logsinthenight | [closed]

[ daylight's expression shifts to a worried one when he learns these strange lantern changes are here to stay. not permanent, to his relief, but... just there from now on, to his concern because his run-in with others affected by them have been pretty. er. weird. (and scary. not that he'll admit to that yet.)

he takes a sip of his tea to try and get his thoughts together at that bit of information, able to drink the beverage without too much fear of his filters getting gunked up. in the end, after trying to rack his brain for a polite and measured response, daylight simply ends up just blurting out what immediately pops into his processors: ] -I hope you've been okay.

I- I'm sure the others have been, er, here a lot. [ one reason or another.

and, upon suddenly remembering his manners and not wanting to lose the chance, daylight sets the cup down and rifles through his messenger bag and delicately takes out an item he sets on the table and carefully pushes it to dr. solis' end. ]

A gift. To, um, thank you for seeing us and, er, stuff. [ he looks embarrassed now, realising it must look silly, but he's standing by the gift's intentions! and with that down, he quickly looks to sir cao pi, hoping for some support and assurance, before looking back towards dr. solis. ] We... Um... We have a lot of questions to ask, Dr. Solis. Not just me and Sir Cao Pi but almost everyone. I'm sure you know that by now.

[Day what is that...

It takes a moment but Cao Pi steers his eyes away from the offering and keeps his expression neutral, taking up his tea cup]

Tea is fine, actually. Master Daylight is right, but we thought it would be easier on you to only have to deal with a couple of us, rather than an entire town full of curious and sometimes tactless victims of death. You have my appreciation for anything you are willing to tell us about... [a brief glance back at Day to verify that this is a good place to start] ...how this place came to be as we see it now.

How long have you been here?

[Maridel offers Daylight a warm smile at the gift, taking it carefully in her hands to inspect it.]

That's very kind of you, Daylight. Thank you.

[And for now, it will be a delightful centerpiece!]

Yes, I expected the two of you to come curious. By all means, ask me anything you like, and I'll do what I can to answer. It's about time we caught each other up to speed.

[She could go on and explain herself, to levy a whole list of reasons why she's stayed away until now, but forward progress ought to be their first priority, in her mind. Besides, she trusts Daylight understood the reasonings in her letter.

So! Moving on. She nods at Cao Pi.]

I was born in 1927, and the darkness began in 1979. The current year is 2054. This will be the 75th year since Beacon was reduced to what we're left with now... which would make me 127 years old, I suppose.

[She shrugs just a tad helplessly at that last fact. What does age even matter around here?]

How much have you learned about the history of this place?

Oh! Um...

[ daylight sets his teacup down, delicately as he can as to not chip it, and pulls out something from his messenger bag/belt: one of his sketchbooks. he begins to flip through the pages, looking for the notes and entries he had written on the very back in order to keep track of the information they have. there was an urge to bring the shared logbook with him and sir cao pi. that was a lot more organised than what he had to offer but it didn't seem right to just take it without asking permission first.

so dealing with daylight's messy notes it is. ] We... We know it properly started in 1969 when the portal was built during the summertime. There... There were some experiments and runs to test the capabilities of the device. Things were brought back from trials as evidence, later stored in the museum. A year or so later something- [ daylight has to bring his face closer to the sketchbook, trying to decipher the messy scrawl of his script. urgh. he can't read it. ] -happened...

... It was around late autumn when the World Eaters properly came, right? [ he falls quiet at this bit, looking away with a pensive expression on his face as he needs a second to collect himself. ] Kol and Sarissa and I.... We might have seen what was the last day of light on Beacon. We saw a World Eater approach the town and we heard the message from the sheriff. About the coordinates of their location and how you were helping them through the lanterns. He... He sounded hopeful.

[ that's all day has on his end re: history info. maybe sir cao pi can fill in the details that day hadn't or didn't pick up yet. ]

Dr. Solis- I thought maybe... I should establish this before we go any further. [ he looks at sir cao pi with an apologetic expression before looking back at dr. solis. ] Are there any questions you won't answer, for whatever reason you have? The others want answers and, er, I do too. But, at the same time, I know we can't have all the answers. Not yet. So if there's, um, a topic you don't want to talk about or feel like we can't properly discuss in time, let us know?

[ and another apologetic look to sir cao pi and makes a wriggle of his winglets out of instinct, more than anything else. please don't get mad? ]

[No, Day's on the right track, and Cao Pi gives him a single nod of acknowledgement to reassure him that he's fine with that reasoning]

Yes, I think it wise to establish your boundaries before we start peppering you with questions. Please by all means.

