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

[guiltapalooza]

I don't know what to tell you. [She watches the screen sadly, familiar with this worry.] Just that... things are going to happen or they won't, and worrying won't make a difference?

Try to enjoy what you have right now. I-I didn't mean to make this mopey, [she says sheepishly.]

[whomheloved]

Oh, no, I'm sorry, you're right. Worrying doesn't help, and I'm the one who made it all mopey, I've been worse than a wet purrbeast lately! I actually like it here pretty well from what I've seen so far.

[guiltapalooza]

It's okay, we're all wet purrbeasts sometimes. How about we talk about something cheerier? Do you have any plans yet? You and Signless probably want to get your own place.

[whomheloved]

Yes, we'd love to do that! Though we haven't really planned anything so far. I'm going to see if there's any work I can do around here so that we can afford some place small and cozy for the two of us, but with room for the others in case they show up too.

[guiltapalooza]

Maybe I can help you find something. What kind of work do you usually do? Or what would you like to do?

[whomheloved]

I don't really know, actually! Back home I followed Signless and took care of writing down his words and visions, I never had an actual job. I'm very good at tracking and hunting, though, I'm not sure if there's anything I could do with that. I'd be willing to try a lot of things! Especially if it means being able to have a place of our own.

[guiltapalooza]

Writing down words... You could do dictation, [she suggests.] Basically you sit there and record verbatim what people are saying during important events, so that there's a legal record.

Or there's always hunting to do out in the caves. If you have an idea of what you want to try, I can set it up for you. It's part of my schtik.

[whomheloved]

I think I'd prefer to hunt out in the caves, then. Keeping Signless' teachings safe has always been something special to me, I don't think I could bring myself to do anything like that as nothing but a job.

Could you really do that? I'd be happy to hunt and keep areas safe for the residents, if necessary, or to provide food for the people here. I know I could do either or both of those things very well.

[guiltapalooza]

I get it, [she says, nodding.] It's something you do for him.

But yeah, I could do that! [Willow perks up, brightening as she gets more into the idea. She hasn't had a chance to do much liaising yet; seeing in practice that she really can help people instead of just yell at them restores her enthusiasm.] I have all sorts of connections, I've been here for a while.

The Kra'shak that live out there always need help-- that's the lizard guys. It can get really isolated, so it's hard to keep a safe perimeter up. There's cave creatures and outlaws and stuff.

[whomheloved]

That's right. For him and for everyone who needs to hear his message.

Really, you can? Oh, that's wonderful, thank you so much, Willow! Yes, I think I've seen some of them before, although I haven't tried speaking with any of them yet. But I'd definitely like to help with that.

[guiltapalooza]

[She smiles warmly at her.] I think that's really great of you. It's a good message.

Don't mention it-- part of my job, remember? I'll ask around and see what I can find. They're not bad, just, kind of territorial sometimes? But I think it'll work out, you're so experienced and everything.

[whomheloved]

[Di smiles back at her at that.] It is. Oh, wait! I remember you telling me you'd heard of him, and his message, but things were too crazy then for you to explain. Can you tell me about it now, how that happened?

That's all right - I doubt they'll be more territorial than most trolls are! I'm sure I'll be able to work with them.

[guiltapalooza]

[Well, she figures, she's already told Signless the truth, no reason not to tell Disciple.] I was somewhere else before I came here. This... tower, a-- a really bad place. I met him there. I know this isn't the same Signless, [she goes on quickly,] and we weren't that close or anything, but it was just such a relief to find someone like that when everyone else around was trying to torture and murder each other.

[Willow realizes with a jolt that they are talking about something else here, too, and adds a touch awkwardly,] Tell me if you have any problems? Even if I can't do anything, I'll... I can listen.

[whomheloved]

[Disciple nods in a promise to bring any problems that might crop up to Willow. But now she's more curious about how she'd known Signless than about asking more about her new employment. Anything to do with Signless had always come first to her.]

A tower? Another place like this where people are taken from their worlds? [She frowns at that, troubled at the thought, and even more so at imagining her gentle love caught in a place that sounds worse than even Alternia.]

