Ryslig | Inbox

[ibalsamina]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, LUSAMINE MENDEL. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 018.07.154.55 *** Aether has joined 018.07.154.55 <Aether> Hello. You have reached Lusamine Mendel. <Aether> Please leave a message, and I will get back to you shortly.

Comments

<ReflectedStorm>; backdated a couple of days

[northeworld]

[They probably exchanged contact information at some point. But Lusamine is an adult so Niina doesn't really want to go knocking on her door yet...]

miss lusamine this is niina.

how do you get oil and grease out of clothes

<Aether>

[ibalsamina]

[Lusamine had no doubt offered her contact information with a motherly promise (Should you ever need anything, Niina dear—anything at all—do not hesitate to give me a call.), but truthfully she hadn't expected to receive anything quite so soon.]

Hello, Niina. It's lovely to hear from you.

The best method may differ depending on the specific type of oil and grease you are dealing with, but in most cases, a bit of dish detergent can do wonders. May I ask what happened?

[soundsurfing]

At her doorstep on the 26th, Lusamine will find two clothing boxes; plain and white in design with a simple elegant brand stamp on the front, and tied with pastel yellow cotton ribbons. The boxes contain a rather elegant casual and evening wear set. The note that comes with it has actually been typed up on lovely thick paper, Beat wasn't going to ruin it with his horrid handwriting.

"Hey Lusamine, hope you're enjoying Nattenfest so far. I wanted to say thank you, for everything you've done for me, and how well you've treated me. It means a lot more than you can possibly imagine. The style is close to a few high end fashions back at my home, I hope they fit. If not, take them to the store on the box, and mention your name, and they will be happy to fit them for you.

I hope you like them, and I hope to see you around more.

Sincerely, Beat."

[northeworld]

[The box Lusamine receives is small. Inside is a brooch made out of gold in the shape of a butterfly.

There's a simple 'Thank you - Niina' attached.

....Someone isn't used to giving gifts. Especially to older people.]

<soundsurfer> 22nd

[soundsurfing]

[Now that their thoughts are back to being private, Beat will hit Lusamine up with some questions. And lookit this. Just for her? He's typing properly. Well, mostly.]

Mom I need dating advice. I wanna take Josh out on a date, an actual date, but I don't

Uh...

I don't exactly know how to do dating right

<Aether>

[ibalsamina]

[Lusamine notices, and it warms her heart almost as much as it does to see Mom written out, clear and permanent.]

Hello, Beat. I am so glad you messaged me. This is truly exciting news!

Rest assured, there is no one correct way to go about dating. You know Joshua quite well, don't you? How you go about it depends entirely on what you think he will enjoy. Have you given thought to how you might ask him?

Action: 4/22

[i_am_emmet]

Welcome to Ryslig, Subway Boss Emmet, you just spent the past week thinking you were on the worse train ever. And it showed on the man, he looked a little tired, his hat was askew and something about how he was holding himself shouted this was a new resident who just had their first taste of being brainwashed. But now all he wanted to do was just head back to his apartment with the sandwich he had bought and lurk on the RSDOS network.

The elevator pinged and he stepped off of it, not realizing he wasn’t on his floor as he bumped into something large and pink. He shook his head and backed up a little before he realized what he was looking at. “Bewear?” he questioned. He wondered if he really saw what he was seeing or if it was perhaps a sign he needed to get some sleep away from a zombie-infested train.

[ibalsamina]

"Bweh?" the creature replied with a tilt of its head, seeming equally surprised. Just as it began to advance toward him, curiously sniffing the air as it took a step closer, a voice stopped it in its tracks.

"Petunia," it called from down the hall in a scolding tone. "Wherever are your manners? To me now."

The Pokémon lifted its massive head and turned, just in time for its apparent trainer, a willowy, sharply-dressed faerie woman, to arrive beside her.

"Yes, sweetheart, I know you're very excited to go out, but you mustn't run off like that..." The faerie's attention shifted to Emmet then, greeting him with a disarming smile. "I'm terribly sorry for her, sir... She's perfectly tame, I assure you."

She took a moment to look him over then, inwardly noticing his dishevelment and haunted expression.

