☿ // 001; [text; dated to 3/17]

[fionnuisce]

Now that I've collected what I'd evaluate as the basics of this place and how it's run, I'm curious enough to ask for a discussion of general opinions rather than concrete facts.

Particularly, regarding the supposedly confirmed ideas revolving around the state of our worlds. While the evidence supporting our homeworlds' destruction is considerable, I'd still like to hear what people think. It initially crossed my mind that it could be a very well-constructed lie, and while that has become a very distant possibility I'm hesitant to discard it altogether. And if it is in fact true, what happens then? Do you think there is a way to restore the places from which we've originated, or are we fighting for a Pyrrhic victory at best?

And that's not yet touching upon the more clearly confirmed matter of our souls and the replica forms we're using in place of our original bodies. I'd imagine this has caused existential crises aplenty, but let's put that aside for the moment. If the administrators possess the technology or magic to create such close copies, how is it they can't simply take out original bodies along with our souls in the first place And if there is a way to restore our worlds, would you logically assume that includes our original selves?

You're free to answer if you like, or ignore me altogether. It's your own choice. I can't really picture this as a simple matter to talk about without inciting a sense of dread and misery, so I'll hardly be offended if everyone shrugs this off and pretends they never saw it.

--Lord El-Melloi II

[Waver, honey. I'm sure signing your name like that is simply habit by now, but you might give your younger self a stroke.]

Comments

[canofworms]

... If anything, I'd say the copies are too good. It's obvious that their goal isn't to "save" us, but they really must have a lot of spare time.

[To make and remake and recycle so much.

He's thinking of his other self, to be honest. Not that you could beat the admission out of him.]

[fionnuisce]

Basically, yes. I'd love to know how they managed it, but I doubt I'll get any answers.

[canofworms]

There will probably be a lot of dead ends. It is a prison, isn't it?

What else have you been looking into?

[fionnuisce]

So far it's been all I can do just to collect what's known about this place. It's a lot of information to sort through, and I'm going to start examining the plausibility of each idea and theory presented; maybe try to place matters on a scale of most to least likely based on the evidence at hand.

Additionally, I need to talk to Diarmuid and some others that have been here longer than myself; we shouldn't overlook the administrators themselves. I want to collect as much on their methods and general behavior as possible.

[canofworms]

... I wouldn't mind having a look, if you don't mind people reading over your shoulder, so to speak. It may be easier for two people to sort through that instead of one. How reliable are your sources?

I did hear a few things about the administrators, myself. The Lancers told me some of the details. Most people here seem to know them, even if they haven't met them.

They're... colorful.

[fionnuisce]

The majority of my information as it stands now came from my younger self and Lancer, so I trust that much as reliable mostly without question. I'd assume it wouldn't be hard to corroborate most of the generally known information by asking several people and matching up what they're able to tell me.

'Colorful', that's putting it lightly. I have some vague information on them and each one's general modus operandi, but I'm sure there's a lot I'm either missing or haven't heard yet. I'm hoping to find more on Ruana specifically.

[canofworms]

Common knowledge in the Tower does seem pretty easy to come by. There doesn't seem to be a lot of collected information, though I don't blame them.

I hear people can come and go on a pretty regular basis, though, so you're probably better off asking around about more specific details like the admins as soon as possible, if you're looking for those. Before your eyewitnesses disappear.

... I don't know much about Ruana, either. She eats people and crashes weddings, but it might be a little hard to get a picture from that.

[fionnuisce]

If I'm good at anything, it's research. Not sure I can say I've worked under worse conditions, but I think it'll be manageable to get what I'm looking for.

I'm interested in all of them, frankly; I can't begin to guess even in the most insane fantasies where one gets the kind of powers needed to operate this place. They're on some level even I can't imagine existing, and that frankly scares the hell out of me.

So obviously I want to know as much as possible about them.

[For science.]

[canofworms]

Obviously, I'm interested in learning more about this place, too. You can probably beat me out in research, but this might be out of either of our expertises.

[Though it's a little difficult to say what his expertise is, to be fair.]