I'm glad you're not there any more. It doesn't sound a place anyone deserves to end up in.

Is it all right if I ask you what you know about trolls and Alternia?

[guiltapalooza]

Yeah. It was awful. Being here is-- is so much better, it was a relief waking up.

But I learned a lot about trolls when I was there. Um, actually... I'm dating one. [She smiles sheepishly and holds up her hand, where a silver ring with a purple heart-shaped gemstone is visible.] Things are pretty different in his Alternia from everyone else, though, so sometimes it's not totally right.

[whomheloved]

Really?! Oh dear light, that's... [she beams, obviously delighted at the news] That's lovely, congratulations, I'm so happy for you.

Hmmm...how do you mean different, though?

[guiltapalooza]

[She turns a little red.] Thanks. We've been together for a while, and his moirail's here now, so... one big happy family.

Where he's from, the hemospectrum goes the other way-- seadwellers are on the bottom. That's really the biggest difference.

[whomheloved]

That's good to hear. Moirails being apart is never a good thing.

Really? [Her forehead furrows in a frown.] It's as if our race is incapable of not trying to keep someone down. If only there was an Alternia out there where the hemospectrum just didn't exist.

[guiltapalooza]

Yeah, tends to lead to the crazy, [she jokes. She needs a bit of lightness if they're going to be talking about social inequality.]

There probably is somewhere, but it's not unique to trolls. It's at least illegal where I'm from, even if it does still happen. And they do pretty well here-- maybe they're just all so much in the same boat, they don't have time for inter-race squabbles.

[whomheloved]

Unfortunately. [Alas, she doesn't get the joke. She's known trolls to go crazy without a moirail to soothe them.] But living in a more peaceful world should be good for all of us, whether we have moirails here or not. I'd like to meet your matesprit and his moirail one day, Willow, if that would be all right?

It could be that. Signless always thought that working together would help soothe the differences between us that the hemospectrum keeps on trying to reinforce.

[guiltapalooza]

[It's more of a morbid joke. Willow herself goes pretty violent-crazy without someone to rein her in, but she has to put some humor in it in order to cope.] It should be good, [she agrees, nodding eagerly. She's as happy to hear optimism as always.] And... sure, maybe. I wouldn't mind, but-- they've sort of had a hard time, and I don't think they're very fond of Signless.

[Isn't that putting it diplomatically.]

I know we've-- my friends and I have-- worked with some demons before that we never thought we would, just cause we had to to survive. After a while you just forget that you thought all demons were untrustworthy in the first place. It changes.

[whomheloved]

[Disappointment and then sadness cloud her face in quick succession, gone almost as soon as they're there as Disciple strives to keep a smile on her face.] That's all right. I understand. [She didn't, not quite, but she'd hoped a troll who was open-minded enough to love a human would have been more likely to believe in Signless' message.]

Mm, it can always change, and does. It just needs to be given a chance.

[guiltapalooza]

[Oh no, she's all sad, and now Willow feels guilty.] I'm sorry-- they agree with him, really, just. History is sort of different where they're from. Like there's probably some sweet, grandmotherly version of the Condesce out there somewhere, but I'm not sure I'd trust her.

You probably have enough to worry about without worrying about this. I'm not doing so well at this cheering up conversation thing, [she says wryly.]

[whomheloved]

What happened to them, Willow? Although...if you think they'd rather other people didn't know, that's fine too of course. [She offers her a smile.] It's okay, it's about important things. Talking those over first leaves us with more time to smile and laugh later on, right?

[guiltapalooza]

Um, well, I think I'll just let them tell it if they want to tell it. Which they might want to, but probably not in the friendliest way possible, [she says as a warning, hesitant.]

Hopefully. I'll have to make it up to you somehow and, and treat you to lunch or something.

[Does Willow seem desperate for new friends? Maybe not desperate per se, but pretty darn eager. It's been a long time since she had someone she could just talk to unreservedly, her own age, and she really wants it.]