TO EVERYONE

[princessvegas]

[ In her domain, Julie sits in a booth, bent over the table with a stack of paper and pen. She bites the tip of her tongue in concentration, then starts writing invitations. She intends to leave them all over the Horizon, fliers more than proper addressed invites.

Soon, all of the off-worlders are able to see writing in their vision. This writing appears to simply be written on any nearby surface: a tabletop, on the page of a book in place of the text, in a pool of water. It sparkles to summon attention to itself, just enough of a twinkle to earn a glance. ]



[ It's signed at the bottom, Julie Lawry.

Soon, other thoughts may begin appearing in your vision, sparkling until they catch your eye. Your own thoughts can be broadcast too. If you put in a little effort, you can even send them directly to a specific person, or a group.

And most of you are welcome to the party. ]

Comments

[fourarmedandangerous]

What is this sorcery? Why do you contact me?

[Such forms of communication are not unheard of in the Realms, but it has never been Goro's preferred method of long-distance magical communication, if he must use it at all. And...not like this, with the text appearing in the sands of a nearby dune in the desert surrounding Cadens. He doesn't like it.]

You waste power on something as trivial as...this?

[Can you mentally "write" a sneer? The distaste is palpable at least.]

[princessvegas]

[ If the derision is clear in his words, then exasperation is clear in Julie's. A written eye-roll, if you will. ]

I'm not wasting anything. I don't even have to think very hard. It's just happening, to everyone, apparently.

Everything is magic here. Get used to it.

[fourarmedandangerous]

Hrm. So this is a new development. One no one was expecting.

[Then the base's staff neglecting to warn him about these...intrusive messages can be overlooked, unamusing as they are. But there's something else he zones in on as interesting.]

And who exactly is, "everyone"?

[princessvegas]

Right. One person said it happened to them before, but this is the first time it's happened to all of us at once.

[ There's a beat and the sigh is almost audible through the sparkles. ]

You just got brought here from your own world, right? Well, you and whoever's with you aren't the first group to get snatched. There's a group who's been here longer than me, they were the first.

[fourarmedandangerous]

Three summonings, split between three nations...this promises to be a conflict the likes of which I have not experienced in many years.

[Almost like the Tournament, back when that contest between the Realms still mattered. In the desert, Goro can't help but smile wolfishly. There was a certain... exhilaration, that all the following battles and wars have not quite managed to replicate.]

Magnificent.

[princessvegas]

Uhhhhh

[ There's a pause. It seems "uh" was a complete thought. But another comes through quickly enough. ]

No one wants to fight with you, buddy. You should be fighting the people who brought us here. What they really want is for you to mess with this big magic... statue fucking thing, called the Singularity. And it's probably real bad idea to do that.

[fourarmedandangerous]

Tell me more about this Singularity.

[princessvegas]

It's just this big... thing. Like a slab of stone? [ The word is monolith, but she doesn't know that. ] It's this big fucking rock that's apparently magical, and the people here say it's connected to all worlds. And the natives can't get close to it or they explode or something. But they think something bad is going to happen to it, and we're supposed to save it, except they all want different stuff.

[ Goro, everyone is very sorry that Julie is the one explaining this to you. ]

[fourarmedandangerous]

To say that explanation was lacking would be an understatement, but I believe I understand. A monolith of great power that is connected to every Realm, approachable only by those not native to this Realm, that faces destruction only we can avert, and yet is coveted by every nation.

And yet you believe war is not coming?

[princessvegas]

Don't be fucking rude, I could have just told you to find out for yourself.

I'm sure there is. That doesn't we have to fight for them. They can all slaughter each other for all I care.

[fourarmedandangerous]

I suspect I will still have to.

Conflict will come whether you wish it, or not. They will not care if you choose not to fight.

And those who do not fight are those who will die.

[princessvegas]

Dude, I haven't even lived in this world for a full three months. You're lucky I could tell that much.

People die fighting too. I'd rather be on my own side than fighting on behalf of some assholes who think they own me because they grabbed me away from my own world.

[fourarmedandangerous]

Yes. Lucky.

[Still, he gives Julie some credit for her next statement; that is...certainly a sentiment Goro can understand and respect...a little.]

Then I hope for your sake you do not find yourself fighting alone when kombat is upon you. I respect those ideals, but few are capable of holding themselves to it when the gates are shattered and the enemy comes pouring in, screaming for blood and flesh. Not everyone's convictions are so strong in the face of certain death.

[princessvegas]

I'm not alone. And I survived worse than a war before. So they can bring it on, if that's what they want.