𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚡 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔

[Billy is currently handcuffed to a chair following the recent downtime event. He doesn't look to unperturbed by his current predicament either. Maybe a little annoyed, but that would be about it.]

So... I wouldn't ask how I got here, cause that don't matter none.

[It... it doesn't? As he spoke, he slipped his tie off and started to feel around the invisible handcuffs.]

But I gotta hand it to these folks, invisible cuffs? That's a first one for me! Haha...!

[Smiling, he found what he was looking for and began to methodically wrap his tie around the cuffs, going from the inside then out. Like he was wrapping a bandage.]

But it still ain't no bother.

[Once it was finished, the hand that had been busy wrapping the tie around the cuff moved to grasp the chain connecting the two cuffs together, keeping him tied to the chair before pulling it tight. Pressing his hand down onto the armrest of the chair while keeping the cuff from moving as his hand slowly began to pull itself free.]

Ain't... no... bother...

[A few more pulls and...! His hand was freed from the handcuff, leaving him smiling his usual, infectious smile.]

...at all! And that's how you get out of a pair of handcuffs without breaking your hand! Haha!

Heya kids! Don't forget to wish Vash a big ol' And I don't know. Mob him with presents or something. Buy some donuts. Go nuts.

[Here's another newbie! Jessica turns on the recording, has that awkward moment of waiting for it to start.]

now? ok! Hello everyone! I'm Jessica. I'm new here and I've got a few questions.

[She holds up one finger.] Is killing kaiju the only way to make money around here?
[A second finger.] What sort of style clothes do you wear to a wedding in this town?
[A third finger.] Does anyone have experience setting up a shrine?

Thanks in advance! If I can help any of you out with healing or monster clean-up, count on me!

[She flashes the camera a smile, then has another moment of blinking and fumbling to disconnect the recording.]

[In a picture perfect seiza, Yugamu waves politely to start the video.]

Hello, everyone! I've spoken to a few of you already, but I wanted to try and make a more professional first impression!

[Putting his hand down primly on his lap, and smiling brightly in a way that could not possibly prepare you for what he's about to say;]

My name is Yugamu Omokage, and while I'm a professional assassin, currently, my goal is to become a doctor! If anyone has any tips on how to best further my education, I'd love to hear it! That said, if any of you are personally offended by Dr Spim's conscientious bedside manner like Mr. Silco, I'm happy to provide an alternative, I have lots of hands on surgical experience!

[This absolutely needless shot at Silco is offered completely blithely like it's funny to him, rather than a genuine mean spirited critique of the man.]

The other thing I'd like to ask after is information about the kaiju. I know there's some on public record, but I'm curious to get more personal accounts, particularly if anyone else has tried taking them apart or tested any toxins on them!

In any case, I look forward to working with all of you! My previous monster killing experience was with people my age so I hope to learn a lot here.

All right, ladies and gentleman and gentlepeople! It's time for the main event! That's right, it's what you've all been waiting for!

BEETLE BATTLE TIME

At 3 o'clock, at the park, we're gonna bring our toughest, meanest, more ferocious beasties to battle it out! Who will be the best of them all and take home the prize!

[ jinx pulls back to reveal the prize which is a fancy look trophy, gleaming and bright. normally, she'd put her trademark style on it, but if she wants a wider appeal, she has to go . . . sighs, corporate. ]

And of course, I will be supervising and commentating! Join us for fun! The glam! The honour!

Jinx out!

out of curiosity: would you pay to cuddle or nap with a furry animal, if you had the option? if you didn't have to do any cleanup and you're assured they won't have rabies or anything like that.

i've met enough people who seem to want physical comfort of this type, so i thought i might ask.

[ this is a sincere enquiry, please respect his post! ]

If anyone has received a green beetle they would like to sell, please let me know. I'm not sure I can offer as much as you could elsewhere, but these creatures would be a big benefit to all of us. I would like to set them up in the greenhouse and gardens in Okinawa to help facilitate plant growth, and harvest the groves. They would be a huge help in growing food for us all.

Think of it this way: the more food we can grow, the less ration bars we need to eat.

Do contact me if you're interested. Thanks for your time.

[There's a pause before the post is edited, and more is added.]

I hope everyone has been recovering well. If you were someone who became corrupted in the Underworld and suspect that not all of it has been purged from your system, please come see me. I can help. My room is Everlight 012.

[OOC: feel free to use this post for beetle trading and selling in general, too.]

