@xuanyu.mo ( dec 25 )

[laozu]

Happy Solstice-month to all! And excellent work to everyone, now that we've had some time to adjust after the Zerzura business, I wanted to say that no matter the "side" you were on, you did what your heart thought you should - what that means, though, is for you to weigh. In the meanwhile, how about a few things for housekeeping? We had a lot of things happening before, I want to know where we are on them now.

[ the text sounds matter of fact, but the only fact is that he's cackling with glee behind the scenes ]

I died! It's not the first time that it happened, but I know for a fact that I did. Yet, I'm still here and for that, you should all be so grateful. ✧⁺⸜(●′▾‵●)⸝⁺✧ Yes, in fact I have dedicated myself to your well-being in the hopes that someone will take this back off my hands one day, and soon. I'm really not cut out for rallying the troops and all that sort of thing. Ahem. Anyways, here goes:

1) [Bad username or site: clarke @ griffin] mentioned that she and a few others met with a gentleman referred to as "Ball" who mentioned something about godhood and gates. He had coffee to offer, which is exceptional -- are we going to contact him again? Should we divide our forces and seek the gates, or pursue them one at a time? Is this of any interest to any of you in particular?

2) Myself and my countrymen are dreaming in a more, ah. Together-ly fashion. We're very close, though - if anyone else is affected by intimate sharing of dreams and, mm, memories - you are welcome to reach out to me. Mister Johnny and I were discussing training the subconscious before he disappeared. I miss him very much, he had a lot of good ideas! I'd like to argue that because we're all susceptible on a psychological level to dreams and changes -- Zerzura being the case in point -- we should work on shoring up mental defenses! I'm able to help with this, I hope! [Bad username or site: wangji @ lan] and [Bad username or site: wanyin @ jiang] are, too!

3) The humidity suuuuuuuuucks, but I'm glad things are greener now! Any idea if we should set up conservation committees to propose better, like, legislation to anyone we can reach? A whole 'green you' campaign? I know in Zerzura I was very much into green deaths, but reusing the dead is kind of a thing for me. I hear plumbers are making good money too, if anyone has lost their jobs. I did -- I'm stuck volunteering for grief counseling now, how unlucky. (´;︵;`)

4) Speaking of the dead: Kurt Fischer. The UNA. I don't like them at all, they killed my partner. He got better, but are we going to dig into this in any fashion? Should we focus more on dividing Morningstar from ourselves?

5) Has anybody heard from our strange friend, Cassius?

I think there's a lot more that we were all doing on an individual level, but those are the main things I could remember being discussed on the network. Whatever I've missed, please let everyone know - I think we need this, it's been a long time since we talked. Hello again, where are your opinions? I'm bored and it's Christmas!

[ why yes, he does think in exactly the same way that he talks: excessively ]

Comments

@clarke.griffin

[strove]

Thanks for this. I'd like to bring up two things.

First: I've tried planning a trip for all of us to Oslo, but I'm not from a world like this one. Even if I've aged considerably since I first arrived, we don't have travel sanctions and most of the traveling I've done here has been accidental. I think dividing our numbers for each location is a good idea, especially since the locations are almost purposefully vague. Since they're located in or near megacities, my thought is that it's going to be very hard. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Second: [Bad username or site: katelin @ phillips] and I have tossed around the idea to do further testing on our body's physiology when we use our powers. While I'm of the belief that our powers likely come from a supernatural source now, I think it's good to know what changes are occurring, and whether they're permanent.

Both of us need some help scientifically in this department. I'm better at medical knowledge. Taking blood and samples is easy. Knowing how to read them is harder. If you have knowledge in this area, please let us know.

Some ideas we've tossed around include testing the body while the empathy bond is active, as well as some of the biological changes when a power is active.

If you think you can help with this, please let us know.

