001: Group Introductions - TEXT

[tarnishedavenger]

[During a lull in the party, Armstrong taps out a quick message to the network. Not that private one, he doesn't trust it. They can answer whenever they like, so long as he gets an answer. The trick would be wording it.]

So, we're all in this for now. You've had your welcome cake, but you can't meet everyone in a party, no matter how hard you try. But, since we've all been encouraged to sign up with Jorgmund, I figured now would be a good time to get some introductions done. Talk about any specialties we might have.

Share information that we feel comfortable sharing. This isn't to pressure anyone or to force out any dark secrets.

[Not where watchful eyes can see, at least.]

Besides, I prefer doing this to making a cute information sharing game.

So, please, make your own threads within this post to keep everything organized.

Comments

[video]

[likeits1999]

[ A pale teenager who doesn't seem totally used to talking into a camera appears. ]

Alright so, this isn't cute and it's also not a dark secret so.

My name's Kevin, and I'm a vampire?

[ He's stating it for a fact, but his voice still inflects upward. ]

Which may sound super fake, but it's real. And the company knows about it and they told me they can handle the whole blood supply issue so I'm not... gonna go around biting nobody or nothing, okay?

I just wanted to be honest about it. It's... kinda weird for me to be able to do that, and also for me to be able to be awake during the day so this is a lot right now.

[ He shrugs a little. ]

[video]

[valkywhee]

What's a vampire?

[Nora, asking the question he probably didn't expect.]

[likeits1999]

Oh! Um.

[ He seems surprised by the question, but he rallies. ]

It means I'm actually dead, but I get to be alive and have superpowers kind of, but I'm cursed or some shit so also I gotta drink blood.

Being a vampire is not very complicated by itself but it gets way complicated once you add other vampires and stuff.

[valkywhee]

You're not trying to destroy the world because you're mad about it, right?

[That's a...weirdly specific question, Nora.]

[likeits1999]

Nah, don't worry.

Unfortunately I wish I could say that was true about all vampires but it is pretty demonstrably not.

Re: [video]

[partiallysquirrelblood]

Can you eat garlic?

[likeits1999]

[ He makes a stinkface. ]

Nah, can't stand it. I can still kinda eat stuff for a little while, which my friends say is weird, but it all comes back up ashes later and is mostly not worth it.

[partiallysquirrelblood]

Note to self: don't get turned into a vampire. Immortality is not worth giving up pizza and nuts for.

[Being undead has to stink, but Kevin seems to be dealing with it in a relatively okay manner. So less visible empathizing and more silly jokes seems to be on the table for now.]

[likeits1999]

[ Kevin brightens to this topic. ]

You miss so much shit. Like, going to the beach when it's sunny out? Nope. It being sunny out at all? Hell nah dude. Food tasting normal? Gone. Moving on with your life? Kinda not really a possibility anymore, sorry.

It mega sucks, don't ever let a vampire tell you different.

[video]

[walkingballpit]

[ A slightly less pale blond in his late teens or early 20s is doing his best imitation of an AA meeting by vlog. ]

Hi! I'm Robbie, and I'm... way less interesting than Kevin

[likeits1999]

[ Kevin laughs. ]

Hey bro don't sell yourself short, I'm sure you're plenty cool. And alive. Trust me, being alive is dope.

[walkingballpit]

Alive is preferred, yeah. Not alive is a pretty broad range though.

[ He waves a hand at the screen. ]

Case in point. And speaking of... without getting into the gory details, do you know how they're handling it?

[ Really, Robbie would trust a teenaged vampire that he doesn't know more than he would ever trust Jorgmund. ]

[likeits1999]

They got medical supplies of blood, and I'm lucky cause I don't need a whole lot if I'm not using it for anything.

I... don't really like that situation cause that stuff should probably be for like transfusions or whatever, but also I haven't ever been a big fan of the whole blood thing, so...

[ Kevin shrugs. ]

Re: [video]

[passifloraincarnata]

[Cultural exposure only takes you so far if none of your friends are into these things, alas, so ...]

What's a vampire? What does that need to do with blood?

[likeits1999]

[ Kevin's getting into the groove of explaining The Vampire Thing™. ]

Being a vampire means I'm dead but if I keep drinking blood, I get to keep pretending to be alive. And I'm extra fast and strong and stuff and I'm supposed to only come out at night and burn up in the sunlight, but those last two things aren't going on right now and I'm grateful.

For me, I don't really wanna drink blood but if you try starving yourself you just get more and more monstery and that's... worse. So.

[ Kevin shrugs. ]

I figure this is the less worse way to be.

[passifloraincarnata]

That seems like a terrible tradeoff for no longer being dead. I'm sorry you have to go through that.

[likeits1999]

[ He brightens a little. ]

Thanks for saying so. It's... I deal. And it's not like it's all the worst thing possible cause you can do some cool stuff as a vampire, like. I am a really, really, really good skateboarder cause I'm fast.

I just am real serious about it cause I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea if I say some of it's rad.

text

[monkey_wrench]

huh, wonder where they're getting the blood.

[Jack Spicer, asking the uncomfortable questions in a totally innocent not at all leading way.]

[likeits1999]

emergency medical supply probably, so i'm not real stoked to use any more than i gotta.

[ He gets a completely serious and pensive answer. ]

they coulda just killed me if they wanted so it must not be a problem for them.

or if it is, they think i'm gonna be useful and i'm real not sure how i feel about that.

[monkey_wrench]

[Aw, a calm, rational, non-wildly speculative explanation, that's no fun. But he does bring up a good point.]

if that's the case, i'm pretty sure you're in good company on the 'useful problem' qualifier. well..."good" might be subjective. you're in company.

pretty sure that describes more of us than not. plenty of useful future problems among us at the very least.

[likeits1999]

not gonna lie i am worried about what all this job is gonna be considering who they think is useful and how they're real big on the us not deciding what to do thing.

anyway hey don't sell yourself short dude, i'm sure you're fine.

Re: [video]

[bringinghopewithme]

[wait

He's a what he's a what this child is a WHAT??]

How long have you been a vampire?

[likeits1999]

Um. I've been like this ten years?

[ Kevin's tone makes it clear he's unsure why this matters. ]

[bringinghopewithme]

[it's not like any amount of years would have made it any better. A child fixed in time is a child forever.

He wishes he could remember if they had and dealt with vampires before back on his version of the world. They're not an problem right now, that's for sure - he feels certain he'd remember a threat like that if it were recent.]

Do you know who turned you? Are you safe from them back on your world? Are you safe in general?

[likeits1999]

[ It's not so much that Kevin's expression falls as it is that he seems to turn inward a little. ]

Yeah, I know.

[ He looks off to one side. ]

She's... not a problem right now. Is the best way to put that. I'm as safe as any of us is I guess?

Unless you still mean back home then like, nah dude definitely not.

[ It's apparent that Kevin can't quite suss out why that's a question to ask. ]