Deer Country Network

[In the wake of Paul's warning, Raleigh hasn't been able to rest. If the beast doesn't come then at least they're all prepared to scramble, but if it does come and they ignored the klaxons? He'd never be able to forgive himself. 

If you've been down to the waterfront you will have seen the hive of activity. The tents full of strategists and logistic stewards. The fighters training. The engineers building away. You might have seen Raleigh, himself, trying to help where he can. 

You all know Raleigh, don't you? The bean guy. That nice guy who lives all the way out in Ache on a chicken farm? He comes into town once a week and sells eggs and fresh chicken in Willful Machine, accompanied by his omen Spaghetti the raccoon (Fritter's mother, if you want to know) and occasionally his long time partner Chuck Hansen. But that isn't the Raleigh you get today. Today you get a man who is willing to humiliate himself for the war effort, filmed by the unseen, snickering Australian, who talked him into it.

Today you get him shirtless with his hands on his hips, standing on the foot of a mech the size of a skyscraper. He is in peak physical condition with abs you could wash your clothes against. His hair is done for once, his face is shaved, and there is strategically placed mechanic's grease for added intrigue. 

Welcome to Propaganda Raleigh.]

Citizens of Trench. My name is Raleigh Becket, I'm a Jaeger Pilot here as part of the levithan defense corps. 

[A small sigh. They have done this so many times and he was dead inside by the third take. Chuck giggles off camera and Raleigh gives him a very pointed look.]

This, is a Jaeger.



[He gestures and the camera pans up and up and up. Two hundred and fifty feet tall and nearly two thousand tons of mechanical whoop-ass. The kind of machine that could level Trench in a heartbeat. Or save it. The camera pans back and he itches his eyebrow. There's grease on his finger and it leaves a black smudge. To those with very keen eyes, the sheen across his chest highlights a series of intricate burn scars that spider across his right side like computer circuitry. It is what it is.

Listen, we need your help. The engineers here, Hunk and Asami Sato lead by Chuck Hansen, have figured out a way to keep Striker's size and power but we need darkblood to sustain it. A lot of it. Together we can use the energy to steady not only Striker Eureka here, but the Paladins of Voltron's lions too. And a second Jaeger, if we had the pilots...

If this monster really does come, then we're running out of time. Look around you. All of this, your closest loved ones, the lives you've worked so hard to build. If this monster is as bad as we think it is, then we could lose everything. Speaking as someone who has? You don't want to.

Together, we can end this without the monster ever making landfall. We can protect our city and we can win.

So, please. If you're a darkblood or you know a darkblood that would be willing to contribute power or blood, come see me or Chuck or anyone down here at the camp who can direct you to the Jaeger Bay.

[Replies will come from both Raleigh Becket and Chuck Hansen]

[content warnings: thalassophobia, prophecies of doom]

Citizen-Sleepers of Trench

My name is Paul Atreides. Some of you know me. I am a paleblood disciple of the Pthumerian mysteries, a fellow Sleeper, and I have been granted a warning.

( a briefing )

[ There has been a great deal of things that Sasuke has learned about in the few weeks he's been here just from talking to new people. All of them have been extremely confusing concepts, like therapy and the idea that people take care of children when they don't have anyone else to take care of them.

Some of these conversations where he's learned things have ended in more questions than answers. He could ask for more clarification from the few he's already made contact with, but the more possible answers he can get, the better. He thinks.

He hopes.

This could be a mistake. ]

How would you suggest someone improve their communication skills?

If your go to response is "talk to people", spare me. I'm only interested in more thorough answers.

cw: chronic illness, ruminations on death

Fun one for you tonight.

[this message comes in the middle of the night, when no one in their right mind should be awake. but that's never stopped anna. she can't sleep, and if flynn and ruby and everybody are right then she has to at least try not to keep this stuff inside her at all times. sorrow's silence we needn't bear, or whatever.]

( OOC cut )

What do we know about the Hunters?




[That’s it. That's the post.]

[Sorry, folks. We're used to getting our info from Sleepers, not the locals. And in the wake of October, in light of the words of the locals lately... Better to ask.]

[ The feed clicks on to reveal a blonde woman with green eyes staring into the camera. It takes a few moments before she adjusts the angle to give a better view of her face, one that it isn't so close up. She gives a warm smile. ]

Sorry about that! Still, getting used to this, uh, device.

[ Her accent is unmistakenly American. ]

Anyway. I'm Laurel Lance and I've been here for a little over a week now. Not going to lie, it's been a lot to take in, but I think I'm getting there. I just have a couple of questions for people.

Firstly, where has the best coffee?

Secondly, is there a gym or something like it around?

Last but not least, I'm wondering if there's a need for legal advice in this place. I'm a lawyer back home.

Thank you for taking the time to listen.

[ With that, Laurel ends the feed. ]

[It must be that time of the month, because there's another newbie on the network. This one, a 20-something woman with riotously curly blonde hair, is sprawled on her back on the beach, holding the Omni up above her face. It's not a great angle, but whatever.]

Hey, if one of these places sells calamari, s'that cannibalism? Cause I love that shit. Also I got so much sand in my ass crack right now I'm gonna be shittin' pearls for weeks.