@katelin.philips

[covertness]

that has gotten lost by the wayside a little in the business of, well, everything, hasn't it

but i still think this has the potential to teach us a lot

@roxas.sky

[recompleted]

i'm not sure my heart led me the right this time. but thanks for saying so.

i don't like the sound of the UNA people but i don't know about morningstar either.
sure they help us when we show up but we've got powers they can use.
that's enough of a reason for them to try and get us on their good side.

[TRUST NO1.]

do you know WHY the dream stuff is happening?

[laozu]

I'm not sure there was a "right" or a "wrong" way to be lead, young Roxas. Only the way you thought was truest to yourself. I don't think any of us can be faulted for that.

The UNA framed us for the death of a soldier. They managed to kill Lan Zhan and Mister Doctor Strange at the same time, and injured me. I'm a little more hesitant to ally with Morningstar as well, but that's my own personality. Organizations will always present a hard line their followers aren't meant to cross, and I'm all for crossing lines.

[ but the main thing is: ]

No. But, I want to find out. I've wanted to since we first dreamt together and changed the world around us. If we have such power, we need to learn why it exists and how we are able to use it. I have ideas, but no basis to support them. Miss Griffin met with a man who referred to us as "gods", shrines have been built with symbols relating to us - I believe I have that correct.

What do you think? Your gut feelings on it, I'm not looking for something brainy.

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

I want to think we have a little more freedom in this situation. Both the UNA and Morningstar have their own causes that they're fighting for, we're not part of either of them.
Do you believe in either cause?

@wangji.lan

[wangxian]

1. All should consider carefully the pros and cons of divided efforts. Coordination, regardless of our choices, is essential.
2. If there is interest, but difficulty with the use of one method, we are able to provide unique approaches between us.
3. I will talk with my superiors. It may be possible to advocate for supportive installations. [ of course, he would have mentioned this to wei wuxian already. that and the potentiality for playing on particular nights for gallery functions. ]
4. As we are now aware of their capabilities, any decision made should also be conservative.

[ there's a small pause. in part for the word partner and in part for the fact he also wishes to offer this: ]

I can summarize, at the end. You have done enough work for us all.

[ and the fact he's slightly more succinct than wei wuxian doesn't harm. ]

[laozu]

Lan Zhan, you and Jiang Cheng should write some beautiful pieces about the new greenery and have them published! I think people would benefit greatly if they were reminded about the majesty of the natural world, and who better than two great poets?

[ wow stop volunteering your partners for tasks ]

@yalena.yardeen

[motivation]

you knew johnny

[ hashtag priorities ]

[laozu]

I did and I do. He is a clever and easy-to-adore man. We did some work together in New Tokyo and spoke about dreams. He was interested in exploring them.

Is he one of your loved ones? [ people are always priorities ]

@clarke.griffin

[strove]

A lot of us knew Johnny.

Are you a good friend of his?

@katelin.philips

[covertness]

thank you for this. it's easy to get lost in the day to day and dealing with what this place throws at us instead of thinking about how to be proactive

[ all right, let her gather her thoughts for a moment. dying and the whole emotional mess of zerzura and its fall-out and the dreams have distracted her, too. ]

1. all claims about godhood aside, i think there's a lot to be said for following up about the gates. we've been travelling between worlds - when coming here, when going to zerzura and returning, whenever someone goes home or comes back. we don't know how we were brought here (or ended up here, at any rate) but i think in connection to gates between worlds, we should think about the spears, but also ourselves.

maybe the scientific inquiries [Bad username or site: clarke @ griffin] mentioned here can help with that. it's worth a try.

[ she has thoughts on the rest, too, but katelin philips is a civilian, not a spy constantly looking to the bigger picture, analysing angles. katelin philips would focus on this, since it's where she can act.

god, bobbi misses action. ]

[laozu]

It's difficult to take action, when mourning and heartsick. The matter of Zerzura was -- difficult for everyone, in many unique ways. Should you need someone to speak with, my messages are always open. You needn't ask for a response, sometimes... you simply need to say something.

[ #priorities ]

@wanyin.jiang

[sandu]

You talk way too much. People would rather haul garbage than to spend time on this spiel.

