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

[anaglyphiic]

II liike my priivacy.

[guiltapalooza]

That might be a hard thing to get, what with this being a city and all. Though you'd think we could at least expect not to have snakes spying on us. That's probably an inalienable right of existence.

[anaglyphiic]

... II wiill be moviing 2oon.
Away from mo2t of ... thii2.

[guiltapalooza]

Oh, me too! Though not to get away, more because my boyfriend's moirail showed up and now we don't have enough space in our apartment. I'm even agreeing to keep a flooded basement for them. It must be love.

[anaglyphiic]

Oh.
You know about moiiraiil2.
Well that'2 an iintere2tiing 2urprii2e.
Who ii2 your mate2priit?

[guiltapalooza]

We've been dating for months and months, I know lots about trolls. It's Eridan-- the older one from the world with the opposite hemospectrum.

You're Sollux, right? I've never seen anyone else use 2s like that.

[anaglyphiic]

Oh.

[And suddenly he's not going to bring it up or ask about it again.]

Ye2, my name ii2 2ollux.

[guiltapalooza]

Don't worry, I know that one of the interdimensional constants is that Solluxes and Eridans don't get along. I won't be offended.

[anaglyphiic]

Whiich one ii2 the one wiith the oppo2iite hemo2pectrum agaiin.

[guiltapalooza]

Older and no glasses. Also, in my opinion, devastatingly handsome, and much less of a jerk. But you're his kismesis on his world so I think you'd probably still get the jerkness, even if you're not really him.

[anaglyphiic]

yeah ii got 2ome of that when he me22aged me.
2tiill can't 2ay ii 2ee the appeal.

[guiltapalooza]

That's okay, I'm not sure you're supposed to.

Have you been settling in okay? Can I help you with anything? We don't have to talk about my love life.

[anaglyphiic]

II'm 2ettliing iin fiine.
IIt'2... iit feel2 very laiid back here.

[guiltapalooza]

That happened to me, too. It was pretty intense where I was before-- and the place before that. Everybody's just kind of living their life here.

[anaglyphiic]

IIt'2 niice.

[guiltapalooza]

You planning on doing that, too? That whole nicely living your life thing?

[anaglyphiic]

Well there'2 not much el2e two do, and that alway2 2ort of wa2 part of the plan before the a22a22iin2.

[guiltapalooza]

That's what I've been doing. Not that I had assassins, but there were plenty of things trying to kill me, or my friends, or destroy the world, blah blah.

It's a little weird to get used to just, being normal. Even magic is considered normal, and they won't think too much of you being a seadweller, either. Honestly you probably look more like a native than I do.

[anaglyphiic]

II gue22 II 2hould be grateful for thii2 peace at lea2t.
II... am worriied about my friiend2 who aren't here though.
And Ampere...

[guiltapalooza]

Time stops while you're here. I mean, it stops back home. When I got sick they sent me back and it was like I'd never left at all. Kind of freaky, but also, comforting.

Who's Ampere?

[anaglyphiic]

II 2tiill... feel bad.
II left at a really horriible tiime.

He'2 my lu2u2.

[guiltapalooza]

Oh. I'm sorry. It's really hard, maybe especially since we can't do anything. I feel awful about leaving my friends and the world's not even ending anymore.

I don't know if it's possible not to feel badly about it.

[anaglyphiic]

Yeah.
The world kiind of WA2 endiing when II left.

[guiltapalooza]

Ouch. Did anyone come through with you? Are you by yourself?

[anaglyphiic]

Ju2t Tavro2.
II wii2h Kana wa2 here.
Or even Karkat.
...
Maybe Ju2t Kana.