[ voice; ride like the wind at double speed ]

How's it going, 'nessia? How was your day? Do anything fun?

I'm good, if you were wondering. New. Don't have a lot to report yet. Just admiring. Amazing how good the wifi is on other planes of reality, right? Who knew Asgard had all those Optimum hot spots. The full package. The experience of being kidnapped to an alien world plus your own Twitter. No bars on the cell though. I don't think I'm covered out here. Anyone know what to do about that? Change scares me and this thing just doesn't have my apps. Or does it?

Also, I had an important inquiry. Can you all give me the status on the current taco situation? And general food options, I guess. Exotic native cuisine of the cities especially to expand my tongue's cultural horizons. I prefer sugar over spice on the taste-buds but I will accept deets on those sinus-clearing wasabi covered abominations too. Please respond, ASAP. I don't know how there weren't menus on that rack. Literally every place I've ever moved at least had a Chinese menu tucked under the door on day one.

[ action; i'll take you places that you've never never seen ]

[ blaine's positive anyone he knows in this place is going to be sending out a signal real soon, even if he didn't put a name or a face out into the world. could be a bad thing but he's pretty sure nobody that wants to murder him would know his voice? probably. probably.

spent a while doing some exploring before deciding he wasn't really sure what the hell to do with himself now that he's part of a show on the Syfy channel without actually speaking to people. the plan ended up being sit in a booth in the Bright Sky Diner with a (admittedly delicious as hell) milkshake while doodling on the back of the map of Genessia in between going through the network. sup. ]

[As the video feed clicks on, a perturbed Richard is seen, clearly annoyed with his communicator as its not positioned correctly and he has something important to say.]

Good morning. I haven't met many of you, and for that I apologize. My name is Richard Cypher and, for the foreseeable future, I call Fayren my home, as many others of you do as well.

[He takes a breath. He's clearly angry, but he's keeping it under control.]

Of the five cities, this is most like my home, and the recent events detailed in the...newspaper put into perspective how right I initially was with that comparison. [His jaw clenches for just a moment before he continues, his tone even and controlled.] In my world, there is a man who would rule all the lands. His name is Darken Rahl. He uses a lot of different tactics to get his way, but one of them is making the people believe that his way is the right way. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that letter from this "Hands of Decay" was a missive from him.

[He sets his jaw in a firm line.]

It's possible this man who was found dead launched the attack on Fayren, and it's possible that man was a wizard, but I've seen no signs of oppression in Fayren in the time I've been here except from this elusive group who seems to believe all magic is to blame for anything that goes wrong and should be eliminated. Magic doesn't work that way. Magic is a tool, and tools are only dangerous if they're used incorrectly. Magic doesn't have intent, it simply...is. Men have evil in their hearts, but many have more good than evil.

If anyone needs to be removed from Fayren, it's the Hands of Decay, because they would dictate how all men should live, and that isn't freedom, no matter what they call it. No one should have to live in fear of what they are, or what they can do, or worry that advertising their abilities could lead to their persecution.

I don't know how long this has been going on, but I think it's been long enough. Whatever information you have that could help stop them, I'd love to hear it.

[He pauses. He's not used to long speeches, and now he's not really certain how to close it.]

I appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you for your time.

[And he reaches out to disable the feed.]

Who: Aoshi Shinomori and You
What: Aoshi's a newbie and is getting the lay of the land like any onmitsu would. Come say hi.
Where: All over Genessia City (ending at Stone Ridge)
When: January 19, from early morning to about midnight

[He might be as lost and confused as any newcomer, but Aoshi Shinomori's not exactly the type to announce his presence. As soon as he's used to the communicator, he quietly checks the network for any signs of people he might know. Failing that, he goes for posts within the last 48 hours. Just... reading. Absorbing. Gleaning information that the welcome message didn't already tell him. Anything to learn more about what he's gotten into here.]

[His tour of Genessia City begins half an hour later. From early morning till midnight, a tall, dark, and gloomy longcoated man with what looks like a nodachi will be walking the streets. His slow stride and the way his gaze lingers a little too long on sights you're already used to should tip you off that he's not from around these parts. Ergo, a newcomer.]

[Say hello. He doesn't bite.]


(OOC: Since this is a whole day tour and Aoshi fully intends to see everything, you can pick a time and place and assume he's made his way there. \o/)

[ These people from Hands of Decay are pre-tty stupid if they think everyone's going to believe the propoganda they're spreading around. At least that's Lucy's opinion. She wasn't buying the news assessment of that Summoner. There were still too many unknowns, though she genuinely found it amusing that the Hands of Decay seemed to think Fairy Tail was only protecting mages. ]

Just goes to show that this terrorist group is just a bunch of small minded, prejudiced bigots. Their information isn't even accurate.

