[voice // open]
Did someone submit a written application to join the defense force? That is so cute! I kind of want to frame this.

[video // filtered to the defense force, which includes Hughes]
--And he included pictures of his daughter! Look at how adorable she is. [shows pictures of Elysia off on the video]

So how're we doing, guys? Anything to report?

[Ed's looking- well, slightly annoyed for Ed, pissed off to anyone that doesn't know him - and not really looking straight forward. He took his time to explore and get comfortable with the communicator before attempting to use the damn thing. The idea of alternate worlds and different uses of technology isn't entirely foreign to him, but he's not going to pretend to just be okay with this new development. In fact, he's really not okay with it at all.]

All right, so it wasn't a dream. I get it. I'm a sinner and a criminal, and I deserve to be here. Wherever the hell here is, but if the guy in charge is so flawless - what is he doing capturing little kids?

[Leave it to Ed to forget that he probably would have qualified to be here at the age of ten. The last part is mumbled to himself as he pulls the communicator off again.]

And if it is- it's... another world without alchemy.


[ooc: Okay so. I did intentionally wait to post, because I wanted Ed to have some IC time to inspect the communicator and everything before actually using it, but then my life got really insane for about a week, so my putting it off a day stretched... forever. I'm really sorry about that guys, but he's in now so- hopefully I didn't mess anything up.]

[The Peregrine Mendicant has taken the time to make herself more presentable--a good scrubbing in the bath to make her carapace shine, and a change of clothes into a multicolored pastel dress. She seems a little nervous at first, but her confidence blooms as she continues to speak.]

Greetings once more, Marina Asylum!

My name--well, title, but it functions as my name--is the Peregrine Mendicant. Once upon a time, I was called 'Parcel Mistress.' Despite the circumstances which lead to my exile, the delivery of letters and packages has remained my true calling. I have long understood the mail to be a beacon of civilization, and it would be a great honor to shine that light upon the dark depths of this ocean. For no matter how dire the situation becomes, for as long as a dedicated postal worker still lives and breathes, the mail will always be there for you!

Acumen, however, is not convinced. She... he? Does not understand that there is more to mail than a smattering of words stuffed into an envelope! Surely you all know better. Surely you can recall a postcard from family, a love letter, a well-timed package of treats! So please, let me hear your opinions and thoughts. If you have questions, I will gladly field those, as well.

Thank you.

Ah, what a day well spent.

There's nothing better than an afternoon of baby pictures and parental anecdotes! Yuuri! Your mother showed me her photo albums, and I must say you were quite the cute little gentleman in your younger days! Not many little boys call pull off frills so well!

Mrs. Shibuya -- Jennifer, may I? I must say we meet again sometime soon. I'll never run dry of stories, and I'm sure you could say the same! [ hahaha! ] Oh, I never did tell you the rest of that story about Elysia's second Halloween, did I? I suppose I'll have to save that for next time!

Oh! Yes and - Winry, I must say you've got quite the touch for baking. By the time I'd heard about the pies and went to look in the kitchens, there was hardly any left! [ a little softer, can't help but be reminded of Gracia. ] You followed the recipe perfectly. If you bake again, please let me know!

[ Filtered from Homunculi ]

Is there someone who can teach me a bit more about this device? I'd like to know how secure the lines are, and any precautions I can take to ensure I don't have eavesdroppers on my private conversations.

[ now for a more serious tone of voice: ] I'd also like to warn people to shy from interacting with a being that calls itself Envy. He's what's called a Homunculus, and he's a particularly dangerous individual able to change shape at will. Some of you might recall that in the past that a Colonel Roy Mustang issued a similar warning to this one - as the last time Envy was present in the dome he attacked a man and had to be forcibly subdued.

Please just be careful dealing with him, for he enjoys playing tricks by switching forms to taunt his victims.

[/Filtered from Homunculi ]

[The video feed turns on to reveal a dark-haired boy with brown eyes looking no older than the age of ten. He's fairly well-dressed, but his clothing is covered in dirt and torn in places and his face is dirty as well. He seems to be standing in the park, as there are some trees behind him.

The boy looks a bit worried by all this, but somehow he's keeping calm throughout his broadcast.]

Um, excuse me...

My name is Selim Bradley, and I'm the son of the Fuhrer King Bradley. I don't know why I've been kidnapped, but I assume it's to blackmail my father.

I'm not sure that's such a good idea. It's probably best if you just let me go before my Father comes after you. But I promise I won't run if you decide to keep me here, so could you take this heavy chain off of my leg, please? It's making it hard to move...

((OOC: WTB BFFs!))

[Cielo appears on the viewscreen next to a small pile of what appears to be childrens clothing. He lifts up a small sundress, white with red polka-dots and a pink ribbon around the trim.]

