video;

[wendigoner]

[ It's Hannah's network debut! The teen looks cheerful enough, for a person trapped in a monster-infested cave nightmare, standing in front of one of her city-decoration projects. ]

Does it work? I know everyone hates when people hit "reply to all" on e-mail, but I haven't really used this thing yet, and I thought I should introduce myself to everyone. We're all stuck here, so... better to have names to go with the faces, right?

[ Hannah, no, this isn't an online college course. ]

My name's Hannah - Hannah Washington. My brother Josh is here, too, and... I'm from the same place as Chris, Ashley, and Emily, if you've met them.

[ She isn't exactly sure how long her friends have been in Hadriel, but it's been longer than her own one-month period for sure. ]

Um - So, I got some cookies for painting, I guess. From Hope, maybe? Are they safe to eat? I know that the "gods" aren't all the same in how bad they are, but if there's any chance of them being risky, maybe it'd be better to throw them away.

[ Hannah pauses, tucking some hair behind her ear. Behind her, occasionally visible, are paintings of butterflies on the walls. ]

Any tips for a cave-city newbie?

Comments

voice.

[bekommen]

I didn't know Josh had a sister.

[Chris hadn't mentioned it either ... weird.]

video.

[wendigoner]

[ Well, that's. Mildly upsetting. Hannah winces a little, blindsided by that confession. ]

You know him? [ And he didn't mention either her, or-- ] ... He has two sisters. Beth isn't here with us.

[ Which is probably for the best, though Hannah selfishly wishes she had the company of her twin. }

voice ~> video.

[bekommen]

Yeah ... not super well, but I know him. Chris and Ashley too.

[And Emily, but they don't get along. At all. So best not to say much about that.]

I'm Nick. Oh, uh - one sec.

[She switches over to video, waving halfheartedly at the camera. She doesn't smile, but that's mostly because it's just not her default.]

This's me. [She may be recognizable from her very public drunken meltdown a few weeks back.] Welcome to Monstercave City, I guess.

Video

[64th]

Hi, I'm Cashmere. I'm friends with Josh. [ intimate friends but that is not the way she's gonna introduce herself. ]

Hope isn't so bad. The cookies are probably fine. Maybe disappointing, though.

Video

[wendigoner]

Cashmere? [ She repeats, faintly amused. Like the fabric?

Yes, though; don't mention the nature of your relationship with her brother. Gross. ] Nice to meet you.

Disappointing? [ Hannah questions, with a little laugh. ] What do you mean?

Video

[64th]

[ yep, like the fabric. she knows it's unusual. ] It's a family name. You can call me Cash.

All the food here is ... Weird. It doesn't taste like you remember it or the texture is wrong. Hope probably wouldn't make you sick on purpose.

video

[skelebro]

[Sup, Hannah. Have a skeleton.]

Related to Josh, huh? He didn't mention any siblings.

[Then again, the guy was kind of intoxicated the last time they talked face-to-face, which also happened to be the first time they talked at all. And then after that they just kind of chatted about memes. You know, as you do.]

Advice? Uhhh...don't take anything this place says or does personally.

video

[wendigoner]

I heard. [ She chews on her lip, looking decidedly Unhappy about that fact. ] But... um, yeah. He's my older brother. He has two sisters.

[ She isn't about to let her twin go forgotten. ]

Don't take it personally? [ Hannah repeats, with a surprised laugh. ] Isn't it, like... trying to kill us?

video

[skelebro]

[He never mentioned two sisters. Sans files that one away to ask Josh later.]

More or less. But at least you'll always know it's never personal.

[He winks, a shift of bone that shouldn't really be plausible but happens nonetheless. Don't worry about it, it's probably magic.]

Sometimes the network glitches up and whatnot, or people act a little weird. Usually that's just the gods havin' a laugh.

[voice]

[synthedick]

Sure are a lot of you from the same place.

[As someone who is always trying to figure out how the Door works and why it pulls people in the way it does, that's certainly something worth noting.]

As for advice, I'd familiarize yourself with where some of the important places are, if you haven't already. The Clinic, the Guard Headquarters, the temples. In a place like this, you never know when you're going to need to run to any one of those.

[voice]

[wendigoner]

I think it's just five of us. [ Hannah notes. ] Is that a lot?

[ She has no idea what the running numbers are for everyone else's home populations, anyway. ]

The clinic, the... Okay. Got it. [ She jots them down to be sure she won't forget. ] What's in the temples?

[ Aside from, she assumes, candles, altars, and that kind of stuff. ]

voice

[pighead]

Hey, I'll try 'em if you're not sure. I'll fall on that sword for you.

[Cookies. Awesome.]

voice

[wendigoner]

[ pls ]

As if! I'm taking these as my reward for being a good citizen of crazy town and I am gonna eat them all by myself.

[ ... ]

I guess you can have one, though. There're a lot.

text;

[valiantabsurdity]

From Lir to the maid, Hannah, with greetings —

First, I wish you well and welcome to the darkened home in which we find ourselves. Or still search for ourselves. It is a difficult thing to tell, when men have begun self-discovery, let alone when they have completed it. But I hope your journey in that has proven fruitful, and that you can account for some, or most parts of your person.

I have not yet made the warm acquaintance of your kin, but I am certain they are most kind.

As for your question, if you mean to be rid of your pastries, may I ask the service of your crumbs? I seek to lure in pigeons for Hope to witness. If you know nothing of pigeons, please do not alarm yourself. They are fickle, spoiled birds of white or grey plumage with a fondness for stepping on your feet.

With sharp regard,

Lir

text;

[wendigoner]

[ what the frickle frack cadillac did she just read ]

um? thank you?
i don't think i'm here for self discovery but that's a nice thought. i think.

josh is a good guy. hope you get to meet him.

you want the cookie crumbs? ummm
okay! i guess that's fine.
why does hope need to see pigeons though?

[wormintheglass]

Josh's sister! Oh, how - well. Probably not lucky. But so much better than being alone.

Hope is excruciatingly irritating, but not at all likely to feed you anything harmful. I suspect they'll be sickly sweet, though.

[wendigoner]

Right. It'd be... really bad to be alone down here.

[ Dark, scary caves. She makes a face at the thought. ]

"Irritating" doesn't sound so bad. At least he won't hurt us. [ That last comment earns her a smile. ] I wouldn't mind if they were sweet.

private to shadow

[unfollowing]

DO NOT TELL HANNAH WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER

all of us here talked it over with josh, and we aren't telling her. NO ONE is telling her. that includes you

got it?

btw your jacket is almost done

[wendigoner]

[ Hannah, in turn, stares back. Blinking. Unsure. ]

... Hi? [ is that a hedgehog ] Something, um... wrong?

[text]

[tongueamok]

Here's a tip: don't let that brother of yours be your wingman.

[not here]

[thechoiceisyours]

[YOU HAVE NO IDEA, CARLISLE

TRUER WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN SPOKEN]

[text]

[wendigoner]

ew, gross! i wouldn't have josh do that.

[fulminants]

Haven't met either of them, but I'll keep that in mind.

[ He glances over at the butterflies on the walls behind her. ] Those are really pretty, Hannah. I'm Johnny - Johnny Storm.

[wendigoner]

[ oh no he's cute

Hannah flushes, looking pleased with herself. ]

Thanks, Johnny. [ She glances back at the art briefly, considering. ] I... wasn't sure what Hope was looking for, and I'm not an artist, or anything, but it's the thought that counts, right?

[ And, if Hope hadn't liked it, he wouldn't have given her gifts, probably. ]