[Video]

[rekindlenpcs]

[Irene turns on the video feed, and while she looks just as put together as ever, her office looks a bit messier than usual – you can see her desk in the background, covered with notes and unorganized papers…which is pretty normal for a desk, really, just not for Irene’s desk. Has she been distracted?

She seems to be in a very good mood, though! Her smile looks more genuine than her usual calm, customer service face.]

Everyone, I wanted to ask you a few questions. Now, we have a lot of holidays here in Saeng Seong. Several of you were here for our last festival, and we’re going to have another one coming up at the end of this month… [oh!] which I’m not sure we’ve notified you about yet, but we’ll have more details later.

Our city – our world - has a long history, but I’m also sure that your worlds do, too. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m curious – what are some of the important traditions from your worlds? What holidays do you celebrate?

[She was going to end the video there, but she stops, reconsidering.]

On another note, regarding the fall festival I mentioned earlier, we’re currently open to suggestions if you all have any. I’ll be keeping track of comments here myself, and I can pass on information to the committee.

Comments

[video]

[unionjackoff]

[a light smirk. finally!]

I have as much time as you need, milady.

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

I'm afraid I'm not the most eloquent or have much time, but I will try to keep it short.

The festival we celebrate in the beginning of the fall is dedicated to food and celebration. Basically, it's a way for everyone to have fun before the weather gets cold and the rains come more frequently. It derives from a religious holiday, and...well, like I said before, I don't doubt someone from the shrine will be there to go into more detail.

[video]

[unionjackoff]

That seems fairly standard. Or, well, I've heard of holidays that are similar, harvest-festivals, and the like.

But I'm more interested in the history of Saeng Seong on a whole. You do know there are no books in the library about your world, don't you?

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

I'm afraid many of our history texts were lost over a hundred years ago, along with our publishing office. Any that remained have been closely guarded by religious zealots.

[ a faint smile as she tries to sort a few papers. excuse her for having the festival on the brain. ]

I'll admit history wasn't my best subject, but I'll try to explain some things. Saeng Seong is an old city, dating back to ancient times when many were superstitious and held the elements in high regard. It's for this reason the city was built on a delta - our ancestors believed where water and earth met to be sacred ground, and made it a religious center of this land.

Of course this also meant that it was a crossroads for trade routes, and the old ways have faded since then in favor of secularism and technology...

Re: [video]

[unionjackoff]

[oh. hey. this is useful, good to know. of course, England won't take it all at face-value; he's a bit smarter than that. but it's better than getting no answers at all. he listens intently]

What I don't understand is why there doesn't seem to be any outside contact with Saeng Seong now. Why no more trading, or even communication with surrounding cities?

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

Our communications to the outside were severed.

Unfortunately the same force fields that keep what's harmful to life also blocks communication to much of our own world. We haven't thought of a way to fix this, yet.

[video]

[unionjackoff]

Harmful to life?

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

The substance inside the atmosphere within the closed-off districts and outside the city walls that speeds up the withdrawal symptoms. [ and as to answer the question before it's asked: ] I'm not exactly sure what it's called; Mai or Hwan would, though.

[video]

[detective_shirogane]

[Like Naoto could keep out of a conversation like this.]

Religious Zealots? Are they still within the city, or residing outside?

[She couldn't help but be reminded of the fog that encompassed Inaba towards the end of last year... ]

Would it be likely to assume towns outside of Saeng Seong are suffering from a similar fate, or is this atmospheric condition centralized around the town?

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

They are still within the city, yes.

As for other towns... I'm not sure. We're hoping to find out in the next few months.

Re: [video]

[unionjackoff]

[oh. it looks as though someone else jumped in on the conversation. well, he doesn't mind, as long as his questions are answered too. then again, any information received is better than nothing]

So there is actually some sort of substance causing people to get sick if they don't touch. But how does touching generate energy? How are these things all related? [she probably doesn't know, but he's asking anyway, because there are so many questions coming up, and England wasn't even expecting someone to answer them]

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

[ she shakes her head. ]

I don't know. Though perhaps, given time, we'll all find the answer.

