01. un: hound - [Voice]

[cantilevers]

[He was still learning this whole earpiece device, so excuse him for it turning on and there sound like someone was fiddling with the setting. Where was his far more technologically inclined smart kid to help him? Ah well, he did realize it was on sooner than later thankfully.]

Uh... sorry? [Chagrin tone.] I was curious about an idea, since I still consider myself fairly new to this situation. Here's hoping you all with entertain me here:

What does a sense of community mean or feel like to you?

[A beat of a pause.]

Is it friends and family? Is it gathering places and camaraderie? How about a sense of people uniting for a specific purpose in mind? Everyone here has their own agendas and their own interests, and, with no overt crime present at the moment, it's curious to me how we could build a sense of community around these parts.

Comments

[cantilevers]

Considering we are provided everything else for our comfort, it does appear to be a set up to allow us to form our own animosity to each other over other differences.

[And the idea of losing the world and everyone in it was a big point of potential contention between people. It was a divide that would hang over them with everything that they did, whether they acknowledged it or not.]

It's not about roping everyone in. It's about providing opportunity through interpersonal loyalties. You're never going to appeal to everyone, but it could help.

[maximumlegend]

[ There's a slight pause of consideration, and then the young man asks: ]

So how are you seeing this whole.. providing opportunity through interpersonal loyalties business exactly then? Do you just want to gather as many people are willing to join, even if it is not everyone?

[cantilevers]

Strength in numbers. If enough of us don't turn on each other when forced to, perhaps we can off-set the outcome through refusal to play the game.

[It was his working theory right now. How well would it work? He had no idea, but he considered it worth a shot at this point. What did he have to lose? His world? That was probably going to be destroyed anyway if it was in peril.]

[maximumlegend]

Well, I don't want to play the game.

[ Regardless of how successful he thinks Vander's plan may or may not be. It's something completely separate from the plan in the first place, anyway. It's something Fabian has set his heart so much on here that he doesn't even have to think before saying it. ]

So I suppose you can count me in. I'm not going to anything they ask of us, if I can help it. Let alone when they start asking us to all fight each other.

[cantilevers]

It seems we've of the same mind in that. However, at certain points, there is value in it for information sake.

[He expected limited success, but he was willing to put in the effort in the long term for as long as he was here. People wouldn't like to be told what to do, but then again, they already were. It was better if they could manage this place themselves rather than let whatever "A.I." stood for doing it for them.]

Glad to have you on the team. Every person matters.

[maximumlegend]

[ There's a slight pause. Almost a moment of consideration before Fabian can't help but be nosy enough to ask: ]

So.. how many people have showed interest so far?

[ If every person matters, there need to be numbers, Vander!! ]

[cantilevers]

There is some interest, but how many will commit? I doubt many. It's too early and for something like this, it's about showing people the possibilities in it. That's a long-term goal, but people naturally need to see something come together first.

[And he did plan on doing something, perhaps mingles with people or organizing activities that would bring people together and make that baseline community. People had to feel that and think it was something that they wanted to build and perserve.]

[maximumlegend]

.. in other words, we just have to sit and wait and see where this goes.

[ Maybe it's not fully what Vander is saying here, but to a typical teenage mind.. well, of course thoughts would start to drift off in this direction. ]

I don't really like sitting around, you know. [ As if that isn't obvious. Everything about Fabian screams that sort of sentiment.. ]

[cantilevers]

Nah, we put in the effort and make it appealing and other people will join up. Or not. It depends what people want to have out of this place.

[Vander would contend that the literally had nothing else to do between missions, so it was worthwhile to invest in. Who knew what they would manage to get out of it if they could draw in a thriving community of people in time.]

Then don't. Be active, meet people, pass the time and enjoy yourself where you can.

[maximumlegend]

Well, I am already doing most of that.. [ Maybe that's why Fabian ended up replying to Vander's call, huh. He understands the importance of getting to know people and forming some sort of community.

The only problem is-- ]

Except enjoying myself. Enjoying myself is extremely difficult in this place, you know.

[cantilevers]

Good. We're in lockstep in that regard then. Maybe between the two of us, we can help others to see the value too.

[He knew it wasn't just about getting to know people; it was about managing competing agendas that people had. They had to make being together and working together more profitable than being apart; that's the way of most worlds.]

What do you normally enjoy doing where you're from?

[maximumlegend]

I dance. I participate in Bloodrush-- That's a sport.

[ He knows better than to not add that at this point, considering no one in this place seems to have heard of it! Despite it literally being the best sport ever! ]

I am captain on our school's team back home, in fact. And I also throw weekly parties, and lo-fi study nights for the freshmen over at my manor every single school day. I had a very busy schedule!

[cantilevers]

With a name like that, I feel like I need to know more about this sport.

[It was an intriguing name at the very least, and he hoped that it was as exciting as the name might entail it to be. And that mention of weekly parties? Well, that sounded to be right up his alley when he had been around Fabian's age. Parties made life worth living now and again, even if it was simply enjoying the atmosphere and looking for the next rush.]

What's lo-fi? And uh... freshman?

[maximumlegend]

[ Wait-- ]

What?

[ Fabian sounds like he might just think Vander suddenly is some sort of alien from outer space. It's not even the lo-fi part, really. He's met Vander. Vander is Old (to a teenager, anyway). It makes sense that he wouldn't know what is hip and happening with today's youth.

But the other part.. ]

How do you not know what a freshman is? Do they not have schools where you come from?