[The feed shows you a grim, sallow face with glowing blue eyes, greyish skin, and long, pointed ears. His hair is long and white, and his body is covered in black plate armor. He is also bleeding, green and viscous, from the throat. The hilt of a sword--itself glowing--is visible in his other hand. He's standing on a sidewalk somewhere, apparently unperturbed by any passing foot traffic or the general noises of a city at night. When he speaks, his gruff voice echoes slightly, a minor hiss that's obviously unnatural.]

My name is Koltira Deathweaver, knight of the Ebon Blade. Know this: I will not blindly suffer the yoke of enslavement again. But if you bring me the battles, I will bring you the war.

[The video feed shows Hazama sitting by a window, staring outside at all that rain.]

The weather sure took a turn for the worse, huh? No way am I setting foot in that...

[He then turns towards the camera, smiling as always.]

So. What was the mission like, for those of you lucky enough not to have your brain scrambled by time paradoxes or whatever? I'm curious.

I don't understand.

[ Zexion's voice is heard before his face is seen on the screen. He figures out how to work it fairly easily, and he looks pretty damn stressed out. ]

How could any technology pull someone into another world? How can something bend the barriers between worlds, tear holes right through dimensions?

[ And without using either a Gummi Ship or a Corridor of Darkness? Zexion ponders this for a moment, obviously trying to wrap his mind around this. This is more Vexen's field, but it isn't the shock of being pulled into a different world that upsets him. ]

I can't open a Corridor of Darkness here. Something is blocking that ability. The Superior won't be happy about this.

[ the sound feed is on at first, but the video is black. harsh and fast typing can be distinctly made out as time goes on, until there's a heavy sigh and an annoyed mutter. ]

Sora, what did you do to this thing?

[ (honestly, considering his first post and his general outlook on computers, Sora breaking a few features on his computer should've been a valid worry.)

but... he just... didn't expect this. there's a thunk, and the video finally flips on.

it's greyscale and sort of spotty. Riku looks back with narrowed eyes, chin held in the palm of his hand while his elbow rests on the table the netbook is on. ]

This better have a safe mode. It's not going to survive without it.

[ back to typing; he's rather diligent and quick to isolate the problem with the camera's function, the video flickering from greyscale to a normally colored view. it takes a good moment for him to stop.

in fact, his next few moments are just followed by a slightly rueful, sly smile. ]

Test 1. Idiot-proof test 1. Testing, testing.

The Initiative should teach people how to use these.

[ hearing this, however, there's a sharp 'Hey!' as someone comes in. he reaches over to smack Riku's shoulder, to which Riku's smirk just widens with some chuckling.

the feed clicks off. ]

[ ooc: obviously, this would be posted on Sora's computer rather than Riku's! Riku will be answering, but Sora may or may not threadhop once the mun's finished moving! ]

Fuck this. I'm tired of waiting for those damn bastards to get their act together. It's not going to happen.

I need everyone's attention. And I mean everyone.

Those Initiative bastards are continuously dragging people, us, to fight in their failure of a war. We hardly have a choice in the matter, and the entire situation is just sick and wrong. But the worst of it is that they're dragging in anyone they can grab. Not all of us can hold a sword or throw fireballs at our enemies and yet they're supposed to be able to defend themselves.

And before any of you get started, this isn't some kind of rebellion.

What I'm proposing is that we get our own act together and organize. Which is why everyone needs to listen to this. If you prefer to be difficult? Fine. I'll be knocking on doors anyways.

First, we need to know who can fight and who can't. DO NOT play hero because you saying you can and want to help others when you actually can't is going to get both you and the person who should have been defending you killed. So be honest.

And if you can fight it'd be nice to know how you can pull that off. In my own case, I'm a mage. I can use both offensive and defensive spells, but I need someone to watch my back and keep the enemies busy while I cast my spells. The idea is to get evenly matched teams so when we're thrown into a battlefield in the middle of our sleep three or seven or whenever nights from now, we'll be able to organize ourselves and survive.

