[ By Monday morning, Lacus has somewhat acclimated to the island - both figuratively and literally. She's stored her robes in the cabana and is wearing weather appropriate clothes now. Seated at the beach, she decides to try her luck with one of their overseers. ]
Would it be possible to connect through a voice channel or do you prefer text?
[The response is prompt, as it appears her correspondent is awake earlier. Did she arrange it like this because she thought the chuu2 would wake up later.]
No preference. I'll accommodate our guests on this.
There isn’t, but the small courtesies are what show you’ve been raised right.
[Somehow, despite the voice medium still being rather low-quality (though better than palm tree quality, at least) and still entirely synthetic, it conveys the sense of a raised eyebrow.]
[ Though she's not sure that this ominous speaker system Q&A really counts as being polite either. In the background, Haro can be heard going You too!, but Lacus ignores him. ]
I'm Lacus Clyne. I'm glad to be speaking to you, Mr. Ho-Oh. I was hoping that we could have a calmer chat, now that the big meeting is out of the way.
Thank you, Ms. Clyne. I'll apologize on my end; maybe I'll have the opportunity to introduce myself properly at a later date.
[So she (and Haro) will just have to bear with pseudonyms and electronic Q&As until who-knows-when. At least it's a battle of politeness more than anything.]
I was hoping some of you would have a good head on your shoulders and look for a better dialogue. Town halls like that don't really leave room for the finer details.
Everyone was understandably upset about your announcement.
[ So, yeah, not a lot of good discussion to be had there. ]
But something specific you've said stuck with me... you mentioned finding out by trial and error that the resort feeds off our lives, right? How did that occur? Were there others with you who perished in the attempt?
Thought I'd ease them into it, but they seem not to like "beating around the bush". Maybe there wasn't a better way to make that announcement.
[There's something dry about it.]
And yes. This approach is modeled from our own experiences: we arrived here in the same confusing way you all did, and were forced to learn as quickly as possible what the island and its inhabitants wanted. First, that superhuman presence and energy stabilizes the island; second, that the more of a superhuman's essence is given to the island, the better and longer the stability lasts.
This information, as you guessed, was paid for in blood.
[ So their current administrators are the last ones left standing from whatever previous group arrived here. If 'trial and error' was involved, Lacus has to wonder just how many others lost their lives in the attempt.
But that's a question for later, when something else is catching her attention here. ]
Did you say inhabitants? As far as I can see, it's just us and the birds here.
Perhaps I should have said former inhabitants. When we arrived, there was no one in charge of administering the resort -- or rather, what was left of it.
It seems that those here lost control of the balance at some point, perhaps by dipping below the population needed to keep things going, and things spiraled due to the harsh requirements. This island must have been bigger at some point, with more amenities.
So you see why we decided to bring you all in, rather than take chances.
Alright. A society of superhumans plagued by not being able to repopulate at the speed needed to sustain their 'island'-like society? That... sure is familiar.
Lacus would like to go and stare at a wall for a little. ]
Do you think you were brought in by the last of the inhabitants before they perished? Or did the island itself call the first group that simply found itself on the beach?
I couldn't say. Those that were left didn't seem to have a very good understanding of the darker side of place or what happened to bring people in -- they'd only experienced what happened, instead of being the instigators.
Which, as you can imagine, was both unhelpful and made them more hostile to anyone coming in.
[Ho-oh really sounds more put-upon by the memory than anything; but then that's the extent of the emotion they'd really shown in the town hall, too. Maybe they're just good under pressure. Maybe it's electronics.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Monday Morning
Would it be possible to connect through a voice channel or do you prefer text?
no subject
No preference. I'll accommodate our guests on this.
no subject
With permission basically granted, Lacus is going to hit call and switch over to voice. ]
Good morning. I suppose there's no need for me to introduce myself?
no subject
[Somehow, despite the voice medium still being rather low-quality (though better than palm tree quality, at least) and still entirely synthetic, it conveys the sense of a raised eyebrow.]
no subject
[ Though she's not sure that this ominous speaker system Q&A really counts as being polite either. In the background, Haro can be heard going You too!, but Lacus ignores him. ]
I'm Lacus Clyne. I'm glad to be speaking to you, Mr. Ho-Oh. I was hoping that we could have a calmer chat, now that the big meeting is out of the way.
no subject
[So she (and Haro) will just have to bear with pseudonyms and electronic Q&As until who-knows-when. At least it's a battle of politeness more than anything.]
I was hoping some of you would have a good head on your shoulders and look for a better dialogue. Town halls like that don't really leave room for the finer details.
no subject
[ So, yeah, not a lot of good discussion to be had there. ]
But something specific you've said stuck with me... you mentioned finding out by trial and error that the resort feeds off our lives, right? How did that occur? Were there others with you who perished in the attempt?
no subject
[There's something dry about it.]
And yes. This approach is modeled from our own experiences: we arrived here in the same confusing way you all did, and were forced to learn as quickly as possible what the island and its inhabitants wanted. First, that superhuman presence and energy stabilizes the island; second, that the more of a superhuman's essence is given to the island, the better and longer the stability lasts.
This information, as you guessed, was paid for in blood.
no subject
But that's a question for later, when something else is catching her attention here. ]
Did you say inhabitants? As far as I can see, it's just us and the birds here.
no subject
It seems that those here lost control of the balance at some point, perhaps by dipping below the population needed to keep things going, and things spiraled due to the harsh requirements. This island must have been bigger at some point, with more amenities.
So you see why we decided to bring you all in, rather than take chances.
no subject
Alright. A society of superhumans plagued by not being able to repopulate at the speed needed to sustain their 'island'-like society? That... sure is familiar.
Lacus would like to go and stare at a wall for a little. ]
Do you think you were brought in by the last of the inhabitants before they perished? Or did the island itself call the first group that simply found itself on the beach?
no subject
Which, as you can imagine, was both unhelpful and made them more hostile to anyone coming in.
[Ho-oh really sounds more put-upon by the memory than anything; but then that's the extent of the emotion they'd really shown in the town hall, too. Maybe they're just good under pressure. Maybe it's electronics.]