[She could just...leave the beach. Does she know they're allowed to leave the beach?

She...likely doesn't know they can leave the beach.

Saxsice ends her foray into social media by dropping the Omni on her face and cussing as the feed ends. OW FUCK--!!

[The video starts off with Maul looking angry, as he usually does, and he starts in with no introduction or insults. There’s a definite sense one gets watching that he’s doing his best to keep himself from pissing off the population at large.]

It appears that recently there was a misunderstanding over who had killed someone named Flynn. I am here to make it clear that was not me. While I have no issues with being accused of things I have actually done, I won’t stand for people speculating that I am the cause of all your miseries here--

[He pauses, visibly restraining himself from saying anything further that he knows won’t help his cause here.]

--But no matter. I knew who actually did it and so I have brought the miscreant forth to tell you himself.

( More Jedi and Sith drama under here! )

Hello Trench,

This is Flynn Scifo. Some of you may be aware that a week ago, I was killed at the Gate. After five days, I appear to be back and whole, with minimal scars. I thought it important to let everyone know that death is as impermanent here as I am told it was in the dream many of you awoke from.

I owe this largely to Yuri Lowell. He took care of my body while it did what seems to have been necessary to bring me back. While we must hope that this does not happen to anyone else, if it does, please do your best to keep any remains nearby and in a safe place. It's not clear what would have happened had Yuri not done that.

No matter how strong the call of the Gate, it is not worth your life. Stay away, and if you find yourself in a situation you don't think you will survive, please, call for help.

Hopefully, this information is useful as we head into what I am also told was a difficult and dangerous time in the past.

Please stay safe.

-Flynn

Well, well! Things have certainly gotten a lot more interesting, haven't they? Haha, I'm quite excited to see what you all have in store for this new world.

[He has been enjoying going through the Omni and gathering info about everyone making media posts to it. Social media is just the greatest, isn't it?]

My name is Childe, for those who don't already know me. And I have one simple thing to ask you all-

What are all of you planning to do with your newfound powers? Will you use them to become stronger? Fight? Or learn to use them for some other, devious plan? Or perhaps you'll use them for the betterment of Trench...I'm all ears, you know.

[A few days after everyone's settled in, this pops up:]

—working now? Oh, good, that took so much longer than I thought it would.

[To those well-versed in such things, they might quickly identify the androgynous figure onscreen right now, dressed in an eyesore of a coat, as a tiefling: there are the horns, the tail, the lavender skin, the red and pupil-less eyes. To those who aren't? Jesus, it's another fuckin' weirdo, and he's giving the camera a bow.]

Mollymauk Tealeaf, formerly of Exandria and the Mighty Nein and now of Trench, at your service! I'm a bit lacking in funds at the moment, so if you have some coin to spare, come to Cellar Door. I've set up near one of the statues. [And he pans the camera up to show an artistic, distinctive statue of a woman dancing, with cloth draped over her arms. Then down to a little portable table with a set of tarot cards laid out.]

For just two coppers, or whatever the equivalent is here, I'll tell you what the future has in store for you. Doesn't that sound like a steal to you?

[Advertisement over, he gets serious, and adds:]

Oh, and—if anyone from the Mighty Nein is here? Let me know you're safe. [Please.]

[The video turns on and it's everyone's not-so-favorite Sith Lord. He looks better than he did upon arrival though he wears the usual expression of just barely contained fury he's known for. Sitting next to him is a creature that might be the stuff of human nightmares given how they're all teeth. They could have easily been mistaken for a monster in this place were it not for the fact they're remaining perfectly still, Maul's right hand resting along their back.

If you're all done fooling around with these devices like the children half of you are, perhaps we can turn our attention to more serious matters. Oh, and for those of you who had hoped I wouldn't find my way here, so sorry to disappoint.

[Though he sounds anything but.]

For one, I recall a lot of bleating about organizing a government and such during your charming little witch hunt of me. I assume for most you that was all talk but surely there has to be a few enterprising souls that were serious. If so, let us talk more. I am most curious given I have some experience with running an entire planet. [Venge, the Maalraas sitting by Maul, paws him gently.] Oh and has anyone else found themselves suddenly with an animal companion?

[Then, having blithely insulted a good three-fourths of the population, the video is turned off.]

cw: cannibalism kinda, underage sex jokes, brief nondescript ref to animal violence

Hiii everyone.

(Have an enthusiastic wave from a girl speaking in a perfected baby voice.)

My name's Jennifer Check and I'd like to put it out there that I'm now accepting human sacrifices. Sexual or otherwise.

(She smirks at her own joke, but really, she's starving.)

And I mean human specifically. I don't do that animal sacrifice bullshit. I'm not some psycho white boy who got turned down too many times by the pretty girl at school and who's weirdly obsessed with making Call of Duty half his personality.

(A big sweeping eyeroll. It's amazing how quick her voice went from Baby-Uwu to Frigid-Bitch. It's not a talent everyone could master, admittedly.)

Anyway. Is everyone around here a prude or something? I haven't seen any cleavage outside of my own in like a whole day. Holy shit. (...DRAMATIC REALIZATION...) Did I get kidnapped by the Amish...

(The last part is muttered to herself.)