eachdraidh | 3rd Circuit, Video [UNSEELIE LOCKED]

[Loki and Hiro have taken a small room in Diasbaile, mostly barren save for the wooden cabinets that seem to blend into the background. Loki would have done this himself, but there was insistence on Hiro's part of aiding in the delivery of the very, very bad news. The focus is on the two of them, and Loki speaks first.]

Hello.

This is a message of the emergency broadcast system. As you can see, our sirens are down for the moment, but I assure you that the news is none less dire.

[Loki's voice drops to something uncharacteristically serious.]

Ah, yes. So—listen up, Unseelie.

[Hiro's sitting almost a little too close to Loki, face more ashen than anyone in their court has ever seen. It's a reality they have to face and while he'd been hoping Loki would find some more information in his research, they're running out of time.]

Some of you had a vision at the beginning of August. A dream about fire and machines with shards for eyes. I didn't have the vision myself, Loki did…but we can both confirm these are real. These things are being created now and they are coming. Monsters that run on shards and blood. But there are some things you guys don't know yet.

[When Hiro stops, Loki barely glances down before he picks up without missing a beat, as if he's giving him a moment to collect himself. Loki looks perturbed at the recollection of the golems, but not nearly as pale as Hiro.]

Our dear friends the dwarves have crafted mechanical monsters, forged from melted metal and living shards. These mecha-beasts are brought to live with blood magic and runes. Not your basic run-of-the-mill runes, not even my fancy-smancy "stay out of my room" runes, but hundreds of them in intricate designs—sorcery that's very possibly lost to antiquity—all working together to bring them to life.

And if that isn't nightmare material, these large, metal machinations have keen senses when it comes to shardbearers, even those that find means of hiding themselves, if you get my drift.

There are hundreds, even thousands of them, with no exaggeration.

[The longer they stay on camera, the more Hiro finds himself shrinking into his sweater. Loki delivering the brunt of the bad news helps, but dredging up the memories is more than mildly horrifying. There's one key factor though that they've neglected to mention.]

We don't know when they're coming, but judging by the amount of time between the last vision and its turnaround to coming true, it's soon. Really, really soon. We don't know when they're coming and we don't know the full extent of what they can do or why they're being unleashed.

[A pause.] Ideas. We need ideas on how we can combat these things and how to keep everybody safe. Start using your brains and focus on what's really important here.

[The important thing, he thinks, is that this war? It's much, much bigger now than just Seelie vs. Unseelie. It's now about just staying alive.]

I would suggest highly against approaching them… [Loki glances at Hiro.] …As I’m certain we’ll offend them somehow.

[Considering the fact that there are other things…he can agree with that.] …right. Defense ideas then. Lay 'em out. [A beat. And then:] Privately, if you would. Doesn't matter if they're coming for all of us…this is still a war.

[And he sure does know that there are certain devices generated by a certain witch that can see this broadcast. He had agreed that the Seelie should know what's coming. Doesn't mean they should be privy to everything else, too.]

Not exactly how I pictured life in a giant robot series, hm?

[Though that’s meant more for Hiro. They have some questions to answer, and Hiro needs a little bit of a perk up.]

[Hiro at least gives a small grin in response, but says nothing else. Definitely Q&A time.]

[ooc: As a note! Most threads will be answered by Hiro, but he may call on Loki for assistance. Additionally, Hiro is aware Hermione's compasses can see posts on both networks so those with compasses are capable of seeing this post. They just won't be able to see the threads in this post. Have fun guys o/]

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[He has zero problem with Alice texting, but he doesn't have the time or patience (or the composure) to really do a lot of texting. Short, quickfires yes, but the longer they talk to everyone and field questions and make plans, the more he's reminded that this is really, really bad. None of them need this. Native, shardbearer, it doesn't matter. None of them need the casualties that come with war and it bothers him how widespread everything is.]

We'll do what we can, Alice. There're a lot of people out there that're defenseless and we're trying to figure out the best plan to make sure everybody's safe. This is bigger than any of us have ever dealt with before.

[A beat.] What man? Do you know anybody else we could talk to that might have known him well enough to provide more ideas?

[ Whereas Alice doesn't feel like talking that much, at all, despite the necessity. Switching it to video means that she'll be exposed, but Alice is hardly in the position for that. She looks exhausted and looks as if she's been crying earlier before. More importantly, a brown haired, freckle-faced little girl seems to be comfortably sleeping against her chest. Alice is always with the children. ]

Perhaps. Lancelot is certainly not the most outgoing man, he keeps to himself. He was taught smithing by the dwarves and the things that he made were fused with enchantments by fairy lettering.

