[NETWORK - VIDEO] CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS

[aelwyn_aberration]

Who: Aelwyn Abernant
Username: Aberration
Warnings: Depression, teenage angst, drunken rambling, general jamjar grief, teenage drinking.

[The image that flickers open is very recognizably Aelwyn, her hair slightly more unkempt than usual, her eyes more heated with something that flickers between rage and sadness. She had a...bad experience with the playmate, to say the least, even if she didn't fall for them in the way that others clearly did. That, combined with the date, is hitting Aelwyn harder than usual.

Raising a bottle of wine into frame, which is now more recognizably the common room of Bonnie's flophouse, Aelwyn smiles, bitter and thin, just like her.]

So, in case you were all wondering, if a little girl or your long lost sibling or father or child or dog or whatever the fuck - speaks to you through a mirror, it's a trap! As always, it's a trap! Now, I hear what you're saying - "But Aelwyn, I really think it's real this time! My compulsions tell me so!"

And to that I say it is a miracle you haven't been eaten by something horrible yet. It's the same trick every single time, I swear.

[She laughs, drinking straight from the bottle, then places it down on the table with a thunk. Her smile disappears and for a moment she just looks tired.]

Sorry, that was mean, and I'm doing a redemption arc, right. It isn't a miracle, it's probably some meticulously crafted scheme keeping us all alive in this shithole of a town. [She grimaces, wiping her hair away from her face with a hum.] Then again, who says we are being kept alive. All the people missing - a lot of people for the record - may just be dead.

What do you think, co-workers? It's been a year, nearly, since I arrived and still nothing's changed except the faces. Think they're all dead? Back home? Trapped in a perpetual nightmare? Or does the ADI just slit their throats and bury them in their basement with the other monsters they're hiding from us? If I had full access to the full extent of my magic, I could actually potentially find out, too. But I don't, because magic - my whole life, by the way - is wrong. Would love to hear your thoughts regardless!

[She blows a kiss to the camera before signing off. She will regret this significantly.]

Comments

video

[abrightboy]

Did your friends disappear, too?

[aelwyn_aberration]

Over time, everyone disappears.

[She pauses. Then sighs.]

I'm sorry about Meredith and Tim.

[abrightboy]

Thank you. It hasn't just been them. Others, too. My sister. My mentor from home. Friends I made here. It's natural for people to turn to fantasy if reality is too hard.

un: AfricanGrey; text

[citizendetective]

Is this really the place you want to talk about this?

[ADI can probably see, after all.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

You know where to find me if you're scared of ADI finding out what you're thinking.

But I don't really care. They can do something if they don't want to be held responsible.

[citizendetective]

Caution is smart, Aelwyn. Especially if you're planning something.

video;

[fightinginfinity]

[ Well this is concerning. Enough for Tony to turn his camera on too even though he’s pretty sure he looks like someone’s alcoholic English lit professor right now, unshaven as he is in his rumpled sweater and glasses. ]

Well shit kiddo, tell us how you really feel.

[ Not enough to show his concern like a normal person, though. ]

[aelwyn_aberration]

Okay. That goatee makes you look like... [She's normally a lot more clever than this.] A hipster.

[That's it.]

[fightinginfinity]

That so? [ He reaches up to rub at his whiskers, expression mock-thoughtful. ] And I haven’t worn Converse high-tops since the 80s. Maybe I should keep it like this.

[ He’s used to dealing with teenagers now, so he continues pressing her gently while playing it cool. ] Think it might be time to lay off the sauce? You can still get a hangover even if it’s just wine, y’know.

[the_archivist]

Of course it's a trap.

I don't think ADI is responsible though. If they wanted to kill us, they could do that on arrival before anyone knew we were here.

[aelwyn_aberration]

Agreed. [She isn't responding to the text posts with texts. She doesn't feel like typing at the moment.] I mostly included it to be thorough. I told Austin that it's only natural that people would suspect them. He got all defensive, like a little bitch.

Still makes it easy to blame them, though. And I hate them. The way they tell us to starve and then pretend we don't go eat on our own. I give suggestions, they look down on me and call me crazy.

Why do I bother? It's not like I care about this world or this town. Let it all burn. Mercy's the only one here that I need to protect.

[the_archivist]

No-one had to get tied to any of the entities. Not using any magic was an option.

...but that also wouldn't have stopped it happening anyway. Being in active proximity to these events leaves precious little space to walk between victim and, well...

It's admirable to want to protect someone, but I imagine having the weight of seven billion people's suffering on your shoulders might be more difficult than you think.

[failedpromise]

(Have you seen the strange blue woman yet, Aelwyn? Well, here in this video she's looking tired, sullen, and cranky.)

...Sometimes I really hate this place.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She has. She's hard to miss, and Aelwyn attended a few of her classes.]

They find new ways to try the same trick over and over again.

Did it get you too?

[failedpromise]

I saw a friend from home. Someone I'll probably never see again.

(She should know better. She doesn't say it. Nor does she actually admit to falling for the trick, but it's clear it had an effect on her.)

[takeitin]

Man, does anybody around here actually like ADI?

[He has yet to meet them, people keep warning him off left and right. Way to make a new guy paranoid.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

Are you...

One, a narc. Two, someone powerless from a world where everyone else is powerless. Three, love being preyed upon by whatever shit they throw you at this week. Four, incredibly trusting and naive.

If yes, then maybe you'll become ADI's biggest supporter.

[takeitin]

Five, super impressed with their tech?

[He flashes her a grin but quickly turns serious again. He's still hurting about his own run-in with his playmate and he sure wished he knew who to thank for that.]

You think they had anything to do with what happened?

Voice; un: kruos

[whisperedone]

[This seems...excessive, but understandable in a very person way. She has him curious, though, even if she's clearly terribly drunk.]

I don't think they're home, no. I don't think there is a going home for anyone.

But...does it matter if they're dead? It seems the likely option, though ADI isn't likely to hurt themselves by killing resources, so I doubt they'd be the cause.

[aelwyn_aberration]

If they're dead, I don't have the magic to help them.

[That's it, mostly.]

I mostly accused ADI as a joke, to be honest...

[whisperedone]

Oh...sorry.

[There's a small pause.]

Unless it wasn't meant to be very funny, then I'm less sorry.

[Humor might help maybe??]

If it helps, there is nothing that says your magic would be able to help them here. We have no proof death works the same from world to world, nor that these Entities wouldn't have a hand in preventing your attempts.

un: badgirlcoven; video

[edalyn]

That... woulda been nice to know a couple days ago. [Eda is also more unkempt than usual. It's possible she's been crying, but not definite. And is she in a bird nest? Hard to tell, the background's out of focus. She raises the open bottle of apple vodka that was leaning against her side in a semi-sarcastic toast.]

Sounds like you might know some stuff I'd like to hear about.

[She takes a drink from her bottle and then cuts off the video for the moment.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She grimaces in sympathy. They'd fooled her before with the false flags of safety, it's only through those that she's able to be this jaded.

She raises her hand to her face, attempting to steady herself. Or... something? She's not entirely sure. Maybe she can wipe away the frustration to be patient to this old person.]

The more I know, the more I realize I know nothing.

That's a quote from some dead human. It's funny. [It flew right over her head.]

...I'm sorry, about what you saw. It's a cruel joke, the things they put us through.

[video] UN: cupkate

[bossyboiler]

It's always a trap, isn't it?

[aelwyn_aberration]

Sure is, Cupkate.

[She's decided Kate's username is hilarious, and she will keep calling her this in person (she will not).]