text 💎 un: Tohsaka Rin

[defenceless]

[shortly after the storm clears on may 11th and the network connection between both sides of the group is reestablished, the following post appears:]

We're fine, as far as I know. I don't think anyone's dead, at least.

The storm that separated us was brought about by a Dakal named Pomarr. Some of you may remember her as our feline friend who sold her soul to Ryba—or whatever it is she did—to continue to live on after death.

She swept us to an island that looked like it was raised from the seafloor. It wasn't a vacation, but there were definitely remnants of what those big cats must have called home.

Her plan is to revive her entire race, in the same way Ryba "revived" her. As if life-or-death deals with shady goddesses aren't concerning enough, she wants to grant Ryba the power to carry out this mass revival by having her suck Nalanni dry. Pomarr understandably doesn't care much for Nalanni after she drowned everyone she loved; in fact, she showed us this in morbid detail. She's taken Nalanni. Hence, all the Nalawi losing their Gifts and all of this inconvenience we have to deal with.

Pomarr knows where Nalanni is, but she's asking us not to interfere, and she wouldn't give us the opportunity to speak with Nalanni when I requested it. For some reason, she didn't expect that we would be suffering like the Nalawi are. She's promised to try to fix that.

What do we do now, ALASTAIR? I can share anything else you want to know about our meeting with Pomarr, or Yukimura Sanada-san or Mr. Keats can, but this is most of it. We have a situation where the balance of this whole world might be upended if we sit and twiddle our thumbs.

I don't think I need to remind anyone of the potential consequences of messing with either goddess. Or a litter of zombie cats roaming free.

(( ooc: infodump for rin, yukimura, and keats' conversation with a dakal npc, for one of the plot slots! feel free to handwave your character (in either the marooned group or the left behind group) learned this info by reading the post or talking with rin/yukimura/keats/another recruit. yukimura and keats may also be replying to tags! ))

Comments

[riastraid]

[ rin and her problem children, the post, the game. ]

after what's happened? yeah, might be fun.

but that's not what i'm saying. you'll have an easier time coming up with an answer once you realize that no matter what we do, we're gonna screw someone over. just gotta decide who.

[ no perfect solution. no saving everyone. hopefully she knows that already, but there's always someone who argues otherwise. ]

[defenceless]

I know that, Lancer.

[oh, here it comes. and you'd think she'd be nicer after being separated from him forever.

more to the point—of course part of her was hoping they would be able to address everything here without disadvantaging anyone too much. he knows how soft she can be even when she's not trying.]

We could always take Pomarr out of the picture. We should eliminate one over hundreds of others, plus goddesses that may be responsible for the welfare of even more. The math, on the surface, is simple.

[riastraid]

[ it's okay, he expected the prickliness. nice to see you too, rin!! ]

if you're not moved at all by her story, sure.

——was that too sappy? how about this: it sounds like listening to her might be the best bet for getting our powers back.

[defenceless]

Practicality comes before emotions. Decide what you're saying and stick with it.

Pomarr may very well be able to work something, but I doubt she'd prioritize us over literally anything associated with raising her dead.

[riastraid]

hey, sentiment's why i picked you and your boyfriend that one time. [ amongst other poor life choices. ] don't worry about that———i'll still get my work done.

[ lancer knows someone will suffer for their decisions—decisions and sacrifices that have to be made. he's just willing to play favorites. ]

anyway, unless you've got a problem with dragging the dead back to life, we might not need to get in her way.

[defenceless]

H-He's not my boyfriend...!

[watch what you're saying, lancer... don't block her off from all this alastair manmeat...]

And of course I've got a problem with that! It won't be pretty!

[riastraid]

ohhhhh, i see. [ tsundere bullshit reading: 9.6 ] just a lover, then?

[ and perhaps more importantly: ]

what do you think'll happen?

[ he has his guesses (very few are good), but he is (was?) a spirit. he doesn't have the proper dominion to speak for other dead things. ]

[defenceless]

Don't you dare! That's even worse! I'm not sleeping around! I'm not that kind of girl and you know it!

Um. The same as hoards of undead back at home. Those Dakal will prey upon the living. They'll command a fragment of Ryba's great power.

[riastraid]

[ and so rin continues to prove that the modern magus has no idea how to have a good time. ]

you worry too much.

[ to both points, really. ]

but all right———whatever happens, i'll do what i can to stop a buncha undead cats from sprouting out of the sea. happy?

[defenceless]

[absolutely.]

Is it important to you that I'm happy?

[let's make this conversation squishy and embarrassing, lancer.]