hadriel | 2.8/ video/ i'd be glad to meet me if i were you

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2.8/ video/ i'd be glad to meet me if i were you

( Hey, Hadriel! You know that lovely rare sight of Kate, actually using video instead of text? You're being treated to it again today, hair a paler shade of pink than before (she needs to dye it, but it can be stretched out for a while longer, she thinks) and eyes?

Well. They're completely white, no irises or pupils to be seen, and giving off an eerie glow against her skin. But that's the point of it, she needs a statement to be made. (Though, honestly, there’s enough statement in the background of the Colosseum, crumbling and ancient as ever, in the frame.

Kate, dramatic? Say it ain’t so.) )

So.

( Still sticking with those eyes, Kitkat? Okay, then. )

We need to talk about the Door.

( A pause. )

...Least, what's most likely the Door.

( Meanwhile, Alphys is very slightly off-camera, on virtue of the fact that she’s four feet tall and therefore too short to be caught in most video focused on someone’s face. But she stands on her tiptoes, waving her hand to get it to tilt down a bit. )

So, uh, we may have been-- well, uh, I’ve b-been looking into it. It absolutely matches Door signatures of the energy we’ve, uhm, captured when it brings in new arrivals. It’s unstable, and not consistent, but… yeah.

( She looks down, tapping her claws together nervously. )

It is telling the truth. Or s-seems to be.

( Maybe Kate should sit down the next time they do this. But nevertheless, her eyes finally fade and she looks less than pleased with the fact that they can only say so much. )

Behaviour means we haven’t got a proper reading on it. ( Her lips purse and tug to one side. She wants to get her hands on it, but it already causes her headaches when she stares at it from above ground. What the hell kind of experience would looking at it directly be? ) Not in the time we’ve had.

( SIGH )

Null’s not bullshitting us, far as we can tell. ( It would be so much easier if it was, really. The thought of it being somewhere in this city makes Kate antsy. Who knows how long they have before its communicators go back online and it drags the rest of its species here like some horrifying, metallic beacon? ) So.

We need to organise.

( Before 50 different people end up with the idea of doing their own thing, really.

But fuck if she didn’t have other plans for this. Ones which gave them more time, which didn’t ask them to post to the network in plain sight of the gods. )

It can’t really, uh, search right now, but I might b-be able to help a little?

( She reaches off-camera and pulls out a small device, with what looks like a camera lens on the back. )

I made this a while ago, but it tracks magical signatures. I’ve been able to confirm that the Door has, uh, a unique s-signature that doesn’t match god magic. It can’t track long distances, just scan what’s in front of it, but, uhm. If anyone thinks they found a piece, I can confirm it.

( ooc: replies will, of course, come from both kate and alphys, but holler if you want someone specific! )

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[Maybe it's an offensive question to ask a wolf, but--]

Maybe you can help us dig? When we have to, uhm, to get to the main Door here. I'm not going out on the ocean either.

[ ... You know, that's like. The second time she's been asked that in the span of a month.

Unsure if she should be taking offense or not. ]

You know what? Sure, why not. I'll dig.

[SORRY ROSIE there's just basically only two options right now.]

I don't know when we'll, uhm, a-actually be ready, but-- yeah.

[She still looks plenty nervous, but finally, she just spits out--]

I can't believe we found it. I can't believe it's just, just been down there.

[ Ah, yes. There it is. ]

Crazy, right? Of course it was the place we least expected it to be, right beneath us the whole time.

Hope it's not like Haven's convenience store though trying to get to this thing.

I know! It's r-ridiculous! I always thought it was only in existence once a month or for those few seconds but it was just there--

[Oh, wait. Haven's convenience store? She stops, realizing she... doesn't know what that is. Rosie doesn't talk about Haven a ton.]

What, uhm, h-happened at the store...?

Wonder why it only burps up people once a month, then... Maybe just weird consistent power fluctuations?

[ She doesn't. For good reason, really.

