video; un: peekaboo

[descendency]

[ the video feed flicks on to a young man's grim, steel-eyed gaze. he strikes as a man who might be more attractive were he not so severe and dour, a natural softness to his features that does not take easily to his fury. rosy lips pulled taut in displeasure, he stares out as though scrutinizing an audience he has not yet gathered, who yet remains unseen. ]

It's Gabriel.

[ he states his own name with distaste, as though he would rather be doing anything but giving his name to these circumstances and that much is the plain truth of the matter. ]

I require the statuses of Beitang Moran [ insufferable know it all ], Wei Wuxian [ insufferable busybody ], and Five [ insufferable ].

As for the rest of you, would someone like to kindly tell me where the fuck we are and what the hell we're doing here?

Comments

audio;

[reparo]

What, no please?

[descendency]

[ great, the british are here. ]

No.

[reparo]

Well, alright. I'm familiar with the three, but I don't know you, so I'm assuming it's been a while since you were here - Gabriel.

[descendency]

[ he'd had a feeling he's been out of the game for a while considering the sheer amount of unfamiliar voices making chatter on these channels. he sighs, bringing a hand up to rub at tired eyes. ]

Your assumption is likely accurate, I'm just not sure of how long it's been.

And who are you, then?

un: absterge

[downswing]

( ...ah, a second known face. )

All physically unimpaired.

Returned unharmed?

video |⍓| un: tagged

[kahl_175]

[Kahl may be new and still confused, but he can still share what he knows. His voice is slow and rough, trying to speak clearly.]

City called Ser-thi-ka. Two sides, hate each other. Lots of big machines. Some magic here, made Kahl and others see things different. Man from--hn. [All these names are hard for him to pronounce.] Man from El-leth-ia maybe do it.

Kahl not know much more. Kahl feel like Gab-ri-el. Would swear different though. [Grineer have a lot of good swears.]

[descendency]

I suppose that's the best we can hope for, really. Their non-physical impairments being preexisting.

[ mingyu heaves out a breath, bitter. ]

I suppose that depends on your idea of harm, Wangji.

[downswing]

( Allow him the moment. )


Sundered from your companions.

[descendency]

You always were observant. [ there's a quiet, sharp exhale, but then he shrugs. ]

Miss me?

[descendency]

And I presume you are Kahl?

[ the speech is a little difficult to follow, the information rudimentary. still, mingyu makes his notes. ]

[kahl_175]

Kahl One-Seven-Five. No other Kahls here, so--just Kahl.

Gab-ri-el been on this planet?

[descendency]

[ interesting. ]

Mm. From my perspective, I never left.

[kahl_175]

Kahl not understand. What happen?

@yiling laozu

[weifinder]

There's a face I've not seen in months, what the hell were you told when you were thrown back in with us?

[downswing]

Your name remembered.


( 'Duh,' as the uncouth might put it. )

[descendency]

Still figuring that part out.

What types of things does Kahl understand?

[ is he being rude? probably. is he trying to be? hard to say. is he going out of his way to not be rude? no. sorry kahl, he's got a pleasant facade but he doesn't feel like putting it on much lately. ]

un: daozhang | voice;

[binghua]

[...Hey, that voice is familiar, though Xingchen has trouble placing it at first.

It's been a while and he's been through some things.

But then it hits him.]

Bai Mingyu...?

[descendency]

Still in the habit of being fashionably late, I see.

[ there's a pause for breath before he answers. ]

That's the thing. I wasn't told anything. I was— We had—

We were... [ there's static in his mind. he can remember the exact moment it felt like he'd just shut his eyes, just for a moment, but everything surrounding it feels like noise. ] ...in Taravast, I was— [ trying, failing, to hold everything, everyone together. ]

I opened my eyes again here. Pocket watch, new— [ he gives his username a glance finally, then his lip curls in distaste. is that a joke? he's never shaken the notion that they are all simply being toyed with, not since leaving sa-hareth. ] —network name, barely recognizing anyone. My things— They're reset.

[ he's probably not making a lot of sense, but he feels like he's actively going out of his mind so that's probably to be expected. ]

What did it look like on your end? Where— [ his voice is tight. he's asking because he needs the information, needs the context it provides. he does not want to hear about fox or lee chang, does not even want to imagine. not yet. he'll unpick that later, unspool it in private next to his sanity, measure and wind them, package them in a way that allows him to keep going. ]

Where have all the others gone?

[descendency]

[ mingyu might have laughed, were this any other day, any other circumstance. he does crack a splintered approximation of a smile. ]

I'm flattered, really. You manage to pick up the general concept of economics while I was gone or is that too much hoping?

[descendency]

[ jesus christ it's xiao xingchen. mingyu was sure you were dead by now. the surprise registers audibly in his voice, a faint rustle of clothing as he sits up straighter. ]

...Xiao-ge.

Do you know how to turn on your video?

[kahl_175]

[This is familiar. Many think Grineer are stupid, because they were made for work and death. Or because they speak slow. Kahl is not impressed with this. It shows they don't know Grineer.] Kahl understand this as much as Gab-ri-el.

Un-dead steal us. Try to make slaves. We find how they steal. How they steal Gab-ri-el twice. [Nobody seems to know how they got here at all. Kahl didn't see anything, didn't remember anything. But there must be some device, or magic, that lets the un-dead steal them and their memories.] We break how they steal. Stop them. Then go home.

That what important. Everyone need to learn. To help.

voice to chaos to video oops

[binghua]

Oh! I can try, please give me a moment.

[The video function is not one Xingchen ever uses, but he knows it exists. It's one of three things, the written form also one that goes unused by him. These devices are not the most user-friendly when the user is missing a vital sense, but that's all right. He's been shunned for being blind enough times that he's used to it.

Needless to say, he spends the next few moments feeling around the pendant to try and figure out the damn thing. Please disregard any flickering change between functions or the staticky rustling of fingers brushing over unknown microphones. Until, finally, he pauses in his efforts to hesitantly ask - ]

How is this?

[Congratulations, Mingyu, you have baby's first shot of...the floor. Oh! And his very scuffed up boots!]

[downswing]

Has master Bai's tongue dulled?

[descendency]

If only that was the extent of our problems.

[ muttering this, mingyu simply nods to the rest of kahl's claim. he does think kahl is stupid, but he doesn't consider stupidity to be an inherently negative trait.

in fact, some of the worst people he knows are made worse by the fact they are smart. ]

At least you have your priorities.

[descendency]

[ ah, morale is improving already. mingyu's next smile has a distant hint of something impish. ]

Would you like a personal demonstration?