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[socialactivillain]

[ Video switches on to show a man with a ginger ponytail in a hideous green v-neck frowning deeply and looking incredibly disappointed and/or frustrated, sitting on a park bench as dusk settles in.]

Okay, I've been here for less than a day, so would someone mind explaining to me how it is that the United States government can allocate all these funds to keep us imPorts in nicely furnished, comfortable homes in several cities, and expect native businesses and companies to provide us with paid employment, yet its own citizens are still facing what seem like absurd rates of homelessness? Like I said, I only just arrived, but it didn't take me long to find people who have lost their jobs and homes to make way for the growing imPort population.

[ Someone spent his whole first day in Heropa in a park, befriending homeless people. Continuing on, he sighs heavily, as though this is personally wronging and inconveniencing him, not people he doesn't even know. ]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we're to blame for this. After all, it's not as though it's our fault some unstable technology yanked us from our worlds and lives. Of course this world's government would have to provide for us until we can return home. But every single one of us has the responsibility to give back.

So, what are you doing to help? I'll be taking donations to start up a charity for natives displaced by our presence, if you can't come up with anything on your own.

Comments

[airshow]

[ oh my god the 90s are back to suckerpunch him square in the adam's apple

Trickster needs a second here. It's not like he isn't used to weird crap and time travel and different versions of people he knows. That's all fine. But the specifics here are . . . well, hell, he really doesn't know how to feel right now. So when he finally turns on the comm, there's a wide, friendly everything-is-totally fine grin on his face. ]

You sure do work fast, Pipes.

[ He'll settle on amused. It's probably easiest. Anyway, he'd forgotten how hilarious that ponytail was. ]

[socialactivillain]

[ At least Piper seems genuinely happy to see him. That should soften the blow of the 90s suckerpunch, eh? ]

I had to sit through government employees explaining the evils of Communism to me for a half an hour this morning. I have a point to make.

voice;

[slightlyoffchilt]

[It's a socialist!]

I'm surprised you haven't thrown your name into the Ambassador Elections yet.

[He says, perhaps with a touch of a sneer.]

voice

[socialactivillain]

Like I said, I only just arrived. But I am thinking about it.

[ He can hear that sneer and it just leaves him itching for an argument. ]

[airshow]

Careful, he'll do it out of spite.

technically video. also id: barry allen, blah blah.

[tardily]

[ There is nothing about this that is okay and there is nothing on the screen because Barry refuses to be on camera when he sighs like an honest to god petulant little child.

The fuck is this bullshit. ]

[socialactivillain]

[ Well, that's interesting. And moderately concerning. ]

...Hello?

[earnedmystripes]

'Cause they wanna bribe-slash-pressure us into fighting for them in their stupid war?

[In case you uh, wanted an answer to that rhetorical question from a Very Salty Definitely-Not-A-Superhero-Or-Anything civilian.]

[socialactivillain]

It'd make them look a whole lot more worth fighting for if they could take care of their own citizens.

VOICE.

[mantlepieces]

[ Dear god, how is it that so many people are just naturally... like this. All proactive about politics and charity and social responsibility. How, and also why? ]

Was that supposed to be rhetorical, or do you actually think anyone owes you answers to that question?

[socialactivillain]

[ Some men just want to watch the Establishment burn. ]

What part of it sounded rhetorical? We have a responsibility to use our status here to help the people that our presence is hurting!

video

[burnseternal]

[Huh. Walker knows for a fact that Piper had been here before but, he supposes, he was simply ported out before making his amnesiac return.]

There are several pre-existing charities that may use your assistance in the meantime -- run by the very natives who may have been displaced by our presence. Perhaps they will not share your exact mission statement, but it is a good place to start.

[socialactivillain]

[ Finally, someone who's not fighting him on the responsibility to help! He's so pleased that he's barely even phased that it's a weird looking alien. ]

I was planning on donating anything I gathered to a pre-existing group. It just seemed like having one that's imPort-specific could draw more attention.

[ video ]

[dualismum]

it's a way to bribe us into helping them, at least it feels like it. But they've also convinced the natives we are all here to help them, so many agree to these governmental measures.

[ Sasaki shakes his head ] However, at the same time, the government didn't exactly want to bring us in, making us sort of like refugees. Or kidnapped people, depending on your point of view. We never asked to be literally taken from our homes, and if the government didn't pamper us, probably many imPorts would be angry.

OMG I'M SORRY I MISSED THIS TAG...

[socialactivillain]

While that may be true, there's no excuse for ignoring the needs of those who needed help before we ever even arrived here.

video;

[angelfire]

The Morningstar Foundation does that sort of work, but we haven't moved to a national level yet.