[the rest, he files away temporarily. He has mental notes on what he does and doesn't know but he'd rather get everything doled out before making any preliminary conclusions]

[Maridel cracks a small smile as Daylight brings out his notes. They came prepared. She listens closely as he lays out the history, nodding every so often, though her expression darkens as Daylight continues.]

What you've described sounds correct to me. I created the portals for research purposes, but I was too cavalier in my experimentation. The "something" you're referring to is likely the error I made to get us into this mess.

I mistakenly opened a portal into a dead world, one that was being consumed by the World Eaters. They saw me, and I can only assume that's what brought them knocking years later.

[She pauses to take a small sip of tea.]

The world starts to go well before they showed up. It takes time for a planet to die, evidently. The signs began as early as a year or two after the portal incident, but we didn't start to put the pieces together until about 1974, when the birthrates began to decline. A mass extinction began soon after, and then the light gradually faded...

I believe the World Eaters themselves descended in late 1978, though it's difficult to say for sure. By that time, I can only assume that the rest of the world has been eradicated, leaving those few of us in Beacon as the planet's sole inhabitants. We didn't see proof of them until 1979, likely in the event that you witnessed in the dream, Daylight. One had made its way across Lake Red Jacket, hunting us.

[She returns her teacup to its saucer, sighing heavily as she does. These are dark memories, and it shows in the crease of her brow.]

In any case, to answer your question: No, there are no questions I won't answer. I believe we're past the stage in our alliance in which it was beneficial to keep secrets from each other... though I can't promise I'll have all the answers.

... Thank you for telling us, Dr. Solis. And for being willing to tell us that and anything else you know. That was... That was a lot but that can help us in the future. [ day isn't trying to do any fluffing up as well. he means it when he says that's- that's a lot to take in.

daylight looks stricken to hear what had happened to the world before their arrival. he understood that bad things had happened but to hear it in detail is a whole other thing. the idea of getting hunted down by creatures from another world is really... dread-inducing. (and yet those weird thoughts in his visions suddenly make a lot more eerie sense now.) day almost reaches out to try and comfort dr. solis but hesitates, his winglets flicking up in nervousness before pulling back and settling back in his chair. just in case she'd rather have space to herself.

much as he wants to ask what happened to the others if beacon had a few more residents but- note-taking is important right now. he promised to keep the others up to date about this talk. so that means he'll need to focus on getting all these details down, along with comparing them to past notes.

thankful more than ever that sir cao pi is here with, he looks to the man and clears his vocoder. ]

Sir Cao Pi- Is there anything you want to ask in particular? [ rosinante and day had hashed out some questions and topics to bring up during the talk, but day is curious to hear what sir cao pi would ask. it'll give day a better idea of what he would want to know, what he would want to prioritise moving forward. ] I know you, um, raised some specific concerns during the town hall meetings. Maybe this could be the chance to get answers for them.

[ like the world eaters. he knows that's been a topic the others like rosinante and the others have been trying to figure out since first learning about them from ms. robin and dr. ingram. ]

[In his capacity as a diplomat, listening is as valuable as speaking, but everything the doctor says sparks lines of questions. So, when he gets a chance, he nods patiently]

While I do believe that learning how this happened could bring us ideas for how to find a solution, so far it does seem to come down to the World Eaters themselves. Doctor, I am given to understand from those who had visions of the past... [nodding toward Daylight as an example] ...that a number of terrible things happened in sequence to cause the world to 'die,' as you said. Was any of it to specifically stop or ward off the World Eaters? Or, is it as I fear and you had no knowledge of the things approaching that would help anyone actually fight them?

[Her eyebrows tick up at the mention of town hall meetings. She likes the sound of that.]

Yes, the town's history is only useful insofar as it contributes to our knowledge of the World Eaters. But, I'm afraid not much progress had been made toward stopping them before the night overtook us. We learned of their existence too late for us to properly react.

There were efforts to destroy the World Eater that made its way into Beacon, however we don't know whether or not they were successful. Are either of you familiar with atomic weaponry?

[ judging by the sharp, shocked sound that escapes daylight, and the way his winglets jerk up in, quivering with emotion, he most certainly has both knowledge and understanding of atomic weaponry.

he looks over to sir cao pi, wondering if he should... probably... just in case... ] Atomic weaponry... Things like nuclear warheads and neutron bombs and antimatter clusters- They derive their destructive force not from gunpowder or gas but, rather, atoms' nuclear energy that's triggered by their sudden splitting.

