kaisou | Video | UN: hathorne

Video | UN: hathorne

WHO: Teresa Hathorne and YOU!
WHERE: Libra Network
WHEN: February 1st, after the Zodiac announcement
WHAT: Hello, world. The Order has taken notice.
WARNINGS: Implied incestuous feelings towards her brother; implied emotional manipulation and abuse towards her brother; essentially a slave owner in a previous life and was very much fine with that actually; generally a very toxic person; do not interact if you are sensitive to these subjects as this is a core part of her character

[As Zodiac has already informed people at this point, there is a new person on the app. Although she looks prim and proper, there's a certain seriousness and severity to her expression. When people describe someone as being cold or an Ice Queen, you get the sudden sense that this is the kind of person they mean.]

Good day, residents of Kaisou. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to you all since I will be working alongside you for the foreseeable future.

[While her words are courteous and there is a hint of warmth to them, those more sensitive to tone can detect that there's no true warmth to be found.]

My name is Teresa Hathorne. I'm a Guardian with The Black Order. Our superiors have had some concerns over the situation with the Spirit Vein, and they have dispatched me to lend what aid I can in resolving this issue and to make a report on the finer details in collaboration with POKEGO. Specifically, because of how the city fell into the Spirit Realm, we believe that Zodiac does not have a firm handle on this issue and has gotten worse under their direction. This is why I'm here.

If you have any questions of me, you are free and encouraged to ask them. However, I respectfully request that no one gets in the way of my investigation. I'm not an easy person to work with and I wish to fully concentrate my energy into restoring order in Kaisou. Thank you.

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[Rose was not especially happy when the Black Order reached out to try to recruit her. She’s also in a tense mood as another one of her friends is in a coma.]

[So today, she is going to cause problems. On purpose.]

You’re correct that Zodiac is unable to handle the city, but that doesn’t mean we need the Order’s assistance.

We’re doing just fine managing ourselves, thank you.

[Teresa knows a troublemaker when she sees one and she's clearly unimpressed.]

I'm afraid such a decision is outside of your hands. You are one of the outworlders, aren't you?

[She doesn't even wait for an answer to the question before continuing on.]

We have no guarantees that you aren't exacerbating the instability of the Spirit Vein. Forgive us for not having any faith in your abilities to rectify this matter when you have been here for over a year and things have gotten significantly worse since then.

[Oh wow. He dislikes this greatly. The vibes here REEK. He's not been a fan of The Order since befriending Zhongli and this is not doing anything to make him feel any more easy. ]

Nope! Nooooo. No thanks, we don't want any.

Yes. I’d hope you know that, since your Order saw fit to stalk me and my friends. Or was my attitude not mentioned in the report?

[It absolutely wasn’t. Her language absolutely wasn’t.]

And we have no guarantee that you won’t make matters worse for us. You say that we solved the matter, but I’ll remind you who brought this city back from falling into the Spirit Realm. It certainly wasn’t you.

[ ....fantastic. This was a bad sign. He sighs heavily, feeling every bit of tension in the world seeping into his bones as he reads over her message.

Typical of the Order to do this. Give them an impossible mission then send in a dog when it wasn't done properly. ]

Good morning, Theresa-nim.
If they've seen fit to send you, things here really must be starting to worry them.
I admit, Zodiac seems ill equipped to do much of anything.
As my ... well known poor luck would have it, I was on signed-off leave at the time of the spirit realm falling into the city, but from what I was told, it wasn't Zodiac--the Company--who solved the issue, but those on the app.

Am I to guess that's why the Order has decided to get even more involved?

Edited 2024-01-28 01:10 (UTC)

[She would’ve flown under Edward’s radar had it not been for the bit about restoring order. Of all the red flags that Edward usually cheerfully ignores, it’s that one that gets his attention. Templar, he thinks—or at least as close to one as this place gets.]

Zodiac’s not handled shite since I first got here, but it’s fine, we can do that well enough on our own. [Piss off.]

[Dan Heng can't stop himself from responding to this. He might be taking care of his bedridden partner, but this Teresa... he knows her. He's never met her, but he knows of her from Theo. One of the very few people he has held a grudge towards that will carry on through every life that comes after his own. Dan Heng looks frostier than normal, but he's keeping his tone even.]

I had not expected to see you here, Guardian Hathorne. It's a pleasure to meet you.

["Pleasure."]

I'm Dr. Maple, an archivist and research biologist at POKEGO. I also worked as their guard during expeditions into dangerous Spirit Realms.

[The vibes will continue until forcibly removed.]

Such a decision is not yours to make.

Your attitude is of no concern to us.

[Teresa isn't even going to deign to respond to the stalking allegation.]

Perhaps you brought Kaisou back from the brink and bought them more time, but it never would have fallen in the first place if not for your presence. More of you have appeared and caused instability to this world as a direct result. The only question of importance is whether you are the cause or the symptom.