"Ah... Are you all right?"

action, backdated to the 29th

[soundsurfing]

[Instead of sending her a text, Beat actually shows up at her door one day, still looking rather worse for wear. Oh he's groomed enough, but he's fidgeting and shifting as he knocks on her door. He doesn't like being out here in the hallway, his fur slowly puffing up further and further as he waits for her to answer, his teeth grinding almost violently in his head. It's too open, it's too far way from the others, this was a bad idea. It doesn't smell like home and safety in the hallway. Small vocalizations that start off as small mmm's in his throat eventually raise to a croaky:]

Mom? [Followed by another knock, almost desperate. Let him in. Let him in let him in lethimin.]

[ibalsamina]

[At first, the urgency of that knocking only has her confused. She hadn't been expecting anyone today, had she? Surely she would have remembered...

His voice is hoarse, barely audible, but it manages to reach her as she nears the door, and then it's with a sudden urgency of her own that she answers. Her baby, come back, calling for her.]

Beat—? [The door opens for him; Lusamine stares in disbelief, hands reaching toward his face.] Beat... Oh, Beat, is it you?

And after the changes hit!

[soundsurfing]

[Sent in the mail Lusamine will receive an absolutely adorable frolicking squirrel pin and a note in Beat's familiar handwriting. Spelling proper, just for her.]

"Hey, Mom! Had Mana cook something up for me! If you ever want to see me, or if you ever need me for any reason but the distance is too far, keep this pin on you and think of me! It'll summon me!"

[ibalsamina]

[Absolutely adorable is exactly how Lusamine would describe it herself. It earns a smile even before she reads the explanation, and it's kept in hand as she does begin to read.

Unfortunately for Beat, the letter now prompts her to do just that: think of him with the pin clutched in hand.]

<pyro> Backdated to some time after Lusamine's network post

[toaflame]

[The message Lusamine receives to her laptop is simple, straight to the point, and also as infuriatingly vague as possible.]

found it

<Aether>

[ibalsamina]

[At last...! Lusamine's claws move with uncharacteristic clumsiness across her keyboard.]

Please bring it to me as soon as possible.

Apartment 702 of the 38-8 Living Complex

<Composing> forward dated to 7/25

[leggierissimo]

Hello, Lusamine.

I'd like to organize something for Beat. His birthday is coming up in a few days, and I thought that it might be good for him to receive a few messages from the people he enjoys being around and talking to, to let him know just how much he's appreciated. If there's any day to show him a bit of love, this is it, and I can assure you that it is very much needed, even if he won't admit it.

This isn't an obligation to get him a gift, though I certainly won't stop you if you'd like to. But, sometimes, a message we can go back and reread when our minds are turning against us is a gift worth more than something you can hold in your hands.

His birthday is August 1st, and we'll be hosting a small get-together at the following location:

[When looked up the address is... an old church? Very odd. If investigated, though, the church seems to be undergoing renovations.]

You're welcome to come, if you like, and you're welcome to bring a plus-one. Let me know if you plan on coming, so I can make sure we have enough supplies.

<Aether>

[ibalsamina]

Hello, Joshua. Thank you so much for contacting me. All of this is such a wonderful idea, and I am sure it will make Beat very happy. I will also be in attendance at the get-together, if you will have me.

Shall I send my message for Beat directly to you here, then?

backdated to the 1st

[soundsurfing]

[Now that everyone's back and safe and mostly accounted for, Beat shows up at Lusamine's doorstep. He's a pooka again, his temp having worn off, and he's got one Rockruff dangling contently from his arms like an oversized plush doll.

He uses his foot to knock.]

Mom, you in?

[ibalsamina]

[Lusamine's voice calls from behind the door:]

One moment!

[And it is only a moment before she comes to greet him, fresh-faced and beaming. The wastes whisking him away had shaken her even more than his disappearance into the woods had months before, but each time he returns to her seems to soothe her and make it that much easier for her to disregard it all as nothing more than a bad dream.]

Hello, sweetheart—oh! [And now she's spotted the Rockruff, a perfect, heartening, adorable distraction. She gasps aloud in delight, feigning shock as she holds her hands out toward the Pokémon, cooing,] And who is this beautiful little darling?