[Taking in a deep breath, she's getting so worked up! She needs a moment, okay.]

I can't organize this on my own and I shouldn't even have to. If you think you can help gather answers from others, do it. Let's not keep making these same damn mistakes.

[A long pause and then...]

... Thanks.


[OOC: Okay. I'm making a spreadsheet for everything that will act as both an OOC reference and an IC reference for organizing actual battle parties. I'm hoping to have the spreadsheet basics done by tomorrow and I'll post that on the OOC comm then (it's a Google doc/spreadsheet). The way the spreadsheet will work is going to do with numbers 1-10 on ability (-numbers meaning a threat, 1 meaning defenseless, 10 meaning you're god in a bottle), list of types, and so on. Details on that OOC post tomorrow. BUT IC responses will also be useful! Because Fiona really will be knocking on doors. And it may help me get a basis to better shape the spreadsheet. IC wise, no need for numbers. That's just weird.]

[The video turns on and there's a woman staring right at you. Messy blonde hair, dark skin and green eyes is about as much as you can see, as the bottom half of her face is covered by her jacket. Actually, there's something else: hints of a white... surface beneath her eyes. What is it? Hard to say from this view. Moving on.

She's still staring, rather intently at that, as she finally addresses those who are watching.]

That I would be asked to fight for them only shows me how little they know.

[She stops short of declaring whether or not she'll actually do so. Fighting for humans? It wasn't too long ago that she was involved in destroying their cities.

She's taken a bit of time to browse through the network before making herself known. Observation was an area Halibel excelled in, and she has learned quite a bit already.]

I'll only ask about one matter: my weapon's evolution.

Tell me as much as you're able to.

[ HELLO NETWORK Roslyn has a gift for you. that is, she is using something other than text over the network and it isn't encrypted. WHOA.

she also sounds pretty harried! what's up with that. ]

I have news.

The time equipment can't be reached. Security is too heavy even with these problems.

They knew this was coming. It's time inconsistencies, the result of our mission. Sometimes the smallest thing changes and it causes others - the butterfly effect, it's been called before. They didn't think it would be this fast, or this bad -

[ a pause, a quick intake of air. she's struggling to make sure she remembers and says everything. as she falls silent, a second voice speaks up. Tony Stark, for those who recognize his voice. ]

Their 'solution' for this problem of theirs: send us out to fix it. The ones who can be sent out, because they're not in danger of suddenly blinking out of existence due to her-mentioned butterfly effects. And that's also why all the new neighbours all the time – just to make sure there's enough people around to keep sending people out. Because the population, not growing. People coming in to replace the ones who have vanished.

[ another pause, this time filled with the noise of a hand over the mic, movement nearby and the murmur of muffled voices. then the hand lifts and she speaks again. ]

Bariyan. John. The children.

If there's a mission -

[ she lets that hang in the air and shuts off the connection.

not long afterwards, a few encrypted messages go out from Roslyn! ]

( encrypted messages to Robin Hood, Bariyan, John Watson, Riku )

[The symptoms had been slight at first, with only a minor sense of disorientation and dizziness coming from it the first day. Things looked like they were moving...oddly. He'd lift his arm, yet there'd be maybe less than a second of a delay before he actually saw it move. He ignored it pretty well, and did so over the following days as it slowly got worse.

On this, however, the fifth day...whatever this was, it was getting to him. Everything surrounding him was moving so slowly now that it was blurred, sounds were muffled and distorted, he couldn't focus he just...he couldn't put up with this any longer. He attempts to access the network through text, but his surroundings, even his own body, are moving a lot slower in his eyes than they really are and he finds it difficult to properly type under these conditions.]

wt thel'\l hll;s gngo n
ths nrigh
h

[Frustrated as hell, he brings his whole hand down on the general area the button to turn the Video function on is and onscreen, a very angry looking Hazama pops up. His tone is a lot more aggressive, lacking his usual hesitant politeness.]

What the hell do you bastards think you're doing!?

