[voice/telepathy, private to chosen 12 + the four mentioned in the post]

[rebells]

[The voice that comes over the signets is a young boy's voice, carefully calm, speaking in a slow, deliberate manner. He's trying to be comforting, but he's not great at it.]

Hello. This is Jay, one of the people working on the plan to get you all out of that building. We're working as quickly as we can, and we're going to get you all out safely. Please know that.

If you're feeling up to it, I have a few questions that might help us establish whether there's a pattern between any of you. This information will be shared with Percival, Dirk Strider, Roy Mustang, and 9S. I don't intend on sharing it with anyone else, and neither do they. Regardless, if you're not comfortable answering a question, you don't have to. I am going to ask, however, that you not lie.

What is your name? Age? Gender? Species?
Are you trained as a fighter, and if so, have you practiced your abilities in Shehui?
What power did Qri give you, and have you practiced that in Shehui?
What did you say to the monitors or government, to the best of your recollection?
Is there anything else you think might have made you of interest to the monitors?
How have the monitors behaved towards you so far?

[He repeats the questions again, slowly, two or three times.]

If you could also keep me updated on your physical condition, that would be helpful.

Again, we're coming for you. Take care of yourselves and each other, stay strong, and try not to provoke the monitors, Jade.

((OOC NOTE: Assume this is backdated some, to the first few days of testing.))

Comments

[rebells]

[There is a long silence, almost like someone got this information and had to take a short walk. His voice, when it does come, is tired.]

We need you in one piece, Jade.

Do you want to hear a story?

[witchhooded]

[ mumble, mumble, but she doesn't argue the point - jay's right. ]

If you are up to it. Anything would be nice. To be honest, even being read the back of a shampoo bottle sounds nice right now.

[rebells]

I have time.

On my world, there was a treasure-hunter known as Zamaran. Zamaran's dream, if you will, was to find a magical crystal that granted wishes, called the Everlight. He looked all over the mainland for it, high and low, for many years. He trained an apprentice, called Sven, and even started a school, but he kept returning to his search for the Everlight.

[He is taking some serious liberties with Zamaran's history, but he honestly doesn't remember it that well at the moment.]

But while he was searching for it, he got into an accident that blinded him. So he stopped looking. His apprentice, Sven, took up where he'd left off.

[witchhooded]

[ ...something about this is funny to jade, in a weird way. she chuckles, but there's no humor to it. it's almost relatable. ]

It does always seem like something unexpected ruins your plans and changes your life... Did Sven find it?

[rebells]

He tried. He searched everywhere on the mainland, and then, finally, his search brought him to a strange island known as the Legacy.

[He pauses there, and adds:] It's actually a very large ship. You might find it interesting; there's all sorts of unusual wildlife there.

Anyway, he went to the Legacy to look for the Everlight . . . but then he disappeared.

[witchhooded]

[ it does sound interesting. fun, even. unusual wildlife... she misses her island. ]

How did all that stay on the ship? What about Sven? Did Zamaran ever see him again, at least?

[rebells]

Do you want the explanation about the ship first, or the story?

[There's a vein of amusement in his voice, despite the exhaustion; it seems like a sincere question.]

[witchhooded]

Huh? Oh! Sorry! You can continue with the story first.

[ this is the only entertainment she's had for what feels like ages. it's kind of embarrassing to think it shows. ]

[rebells]

All right, then.

Sven also had an apprentice. Her name was Norma. She was only a student when he disappeared, but she decided that she would run away to follow in his footsteps. She came to the Legacy, and found herself in the middle of a war.

[He pauses, considering where to go next; unlike Geir, Jade doesn't have the context for this.]

[witchhooded]

Norma is a pretty name.

[ hm. it seems like the nicest thing to say. ] Can I ask why there was war at the Legacy or is that going to be explained in the story?

[rebells]

I'll explain. I think the story may make more sense if I do.

My world has two major races on it: humans and a species called the Radiant. The war on the Legacy was in part a race war between those two factions and in part because . . . the Legacy is an extremely large ship built from lost technology that no one in the modern era can replicate. It also has some incredibly powerful weapons.

[This is about as nice as the explanation gets, sadly.]

