constructed, visible hand propped up on a broomstick. The area is still scattered with debris and dust after the bombings, but it's clear that he's at least made the rudimentary attempts at cleaning a path to the miraculously intact structure. He gives the camera a little wave.]

Hey! So, it's come to my attention that some people around here have never seen a movie before even though we've got a theatre right here. I'm thinking we're totally past due for a movie night, and it just so happens that I found a copy of E.T. in one of the databases. This place still needs to be cleaned up a bit, but I think I can have it ready by let's sayyyy Saturday, 7 PM. Everyone's welcome to come on down.

Or at least you are as long as you bring snacks.

[He grins at the camera. He's joking, honest. Mostly. Mostly joking. A movie's not a movie without snacks.]

...And if you didn't get it, Sango, that means you. Clear your schedule! It's time to introduce you to modern cinema. Eilonwy, you should come on down too. Call it a mini-vacation you get to choose this time.

[ ooc; Tags will be slow to non-existent until tomorrow, just giving everyone some IC and OOC heads-up for a mingling log this Saturday! ]

[After the evacuation, Tsuzuki and Watari had been fortunate enough to return to Anne and Hisoka with some antidote. Not that they managed to find it by themselves - in the end they had to barter for it. Luckily, combining a good deal of charm and bribery, they got what they needed.

Still, without Miss Anne keeping a watchful eye on Hisoka, Tsuzuki knew that he might have had to pick up pieces of his partner in the wreckage, and he was truly grateful that she had been there to help them. That was also partly why he had borrowed an apron and had taken the time out of his day to buy ingredients and to make a truly spectacular dinner. He hasn't gotten to experiment with food in ages, so he adds a dash of extra ingredients here and there and thoroughly enjoys himself, although the scent begins to turn.... strange. Warningly so. And that smell is slowly spreading in their tiny apartment.]

[He hums happily, playing with his tablet.]

Dinner's almost done! Hey guys, should we send a message to miss Anne?

I know this is a bit of a strange request, but... We kind of need a person to take care of our friend -- [A bright voice in the background interrupts Tsuzuki's feed, making him jump. "A babysitter!"]

Shhh Watari! He's going to be mad if he hears you. Anyway, he's sick and need someone to help look after him. Not long. Just until--

[An excited voice is heard in the background, once again. "Bon's a good kid! Just remember to let him rest and feed him three times a day. And don't feed him spicy food!"]

Yeah. He can't handle things like that. But anyway, if anyone can help us look after him for a day or two I'll try to pay you. Might take a while though.

[After Watari and Hisoka appeared in town, Tsuzuki had been trying his best to find a way home. While it's great to have some friends in town, he's worried that they'll be hurt if they're forced to stay here.]

....I don't suppose there are any cherry trees around here? I haven't found any yet.

[He looked out the window, at the grey and decaying city. The city lacked in natural beauty. Perhaps he was being too optimistic.]

[Hisoka looks initially rather. Well, perhaps not frustrated but more sort of long-suffering for a moment. The whole body swapping mess reminds him of Watari back home and the idea of anyone swapping bodies with him....that could never end well. But he manages to school his expression to something more neutral before beginning.]

Well, I guess we can both say we're glad that we were lucky enough not to have been affected by the whole...body swapping with the last mission, at least. But, more importantly, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on jobs? I guess I could offer to write up reports or something along those lines. I did a lot of paperwork and such back home. Tsuzuki...[Well. What could be said for his partner besides his crouching moron hidden badassness, exactly? It was probably best not to give out too much about their jobs back home, after all.]

I can be a taste-tester! [Tsuzuki chimed in, apparently quite excited at the idea as Hisoka just gives him a sort of long-suffering look, just refraining from rolling his eyes at his partner's response. At any rate, Tsuzuki seems to not notice Hisoka's glare or pointedly ignores it in favor of coming up with another idea.] Or, maybe gardening?

[Hisoka shrugs, figuring it might be best to quit while they were ahead before his partner came up with any other ideas and they were on the damned tablet forever as he kept coming up with more jobs. Nothing for it but to wait and see what answers everyone came up with.]