They're very, very dangerous to use, Sir Cao Pi. They... They can cause a lot of nasty side effects on not just the environment but also survivors or even people just... staring... at...

[ and he stops all of the sudden. the words he had on the tip of his glossa just... dissolve, fading into static that blurts out from his spinning vocoder.

because a chill washes over day's frame when a conversation he had with rosinante comes back to him. it suddenly slams into his processors and it slams into him with such force and clarity that it made his helm spin. ]

... Blinding... [ daylight almost doesn't want to say it but- no. he never shared this with anyone outside of rosinante- ] Mary and two others... They also had a vision of Beacon. They were outside and when they looked up... It hurt because it was so bright.

It was described as blinding... And like the sun consumed them... [ he looks at dr. solis, his optics wide. the next set of words that come out from are less of a statement and more of a plea to please, please prove him wrong: ] A nuclear-grade bomb was dropped near Beacon?

[unfortunately, none of this makes sense to Cao Pi. The worst thing his people can do to each other is exploding oil. But Daylight's reaction is fairly telling, even for someone gentle-hearted in general.]

Exactly how nasty are we talking? Is this the sort of thing that...effective or not, is not worth the collateral damage? Particularly if it turns out that it was not at all effective at killing one of these creatures....

[It's a relief to know that Daylight understands the gravity of it all. She doesn't mind explaining the concept, but rather, it's helpful when the residents don't have to just take her word for it.

She nods at his question.]

Yes. Five, in total. The first seemed to have little effect on the thing, not to mention it gave away our location. We decided then to launch our remaining missiles in an attempt to overwhelm it.

The simultaneous detonation of four atomic weapons is not easily spectated, and we were left to seek refuge in the mines with only our instruments to rely on. When the bombs went off, those instruments failed in quick succession... We stayed in the mines for a week just to be safe, and when we came out, it was gone. We were never able to find any trace of the thing, so I can't say for certain what happened to it.

As to your question, sir, if a single bomb were to detonate where we sit, the entire town would be reduced to ash in an instant. I can't imagine how any creature, even a World Eater, could survive an assault of four.

But, then, I can't imagine how it could've survived against one. I know next to nothing about these fiends.

[She shakes her head, frustrated.]

There are, however, some benefits to being dead when it comes to atomic weaponry. A nuclear blast would kill us, yes, but radiation has no bearing on us in death. So long as bombs aren't detonated near enough for the blast to level the town, we're safe from radiation poisoning.

... Does that include the spirits?

[ daylight's brow furrowed in concern and puzzlement. mostly concern, for the spirits' sake since he's formed a strong tie with most of the friendly ones over the last few months. the idea of them getting hurt if they wandered too far from beacon worried him a lot now.

and with the spirits now in min- day looks at sir cao pi again, trying to let him know he might change the topic just a bit. day goes through the collection of notes he had written down on his datapad, trying to find the relevant information. ]

Ah... So when you came out... The World Eater was gone. [ okay. so far, so good in terms of following the information. ] What about the spirits? How did they fit in that situation? [ he looks at his notes again, trying to find... there it is. ] One of our friends, Soldat, is really close to one particular spirit. They told him a lot of things. How they're all dead as well and how the green-eyed spirits are in charge but have a tense relationship with the other spirits. Things like that.

He- He and Coraline think the spirits are former members of the town. Due to what Soldat was told and the visions Coraline had: An encounter with a lady in the library. [ he looks apologetic for bringing that up because it's a very loaded question to ask, no matter the answer. ] Is that true, Dr. Solis?

[Those are all very good questions but Cao Pi holds up a finger, gesturing for them to back up a moment.]

First, let me make sure I have this clear. You and the other survivors were still alive when these bombs were used? Even if I have never seen anything that large or destructive, I can envision the scope of it. If, supposing we came into possession of one, I should hesitate to use it if you cannot guarantee it would work on one World Eater, let alone multiple if the use of plural language is to be believed. Particularly if it might lead to the complete destruction of everyone here. Dead or not, if our lanterns are destroyed and no one is left here to resurrect us...well. We are simply left with the same results as a reset with a high chance that our labors would have been utterly in vain.

