001; video

[fadedsweaters]

[the sound of muffled curses as Alec is trying to organize himself and his thoughts and he's clearly trying to work out exactly what he's going to say to everyone that can hear him. He's been stewing over this for a couple of days already. In fact the words that can probably be made out right from the get go are things like 'clave' and 'family' and 'cowards', before he seems to realize that people are probably already hearing him. So this mumbling is followed by a long, slightly awkward pause before he finally begins speaking again]

I've been listening to everything that's been going on, and I listened to the lecture when I got here and I'm great at learning and I'm sure it's supposed to be some kind of honour to be chosen to come here or whatever, but I can't be here. I even waited a few days, just to respect all of this, but I can't stay. I'm different than the people who should be here. I'm nephilim, and it is my job- my duty- to get out of this place as soon as possible. There's a war going on outside of this place, and most of you probably don't understand any of it, I don't know how long you've been here, and I'm sure you're mostly mundanes, but it's happening. The Clave has rules, laws, and I have to get home before they think that I've broken them.

Before they take my punishment out on my family or-- or other people.

[a pause and he's sighing just a little bit because this seems stupid, talking to a bunch of people (downworlders, crazy people, vampires... he has no idea who they are or what they are, and he could be breaking the Law just by talking to them or maybe he's going crazy, who really knew) through a bracelet.]

I have to go. I have to find a way out, because this place is all wrong. I just need a warlock or someone else who can make a portal for me. I can pay you... probably when I get back home, but there are people there who I know want me back, and who will help me pay whatever the price is.

[another pause, because his mother did teach him his manners after all]

Thanks.

Comments

text;

[furrows]

Trust me, we know how it is. You can't be here, it's the end of the world if you're not back home. There's trouble, right?

Thing is, you're stuck here, just like the rest of us. It's one of those bad summer camp instances where you're stuck with a bunch of fat whiny kids who keep asking for their DS, when they don't have it. No one's found a way out, and the gods aren't going to talk anytime soon.

text;

[fadedsweaters]

Maybe other people are saying that they need to get home, but I really do. There really is an end of the world kind of problem, and I don't want my friends wasting their time looking for me instead of winning.

So you're telling me that nobody has ever left this place? Gotten their DS back or escaped from summer camp or whatever you want to call it?

text;

[furrows]

Look, kid- I have the same thing back home. If I'm not there, the entire world gets covered in complete darkness, and no one is safe anymore. I get what you're saying.

But there's no way out of here. The fat kids keep on whining and you have to basically deal with them and the problems they cause.

On the plus side, the gods themselves have said that time is frozen when you get taken from home. So it's not like you've gone missing if time gets stopped.

text;

[fadedsweaters]

Do they cause a lot of problems, then? Is that why people like me are stuck here?

If time is frozen back home, and I'm here, does that mean that I'll be older when I go back?

video;

[unfalteringly]

There are a lot of people who come here saying the same thing, that they can't stay because they have more important matters at home.

I'm sorry, but the gods who brought you here? It doesn't matter much to them what you were doing before hand. It seems like going home isn't possible unless they want you to leave.

video;

[fadedsweaters]

[he looks a little more agitated now, running his fingers through his hair]

There were things back home that were really important. Stuff I should be doing with my time that's more important than just sitting here. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do to make this process faster, and nobody will tell me.

video;

[unfalteringly]

There are always important things back home, stuff that we have to be doing and that we have to get back to. I'm sorry, but I don't think there is any way to make this go any faster. If the gods want you to go home, they'll send you. Otherwise, well, I don't think there is any other way to leave here and get back to our lives.

voice;

[showbizpanache]

Well, um-- Most of what you said didn't made much sense to me, I'm afraid, but rest assured you aren't alone. In being stuck here, I mean.

voice;

[fadedsweaters]

I guessed that there were a lot more people here. I heard them, I mean.

[a pause]

Are you a mundane, then? Are all of the people here mundanes?

[showbizpanache]

Me? Mundane? Hardly.

That's a fairly accurate description for the natives here, though.

( video. )

[gameplaying]

Please do tell, who should be here?

video;

[fadedsweaters]

The people who want to be, probably. Or the people who came here on their own?

Not people like me.

[gameplaying]

Then that would be no-one. [ a pause. ] I sympathise with your plight, but to labour under the illusion that you are alone in your desperate need to be elsewhere will only alienate you from the others here. There are many that have been taken from what they believe needs to be done, and if the truth has been told even by half, the outcome of your war will mean nothing if Rangarnök truly does come.

[video]

[holmes_fanatic]

No warlocks, no portals. Sorry about that! But it really is the same for everyone. We're all prisoners here, and nothing here works like it does in the worlds we're from.

But you're not going to be in trouble for being here because you won't be missed, so you can stop worrying about that part at least!

video;

[fadedsweaters]

There isn't a single warlock in this whole place? And what do you mean exactly that things don't work the same here?

[pause

Someone said something like that to me before, too. That time stops back home. Nobody could tell me if I'll be older when I go back, though.

video;

[holmes_fanatic]

If there's a warlock, then they'll be in the same position we are. Any powers, abilities or possessions we had before we came don't work here. It's because the natural laws that make this place work are different. That's why things that aren't possible home can happen here.

The warlocks you mentioned -- do their portals look anything like the circle on the carpet in the room you found yourself in first at the castle?

I don't think you will be. Older I mean.

I fell asleep for a week here. But while I was asleep, my mind went home. For me, it was like I just ... resumed my life exactly at the point I came here. I know it wasn't a dream, because the stuff that happened during that time appeared in newspapers in the library here.

[video]

[swedge]

[War? That sounds...familiar. For sure. Even if she doesn't recognize half of the terms he used, she can relate to wanting to get back. To help.]

What were you fighting?

[Priorities. Jo has them.]

video;

[fadedsweaters]

A demon. She was trying to impregnate women to have as many of her children as possible.

video;

[swedge]

[Well that's not as out there as she could have imagined.]

So like the antichrist.

[Video]

[ofthursday]

[Another nephilim? Interesting.]

When you return, it seems no one will notice you were gone. So you needn't worry about the consequences of being away from your post.

[His voice is gentler than normal; he understands this fear all too well.]

video;

[fadedsweaters]

That's what people keep telling me. It seems like there's more questions here than answers, though.

video;

[ofthursday]

There are many questions, yes, but more answers than may seem as well. You are a new arrival, correct?

[ text ]

[bitofajerk]

Just because all of us weren't fighting a war doesn't mean we don't have things to be getting back to. Important things, fyi.

text;

[fadedsweaters]

I can't think of anything more important than saving the world.

[bitofajerk]

Saving the world? Really? Little dramatic there, isn't it?