[audio] @ORACLE; [open]

[spitefullight]

[ Elden's been fiddling with this tablet thing for awhile. Want to know how long? Because for the last ten minutes his tablet has been going on and off voice, you can catch little snippets of; ]

Damn it, work you piece of-

For the love of- why does there need to be so many buttons-UUGGGGH-

[Static.....
....

Finally, though he manages to stay on audio; ]

Right, so, hi everyone, my name's Elden. We've been here a few days now and I'm pretty sure everyone's already looking into whatever's going on here.

I mean, it's a big spooky, dark town, who wouldn't want to figure out what the hell was going on. So, there were a couple of things I wanted to bring up.

One is I think we need to start compiling all the info we've found out about this place so far. Even the stuff they told us when they got here. If we're ever going to figure out why this place is perpetual night that's probably what we should do. Maybe we could keep some kind of log book in the Inn to keep us up to date.

[ He pauses before bringing up his next point. ]

Second, if there's anyone willing to go into the forest with me? I'm not sure what's in there but it'd be dangerous to go in by yourself. Especially if there are undead lurking in that forest.

All right, well that's all for now. Thanks.

Comments

@fuckthis

[evocation]

kids leading expeditions into mysterious forests that might be filled with demons and liches and shit?
nope

[spitefullight]

What does my age have to do with anything?
Not to mention who says I would be leading? I'm more of support role than anything.

[evocation]

what do you mean, what does your age have to do with anything?
you said you were fifteen
i think we should hold off on sending the high school freshmen into the woods

[spitefullight]

[ Ah. Of course, the "You're a kid angle." He should've expected this... ]

I'm not helpless and this isn't my first time dealing with life threatening scenarios. So, pretty sure my age shouldn't matter.

[evocation]

cool
i don't care
we've got soldiers who have fought in literal wars and explorers and people who do this for a living with years and decades of experience
let's have them go before we start throwing kids in there
no one wants a teenager dying on their watch

[spitefullight]

...Wow. I'm just.

I'm not going to just sit here and do nothing. So, you can say that all you want but that's really not going to stop me to do what has to be done.

So, it's not so much as you throwing me in the forest as I'm just going in there because there are bigger problems than age right now.

[evocation]

the "i'm not going to listen to anyone and i'll do what i want anyway!" thing you did with gene and now me is just kinda proving my point, dude

@dysmas :// text

[chardismastic]

👍

[evocation]

god at least someone gets me

[chardismastic]

i mean this is a kid whose first reaction to me saying 'hey you're blocking the light' was to regress back to kindergarten waving his cape around to make an even bigger shadow

so

[spitefullight]

Hey, look, I offered to apologize and I meant it. But, you decided to go all bug eyed and creepy about it.

[chardismastic]

The number you have reached is no longer in service. Please hang up your phone and dial again.

[evocation]

wait what?

[chardismastic]

shit you not

i'm trying to clean my guns and this guy's out of nowhere holding up his cape like a dimestore dracula

[evocation]

did you throw garlic at him?

1/

[chardismastic]

as if i'd waste garlic like that

no i asked him if we had a problem and then he huffed off right before

[chardismastic]

[ wait a fucking minute. ]

3/3

[chardismastic]

you've got that magic thing going on

tell me there's a spell that can create a good bucket's worth of water out of nowhere

[evocation]

yep
that's a really simple spell
why?

[chardismastic]

son of a bitch

right after he took the hint i thought he was just sulking on another bench
but then i got drenched out of nowhere

Locked

[spitefullight]

[ This is frustrating and it's beginning to read in his voice. There's a bubble in his chest that's waiting to burst because all he wants to do is scream angrily. He didn't die because he was doing some stupid stunt, he didn't. He didn't see all that horror to just be told to sit in the corner and be safe. ]

Maybe because I might not be a normal fifteen year old? Do you even know a single thing about me or anything I've been through? No. You don't. So don't assume I'm helpless or incapable.

Locked

[evocation]

[Kyna lets out a long-suffering sigh and switches to audio.]

I get it because I've done the same shit. I thought people just didn't get it and that almost got my ass killed like, a few times. If you're just gonna insist you're right, what's going to happen when someone takes you along and shit goes down? No one's going to trust you to listen when there's a demon about to kill everyone.

[spitefullight]

[ Elden's breath catches in his throat, his nose flares as he clenches his fists tightly. He wants to yell at this woman, but finally he lets out a slow exhale through his nose trying to relieve tension. ]

Listen, I'm just trying to be useful. I can't sit here and not do something if it means there's a potential of going back or leaving this place. All I'm doing right now is give suggestions to be useful and if all of you are just going to shoot me down then what am I suppose to do?

[ He lets out a long standing breath again through his nose, beginning to level his head out. He decides to concede a bit; ]

You're right I need to prove myself to you that I wouldn't freeze up in a fight or run away. If you're worried I'm going to get someone killed than show me how to be better. Give me experience, give me a chance to show it. I'll listen, I'll follow orders but I have to do something than wait.

[ He pauses for a moment, debating whether he should even say the next part. But he keeps his voice from trembling with the next part despite how hard it is to say; ]

My friends are in a war and fighting hard back home to save our city from a madman that would kill everyone for not worshipping a goddess of undeath. How do you expect me to sit here and not try my best or do what I'm good at when I know my friends are?

[evocation]

Yeah, but that's not what you're doing. When people tell you "no" you dig in and act like...

[Well.]

Like a kid.

[Harsh, maybe, but she has a tendency to be blunt.]

And I get that shit is bad at home. My friends were fighting a war, too, and I don't know how many of them are even alive. That doesn't mean throwing yourself into danger here is gonna help them or anyone else. People are going to feel weird about you helping with some stuff because most of us are from places where child soldiers are illegal and the only jobs kids can do is like... flipping burgers. Just because you had to do awful shit at home doesn't mean you should have to do it here.

[spitefullight]

[ Breathe once. Breathe twice. He's made sure to turn off the call for a good solid minute as he breathes. He knows he can be impulsive. Quick to anger, he's come far from that but he knows he has work. So, fine, he will remain as calm as he can when he turns it back on. His tone is calm and even when he's back. ]

I'm digging in because you're not offering me any other suggestions. I said offer me something else than stand by. I know I'm young, and yeah I know I can be immature sometimes...I'm not perfect. But, I try to be better everyday. Doing nothing isn't something I can't in good conscience do...and my friends or my goddess wouldn't want that for me either.

[ His voice rings with conviction, a mixture of youthful optimism and a deep well of belief. ]

I was never a child soldier. I was just someone who was given the means to help others and I intend to use that power when I can. If this helps everyone get back to their loved ones whether it be alive or in the true afterlife than I'll do that.

Everything I've done has always been my choice. Not someone forcing me to.