un: xunxian, video, perhaps an hour before the curfew for the night

[topoiran]

Good evening, all.

I have a little more information to share about what seems to be happening in the doxe's quarters, though after what has already been spoken off on the network is perhaps going to overshadow it... or, perhaps, not.

This, [ Su Xunxian holds a little a small bird in his palm. It is fairly comfortable there, but also, it is singing, and it sounds somewhat strange, too, ] is a skylark. He should stop singing a little after dusk, normally.

Instead, he is acting like a nightingale. And he is not the only one who seems to be... in the wrong little body. And some of them remained behind.

[ He looks up from the bird to his device. ]

From what I gather, this only happened to birds... while the birds were there. Whether or not it may have happened to people, I do not know.

[ A beat, his finger gently stroking the singing bird. He shouldn't be singing in this season, anyway, but his little everything is too confused not to. ]

Ah, and, my lord, may I attend you later?

[ He would be staying in the palace, so curfew shouldn't be a problem. ]

Comments

[topoiran]

[ Give him a moment to process that question. He knows he is missing much, but 'body snatchers' and 'invasion' make sense. He would have liked to point out things might already be more a Shaun of the dead situation, but oh well. ]

I imagine the goal is one person alone.

Then again, many things may have started so, and once the knowledge is there...

[in_theworks]

[can they go to the pub, have a nice, cold pint and wait for all this to blow over?  no?  well, it was worth a shot]

Yeah, that's what I figured.

[damn it]

Though, in case this ends up being about more than just the Big Cheese, should we, like, establish some kind of group code word, so we know if someone's trying to impersonate one of us or whatever?

[topoiran]

[ Beat. ]

... big cheese?

[ Not enough context for this one. ]

[in_theworks]

[it's kind of funny, what does and doesn't translate. what Helps, as far as context clues go]

Oh, uh. The guy in charge. The Doxe or whatever.

[since he's assuming the whole body swap thing is to keep the Doxe alive and in power. maybe in the young, rightfully elected body of his niece or nephew, once that's been worked out]

[topoiran]

[ It takes a moment before it begins making some sort of sense, he thinks. ]

Ah.

I do not know if we can know if it will be limited to one person, should they succeed, until we know at the very least who it is.

[in_theworks]

Still, man.

[look, he's going to be paranoid about this for awhile, now. thanks for the nightmare fuel, buddy]

[topoiran]

Indeed. It is not something that promises well. Selfishly, it makes me content that we are not likely to be expected to spend the rest of our lives here.

[ It's a nightmare he's... well, not necessarily lived through, but he was brought back to life at the end, so sort of? It's not paranoia if it really is dangerous, is it? ]

[in_theworks]

For better or worse. [a beat] I hear the last place you guys were wasn't exactly flowers and sunshine, either.

[Allison told him there were harpies? and ghosts? at least, yeah, it's not body snatching, though]

[topoiran]

Sa-Hareth was much colder and ... less luxurious, indeed. Less politics, much more outright fear.

[in_theworks]

At least fear has a face I'm allowed to punch.

[people would probably be upset, if he punched some of the politically important asshats around here, and he'd really like to punch some of the politically important asshats around here. particularly if it turns out he's right about the whole bird souls thing]

[topoiran]

Sometimes. It might be hard to punch killing cold in the face, or something that is defended fiercely. Not impossible, of course, just hard.

[ But probably less frustrating, if that is the solution, than Taravast. ]

[in_theworks]

... man, I wish I had access to all my gifs, here. Because I really want to send you one that's just, like, that one Elmo meme.

[a beat]

But uh. Long story short. Fire usually works for facepunching both cold and bad guys is the point I'm trying to make.

[topoiran]

... gifts? Is what you can usually do limited, here?

[ ... yeah he's confused again. ]

And fire... needs to consume much, if it would have a chance to even begin to keep the cold we encountered there at bay, let alone - punch it in the face.

[in_theworks]

Gifs.

But, uh -- [well, between the conversation he and Emilia had about the internet being akin to magic and the way he words that, now] -- yeah, kinda, actually.

There was this -- this force called the internet that existed, back home, that doesn't exist here. Gifs are a facet of it. [this is still the weirdest metaphor ever]