video; un: j.porter

[cantgetanyworse]

Hello everyone. If you don't know me, my name is Jane Porter. [This is said with a little wave. Years using devices like this and she still isn't sure how to begin a transmission without feeling awkward about it.

Well, moving on!]

I know things have been... very difficult lately. [Understatement.] And a lot of people are probably feeling very worried. Now, I'm... not a therapist, or anything like that. I most certainly wouldn't claim to be one at all.

But what I certainly am is somebody who cares about other people. So, I'd like to table an open offer to anyone who might like to just... sit down with a cup of tea, or take a walk, and have a chat. [She pauses here and gives a soft little smile.]

About anything at all. Please don't hesitate to reach out. If not to me, then to someone. ... You don't need to go through anything alone.

[And, with the same faint awkwardness that she started with, she signs off with that.]

Comments

voice; un: signorvespa

[prontissimo]

[ The voice is obviously that of a young boy, maybe a preteen, voice not quite broken yet. And he sounds worried, yet... somehow simultaneously nonchalant? ]

Uh, I don't need to chat over tea, but if you're offering random help to strangers... I'm looking for a comp— compis— uh, c-comp-sig-naythius? Comipsagnious? Compie. A big weird lizard monster. She ran away. Her name's Sofia. But, uh— I don't think she knows that yet... Soooo she won't come to that if you call her. But that's her name. If you see her running around, lemme know, will ya?

[ He's talking about his new pet compsognathus, which lasted, um, less than a week before she escaped from his inn room. Because... dinosaurs shouldn't be kept in tiny inn rooms... and shouldn't be kept by reckless fourteen-year-old boys, either. He adds on a final thought, cautiously — cautionary, in fact... ]

Oh, and, uh— if you do try to catch her... You should know, Sofia iiiiis... kinda shy. ...Yeah. She's shy. So heads up.

[ She's gonna bite you, that is to say. Beware. ]

[cantgetanyworse]

[This isn't exactly what she had in mind, but it only takes her a moment or two to realise what Alberto is trying to say he's lost track of. Jane stares at the device in her hand before she answers with steady, deliberate caution.]

I'm sorry-- are you trying to say compsognathus?

[Dinosaurs are... not her area of expertise, but she liked them as a child and does know the names of some of the more well-known ones of her era.]

Are you telling me you've lost a dinosaur?

[prontissimo]

Yeah, that. The lizard thing. She has really intense, pretty eyes. That’s how you’ll know it’s Sofia.

[ Alberto, that doesn’t help as much as you think it does. He doesn’t know what a dinosaur is. He just thinks she’s some kind of monster. Which does not scare him like it might other people… Like maybe it should. ]

text; un: fireprince

[rediscovering]

you're jane?
aurora said we should meet... she is my friend.
my name is zuko.

[cantgetanyworse]

Hello Zuko!
I've been wondering when I might get to speak to you.

[rediscovering]

oh.
she told you about me i guess...?

[ grisjknf he's both relieved and mildly panicked to hear that... ]

voice; un: dunmer dragonborn

[fireandhoney]

I certainly wouldn't mind just having a friendly meeting over tea. I even promise not to call my familiar over.

[cantgetanyworse]

[She lets out a soft chuckle.]

It might do me good to get used to her. She can't be all bad.

[fireandhoney]

She's really not, unless you piss her off. And even if you do piss her off, she'll give you a warning first.

voice; un: hpotter

[phoenixwiz]

Having a chat over tea sounds like a good idea to me, Jane. I have been feeling down since the recent events and I am finding ways to keep me from remembering some of the bad things from my world.

[cantgetanyworse]

Mm, I'm finding it's bringing up some difficult memories for me as well. [Jane sighs.]

What else have you been trying?

[phoenixwiz]

Well, I just got a new element added into my elemental magic roster, which is electricity. I am still working on that at the moment.

Also I got a new roommate coming in from Celliwig into my flat and I am currently helping him to find a job within the city centre. He is hoping to get back at his feet as soon as he can.

audio; un: kingjj

[kingfuckboy]

Oh - wow! This is really nice of you to do. I think a lot of people will probably take you up on a talk.

I think having a cup of tea would be really nice sometime.

[cantgetanyworse]

Well, it felt like something that a few people might need. And even if they don't say anything now, at least they know someone cares.

[She hopes that those people who need to hear it also believe it, because... she really does want to help.]

[kingfuckboy]

Yeah. It was rough for everyone there, I heard. I didn't end up going. I know we just met, but I hope if you need things, you ask someone, too. It can be hard to listen to everyone else's problems.

VOICE: UN: HAMMERTIME

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[There's a considerable amount of silence at first, which might lead Jane to believe that maybe someone was responding in error.]

[But when Darin speaks, his voice is haggard and tired.]

Tea sounds nice.

[cantgetanyworse]

[She does think that someone might have opened the connection accidentally, but then... she's also spoken to Lorenz, so she understands that there might sometimes be a long silence before someone feels able to speak something that's on their mind.

And this person sounds terribly worn down.]

You'd be very welcome, I'm sure... Whenever you're ready.

[Jane sends her address. She isn't too concerned - she can defend herself if anything untoward happens.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Thank you.

I'll...be by once I've cleaned myself up.

[Maybe two hours or so later, Jane will hear a knock at her door. Darin will be there wearing simple slacks and a polo shirt. His traveling and adventuring clothes were much too dirty and threadbare at this point and he didn't have the energy to throw them in the wash. And despite being showered, there's practically an aura of gloom around him. Like his own personal rain cloud were following him. He has dark rings under his eyes and despite looking like he's seen so many of life's horrors, he's holding a basket of cookies.]

[After all, this nice lady is offering him tea. The least he could do is bring a snack. It's polite.]

Uh...hi. I'm...Darin. Darin Altway. I said I'd come by for tea...?

video | un: tsum.tsuki

[tsumtsuki]

[ Tsumugi smiles, just as soft. ] You're very kind, Jane-san.

I'm doing okay [ Or, well, as okay as someone can be right now. ] but I would still be happy to talk with you over tea sometime, if you'd like.

[cantgetanyworse]

[Jane smiles in return - she can't help it, someone smiling at her does make her want to smile back.]

I don't think I could turn down an offer like that. What's your name?

[tsumtsuki]

[ Smiles are wonderful like that, aren't they? It's such a small gesture, to smile, but it can provide warmth and light when there is none. ]

My name's Tsumugi Tsukioka. It's nice to meet you.

I don't want to take your time away from others who need you more, so would you like to make plans for a few days from now? I think it'd be nice to have something to look forward to.

text; un: manslayer

[hitokiri]

hey. arent u doing too much?

[ he's not concerned that she might take on too many other people's problems or anything. ]

[cantgetanyworse]

[Ah, this is one person she didn't actually expect to reply to her here...]

Are you worried about me?

Video; UN: Roseofdawn

[beautyrest]

You always amaze me with your kindness, Jane.

[cantgetanyworse]

Oh... I just felt like it might be something that people might need. I don't expect that too many people might want to pour their heart out to a stranger, though.