[Emergency Video]

[heritrix]

To: All Users
From: Rin Tohsaka, Zuko

Subject: (no subject)
--------------------------------------------------------
URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT: The following is an automated message.

Nature of Emergency: food shortage, the generator, missions, and patrols

[Following this text display is a video attachment. When it is played, the camera is focused on two teenage women in the room; presumably someone else (Sans) is recording this for them.]

Residents of the castle, my name is Rin Tohsaka. I'm speaking to you today along with my associate, Zuko, who may be more familiar to you. [Here Rin pauses to gesture to the scarred girl at her side, who only nods. Not a people person, as usual.] I request you give us your undivided attention at this time, as we have several important matters to bring to your attention.

By now, you are all likely aware of the food crisis we're facing. The stores Ozuma provided for us are rotting by the day, and are no longer replenishing. Rest assured, many of us are already working on this. In fact, I would be willing to bet many of you are either hoarding food or working on the side to generate more of it, like the soup from yesterday.

I invite anyone who's currently taking such measures to come forward, whether they've seen success or failure from their attempts. Let's make this an organized effort. Can you grow food? Preserve it? Fresh fruit and vegetables are valuable at this time, as well as a means to keep it fresh. Protein is a high priority concern, with so few animals that can be used for meat, and the difficulty fishing presents. We have a small supply of eggs, but little else. Snipers and fishers will be invaluable at this time, as is anyone else who can present ideas on this front.

[Here Zuko chimes in, brusque as ever.] It should go without saying, animals like the pokemon and the turtle ducks are not for eating. So don't try it.

[Yes, a good point to raise, and Rin nods sincerely. But let's not kid ourselves here: she knows someone is going to try it. And the only reason she doesn't say as much is because Zuko is here. Clearing her throat, she steers the discussion back around, fixing the camera with a firm look.]

More limited options, as you can see. As there's no telling when or if Ozuma's condition may improve, we have to come together and provide for ourselves.

In that vein, for what's left that's still edible and for any food we manage to bring in, the time has come to ration our supplies. [She holds up a hand and smiles, small but reassuring. Determined.] Don't panic. That sounds bad, but working together, we'll do the best in our power to make certain everyone gets food on a daily basis. What's important is making sure that food lasts, and personal nutrition needs are being met. A child has different dietary requirements as compared to a full-grown adult, for example, and a human to a monster.

At the end of this announcement you will find a survey. Filling it out will be not only to your benefit, but to fellow residents as well, to ensure the rations get distributed to the people who need it most. Moving on from that...

[It's at this point that Zuko speaks up with her usual deadpan tone and serious expression.]

Our position is still relatively strong right now, so we need to keep pushing forward while we can. I'm leading a team to continue from the waterfall area. There's a chance we could find resources to help us. I need about 3 volunteers to accompany me and two others.

If you don't have combat experience, or you haven't fought any shadows yet, don't volunteer. These missions are where we're most likely to encounter the Queen's strongest shadows. Anyone who isn't prepared is a liability.

Mostly, we don't want to babysit anyone. This isn't a good time to learn as you go along, especially as none of us are in peak fighting condition. If you think you can handle it anyways, speak to one of us for consideration.

The mission isn't the only place we need fighters. You've probably noticed increased Shadow activity even within the safe areas. So far they haven't been attacking, but we need to be prepared in case they do.

That means stepping up patrols, and organizing a watch around the living quarters. When the Queen makes her move, I want us all to know about it.

[Rin nods along. Honestly too, she'd love for patrollers who'll take charge, so she adds:] Arguably, it's more important than the mission. We'll take as many bodies as are willing.

Now one last thing, before we finish. As some of you may or may not know, the phones we use do not run on Ozuma's magic, hence why it works now. There is a generator in the altar room that powers them, but the problem is it's currently running low. Consider it a high capacity battery that only works so long as we give it power; it can take heat, magic, electricity, life energy, and more and convert it into useable electricity to power the phones and run the network.

If we lose it, we lose our communications, which is something we should do our damn hardest to avoid in a crisis.

So here are the orders. [Raising her hand, Rin counts them off one finger at a time.]

One, if you value this service, anyone with the energy to spare should come to the altar room. Two, this may not be viable for everyone, as the food shortage makes us weaker. Even those who want to help may not be able to, nor should force themselves if they are not. And three, if the generator can't get more juice, to conserve power, phone and network usage should be limited to texting, and emergency use only.

We'll do our best to keep you updated on these matters, but that's all for now. Rin and Zuko, signing off.