The day after the deed (he needed a day to process and scream)

[soundsurfing]

mom

what happened in felfri was too much

i never ever wanted to feel like that about you

so i broke my keycard with elias

you asked me then if you were more important

and you are

you and my friends are way more important

i was too dumb and too far gone at the time to realize it but i do now

im so sorry

Lusamine like 'same'

[ibalsamina]

[It is a long while—a full day—before Lusamine deigns to reply. It isn't like her to delay, but for a time, she had planned on ignoring him, just as she ignored his other (more public, but just as pathetic) apology.

What exactly possesses her to change that plan in the end is beyond her. He doesn't deserve a single word from her, after all.]

What is it you want from me?

<KrisKringle>

[getmeoutofthedraft]

Ho ho ho! Your Secret Santa giftee is EDDIE MUNSON. Don't know much about him, but he seems like an O.K. kid. Goes by "banished" on the network.

Buy or make Eddie a gift by December 26, or Santa will come down your chimney and box your ears.

If you need more information, contact me C/O Hawkeye Pierce at Crowe Clinic, and I'll delegate him to tell you to do your own research.

<Aether>

[ibalsamina]

[What a... mysterious message.]

Oh dear. I hardly think boxing one's ears to be in the spirit of the season, especially when I was not aware of this "Secret Santa" practice at all. Are all residents of the peninsula involved?

Nattensfest

[waitingforplayer2]

[ Nanami has managed to find some small animal plushies, which she has had altered to look more like pokemon - a hedgehog that's been colored yellow to look like Pikachu, a turtle that's had a plushie flower sewn to its back to look like Bulbasaur, and a red lizard that's had wings attached to look like Charizard. All of them find their way to Lusamine's door with a note that says "Happy Nattensfest! From Nanami" ]

Nattenfest Secret Santa (December 26th)

[zoomingupthathill]

[ Lusamine receives a package on the 26th. That's when "Santa Claus" told her to get it there, after all, but she doesn't find Lusamine herself, instead dropping it off at the Lighthouse.

The package contains a collection of sweets, all bought from the Night Market. Chocolates with fruit or caramel or what have you. Along with that is a cute little wire creature, like an ornament. It could possibly be a faerie...but it's entirely possible it's meant to be an "angel," some Bavanite's attempt at creating what they saw a monster put on a tree some years ago—the point is, it's a cute little thing. It adds to the package.

There's no note aside from a simple Happy Nattenfest, your Secret Santa.

As tempted as Max was to throw some snarky aside in it, she restrains herself and leaves it at that. ]

action

[soundsurfing]

[When Lusamine answers the knock on her door, she won't immediately see who did it. But looking down will present her with... a body. The man is still alive, knocked out, and trussed up like a christmas ham. He's been cleaned and maybe even seasoned, if the parsley decorating his hair is any indication. There's also lovely little boxes of chocolates platformed up beside the man, and a note tucked neatly that says To Mom.

She might be able to recognize Beat's handwriting.

She might even be able to see two pairs of stupid eyes peeking around the corner from down the hall, as Beat and Junior peer... conspicuously to make sure she likes them. If he notices her noticing he will OH quickly and try to pull back to hide, but Junior will simply wave one big paw and break into a smile before being yanked back by Beat.]

[ibalsamina]

[Lusamine isn't sure what she is expecting to find at her door, but, even with the explanatory letter provided, she is utterly taken aback. Her gaze takes in the unconscious stranger before searching down the hall and landing on the pairs of eyes watching her from its end. One of her observers darts away too quick for her to get a good look, and the other... It's a Werewolf, she thinks at first, but that muzzle and those hackles are unmistakably...

She's barely able to begin puzzling over it before the latter observer disappears from view, too, leaving her alone with her unexpected gifts. Soon, her attention drifts back to the unconscious human.

In the wake of her recent, month-long sleep, she had found herself weak and ravenous; despite the suspicious nature of this entire situation, she isn't able to hold herself back long. Fortunately for the other residents of 38-8, her feeding is fittingly artful and discreet. She simply kneels beside the man, combs her fingers through his (for some reason) parsley-dusted hair, and wills his energy to flow into her, to become hers. With him out cold, it's over quickly and quietly, the deathly pallor to his skin the only indication that it's finished.

She looks once more at the letter affixed to the chocolate boxes. To Mom. The handwriting isn't Niina's.

