Four.

To the TechmindShow

"ＡＬＳＯ　ＳＴＯＰ　ＭＡＫＩＮＧ　ＴＨＥ　ＣＯＵＮＣＩＬ　ＳＯＵＮＤ　ＬＩＫＥ　Ａ　ＢＵＮＣＨ　ＯＦ　ＷＩＬＬ－ＶＡＭＰＩＲＥＳ，　Ｍ．　Ｉｔ＇ｓ　ｈａｒｄ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ　ｔｏ　ｄｏ　ｏｕｒ　ｊｏｂｓ　ａｌｒｅａｄｙ　ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ　ｍａｋｉｎｇ　ｉｔ　ｃｒｅｅｐｙ．"

Ah hah. I will keep this in mind for the future.
But I do have their best interests at heart, truly.
It's not like they can store excess WILL anyways, hm?
I merely offer them goods in exchange for a resource that would be wasted, lost to the void without ever having had the chance of being put to use.
...But I am aware that accepting such a deal can be difficult, and as such am sorting out suitable tasks to... Shall we say, "subdue" my counterpart.
Such is life at the... Warehouse, I believe they call it these days.
When and if Aubrey, Rahasya, or any other future client complete these tasks, I will reward them appropriately.
And, I might add, better than my counterpart would.

Come to think of it I'm surprised more members of the council aren't tasking our charge with various missions to perform along the way.
Questing them with, say, hunting down various collectibles.
I suppose I'm going to have to dig out a quantum quest board later...

> apologies r-a-h-a-s-y-a
> i must have read the letters too quickly
> i'm quite done speaking for now

Re: Rahasya
Hohoho. Of course not. What gave you idea? We can cure your loneliness via accompaniment (but that's just my way. I don't exactly believe all parts in #theCouncil have the same stuff in mind (and some may have different ingredients and procedures of said cure.).).

Anyway, eagle-time is not a measure of timespace. It is some sort of branding. It is like a restaurant. There's many tables in it. One of the tables has #theCouncil sitting. You are on that table and that is how we talk to you (or at least in my understanding.).

author's noteShow

Pardon the late update. Will retcon an image into this post soon!

>Yes, you should take it back. Hopefully all this abnormal activity doesn't damage, alter, or mutate it in any way. *tempting fate*

RAHASYA
I can hear you, you know.
Are you implying that I'm somehow toxic?

They sound unimpressed.

One thing I should tell you, prospective client Rahasya.
Although I am happy to trade my wares in exchange for various tasks being completed, I much prefer to take payment in WILL.

Additionally, after a certain... Incident prior to Aubrey, I prefer to assess the presence, quantity, and quality of will rather than take my clients word for it.
The Repo Man cometh, heh.

Ahem. Lastly, unlike my... counterpart, I am required to fulfill my end of any bargain to the fullest. No hidden strings, no faulty gifts. My clients always receive exactly what they pay for, no more, no less.

But ah, I get ahead of myself.

I will see to procuring a suitable badge for you that we might discuss matters further. Or would a form other than a badge be preferable?

-M

RAHASYA
I'll accept a badge. but I'm reluctant to trade my WILL to an extraplanar entity of undiscernable power. I'm sure you understand, given my circumstances.

...was I being racist? no no no. can't have been. but people always say they arn't racist when they are. I was just curious how other sapiant beings work. But I could have phrased it differently. I should have phrased it differently. or was it even a question that should have been asked?

I'm sorry

RAHASYA
Apology accepted.

Re: Rahasya
Hohoho. Of course not. What gave you idea? We can cure your loneliness via accompaniment (but that's just my way. I don't exactly believe all parts in #theCouncil have the same stuff in mind (and some may have different ingredients and procedures of said cure.).).

Anyway, eagle-time is not a measure of timespace. It is some sort of branding. It is like a restaurant. There's many tables in it. One of the tables has #theCouncil sitting. You are on that table and that is how we talk to you (or at least in my understanding.).

Rahasya spends a quiet moment trying to visualize this metaphor.

RAHASYA
... I see.

They don't.

> You should get going, but before that, do you mind telling us what this orb Rahasya just absorbed was?

Aubrey takes back the COUNCIL'S FAVOUR.

AUBREY
It's a CORE. Sometimes creatures of the In-Between leave these behind when they die.
My last guide told me they have special properties. I was hoping to give the one the
Greater Wing left to Ada, but...

RAHASYA
Remember, you ruined my house.

AUBREY
I wasn't talking to you!

RAHASYA
Well, I'm talking to you—and the entirety of the Council, if they're listening.
Before we leave, design me one of those cute little communication tokens, will you?

Re: Rahasya

I have designed you a unique token, as requested. I hope it may be satisfactory.

>You want a token? Sure thing, one token coming up!

SpoilerShow

>Oh, why not? Here, have a thousand!

