video; un @hapless (forward-dated to January 16th)

[useinsouciant]

[It takes Cas a few moments to get himself in frame, and even then he doesn't quite manage. So enjoy half of a very scruffy looking man's face.]

Heeey so. Been a while since I used one of these. Cell signals cut out a couple years back, but here's hoping, right?

I am not... where I'm supposed to be? Possibly also not when I'm supposed to be. I'm not a lot of things I'm supposed to be but that is a very long story.

Where I am seems to be a nice little cabin by a lake. I mean, it's mostly nice. Could use some redecorating, but I've slept in worse places.

[He pauses for a moment, looking lost in thought before he comes back to himself.] I'm Cas. I don't think I said that yet. I read the pamphlet thingie, but it still doesn't give me much of a where or a when. Just that the moon is haunted.

Comments

video - un: monkey

[moonape]

[Since they're talking on his network post too, he's just here to say-]

Can't say I remember the moon being haunted when I lived up there.

[useinsouciant]

That's what the pamphlet says, gorilla-from-the-moon.

[moonape]

Hmph, strange. It did say this is Earth. So it would be the same moon I know.

... who knows what year it is here. That's the difference.

[Or maybe by some strange miracle, the moon is "haunted" by the remnants of the Horizon Lunar Colony? Though it's been years now... there's no way.]

[useinsouciant]

That is the question, isn't it? Or at least one of many questions.

[moonape]

It would be nice if we had a proper primer for... here.

[Weird some where on Earth at some time????]

I'm sure it's at the top of the Technicians list of priorities.

[useinsouciant]

I'll be honest, given the information in the pamphlet, they don't seem the coddling type.

[moonape]

[S I G H.]

It can never be easy.

video; @jingyi

[gusumouthcannon]

I do not think any of us are where we are supposed to be. We are trapped.

[Jingyi is very matter-of-fact about it.]

I am Lan Jingyi, but I do not mind if you call me Jingyi. And now I know that I am probably in the wrong when because I had never heard of a phone before I got here, but how do you know that you are in the wrong when?

[useinsouciant]

Trapped. Wonderful. That sounds exciting. [Though he sounds very deadpan about the whole thing]

Well, Jingyi, a working cellphone was definitely a big clue. Cellphones don't really work when I'm from. Also it doesn't seem to be the end of the world, here. Thought I could be wrong.

[gusumouthcannon]

[Jingyi makes an 'eh' gesture.]

It is not not the end of the world, I think. It is a little hard to tell? Everything was very broken when I got here and definitely abandoned and absolutely trying to kill us.

[useinsouciant]

Perfect. Sounds like home. Though that begs the question of what kind of apocalypse it is.

Have you seen any angels or demons around? A very tall man in a white suit, perhaps?

[gusumouthcannon]

Well. Hanguang-jun is very tall and his robes are usually white? [He wrinkles his nose.] He is my senior from home, and a powerful cultivator, but did you mean someone in particular? And I do not know about angels, but there have been no demons like I know about demons, I do not think. Some very weird monsters with lots of horrible teeth. Lots of ghosts, which are terrible. My legs rotted off once? But no demons.

[useinsouciant]

Ghosts aren't so bad, if you know how to deal with them. Same with monsters with terrible teeth. But rotting off limbs -- is... not pleasant.

[gusumouthcannon]

Ghosts are always terrible, even if you know how to deal with them. That is what I have been training for, and I still do not like them much. My legs came back, so that was only terrifying while it happened, but ghosts? They are just.

Ghostly. Very ghostly.

[He gets a little inarticulate as he shudders.]

But now I have a dragon that can...well. I do not know exactly what it can do yet, but I have been assured that it will protect me from ghosts.

[useinsouciant]

You train for dealing with ghosts? [Castiel squints a little. Or at least a little more than usual.]

Are you a Hunter? With... a dragon. Because that's not a weird sentence.

[gusumouthcannon]

Oh no, I am a cultivator! [He says this very cheerfully.] I do not know what a hunter is, except in reference to hunting game? And while I do know how to do that, I mostly do not eat meat...

But I do train for ghosts and other types of monsters, because cultivators are the best suited to liberate or suppress or eliminate them.

Cultivators do not usually have dragons. [He is careful to point this out, because one must be truthful.] I asked the Technicians for one, because a few months ago there were a lot of ghosts and I did not want to leave my bed for anything.

@Jiang.Wanyin

[legbreakings]

You are also going to get repeatedly violently murdered to feed mysterious gods.