What happened, Alphys asks, and Rose remembers the fighting ring manifesting before their very eyes. She remembers her skull being cracked like a nut. She still has the scars under her hair where it doesn't grow quite right but thankfully it's wild enough to hide it these days. ]

It was... like a weird pocket dimension. We'd go in and reality would change around us. Some people saw the worst parts of their home. I did. Others just got attacked and killed by horrible creatures.

It was clearly to keep us out, keep us from discovering whatever the Yao Corporation was trying to hide.

[Hahaha oh jeez maybe she shouldn't have asked. There's a pause, just little ticks in the face that instantly makes her anxiety flare that she's asked the wrong thing, but she tries to go forward like nothing's happened and she's Not Worried About That, No Sir.]

Oh, I-- I'm so sorry, I-- w-why would that be a convenience store??

[For knowing so many people who spent time in Haven, she finds herself unaware of a lot of what actually happened there. Many of them left her life before they said anything. Others, like Rosie, just stay quiet. Apparently for good reason. She tries to latch on to an earlier question, make it normal.]

Uh-- I mean, as for the Door's function-- maybe that's all the energy it has? Like how Fear can only move the city once every, uhm, few months. But I don't know how it gains energy back if we don't, uh, I mean if it doesn't have an emotion like the others.

I don't know. None of us did, really. It was just... there. It was really the only opening into the corporation we had but they sure as hell guarded it.

[ It's hard to speak of the trauma suffered there. It may effect her every day life but she... She tries not to think about it too much. Dwelling on it only had her staring down a ledge more than once, contemplating how many times she'd have to throw herself off it before Hope stopped reviving her. ]

Yeah, who knows. Maybe it does, we just don't know what. There's a lot more emotions out there that the gods don't cover.

[She nods, clicking the tips of her claws together in an obvious nervous tic.]

Yeah, I... I'm sorry. Y-You didn't deserve any of that. And, uh, they're gone now! Or at least... you're out of there. So.

[She can tell this isn't helping, so she just moves on.]

Well, uh, that's true! B-But if they represent an emotion, why aren't they as strong as their other friends...? Maybe because the pieces are missing? Sorrow once told me the Door was an artifact, n-not a person.

[ Not really. But it's not Alphys' fault. Still, she doesn't mind the change in topic. ]

Did he? Hm. I mean, I don't think Sorrow would lie... At least, not unless it was by omission.

[ She loves the dude but he isn't always the most forthcoming. He's gotten better though at least. ]

I dunno'. Weird it has the same energy signal if it's not one of them. Or, like, a piece of one of them? I don't know how glow clouds work.

[She continues to run her hands over each other, thinking this through.]

I wonder if... maybe he doesn't know? Or all of their magic comes from the same place, e-even artifacts, or...

[She sighs.]

I guess I could ask him again. But he doesn't like me very much.

It's possible. He knows the most about The Door, but maybe even he doesn't know everything.

[ To that, Rose can't help but smile. ]

He doesn't like me very much either. Doesn't stop me from harassing the Hell out of him though.

[Even Alphys looks a bit confused at that.]

He doesn't? Maybe he doesn't like anyone, then... I c-can't imagine someone not liking you.

[Wait omg was that out loud-- her thoughts screech to a halt, her whole face starting to go red.]

I mean-- well-- you-- you're very nice and I'm sure have been nice to him so it doesn't make sense if he doesn't like you because you haven't been mean!!!

[That sure was one very fast breath. At least she's sincere?]

[ ... What the fuck, Alphys, why are you so cute. For a moment, Rose isn't actually sure what to say. ]

I don't know, we haven't always seen eye to eye... But I think it's more likely he doesn't like anyone, really.

[ She thinks to not say anything about that "nice" bit, yet- ]

I try though. Glad you think I'm nice enough and not just, like, that annoying chick you live with.

I-- no, not at all! I mean, I... okay, I p-probably wouldn't have said anything, if I'm being honest if, uh, something bothered me, because I'm not so good at all that, but! I like you a lot.

[It's a feat for her to even be expressing that kind of sentence clearly, especially through the flush on her cheeks.]