SpoilerShow

Mm. Ah well, sensible enough. As always, my offer stands until claimed or no longer eligible.

Anyways, I believe I will let the others field this one. Something went... Wrong, with my creation process. Very wrong. Certainly valuable, definitely effective.

But very, very, wrong.

I'll... Probably throw it in with something else later. Those chimps working for my counterpart won't notice a slight weight difference.

...If you happen to get the package with this badge, you should probably throw it off the edge into the void. I can't stop you from giving it a go, but I really believe it would be best to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

Oh, and you probably want to get moving very quickly. A certain council member is shipping in a great deal of badges. They aren't very heavy, but there are a lot of them. Certainly not very healthy for the stability of local reality, that's for certain.

-M

＊Ｉｎｃｏｍｐｒｅｈｅｎｓｉｂｌｅ　ｓｃｒｅａｍｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓｏｕｎｄｓ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｃｌｏｓｅｒ，　ｔｈｅｎ　ｄｉｓｔａｎｔ，　ｔｈｅｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ　ｓｏｕｎｄ　ｏｆ　ａ　ｃｈａｉｒ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｋｎｏｃｋｅｄ　ｏｖｅｒ　ａｎｇｒｉｌｙ＊

"ＷＨＡＴ　ＩＳ　ＷＲＯＮＧ　ＷＩＴＨ　ＹＯＵ　ＰＥＯＰＬＥ　ＷＨＹ　ＷＯＵＬＤ　ＹＯＵ　ＤＯ　ＴＨＩＳ－　ＷＨＹ　Ａ　ＴＨＯＵＳＡＮＤ？！　Ｉ　ＭＥＡＮ－　Ｉ＇Ｍ　ＤＯＩＮＧ　ＴＨＥ　ＣＡＬＣＵＬＡＴＩＯＮＳ　ＲＩＧＨＴ　ＮＯＷ，　ＩＴ＇Ｓ　ＰＲＯＢＡＢＬＹ　ＮＯＴ　ＧＯＩＮＧ　ＴＯ　ＢＥ　ＲＥＡＬＬＹ　ＢＡＤ，　ＴＨＥＹ＇ＲＥ　ＰＲＥＴＴＹ　ＳＭＡＬＬ　ＢＵＴ　ＷＨＡＴ　ＷＯＵＬＤ　ＰＯＳＳＩＢＬＹ　ＥＶＥＮ　ＣＯＮＶＩＮＣＥ　ＹＯＵ　ＴＨＡＴ　ＴＨＩＳ　ＷＡＳ　Ａ　ＧＯＯＤ　ＩＤＥＡ　ＩＮ　ＡＮＹ　ＵＮＩＶＥＲＳＥ－"

＊ｓｏｕｎｄ　ｏｆ　ｇｌａｓｓ　ｃｒａｓｈｉｎｇ＊

"ＧＲＥＡＴ　ＮＯＷ　Ｉ　ＮＥＥＤ　ＴＯ　ＧＥＴ　Ａ　ＮＥＷ　ＣＯＦＦＥＥ　ＭＡＫＥＲ，　ＡＮＤ　Ｉ＇ＬＬ　ＮＥＥＤ　ＴＯ　ＭＡＫＥ　ＡＮＯＴＨＥＲ　ＣＯＰＹ　ＯＦ　ＭＹＳＥＬＦ　ＴＯ　ＤＥＡＬ　ＷＩＴＨ　ＷＲＩＴＩＮＧ　ＵＰ　ＴＨＥ　ＦＡＬＬＯＵＴ　ＦＯＲ　ＷＨＡＴＥＶＥＲ　ＩＳ　ＡＢＯＵＴ　ＴＯ　ＨＡＰＰＥＮ　ＨＥＲＥ　ＤＯ　ＹＯＵ　ＫＮＯＷ　ＷＨＡＴ　ＴＨＥ　ＤＩＦＦＥＲＥＮＣＥ　ＢＥＴＷＥＥＮ　ＢＥＩＮＧ　ＥＶＩＬ，　ＩＮＳＡＮＥ　ＯＲ　ＳＴＵＰＩＤ　ＩＳ？　ＢＥＣＡＵＳＥ　Ｉ　ＤＯＮ＇Ｔ　ＡＮＹＭＯＲＥ－　ｏｈ　ｇｏｄ　Ｉ　ｎｅｅｄ　ａ　ｖａｃａｔｉｏｎ．　ｏｒ　ａｌｃｏｈｏｌ．　Ｔｈｉｓ　ｊｏｂ　ｉｓ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｋｉｌｌ　ｍｅ．"

SpoilerShow

Incoming Message from TMI:

"We understand that our ambassador is currently having a moment. Do not worry, he will be fine. Also, Council Member -M, We personally agree with your view. Unit NAB. . . Has a job far away from the rest of the company for a reason. In light of already incoming shipments, we will gladly abstain from sending anything through the void."