[The feed starts, the camera trained on a young girl of about fourteen. Her face is impassive, almost disinterested. If she has been anything less than the very picture of calm since she found herself in this strange place, it is impossible to tell now.

When she speaks, her voice is equally dispassionate, almost entirely devoid of inflection.] My name is Homura Akemi. It is very important that I find Madoka Kaname. If anyone has seen her, please let me know.

[She bows, just low enough to be polite, and straightens again, flicking her long, black hair over her shoulder as she does.] Any information about this place would also be helpful. [She pauses, as if on the edge of saying more, but she does not, and merely ends with a flat:] Thank you.

[ Bariyan shows up on the feed, red-eyed and expressionless. ]

If anyone wants to leave the City, I've got a car and a couple days' worth of gas. You'll have to drive it yourself or find someone who can. There's a ship too, if anyone can steer it. I don't know-- never mind.

Just, if you want out, let me know. Quickly.


[ Private video to Artika, Martin Darkov, and Hazama (all separately) ]

I need to hear from you now. Where are you?

[At first he doesn't even know what to make of this machine he's been handed. He's not sure how he got here, what he's supposed to do, what these people want from him, where Sora is... nothing makes sense. And he doesn't even have the comfort of having someone to blame for it.

After a few seconds of staring at the screen, he starts to type, pressing the keys a little harder than necessary.]

What's.

Going.

On.

[There's a pronounced pause before he decides that this isn't working. Maybe that's not specific enough. Maybe there's no one listening. Maybe he just doesn't get how this thing works.

Part of him wants to throw it at a wall, find a way out of here, and have done with it. Whatever "housing companions" he's supposed to have probably don't want him, anyway. He definitely doesn't want them. Just more people he'll lose when he gets back to where he's supposed to be.

For now, though, he's switching to video. He's hooded, still, so not much of his face can be seen, but he's staring at the screen with an expression of barely stable grim determination.]

Where's Sora?

[Sora isn’t exactly the greatest with computers. Really, it’s a miracle he’s figured out how to type a message at all, though ‘type’ is a loose term. The hunt and peck may or may not be attributed to suspicion that this little electronic device might eat him like the last one did. He's followed along with the whole introduction to the Initiative and doesn't seem to concerned about it - kinda normal for him, really - so he's just inside the housing building trying to figure this piece of junk out.

We're so sorry, Exsilium.]

alewfa3 eh o o
tRo nare you there yo'ur not areyhou
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cmooon doi soemthing
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HEllo?

[It’s at this point that, since it’s clear mashing enter isn’t about to accomplish anything, he’s inspecting the little device, pressing this key and that key and moving the scroll and it’s only by a stroke of luck he discovers (accidentally) the video function. When it comes on, it’s showing an awesome view of… the upper corner of the ceiling. Currently inspecting the underside of the keyboard portion of the device while holding it above his head, he’s muttering to himself.]

What’s this thing even do? It looks kinda small for a computer. [The shot of the ceiling blurs as he shakes it, and then the world turns upside down to show a pair of very bright and very intense blue eyes.]

Oh, now it’s doing something. Uh. Hey, Tron. You in there? Or… another program… guy. Promise I won’t bite. Can you help me out? I’m looking for a friend— See, his name’s Riku and we got separated and then I showed up here. He—

Er. Hello?

[New meat, Exsilium! He's a rather well dressed young man in a fancy suit, with a charming ol' smile, and he's coming to a network near you, straight to video!]

Uh...hey? This thing on? [Tapping the screen.] You guys awake in th-oh, oh-oh-oh, it's on! Okay, that's great! Right.

So...hey.

I get the whole war effort thing is pretty valiant an' all, really, I do! Buuuuuut you have the wrong guy. See, I'm from the intelligence division. I sign paperwork! I send people on field missions, I don't do them!

I'm...not that suited to the whole fighting thing, see? I'd hate to get in your way. If I might recommend someone more suited towards this kinda stuff, and you could send me home, that'd just be real keen and I can get out of everyone's hair.

[...]

Ssssssomething gives me the idea it's not gonna be that easy, huh?