You're cool, and strong, a-and you give great hugs and-- it means a lot that you want to, uhm, live with me. Here. I know I'm not good at being social or d-doing chores on time and you could probably live alone just fine but I, uhm. I like not being alone. So I hope you, uh... like it too??

[ Yeah. Rose is aware that Alphys sometimes has difficulty expressing herself; they need to work on that. Eventually. It's not like Rose is really one to teach people how to go about healthily displaying emotions. ]

You really think all that? [ She can't help but sound a little disbelieving. For the most part, Alphys has known Rose as... Well. Let's just say she isn't exactly a bucket of sunshine these days. ]

Actually, I- After Newt and Hermann and Wade left I kind of closed myself off. I just figured I'd be next and that'd be that. I'd never have that kind of connection. But then, I dunno'. It just worked out that I found you and you had room and... You're probably the closest to House 1 in Haven I've gotten and that means a lot more to me than you probably know.

[ It saved her, actually. ]

[Yeah, Alphys doesn't know how to string together a sentence 99% of the time. She's done her best to get better, but she can still be so, so bad at telling the truth. If people know how good they are, they won't want to hang around her, right? But if she can't lie about herself... she can't tear them down, either. It's a rough middle ground.

She wishes she could hold Rosie's hand right now, regardless. She thinks it would mean a lot.]

Look, I... I d-didn't think I'd be around much longer either, after Sans left. I was the only person from my world, I thought, if they had disappeared I'd be next, you know? And you... understood what he meant to me. What it meant to have friends like that.

[She taps her claws together, nervous to talk about it, but still wanting to.]

Besides, I didn't want to be alone. I don't... I don't d-do well when I'm alone.

[In the dark, in the lab, alone, alone, alone.]

[ Joke's on Alphys, Rose will never know how good she is. Because she isn't. She's a horrible monster that doesn't deserve anything good ever. Haha. Ha. Hilarious.

(She wishes it too. She'll find a way back to the island, just- Gotta' get over that dumb hydrophobia. Somehow.) ]

Yeah, I... If anyone gets it, I do. There's no one like them. But I'll admit, you're my Hadriel packmate if nothing else. [ While she'll never replace any of them in Haven, well- Packmate is still the highest honor one can get with Rose. ]

Me either, honestly. But as long as we got each other, then we'll never be alone. Right? Something corny and sentimental like that, anyway.

[Shhshshsh you stop that. Rosie Good Send Tweet.

She can't help but smile when she hears that, a quiet affirmation she's trying to believe.]

Even if it sounds silly, it's nice to hear. I mean, that you would say that, or-- any of that. I know what it means to you.

[A little sniffle. Is she crying?? Is she going to?? PROBABLY.]

I'll-- I'll do my best! To live up to that, and to support you, a-and to, uhm, be a person that can help you and be a good friend! I promise!

[ The woman blinks. Oh. Oh, no, she didn't actually mean to make the little lizard cry. Don't get all emotional on her Alphys, she was trying to keep up the cool, aloof persona. It's really hard though when she hears those tiny sniffles.

The edges of her mouth melt up into probably one of the most genuinely warm smiles anyone's seen in a long, long time. ]

Just keep doing what you're doing, really. I couldn't ask for more.

[This is some full ass anime shit right here. The tearful scene between protagonists where one makes a deep confession and promise. Alphys doesn't even realize she's doing it, but like. Here she is. Doing it.]

Okay! Okay, I, I'll d-do everything I can!

[So dramatic. She should go so she can keep working on the scanner, but... maybe she'll stay on the line a bit.]

I hope I get to see you soon. Okay?

[ This is about as Anime as it fucking gets. Even Rose doesn't realize it and would be embarrassed if she did, really, but- It's fine. ]

Okay. I'll do my best to make it back before long.

[She nods.]

Okay! Okay. We'll both do our best.

[And she'll wave, with a real, genuine smile, and close out the call.]

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2.8/ video/ i'd be glad to meet me if i were you

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