[Video]

[smallmediumwelldone]

Good evening.

[There’s a woman speaking, tone clipped. The corporate jumpsuit hangs off her small frame, and her hair is swept up into an old-fashioned bun. Or so it seems - she’s standing a bit away from the screen, and it’s tilted at an odd angle.]

I am given to understand that this is how to contact my new coworkers? My name is Beatrice Brewer, at your service, and I assure you I am quite qualified. I am - was - an apprentice of the fifth circle in, ah, a collection of magi, have experience in a thrilling variety of crises, and am quite keen to get started on - [a heavy sigh, more notable for the fact that someone observant might catch that she doesn’t breathe] - this situation.

[There’s a long pause.]

Drat, is this bloody thing even on? Dreadful place, what sort of dog and pony show are they running, honestly. Stuff? Stuff? Of all the names?

Comments

video;

[ragefeathers]

'Stuff' is like the worst name for that crap.

[ Kenzie has her phone propped up in the training room. She was doing sit-ups but now the fellow newbie has her distracted. There's a loose grin, lopsided and charming. ]

Fifth circle? Magi? You like, a namebreaker or some ████?

[fuckcable]

[ Why do British always make everything sound like money when they pluralize crisis right? ]

As long as it’s not the fifth circle of hell, nobody’s checking your resume.

Re: video;

[smallmediumwelldone]

It's outrageous. Purely on a professional level, that they have something unprecedented and can't be bothered with-

[Beatrice squints at the screen, cut off from her very indignant naming feelings. It brings her slightly more into focus at least, even if her tone is now reserved. Why Does That Sound Familiar.]

Rather the opposite, we forge connections between Names, there's nothing broken about it. It's not the first I've heard namebreaker though. And you are...?

[smallmediumwelldone]

[She's also a vampire, so she really has no choice but to not be fancy.]

They should! How are we supposed to work together if we don't even know another's capabilities? Kidnapping people willy-nilly is just the worst job interview.

Re: video;

[ragefeathers]

Mackenzie Haynes. Friends call me Kenzie, though.

[ She speaks with a touch of an Ozark drawl. One hundred percent working class. She gives a little laugh. ]

So you know the term. That's interesting. Now I'm curious about where you picked it up.

Re: video;

[smallmediumwelldone]

Mm. Well met, Ms. Haynes. Is your - connection well? Your audio shorted out earlier.

[No one told her about the censors, alas. Beatrice is also kind of hoping this Namebreaker thing is just a coincidence, because otherwise. Messy.]

I know a term, but I am likewise curious where you picked it up. Or if there is actually any similarity. If I said caerns, would that mean anything to you..?

Re: video;

[ragefeathers]

Huh?

[ She frowns and leans forward a moment towards the communicator, then seems to have a realization. ]

Oh, no. They just ████ing censor the network. Can't say ████ or ████ or ████ or... a lot of things. It ████ing sucks.

[ She shrugs. Nothing to be done about it. ]

Caerns actually mean a lot to me.

Re: video;

[smallmediumwelldone]

[ Oh no. OH NO. Please don't be wolf stuff please don't be wolf stuff- Beatrice's sounds rather stiff when she speaks again, but then again, she seems like someone who is stiff a lot.]

...

I see. Thank you for your education on the intricacies of the local language. Very colorful. You ah - you wouldn't happen to - are you a shapeshifter?

[fuckcable]

[ They will have shockingly little in common. Ric has blood and understands a British accent, but fancy he ain’t. ]

Oh, you missed that part of the welcome committee presentation? I’ll catch you up. They’re going to fry us if we don’t figure out how to work together.

[ragefeathers]

You could say that.

[ Kenzie smirks. ]

Though maybe not something we should chat about on the network.

[smallmediumwelldone]

[ All blood is equally tasty, don't put yourself down Ric. Beatrice frowns heavier at the communicator.]

No, they gave the lecture. Grand glorious blah blah blah, shock one, shock two, keep up the bottom line. It just seems so self-defeating. At least the other apocalypses - I hate that's plural now - we got vetted first.

