hadriel | 001 ❗ video

[ It's not as if Miller's pleased that half of Hadriel's captives have apparently been buried alive, but this also grants him an opportunity he'd been craving. It places him back into a position that he's come to miss and yearn for since his arrival here. He can't fight the monsters who come with the newcomers, he can't convince the gods to send them home when they don't even know how the process works, but he can organize people. And this situation, with Hope's set of coordinates? This is his bread and butter.

The broadcast comes from a desk in the main living area of Kaz's apartment. He's propped his phone and adjusted it so that it shows him from the shoulders up. A number of people here already know about his disabilities, but anyone who doesn't should stay that way for now. They might see his missing limbs and his need for a crutch as a weakness, which will make them less likely to listen to him. ]

Fear's really done a number on us this time, hasn't he?

[ He shakes his head, dismayed but not defeated. He assumes it's Fear, anyway. Who else would be behind this? Sitting with his back straight and his beret set in place, Miller takes on the air of command. ]

This we can do something about, though, unlike the blizzard. Anyone who's above ground and willing to help dig someone up, report in. I'll assign you a set of coordinates. Then, report back with whether or not you were successful in digging someone up -- and if so, who it was.

[ That's all simple enough, but Kaz can guess that both those who've been buried and those who haven't are in a panic, and a good leader needs to address something like that. ]

I'm sure that many of you have friends who are in need of your help. [ His brow knits, a quiet show of empathy. ] But right now, we need to focus on getting each and every person dug up, so even if you end up rescuing a stranger, just keep in mind that I'll have probably sent someone else to free your loved one. The important thing is that we make sure each plot is covered so that no one is overlooked.

[ Someone just made a helpful announcement about how awful it would be to suffocate in one of those coffins, after all. ]

For those who are curious, my name is Kazuhira Miller, and I have experience with organizing an army. Getting a few people dug up should be a cakewalk if everyone keeps their calm -- and if enough people want to help.

[ Maybe he's guilting people a little with that last point. It might have to do with the fact that he's self-conscious that he can't contribute to any of the physical requirements of this particular crisis. Then again, that had been the case with taking down Cipher too, and they'd still pulled it off. ]

And if anyone who's trapped is watching this... hang in there. We're on our way.

[ With a firm nod, he ends the feed. ]

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[ Maybe someday they'll get the chance to exchange stories. Preferably over drinks or something.

Still, it looks like Chris hasn't met Snake. He's never been the most social of people, so Kaz isn't surprised. ]

How about you? Anyone from your home here?

[That'd be quite the interesting conversation for sure.

Amusingly enough, Chris actually has spoken to Big Boss, but it was all through text and so there had been no chance for him to see an eye patch.]

Yeah. Three of my friends are here; Ashley, Sam, and Josh. Mike was here for awhile, but he disappeared around when the blizzard started.

[ A list of ordinary names. American, Kaz would guess. He's dealt with code names for so long that it's hard not to feel distanced by these mundane ones. ]

Disappeared?

[ Kaz is guessing that's a less direct way of saying that Mike is dead, but he doesn't want to ask outright. Not when it could send Chris into more of a panic. ]

I assume you sent a search party out to look for him? After the blizzard died down, anyway.

[Sure, they had looked after the blizzard died down. Yep. After. Totally not during it; that would've been stupid.]

Yeah, we looked for him. If he was dead Hope should've brought him back, anyway.

[As crazy as that sounds, he doesn't have any reason to disbelieve what Fear told him about Hope bringing people back; Fear didn't have anything to gain from lying, and he's heard other people have been told similar things.]

[ Totally and utterly stupid, but they're not going to go there right now. ]

What? Can he really do that?

[ In some sense, Kaz has seen people brought back from the dead before. Big Boss and Venom had both been as good as dead, trapped in comas for nine years. But this is something else entirely, isn't it? ]

Apparently, yeah. I haven't tested it.

[For obvious reasons. Hopefully he won't have to test it out ever.]

I think that's part of why he was so annoyed in his post.

[ On the one hand, Kaz wants some proof of this. On the other hand, he really, really doesn't. ]

Because if people died in their graves, he'd be stuck reviving them?

You have to wonder why he doesn't just leave us dead, but I guess we're of more use to him alive.

Yeah. I think it takes him a lot of energy to bring people back, and the gods here need us to generate emotion to recharge them or something.

[As far as he's gathered from both his and other peoples' conversations, anyway.

And this just sounds more and more ridiculous when he types it out.]

[ That's more or less what Kaz had gathered too, particularly from his conversation with Fear. It's downright violating to know that these gods are benefiting from their emotions, good or bad. ]

Yeah, that seems to be the story they're telling.

So if your friend hasn't been revived, but you can't find him either, then what happened to him?

I don't know. Maybe he went back home the same way we got here?

[Maybe. Maybe he got lost or died somewhere in this world outside of Hope's reach. Maybe he found a way out and hasn't been able to come back.

There are a lot of options, but he's been trying to focus on the best one.]

Fear, at least, seems to think that's impossible. Granted, he could have just been lying.

[ But if they do assume that Chris' friend found his way back, that introduces a sense of hope, which can be even more dangerous than fear a lot of the time. When that hope is pulled away, it leads to anger and a need for vengeance. ]

Yeah, or maybe he doesn't know as much as he thinks he does.

[Or maybe something else happened to Mike after all. But the idea that the gods are fallible is kind of a nice one to entertain.]

Let me know if you ever find out anything more. People disappearing without a trace isn't a thread we should just leave hanging.

[ Given that it's Chris' friend who went MIA, Kaz doubts that he'll get many arguments on that point. ]

Yeah. If we ever find anything out, I'll let you know.

[He definitely agrees, yes. He really wants to know what happened, but aside from searching for him there's not much they could do.]

I appreciate it. Until then, hang in there. Someone's on the way.

001 ❗ video

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