[ This message is sent to anyone Ereshkigal hasn't talked to since the event ended, even if she's never had any CR with them. Each message is personalized and individual but I - the player - cannot write individual messages for every character in the game. So please assume there are variations to the message your character got, thank you. ]

Greetings,

I have done terrible and inexcusable things over the course of those past few months. Though I was corrupted through the power of the rift, I take full responsibility for those things I did. The rift did not create anything: it only exploited what was already there within my heart. It is entirely my fault for having allowed emotions and feelings that could later be exploited to fester within my heart.

I have been allowed to stay and continue helping in the efforts to help this world, and I intend to do my utmost to prove myself an ally of humanity. I do not expect anyone to forgive me and I understand if you are afraid of me or would rather never see me again: I shall do my utmost to be invisible to you. However, I shall not relent from helping LILITH as my love for humanity is unwavering and has never changed.

Most importantly, please do not hold any grudge towards others who have been corrupted. If you find yourself having negative thoughts towards them, such thoughts are misplaced. They are kind souls who sought to help me, and suffered as a result of it. They are amongst the most beautiful souls I have ever encountered and they in no way deserve to be treated poorly. Note this statement only partially apply to Silco. Though you should bear no grudge towards him for what transpired last month, I do not consider him to be a kind and beautiful soul.

Furthermore, I would like to put an end to some strange rumors that reached my ears. It is said I took people in relationship to assist me when I was corrupted. Well, just about every of the people I consider close to my heart are in relationships. It would have been more surprising had one of the seven guardians been someone not in a relationship. The pattern some of you may have observed is as such, not a pattern at all.

Lastly, I would like to issue a warning about those rifts. Please avoid them at all costs. Though I dare not presume your heart bears the seeds that could lead to an apocalyptic outcome, it is evident the potential for evil exists within us all. Rifts should be avoided entirely until we understand them better.


I am sorry for everything.

-- Ereshkigal

How is everyone's lockdown going so far?

Barring other, recent, events.

^•ﻌ•^ฅ

A question out of idle curiosity while we're all under quarantine.

Would anyone happen to know if the current illness is capable of being transmitted from Outsiders to this world's denizens? While we seem to be immune, I still wonder about our ability to still transmit it to others.

[It's a very quick image of Cagalli standing in front of a random wall at the Kyoto base, looking solemn yet still put together. No crash outs here. She's letting someone else do that.]

As of now, Yzak's name can be added to the list of confirmed rift related disappearances. This matches up with Raidou's list, but please keep an eye on each other anyway. Taking dumb chances now is the last thing we need.

Where are we on finding an exact location in Iraq?

As an important aside, his mobile suit is also missing. Being tied to our machines like this is new, it's not something we dealt with back home.

[ the feed starts with denji facing the screen. sweat and blood mix on his dirt-smeared skin, streaks that trail from a hidden injury behind the messy curls on his forehead. for anyone who fought by his side, they will know why he's a gory mess. his expression is hard to place— his brows furrowed, jaw clenched tight, but behind it all, there is something quieter, something ... brittle; tracks of dried tears curve through the grime on his cheeks, barely noticeable beneath the mess, but it's there. at least he's somewhat sober and not too out of control? well, on screen. an hour ago, it was a different story-

-hence why a familiar face is sitting next to him, the one who had to deal with that mess and knock some sense into him. his tone is a bit rough, a bit shaky. ]

... Katsuki's gone. [ god. just saying those words ... ] I tried to grab him before he got pulled in, held on for as long as I could ... but I couldn't save him.

And ... [ he glanced over raidou. ] ... Yuji's gone, too.

[ raidou is similarly streaked with blood in places, thanks to trying to calm his hysterical friend. quite the feat when he was on the brink of a freak out himself. instead, he sits near denji, eyes away, glassy and distant. when denji mentions yuji's name, his eyes finally refocus. his voice is a quiet croak.]

... I'm sorry. My theory was incorrect.

[ that's it. raidou will not be responding to any texts the next few days, try as one might. if you want to talk to him, you'll have to come find him.]

[When the feed cuts on, it may not be clear who it is the camera is focused on, because instead of there just being regular old happy Yato, there's a raging god with dark wisps emanating from his entire being along with red sclera glaring angrily as he seethes. When he talks, his voice drips with venom, low and dangerous.]

Raidou's theory is being proven right - Hiyori got sucked into a rift as well. I'm going in after her, damn the consequences.

[Somebody may need to sit on him...]

For those who do not know, several Outsiders have vanished into rifts. The first was Ereshkigal, during the kaiju battle in Egypt. As far as I know, no contact has been established.

Since then, three other Outsiders have also vanished: Ratio, Godzilla, Tsurumaru. I have been investigating but coming up mostly short.

There were no witnesses for Ratio's disappearance, but Nyuu and Hayakawa have confirmed that a rift opened and took both Godzilla and Tsurumaru. Only they were taken, despite not being alone at the time.