Sort of. Well. [Beatrice visibly reassess.] Alright, nevermind. Just how long has this operation been running, and what degree of 'frying' have they inflicted so far. There's not any more of those slideshows, right?

[smallmediumwelldone]

[She doesn't drop her comm, okay, the image just randomly blurs and shows the ceiling for a minute.]

Nor something we should chat about in person, I suspect. Ah, the good news, however, is that I am not a Namebreaker as you know it.

Incidentally, your feelings on the undead are...?

[ragefeathers]

My feelings are that they killed some people who were really important to me.

[ There's an edge to her voice now. ]

How do you feel about wolves?

[smallmediumwelldone]

That...does sound like the Kindred, yes.

[ There's a hint of apology in her tone but.. business as usual. Vampires sure are that way. There's a scuffling noise, and the comm stops being pointed at the ceiling.]

I have never killed any wolf, nor am I inclined to, but I also feel a certain fondness for not having my head ripped off of my body.

[ragefeathers]

Is that what leeches like to call themselves?

[ Mackenzie's teeth grit and there's a tension to her. A coiled spring waiting to be released. ]

Since we all have to play along to get this done with, I don't think your head is going to end up detached from your shoulders.

[ At least not by Kenzie. ]

[smallmediumwelldone]

You don't think.

[Because that's the best sort of gamble to take, right? She's staring back through the comm with equal tension and a century and a half of survival instincts.]

It is what we call ourselves, yes. Just as I know that you call yourselves Garou. If I tell you that was passed on through perfectly civil discourse with one of Unicorn's brood, will that make you more certain of the odds?

[She speaks around directly calling out the Children of Gaia - the wolf did have a point about being circumspect on comms. Possibly.]

[breq]

I haven't seen any dogs or ponies since my arrival.

[ Is Breq joking? Or being serious? Hard to tell. ]

They're not the most creative people in the universe. That's clear enough if they feel the need to kidnap people from other places.

[ragefeathers]

I'd say that Unicorn's kids are generally a lot chiller than the rest of us. But...

[ The 'but' lingers in the air for a long moment, Kenzie's expression unreadable. ]

But we're all stuck here together. And chewing on you doesn't help get home any faster. So...

[ There's a soft exhalation. Sweet Mother Gaia, she feels weird saying this. ]

Truce? Or peace? Whatever you want to call it.

[smallmediumwelldone]

On the contrary, I would say that attempting to problem solve through kidnapping people from other realms and times is extraordinarily creative as an approach.

[Beatrice scoffs and shifts.]

More's the pity, I'd rather see the solutions that dogs and ponies would come up with.

[smallmediumwelldone]

[One side of her mouth quirks up, because that's pretty much what Child of Gaia told her too.]

I did get that impression about Unicorn, actually – and I assure you, I would exceedingly obnoxious the entire time I'm chewed on.

[She leans in, giving Kenzie another long look.]

Alright, Ms. Haynes, your points are fairly made. Truce. Should I meet you somewhere?

[just_rogue]

Ah, guess welcome is in order. Glad ta have someone with some experience in magical things, it's not mah strong suit.

[ She offers a wave of a yellow gloved hand, the only stand out in her wardrobe with the same jumpsuit all of them seemed to have. ]

Name's Rogue an Ah'm more of that physical type, strong and such. But happy ta answer questions or help if Ah can.

[breq]

It's certainly a desperate approach. I'll grant them that.

As for the animals - it couldn't hurt to ask their opinion, could it?

[ragefeathers]

If you want. I'm just down in the training room getting my workout in.

You know a real workout and not what that psycho Planker makes us do in the morning.

[ There's that smirk again. Honestly, though, she's a bit nervous. She hasn't been around any vampires in a while and isn't quite sure what to expect out of this one. ]

Guess you all don't need to work out though, huh?

text

[wheyoftheadept]

hey, welcome. glad to have another spellslinger, we sure need 'em. my name's Saturday, let me know if you need help settling in.

[smallmediumwelldone]

Desperate, but with the side benefit of making us disposable assets I suppose. For the record, I've known those that can talk to animals, and I would give true consideration to the opinions of dogs. They can be bright creatures.

Horses, however... [She makes a seesawing so-so gesture.]