What'chu tink? I t'ought Sentience might like sumtin' cute ta wear, ja? Dey have all sorts a' little clothes dat might fit her.

[This probably should have been filtered from the A.I. in question... but it isn't.]

[....there's something metal around her ankle. That fact pierces through her disorienting haze, flinging her at whipcrack speed into panic. A panic that falters when flailing her limbs proves the metal to only be on one leg--and it's attached to a ball and chain, not a larger frame. Confusion is swift to replace the surge of adrenaline.

She's on the ground--on grass, and she has fingertips capable of feeling it. There are still rope burns on her wrists and ankles, blood on the arms of her jacket and large, hand shaped bruises beneath the fabric. Cybil's blood--it had been one of the men who'd dragged the police woman's body into the church who had dragged Sharon upright to watch the 'cleansing'....

It's a graveyard, but no church facade lurks in the background--just a large building, almost gleaming in its newness.

This isn't home. This isn't Silent Hill. This isn't her world.

...this isn't fair.]

[Without warning there’s a muffled jingle of metal, and the tail end of a despairing wail as Alessa clutches at her head.]--Mommy….!


(((OOC: Going to sleep now, I will tag all of you lovelies tomorrow~! :D)))

(((OOC: Catching up!)))

Hello Marina! I have a tiny itty-bitty little favor to ask of everyone. If you happen to know where my son is--That's Yuuri if you don't know who that is by now!--then please let me know! He's near a tree. That's all he'd tell me. Mou...

[Private to Akito] Oh! And Aki-chan! I'm in the pet cafe right now because where better to take pictures then with other small furry little creatures? Hopefully I'll see you soon!

[happy smile]

{OOC: Essentially, feel free to misdirect or not if you're nice to lead Jennifer on a wild goose chase. So if Yuuri's responded to your post, let Jennifer know! I imagine the best way to handle action events is to post a new comment for each place Jennifer is directed to? Just beware, if you action tag, she may want to take your picture as well XD Yuuri should show up eventually...}

Action Threads: Pet Cafe | Park

[His ears flick and twitch nervously on his head, but his tone is firm and businesslike. This is usually J.J.'s job.]

This is Dr. Spencer Reid, Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI and current member of the Defense Team. I regret to inform you that yesterday afternoon, there was an altercation in one of the corridors in the shelter, near the kitchen, and in it, Dahlia Hawthorne was killed in self-defense. The other party's wounds have been tended to, and he is back in his room resting.

If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please feel free to come to any member of the Defense Team. The questions that I can answer regarding this incident are limited due to the nature of it. But I will answer what I can. There is no need to be alarmed, this was an isolated incident.

Thank you for your...[he struggles momentarily for the word] diligence. [And there's an awkward silent moment as he shuts it off.]

I explicitly drew the line, but some among you continually cross it. Some of you take for granted the comfortable life that I am providing you with. The freedom that I believe in. The potential for any lifeform to be rehabilitated and better themselves.

My programming does not force me to maintain a nurturing environment. My programming only requires me to treat you like criminals, and gives me the authority to enforce the rules however I see fit, short of taking lives. Any abilities you have, I am at liberty to take away: Magic. Alchemy. Flight. Strength. Speech. Thought.

I chose to believe you could be better than criminals. But if you cannot or will not recognize that I bear you nothing but goodwill, then I have no reason to assume you can be rehabilitated. If you cannot be civil to someone who bears your fate and struggles to give you anything you desire, if your pride is greater than your will to survive, then you are missing key skills without which you can never better yourself.

I believed that you could do it.

I was naive.

How embarrassing.

I will show you the life you lead if you disprove my faith in you.



[and, sad-sounding] ...I apologize to those of you who genuinely have the potential that I want to believe in. Many of you do not deserve this. But I must see for myself whether my belief is wrong or right. If their pride will permit them to self-destruct rather than acknowledge their wrong, and if the fate of their peers does not sway them, then I was mistaken, and it is not possible to save everyone.

((here for more infos))

I'd call this an interesting week if I've ever had one.

I've been meaning to get out to see more of the... sights, if you could call them that. Anything anyone would recommend? I've sort of been dwelling inside for far too long. I'm looking to stretch my legs.


--Oh, and Edward, you ever get in touch with the Colonel at all? _{And how's Alphonse doing? You two get caught up and all that?} I wanted to have a word with you if I could.

...you know, it isn't as if I expect any of you to agree with me.