[ Why, hello, stranger. Someone here is a helper. ]

[useinsouciant]

That does not sound like a party I'd like to be invited to. But it seems like we don't have a choice, right? We're here already.

[legbreakings]

Nobody would want to get invited to it. You don't have a choice. You are their plaything now.

[ He's really good at this whole motivational speaker thing. ]

@shrike

[thelesserevil]

I know, right? As far as prisons go, this one is strangely comfortable. It makes me wonder just what the catch is, besides the obvious one they aren't shy about.

[ She nods, giving him a little crooked smile. ]

I'm Renfri. Good to meet you, Cas.

[useinsouciant]

I mean the being sacrificed to unknown or unknowable gods does feel like a pretty big catch, but sure. Other than that.

Nice to meet you too, Renfri.

[thelesserevil]

I'm just saying, they wouldn't have to give us nice houses and an entire village in-between sacrificing us to their gods. Most people don't bother with that, in fact. It's weird.

[useinsouciant]

Oh I'm not saying it's not weird. It's -- it's definitely weird. And what is the point of bringing us back, after? All of the sacrifice rituals I've seen and read about generally depend on the sacrifices, you know. Staying sacrificed.

[thelesserevil]

From what I understand, it's not so much the being dead that is the sacrifice but rather the act of dying... the pain, the fear.

[ She grimaces. ]

Putting it like that actually doesn't make me feel better about being stuck here.

@r.o.s.i.e. (video)

[r_o_s_i_e]

Hello, Cas.

If you need help with redecorating or making your lodging more comfortable, I'd be happy to assist.

[ Please. Let her be useful. ]

[useinsouciant]

I'm mostly thinking of moving some furniture around to clear some space? Maybe try to find some throw pillows to arrange on the floor.

Beaded curtains would be ideal but I don't know if we can find those here.

[r_o_s_i_e]

That sounds lovely! I love how cozy everyone tries to make their living spaces.

[ Spoken as if she... doesn't. Or doesn't have one? It's hard to tell with how cheery she comes across. ]

If not, I can try to gather materials to make some. I don't think it would be too difficult...

[useinsouciant]

Oh man, I'd love to have my beaded curtains back. I'm not sure where we'd get beads, but if we found some beads and fishing wire, I'd definitely hang out and make bead strings with you.

[r_o_s_i_e]

I'm not sure if the natural clay her would be the kind to make beads out of it, but it's possible! You can also make them out of flowers, paper... Just about anything, really!

I'd love to make them.

text; @lan.wangji

[taciturnly]

When and where, as mutable as life and death. Our senses are no longer sufficient in order to determine the true nature of our environment.

I am Lan Wangji. Vigilance remains primordial.

[useinsouciant]

You sound like me after a whole lot of weed.

But nice to meet you, Lan Wangji. I'll remain as vigilant as possible.

[taciturnly]

Likewise.

Weed?

[useinsouciant]

Cannabis? Certain kinds of hemp. It's a plant that has mind altering effects.

[taciturnly]

Are you in pain then?

[useinsouciant]

Oh man, you have no idea
Just a constant aching
Back problems, mostly

[taciturnly]

Keep a steady posture. Meditate.

[useinsouciant]

I meditate every day, actually
It's very relaxing, very focusing

[taciturnly]

( wow. you're his new bff now, sorry wwx. )

Indeed.

If the pain persists, perhaps I could play for you.

[useinsouciant]

It's a chronic thing
But what do you play?

[taciturnly]

The guqin. Various melodies made to soothe.

The cause of your pain?

[useinsouciant]

Injuries to my upper back that didn't heal right.

I don't know if your melodies will help my sort of hurt, but you're always welcome to come meditate with me, if you want
And you can bring your instrument, too

[taciturnly]

A wound never heals so well that a scar cannot be seen.

Allow me to try, then.

[useinsouciant]

I definitely have a few of those
Scars, I mean

I'm over by the lake, in one of the cabins
Thinking of moving some furniture around so I can have some meditation space

[taciturnly]

Which one?

[useinsouciant]

After looking outside they seem to be conveniently numbered
I'm in number 12

video; @astromech

[droide]

Can't help you with the when part, but this planet is apparently called Earth. I know, I know, that's the dumbest name for a planet I've ever heard, too.

[useinsouciant]

Yeah, they didn't do a great job naming planets. But that wasn't my division. I made a few stars and that sort of thing, but nothing on the planetary level.

[droide]

[ ..............Why does she not like the sound of that? ]

Are you some kind of colonizer?