video | un: man of still

[figureitout]

Okay, seriously, is this for real?

[ Hello there, fellow recruits! Today, the network brings you a fascinating video of... a hand. A hand that is waving, though less in a hello-how-are-you way and more in a I-am-so-done-with-everything way.

The hand pulls back, though, revealing an arm clad in green-grey plaid shirt (don't knock the plaid, okay, the plaid is eternal)... and eventually, the face of a teenager. Who is currently making the most judging face you will ever see in your life. ]

What kind of bomb needs fish hearts and sea urchins? It's like someone just threw together a list for the most random and incidentally dangerous things they could think of. And do you even need these anymore? Is the bomb a thing? I mean, the briefing I got was... uh, let's just say hurried. [ More like non-existent, but, yeah.

Stiles pauses, like something has just occurred to him. ]

... Right, probably should've started with that. The "hi weird jewel amulet I literally just got here and have no idea about anything" thing. And also the "I really hope someone actually sees this and I'm not sitting here and talking to a piece of jewelry" thing. Does this work? Is this working?

[ He leans in and pokes the jewel. ] For my own peace of mind, I'm saying it's working. I mean, magic jewels is, like, the least weird thing about all of this. [ Wish he'd shut up yet? Sorry, you are currently subjected to the Talkamus Stilinskimus, a very un-rare case of rambling that occurs whenever Stiles so much as opens his mouth.

Your wish is about to be fulfilled, though, as he claps his hands together. ]

Anyway! Go... team? [ ... such eloquence. But in his defense, no one ever told him talking to invisible people you don't even know actually exist would be this awkward.

That is the last sight of him anyone on the network sees, though his voice still follows, almost like he can't stop the think-at-the-jewel-and-it-will-broadcast quickly enough. ]

... is there a team? Man, I hope there's a team.

Comments

video | un: lavellan

[strikingtwice]

[Well at least Meallan isn't alone in his initial confusion, although he's not certain how much it'll help having an elf pop up to talk with him. But at least it'll show he's not just talking to his jewelry alone?]

I'm about as new as you are so I'm afraid I can't really answer on the bomb part of any of this. But the magic that lets us all talk to each other does seem to be working, even if something's affecting other magic here.

I can't tell you if there's much of a team either. From what I've heard so far, it... mightn't be that simple.

[figureitout]

Whoa! [ Someone responded.

Though wait. Pointy ears?

Stiles gapes for a moment until he realizes that talking to possibly-an-elf is not enough to make this day any stranger than it already is.]

Uh, yeah, it definitely seems to be working, I mean, I'm talking. To you. Not to myself. [ Also wait what? ] Wait, what do you mean something is affecting other magic?

[ He hasn't heard of anything like that, and having zero magic himself, it's not really something Stiles would have noticed, either. ]

Ugh, it's never that simple. [ Story of his life.... ]

[strikingtwice]

[All right, still a little bit chatty but at least the nervous energy seems to have cut back a little bit, which he'll take for a good sign. Though honestly, Meallan couldn't blame anyone for being nervous after finding themselves here, he was still getting used to it himself.]

Yes, the amulet I have is working well enough but my own magic is somewhat... diminished? [It's not a comforting thought, that much is clear from his expression.] It might be something that isn't effecting everyone though, perhaps only some of those with magic.

Video | un: pearl

[beyourrock]

[A woman with a large gem in her forehead peers into her own jewel. More new recruits? Oh boy, just what they needed at a time like this. She tries to offer a smile.]

The ingredients for the bomb react differently to one another on this planet. A coconut here may be vastly different than the coconut you may find on earth.

[Pearl shrugs before clearing her throat.]

So far we've all been working like a team. Sometimes broken down into small groups and the like. However, levels of cooperation vary amongst us. We've had our shares of 'wins and losses'.

[figureitout]

[ Okay, he's just. going to ignore that gem there, maybe it's... actually, he has no idea what it is, but considering she's also the only one who is currently giving him any kind of reasonable explanation, he's not going to blurt out anything about that just yet. ]

Wait, so you're saying, you combine a coconut and a sea urchin and get explosives? ... huh.

[ Well, this is a different world -- so it stands to reason it would operate according to different laws, too. ]

So basically it's like a group project at school. A few people are giving it their best, one is sitting and doing nothing, and one is making a rude drawing under the desk with half-eaten chewing gum.

[ So the same as all forced teamwork projects anywhere. And frankly speaking... Stiles doesn't trust this ALASTAIR as far as he can, uh, not throw him- them- it? no okay let's just scrap this metaphor. He doesn't trust it, at all-- but if they've all fallen through the rift and recruited here against their will... at least they all have something in common. ]

video | username: NAILS

[nichocolatine]

Man, this club's getting real big, ain't it.

[ the "i just got here and literally all of this sounds made up" club, that is. ]

[figureitout]

I have no idea what club you're talking about, but sure!

[ A pause. ] Unless you mean, like, the club of people waving their hands at the jewelry in confusion. Or the club of people consisting of recruits. Either works.

VIDEO. UN: LOKI

[selfimage]

[ +1 guy in a golden horned diadem. ]

A bit late for the sudden judgement call. Let's just say when you're close to desperate, almost anything can be used as an explosive.

[ he delivers it like it's a saying, rather than having any practical application. ]

[figureitout]

[ List item one: this guy has a diadem with horns.

List item two: his username is "Loki".

List item three: ?????!?!?!? ]

Yeah, well, if you figure out a way I can find out about this before falling through that rift and so make this judgement call when it's actually relevant, let me know, I'll be here. Waiting for that to happen.