[ Mostly because he's much too lazy. ]

ImPorts don't seem to have any problem bringing in their own income. I'd suggest they bought out imPort housing and freed up some of those government funds, but I doubt they're for sale--and let's face it, the government would surely prefer that fresh faced arrivals are beholden to them absolutely.

[ Look, he's being positively civil. Politics. Ew. ]

[socialactivillain]

The Morningstar Foundation? I'm intrigued.

[ He sighs, though, exasperated. ]

Exactly. This world's government seems similar enough to my own that I can say with confidence that they likely don't care for anything but furthering their own agenda.

video.

[ghemnotgem]

I've thought that the provision of goods and services to registered imPorts was at odds with the current capitalist society of the United States. ( and the way she says it implies that she's of the opinion that everyone should have to work for success and fail if they can't, although there's a lack of conviction behind it. ) My boss complains about it all the time.

[socialactivillain]

It is pretty hypocritical of them, you're right.

[ He's not exactly fond of her tone. ]

Who's your boss?

Permavid;

[pyrogue]

[ Well that sure is Piper! Still with the ponytail, minus goatee? If there's anything Mick has learned in the hot five minutes since he's been here, though, it's that there's some Weird Time Travel Shit going on. Unless Piper learned how to grow a ponytail in two days. ]

Funny, I was just talking to someone earlier about doing some charity work.

[socialactivillain]

[ Well, from Piper's perspective, he just left Mick in Zhutan to get his monk on, so he's a little surprised to see him, too. ]

Volunteer firefighting?

[princeofrats]

Hey, it's you! Hi!

[socialactivillain]

[ He's visibly confused. ]

...Hi? Sorry, do I know you?

[video]

[medalsome]

[.... oh god, Joaquin had never considered that.]

Have we... seriously displaced people from their jobs and homes?

[socialactivillain]

Of course we have. All major cities have a homeless problem, but somehow we're more worthy of special treatment?

video;

[wizzardly]

What makes the levels 'absurd'?

[socialactivillain]

That they exist at all.

video;

[bassriff]

[Oh, she remembers this guy. Another time warp case, eh. Whatever. There's yet another Kitty Jones, apparently. She just starts counting on her fingers.]

Lessee.... arts and music for kids, social media campaigning, anti-war work, there's a benefit concert in the works... [really she's underselling it here.]

Y'know, if you're done gettin' all sanctimonious, Hartley.

[socialactivillain]

[ He has no idea what social media is, but everything else—particularly the music—gets an approving nod. That's enough good work that he'll even overlook being called sanctimonious just this once. ]

I wish everyone were even half as proactive as all that.

video

[foreshadower]

[ Oh lord. ]

Your first day and you're already setting up a charity? [ Don't mind the annoyed, stalky immortal. He's just cranky. ]

I think you're making us look bad.

[socialactivillain]

[ Piper's more than a little surprised to see the Shade, of all people. He raises an eyebrow, though. ]

Shouldn't us refer to reformed rogues? I'm not sure how charity work makes that us look bad.

video

[rathercommon]

[ There's approval in her voice. ]

Excellent questions. All of 'em.

Anyway, if you want help with fundraising, I can help you. I've got a couple of businesses I've been using to drum up funds for the locals.

[socialactivillain]

Oh good, I was beginning to worry I was genuinely the first person to be concerned about this. I'm glad to hear otherwise.

Which businesses are those?

video;

[flowerette]

At one time I ran for ambassador of Nonah, and it was the thing I advocated the most -- bringing homeless shelters to the area and helping the poor.

[ Hartley even supported her in that! ]

Unfortunately, I lost the election. It seems as though pompous old men with ideals of furthering imPorts is a more important issue to most than the suffering of the native population.

[ Almost a year later and she's still bitter. ]

But I still volunteer during my free time.

[socialactivillain]

There are always pompous old men with ignorant ideals, aren't there? I'm sorry to hear that.

I've been told elections are coming around again, though. Are you planning to run a second time?

video;

[heliophilic]

Helping Hands, Open Hearts in Heropa could use the donation. The couple that runs it are good people, and your money actually goes to people who need it, rather than through some 501(c) loophole into their own pockets.

Though each of the porter cities got attacked this year, Heropa's been the hardest hit overall, as there wasn't only that but this whole anti-imPort group called the Hornets that turned the city to hell last year nonsense. A lot of people haven't fully recovered.

[socialactivillain]

[ Well hello there. ]

I think that's the first actual charity suggestion I've gotten, thanks. And good to know about Heropa, that's where I'm living. It seems like I'll be able to do the most good in my own backyard.