The belated realization draws a shudder of revulsion from her—and then, unexpectedly, a flicker of hope. How long has it been? What makes him think he can return to her now? (And why would he, after all that's...?)

Before she can rethink, she hears herself call out hesitantly:]

Junior...? Is that you?

backdated to before arrivals, say september 1 Action

[northeworld]

[There's someone at Lusamine's door. The familiar scrawny looking robot is standing outside. In one hand is group of newspapers and the other is... a small package. Niina's screen shows a small smile as she holds out the package--with the tag 'To mom' out.]

...I got something for you.

[One of the headlines on the newspapers reads something about a prominent businessman found dead, with the date being before the whole backrooms business. It's probably nothing.]

[ibalsamina]

[When Lusamine answers, her expression bears as much relief as it does surprise.]

Niina! Goodness, hello. I wasn't expecting...

[It's been far too long since they last saw each other. The question of, Where have you been? is on the tip of her tongue, but Niina speaks before she can.]

Oh! That's very kind of you, sweetheart... [She accepts the package with a patient smile.] But—what is the occasion?

9/14.

[familyproblem]

[Gladion takes the bus into town.

...He tries to, anyways. But the chaos of the morning delays it, and Null insists, through pantomime, that it can carry him on his back. Which it can, as it turns out. Gladion is an unsteady rider, but Null is swift and confident.

Another discrepancy. Another piece of evidence. A million little things in Bavan are different, too, and the final straw is that Gladion arrives at his workplace and nobody seems to recognize him.

He walks a while, sits on the library steps, and thinks.

And then he goes to the 38-8 apartments.



If he's wrong, then it'll just be more of the same. If he's right—well, no, he shouldn't get ahead of himself. This is bound to go poorly. It's a wild impulse, and he shouldn't follow it without backup.

...

He knocks on the door, folds his wings and his arms behind his back, and prepares his words. Good morning, Mother. Then what? Be ready to leave if she looks at him like that again. And if not? Strange things are going on. I was worried. Just...to test the waters.

See the change to her memories has been for the better.]

[ibalsamina]

[It's late enough in the day that Lusamine has gathered that something is amiss, as it generally is around this time of the month, but still early enough that she hasn't fully determined what. Her own morning routine remains largely unchanged, but she overhears others voicing confusion, disorientation, and at times frustration. It pairs strangely with the most recent posts she glimpses on the network, when she checks in search of more context.

And now, as she's regrouping, there's a knock at her door, though she hasn't been expecting anyone. The figure on the other side is tall, painfully radiant, and familiar.]

Oh... Gladion?

[There's a short silence as her eyes and mind both adjust to the sight of him. That's right... Ingo and Emmet did tell her he'd transformed into something new. But it isn't just the wings, tail, and halo; he's so much taller now, with an older face to match, as if he'd aged several years since she last saw him (How long ago was that? Only a week or two, surely...). Something about it makes her heart twinge. Her reply comes out delayed and halting.]

Goodness, I—almost didn't recognize you... Good morning. [After that momentary lapse in decorum, she hastily grapples for more words, in the polite but slightly strained tone she has reserved for him.] Forgive me. Had I known you were coming, I might have...

[But she trails off there, studying Gladion's face as best she can. The way he's looking at her... It's different, isn't it, from the way the Gladion of this world looked at her? Or is she only imagining it?]

Near the start of the month

[i_am_emmet]

[Emmet was a coward, he knew there were things simply outside his scope and this was its own can of worms. It took visiting Akira for him to at least make it this far. A sympathy card with a few small gift certificates in it, so Lusamine could get some food for herself if she felt like eating, and a plate of poffins for her Bewear.]

[He set the plate and card in front of her apartment door and knocked, frozen in place for a few seconds before turning and walking away. She might catch him if she is quick enough.]

[ibalsamina]

[Lusamine is not been in the best of moods, but she is at least motivated by etiquette. When she brings herself to answer the knock at her door, she finds not Beat or Niina, as she was expecting, and rather the retreating shape of a Manticore.

His name finds its way off her tongue before she can think to stop it.]

... Mr. Emmet?

[Now rid of the Elder God form she had both adored and paradoxically feared, she is her usual Faerie self, with one addition: a webbing of scars on one side of her face—gold-filled cracks in her chitin, split open by the roots of the Maw.]