video | text, un: uruz

[uruzology]

[ The scene presented via jewelry is within one of the many rooms of the newly refurbished Oska castle. A centaur stands next to the cheerfully roaring fire, presenting a matchingly cheerful smile. ]

It looks like you’ve all lived, although that was a little close there, for some of you. Good work! I knew you could do it.

Now, as you may have noticed by Oska looking quite well around you, the last week was a false reality. Don’t take it personally, that happens to everyone here eventually. We have to make sure recruits are up to snuff. You’re a bit unique as a whole team of greenhorns, though. To be quite honest, I’ve never seen this activity done on such a large scale before. It was impressive, wasn’t it? And don’t worry, any trinkets you may have come across are quite real, and yours to keep if you want them.

So then, to business. I’m Uruz. I’m familiar with some of you already, although I’m afraid that’s one-sided in most cases — I spent a fair bit of time in there with you, but none of you saw me if I was doing my job right. ALASTAIR has asked me and my compatriots, Dagny, Crowley, and Cherenkov, to review your performance within Chantes and rate your work. It’s quite a big job, our to-do with worlds, and we want to make sure we’ve got trustworthy recruits. I’ve attached that for you, please do give it a glance.

dagny: Well, the king died. So that's... not the best. From what I hear, things are kind of chaotic there right now, what with the whole 'no government' thing and all. And a lot of you got in a ton of trouble with the law. But you did work together! Most of you, anyway. People died and the city got destroyed, but I know you all did your best, so you get points for effort. I give you an... eight. Point five. No, nine out of ten. But that's as high as I'll go, because, you know. The murder and death.

Don’t feel bad, though, there’s always room for improvement.

crowley: Your refusal to work with the goblins’ natural talents for magic was disappointing. I foresaw much potential there, and it was wasted on your muddying things up with politics. On the other paw, your dispelling of demons and other magical creatures was serviceable, if a little last-minute. 5/10.

cherenkov: I stopped paying attention after you all brought the sun back. Because that's what matters, doesn't it? You didn’t do badly for a bunch of apes, but don’t get distracted by the diplomatic nonsense next time. Ignore the cow and the knife-eared one. Spend the time improving instrumentation, not making friends. 8/10.

uruz: You did make an attempt. You got engaged and cared to deal with their issues, which, well, we'd really have an issue for concern if not. And you did very nice work on a personal level, to bring together goblins and humans. They'll not be moving in together any time soon, but they're on the right path. But really, did you have to murder the man? He'd just killed the king, to be sure, but taking a life has serious consequences, no matter whose it was. It sets you on a path it can be difficult to step off of. But overall, acceptable. 6/10.

There we go. On a final note, I’ve been asked to let you know that you’ve got some time to spend in Oska before your next assignment, which is to Nalawi. A lovely place, I’m a bit envious. Enjoy your downtime, and again, good work! I’ve very high hopes for the lot of you.

[ The network is now back up again along with Oska being restored and the weather events ended, and you can find a full description of current Oska right here. Feel free to use this post to thread on, and the NPCs may make a few appearances for direct questions. ]

Comments

[crowleyology]

I'm sure your teammates will be pleased to know how hopeless you think they are. We do not share the same opinion.

[aspearation]

I JUST said train them better! What about that is hopeless?! And it's exactly what you're gonna do or else I'm going to do it myself! You brought us all here against our will, and we played along, but you can't just throw the untrained masses into the mess you've picked out for them without any thought or consideration! And then you expect them to live up to some vague expectations that you didn't even tell them?

You want to see ten out of ten? Well then don't just sit back and expect it to happen for you. It takes hard work and experience to get any army functioning, let alone in perfect working order. Don't think you get to be the exception because you're too self-important to bother with things like organization, or compassion.

[ How's that for an off-the-cuff monologue? She didn't even practice this one. ]

[crowleyology]

This is not my purview. This is also far too long. Learn brevity.

[aspearation]

Too long?! BREVITY?? Come to the lake in the next 30 minutes if you want me to show you brevity!

voice | un: uruz

[uruzology]

Crowley, please.

I'm sorry — he is right, though. ALASTAIR is spread thinly enough through the multiverse, we really don't have the time nor resources to train incoming new recruits that stumble through rifts as would be ideal. If you would take that upon yourself, I'm sure your cohorts would be quite grateful!