[video]

[detective_shirogane]

So from what I can assume from this conversation, you all are just as confused as we are as to why this is happening exactly, simply that those from beyond this world can help save it... via a method that's unusual but does work.

[She paused a moment, shaking her head.]

And any information that could give some historical evidence or clues to this event have either been destroyed... or are being held by those unwilling to share it.

[video]

[demimaudite]

Shura fell onto this conversation entirely by chance, but now she can't tear away, seething internally. Fucking zealots. Fucking gods giving bullshit orders. Here they go again, obscuring, destroying, putting the weak in danger for shits and giggles. Just like Chiaki.

"Fuck, everywhere I go, it's always gods and their followers causing shit. If they're unwilling to share it, I say we storm the place and take it by force!"

Shura no. Bad Shura. You're not endearing yourself to your keepers.

[video]

[detective_shirogane]

[Well, she wasn't expecting to see Shura pop up here, but it seems like the conversation had struck a cord in the woman.]

Shura, I don't think that suggesting violence would be beneficial in this situation...

[Or at the very least, saying it OUT LOUD IN PUBLIC WHERE EVERYONE CAN HEAR IT...]

[video]

[unionjackoff]

[facepalm. why did that woman say that out loud? matters like this had to be handled with delicate care. if Irene got angry, they could lose their chance!]

Re: [video]

[demimaudite]

Because Shura is not one to not get massively and irrationally angry when "soldiers of god" are concerned.

"Tch. Fine..." She thinks no less of her idea, though.

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

You're right, Shirogane, save one point. They aren't unwilling to share, if a-

[ she stops at the sudden outburst. sigh. this was what she feared. ]

You will find that it was not the religious sect who caused this situation. Well, aside from the suggestion of physical contact.

[video]

[detective_shirogane]

I doubt they would do such a thing.

[That was a lie-- she didn't necessarily doubt their involvement, but she had no proof. For now it was simply an aspect of the situation to keep in mind.]

What were you saying before you were interrupted?

[video]

[rekindlenpcs]

I was saying that they would not be opposed to letting you read them if asked, but with this threat of violence...

[ she sighs. ]

They've worked endlessly to preserve our history. This won't look good in negotiations.

[voice]

[littlewhitelies]

[It's a little while after the fact, that this response goes up. (Sometimes, you just have to take a flight and stop a few muggings in order to feel good, before coming back to the video screen and seeing what all happened while you were gone.) And when it does, the message is voice only.]

"You don't...You don't really mean that, right?"

[And the voice is worryingly hushed.]

[voice]

[demimaudite]

Shura peers at the black screen as if she could see through it. Yes, the message was sent to her. Huh. Yes, she should really answer that.

"Mean what?" Oh. OH. "Well, yeah? I don't trust religious people. The closer they are to god the more trouble they create. First it's looking at nonbelievers funny and then BAM genocide."

[voice]

[littlewhitelies]

"That's...Not exactly my experience with it."

[Really, it's more of not condemning and turning a blind eye to differences in colors. But she really, REALLY doesn't want to bring that up. Not when there's something a lot more worrying that M'gann heard.]

"But what about...Were- were you talking about forcing people to do something? With violence?"

[Because she really, really hopes that she heard that wrong.]

[voice]

[demimaudite]

"Well, it's mine. And I've dealt with 'The God' personally." Okay His Voice. Same thing, right? "He gets terribly angry when you don't obey blindly."

"Not much violence! Just intimidating them into giving us the history books. Maybe break a window or two. Flex some muscles." Compared to what Shura is capable of, violence-wise, it's almost benign. But she has empathy, too, and she can tell that M'gann (she's about sure it's Megan) doesn't actually like her idea.

[voice]

[littlewhitelies]

"H'ronmeer?"

[...She can't help it; that reaction is automatic, as is a little doubt in it. She's talking like there's only ONE divine being, which was never in M'gann's lessons growing up. And besides that...She's really feeling a cringe trying to work its way into her shoulders, and even her voice.]

"Y-you shouldn't. It's not...That's not the best way to solve this."

[Not the best reaction, and M'gann KNOWS it. But the idea of any of that, it doesn't have the best of associations for her.]