Network: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

[faileas]

The Network: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

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.

Comments

[okayestdad]

What?

[That is an oddly personal question and he doesn't care for it. Not that the rest of this hasn't been even more goddamn weird.]

Yeah, I had one. He died young. I have a daughter now, but- wait, when the fuck are you gonna answer my questions?

audio -> video

[extirpator]

[ something about this guy grates on his nerves so bad. he feels like a rebellious 15 year old boy right now. ]

Stop talking.

[ the screen flickers on. nier’s face manifests, at a distance that shows the entirety of his face. ]

Show me what you look like — ...now.

[okayestdad]

What...

[That face... he can see his own features, his wife's too. He looks so much like Yonah...

Give him some more button mashing before the video comes on to reveal his ugly mug.]

Who are you?

[extirpator]

[ there’s a pause. he’s still, eyes widening as he takes in the sight of his features.

it’s been a long time. longer than he can remember. ]

I’m sure this’ll sound insane...—

But I think you might be my dad.

[ this is the worst episode of the maury show ever ]

[okayestdad]

[He sighs. What do you even say to that?]

I told you. My son died a long time ago.

But... honestly, kid, that's still far from the most insane shit I've ever heard. Fuck...

[extirpator]

And my dad died a long time ago. Somehow, we’re both here now.

There was only one other person I’ve known with the name Nier. It was him. My mom said he gave that name to me.

[ a beat. ]

...Yonah is your daughter, isn’t she?

[okayestdad]

She is. Your mom die after she was born?

[Maybe this is a crass way of talking about family deaths, but oh well.]

... have you been taking good care of her?

[extirpator]

2 years after. [ they’ve both seen enough death to be crass about it. it’s fine. ] She fell down while working one day — and never got back up. It was just Yonah and I after that.

[ another pause. a breath escapes him. ]

I’m trying. But she wants to see you. She...doesn’t remember who I am — she says she wants to see her dad.

[okayestdad]

Hell, I just meant back home, but... she's here with you? Now?

[extirpator]

Back home...

[ he doesn’t answer that question. instead, his eyes rove down, features hardening. ]

I saved her. She’s okay.

[ she’s not, and she never would be. they both knew that. ]

Yeah. We went through the market together. I told her I’d look for you.

[okayestdad]

You saved her?

[And what was that stuff he was saying before about the Shadowlord?]

Anyways. You found me. I... I'd like to see her. It's been a while. And uh, if you want... I can tell her about you. That you're her big brother but you had to go away. Some job in another village.

[extirpator]

Long story.

[ another silence. his eyes flicker to the side. ]

We’ll...meet later. You don’t—you don’t have to tell her.

[ hesitantly: ]

I don’t know if I can be her big brother again.

[okayestdad]

Why's that? You're her big brother. You'll always be her big brother. Just like how I'll always be your dad.

[DAD MODE ACTIVATED]