video; un: akashicknight

[morganknight]

[Morgan's not his cheeriest today, which is to say, he's still smiling as he lazes about in a comfy chair, but not with ebullient glee.]

Just keeping y'all up to date -- with the regrettable disappearance of Miss Ardenbury, I've basically inherited her position as ambassador to End of the World?

[The armlet totem Cecelia'd been given dangles from a finger as he lifts it into view.]

So if anyone wants to pop on down there, let me know. If anyone wants to help out with the whole business, also let me know. And, uh, apropos of nothing, if you guys could all contrive to drop a pen or a sock or something in a place where it can easily get lost, I'd appreciate it. Bargaining stuff.

Comments

video; un: wolfcountry

[impostorsyndrome]

. . . I didn't realize she'd—disappeared.

[He almost says "left," but that's not really how it goes, is it? As nice as it is to think of it that way, that's not the reality. Anyway, by now he's gotten used to realizing people have disappeared after some time not seeing them around, but this one hits a bit harder.]

Thanks for this, though. I'd wondered if anyone else was set up to take over if it came to that. I've got my own business to take care of, but this is important to me, so if I can help out in any way that isn't full time work, I will.

[morganknight]

Yeah. I can't imagine any other circumstance in which she'd left this thing lying around.

I don't gather the requests are that frequent or else I'd be screwed on handling it myself. [Business, training, second business, fun, quests...] But there are actually two more of these, so passing them out sounds like a good idea.

[impostorsyndrome]

. . . Let me know if you can't find better qualified volunteers. Those are big shoes to fill, and I've got zero confidence I'd be the best tour guide to Hell you can find, but someone's gotta do it, and if it's three people, all the better. . . . She made this whole big thing out of it. I mean, I'm sure you've seen her office.

[He smiles just slightly. That space that had looked like he was walking into a suite downtown to discuss his investment portfolio with a professional or something. It really is impossible to fill those shoes; only Cecelia was precisely the sort of person she was, and would have handled the burden in just the way she did. But Kadoc knows. It needs to be done even if it's not nearly so stylishly as that.]

[morganknight]

Yeah, that's where I found this thing. I had a couple theories, wanted her to listen to them, and all I found was... [Shrug. The totem bracelets and no Cecelia. He wouldn't call it surprising, per se, but disappointing for sure.] But me, I'm way less formal than our beloved Miss Ardenbury.

voice; un: pinkmemory

[inemeraldfaith]

[There's a lot going on here and Aerith isn't sure what to address first.]

You're bargaining with pens and socks?

[Because that's truly the important thing here.]

[morganknight]

[It's Aerith! That brings quite a genuine grin out of Morgan!]

Dust bunnies. They love that stuff and I might have unintentionally chained a Bargain to literally every one currently in Camelot, which might now include the entire former dust bunny population of Lestari. Totally worth it though.

[inemeraldfaith]

That's... a lot of dust bunnies.
What are you planning to do with them all? Morgan and his Dusty Bunny Army. Sounds like a book.

[morganknight]

It's what I already did, which was getting everything possible out of the -- old cities. ['Ruins' just sounds too blunt and brutal, so forgive the gentler but not quite accurate term.] They were able to go into places people could never reach, and their ability to find and move lost items meant they could pull all sorts of things out. Blankets and clothing and all sorts of supplies, while we were evacuating, and now for the refugees here.

@stranger; voice (cw: violence against dragon skeletons involving spines in brackets)

[eightfoldfiend]

Ardenbury....gone?

[Yuber sits back in his chair, brow knitting.]

Ah, well. I won't miss her much.

[Or will he?

In his chest there is a churning, unpleasant sensation and he knows he feels some way about this. Cecelia had shown him the brink, had fought at his side, they'd saved each other's lives even. How many beings in this world would have bothered saving him? "One more dead monster, good riddance," that's what they'd say if they ever saw him in danger.

Out of the corner of his scarlet eye, Yuber sees his familiar start to cautiously back away from him. He reaches out, expression unchanging, grips the bony tail and gives it a sharp, violent pull. It tugs her spine loose and causes her to collapse into a pile of bones on the floor.

The detached skull hisses. "That was a reasonable reaction."

Yuber ignores her and turns his attention back to the phone still balanced in his fingertips.]

You are filling her role? Do you grasp the danger this world is in?

[morganknight]

Uh-huh.

[Yeah, sure. "She's... gone? OH WELL WON'T MISS HER." Morgan totally buys that!]

Actually, that's something she and I talked about fairly extensively. I'll miss her, without question. She had an insight and a mindset that gave me a lot to think about, particularly on that score.

[And he has no intention of sharing his whole 'we're in a giant pocket of literal madness that has become sanity because there are no other standards to hold it against' discovery outside of Cecelia, not yet.]

[eightfoldfiend]

But your mind is no doubt mortal, hers was not.

Nor is mine.

