001 . video . psa

[guiltapalooza]

[The video clicks on to reveal a small, slender, nervous-looking redhead. She has a frilly white blouse on covered with a leather bomber jacket, more stylish than functional, and she's fidgeting in her seat.

She takes a visible breath and says, somewhat stilted,] Hi. Willow. --That's me, Willow, my name, and. You should call me that. And you should email me?

Wait, sorry, I'm doing this in the wrong order. [She looks embarrassed, but then shakes her head and starts over, calmer now that she's getting into the rhythm.]

I'm Willow Rosenberg and I'm the official Darstone liaison to the newcomers. That means you, cause, if you're on this network, you're a newcomer-- a dimensional kidnap-ee. It's probably not government approved to say kidnap-ee, but that's okay because I work for them so I'm allowed to be especially disgruntled. Actually, even though I work for them, I'm in more or less the same position as you, I just got here earlier. When they needed someone for the job about a month ago I said yes.

Anyway... [Pause as she tries to recover her conversational thread.] Being the liaison means you should come to me if you have problems settling into the city, or if you need to talk to someone official and don't know how to reach them. I can get you in touch. I'm not responsible for deciding who gets to go home, so don't bug me about that or you'll make me cranky and mildly disapproving, and I don't like to be cranky.

But you really should email me if you need something. That's what I'm here for. I also do emergency response sometimes if something goes wrong with one of us, and trust me, I can handle it. So don't cause problems or you'll have to deal with me. [This is half bluffing and half honest confidence.] That means whoever sent those shadow things around during the festival, I better not see that happen again or I'm going to track you down, and there will be consequences.

[Her eyebrows go up in open evaluation.] Got it? Oh, and whoever's sending out the spying snakes, that's just creepy, but not illegal. So keep it not illegal or I'll sic the police chief on you, and she's scary.

... Any questions? About me or about what's going on? It's really mostly answered in the guide on your mirror, but I am answer girl if you have something else.

Comments

[whomheloved]

Oh, hi again, Willow! I'd been meaning to look for you to say thanks again for everything you did for Signless.

[guiltapalooza]

[Oh, she wasn't expecting that sort of response. Willow falters, embarrassed again and slightly shy.]

You don't have to thank me, I just-- try to help people. And I didn't do that much. How are you now that you aren't in a crisis?

[garantundkraft]

::Remember one of those Nazis you were warned about? Yeah, here's the crazy albino one.::

Ah, awesome! We get a pretty dame in our corner! Guten Tag, Fräulein. I'm sure you've heard of the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt by now~

So, Rosenberg? You German-American? Maybe I should get West to do his German-American impression for you sometime. Kesesese~!

[guiltapalooza]

[She looks wary-- she's terrible at hiding her feelings-- but she's not about to say anything. She knows how to play this game, and revealing her hand so fast is not a good idea.]

Guten Tag? [she repeats awkwardly.] I have heard of you, actually, but I'm a lot more on the American side of German-American. My family left a few generations ago. Impression not necessary.

video

[birdhousesoul]

[Without preamble or introduction:]

I'm a mage and I'm going to need some lyrium potions.

video

[guiltapalooza]

[She blinks for a second, but goes along with it with the ease of someone used to rapid topic changes.]

Okay. What's lyrium?

[little_miss_snarker]

So are you the person I should've contacted when one of my roommates threatened me with a fork?

[guiltapalooza]

[Her eyes widen.]

Yes. Um, yes, definitely. Did you get that resolved, or do I need to... something?

[aboutwhynot]

Maybe we should work on making the snakes illegal.

[guiltapalooza]

Stein, we can't make snakes illegal, [she scolds.]

... Though we should make spying on private activities illegal, if it isn't already. Actually, if she gets annoyed enough, I'm not sure if Chief Kadra will care about legality. [It was one of the nice things about her, in Willow's opinion.]

[nakenakesnake]

If you do that, you might as well make rats and frogs illegal as well. [ Totally not mentioning those two things for a reason, nope. ]

[namigational]

If you're not the person we talk to about going home, who do we talk to?

[guiltapalooza]

It's a Council decision, so there's no one in particular. You could petition them if you want, I guess, but there's a waiting period.

