The Network: May, Arrivals from Distant Lands

[faileas]

The Network: May, Arrivals from Distant Lands

The Watches Everyone who arrives in an unorthodox way and eventually shows up at the Coven for 'orientation', will receive a strange, watch-like device compliments of the Coven and Parliament. Miss Nessie or one of the welcome wagon crew will give characters a run-down of how to use the various functions and they are encouraged to test them out for themselves. It would be good for them to get in touch with their fellow Mirrorbound, of course! Fourth wall characters will not be able to make their own posts in the communities, so they may use this post to make "network posts" of their own by top-leveling. The log post is right over here. Fourth Wall characters can comment on posts made by others in both aefenglom and middaeg until June 1st. Current players: Please specify in your posts if you do NOT want fourth wall characters replying!

Comments

[unsundered]

[Could he mention that Mettaton is a puca now? Sure, but he also decides not to volunteer it, mostly on a whim.]

Not a fan of dogs, or not a fan of turning into one? I think most would agree with the latter.

[Dogs and their bones... he wondered if the same applied to dogs and their very own skeletons. An unfortunate transformation, now that he thought about it.]

But a mage then... congratulations on your upgrade. Primitive as this world's magic is, 'tis still better than the alternatives.

[torsion]

Maybe. Depends on what I remember!
Though maybe not the phylax? thing. I don't know what that is.

[ Is it even a punchline when it's as bad as that? ]

How does a buffalo say goodbye to its child?

[spaghettimonster]

THE PHYLAX THING... IT'S A MAGIC THING HERE. NOT FOR EVERYONE!

[Papyrus is coming from a lifetime of monsters being the ones with magic, and months of humans largely not having magic. It'll take him a while to get used to half the population having little reason to learn the details of spells here.

Similarly, he's a somewhat unwilling expert in bad jokes, thanks to exposure to Sans and Toriel. He can judge the difference between merely bad and unbearably bad. This was the former.]

AS FOR BUFFALO. DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HORNS?

[spaghettimonster]

TURNING INTO ONE.
I'M FINE BEING A MONSTER.

[He's not sure why Emet-Selch is calling it the worse alternative, but it makes that other message, complaining about the term, seem maybe a little more important.]

BUT LET'S JUST SAY, A CERTAIN DOG BACK HOME...
WOULD BE HORRIBLY SMUG ABOUT IT.

[Worse, it would probably be even more snuggly. Truly unbearable.]

[spaghettimonster]

HMM... I SUPPOSE IT'S POSSIBLE.
BUT I'M EXTREMELY MEMORABLE.
MY COOL STYLE, AND BEING A SKELETON,
AND POSTING WITH CONFIDENTLY CAPITALIZED LETTERS.

[justamachine]

It seems likely we come from entirely different places, then. Although a few countries outside of the United States have their own android technology, CyberLife is known worldwide.

[He's pretty much already jumped to accepting the "different worlds" explanation given at the Coven. It's either that or such an enormous glitch in his own systems that it doesn't matter much what he thinks.]

Re: text, un: j.valentine

[justamachine]

[Connor wouldn't quite agree with the interpretation normally, but given the circumstances... pointing out further specifics of his request seems unimportant.]

Thank you.

[He doesn't ask for a name; if the identity of the person mattered, he wouldn't have made his request so publicly.]

I've taken room 5 at the barracks.

[justamachine]

Understood.

[It would be preferable for it to not exist, as far as Connor is concerned...]

They don't seem to think of it as such, or at least, not significant trouble. I've seen stronger reactions to some of the ship's crew than to the those of us who appeared in the ocean.

[deadtective]

Mm, thought that was a little weird. I get that there's been the magic apocalypse or what the fuck ever going on for a while now, but you really expect me to believe no one here has ever heard of these dudes even in a bedtime story?

[justamachine]

It does seem odd. The presence of a port and seafaring trade ships suggests that contact with the outside world isn't rare, but information regarding places other than this island seems disproportionately scarce.

[It's definitely weird!]

I don't have enough information to come up with any theories, either.

1/2

[torsion]

[ Naturally, he'll be able to explain at his leisure if he chooses to do so but for now, Jill's just assuming this guy is like this. With all the technological advancements in her world, she still can't imagine something more like an android. ]

Give me 15.

[torsion]

[ True to her word, she arrives within fifteen minutes and with time to spare. She's still dressed the way she was when she arrived, albeit with the battlesuit zipped up. She's short, but muscular and strong looking with a grin that shows crooked teeth when she smiles just a little too widely. She sports a more light and natural smile when she knocks on the door and waits. ]

Hey, it's... shoot. [ Her voice is airy and awkward with a light chuckle in it. Her voice betrays her appearance, much softer than one might expect even when she punches some volume into it to be heard beyond the sturdy door. ] I... didn't tell you, so, ah, "j.valentine"?