[crowleyology]

This fish is rude and longwinded. The worst qualities in a fish.

voice

[aspearation]

[ Yeah, she'll go along with this. She sounds a lot calmer than her text belies, mostly because she is, for the moment. ]

Hey. Listen, you seem like a reasonable monster. You all don't have time or resources, fine. Give us better objectives. You want the king alive? You want us to work with goblins more? Tell us, or otherwise, everyone's going to do whatever they want to do, like they already did.

And while we're here, appoint some leadership. I don't care who it is. Pick someone, pick anyone, so your recruits have somewhere to turn when it comes time to make decisions like who lives and dies.

[uruzology]

See, now there's the rub. The objective within a world isn't always a set instruction, the settling of the Timeline can be done in a multitude of ways. That you did it at all is wonderful, I'm very pleased for that! But the how, that's where finesse comes in. You'll get the hang of it.

As for leadership, I'm afraid that's not my jurisdiction. If you want to pick someone to lead, that'll be up to you.

[aspearation]

[ Even if she ultimately agrees that Michel's fate was unnecessary, she can't resign to just hoping things go better next time. She could argue it until she's blue(er) in the face, but there are better ways to spend this time before their next mission. ]

Yeah, maybe we will get the hang of it. Just don't be surprised if it isn't the hang that you wanted.

voice;

[boneafide]

Undyne!! I think you'd be great at training more people, like you're training me!! You can make a new Royal Guard! But without the Royal part!

voice;

[aspearation]

Of course I would be! But why should I have to!? If they want us to work for them, they should be the one doing it!

[boneafide]

Maybe, but... you'll do a better job at it than they would. And I know you wouldn't like it if they couldn't meet your standards!

[aspearation]

I know all that!

[ If she wasn't too busy concentrating on using her jewelry, she might throw something. Not because of anything Papyrus has said or done, just because ALASTAIR frustrates her. ]

Just because I could doesn't mean I want to. What are they fighting for that's even worth it?!

[boneafide]

[He's totally used to her just throwing things so it's not like he'd be scared of that.]

We're fixing worlds! And being heroic and saving people! Isn't that worth it?

[aspearation]

Then they should fix their own worlds themselves, or else give us a better reason to do it for them, other than just because we're here.

[boneafide]

I think someone's being a grumpy gills!!

[aspearation]

I'm not grumpy! I'm pissed off!! We're putting our lives on the line for them, and they can't even tell us why it should matter to us or... or throw us a bone, or something!

[ She snorts; this isn't just being her usual, overzealous self. She's just so frustrated, and doesn't know what to do with it. ]

What if something happened to you? Or to Sans, or to me? Do you think they'd care at all?

[boneafide]

[Oh. Yeah, she's really mad, isn't she? Sometimes it's hard to tell.]

I think they would.

[aspearation]

Only two of them care that anyone died at all, and only one had the sense to call it out.

[ Uruz gets points in her book for calling it for what it was, anyway: murder. She can accept that much, even if she doesn't agree on ALASTAIR's approach to new recruits. ]

I know you want to think everyone's great, because you always do, and that's what I like best about you. You don't give up on anyone, ever! You're probably still friends with that pointy-eared weirdo who tried to kill you. Maybe you're right about him. You were right about Frisk. But this just feels... different.

[boneafide]

Do you think what we're doing makes a difference to the people we spent time with? In Chantes? And the Goblins?

[aspearation]

A difference, yeah. But I don't think it's a good one. [ A pause, then she adds, pointedly, ] Their king is dead.

[boneafide]

Would they have been better if we never came...?

[aspearation]

...I don't know. Maybe??

[ She doesn't, really. She came in halfway through with almost no information on what she was supposed to be doing, or what had already happened. She's still hazy on how the whole mission started, even if she has the general sequence of events in mind. ]

[boneafide]

...

Maybe.

I want to think... we made a good difference! Or at least enough of one that even though we messed up, things turned out okay. But I don't think they're going to stop sending us different places. Which just means we're going to have to do better next time! We won't let any more kings die, or for people to go too far. We'll know what we're doing more, and we'll be better at it! I know you don't want to do this, but... there's people counting on us to help them. Even if we're being made to do this, and we aren't really prepared for it, they need us to do our best!

So we'll all take care of each other, and I think we'll all be okay.

[aspearation]

[ There's a delay in her response-- or rather, she starts responding, but then she's quiet for a moment. ]

Yeah. Yeah, you're right. [ She knows he is, even if she isn't feeling it. ] We'll... organize ourselves, and make sure no one gets any bright ideas or tries to take the easy way out.

Hey. Why don't you come meet me in the kitchen? I'm making tea, I'll make some for you, too.

[ As in, actually making tea. No burning down buildings involved. ]