first decree [video]

[thetyrant]

[Logan taps his fingers agitatedly as the feed begins, but that's the only part of him that's anything but stoic. Even with his hair lank and greasy from the sea, his clothes stained and damp and that breastplate surely irritating him, he projects as much kingly composure and calm as he can muster.]

I suppose the first order of business would be to introduce myself. [His voice is deep and rich, a bit of a contrast with his thin, angular features.] My name is Logan. I am the king of a place called Albion, but unless any of my citizens have found their way here, I'm aware I have no authority and will not make any attempts to command.

[His left hand clenches into a fist, hard enough for his knuckles to go white, then relaxes. The movement is repeated rhythmically as he finishes.] The person who brought me here from the Shell's Edge seemed to believe he had told me everything of import, but is there any other knowledge I'm likely to be missing? The natives of a place often take for granted something a foreigner would like to know.

Comments

[ video ]

[idkmybffcyclops]

[Logan just wants to get a good look at the person who shares his name. If he's learned anything while on the Turtle, it's this place likes to drag in duplicates and with all the people claiming to know him, he can't help but wonder how many 'Logans' there are running around out there.

So Logan the first will see Logan the second staring at him for a brief moment. Logan the first doesn't look anything like Logan the second would imagine an "alternate him" would look like. So he just grunts and shuts off his end of the video feed.]

[ video ]

[thetyrant]

[r u d e]

What exemplary manners the citizens of this place display. [Complete deadpan linefacing.]

[ video ]

[idkmybffcyclops]

[well. No one ever said Logan was nice. The video switches back on a while later when he hears this.]

I ain't the welcoming committee, bub. [So. I don't know what you were expecting here.]

[ video ]

[thetyrant]

Evidently, but you might do more than stare and then disappear.

video;

[heinously]

Kings of your disposition are hard to come by. Yet, you seem sincere.

[Talk about lessening the airs of menace! Albel knew kings were immensely powerful beings with little to no equals, especially if they claim divine legitimacy. Rarely are they self-effacing enough, humble enough, to be so forthright in yielding their power. Either this worm was the most pitifully inadequate ruler... or the exact opposite.]

Your kingdom must suffer little insurgence.

video;

[thetyrant]

[Good king or not, Logan could not say. He just knows he's sick of being king, and a chance to drop that responsibility with a clean conscience is welcome.]

That, I suppose, would depend on what conditions must be met for such a state.

video;

[heinously]

Oh? I can only hazard a guess.

[There were an infinite number of grounds as to why a kingdom's people might cause a disturbance -- very few of them being at all rational, taking into account the mob mentality of your regular denizens. Albel was closely accustomed with two of the more pressing reasons: war and poverty.

Bonus points if there's an extensive history of both.]

Warring, eh?

video;

[flawedgoods]

[Favrielle's here, to give the same warning she has ever since she was almost executed on stage not long after her arrival:]

The locals never mention it, but there is gang activity and many of them are not pleased to have us here. Some of them violently so. You would do well to watch your back in less reputable parts of the sectors.

video;

[thetyrant]

I see. My thanks for the warning, friend.

video;

[flawedgoods]

Of course. They have been quiet as of late but I don't take that to mean that they've come to accept us simply because of how long we've remained.

[video]

[wallcrawler]

There's...actually a lot they don't tell you.

Everyone's still trying to figure most of it out, but as far as I know, no one's had much luck.

[video]

[thetyrant]

Indeed? I was told of gang activity, and hostility from the natives.

[video]

[wallcrawler]

Well, that, and a lot of stuff you normally wouldn't find out about until you asked. Like anything specific to do with why we're here, for starters. The gangs are just the most immediate thing.

Metal Sector's got some of the worst of it, by the way.

video;

[trainwrecked]

Nice call, there.

Emperor's said that we're supposed to fight a threat to this world, only she didn't clarify what that threat's supposed to be. Sorry, on that count, things are pretty vague.

Also, aside from some kedan not wanting us here? There are some who think we'd do what our job here is by getting sacrificed. There've been attempts, only successful once, so far. I'm sure there'll be more.

video;

[thetyrant]

[...Oh no. The hand, which has relaxed, gets going again, with the clenching and flexing, and there's a line of hunched tension to his shoulders that wasn't there before.] Is anything known of this threat?

[This is a realm that, when he heard it described, sounded perfect for the Crawler. Now he's terrified that he was lied to, it really is here.]

video;

[trainwrecked]

Not much, other than that it's not on Tu Vishan right now. Tu Vishan's the name of the turtle on whose back we are.

But if the mainland's any indication... it's a bad one.

video;

[suoxi]

A king?

[ color her surprised. ]

I've met many ambassadors and prominent people, but never a king.

[ they kinda don't do that anymore where she's from. ]

I have been told we were brought here for a purpose. What, exactly, that purpose is I'm still not quite sure.

video;

[thetyrant]

I've heard tell from other "guests" that there have been attempts made at sacrifice. Have you heard of any such thing?

[He has to admit, he's impressed by the simple, pleasant calm of that reaction. Most people only wish they handled it that smoothly. He might be ever so slightly more at ease than he was a moment ago.]

video;

[suoxi]

[ well that's new. ]

Sacrifice? No. But I have heard talk of anti-foreigner activities. Evidently a few months prior, there was an attempt to bomb --

[ here she pauses, and smiles wryly. ]

Has anyone told you we are on the back of a turtle, yet?

video;

[cowled]

Your Majesty.

[Bruce Wayne is all about propriety, and of course he's wealthier than most monarchs so star-struck he is definitely not.]

I'm sorry there isn't more of a welcome in place - we're working on that bit. The, ah, kedan's explanation of this place does often leave something to be desired.

[... and even though he's read gamefully through the other threads, that's hardly something his alter ego would do, so...]

Essentially, we've been brought here at the Emperor's behest to fill some sort of quota of 'heroes'. I don't entirely understand it myself. Frankly, I've never had much to do with heroism at all.

video;

[thetyrant]

[He inclines his head, acknowledging the courtesy. It's better than he expected, frankly, and not unwelcome. Although to be honest not having to be anyone's king is a huge relief for him right now.]

[Eyebrow.] Heroes. My mother was a Hero, and my sister. Though perhaps that definition of Hero is a different one to what the kedan use.

video;

[cowled]

[He catches that capital 'H'.]

Well, there's a fair amount of costumed heroes running about. Frankly, I think they're a little sanctimonious, but it's nothing I'm not used to dealing with. At least there aren't any insurance premiums to worry about.

[His tone is dry, but not particularly hostile about the whole situation. Superheroes are just one of those things that Gothamites have to endure, alas.]

Oh, I'm Bruce Wayne, by the way.

video;

[sharpes]

'I have no authority here but look I'm a king anyway so you all should feel like plebes' wow are you trying to be a douchebag or is it just like, a natural state of being for you?

[SIDE-EYEING YOU, SIR, WITH ALL THE INDIGNANCE A TEENAGE JERK CAN MUSTER.

Don't mind him, he's a yappy purse dog.]

video;

[thetyrant]

[r u d e]

[Reminded strongly of his little sister, Logan barely resists the urge to roll his eyes. He doesn't know what a douchebag is, but he gets the jist.]

Are you trying to be a bleating child, or is it a natural state of being for you?

video;

[sharpes]

Did you seriously just 'I know you are but what am I' me?

Dude.

Seriously?