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Comments

IC SURVEY

[heritrix]

<b>Age:</b> <b>Height:</b> <b>Weight:</b> <b>Dietary needs/limitations:</b> (Things like malnutrition, allergies, monsters w/monster food, etc) <b>Do you need to eat?:</b> (spirits, people with abilities that let the survive longer without food, etc) <b>Other special circumstances:</b>

[generalflirt]

[ A survey... Why not, huh. ]

Age: 20
Height: 175cm
Weight: 64kg
Dietary needs/limitations: No problems!
Do you need to eat?: Unfortunately!
Other special circumstances: I've got to keep a Pokémon fed as well

[akito]

Age: 16
Height: 142cm
Weight: less than 36kg. maybe 32kg.
Dietary needs/limitations: No.
Do you need to eat?: Yes.
Other special circumstances: If there are places to fish or hunt then no. Otherwise I have a very fast metabolism.

[ the downside of being able to turn yourself into fire... it burns through calories quickly. and he kind of doesn't have any spare weight to burn anymore - not that he ever really had any weight to spare. ]

[egotrigger]

Age: 20
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 65 kg as of last checkup
Dietary needs/limitations: None in particular.
Do you need to eat?: Yes.
Other special circumstances: My body can process food a bit more efficiently than most people, but if I'm going to be on the fighting team then I'll need a bit more.

[gianthobo]

Age: Over 3000
Height: A bit over 9 meters
Weight: ... I'm not sure, I'm sorry.
Dietary needs/limitations: None in particular.
Do you need to eat?: Yes.
Other special circumstances: I have a full team of Pokemon, but the Pokechow seems to be all right. One of mine can survive off of sunlight, though, so I'll be encouraging him to do that.

[ Video ]

[generalflirt]

[ People with no experience fighting shadows shouldn't volunteer for the mission... huh. Well, he supposes that probably makes sense. The fact of the matter is that he's still not certain his style of combat will even have any effect on them other than the weaker ones given they're apparently banished with Light magic from what he's heard. That said, h rolls his neck and then listens to all of it a second time.

Using a phone is still so weird

That said, let's try out the video. He angles the thing to look up at him and he puts on a brief smile as he thinks it coms into focus on him and then quickly rights himself into a more neutral expression ]

Masaomi Kida, reporting for whatever battlefield you need me on. So I suppose that'll be the homefront while I'm still green. [ . . . How could he make a joke about- oh! ]

Oh, but speaking of yellow! If we're talking electrical power, I don't know magic, but how much is a couple thousand volts going do us? Will that just under or over perform things?

[ Video ]

[justribbing]

[ There's a question for him, mainly. The skeleton waggles phalanges at the screen in a wave and then plants his cheekbone in it, resting his weight against the elbow that leans against the table. ]

It can handle a surge of that size, no sweat.

A jolt like that will add some good juice to the battery. You can pull something like that off, pal?

text;

[akito]

Using text over video will also save energy. Even voice over video would help too.

There are pokemon here?? [ he shouldn't be surprised, but he is. they're just video games in his universe. some of his favourite ones, actually. ]

If the pokemon can spare energy fire and electric attacks would probably help with the generator. If kinetic energy can charge it too then even more pokemon and people could help maintain it.

For the shadows, how effective is fire?

Video - hope you don't mind! ^_^

[brbstealingpknm]

[Because Silver's a troll - have footage of a gengar peering at the camera and grinning.]

text

[postictal]

hey, so. general question.

don't really have a lot of fighting experience or whatnot. don't know how helpful i can be here for any of what you're asking. is there something i should be doing cause otherwise i'm just you know. taking up resources.

[And self-preservation is kind of secondary.]

[heritrix]

Do you have two hands?

[symmetrophile]

As I require little rest, I will assist in nighttime patrols of our residential areas. [ Provided he doesn't also attempt to rearrange each hallway to be bilaterally symmetrical more aesthetically pleasing during his patrol. ]

[Text]

[daughterofursa]

[The asymmetry of Zuko's face must be upsetting for Kid. Isn't it great she's insisting on texting.]

Good. You're a fighter then?

[freedom_engineer]

As I've said before, there are Navit vines growing all around the castle. I'll update the map file to show the places where I know they are.

Take as much of the fruit as you want, but PLEASE return the seeds to the kitchen when you're done. Unless you plan to grow your own, the seeds have uses.

I'll update our chefs on what they can do with the rest of the plant, too.

I can also stimulate plant growth somewhat, so anyone working on a garden, look me up and I'll do what I can to help there.

[heritrix]

Could you further explain here the uses of Navit vines? It would be valuable in a public forum.