[ She can make a proper introduction shortly. ]

[torsion]

Fair. Magic is still kinda beyond me, even if I can't deny it's real.

[ That's definitely something she can relate to! There's no talking/living skeletons where she's from, either, but it's a breath of fresh air compared to BOWs and having to fight those monsters. She guesses she'd call a walking, talking skeleton a monster? Sort of olde timey though in the sense of "scary".

She's really gonna have to learn to adjust to all of this. ]

You're trying, but not quite there! It says "bison"! Ha ha. :)

[lotus_of_rage]

Yes, you do seem to be quite memorable. And I am certain now that I did not meet you before as I have not met a skeleton.

[omnicrafter]

Wow... I'd heard Mettaton was famous in his home world, but I didn't realize he was that big a deal. You're a fan?

And you have a brother, huh? Interesting. So skeletons really are just their own entities in your world rather than the living dead. You mentioned something like that the last time you were here, I think...

[deadtective]

I mean, could just be that they're fucking lying. Always a good standby of a theory, even if we're probably gonna have to dig to figure out what they've got to gain from it.

[glitzandglamour]

Hmm... I don't know whether find that more or less appealing. I do appreciate a good flourish.

[Clearly, there's some kind of issue here... And after a pause, Mettaton clicks his tongue.]

But you're using a very human definition of that word... Which explains a lot. I like it! The world I come from wouldn't describe any of those things, as "monstrous." Unless you're a rude human. Anyway, this world might be entirely different from the both of ours, darling. Monsters can be Monsters, without all of that baggage!

[He'd like to think. Mettaton is a bit more optimistic and carefree than most. Even his voice, light and full of playful lilts, is too chipper to belong to anyone who isn't terminally upbeat.]

[stingscorpion]

So it would seem... I've never heard of CyberLife.

[It would have to be in his databanks somewhere. A worldwide organization wouldn't be hidden from just Japan. The information would spread somehow.]

As far as I'm aware, Hiden Intelligence was the first company to design A.I. to the standards of HumaGears. There would have been some contact with any other company that had done the same.

[spaghettimonster]

OF COURSE I AM, HE'S MY FAVORITE CELEBRITY.
METTATON, THE STAR OF THE UNDERGROUND! THE BIGGEST MONSTER IN TV!!

[His own interviews and claims to fame are something, to be sure, especially in his (somewhat managed) responsibilities as ambassador. But Mettaton has years of experience in televised theatrics, a dazzling panache, and those legs.]

BUT YES. LIVING DEAD AREN'T EVEN A THING IN MY WORLD.
HEARING THAT THEY ARE HERE. AND IN SO MANY OTHERS...
I'M ALMOST GLAD I'LL FORGET THAT WHEN I GO HOME.

[spaghettimonster]

WELL. NOW YOU HAVE!!
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS NEW ACCOMPLISHMENT.
IF IT WAS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST... FEEL FREE TO CROSS IT OUT.
MEETING ONLINE PROBABLY COUNTS FOR THAT.

[lotus_of_rage]

It is a moment I will treasure forever.

[Good thing texts kind of hid sarcasm if someone didn't want to read it that way?]

I will certainly say that it counts.

[spaghettimonster]

[It's much easier to take any suspicions of sarcasm and throw them out the nearest window when it's in text, yes.]

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.
I'LL BE AROUND ANY TIME YOU WANT TO AFFIRM IT,
OR JUST WANT TO TALK.
UNTIL I'M NOT AROUND ANYMORE.

[spaghettimonster]

WOW, THE QUALITY'S DROPPING AGAIN!!

[It isn't, not really - that joke's in the same range of mundanely awful humor as the rest. But complaints are basically applause, to people who relish telling jokes like these, and he knows how to play along. He hesitates a few seconds, about to ask for skeleton-based puns - just to see if there's any he and Sans never thought of over the years - then reconsiders.]

I'M SURE YOU'RE DYING TO TELL MORE OF THESE...
WHICH ONE'S THE WORST? YOU SHOULD JUST GET IT OUT OF THE WAY.

[lotus_of_rage]

Of course. I think that after this, I should like to meet you in person.

[spaghettimonster]

YOU WOULD??
I MEAN, OF COURSE YOU WOULD!

I'LL BE EASY TO FIND.
JUST LOOK FOR THE SKELETON AROUND THE COVEN.