It's a good idea not to underestimate them, but you don't have to give them too much credit right off, either. People with great power don't always know what they're playing with. They've made mistakes.

[fionnuisce]

I'm definitely not calling them infallible. But I'm fascinated by the idea of some form of existence that can invoke and exploit Second and arguably Third Magic like it was no problem. And honestly, if they make mistakes with that kind of power, that only serves to worry me more. Who can even say how that could potentially go wrong?

There's no doubt this is beyond my expertise, and that I for one am in way over my head. But since they're the ones that put me in that position to begin with, I'm not going to complain. I want to know what kind of existence can make Dead Apostles sound like harmless kittens, and then I want to know why running this place is apparently the best they have to do with their time.

[canofworms]

Don't get too many white hairs over it. The Tower is still here. I don't know what the warranty on our recycling is, but there are enough of us left here in one piece to rule out some of those unknown disasters you're thinking up.

Maybe there isn't an answer to what they are. But I do wonder what they're doing with this Tower, too.

... Especially today. Is it raining where you are?

[fionnuisce]

Yes, actually. Apparently things like this happen as part of their experiments? That's what I've been told, at least.

[canofworms]

I don't remember whose month it is, but dumping rain on us?

They're destroying their own machinery, too. I think some of these terminals are shorted out.

[fionnuisce]

It wouldn't surprise me. I've got something functioning as an umbrella at the moment, so the one I'm using isn't in too much danger of that yet.

[canofworms]

They could have given us real umbrellas. That would be too easy, wouldn't it?

[Guess who's sitting on top of the terminal with his jumpsuit thing over his head? :| There may or may not be Blade Wing Worms hopping on the keyboard to type for him. Yep, that sure is a thing.]

[fionnuisce]

[Kariya, you dork.]

Do you need help at all?

[canofworms]

If you know where to find a better umbrella than this thing they gave us to wear when we got here, that'd be great.

I'm starting to miss my old hoodies.

[fionnuisce]

Tell me where you are and I'll come help you look for one. I've got something we can use in the meantime.

[canofworms]

The first dormitory floor. If it wouldn't be too far out of your way.

[fionnuisce]

It's not a big deal. Give me a few minutes.

[It only took him about as long as one would expect to get from the third to the first floor. Waver walked as though nothing was out of the ordinary at all, and...was that a shifting form of liquid mercury arching up from the ground behind him and acting as a mobile canopy?]

[The fuck, Waver?]

[canofworms]

[Kariya's still perched on top of his terminal and draped in jumpsuit, rocking back and forth a little while he tries his best to read the text on the screen upside down.

He's still responding to a few messages before he leaves the terminal (who knows when he'll find another working one? Maybe he should leave the jumpsuit here if Waver has something that works better?), so yeah, big hoppy skeleton insects going on here.

The whole tableau freezes when he looks up and blinks, a little sheepishly but also a lot nonplussed.]

... Ah. Not a bad umbrella.

[He thinks the mercury thing looks weirdly familiar....]

[fionnuisce]

...You know, I should ask about ten different questions, but as someone whose Mystic Code can turn into a maid, I feel I would be in a glass house throwing stones.

[Yep.]

[canofworms]

[Chuckling and hopping off his terminal to come over and examine your pet blob. The Blade Wing Worms follow a little raggedly. Rain isn't their favorite weather, even if they're functional.]

I don't think I have ten different questions, but I do wish these made as good an umbrella as yours. You said it's a maid?

[Really.]

[fionnuisce]

Long story, doesn't matter all that much.

[Whatever it was, it didn't seem to take Waver any effort at all to extend the makeshift shelter to cover them both.]

Weren't we going to look for an actual umbrella?

[canofworms]

Sounds like a story worth hearing, honestly.

[Once they're better-acquainted he is totally going to ask after it. Or once he remembers exactly where that thing came from. Oh boy.

There's like, water sloshing around on the floor by now, though, from all the damn rain. The Worms would've probably had to swim or something if they couldn't fly.]

... I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't be looking for a storm shelter, instead.