The Management recommends immediate evacuation of the local Dimensional space due to One thousand and one incoming packages. The Management would rather not see Our Dear Aubrey and The Delightful Rahasya be swallowed up in the incoming cataclysm of Rat Effigies.

ooh ooh, how about a badge with three eyes? one each of the ugly printer ink colors that seem to be thematic here?

♪ Hello Ladies! ♪ I came from the OmegaUpdate and I'm ready to be a part of your adventure. ♪ I will be your bard. ♪ I can provide some tunes to help give more feeling to your adventures and battles, if you don't mind; ♪ and you ever get tired of hearing the background music, just say MUTE and your ears won't hear the music anymore. ♪ Say PLAY and the music will be heard again. ♪ Don't worry, because it only to the individual's ears that they can hear the music or whether they let it play or not. ♪ Hope I won't become a bother to you. ♪

[♫H E Y♫H E Y♫H E E E E E Y♫]

A bard eh?
I think I recall some bards in one of my old haunts.
You wouldn't have happened to perform at the Scarlet Court, have you?
Had some wonderful musicians play at that place before it...
Ahem. These old memories of mine keep trying to leak out.
Have to be careful with doling them out, you understand.
One leads to another, and another still.
But, ah, I digress from my own question.
Have you played at the scarlet court?
The masks made it difficult to tell those hired for temporary positions apart.
-M

MUTE MUTE MUTE

If I may, I must observe this is quite the disorganised operation.
From a metanarrative perspective, one suspects this 'thousands tokens’ business' might likely be suppressed with either selective outer membrane filtering and/or creative nullifications of events before the next beat happens.*

For example one might will in some distortions in the membrane fabrics to redirect the sending (such a happened with the delightfully darling little HONKIT) or conceptualize 'Jojo the n dimensional ectoplasmic supersonic flying blobfish monkey trained to catch wayward package before they materialize'



... It's a work in progress.

It is true there is no guarantee as to whether this would work as the metanarrative final authority seems to be membrane filtering and distilling council members activity for the sake of perceived ludonarrative efficiency*** but one suspects multiple council members influences would trump over a single one, should it come to this.
At the very least the experiment in itself is worth trying.

But one would hate to spoil the current ludonarrative experience of senior council members*** (Besides all the talking with the clients was starting to take a little more beats than efficient so if it works as an incentive to
Still substance for cognitive cogitations**** should enforcing some metanarrative coherency into future deliberation become a sticking point between beats.

Oh and a customary greetings to our clients.
If it’s not indiscreet of me to ask, one is a material bound organic but the nature of the others is.. unclear a ...narrative bound self roaming cognisant, perhaps ? (well as in so far as it doesn’t apply to anyone on this side of the outer membranes) ?

Anyhow clients, if you have any last requests or questions, I would recommend they’d be asked now, as to attempt to grant them before the next beat, otherwise I fear we may have to move this exchange elsewhere.

* Also know in more primitive patois as: "selectively reinforcing the fourth wall by majority vote, if the will of one council member can influence reality, one suspects several could make up some reason to veto it before the next update roll in."

** Also known in simpler idiomatic as "the author will filter and combine suggestion in what will make the most fun story for them"

*** Also known in more vulgar vernacular as 'being a killjoy who get in the way of others fun'

**** Also known in more crude cant : as 'food for thought'
... Alright, I'll admit I may be overdoing to whole technonarrative sesquipedalian loquaciousness there....

A bard eh?
I think I recall some bards in one of my old haunts.
You wouldn't have happened to perform at the Scarlet Court, have you?
Had some wonderful musicians play at that place before it...
Ahem. These old memories of mine keep trying to leak out.
Have to be careful with doling them out, you understand.
One leads to another, and another still.
But, ah, I digress from my own question.
Have you played at the scarlet court?
The masks made it difficult to tell those hired for temporary positions apart.
-M

♪What's a Scarlet Court?♪Is it a kind of house?♪

[♫H E Y♫H E Y♫H E E E E E Y♫]

♪What's a Scarlet Court?♪Is it a kind of house?♪

[♫H E Y♫H E Y♫H E E E E E Y♫]

Ah, you certainly haven't worked there if you don't know.
No worry, it's probably for the best.
Not a place worth considering in the present tense, anyways.

...

Mm? I think I spaced out for a minute there.
Probably to do with the incoming storm straining the fabric.

Author's Note:Show

I love whatever the fuck is going on right now, keep being wonderful
the meta shenanigans give me life

I'll be honest. I have concerns. What is this.
How has the Council increased so quickly.

Signed, Sunflower.

> Perhaps this works for an Emblem?