WOW

[laozu]

You should instead be praising me, I put a lot of work and thought into this!

@goro.akechi

[impede]

I'd like to bring up something of significance: the little droplets of information that everyone received from Cassius. We discussed them at length here and here (albeit in a less organized manner). I believe there's still work to be done.

In addition, I signed on as an assistant in Jovavich's campaign. Nothing too significant, of course. I mostly fetch treats and am trusted not to make off with the credits for the overpriced coffee (that isn't very good in the first place). But I must ask: is anyone else keen to take a more political path? I believe some people want to do big things here, but you have to catch the eye and protection of someone stronger than you. Typically.

Or be bank rolled by them. In short. Jovavich is, again, a sure thing—though I know too little about this world's politics to be invested either way.

@jyn.erso

[realists]

I told Jovavich about the tree planting idea. I am not into politics but she didn't seem hard to access.

@riku.masterson

[inherited]

I have a couple things I'd like to bring up.

First, I want to find out how it was that Cassius was in hiding for a long time. [El had specifically said he wanted to know this, but Riku isn't bringing the AI into this. That just seems fair.] Some people made overtures about helping Cassius. I don't think we're going to get along for this kind of job, but if you think he's a threat like I do, let me know.

Secondly, Sora pointed out that something might have messed with the heart of Zerzura to make everyone act that way. I don't think he's too off the mark. So it got me thinking: what if something is wrong with this world's heart, too? Especially if the two are linked. Do you think there is a heart to this world? I know you'll all think literally, but the ... very core of this world's being. Can we find it?

And ... here's another suggestion. What if the spear, that facility (both in Zerzura and the dreams), and all of that—what if it has to do with something's heart? I've been looking into underwater facilities, but obviously, I couldn't find a big lab accident. Not yet, anyway.

@wanyin.jiang

[sandu]

Tell me more about this 'heart'. I am assuming this is a construct of where you come from.

@kira.solo

[forcevisions]

Re: Kurt Fischer--

I tried to follow up with the family to see if they know if he's alive. 😬 Obviously it was not the best way to do it. But I stand by the sentiment: the UNA would not waste a resource. He's out there somewhere. I'd like to find where, and spread proof of it around so that we can loosen up the UNA's grasp on power. The riots on Mars are proving successful and the UN can't suppress all of it -- this is the time to make a difference.

And on the subject of dreams,

The spear was the link between the dreams and Zerzura -- that's how we got back here. I've been trying to find other links in New Amsterdam. Nothing has turned up about those blue bridges we saw in some of the dreams, but if people can respond here with what other images they remember interacting with the way we interacted with that facility and the spear and the birds, maybe we can find other connections in this world too?

It seems linked to the blue power in our chests. If we can find out more about it, we might be able to 1) learn what was done to us, 2) get our own powers back. I for one would like to see that happen.

@goro.akechi

[impede]

[Incoming snobby detective who is entirely unaware that Rey is who he argued with via telepathy in Zerzura. Whoops.]

You have a point about Fischer. I had a thought while reading the headlining notes about reusing the dead myself, and how this man came back. So, why wouldn't it be the same for Fischer? It's not as if we have the same access to surveillance that the government does.

Right now, I believe that the riots on Mars will be stopped soon. It shows a government spiraling out of control. You may be able to utilize that inevitability.

@kylo.ren

[warfares]

In the underwater facility, resting on the spear, there were four birds.

Meadowlark.
Spinetail.

They are birds, correct?

What could the other two be, I wonder.

[laozu]

If "Spinetail" was the project in Zerzura, could the other three be references to other projects as well?

[ this might be a 'duh' question but it begs to be asked ]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

What do you mean by "resting on the spear"? Were they meadowlarks or spinetails?

@caroline.forbes

[gasping]

i cannot be the only person here dying for cliff notes

[ very informative but oh my god so many words. caroline zoned out halfway through the first bullet point. ]

@steve.rogers

[shield]

You're not.

[ somebody's been spoiled by SHIELD condensing 70 years of history into easily digestible bite sizes ]