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

[unfathomabubbly]

Never had myself a reason to try, but I guess I need to. It sounds fun.

[guiltapalooza]

You get to try now. Are you making friends and everything? Seen any good places to move into on the market?

[unfathomabubbly]

Fronds? [ Is that the first hint of self-consciousness creeping up there? But then she's forging on, all bubbly and bright. ]

Done found a way to get myself employed, more'n just that crab huntin' money, I mean. There's a human named Jane, she likes to give me cakes and such, and needed a fisher folk runner of things.

[guiltapalooza]

Yeah, fro-- um, friends. Those. I know it's hard at home, but... you can make them here.

And look at that, getting a job already and everything! Good on you. [Willow beams, both pleased and proud.] Jane seems nice. Maybe you can be friends with her, [she suggests.]

[unfathomabubbly]

She just up and gave it to me because I'm just that valuabubble an asset here on this planet. It's much betta than back home, that's for shore.

[guiltapalooza]

You are valuable, [she agrees firmly.] I'm glad you could find something. And... I'm glad you're here, anyway.

It was really hard on Eridan, being without you. [Willow smiles sadly, thinking of how hard it is for her to be without her friends. But she doesn't want to complain about that again, is getting tired of it. She's learning to move on; yet she's glad that Eridan didn't have to.]

[unfathomabubbly]

Weren't so bad, I think. Being apart, I mean. He's good at it.

He's always meant for somefin bigger, you know that? Meant for bigger'n what we had and greater'n what everybubbly thought he pupated for.

He's got that, think you've got that too. It's like algae that sticks all over your husk, says you belong for something fintastic-like. I hope this is it. I want this t'be your bigger, both of you.

[guiltapalooza]

He's not that good at it. No one is, really.

We won't go anywhere without you, [she says urgently.] Even more than algae, like-- barnacles.

[Willow knows Feferi won't get that exact reference, but she'll get enough of it.]

[unfathomabubbly]

You have to now, I'll stick right on you and grow and grow. You'll never scrape me off.

[guiltapalooza]

There won't be any scraping at all, sweetie, [she says gently, giving her a smile.] We're doing well here, aren't we? Don't think about stuff like that.

[unfathomabubbly]

I'll hold you to it, don't think I won't. We'll have a whale of a time, all three of us.

[guiltapalooza]

And it'll be an extra sized whale. Practically a blue one.