01 | video

[failedprotagonist]

[The feed opens on a man with disheveled hair, wearing a blue kimono. Kiritsugu has a little trouble figuring out the phone, at first. It turns on, showing his face for a moment as he frowns down at it. The first thing one might notice about him is that he seems very tired. His eyes are weary and sunken, and there's strain at the corners of his mouth. The transmission ends-- then begins again in another minute or two. Kiritsugu appears more composed, less drained, and there's a faint smile on his face, but the first words he's said have been cut off.]

--Kiritsugu Emiya.

Don't think I've ever read so many pamphlets in my life. This is an experience. [Not a great experience, but he's not dead, at least.] I hate to be a disappointment, but I'm not much of a hero, myself. [It's a loaded statement for him, and there's a trace of sarcasm in his voice, but he chuckles. This whole thing is a great joke, really. He's still not entirely sure it's not some hallucination or fever dream, but he'll go along with it for now. Regardless, he knows what's most important.]

They said people are brought here from all over. Does anyone know, is my son here--Shirou? [He pauses after that, thoughtfully, not sure if he wants to ask the other question on his mind. This is all difficult to believe, but if he's actually been transported to some other world and time, maybe it's possible... It's probably foolish to ask, and he should know better than to hope for such things, but he asks anyway.] Or my daughter, Ilya?

[He doesn't dwell on the subject, or allow himself to imagine what it would be like to see her again.]

I hear there's some apartments around here for us. [However, he's looked at the map, and there's no way he can get so far in his current state.] I've got a little problem, so I can't quite make it there. Can anyone out there give a guy a lift?

one.

[comicbookvillain]

[video.]

[considering that Adrian has just been pulled from a world in which most of new york was rubble to surprise! the City! and entirely new technology, he looks rather calm. maybe it's because he's actually taken the time to read everything over, learn how to use the technology and not just posted the first thing that came to mind upon arrival.

or maybe he's just a cool guy, your decision.]

If we are going to be stuck here for the time being together, then I might as well introduce myself. My name is Adrian Veidt, and I come from a version of New York City which appears to be about thirty years in the past of this one. I was the owner of a successful business enterprise, and I see no reason not to attempt to start that up again if I am to be here for any extended period of time. I know that my name carries no weight for anyone yet, but I would nevertheless be willing to extend an early opportunity to anyone would might wish to work together. Additionally, I must confess I will eventually need the aid of someone more acquainted with current technology than I am, at least for a certain period.

[There's a pause as if he is considering something further to ask about. spoilers: he is. and when he talks about there's this odd tone of almost condescension i can't imagine where that's coming from]

That said, I am very curious about the contents of this brochure and the success of the program. While the most recent posts on this network seem to be about the Fourth of July, I can't help but notice a number of distressing posts prior to those. For a city that is allegedly full of heroes, it seems that much was entirely out of hand. The ImPorts are not a recent development, are they?

001 • video

[coolcubed]

[ Prepare yourselves, heroes, for Abed Nadir's Introduction to Panfandom Kidnapping. Which is to say that from the moment the camera's rolling on him (from that special awkward "the phone is on a lanyard and still around my neck but I'm recording anyway" angle), he's all darting wide eyes, no particular emotional inflection barring a little excitement, and rapidfire speech. It's been an eventful day, more unpleasantly stressful than not. The fact that he's apparently been summoned to serve as a superhero, though, is at least interesting enough to help him take to the change with a minimum of meltdown. ]

Smartphone. Cool. Cool cool cool. Not very high-tech for superhero gadgetry, but there are probably some kind of budgetary limits behind this. I can work with it while I'm here. It's got a good camera.

Oh, and I'm looking for some people. That's more important. Troy Barnes, Annie Edison, Jeff Winger, Britta Perry, Shirley Bennett. Also Pierce Hawthorne? Troy or Jeff would be my first picks for a cross-dimensional kidnapping, but I should keep all the bases open. I can describe them more if that helps. Or you can ignore that if you haven't seen them since it doesn't make a difference to you. That's probably what I would do. [ He pauses there and tilts his head sharply to the right. ]

I'd point out that it's weird to expect any of them to show up when there are billions of people in the world, or that I've been in school for three years and I don't really know anybody else worth looking for, but those things usually lampshade themselves eventually. Right now it feels kind of like the Breakfast Club- you don't know who's gonna be in detention with you, you just know you have detention. Only it's detention with capes. [ Ah wait, he's got it. ] Breakfast Club detention principle laid over the unexpected otherworldly adventure of Wizard of Oz laid over the gritty surreal rabbit hole of the Matrix, but produced by comic book companies. Total genre switches like these are risky when the audience is already invested in the established universe, but I like the gamble.

[ Abed pauses just once more as if in thought, then seems to nod to himself. ] Yeah, I think that's it. I've already got some brochures about the city, so I'm just gonna find a store.

[ Hm. Sure. Good a place as any to end. ]

((woop, and a reminder that he has a permissions post for his fourth-walling if you like!))

V i d e o

[wind_dancer]

[Sofia is sitting her couch with a cup of coffee. She looks pensive. It’s been a strange experience, being on the opposite side of a mass exodus from the city. The network has been eerily quiet.]

This is the first time, I haven’t been sent to another world. I’m not complaining, I’m glad people are home safe. It has got me wondering though, has anyone been ported out to every new place?

001; voice

[hotbrains]

[the only sound over the microphone for the first few seconds of broadcast is strained panting, but it's not the slow wheezing of a creep's call late at night; it's the frantic breathing of someone whose chest is heaving with panic.]

It- it is now eleven thirtyeight p.m., and my name is Will Graham. And I-I am in... I have no idea where I am.

[there's something that could be a pained hiss, or it could just be an exclamation of frustration.]

This is just a hallucination. It can't be anything else. Probably just a... Shit. Either I'm in [a small, dry laugh] an alternate dimension, or I'm losing my goddam mind. More. Or- losing more of my mind, or... [he cuts himself off, still gasping for air.] Why is it so hot out?

[there's a few seconds more of confused fumbling as he dazedly tries to figure out the communicator, before the feed clicks off.]