SpoilerShow

.... I can't seem to get the IMG tag to work. https://www.dropbox.com/s/2c9jzkce31gf2d...Emblem.png is where it is.

> Also, uh, the voices used in Rashaya's attack. She calls them "the Outcast"? Perhaps they're responsible for the static noise. She draws on... not negative... but perhaps darker forces. As... discordant... as our voices can be, the majority of us are at least vaguely interested in your well-being, for good or ill. As well as the world you find yourself in. Rashaya's powers though? Their only focus appears to be... mmm... I'd have to say something close to disdain? Hate is too strong. Anger not rich enough. Question is does she direct the malice or does the malice direct her? Perhaps if we're particularly... focused... and motivated, we could act through you in a similar way. Though, perhaps in a less third eye blind kind of way, as it were.

"Ｏｈ，　Ｏｈ．　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｔｈｉｓ！　Ｉ　ａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｏｎｅ，　Ｓｕｎｆｌｏｗｅｒ！　Ｉｔ＇ｓ　ｐａｒｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｎｆｏ－ｄｕｍｐ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｇｉｖｅｎ　ｗｈｅｎ　Ｉ　ｆｉｒｓｔ　ｔｏｏｋ　ｍｙ　ｐｏｓｉｔｉｏｎ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｕｎｃｉｌ　ｃｈａｍｂｅｒ　ｓｏ　ｌｏｎｇ　ａｇｏ．　．　．　Ｕｈ，　ｗｈｅｒｅ　ｄｉｄ　Ｉ　ｐｕｔ　ｔｈａｔ－"

"Ｈｅｒｅ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ．　Ｈｏｌｄ　ｏｎ，　Ｉ＇ｌｌ　ｓｅｎｄ　ｙｏｕ　ａ　ｃｏｐｙ．"

SpoilerShow

" - Today, each dimension gets a say in the council, although not all of them exercise this right. Only a handful truly believe in the story of the First Visitor, and others still simply don't care. Without the danger of war, most dimensions are happy just to stick to themselves, and the ones that do care, tend to send a Councilor in the form of a member of their dimensional number. The Council position is largely one of an honor guard, that was used to facilitate communication between certain dimensions... however, with the appearance of a new Visitor, not only is there something for The Council to do, but a few dimensions have sent councilors of their own, curious to see what may come of this. . . "

"Ｉ　ｈｏｐｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｈｅｌｐｓ　ｃｌｅａｒ　ｔｈｉｎｇｓ　ｕｐ？？？　Ｎｏｗ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｌｏｏｋ　ａｔ　ｉｔ　ａｇａｉｎ，　ｔｈｉｓ　ａｌｌ　ｒｅａｄｓ　ａ　ｌｏｔ　ｌｉｋｅ　ａ　ｃｈｅａｐ　ｐａｍｐｈｌｅｔ　ｔｈａｎ　ａ　ｓｅｒｉｏｕｓ　ｈｉｓｔｏｒｉｃａｌ　ｄｏｃｕｍｅｎｔ　ｂｕｔ．　．　．　Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｉｔ　ｍｅａｎｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｍｉｇｈｔ　ｂｅ　ａ　ｌｏｔ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｔｈａｎ　ｗｈａｔ　ｗｅ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｏｆ　ｏｕｒ　ｏｗｎ　ｗｏｒｌｄｓ．　Ｉｓｎ＇ｔ　ｔｈａｔ　ＴＥＲＲＩＦＹＩＮＧ？"

Interesting. I suppose time heals all wounds, as it were. Last I heard a raging war was going on between the fringe and core dimensions.. But then again, I have been away for a very, very long time and have yet to "catch up" with current events. Not that it's inconceivable peace could have settled down.
Come to think of it, I wonder if any of my old cultists are bumbling around somewhere...

. . .
Yes Techmind this is rather terrifying.
At least we are mutual in our goals. Somewhat.

Again, my "leader" fails to inform me of useful information.
I would answer your questions about war, but-
.... Did you say cultists.

This telegram has been signed and delivered by Sunflower.

Ah hah, I suppose I did.
Mind, this was quite some time ago.
Given how long they probably have gone without their deity, they probably disbanded in the bloody fashion so many cults tend to when their deity ceases to provide a reason to worship them.
Admittedly there is quite a bit more to the story than that, but I'm less than interested in revealing such at this time.
Ahem. At any rate, its doubtful they will be relevant. Unless, of course, our client ends up traveling far, far away from the core.
And that would be terrible.
-M

Thank you. I remeber why I did not want to represent after "leader" ledt.

This telegram has been signed and delivered by Sunflower.

>Perhaps it is unwise to give this person such a token? We only have obligations for our esteemed visitor Aubrey. This iridescent queen doesn't seem like one we should cross, and having Rahasya in our company will likely get earn us her ire, if not the anger of the other masters.