un: GoldenFlowers, video

[the_obedient_servant]

[The video displayed on the small screens of an omni is of Chara sitting at a desk of some kind, balancing a knife on the tip of their finger like it was as light as a feather.]

I think we, the Sleepers, as a collective, have a habit of forgetting about threats when they leave our immediate attention.

The Chocolatier is a good example of that. As are the Zealots. Soon we'll probably be dealing with the catacombs again.

Regardless, a warning is probably necessary. Be careful about which chocolates you allow yourself to eat. They might all be ddelicious but some of them will spark a murderous single minded rage in you, or allow someone to order you around like a slave.

Can't even trust chocolate. More proof that this world is hell on Earth.

Comments

Video;

[gotaknife]

[The video opens with Martin at his desk at home. He's just going to ignore the knife for now. Being in Trench probably means having to grow up very quickly, given the dangers of this world, so he feels inclined to not comment on it for the moment, at least.]

That's... probably a good warning. Plus, you know. The whole not taking candy from strangers thing. Murderous rage, or someone being able to order you around though feels like the kind of thing that would be really weird to forget?

[Video] un: 008

[hachitaro]

And this is why I stuck to giving honey candy. Can't get murderous off of that.

Audio - UN: Runeseeker

[onerthes]

True enough. Not all of us have forgotten the threat, but the truth is that it's easy to become embroiled in dealing with the immediate problem without preparing. I think we should almost certainly be ready and prepared for the zealots again in the winter...

The bastard gave me some. They're locked in the fridge safely. I don't trust them. It's good of you to make this.

[the_obedient_servant]

The soap opera last year was enough. No need for a reprisal. Smart of you to refuse them. I can give you the guide that I made if you'd like? [They did, after all, try every single one of them with Zib.]

I'm not sure we can beat the zealots with preperation. We need to go on the offensive eventually, and even if we killed them all, they'd just come back.

We need a solution.

video; un: clarke

[romancekiller]

Yeah, I don't think you're wrong about that— but either way it is a good warning to know these things repeat themselves last year.

[the_obedient_servant]

It's one of the more benign threats we've had. Some of the chocolates are aphrodisiacs, or they make you want to be friends with the next person you see, one of them turns you into an animal. Some are dangerous but not all, at least in theory.

[They personally did buy a whole lot of chocolates. They're useful weapons.]

[the_obedient_servant]

Don't give the Doorway ideas.

[the_obedient_servant]

Which in theory means we have a whole year to deal with them. In practice, we're constantly bombarded with new and exciting threats.

[romancekiller]

Yeah— so we can only really partially prepare for what we do know in between all the new things that occur.

[gotaknife]

So kind of like chocolate Russian roulette. But I mean, even something that makes you want to be friends with the next person you see might not be great, depending on who that person is. What if it's someone really horrible?

( video | un: duckling )

[danserai]

There are evil chocolates?

[the_obedient_servant]

Precisely why I said in theory. I've no doubt the Doorway has no considerations of that possibility, but all of them are dangerous to the last. If you transform into a cat, you are still in danger from being kidnapped and caged, or killed.

[gotaknife]

Or, you know, even just getting your tail pinched in a door. That probably doesn't feel so great either.

Do you think the Chocolatier has a close connection to the Doorway, or is it just a monster taking advantage of the timing?

[hachitaro]

What's a doorway gonna do, fall on me?

[He knows what they're talking about, but still.]

video | un: justafarmlad

[justoscar]

I'm just lucky that the chocolate just made me have antlers for a few hours. I've seen what some of them can do and it's scary.

We should be careful about any games we're pulled into playing too, because things got really messed up with them last year. I try to keep an open mind about the Pthumerians, but they can be scary when they want to be. And, with a lot of them acting strange lately...

[He sighed, plainly worried about the reality now that he was thinking about it. All he wanted was a place for his friends and family to be safe, but how was that supposed to happen?]

[the_obedient_servant]

There's not much we can do about that except keep ourselves well stocked in case we are sent to one of the Moss Kings' little games.

Why are you so determined to give them the benefit of the doubt? A Pthumerian who kills you is operating under the exact same thought as a human killing you. [You know, like they did.]

[the_obedient_servant]

It only appears around valentines day to offer magic chocolate, so I would say they're tied together pretty closely. Whether the Chocolatier serves the Doorway or not is a different question.

The Doorway likes relationships, regardless of what those relationships are in practicE. Enemies, romance, familial, platonic. All are the same in the eyes of The Doorway. Refreshingly simple of them really.

[the_obedient_servant]

Dangerous chocolates, at least.

Did you not encounter the Chocolatier last year?

[danserai]

Mm, I don't think so. Was it important?

(private) video | un: graham crackers

[possessum]

( There's a couple of things about this message that Alarms Peter. Mostly, it's the fact the kid has a knife.

But what stands out in a way that makes his heart skip an odd, pinprick beat, is the fact that he.... recognises them. Not directly, but from drawings he's found over the past year. A child with hair like that, and red eyes. ....In one of the drawings, the child actually had a knife.

Peter has no idea how to approach this, but he starts by making the conversation private. Just in case. )

Hello... ( It comes out sounding like a question... almost like he's asking for permission whether it's okay to talk or not. )

This... is going to sound kind of weird. But have we met before?

[gotaknife]

Well, similar... interests, or motivations, don't necessarily mean they're tied together. Although, given Trench, I think you're probably right. It does seem pretty likely they are connected somehow.

Whether or not it's the Chocolatier actually acting under the Doorway's direction or - or, I don't know, unintentionally feeding their love of relationships, I guess? I don't know if we'd ever even have a chance at finding a straight answer on that one.

The whole "thinking good and bad relationships are equal" thing feels kind of like a kid wanting attention, but not really caring whether or not they get good attention for, say, doing well in school, or bad attention, for, like. I don't know. Setting things on fire or something.

[justoscar]

It's not like any of us asked to be born or brought here.

[Oscar knew what Chara was getting at, though. In many ways the Pthumerians were like forces of nature-- much like Chara. But, they all could still be reasoned with.]

I just want to see if there's any way we can work with them before I throw in the towel on trying. Breaking ground to grow your garden is only one step of the process. I want to see if there's any way we can get the whole ecosystem working together to make this place better before we burn it all down so we can rebuild.

[the_obedient_servant]

I think it's more likely that the Chocolatier falls under the Doorway's "dominion", as the Doorway is the patron of relationships and the Chocolatier offers sweets that incentivize their consumers into pursuing relationships. Especially since chocolates on Valentines day are used worldwide as a symbol of a confession.

It's possible that the Chocolatier is the Doorway. We certainly don't see them enough to verify.

[His last statement causes their face to scrunch up in a way that clearly indicates disagreement.]

Mm. It's different, I would say. It's more akin to how someone might enjoy creating intricate connections between dolls. Whether they're negative, positive, or romantic.

[the_obedient_servant]

[They look at him like he's the dumbest motherfucker they've ever seen in their life.]

A door would fall on you. A doorway wouldn't, because it is the space in which a door rests.

[the_obedient_servant]

I would argue that's the problem. We can't prepare for some of the threats we're up against. If the Moss King sends us into the jungle or the catacombs there's still nothing we can do about it.

But something like the Zealots? That is something that we could find a solution to before they strike at us again.