[ She winces as she talks about him, taking a moment to look away. He's the reason why she's been so upset. ]

Edited 2015-09-05 03:34 (UTC)

[Well, honestly she could have kept text and he'd just be talking at her, but that's totally fine. Instead he's fixated on what she's saying. This is pretty vital, especially since he's heard about this Lancelot thanks to a certain Master. He pauses, not sure if he should say anything about Alice's appearance but figuring it's not his business. Nobody's bothering to point out the fact he looks like a giant mess. It'd be rude to comment on it. He's trying to focus on what really matters here.]

I've heard of Lancelot. [He's leaving out that he's just recently heard of him...as of like five minutes ago.] What kind of things did he make? If we have an idea of what the dwarves were teaching shardbearers we might be able to come up with something.

[ It's a little difficult to text with Slania so comfortably wedged on her, so Alice decides to forget about it. Poor boy, she thinks, he does look terrible. Alice hasn't been doing well at all, but she doesn't want to burden others with that. When she speaks, it becomes clear why she's upset and why the topic pains her. ]

My love has made weapons, bracers, and objects like my ring to give the owner additional power. For an example, the ring he gave me increases my strength. The pair of bracers he had made for me... the left was made specifically to boost to strength and the right increases my strikes with my knife. "The Right Will Be Quicker than Wind', 'The Left Will Be the Guard of a Giant" is what is written on them in that fairy lettering.

[ Alice rests her head atop the sleeping girl taking a pause to swallow back grief. ]

Lancelot was raised by fairies -- I'm confident that the lettering on the things that he made were from his own world. Whatever the dwarves taught him, he did not really discuss with me. The one time I came to see him at the forge I was stopped by them and they offered to remove my... rock for me. He's a talented smith, so they taught him well.

[The facts seem to match up well enough. He knows that the only other Shardbearer to be invited to an apprenticeship with the dwarves was also used to a forge and was considered to be talented. He almost thinks to ask Alice if he can examine Lancelot's work before realizing that it really makes no difference in the grand scheme of things.]

The dwarves aren't exactly interested in shardbearer business so that doesn't surprise me at all. And he worked with them for how long?

That, I am not entirely certain of.

[ She takes a breath, trying to remember. Around that time, Alice had visited him. She hates it, she wishes he was here to offer advice or aid. Having the little girl sleeping on her at least forces her to be talkative and not to cry. ]

It was shortly before Samhain when I came to see him at the dwarven forge, before things became complicated for some of us in the Unseelie court with Reynard.

[ Seeking out the Black Shuck to remove the curse he put on the both of them, before being kidnapped by Reynard... She doesn't say her memory starts to become broken from the trauma of that. ]

I would venture to guess for several weeks, if not a month or so, given his skillsets.

Edited 2015-09-07 18:00 (UTC)

[He's recently heard about the trials and tribulations that came with Reynard thanks to Grell, and he knows something terrible happened to Alice and that none of them are really quite sure. He doesn't bring it up though. That's definitely not his place.

According to her timeline though that was the Samhain before last, before he was brought to this world. He's trying to remember when Leo started.]

I know a shardbearer that's been working under them for about a year, I think. Maybe more, maybe less. Makes me wonder why they chose the timeframes they did...unless Lancelot left the forge willingly after that amount of time?

Mm.

[ She never really pried or asked him about the smithing all that much or his help with the fairies. She wished she could have came with him, but oftentimes, their goals were different and it left the both of them separated, when he went away. Alice lets out another sigh and the little girl fidgets in her arms before returning back to huddling herself against Alice. ]

If he did, I am not sure; there are times that he leaves-

[ She looks absolutely miserable when she continues. ]

But, I never ask, I don't like to pry. Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't. I apologize that I am not able to give you more definite answers of how long he has worked underneath them, Hiro.

[One thing is clear here. This is a difficult thing to talk about for her and even he's not enough of a jerk to keep pressing her for answers. Not when they got enough of what they need. So he lifts the corner of his mouth into a short smile.]

It's okay, Alice. You gave us more to work with than what we started and that's what counts. ["You did your best."] We can go from here and maybe find out from other people in the court who might know.

...maybe get some rest in the meantime? You look kinda beat.

I would say the same to you, Hiro.

[ The motherly streak in her comes out and having Slania sleeping in her arms doesn't help. As upset as she is with his departure, Alice finds some solace being nurturing as she is. ]

But this? Children are exhausting one way or the other.

[ and after all is said and done. ]

I've a few wards I can offer.

Do you?

[ She looks slightly relieved. ]

If you have anything to spare, by all means.

3rd Circuit, Video [UNSEELIE LOCKED]

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