[ List item four: maybe don't judge the guy who literally just got here for not saying these things earlier?? ]

... uh, no. Anything can't be used as an explosive, because not everything explodes.

video | un: unknownrealms

[headlining]

You're asking exactly what I've been thinking. Whatever bomb this is, it's like a child's terrible excuse for one.

[Keats sighs - at least somebody sounds like they're thinking this through logically.]

I guess there's a team? If you consider all us ALASTAIR employees part of the same team.

[figureitout]

Right? I mean, in that whole list, there's like... literally nothing that you'd actually need for a bomb. Any bomb. The metals are debatable, and I can maybe explain away obsidian, but- coconuts?

[ What. Just, what. And more importantly, why. ]

Yeah, the way you're saying that makes me think that is so not the case. [ Just don't tell him this is the most classic case of "every man for himself", because... actually, okay, so he gets why people would do that. It's not like he's particularly trusting and-slash-or happy about this whole thing, but the one thing he does know?

You don't have to trust people to work together with them. ]

video | un: daria

[conqueress]

Strange though it may seem, the magic in these gems is for true.

[ A young woman with silver hair and violet eyes speaks to her ring as naturally as though she's done it all along. The truth is, she's been watching to see how everyone else does it, first. ]

Did you wake in Oska first, or were you sent here immediately?

[figureitout]

Yeah, that's not even the strangest thing here.

[ The magic? That he can understand. Suddenly being told that there are multiple universes and he's supposed to work together with a bunch of people in order to make sure the Timeline is okay? Uh. Right. ]

No, I woke up in that Oska place, got the whole spiel about rifts and Timelines and universes and then they just shipped me off to- what's this place again? Na-something?

CELEEEN reunited and it feels so good!! video | un: RHY5-W1NZ

[dbag]

Oh my god, could everyone stop with the bomb talk, we get it. You can all accept a bunch of talking deer, but using obsidian in a bomb is just crazypants.

[ Hi, Stiles, here's Rhys to deliver your daily dose of butthurt. ]

Listen, it was a good idea, okay. ...But no, we don't need that stuff anymore. We tried the bomb. Don't, uh, don't ask anybody what happened, it's old news, I think we should all just... move on. I think that's a good idea.

YES come to me <3

[figureitout]

Uh, where exactly did I object to using obsidian? Because that definitely makes more sense than, you know, coconuts.

[ Thanks Rhys, that is exactly what was missing from his day. ]

Great, man, thanks for volunteering to tell me exactly what happened, did you somehow miss the part where I literally just got here and your old news is very, very new news to me?

VIDEO - un: p. parker

[webdesigned]

It works... weirdest iPhone you ever did see, right?

( Peter, for his part, is pretty glad that he's not the only newbie showing up in this place. so far it's ... okay? nice weather, he's never been anywhere tropical before. but he's also feeling really strangely, as in normal, which is weirding him out. )

Hey, person that neglected to give their name in their introduction. Should I just call you plaid? Because I think that's distinctive enough. ...Nice to meet you. I'm Peter. I'm new too, and... also hoping that there's a team.

( there's not too much about the other team members in the mission briefing he was given, after all... )

[figureitout]

I know. I mean, points for wearability, but the apps are distinctly lacking.

[ Ha, ha... hey, at least it's good to know there's someone else here who is roughly from the same time as he is and knows things like iPhones -- a few of those he's talked to haven't looked and-slash-or seemed like they come from anywhere near the same universe. ]

-- shit, I knew I forgot something. It's Stiles, not plaid. Not that plaid is bad, but, uh- anyway, nice to meet you too, Peter. [ Wait. Wait wait wait. Peter- and then that username? ]

Peter Parker?

[ Stiles makes a valiant effort of sounding as casual as can be and not gape, because. Because it could be a coincidence. Maybe. ]

Well, if there isn't a team, we can start one.

voice; un: seraph

[circulets]

[ Another newcomer? He definitely has some sympathy for his situation. It seems as though being recruited and doing these missions blindly is common place. ]

Considering that we travel from world to world, it's safe to say that it's best to be prepared for anything.

[figureitout]

Wait, we do?

[ He could have deduced as much from the "fix the Timeline" part, but somehow hearing it said aloud is better at hammering it in. ]

I mean- [ cough ] -when we're done here, do we go back to Oska and then to a new place or are we just sent from here straight to wherever they decide needs fixing next?

Text; un: Silk

[blacksilk]

We were assured that the ingredients would have properties that differ from what we're used to.

I'm suddenly feeling fortunate that the air we're breathing doesn't act the same way.

[figureitout]

[ Wait, what is the proper etiquette with this Magitek thing? Is he supposed to keep responding in video as that's how he contacted everyone, or think in text to match this Silk person?

... after some consideration, it is text that Stiles picks to respond with. ]

Yeah, different world, different rules. I kinda got as much.

Yeah, no kidding. If we couldn't even breathe here this'd be one short mission.

voice, @TARANTO

[heavyhitter]

Oh my god, it's like you've never played a game.

[figureitout]

... that is so vague, do you know how vague that is? Because I've definitely played games, I'm just not sure what kind of game we're talking about here.

[ A board game? Online game? Lacrosse game?? ]

video; un: agl

[lionheart]

[Oh, cool, it's one of those mundanes that talks too much.]

It's most likely not going to go uphill anytime soon.

[figureitout]

Wait, you're saying it's possible to go more downhill from here?

[ Wait, no, what is he saying, of course it's possible. It's always possible. ]

Great, this day just keeps getting better and better.