video | un: plushiesidequest (in which she talks about an NPC visitor)

[reincarnesiac]

( Oh look! It's that same person who melted a radio tower about two weeks ago? Alex waves to the camera, flashes a smile, then sits down on a plush chair in her apartment and leans forward, planting her elbows on her knees. )

Hey, everyone. I know more of you look at stuff here than comment, but think about doing some commenting this time, you know?

( She breathes in, then out in a sigh. )

So I sent out that signal a few weeks ago. I heard back this morning from a guy outside the barrier that goes by Scylla. He confirmed the multiverse is unraveling. He wasn't happy about it.

( Her hands lay over each other, one holding the other at her wrist. )

He also confirmed this pocket dimension of Echo's we're in has a lot of bubble cities trying to solve the problem through point based reality television style game-show setups. But Echo isn't the only one working to try and save the concept of existence. There are other people out there with other ideas. Scylla didn't know if any of them show any more promise than Echo's way, because no one's had confirmed results or failures based on attempts.

( She opens her hands, staring at the camera. )

He said he'll help us figure out how to close the tear after it's open, because that's when he can get in here. Shout out to Aurora for her work keeping us safe until Echo demands otherwise.

( Sitting back, she frowns at the camera. )

I can sum up what else we talked about if people ask, but this seemed important to get out first. He said I probably won't see him for a bit when he arrives, but anyone who does run into him, he's a guy... fairly handsome? Taller than I am, shorter than Gorgug. Paler than me too. Reddish-brown hair with waves that he wears neatly cut but not close shaven. He was scruffy. Had one of those friendly faces you know likes to tease people until he was getting more serious. I don't know, ( she sighs ) it's been a surreal morning.

Comments

[reincarnesiac]

Still would put me to sleep and I'd arguably have a better night for it, right? Sometimes you just want to hear about nice people being nice to each other. Nice things happening in the world. Little kindnesses, or bigger ones.

[repaintress]

I'm sure the library has a children's section.

[reincarnesiac]

Plenty of horror in every children's section I've ever been in.

[repaintress]

A book on the Impressionists then.

[reincarnesiac]

That sounds like an art thing. Is that an art thing?

[repaintress]

An art thing filled with all the vapid, colorful pleasantries you could want.

[reincarnesiac]

Geez, which artistic movement are you more into, then?

[repaintress]

Les Nabis, Cubism, and Expressionism. Here I've grown fond of Surrealism and Dada as well.

[reincarnesiac]

Kind of think I'll look up some of those in the library. I wish Rafayel was here, he'd know and have opinions on everything — he's a big painter and sometimes sculptor from back in my world.

[repaintress]

Those movements are less approachable and not what I would call calming.

I disagree that we should hide the weapons. All that does is leave the least physically strong more vulnerable.

[She'd seen the conversation below.]

[reincarnesiac]

Are they trained in weapon use? Kind of the problem all around. Guns might work for anyone who can pull a trigger, but you can hurt yourself as easily as anyone else, and when there's not supposed to be anything here, getting away seems like the best plan. And that's easier with free hands.

[repaintress]

Some of them are. You have a good point about ranged weaponry - paranoid people and guns are a poor combination. Still, people should have the option of self-defense. Not everyone is in sprinting form.

[reincarnesiac]

Oh, of course, I'm just more the carry a large staff fan and not give people knives they're as likely to hurt themselves with as anyone else, right? Staffs go thwack, they have reach, and chances are less high that anyone accidentally brains anyone else. Plus they can test out firmness of ground and stuff, you know?

[repaintress]

So we should lock up all the weapons except the ones you like.

[ A staff is a weapon, even if it has other uses. So do knives. ]

[reincarnesiac]

People really loving to say I've said a whole bunch of things today.

Guns, yes. They're not helping anyone. Still think staffs are a more useful weapon for what's coming than knives.

[repaintress]

I heard you say 'Kind of wish all weapons could be locked away'. I was conveying the downside of that in case you decided to try, as you seem to act on your ideas. Regardless, it isn't our decision to make.

[ She's been following the discussions to try to estimate how people will act during the mission. ]

You seem very comfortable making decisions for and that impact other people and thinking it's acceptable because you are bubbly, nice, and sweet about it.

[reincarnesiac]

Yep, that's what a wish is. A wish. I've lived through enough of people getting hurt from panicked reactions, so yeah. Definitely wish that.

I'm doing what I can to make it as transparent as possible what I've run into. Not doing that feels like the wrong kind of decision making for everyone. This way, people know, and know what they want to hold me accountable for, which feels like a better way of approaching stuff. This happened. It happened to me. I'm letting people know what call I made when I was asked in a situation I had no heads up about. Don't need anyone to think it's right or wrong, just need them to know.

[repaintress]

I apologize. I misunderstood.

[ Nobody will ever hold this girl accountable. It will get her into trouble. ]

[reincarnesiac]

( At least some people have yelled at her... and truly, Alex is expecting more in the future. She does genuinely believe people needed to know about all this, on the other hand. And that she wasn't trusting Scylla to the degree of believing his opinion on what Echo or Aurora complications may or may not exist are true. )

You don't need to apologize, you know? Text is terrible about stuff like this. Even calls are, honestly. It's so much easier to have conversations where you can see the other person than over stuff like this.

[repaintress]

Text also allows more time to think and I don't constantly need to concern myself with my tone or whether I'm smiling enough.

[ Ugh. Could they have not just ignored the words? It's bad enough she had to write them. ]

[reincarnesiac]

Wait, has anyone told you to smile more? Here? If so we're due some butt kicking because that's just incredibly rude!

( Alex having a topic shift but she pinged to that and oh hell no, no one tells anyone to smile more! Only it's also getting a ping from SleepNear's most recent text that has her humming to herself, still wondering. )

Oh, there's also there's a user going by SleepNear who is suggesting I ask for your help creating a picture of what Scylla looks like, for others to see? So anyone can hopefully recognize him faster if they see him. I don't know if you have any interest in that, but I figured I needed to ask first.

[repaintress]

No, but I'm aware my disinclination to display enough obsequiousness discomforts some others.

I'm displeased by his volunteering me, but the idea is sound.

[ Ugh. Realism. Far from Clea's preferred style, but a good idea is a good idea. ]

[reincarnesiac]

That's dumb on their part, they can all be ignored.

If it's one you actually want to do, I'm happy to give as close a description of Scylla as I remember? Though I think it's more like what police profilers do... I really wish I had that pen from R&D right now.

[repaintress]

It doesn't matter if I want to. It's a good idea. Life is not only doing what you wish.

I can create a matrix of features for reference, if that would be simpler.

Though he is likely able to alter his appearance.

[reincarnesiac]

Anything you think is best, I'm happy to go with that. When do you want to meet?

( as for the rest, she can't do anything about that if he does, so... she can choose to deal with what she can. )