[If you thought her vibes were cold before, they'll seem like a warm summer breezed compared to how she turns when she realizes who is responding to her]

Maple. [She practically says his name like it's a curse]

The pleasure is not mutual. After all you've done, I'm surprised you have the nerve to show your face.

[At this point, Rose should probably back off. But she won’t.]

Cause? I can’t imagine any of us would cause anything. We were brought here against our will.

[And Rose really doesn’t want to be living in a world where she is even remotely responsible for what happened to her and Zulius in October.]

[Teresa is, only a little bit, starting to get under Rose’s skin.]

And even if that weren’t the case, I don’t like your attitude. [Rose you are the last person to talk.]

We can’t stop you from entering the city, but I wouldn’t expect anyone to help you.

You would be correct. As far as The Order is concerned, Zodiac seems to be relying on the good nature of civilians rather than their own people. Relying on the goodwill of volunteers can only last so long as that goodwill does, and from what I've observed that is growing in ever shorter supply. We are all losing faith in Zodiac.

[ there had been a bad taste in his mouth when he woke up this morning, something he immediately brushed off as the lingering loneliness he's been feeling since velvet left. he didn't consider it could have been because of something else entirely, he couldn't imagine there was something far worse waiting for him the moment he opened his phone.

he's eating (it's unnecessary for him even so...) when he comes across the post, spoon clattering into the bowl of cereal as he looks it over once, twice, three times. ]

[ he has to swallow down the wish to comment that the Order doesn't exactly step in to save people all the time either--'keep the act up', so to speak. He breathes out quietly, and nods silently. ]

I would assume it is more that they may be powerless to help. Some of the people in this city who aren't guardians have some fascinating powers, as I'm sure you know.
Those Warriors of Light that we were told to recruit being a good example.

...Asking us to recruit them went over like a lead balloon, though. It felt like a mission we were doomed to fail. As long as I've been with the Order, they've never given us a task that was completely out of our reach.

[Hey, it’s the FF protagonist that Ardyn did a whole thesis on! And he looks pretty annoyed with this whole vibe she’s giving off oh boy.]

Right, because the Black Order outside the city’s doing great with the whole lending aid thing.

[ teresa.

of all people why did it have to be her? it was bad enough that arydn was in the city but now her? are the gods spitting his breakfast again? ]

[ no, not gods.

things had been quiet for too long and the reaper's luck has reared it's ugly head.

great.

alight eizen, this isn't anything you haven't dealt with before. he's still got people here, people who won't just stand aside and let her do whatever the hell it is they sent her here to do. a deep breath: ]

Teresa.

[Unfortunately, Teresa is not the type to care about what other people think.]

This decision is no longer yours to make, outworlder. From what we've observed, you might even be the direct cause of Kaisou falling in the first place.

[Huh, another black order person. She certainly doesn't seem very friendly... but then again considering some of the other Order members, he can't be too surprised by that. He probably would've skipped the post altogether if it wasn't for the mention of POKEGO]

I wasn't aware POKEGO and the Black Order were planning a collaboration.

[So that's weird]

Regardless, welcome to Kaisou. I'm Olive, one of the members of POKEGO.

Captain, actually. Least you can do is call me by my title, if you’re gonna blame me and the rest of us isekais for something we didn’t ask for.

[Considering Edward usually doesn’t stand on ceremony, this might say something about just how loud the alarm bells are ringing.]

And we saved this city. Multiple times, in fact. Where were you lot then?

[Dan Heng's hackles are raised even more at the way she recognizes his name. He's not surprised. Theo has probably mentioned him.]

'All I've done?' I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, Guardian Hathorne. I'm unaware of any wrongdoing.

Whether it was your will or a god's, the end result is the same. Your presence puts us all in considerable risk.

[She doesn't comment on the attitude. Teresa blatantly doesn't think anything of Rose's opinion.]

Your help will not be required. As long as you do not stand between me and completing my mission. My introduction was merely a courtesy that I did not have to extend to any of you.

[It's her.

When he closes his eyes, he can remember Theo reaching out to him as he broke away. He can remember how Theo had been about to tell him what the plan was, to go back and save her, to prevent everything from happening. Mikleo knew. Mikleo also knew that wretched woman was beyond saving.

He feels like he's going to vomit.]

[There is nothing but frost in his tone, not even an attempt at a greeting.]

The Spirit Vein isn't your concern, Teresa.

You aren't welcome here.

Leave.

[Teresa knows this one. Not well, of course, but he's one of the few people from a shared, destroyed world. A world that no longer has Oscar—Theo in it.]

Reaper. I take it, then, that the Lord of Calamity is now back in Florida? I never thought I would see the day you two would be separated.

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