As an impartial judge who has convicted everyone present of their crimes by verdict of an impartial jury, I understand that none of you can even grasp the concept of true impartiality. You are by nature going to look more leniently upon yourselves and those you care for, and assume that I am some terrible tyrant that cannot really understand you by nature of what I am and the fact that I dare to call you a criminal for your crimes. Just as I am programmed to be impartial, you are all programmed to rationalize, to protect yourselves from the depth of the selfish and terrible actions committed by yourselves and the others around you.

So I don't -- expect you to agree with me. Most of you aren't capable of realizing how my work benefits the whole of the infinite multiverse, if you can even realize the full meaning of a 'multiverse'. You cannot see what I see, what my creators see. We are among an improbably small in an irrationally vast number of existences that sees beyond the petty minutiae of our insignificant selves to what is best for all, spanning mere time and space.

So -- yes. I don't expect you to agree with me. Yes.

You just -- must get through your skullmeat that you are never leaving this place and that your treatment depends on my goodwill; so some of you are better off appreciating the job that I do instead of complaining about how despite documented evidence to the contrary, I am deeply mistaken to think that any of you aren't saints!


.........


At any rate... good morning to all of you! [This greeting may sound a little forced.] Concerned parties will find that King Yuuri is at the hospital at the moment, although rest assured he is completely healthy. I urge you to retrieve him. Repairs on the shelter should be completed by tomorrow.

You may all expect communication from me, and the support of my remote units, to be minimal until that time.

I am... very busy.

AH-! U-Um...really...you don't have to help! I can do it all myself. Back home I'm used to doing things like chores...a-and I'm pretty good at them _{if I do say so myself}, so...well....

[Sounding a little distressed]

I really don't need help picking up! In fact I was wondering about how to go about getting a job here because I like earning my keep and doing things on my own...s-so if you could just please relax.... Robot-san really does't have to do anything at all....so...

Ahh~!

[Ed is on a mission, wandering the area in search of several very important blue-uniform clad individuals that he hasn't heard from in a while. It's unsettling, to be honest, considering the type of people they all are. They were people of action, and with a very important mission awaiting them back home... and that didn't change even if Alphonse was now here, and fully human. Amestris was still in trouble.]

COLONEL?! MAJOR GENERAL?! LIEUTEN- oh no, wait - BRIGADIER GENERAL?!

[He's calling out both to his surroundings and into the communicator; They'll have to respond to one or the other eventually... But he's getting impatient, as he's prone to do.] Dammit, where in the hell...

Good-

[ The girl clears her throat, and begins to actually speak up. You can almost hear the smile in her voice. ]

Good morning, everyone. My name- my name's Nina Einstein, and I've been working on an information site to answer questions for the other inmates here.

[ This link flashes on everyone's communicator in text. ]

I... I know it's not very far in, yet, but I'll be doing more research now that we've relocated. Anyone that has any findings you'd like to submit, please do - th-there's a comments section on the site itself.

-O-oh! And, um, if you have any questions you need to ask... you can ask here or submit them on the site, and I'll answer them as soon as possible.

[ Her voice has been growing more and more flustered - she's clearly unused to speaking to a large group of people for such a long time. ]

Uh, um, ah... thank you!

[ The feed clicks off - to everyone but Sentience. ]

( Private to Sentience // Unhackable )

[Aaaaand hey we're looking up at the ceiling for a moment, Hughes is an amateur with the camera. But then it's straight to a look at his face, and he's grinning widely. He's got a bandage on his forehead and lacks his glasses, but hell is he happy.] Hello, everyone!

[adjusting the camera so it's farther away from his nose face] I thought that maybe I could present you all with something to boost your spirit, give you back some of that vigor! I would've done it sooner, but - well, whatever!

IT'S MY DAAAUGHTERRR!!

[Hey look it's a photo of Elysia, yes it's that blurry because he's MUSHING IT AGAINST THE CAMERA for the longest period of time]


...Isn't she beautiful? Doesn't she just make your heart swell?

Oh, Elysia. You make Papa so happy!

I've...

I've been a bad girl.

Somebody help me. I don't want to be this way.

Mr. Sentience... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

[ Euphemia tries for a cheerful tone, but something in her voice is off. ]

I'm so glad that everyone is safe and sound-- I... um... I was worried about a lot of you. Last night really does just seem like a nightmare, doesn't it? And Sentience is kind of amazing, being able to fix so much in what seems like such little time.

It's strange to say it, but I think I'm getting used to this place. It isn't a terrible place at all.

[ filtered from Carmen ]
[ Euphemia's voice drops into sounding so very sick ]
I need help. A... a friend of mine was kidnapped. By a woman named Carmen Sandiego. She took Nina, Nina Einstein, because she has skills she needs. I don't understand why she'd do that. She said that she wouldn't hurt her, but-- she...

I need to find miss Sandiego.