[witchhooded]

[ it might be the nicest way to say that, but jade doesn't like it. war in general, really. ]

Okay... but they should use that ship for everyone's betterment, then! It is just plain silly not to.

[rebells]

[He hesitates for a moment before answering.]

It's complicated. The Radiant were persecuted by humans for millennia, so they find it difficult to trust them.

At the moment, however, we're trying what you suggested.

[Or they were, until he ballsed it up, but he's not thinking about that right now.]

[witchhooded]

[ oh. hm. the "we" there is curious to jade, but she won't ask. not yet, at least. ]

That is good. I think the best solution is for everyone to live together. It would mean a waaaaay better quality of life.

[rebells]

[Softly:]

You're an idealist.

[witchhooded]

Is... that bad?

[rebells]

No.

[He's thinking of Shirley; of course he is. How she wanted to believe in peace, to forgive, even when it was so hard and precarious a path. Even when it meant walking away from the sure safety of her people.

Jade surely knows how easy it is for people to be cruel to one another. How could she not, in this situation? This isn't naivete.]

It . . . takes a lot of strength to look at the world that way. To keep looking at the world that way.

[witchhooded]

[ it's a little like a punch to gut, jay's words. surprise certainly comes across from her side of the link before she can stop it, because it reminds her of madoka's words. "Jade, you're so much stronger than I am — and probably a lot of us down here. I think ... I think, if anybody's got the best shot at helping get everyone out safely, it's you. This was the least I could do for you." strength, huh? jade doesn't know what that is at this point. ]

Hmmmm. To me, it is just logical. No one is the same. Even now, I cannot help but think about how many people in this city I met... I bet not all of them are bad. I bet they would probably want to help us if they knew what was happening, too. No one likes sad things, Jay.

[rebells]

[He's silent for a long moment. He could argue with her--point out how no one in Shehui lifted a finger to help the wanted, how the monitors continue to treat them despite seeing their suffering. But he doesn't want to puncture her at a time like this and--besides--he thinks he knows what she would argue back.]

You're not wrong that the best solution is for everyone to live together peacefully. But people are capable of incredible cruelty. They hate and fear things that are different from them, or things that they don't understand. [ . . . ] They make selfish decisions for their own reasons. To look at all those tendencies and still think, "we can overcome this," isn't something just anyone can do. Many people give up.

[He trails off, with an uneasy feeling that he's said too much. All this waiting is getting to him.]

[witchhooded]

[ maybe it is too much.

maybe it's just enough for jade to grasp how serious this is to him. ]

Don't give up! There is still hope!

[ but maybe she's just the sort of person who cares too much about other people. ]

[rebells]

. . . I haven't.

[It's a half-truth, but he's been revealing enough in this conversation. He thinks of the promise Geir made him, that he made himself, that they'd go back to his world and try to fix what he did.

Does he want peace on the Legacy? For its own sake? Regardless,]

I don't believe in stopping when there are still things left to try.

[witchhooded]

[ jade's placated by this, her tone softening. whether or not it's true, she believes in jay. maybe he's given up, but he wants to find a reason to try again. that's good enough. it means he knows there's no benefit to giving up. ]

That is good! There are always things left to try. No matter how insignificant.

Hehe, sorry about interrupting you so much.

[rebells]

It's fine. This part of the story is a little difficult to explain, anyway.

[He sighs. Where did they leave off--?]

She fought in a battle to bring peace to the Legacy, and helped defeat the generals of an invading army. She helped save the world, and millions of people, from destruction. To hear her talk, she did it all to preserve the chance of her finding the Everlight.

She worked very hard at it. Harder than any of us realized. She learned the ancient language of the Radiant, Relares, and translated their old writings about the Everlight. She searched all over the island. Finally, she thought she had found the cave where it was.

[witchhooded]

[ oh no. jade's side wavers with worry - which she realizes belatedly might be worrisome. it's not for any reason other than... ]

Thought? Oh nooooo. It was not it?

[rebells]

[Oh, whoops.]

No, it was. She navigated the traps and reached the chamber which held the Everlight. But when she arrived, she saw that someone had been here before. A message was carved into the wall of the cave.

It was from Sven.