It'd probably be quicker to just get home the other way.

[unfathomabubbly]

Somebubbly sounds downright professional-like.

[guiltapalooza]

M-Me? Professional?

[She's suddenly looking not professional at all. Instead, awkward.] I think you have the wrong person. I'm just trying to do my job. And... not be a doormat.

[whisks]

I've never been kidnapped before!

[ And she looks downright excited about it, too. Obviously she is brand new. You can almost smell the new car smell. ] But gosh, we'll get to go home eventually, right? Maybe? Because I have a lot of super important things to do, and none of my friends are answering when I call for them.

threadjack

[telesticgodhead]

[He was going to mind his own business and just put in his two cents about the snake problem, but this stops him dead in his tracks. Hope has never been his thing, but... it looks like her. Trying to be sure never hurts, right? Too bad he's too surprised to be able to keep the hesitantly hopeful look off his face.]

Jade? Do you know me?

[guiltapalooza]

You'll get to go home eventually, I'm... pretty sure. Time doesn't really go on while you aren't there, so they won't even notice you're gone.

Is getting kidnapped really that exciting?

private; magic-anyone who tries to hack will be shocked

[telesticgodhead]

I hope you don't mind, I couldn't help but overhear a bit of yours and Stein's conversation about snakes. I'm currently in the process of finding a way of dealing with that woman for him, so if you need any help I'd be glad to lend a hand. Stein's well-being is in my best interest.

private; magic-anyone who tries to hack will be shocked

[guiltapalooza]

Why is his well-being so much in your interest?

Not to be rude, just, you're new here, aren't you?

not here;

[nakenakesnake]

[ Zap. ]

[ video ]

[kartoffelstampfer]

[Well. You've had the luck of talking to his brother already, so here's the second German nation you've heard about. Albeit he appears a bit different this time: No uniform, only his black tank and over that... A mint green apron. Also he's wearing his glasses and just after the video goes on he's picking up a towel to dry his hands before pushing said glasses back up a little.

Congratulations, you have the cooking Third Reich on the phone. And, alas, he's being rational.]

Hnn. So what exactly do they want us to do here? Aside from being located underground this place seems to be doing fine. They have a government and working law enforcement. It rather sounds as if they're inviting further trouble in by bringing foreigners here.

[ video ]

[guiltapalooza]

[Man, the apron makes it so darn hard to be intimidated. She stares nonplussed for a second, and then awkwardly goes to respond.]

It probably is more trouble, but I think they want to be doing better than just fine. It's taken them a long time to get here, and they sort of don't want to live underground forever, I think? So many years of the same things not making a difference pushes them to think outside the box. And we're pretty far outside the box.

[anaglyphiic]

2pyiing 2nake2??????

[guiltapalooza]

Yeah, didn't you notice them? They feel magical when I concentrate on them, but they don't really do anything.

[video | magic & tech locked]

[blitzkriegd]

[hm. England was trying to keep off of the Network, but he's pinged by Prussia and Germany contacting Willow. and since he wants to watch out for her, he feels that maybe he should reveal his state to her.

so he sends her a message. he keeps his face close to the screen for the time being, but she'd be able to see bandages around his head or a few cuts on his face]

Hello, miss Rosenberg. You certainly seem to have taken to your job quickly. [genuine]

[video | magic & tech locked]

[guiltapalooza]

[She starts.] What happened to you? [she says quickly, leaning forward to frown in alarmed concern.]

Did you go to the hospital? Never mind my job-- are you okay, Mr. Kirkland?

video;

[countseadipshit]

[Hey, remember this guy?]

Hey, Will, how much money would I need to mowe outta this place into a hiwe of my own, and support myself there? Since you gowerment-types are too stingy to just giwe me what I already deserwe by right of royalty.

video;

[guiltapalooza]

[It'd be impossible to forget him.]

It depends on where you want to move into. Me and-- uh, my roommates, are moving into a place in Frogtown soon, but if you don't mind it being not so nice, South always has cheap apartments.

Oh, and I'd think twice about using your royalty argument on me. Where I'm from, we got rid of our monarchy about two hundred years ago. It's not so popular here, either.