video;

[hazelwood]

[The video opens on an uncommonly solemn-looking Lieuen, in a sombre state of dress that's unlike his usual pretentions. His skin, so modelled after the common Foreigner complexion, is a tiny bit sallow.]

Dear residents of Keeliai. It's with deep and considerable regret that I am the bearer of unfortunate tidings in regards to our fair city. You may have begun to notice that Tu Vishan's health has been... deteriorating, of late. This is certainly no cause for alarm! Things being what they are, it's tantamount to... say, a cold or flu that you Foreigners seem so susceptible to. We have every assurance that Tu Vishan will overcome this malady and return to its usual self soon.

But in the interest of not taking our grand turtle for granted, certain... shall we say, rules are going to be put into play effective now. The first and most importantly, of course, is rationing.

[There's a touch of distaste to his features as he says that. Guess who doesn't like the concept?]

Resources are going to be a touch more difficult to come by in the coming weeks, and as our guests we ask that you respect our laws and customs in this time. You will find a list of what it's permissible to purchase at your local vendors. Wasteful behaviour will become a punishable offense, and fully one-fifth of your resources, whether they are earned or made, are going to be... ah, requisitioned by detachments of the local law enforcement. It's with my sincerest apologies that I relay these terms to you, you see, and when we all come through this in fine fashion I will be reimbursing everyone fully for any, hm... hardships they might encounter due to these edicts.

And on that note!

[He claps his hands together, clearly trying to change gears from the unpleasantly macabre to the positive.]

I couldn't help but notice that several of you have taken an interest in our local language. Truly, I couldn't be happier. It brings me great joy to see your appreciation of our culture. Therefore, I'd like to offer my services as a translator, of sorts. I know each of the seventeen kedan dialects, including the more ancient forms, and I would gladly assist in any translations you've been undertaking. For a fee, of course, to be negotiated based on... oh, trifling things. The amount you wish translated, the time involved in doing so, and so on and so forth.

As always, if you have any questions do please ask, but it is my keenest wish that you keep it brief. I'm a touch preoccupied at the moment. Thank you.

Voice;

[mopirates_moproblems]

[From the moment's hesitation between when the mic clicks on and the speech begins, it's obvious that this individual isn't quite comfortable with the interface yet. Possibly because, despite the demonstration he received from the kedan, he's never encountered technology of this level before.]

If I understand correctly, this message will be accessible to all of you in this city. I apologize for the intrusion on your day.

[He sure does sound ridiculously stiff, even to his own ears. But really, how is one supposed to address an entire city population without any sort of proper introduction?]

I arrived quite recently, and I find myself in need of proper clothing before all else. My current garb is not appropriate for public wear. [Because there's a big hole through it. No blood, strangely, and the wound itself seems to be healed, but still. His coat, his waistcoat, and shirt are all torn. His cravat escaped, but he can hardly wear that and nothing else.] If anyone could provide guidance on where I might find appropriate garb, I would be very grateful. I believe I've been housed in the Water Sector, if that is relevant.

[This barely dips past the surface of his many questions, but enough for today.]

001 - anonymous text/action

[justlittle]

[Bean waited a long time before posting to the Network. At first he was unsure who exactly was watching. Is this like the desks at school? Would he have to make a fake post to prevent whoever is in charge from learning anything he did not want them to know? Or was it innocent, just a means of communication or entertainment? Either way, Bean saw no real interest in it. From what he saw of the recent posts, the people here seem obsessed with clothing and amenities. Nothing he can relate to. Besides, the terminal in his suite has been acting oddly all day. He decided to explore the city instead. He hasn't been in a city since Rotterdam, but he's sure he can get back into the swing of it. Being a rather large city, there's sure to be street gangs of abandoned kids somewhere-- maybe not in the wealthy-looking metal sector, but somewhere. Maybe he'll find them, restart his old life. Maybe not. For now he's just exploring, gathering data.

At some point he happens upon a café with anonymous hookups. This, he decides, would be the perfect opportunity to give the Network a try. He hangs around the café for a few hours, looking in, buying something to drink, but never signing on. Then finally, he makes his move.]

So they have us on the back of a turtle. Slow and steady wins the race, they say, but where is the rabbit? What shore are we swimming towards, and where was the starting line? And what happens when the turtle stops swimming?

[He signs off, satisfied with his post, and waits to watch the responses. It's as much a fact-finding mission as anything, and he's interested to see who will respond and what they might have to say.]


[ooc: feel free to either respond to his post or see him around any of the sectors. A scrawny looking seven year old can only be so inconspicuous.]

003 ♙ VIDEO

[build]

[ On pops the feed, showing one smiling and somewhat eager, Ariadne. And as always, she has been thinking (a lot) and has a few things she would like to talk about with everyone.

So… please enjoy? ]

I know that some of you are already aware of this fact – but, back home in Paris, I'm an Architect. [ a damn good one in her opinion, which, yes, only seems to cause a smug smile to start to tug at the corner of her mouth. ] And, well… given the apparent state of the Turtle as of late. I’m willing to have a look at any structural elements you might be concerned with.

[ a shrug of her shoulder and she is adding: ] There is nothing of major concern right now that I'm seeing. But… there have been a few things that have caught my attention. So just let me know if you would like to have me or even my friend from home look at anything for you.

[ a long beat and she is moving on to her next topic. ]

Also, Stephanie mentioned something to me, about a few of us trying to start a Foreigner ran Committee a while back. [ and this is where her expression turns a bit more eager (she really likes this idea, okay?) ] I really like this idea, and I'm hoping that we can maybe get the ball rolling on it?

After all, it might be a good way for us all to work together, and perhaps hopefully ensure that our voices are heard.

[ because lets face it, half of the "foreigners" aren't exactly use to living under a ruler and want to make sure their voices are heard. ]

I think that might be it for now. [ which only has her furrowing her brow in thought (gotta make sure after all) before she is sighing and smiling faintly. ] I know this whole ration thing is going to be interesting, but if you do need help with something, don't hesitate to ask.