@parker — text.

[webshoots]

I haven't met everyone, so for those of you I haven't met: hey, my name's Peter, wish circumstances were better etc, and I'm going to admit I don't really do this a lot, so you'll have to bear with me.

I know we've just had a meeting to discuss how we can be more prepared in the future and how we can try and limit repeats of the Lighthouse expedition and the party, but that was before Robin and the Doc shared with the class what they know about the World Eaters. New and old, we're all roughly on the same page as far as that's concerned.

Saying it'll be worth putting our heads together at some point to work out how we're going to deal with that threat is an understatement, but... It'll be worth it. Apparently the quickest way to send us all on a one-way trip to definitively not existing is by not working together, and I'll be honest and admit I'm pretty keen on avoiding that.

(That doesn't mean now, for the record, but we've got a time limit and this doesn't look like it's one of those situations where you can cram all night with a jugful of coffee and hope for the best at 8am, day off.)

(And while we're here, can we all agree that murder is bad? Yes? Great.)

I haven't had the (questionable) luck of coming across anyone from my version of Earth here, but we can basically sum it up with: stuff happens. Invading aliens, not-so-invading aliens, pod people, body snatchers, you name it, it's probably happened. I don't want to assume that's the case for everyone here, but I've spoken to enough of you that I feel pretty comfortable going out on a limb and saying that most of us have had experiences that kind of stretch the definition of 'normal'.

Which also means we've got enough experience between us all to make some kind of headway.

(That's the long way of saying "okay, so", by the way.)

There's been a lot of encouragement about exploring Beacon and pulling together whatever we find into something cohesive to be able to figure out a survival plan, and that's great but it's not without its risks.

In life, I had a tech company. At the moment, I've just got it on my tablet, but I've been messing around with something I came up with back home. Think of it like GPS, but with fewer (read: no) satellites.

Radius isn't unlimited and it's not totally foolproof, but if anyone's heading out into the forest and they've got any concerns or reservations about ending up separated from whoever they're with, or unable to find their way back to town, let me know.

Comments

honestly just COMICS LOGIC IDK

[webshoots]

Might be. So what's the other option?

You asked about it. Besides, it wasn't what I really planned on going into and calling it a career is a bit of stretch.

Two. It emits a wavelength that can be picked up by any device that's programmed to. GPS is probably not the most accurate comparison - echolocation is a little more on the nose.

[webshoots]

Woah, woah, let's stop short of burning an entire town, shall we? [ there are so many steps in between this being a totally uncool situation and deciding to raze it to the ground to — not even start again. ] I think we can probably trust that everyone wants some kind of resolution to this, whatever that is, but— [ peter stretches one arm out, then then the other in opposite direction, ] —getting from point A [ he holds up one hand ], to point B [ and the other hand ] is where the mistrust is going to come into play.

[ mister burn the town, dude, no. ] I'm not going to be the violence is never the answer guy here, because sometimes it is, but only in, like, a punch-to-incapacitate kind of way. If wiping out the town was the answer, I don't think it'd have been through so many resets. Sometimes the end doesn't justify the means.

[moderatelymaladjusted]

I didn't mean it literally-- okay, so mostly I did. I just. I can't stay here forever? You know?

[Or maybe Peter doesn't know, maybe he's fully content to just stay here and work on this impossible puzzle until the reset comes and really, they don't even know what the reset is. It could be a memory-wipe on all of them and having to start over, again and again, because this could just as well be hell?]

There's no reason to mistrust the fact that we all want to solve this before we're either reset or-- or being eaten by the World Eaters. None of which sounds all to pleasant and I can live with never knowing which one is worse? But there are things we need to know. To make choices. Like, are we even dead? Where do the spirits go? What are they? Why did they attack?

[webshoots]

I know, believe me.

[ he does, so much. mj will be worried sick, and he doesn't even want to think about what aunt may would be thinking; felicia. even jonah—. the lack of known factors about what this means for their homes makes him feel a little sick each and every time he thinks about it, a coil of panic in the pit of his stomach and his chest tightening just a little bit more the longer he's here—. ]

But there are some things I'm not willing to do to get there — someone else might be. Differences in approach are where any issues are going to come about. [ he runs a hand down his face, making a noise that's possibly a groan before continuing. (he hates this, he hates this so very much.) ] But let's return to the moral quandaries later, when they're both hopefully slightly more relevant and less — [ peter gestures vaguely with both hands ] arson.

So, fine. You want answers and you think the spirits have them. We tag one, and start to track it without being spotted which— [ he eyes quentin for just a second. ] —sure, we manage it somehow. You've got magic. What do we do if it goes wrong?

[quotability]

you think that's a possibility?

[moderatelymaladjusted]

First off, just-- I can't actually set the town on fire? I just thought you should know that. In case-- in case you were thinking I might be someone who, uhm, sets fire to things? Because I don't? Usually. It's just. Fuck it, I couldn't even if I wanted to. Because pyromancy doesn't really work here. None of the spells work properly, but those ones, the ones that set things on fire are the worst. But all spells a off. Just. So you know.

[Because he wasn't, and Quentin holds his hands out and shrugs.]

Goes wrong how? If we get attacked? Because I have a few spells that do work, that doesn't set things on fire, but it pushes things away? And shields? Magical ones? I can do that.

[webshoots]

A possibility? Sure. I’ve heard of weirder.

[quotability]

really? like what

1/2

[webshoots]

[ WELL. ]

2/3 i lied sorry

[webshoots]

You know, that's a really good question. I definitely feel like I've put myself on the spot with that reply...

[webshoots]

[ there's a delay before peter replies because yes, he's experienced weird but like, has he experienced weirder than whatever grizz described? and sure, beacon's weird but— ]

I was pretty sure mind/body snatching was up there, but after what you've told me, I'm not so sure. [ even if he's still really offended that no-one realised doc ock had stolen his body. like, they don't even talk the same. ] I know someone that fell through a dimensional portal into their own past and had to fight their greatest hits of villains to get back to their present.

Apparently their nose almost ended up in the wrong place.

[quotability]

their nose??

[ yep. that's it. that's the reaction.

everything else will need some more processing. ]

[webshoots]

Don't worry, it didn't.

But apparently re-corporealizing a person (I think that's what happened, I'm a bit unclear on the details) requires a lot of concentration.

[ WHO KNEW. ]

[quotability]

re-corporealizing?
is that a thing that happens with dimensional portals?

and how does anyone open a portal like that

[webshoots]

Magic? That's about all I know.

I should point out this wasn't me, so all I've got to go on is second-hand knowledge.

But the answer to that question without the question mark is: aliens. Aliens, magic, and red lightning.

[quotability]

what does red lightning have to do with it?

and aliens and magic?
i mean
we're here, so i should probably not discard that possibility

[webshoots]

It pre-empted the rest of it.

Welcome to Beacon, where we've got both.
So let's not.

[quotability]

there are aliens, too?

[webshoots]

Relatively speaking.

Not everyone's from Earth, Grizz.

[quotability]

i guess that makes sense

[webshoots]

...I mean, technically we're the aliens here.

[quotability]

and the spirits the locals?

[webshoots]

I don't know about that.

Have you been to the museum?

[quotability]

no, not yet
why?

[webshoots]

Some of the natural history exhibits are ... unusual.

--Not that the spirits are what I'm used to calling usual, but I wouldn't want to guess if they're related.