I may have a clue as to who is next.

I do not wish to cause panic or alarm, and I am not sure what can be done to prevent anyone else from being taken. I will bring these findings to LILITH as well.

During the mission in Egypt, we were inserted into the dreams and memories of other Outsiders. I saw one of Ereshkigal's. In this memory, she was speaking with several other Outsiders. Seven to be exact. Among them were Ratio, Godzilla, and Tsurumaru.

The other four were Yzak, Hiyori, Kabru, and Silco.

Kabru is already gone, though his name is gone from the network, a glitch. Those taken by the rifts are still listed, but unable to be contacted.

I would encourage those others in then memory to not be alone until this is solved.

If you have any other information you would like to document in this post, please do. We need to share what we can in order to get to the bottom of this. I pray you all stay safe.

[OOC: Raidou's theory on this player plot might be shot very quickly, but he doesn't know that. Go wild with the speculation in the meanwhile!]

[ She's trying very hard to keep it all together. Not just for her own sake either. Lucy's emotions have been chaotic since early this morning and she's not sure how to handle it other than to cry.

Still, in the midst of hiccups, she stammers out. ]

G-Goji-san, he was- Kaede-san saw...uuuu...

[ No, she can't do it. She can't keep it together. She's crying again with a total lack of dignity and sobs leaving her lungs starved for air. ]

[ For anyone familiar with Aki, the lack of proper grammar and brevity might be alarming, as might the content of his message. ]

tsurumaru is gone too.

pulled into a rift.

if anyone knows anything i want to know. i need to find him.

whatever it takes.

This is Muramasa.

Just before we left last month, I was given leave to keep a smithy on the premises of the base in Kyoto. It's functional now, so the lot of you using blades from our employer need to come have a proper edge put on them. Don't dawdle: you're embarrassing me, walking around like that as it is with those things. Same goes for those of you with personal blades that need upkeep.

[ now, time for the announcement of the grand opening of peepaw's sword emporium. Sort of. ]

Now, if you just want a proper blade of your own for our work here, and I've got a finished one on hand, you can have it if you pay me back for those materials. (Don't do anything stupid with it — they're swords, not toys.) Or, if katana ain't your style and you want something special, or you'd like a matching set, I can do that too. I'll have to test ya so I can see what suits you, plus I'll be charging you for materials and time away from my own work, but it's a properly forged sword made by a master, and you can't beat that price these days.

[ nobody would be so shifty as to start selling those swords on an underground, black market, right? definitely not. ]

And before I forget—Kuzunoha, Laios. You two come see me at the smithy when you're free, regarding the work we talked about before.

[ He already talked to you boys about blades, so you're exempt from this decree about payment... but only once.

And lastly, but most importantly: ]

... Tsurumaru-dono, please feel free to come visit as well. I'd like to see how you're holding up, now that there's a proper forge to work in.

[This is sure another giant turtle. Be it one wearing a blue mask instead of Donnie's usual purple. Thanks to his twin for grabbing him fabric for mask based purposes.]

Blabity blabity blah blah we're all conscripted into a war we don't know the true depths of. [Leo waves a hand dismissively.] Whateverrrr. We'll figure it out. We got butt to kick, names to take, insert heroic speech here. I'll cook you up something inspiring after a bit of a gab session, alright?

[A very normal start to a video post right here. The turtle is seated in his brothers' dorm room, just lazily taking up his space. He is Leisuring.]

I'd like to belatedly say 'sorry if my brother pissed you off', cause apparently Dee has been stirring dramaaaa without me.

Which brings me to the real question, whose gonna spill tea on what my twin has been up to? He's tight-lipped about some stuff, sooo, someone fill a guy in?

[yes, he's starting this conversation WHILE in his brother's room.]

[ What else is a sorcerer-slash-king-of-curses supposed to do in the late hours of the evening than browse the internet out of boredom? Or try to.

Emphasis on "try." ]

Courtesans
Courtesans in Neo-Tokyo metropolitan area

[ ...wait, what's going on?

Why aren't any of his search terms producing results? They're just sitting there when he hits "send?" This search engine is terrible. Who designed this?

Maybe he should use more exact terms. Is he using criteria that are too broad? ]

Courtesans that know how to play shogi
Courtesans that know how to play shogi near me

[ Still nothing.

Alright this is starting to piss him off... ]

Ratio's missing.

And not just in the "they've left this world" way people tend to go missing, someone took him. And if I find out that it's one of you--

I'm finding him and there is nothing on this backwater dying planet that will keep me from destroying whatever is between me and him. That's your one and final warning.