[ At least regarding Fairy Tail - but that was no shock. Not to mention their letter came awfully quickly after the attack. She's read plenty of books where this kind of thing happened - heck, she's written some. Her suspicion was at all an all time high, especially after their findings at the ruins. It was frustrating to not even be able to confirm her suspicions. ]

But on to more important things, aside from pointing fingers. I'm donating some funds to the families of those who suffered in the aftermath of the attack in Fayren. I know better than anyone that that won't fix things, but it will at least, help them a little. That in mind I am asking for anyone who wishes to, to volunteer food, funds or manual labor to the victims; that includes healers (doctors and mage alike), to volunteer their services either for free or a greatly reduced rate, to assist those victims not buying into the Hands of Decay's ridiculous nonsense. We'll be heading out to help with repairs now, but you can send me a message over the network.

[ She's not going to say where donations can be sent, if any are, because that can be easily intercepted. She'd rather speak directly to someone about that. ]

[ OOC: Tl;dr, Lucy is coordinating relief efforts for the victims of the Fayren attack. Basically looking for donations, Food, medical assistance etc and help with repairs. ]

[It had been a few days since Dracula's army marched on the Mayor's office, held it for a night, and simply retreated back into his castle. During that time, things seemed to be business as usual, with the exception of the Mayor drafting up some new legislation. He did not, however, seem to be under duress or under any kind of ensorcelment to the naked eye. He was enthralled, yes, but it was a far more subtle thing than simple enchantments. Today however, he came to the public over the air waves in a fairly standard press conference setup.]

"As many of you know, some time ago, Lord Vlad Tepes of Castlevania came to the Mayor's office of Everglade with his army in tow. What may not be common knowledge, however, is the nature of the visit. The army was not leading an invasion, but rather offering their support to this office. For too long, the Mayor's office has been subject to the whims of a Guardian elected by those who have no direct interest or standing within the cities. This is our home, and rather than consider our needs, they have placed their own agendas above the safety of these cities."

[He pauses to clear his throat, a look of resolve settling in his face.]

"Some time ago, there was a crack in the barrier protecting Everglade. Since then, the Guardians have done little to repair, the previous one actively working to degrade it. For the benefit of those with the pendants, the Everglade barrier requires fear to function. In Theodore Satchel's attempts to change the very nature of Everglade, he did more harm to the barrier than good. It is for this reason that I am thrilled to have the support of Lord Tepes and his army as I institute a policy that should help return the barrier to its rightful state.

"As of sunset tonight, any human that is outside their dwellings waives all legal rights. The creatures of the night will be given full reign over any outside past this curfew. No exceptions. Once again, I wish to thank Lord Tepes for liberating this office from the control of the Guardians."

[From his throne, Dracula smirked, keeping an eye on the post so as to relish in the reactions this would undoubtedly cause.]

WHO: Satsuki and.. Open!
WHAT: Recognition of those coming of age as seen in the news article.
WHERE: Amagi Inn
WHEN: January 11th, 9am

To Satsuki's surprise, organizing an event like this was less intensive than she originally expected. Placing a reservation for the inn's lobby and hiring a photographer were simple matters, and the set-up didn't have to be anything high-scale since the visual theme is, primarily, Japanese culture. Perhaps she should have selected something a bit more universal?

The layout is simple: people arrive, then Satsuki gives a speech to congratulate the milestone and encourage them to forge their own paths to contribute something to the community of Genessia. Afterward they are given a commemorative gift to (ideally) retain inspiration, and from then on might mingle should they choose and/or get their picture taken.

To no one's surprise, Satsuki is adorn in a silk kimono (given to her as a gift) and sandals, and has taken her place behind a podium to give her speech at 9:00 sharp. It's long. It might even be considered boring, but there is no doubt of her passion as she speaks of her own desires to provide to the community at large. Satsuki states that she understands that it appears extremely difficult to solve the mysteries of Genessia, that the lack of answers are frustrating, and it seems there is little one can contribute to the cause but also reminds that not everyone has to aspire to be a detective, and simply providing a service that directly helps another can go a long way. The key to progress is a united community. Also, a budget. It is extremely important to have an organized budget.

With that done all that's left is to go out, carelessly spend money and get drunk. Only she doesn't say the last part.