[it's one thing to be offered a slim chance that a weapon exists that can destroy World Eaters...but at what cost, really? Cao Pi hates failure more than death and right now that huge maybe isn't good enough for him]

Anyway. If you can clarify that for me, Doctor, I would appreciate it. And then feel free to answer the rest. Master Daylight's thoughts echo mine, I would know more about the spirits and their place in this world before I could consider anything.

[Oh, and at that, Maridel lets out a gentle chuckle. It's one of solidarity, though—she's not a fan of vast maybes either.]

We were alive, yes, though just barely. And let me assure you, we're of the same mind, Sir Cao Pi. The use of atomic weaponry should be a last resort, and if it again comes time to make that decision, I won't let the opportunity for research go to waste. Not again.

But to be clear: I am not in the business of building weapons of mass destruction. It's merely the only form of defense we've found that has any chance of working. The only other idea I've been able to come up with is opening a new series of portals to ship them off to other worlds, but you can see why I hesitate on that plan, as well. There is no clean solution here, not that I've found.

[And what a horrible wall to hit. She sits back in her chair.]

...I don't yet know what the spirits are, much less where they came from. They arrived years before the World Eaters did, though they began as rare anomalies that never survived long after they were discovered. What gives your friends this impression?

[ daylight suddenly feels himself relax at dr. solis' assurance that she has no involvement with the nuclear-grade weaponry nor has any interest in doing so. that's one less concern to worry over, he realises with a little sight of relief.

after quickly writing down the information just given to them daylight goes on to explain to dr. solis the following:

the reason why they had come to that conclusion was through separate means. soldat had gotten his through the conversations he held with an owl friend of his. owl spirit explained how the spirits were dead like them too and wanted to be 'lead' by the group.

his friend, coraline, on the other hand, had had her visions in the library and it was an eye-opening experience. though brief, she and two others came across the gruesome scene of a woman's corpse being torn apart and eaten, part by part, by something they hadn't seen before in town. the three would later run into another spirit, the librarian(?), that carried some circumstantial similarities to the woman before her mysterious demise.

when he finishes his explanation and unfortunately colorful description of the visions coraline had, something occurs to daylight- ] -Do you think the World Eaters followed the spirits here, Dr. Solis? Both the friendly ones and the green-eyed ones if they're not from this world then?

[ because if the spirits aren't from this world and possibly came before the world eaters... ] Um- I know this will sound weird and stuff but I... I do think it's strange they managed to hone in on you like that so fast. It took a while, yeah, but there are an infinite amount of worlds with an infinite amount of versions of themselves.

[ or could be an unfortunate case of really, really bad luck on poor dr. solis. ]

No, simply dumping them off on another world is no solution either. If the commander's observations about the stars that vanish has any merit, it may already be too late for that.

[that's strange, though. He had already been thinking the same thing - that the spirits are former residents - but if they were here before the darkness? A lot isn't adding up yet.]

And there was never any indication of what any of them wanted? Spirits or World Eaters. No attempt to communicate, no means of learning their part in this puzzle prior to the end of the light and the decimation of the population...

[Soldat's experience in talking to the owl forest spirit is certainly enlightening, but what really catches Dr. Solis' attention is the story of Coraline's dream. Judging by the mild touch of shock in her expression, this is news to her.]

Of course that observation does not sound weird, Daylight. The whole of our present situation may as well be summed up as weird, if you want to put it in technical terms.

[She cracks a small smile.]

There are infinite worlds, that is true, but my research has led me to only two theories: either the World Eaters were attracted by my portal, or they chose us at random. I don't believe that they're very intelligent, these World Eaters, or at least not capable of strategic attack. They would have found Beacon long ago if that were the case. Why else would they roam this world in desperate search for the last remaining morsels of life?

I believe my portal caught their attention, though it's possible the reverse is true—perhaps we were already next on the list by that point, and my portal opening into a dead world was merely the first symptom of our decay.

But the spirits... I too have my suspicions that they're somehow linked to the citizens of the past, though I have not yet found proof of this. The spirits hardly know anything about their own origins or purpose, so they've been of little help. Plenty of attempts have been made to communicate with the World Eaters—we send a message during each reset. The problem is getting them to talk back, I'm afraid.