[It came up in their meeting before, but the rest of the castle wasn't present for that. (That and she probably didn't get all the details there anyways, so this makes for a good chance to discuss without going back and cluttering that thread)]

[break_the_ice]

If you can find me a rifle or a bow, I can snipe anything you put in my field of vision.

Unfortunately, my weapons are suited to hunting abominations from beyond, not food. Nothing would be left of any animals I shot with what I've got right now.

[heritrix]

There's an armory on the third floor where you can find what you need. I know I saw a bow there when I was in, a week ago.

[brbstealingpknm]

I can set gengar to keeping a watch around the living quarters if need be, and swing my patrol route past there as well. If the shadows have souls, Gengar can consume them and be fine, along with whatever rats he and Crobat have caught. [Otherwise it's onto a diet of pokechow, and that's going to go over well, more so when he tries to keep them to their natural diets.]

Sneasel knows Icy Wind. It coats things in ice, and can likely be used to make some sort of icebox or freeze food for a few days.

[heritrix]

[It's... Likely the Shadows have souls, or so Rin thinks. Trapped ones, too far gone to be saved, though to what extent is questionable. If there's a Pokemon here that feeds on souls like a Servant would...]

It would be ideal if he can feed off the Shadows, but there's a potential caveat there. I, at least, don't know at this time how the Queen controls her Shadow army. If they're an extension of herself, or a dark magic, it's possible devouring one could have unfavorable consequences for your Pokemon. It may be something worth testing before trying all at once.

[Text]

[helborn]

I can freeze things to help preserve them, but I can only do it so many times before I have to recharge. I'm totally willing to help fight - I can survive off of almost anything, and poisons don't affect me, so you can toss some of the rotten food my way if you want and I can keep going.

[Text]

[heritrix]

I'll let Zuko field this one about your offer to fight.

[Other than answering questions, she's focused on concerns related to the food shortage first.]

That's a useful ability, being able to process any organic manner.

[A developed trait, or is he not human?]

The rest of us don't have that skill, so if you're willing to take one for the team, we'll toss you what's inedible.
If you look at it in a different way, it's like having a smorgasbord.
By the way, someone named Silver who commented before you also has ideas in that vein. I'd like to direct you to contact him and see what you two can put together, if you're willing.

[Rin had thought about making an icebox herself, using her magecraft. But if someone else can do it, not only will it save her mana, but it will allow her to focus on other things.]

[Video]

[wantedittobeagame]

[ Adachi opens his reply with nervous rubbing at the back of his neck. Why does it feel like he's taking an unwanted vacation in the TV right now? ]

A-ah... so... I'm used to fighting my world's version of Shadows? Might be different from the Queen's but... from what I've gathered, still monstrous, scary, and out to kill people, so I can handle that.

[Video]

[heritrix]

[His response to the survey made Rin snicker a little. This is a serious situation, but she enjoys comments like the ones he left. Also, worms? A trauma or a noodle incident, she wonders.

But first things first, lets talk about this stuff he brings up in his video reply. The teenager in twin tails is the one to field this reply. Having taken her phone back from Sans, it took her a bit to reply. She's much less smooth at this, so she had to figure out a way to hold it up so it wouldn't fall over. When the feed kicks in her face is really close before moving back — seems like she has it balanced up against something. After confirming it's going, she fixes her attention on Adachi's video feed, speaking crisply and getting right to the point.]

From my experience, the Shadows aren't out to kill anyone. They'd much rather drag you off to a portal.

text;

[wildcardpotential]

I want to thank you ladies for taking charge and being organized. It's definitely to the benefit of us all and I want you to know that it's appreciated.

Normally I would volunteer for that mission, but I have to be honest about my physical state, and it isn't the best. I should be in fighting shape in another week or so, but recovery is slow with the food shortage and all. I have good experience with shadows, however, and if I have a buddy or two I think I am up to being on patrol.

I have both healing abilities, and stat boosting abilities, for what those are worth. If I'd be most help as a healer in the infirmary for now, I will definitely be on call for the mission and patrols.

I believe my Cyndaquil may be of good use in powering the generator, then, if it can take fire. I'll have to make sure he doesn't overdo it, of course, but even just a little would help I think.

Awaiting orders.

text;

[daughterofursa]

[What is this appreciation being expressed? Uh.]

Thanks.

If you're not up for the mission, that's fine. It's better to be honest about it. I can find someone to join you for patrols. Unless you have someone you already work well with?

Is a Cyndaquil a pokemon? Fire works to power the generator. Sans says it takes most forms of energy. Just don't punch it.

Text

[pride_of_amarcia]

Altar Room maintenance? I think I can do some Cryas work that'll help keep the generator going plentifully!

