009 ✞ [VIDEO] - Backdated to before the fog rolls in....

[unetrustworthy]

[Midii payed close attention to the Network.  Often.  She saw the conversation passing publicly between individuals.  Noticed the patterns occurring.  Such as the recent increase in people disappearing.  Possibly being sent home.  Coincidently, starting from soon after the Emperor had been killed, except Midii didn't think it was a coincidence.]

[But that wasn't why she came to the Network that day.]

[She had a different question in mind.  Something she had been wondering about more and more, with every conversation she carried here:]

What if...somebody doesn't want to go home?  

Could they make us?  Or would they let us stay?

[Hypothetically speaking, of course.]

[Only it wasn't hypothetical at all.]

Comments

video;

[washitaway]

[Oh, Booker knows the answer to this one!]

Elizabeth asked - the old Emperor, the one that died. She said we could stay if we want.

We're going to stay.

video;

[unetrustworthy]

[It's a simple answer. Definitive--or as definitive as one could get. From the Emperor herself.]

[...except that was part of the problem. Herself. She had made the declaration before her passing, and given the circumstances, Midii doubted she could have foreseen her own death as occurring when (and how) it did.]

Does the new Emperor agree?

video;

[washitaway]

[Something goes a little darker in Booker's eyes.]

I expect he will.

video;

[unetrustworthy]

But you don't know for certain?

video;

[washitaway]

No. I imagine Elizabeth will talk to him, in time.

[And then they'll make him if he doesn't want to.]

video;

[hisbabygirl]

I heard we could stay!

[And it's a possibility that Sarah's holding onto.]

Bucky told me that when I first got here. We uh, we can stay, if we win.

video;

[unetrustworthy]

Win what, exactly?

[She knew about the supposed War and the fight with "Mally" (or whatever they were referring to him as), but beyond that, Midii have never been given any actual guidelines or directions as to how she was supposed to help. It wasn't as if she were a fighter. Her strong suits had always been discretion and behind-the-scenes work.]

video;

[hisbabygirl]

The fight.

[If she's honest, Sarah doesn't know much about the how to either.]

The one against... that thing we were all brought here for.

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[unetrustworthy]

Right. That.

There are a lot of fighters here. People who have magic and powers. I want to believe they will.

video;

[watcheslanterns]

Do you not want to go home, Midii?

[There's no judgement from Rapunzel. Just honest curisoity.]

video;

[unetrustworthy]

No. I don't.

Do you?

[Likewise, there was no judgment on Midii's part either. She knew that her opinion fell within the minority. That there would be many people--including people she knew--that would jump at the chance to leave Keelai forever. Even that wasn't enough to sway her feelings on the matter.]

video;

[watcheslanterns]

[She hesitates and plays with a strand of her hair.]

Well...that's complicated. There are still things I need to do back home, and there's mother to think about...

[She bites her lip gently.]

But I've met so many friends here and done so many new things - things I never thought I'd do - and it's hard to think of letting all of that go.

video;

[unetrustworthy]

[That seemed to be the general consensus among the majority. For all those that wanted nothing more than to go home...even then had some highlights about their stay in Keelai. Friendships formed. Information shared. In some cases, even romances emerging.]

[It was like some kind of inter-dimensional soap opera; Midii had seen one of those programs a few times in the past. Mostly in passing, as her family had no television of their own. They were lucky enough to have a small radio.]

Is your world nice?

video;

[denyamenti]

Is that something that's worrying you?

video;

[unetrustworthy]

I'm not worried.

[...maybe a little worried.]

I just want to know.

Re: video;

[denyamenti]

Ah, my mistake then. It's just, I would be worried if my situation were different.

video;

[unetrustworthy]

Different...how?

[Did that mean this was another person who wanted to go back home?]

audio;

[ellectric]

[ Guess who remembered audio is a thing? That's right. This girl. Cower in fear, people of the turtle. ]

Why the hell wouldn't you want to go home? Are you from Detroit or something?

audio;

[unetrustworthy]

[Both a name and a voice Midii didn't recognize. And no video function for her to place a face to it just yet. Instincts caused her to tense up for a moment, not liking the not knowing, but she relaxed soon after.]

I have no idea where that is.

I'm from France. The southern region.

audio;

[ellectric]

Detroit's in, like, the Midwest or something. I think. It's one of those places where nobody wants to go, at least.

[ Because Elle strongly associates the Midwest with places no one would ever want to go. Miles of flat land with nothing interesting happening? She might as well stay at the Company. ]

I went to London once. [ Again, in her mind it's perfectly logical to take the talk of France and tie it in to her trip to London. They're both overseas, after all. ]

Is it true people each snails in France?

audio;

[unetrustworthy]

Midwest...you mean America?

[Why did it seem like so many people she spoke to came from that one continent, specifically?]

I have no idea. If suppose if they had nothing else to eat, they'd make due with what they could find.

[lostundercover]

They should talk to the new Emperor. Maybe he can help.

[Costigan respects your pseudo hypotheticals.]

[unetrustworthy]

[She appreciates it, Costigan, more than you will ever know.]

Is he meeting with audiences yet? Do you know?

[lostundercover]

Don't know.

I doubt someone would disappear before he has a chance to meet with them.

[unetrustworthy]

Not on purpose, no, but I don't think many of the people who already have had much of a say in the matter.

From the posts I've seen on the Network, it happens suddenly and without warning or reason.