expiationnet | [Video]

[At first, there's just audio as Aerith is figuring out how this little trinket works. A phone would be easier, wouldn't it? As video comes on, she lifts a hand and wiggles her fingers in greeting.]

Hellllooooo!

[If it seems like she's too cheery, that very likely might be the case. Despite the situation and bizarre circumstances, she's chosen to approach all of this with a great deal of optimism. Smile, and the world smiles with you, goes the saying.]

I understand a lot of us are kind of going through the same thing and it's probably very easy to focus on what we don't know, but I thought it might be kind of nice to have the reminder that we have a common goal. So whether you arrived here with friends or without them, you're not alone! You have the rest of us, too.

[Gesturing to herself, she continues.]

My name's Aerith and I didn't arrive with very much, but if there's something I can help you out with, make sure you let me know and I'll do my best! Also, if you're having trouble finding a place to stay, I'm sharing a room here with my bodyguard, but I'm sure he won't mind too much if we make a little more room for you.

[You're welcome, Cloud.]

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You think so? I just thought it might be nice to greet people with something positive instead of the alternative. Lots of us are pretty unhappy about all of this, right? It doesn't seem like a bad thing to try and lighten the mood a little.

[Although it sure seems like this is absolutely the wrong crowd to be doing that with.]

Well, I mean it is a total vacation in comparison to what I'm used to.

[everyone's grumpy all the time when they're yanked from home. except for Vi, she's just grumpy all the time, period.]

The least they could've done was send us an invite before they yanked us to...wherever we are.

I feel like if they started extending invitation, it might have defeated the purpose of whatever they're really trying to do here. I get the feeling that bringing us here without that prior knowledge was probably part of the intent.

[Trials and tribulations, she's thought a little since arriving. Some people have interpreted 'trial' in something of a judicial fashion. She's been thinking of it more like a test or an evaluation. An assessment? Although maybe that's not so different from judicial.]

Having people think of this place as a vacation probably also wasn't something they, whoever 'they' are, are expecting.

[Vi's face softens.]

Well you might be little miss Sunshine, but at least you aren't oblivious.

[watch out, that might be your new nickname--]

Probably not. Maybe they should've picked some people a little less used to awful shit, then. Unless we're in the middle of the "good cop" and the "bad cop" is coming.

[Little Miss Sunshine might be a jab, but Aerith doesn't seem to notice. Or she simply takes it as complimentary. Maybe a bit of both! There are certainly worse things to be called.]

Maybe they brought people who are used to bad things happening on purpose? I haven't figured out what the connecting point is for us. I thought maybe we'd all have something in common, but that doesn't necessarily seem true? I don't know yet. I haven't been able to get enough information yet. That's my guess, though. Maybe get a lot of people with similar life experiences? Although there's as much value in getting people with different experiences. Maybe...?

[No. She really has no idea. It is literally all theory at this point.]

[Vi falls silent for a few moments, thinking it over. she has no fucking clue either...]

Or maybe they just grabbed a bunch of people at random and threw them in a playpen to see what they'd do. Just gotta watch out when the people pulling the strings start pulling shit, because this can't be all.

That. [Well.] Is possible, too. I'd like to think there was a greater reason for it all, but it's just as possible that we got thrown in all together for the fun of it.

['Fun' is debatable. Most of the people here probably aren't having fun, honestly.]

All we can do is keep guessing for now, I guess. Wish the locals were a little more helpful. It's nice that they're hospitable, though. That's better than nothing. We could be starving and left to sleep outside.

[she shrugs.]

From one shitshow to another. At least it's not as bad as where I came from.

[even though she worries about Powder and Caitlyn, and the giant-ass bomb that was heading towards the council.

oops.]

We could be, I guess. But there's gotta be somewhere we can get into and find out something...like a library or something. Shady or government places always have files that they don't want anyone to see.

[Aerith is tempted to ask, but this is probably not the time to let that part of herself get in too deep. That's never really a good way to start getting to know someone either. Better to start small and then get into the more serious things.]

Oh...! Someone else here was talking about a library. I'm planning to go out to lunch with her and we're going to see if we can find anything. I'm pretty sure they have one, but I don't know what kind of information they're going to have. I doubt it'll have anything that they might consider 'top secret,' though.

[And it's not like she's seen any very obvious buildings that look like they house secret documents. At least not yet.]

Eh, if it'll give you any leads it'll be worth it.

[she pauses for a moment, before:]

Let me know if you find anything?

Of course! Can't promise that we'll find anything, but I intend to share anything I discover with everyone here, so that includes you, too. There's no benefit to withholding information, after all.

[And she's not cruel or particularly self-interested. Others might be more inclined to keep their discoveries to themselves, but she just can't justify that.]

Whoever's got us here probably is gonna make it a pain in the ass for the information.

[a beat.]

Thanks, though. I'll let you know if I find something too.

You've got yourself a deal!

[In the face of those who may have perceived Aerith as being naive, which is entirely understandable all things considered, she has also, at least, come out with some good lines of potential information.

It was the right thing to reach out to the others.]

[Video]

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