video; forward dated to christmas eve...evening

[countdone]

[This Christmas Eve, the underprivileged children of Heropa are getting presents delivered to them by Pied Piper the elf and Trickster the reindeer.(not pictured: obnoxious blinking Rudolph nose). Behind the two of them is a large bag of presents, hovering in midair, balanced on a floating shoe. Weird. But apparently there’s enough room in their schedule for for a little PSA, as well--Piper being the one giving it, of course.]

I know most people are bound to have Christmas plans by now, but I figured a last minute reminder wouldn’t hurt: if you aren’t doing anything tomorrow, your local soup kitchens and homeless shelters could without a doubt use the extra help. And I can’t think of any way to use your time that represents the spirit of Christmas better.

[James is helping by smacking Piper in the back of the head with his stuffed reindeer antlers. They squeak. How irritating.]

I can think of at least seven worse ways I’ve spent Christmas, I guess. Incarcerated. [Headbutt.] Hospitalized. [Headbutt.] Incarcerated again. [Headbutt.] Inside a giant ice cube. [Headbutt.] Breaking out of prison. Wait, those last two were the same Christmas.

Thank you for your input, James. [Piper seems anything but thankful.] Anyway, if anyone wants a list of places looking for help on short notice, let me know.

And if anyone needs me to cover their lawns or houses or their friends’ lawns or houses orrr their enemies’ lawns or houses in fake snow and glitter, let me know. That’s my Christmas good deed, so don’t say I never did anything for the good of humanity.

[Piper steadfastly ignores the continued antler headbutting.]

Anyway, I hope everyone has a good Christmas, and keeps those less fortunate than themselves in mind.

[James pauses, looking as if something of critical importance has suddenly dawned on him.] Hey, so do you think Rudolph is like a metaphor for the gay experience, or—

[And with that, the feed cuts off.]

JOINT POST / VIDEO

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Jacob and Raina are standing together in the video, facing the camera side-by-side. They're out in public, in a park in De Chima. Jacob speaks first.]

Hey, everyone. I just got Ported back in a few days ago. I'm still catching up. I'm not just posting to ask for updates, though. Raina and I- [He nods to her.] - have some things to say.

[ She glances over at Jacob and then smiles brightly, returning her attention to the camera. ]

It's in regards to the Unsettled ImPorts. This has been an underlying issue for quite some time, and I believe a lot of people here don't even understand the full scope of it. It's easy to be unaware when you're Registered. But life isn't as simple for those who have chosen not to swear allegiance to our government. I haven't experienced it first hand, but Jacob lived it up close and personal.

[ Raina looks to him with a fond expression, admiration for his bravery. She falls silent to allow him the chance to relay his experiences as an Unsettled ImPort. ]

I was Unsettled for more than a year before I finally Registered. It wasn't Hell, but it wasn't exactly easy either. You risk losing whatever job the government gave you, and you can say goodbye to health insurance too. That was all before they started searching us at state lines. And if you take on the bad guys without swearing loyalty, they'll call you a Vigilante and chase you down. That's what happened to me.

Which isn't fair in the least. Especially since by not registering, you're not overtly saying you're going to cause trouble. In many cases, the ones with real criminal intent will register with the government to use them as a means of protection. And in the meantime, the ones who wish to do good will be punished for it simply because they chose not to register for reasons entirely their own.

I think the best chance we have at change is educating -- not just the imPorts but the natives alike. And that's why we'd like to hear your opinions and experiences with this matter -- concerns, questions, and ideas you may have. If we speak out in public about this, our voices will be heard.

The government can tattoo us and track us, but they can't stop us from at least talking about things. You heard Raina- let's share some stories. It's not like the issues are just going to go away if we stay quiet.