[ day smiles back, his winglets fluttering in commiseration over their very weird situation. at least they're in it together.

the smile fades a bit as the discussion of the world eaters carries on and it's completely wiped away at the end. it's now replaced with a look of shock and his winglets hike up and then fold behind him, quivering with anticipation. ]

You've tried to communicate with them? The World Eaters? [ and there seems to be a surefire way to do so, judging by what dr. solis said? that's a big thing to know, to possibly work with if they had the chance to try it for themselves. it had never occurred to day to see the world eaters as being capable of intelligence. up until this point, he saw them more of... a force of nature, due to what he felt from his visions.

but with what dr. solis has now brought up, he's beginning to think otherwise and so many ideas and thoughts and questions are coming to mind. daylight looks at sir cao pi, wondering what his reaction to this is, before turning back to dr. solis. ] Can we ask how this is done, Dr. Solis? The messages being sent?

I would like to know this as well.

[no judging, but he holds back that he wonders if they used the spirits' language or something else entirely. There are so many possibilities and he doesn't even know half of them]

If they are merely beasts, feeding in their own way, then it wouldn't be surprising for them to ignore or not understand such contact, in the way a tiger will ignore you if you ask it nicely not to eat you.

[The analogy gets a wry smile.]

That is precisely it, I fear. They do have a language, though deciphering it is... largely beyond my understanding. Like the language of the forest spirits, the World Eaters speak a tonal language, though it doesn't seem to follow linear patterns. Instead, the World Eaters utter a great many tones all at once, allowing them to convey an enormous amount of information in a single "word", by our standards. The entire command for a reset, for example, is a cacophonous sound of only a few seconds in length, and yet it gives the forest spirits a complicated set of step by step instructions for completing a reset.

You see, this is how I've attempted communications with the World Eaters. The forest spirits seem to understand their language, so in engineering the command for a reset, I was able to include a message to the World Eaters themselves.

And they never responded to it.

[ daylight leans into his seat - or, er, tries to, because he thinks he hears it creak and decides against it. - and frowns in thought. the world eaters had been reached out to, multiple times, and nothing so far. either they can't understand or won't(?) understand the messages that they've been receiving for decades.

makes him wonder if there is a way to communicate with the world eaters. and, if so, if they even wanted to. what could they tell the world eaters? 'hey, stop eating and die...?'

he looks at his tablet and sees a note and- right. someone wanted him to ask about this: ]

Is the bonfire somehow involved in the attempts to communicate with the World Eaters? I mean- [ daylight needs a second to gather his thoughts, trying to communicate his train of thought without dialup there to help him: ] That's what the World Eaters are hunting down, right? That, and the lanterns, are the only remnants of life on Earth? At least with the lanterns, because that's where our lifeforce is. Um... That's what Sheriff Owen Hobaugh said, at least, in the radio transmission I heard.

[there's something in there, about engineering the command for resets, that Cao Pi really wants to pick at, but there's so much going on and so much they need to ask, that he finds himself having to let it be for now. It's slightly suspicious, even if he does understand that most of the time the reset is because the World Eaters are getting too close and time has run out but...hmm.

Fine, he'll leave that for another time.]

Yes, there have been other theories floated, and other information uncovered, suggesting that our lanterns and the bonfire are the critical point, the pivot upon which life and death - or, well, afterlife and further death - rests. Do you know for certain that our small amount of genuine light, or the life forces of people still here, is what the World Eaters crave? Or is it merely your best guess, and each reset muddies the waters enough to deter the monsters from catching on?

To be fair, doctor, I want more than anything else to solve this mystery, to succeed where others have failed. Whatever happens to me, I want to bring an end to this. But in order to do so, I must know. What is certain, and what is speculation? And what, in fact, will happen to this world if it 'dies' utterly in the maw of a World Eater? Is there anything here genuinely worth saving, or are we simply flailing our hands at a lost cause that does not actually need to be resolved?

[Her eyes flick up in mild surprise at the mention of the sheriff's name. She hadn't realized Daylight knew the sheriff as more than just... well, the sheriff.]

No, the bonfire was not engineered so specifically. The lanterns do carry our life forces, yes, if you wish to call it that. Both indeed represent that last remaining scraps of life left on this planet, and the World Eaters feed on life.

[She lets out a small laugh.]

So simple, isn't it? And I assure you, sir, that life is what they crave. There is no other explanation for their behavior through the reset cycles.

It would indeed be wise to separate fact from speculation, so here is what I can tell you: I oversaw renovations on the lighthouse to turn it into the command center that it is today, I created the lantern technology, and I opened the portal that landed us in the mess we find ourselves in today. These are topics on which I can speak with absolute certainty.

