donttalktome: (:()
William Ingram ([personal profile] donttalktome) wrote in [community profile] networkinthenight2019-09-03 04:23 pm

@dr; text

This is Dr. Ingram, for those who are new. I won't waste time with pleasantries here, as I'm not exactly in the mood.

It perhaps goes without saying that I didn't expect to be the one telling you all this.
Winters would've likely phrased it in his usual well-meaning, forthright way.
But he's not here anymore, so you get what you get.

Let's start off by correcting a misconception.
I don't like Robin, and I probably never will.
We don't get along, and though I see she's neglected to share the particulars on that subject, this doesn't seem like the best time to clarify.
But you see, while I don't like her, and I don't exactly trust her, I'm also not stupid enough to think that what she's doing up there is pointlessly malicious.
She isn't toying with us simply for her own amusement, and at the moment she isn't threatening us, but I swear to whatever nonsense ancient deity you worship that if you lot manage to antagonize her into a reset, I will personally blame you.
And yes, I will likely still be around to do so.
(Your security is better this time, Miss Keeper, but let's remember that nobody's perfect.)

But that's digressing.
I suppose it might be understandable that you think she's lying about being useful, given that you haven't been told what her purpose is.
She mentioned that she was watching for something, but not what that something is.
Somethings. Plural.
They don't have a name, at least not one we know, but over the years some unfortunates no longer with us have decided to call them the World Eaters, on the assumption that they might've had something to do with the state this world is currently in.
A bit dramatic if you ask me, but it gets the job done.

What we know about these entities is scarce.
They are massive, they are ruthlessly destructive, and they cannot be reasoned with.
They are attracted to clusters of activity, of light, because that's what they feed on.
You can see why all of this might be a problem for us specifically.

If the World Eaters reach Beacon, they will wipe us off the map with much more permanence than Robin could ever manage.
This place will no longer be a viable "home" for anyone unlucky enough to survive, and we don't know if there is another.
At the moment, we strongly doubt it.
As it stands, Beacon and its lighthouse, the bonfire, the lanterns— they might very well be the last sources of light on this planet.
If the World Eaters snuff them out, then that's it.

Eventually, they always catch wind of our presence. There's just too much here for them not to notice.
And that, for those of you who haven't put two and two together yet, is why resets occur.
Lantern light seems to attract them the most.
By eliminating the concentration of it, the World Eaters can be thrown off the scent yet again, for a while, at least.
Groups who aren't making progress toward a solution are reset early, because they'd only die anyway when the World Eaters find them and it isn't worth the risk.

By my estimations and those of others, we have roughly 22-24 months.
It's a generous time limit, but it is a time limit.
Do not forget it.
And don't give her a reason to reset us beforehand.

I'm willing to answer questions, but potentially not stupid ones.
And don't expect any reassurances.
Winters and his confidence in you are both gone.
colonists: <user name="efficio"> (pic#11379772)

text | @cgriffin

[personal profile] colonists 2019-09-03 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ...what in the actual hell is this. this is almost too much to process, and vague enough that it's telling them something while not really telling them anything at all.

except that they have 22-24 months. ]


Where are these 'World Eaters'? Where do they come from?

I know you said information on them is scarce, but there has to be more known about them if they're the ones who've been responsible for the multiple resets of this place.
originallutece: sending you back where you came from, STOP JUGGLING (neutral; considering)

@rlutece

[personal profile] originallutece 2019-09-03 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Chilling, but precise.

Can they be killed?
mollymocked: (⚔ 'cause every night i lie in bed)

@mollymauk

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-09-03 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
would you consider asking what the fuck a reset is a stupid question?

if it's somewhere on this bloody device, you really have to know that i'm not a big reader and personally i'd rather hear the answer from someone as charming as you are.


[no need to measure your cheek dick here, molly.]
Edited 2019-09-03 20:38 (UTC)
beaconkeeper: (014)

@keeper; text

[personal profile] beaconkeeper 2019-09-03 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks for this. And for the confidence in me.

Which is what I'm choosing to take this as! We're starting over as far as I'm concerned.

Here's hoping this puts us all on the same page.
lunchbreaks: (go slowly with me now)

Text, @hello

[personal profile] lunchbreaks 2019-09-03 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Dearest Dr. Ingram,
I wonder what the point was of not having disclosed this information sooner, but I suppose that is in the past.

If you will need to restore this world in order to proceed in moving our souls to our respective afterlives then I will assist you.