[Rustling, then...]

Give me the bangle. I will ferry people to the brink.

[His voice has a note of "You aren't Cecelia so you will just mess it up," to it.]

[morganknight]

Heh. I'm Awakened. How you want to count that mind is your call, but I'm good.

[Morgan doesn't mention the two additional totems. But if Cecelia knew this guy and didn't give him one, well...]

video; un: obsidian36

[standvastig]

I have meant to ask upon seeing some ... acquaintances disappear in the past... Is there a reason that is happening?

[It's something he's been torn between researching and ignoring completely, with the latter winning out as of late, especially with what has happened the past few months.]

[morganknight]

Of course!

[Morgan shrugs, not losing his smile at all.]

What that reason is, I don't know. There are lots of possibilities. I think Merlin needs a break from me badgering him with questions or I'd ask him.

[standvastig]

[Well, at least someone can find something to smile about in this situation.]

I see. Would you say that Merlin would be the best person to ask such a question? I suppose it may go beyond the nature of Avalon itself.

[morganknight]

Time and space are completely boned, so that probably has something to do with it. My guess is, if you ask Merlin, he'll tell you something that is immensely helpful but answers nothing at all.

[2-for-2 so far, in Morgan's experience.]

Video | UN: hijikata

[mayoninofukucho]

She's gone?

[Cecelia was Hijikata's study buddy - not for a very long time, but ever since the incident in Celliwig's Hall of Mirrors they'd had a number of spirited discussions about the laws of the local magic, the outworlders' responsibilities, and many more things, over piles of books. He feels a sting of loss at this news, but it's comforting to know that someone took up her mantle.]

Thanks for taking over.

[He should offer Morgan some help with this significant responsibility, but he has enough on his plate already with his ghost patrol, not to mention that he's not exactly the most sensitive person and would likely just say "Yeah, look at this shitshow" while showing others the calamity... so no. Morgan's bargain with the dust bunnies is actually impressing him even more after listening in to him explaining it to Aerith (they can do that, right, otherwise he probably heard it elsewhere through the grapevine).]

I've got to say, bargaining magic is incredible if you apply it right.

[He's seen Morgan on the network before here and there... wasn't it him to promised all the dead outworders that he'd help them if they can't stay in Avalon after all is said and done? He seems to be a seriously resourceful man, and creative too.]

[morganknight]

It really is, but I actually don't know anyone else who has it. It seems to be the rarest magic type, not that I'm actually keeping score or anything.

[Maybe it's just that people don't know what to do with it? Morgan had gotten some good advice from Merlin, and had his own history in business to help guide him in forming solid contracts. That's a privileged position to occupy, and one he doubts anyone else here has. Bargaining or not!]

[mayoninofukucho]

Yeah, it really seems to be rare! I think I only ever saw one or two people mention having it on the network, and who knows if they're still around now... when I needed a bargaining mage I had to wait for a long time until someone local got back to me, too.

[He never found out about Cecelia's background as a traveller between worlds, but he remembers from Morgan's previous post that he's from a place where access to many different realms exists, and that alone gives him confidence in his suitability for the ambassdor role. An unrelated topic of interest is coming back to his mind, but now isn't really the time... oh, damn it, he'll just go for it.]

I assume your research focus here has probably been on the local people and creatures, right? Have you by any chance seen, read or heard anything at all about mayonnaise fairies?

[He wants them to exist, but he hasn't been able to gather any proof (which would tell most people all they need to know, but, well).]

Voice | Anonymous

[angel_of_death]

My condolences.

[Someone Walter knows also recently disappeared, so he sounds reflective, perhaps even quiet as he gives his regards.]

I apologize if someone has already asked, but I am curious about the request for pens and socks. Why are they needed?

[He hasn't gone through the responses.]

[morganknight]

Dust bunnies. I may have accidentally made a Bargain with... like, all of them.

[angel_of_death]

[...That... is a lot of dust bunnies.]

I see.

Have you already explained the situation to someone else in response to this transmission? If so, I can peruse the replies.

Video : Un; Caster (I'm not late honest)

[colchismagecraft]

...Are you at her old office now, Morgan?

[Just cutting right to the chase. She'd normally bring wine but if he didn't drink...well, she'd think of something.]</small.

[morganknight]

Pff, are you kidding? Me getting comfy in there feels like a bear ripping paintings off a museum wall for snuggly hibernation bedding, except with less feral grace involved.

[Morgan flicks up his phone slightly so she can better glimpse his surroundings: the comfy office on the upper floor of the dojo, which she'd at least seen in passing.]

I'm trying to preserve her legacy, not make her cry for reasons she doesn't understand, wherever she is!

[colchismagecraft]

It did seem a little stuffy for your tastes, I must admit.

[Ah, the Dojo...yes, she remembered. His comment, at least, gave her a small, dry laugh.]

...I'll be headed your way soon.