So far as the World Eaters and the forest spirits... I know more of the spirits than the World Eaters, but I'm afraid both remain quite mysterious as we have limited resources to put toward their study. I have no idea what would happen to any of us should we be consumed, but...

[She lets the pause hang in the air a moment as she chews on her words. There is gravity in Cao Pi's question, and she wants to do it justice.]

If you're suggesting that the best course of action may be to accept our fate and die, sir, I'm afraid I must disagree. There is no hope for this world as it was, that is true, but to squander an opportunity to build something new upon the ashes would be an awful waste. All of us have been given a second chance at life, and think of how many others could benefit from our rehabilitation of this place. That, in my mind, is worth fighting for.

[ daylight nods in agreement, definitely siding with the idea that all of this is something that's still worth fighting for.

it might not have been what they wanted when they all first arrived here, confused and disoriented, with only the memory of their deaths in their heads and a new lantern by their sides, but day thinks they can make this work. they have to make this work because a chance is a chance, in his optics, and he believes in helping others out, no matter what.

... but they'll have to make this work, meaning they need to tackle the biggest problems they have at hand: the world eaters and the need to pool all resources and information at hands.

so he thinks this is a good way to bring something up that's been in his processors for a while, ever since he brought it up with sir kuai liang and others: ]

I think the others would agree to what you have to say, Dr. Solis. If, um, they could hear from you directly.

[ finally switching away from the notes, day opens up the network app and turns his tablet around, presenting it to dr. solis so she could see the app for herself. ]

I've spoken with others and, um, we were thinking maybe you could... speak to them, directly. [ day looks a little embarrassed, knowing he was repeating himself thanks to a fit of nerves, but he soldiers on, ] I think it's best if you tried to, Dr. Solis. Not now, of course, or even tomorrow or the day after that. But... soon, I hope. I've... I've tried to reach out to many of the others who also feel asleep so they can speak with you. I also informed the others I trust about these events and everything but...

[ daylight clears his vocoder, a little nervous and flustered but determined to be heard out. ] I feel like everyone should know at this point. Everyone. Not just me or a few others. Fighting for this - the, um, chance to build things up and to rehabilitate the world to something new again - requires all hands on deck. More than ever, I think, because Sir Cao Pi's concerns are valid. It feels like we're up against... against things beyond our comprehension. To make this work, everyone should be on the same page. We all have different skills and talents and other things to bring on the table.

We just gotta know where the table is.

[ that is the most day had made himself say consciously and he's going to, like, shut up for forever now. ]

[that answer is entirely unsatisfactory in Zihuan's eyes, but he never lets on. Not even a flicker in his icy eyes, no sense that he can't believe that a potential rehabilitation is the only reason to preserve this world.

But he will still continue to help, if his only reason is to prevent a reset and to lord a success over hundreds before them who have failed. You know, all his stupid selfish reasons to win.

He steels his expression to a completely blank mask and nods politely, both to her answer and to Day's lengthy proposition. Good job bro, have an extra approving nod.]

He has a point. When we attempt to speak to others using the knowledge you've shared with us today, they will wonder where we got it. No amount of wishing to protect your secret will prevent it from eventually coming out one way or another. When that happens, Master Daylight and I will be seen as go-betweens, and I can imagine that the constant back and forth will wear us all down. [a long-suffering sigh] It usually does.

I would not rush you, of course. But keep it in mind. Sooner or later, the volume of demands for information will have them all beating down our doors trying to get answers - or yours.

[Dr. Solis nods as they both speak.]

I agree wholeheartedly. I don't intend for you or anyone else to keep any secrets on my behalf, nor do I need you to serve as liaisons, at least not in the long term. For now, I would appreciate if you would disperse what I've told you as you see fit—I would not want my appearance in town to come as a total shock to those yet unaware.

There are some avenues of my research that I would like to complete before I address the town at large, but I will do so soon. I agree that the best thing for all of us at this time would be to pool information and get everyone up to speed, so to speak.

In any case, my initial request for secrecy was only so that I might meet the two of you uninterrupted. When I address the town, it will be via the network in case my appearance causes any upset. In groups past, we've often had at least a handful of residents that find themselves... unappreciative of my aid. Be that as it may, my priority is keeping all of us safe.

[closed]

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cautious cw: gore.

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wtf rip, newt go home no one asked you

newt smelled SCIENCE and PORTALS and wanted to JOIN

hey I loled

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