Patrols would be more Hubert's thing. Actually, you might wanna ask him to help cook up a plan for them!

Hmm. And maybe we should rig up, like, some cards or something for people. Boredom sucks!

Text

[daughterofursa]

What's a crya?

I don't know Hubert. If he's doing his own patrols, he should coordinate with the rest of us.

[...she's not sure what boredom has to do with any of this. Why would people be more bored than usual? Why should they be bored at all? There's plenty of work to do.]

If you want to play games, just don't use up vital resources.

Text

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

Your call, but some of my Artes should be good for keeping the generator at full charge if we don't put me out to combat.

On the other hand, I'm good at combat when the Shadows aren't running on some stupid rule like 'you must sing to defeat them'. Still hate that.

Text

[daughterofursa]

Unless you don't need to eat, conserving your own energy is more important than powering the generator.

[Zuko isn't sure what "meh" is supposed to mean, honestly.]

But if you're volunteering for the mission or patrols, I could use you there.

audio

[satanslash]

I can help with power for the generator. I think Tomomi-chan-- erm, that's my Shinx. I think she can help, too. She's an electric type? And I've got fire.

I can help fight, too.

[text]

[daughterofursa]

Save your flames if it takes energy out of you. It's fine for the pokemon to help. I've heard their food isn't compromised.

How much action are you up for?

audio

[arrowroot]

Willing to lend my bow and staff to any expeditions! I've tackled my fair share of shadows and more than that back home, so whenever you need extra hands on deck I'll be there.

[text]

[daughterofursa]

Do you have any kind of magic?

video

[bliptech]

I got a particle barrier working by reverse engineering the Altean tech I had on me when I arrived. It'll take a lot of power, but if we need to slam up an extra set of defenses from the shadows in the safe areas it's good to go.

I might be able to handle giving the generator some juice from my Bayard as well, since it has a high energy taser.

video

[heritrix]

[Forgetting how these video chats work for a moment (namely that the other party can see her), the expression on Rin's face as Pidge starts talking is one of utter bafflement. The what by what? UM... Well, okay, she knows what a taser is at least!]

The taser will probably work, given everything Sans has explained to me, so go for it.

Can you explain the strengths and weaknesses of the particle barrier for me? I'm not talented with such things, but I can use magical barriers as a base of comparison.

video;

[gempathic]

I can help out with fighting or patrols if you need me! I've got experience. My powers are mostly defensive, though.

And, umm. [ How best to word it... ] I'm pretty sure I can help plants grow super fast overnight. It's happened before. But the plants I grow kind of... all have their own thoughts and feelings? So I really can't use that one to help with food.

[ That would be murder. Murder's not cool. ]

I still might be able to keep things fresh if I bubble them!

[heritrix]

[Words can't do justice to the look on Rin's face, really.]

Hey, you can't say that so easily and just move on! Sentient food?

audio

[blackblooded]

Um. We... we haven't fought shadows before, but we can fight. [They're still injured, but it's been over a week now and Ragnarok doesn't have to put as much effort into holding them together anymore. And there were healers. They can do this, if everyone needs that from them.]

Colin said that light is the best thing to fight them, I don't have light magic. I have a sword.

audio

[daughterofursa]

[Okay. You know what, if Crona prefers to use audio, Zuko will roll with that.]

Swords can still take them down.

Are you okay patrolling with someone? I don't want you two on your own.

[And she's definitely not willing to take Crona on the mission, nope, not happening, not with her in charge.]

Text

[shirtlesspersona]

im one of the resident wind guys
so we get some turbine thing and
i can just whip up some whirlwinds for that no problem
plenty to work with


otherwise
i produce mana when i eat
i might be able to shove it at this
never really tried

and always happy to help fighting shadows
its kinda fun
if a little less adrenaline-y than im used to
its less fun when they arent trying to eat you

[ This pops up a while later. He was very picky about his wording, okay. ]

Text

[daughterofursa]

There's the windmill. I don't know if it's connected to anything right now.

Fighting shadows isn't supposed to be fun. But if you're volunteering for patrols, I'll take it.

audio

[fistfullofmagic]

I am curious: how precisely does one transfer energy to the generator? I wish to assist, but certain methods may not be viable in my case.

[He doesn't know how this tech works, so he's very Concerned. Yes, with the capitol letter.]

audio

[heritrix]

Naturally, it would depend on the energy.

Text

[painful_finish]

I have combat experience and I am able to use artes to heal.
I am willing to assist in any capacity.

Text

[daughterofursa]

Are you Hubert?

[That's what the name by the text reads so he should be, right?]