What weapons have been gathered in anticipation of the World-Eaters?
Sincerely,
Aziraphale
consecrates: (Default)

@dclaire

[personal profile] consecrates 2019-09-03 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
you're still likely to be here after this reset.
but i'm assuming everyone else won't be.
why is that?
aren't we all dead, like what winters said?
colonists: <user name="driftsuit"> (pic#10751085)

[personal profile] colonists 2019-09-03 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ semantics, will. semantics. it's a pretty damn good educated guess. ]

There has to be something we can do about them, if they do make it here. They have to have a weakness of some sort. If the forest spirits can be killed, maybe these things can at least be driven off.
callada: (se siente bien estar aquí)

[personal profile] callada 2019-09-03 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Much appreciated.

Is there any record of what past groups have already tried?
beaconkeeper: (010)

[personal profile] beaconkeeper 2019-09-03 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Sooo are we square?
originallutece: but not for long i promise you (talk; PUZZLED)

[personal profile] originallutece 2019-09-03 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Fair enough. Then what do you propose we spend 22 months doing?
colonists: <user name="bungalows"> (pic#11415270)

[personal profile] colonists 2019-09-03 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
What larger issue is there, besides the destruction and subsequent reset of this place?

[ i mean, rly??? ] I don't know about you, but I don't want to die.

....Again.
lunchbreaks: (if you change your mind)

[personal profile] lunchbreaks 2019-09-03 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Well if it bothers you so much I'll be happy to write to you in this manner but a simple request would have sufficed.

How did you hold them back last time? Surely that is pertinent information to note; that way if we can't hurt them, perhaps we could at least learn something while buying ourselves more time.

And has anyone made an attempt to ask the spirits if they know anything? I think I have been making headway with my instrument but my syntax is quite lacking.

Aziraphale.
trivialpursuit: (the sound of gently stirred mac n cheese)

@hierophant

[personal profile] trivialpursuit 2019-09-03 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
What provokes her to reset early, exactly? It isn't arbitrarily deciding we're too slow, I hope.
unpredict: OLD MAN ON CAMPUS (pic#13009730)

text | @kol

[personal profile] unpredict 2019-09-03 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ world eaters! sound fun. he can't wait to meet them. ]

Why is it you don't trust Robin?

[ as someone who has come from numerous family squabbles, been left out of things because of damaged relations... he's curious. besides, knowing who he's playing with is much more important than knowing how to rid the "planet" of a ridiculously named creature. ]
Edited (I PROMISE I CAN WORD) 2019-09-03 21:03 (UTC)
policier: 𝓭𝓷𝓽 (fifty eight)

@javert, text

[personal profile] policier 2019-09-03 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
You say you don't know much about these creatures. But what about the other groups, the ones that were previously reset? Do you think they may have left some clues behind?

( Surely they must have made some progress, even if it was ultimately a failure. )
mollymocked: (⚔ it's flooding open)

[personal profile] mollymocked 2019-09-03 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
and yet so much better than what I was imagining.

so am i take it that all we have is you and each other now for support?
equinoctials: (pic#13242301)

@riku

[personal profile] equinoctials 2019-09-03 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Robin says she doesn't make the decision lightly.
It's usually an unsalvageable situation, like everyone trying to kill each other, or unable to get anything done because they're too busy infighting.
reigniter: ([ 'til the end ])

@scientia; text

[personal profile] reigniter 2019-09-03 09:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[So she is immature enough to flip the switch just because a bunch of people loudly say they don't like her. Good to know he wasn't wrong on that one if he was wrong on everything else. Ignis will mark this down.

He does, however, know how to set his priorities.]


So what do we do?

We can't go after them, clearly, because we are not equipped.
We can't kill them if they come after us.

Do we just continue exploring the region? Perhaps draw attention away from the Beacon that way?
I would prefer not to re-explore already explored parts. That's a waste of time.


[Yes, that's a jab towards Keeper's "you'll get bored if I reveal everything" from the previous post.

If he appears not rattled by it- let's just say he fought an immortal being once and put a dent in it. For a price, of course, but still.]
Edited 2019-09-03 21:43 (UTC)
trivialpursuit: (15)

[personal profile] trivialpursuit 2019-09-03 09:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Something deserved, then. I can live with that.

.....Unless we have been trying to kill each other and I've only just turned up late, but no one said anything about the group splitting into factions.

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