011 ✿ Video

[flowerette]

[ Raina, although appearing just as beautifully dolled up as ever, looks tired. Exhausted. No amount of concealer can stave off how restless her nights had been. ]

I realize no one has yet to announce their ambassadorial intentions, and perhaps it's too soon to do so on my end. Or maybe it will get swept up in the spirit of the holidays.

[ A frown. Bah humbug, on her end. ]

For those who may not know, I had been aiding Ambassador Baal during his final month in office. Since he ported out, I have been serving as De Chima's interim ambassador -- seeing his projects through to fruition and preparing things for the next ambassador to take his place. I will be running, of course. But I will more than happily aid whoever takes up the position in making sure things change hands as smoothly as possible.

In the meantime, I can take care of any concerns or questions you may have in regards to De Chima or my campaign. I won't bore you with a big long speech. The things I stand for will be covered in the debate, more than likely. But I do welcome questions here.

[ She idly fluffs a bouquet of flowers sitting on the stand next to her, studying them for one pensive moment before making eye contact with the screen. ]

For all these years I have been here -- four, this coming April -- I have seen so many people port in and out of this world. But does anyone have any theories what may cause someone to return to their world for good? It seems like when someone ports out, it's a fifty-fifty shot of them coming back or being gone completely. Yet somehow, I feel like we instinctively know when they're not returning, don't we? No matter how much we may hope otherwise, we just know. I wonder if it's intuition...or perhaps something scientific. I'm curious to hear your thoughts...

Comments

audio

[devoutish]

I've felt that. Yes. But I've also found myself surprised.

audio

[flowerette]

Surprised because you expected them to return? Or surprised they ported out in general?

audio

[devoutish]

Surprised, because I felt that they were gone for good, and then they weren't.

video;

[crassidy]

Ey, y'gonna be on that TV debate thingy? I'd sure as hell vote for yeh, that's for sure.

video;

[flowerette]

That's awful sweet of you, Cassidy. That makes at least two votes!

video;

[crassidy]

Christ, you deserve it, bein' here as long as you have. You ever been back, like between all them years?

voice

[queenofseers]

I hope Baal didn't leave you any Pantheon-based work?

[ After all, Cassandra suspects that would have been left to her- but it's worth checking on. She feels like she's heard Raina's name around, but she's never met the woman. And she didn't know she was working with Baal, for that matter. ]

Or anything else he didn't bother to explain. He wasn't always the most forthright about some things.

voice

[flowerette]

Oh, god no. I wouldn't be comfortable taking it on anyway. It's only ambassadorial work. Funding and following up on projects he had started -- making sure they have good groundwork to continue, no matter who becomes ambassador. That sort of thing.

voice

[queenofseers]

Ah. [ There's a dryness to her tone. She was never close to Baal, or even got along with him half the time...but thinking of him gone reminds her that everyone from her world is gone. Besides Woden. Of course ]

Hopefully he put funds into something worthwhile. But- look, if you find anything confusing, I might be able to explain it. It's better than putting up with the other quote-unquote god around here.

[grandtheftequine]

Well, won't this be interesting.

[flowerette]

Does that mean I have your support, Ambassador?

[ Or are you going to make this complicated? ]

[grandtheftequine]

Of course. I have every faith that you'd do a killer job.

[ He might make it complicated anyway. ]

video;

[ghoulking]

You know you have my support, miss Raina. [ he won't comment on the second part of the post because it hits too close to home and kaneki Avoids His Issues ]

video;

[flowerette]

Thank you, Kaneki! Knowing you're on my side does fill me with confidence. Maybe third time really is a charm.

video;

[ghoulking]

I'd hope so. I think you'd be a great choice for the office, honestly.

private

[exceptionalthief]

Nice start.

private

[flowerette]

Thank you, Hans. It's surprised me not to see too many people stepping forward to announce their intentions. But I wonder if they're simply saving it for the debate.

Difficult to gauge who the competition will be, though.

private

[exceptionalthief]

The holidays tend to keep people busy, even in this disjointed place.

Hopefully we'll be spared any more adorable pets.

video »

[eloquentness]

The only question I have is when we can sit down for an exclusive interview. [ Iris grins, tapping her pencil against the desk, ] As for your second question, I don't know. It could be intuition?

Some things you can't fully explain, and that seems like one of them.

video »

[flowerette]

My schedule is largely free these days, so any time would work for me.

[ Her smile fades to something more pensive. ]

I've wondered if it's more. If it's related to the nanites and perhaps through those, we're all connected on some level. And when someone ports out permanently, we can feel that connection severed for good. But I don't even know how one could go about proving that theory to be true.

video »

[eloquentness]

In that case, what about any evening this week? I get off around 5-5:30, so we can make a dinner date out of it.

[ she hums thoughtfully, ] And maybe talk about using my lab to confirm that theory. We did just build a research center at the clinic. Might be worth looking into.

[ video ] »

[divaricate]

First off, you officially have my vote. Secondly, I use a meter of 'if I don't see them return in about three or four months, I assume they're gone for good', so I guess I'm basing that more on intuition. The science here -- at least native, government science -- seems to be kinda bullshit in its logic sometimes.

[ video ] »

[flowerette]

Thank you, Wanda. I really appreciate your support! And if I win, maybe we should look into working together on a few projects since our views on matters do align quite a bit.

[ A pause before she smiles. ]

Well, I would say a woman's intuition is stronger than any scientific evidence anyway. Especially when it comes from a psychic.

video

[psychophilia]

[ Sorry, Raina. She wasn't listening at all. Just staring. And now replying, in her heavy Texan accent. ]

You're fucking kidding me.

video

[flowerette]

[ Geesh. The accent is nearly enough to make Raina cringe. Cassidy hadn't told her his friend had arrived, but he had once mistaken Raina for her. So it's easy to figure out what's going on. ]

You must be Tulip.