Entry #A-1: "A" [Video/Action] [Shepherd's Haven]

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus checks in looking thoroughly displeased. He's standing in the largest building in Shepherd's Haven, most commonly used for forums and meetings. Today, he's surrounded by fabulous, artistic and delectable patries and sweets. Some are on the tables, set out as if for a banquet, but others are on the floor or in odd, unexected places, like on chairs and sticking to the walls.]

It's the one-year anniversary of our move to Shepherd's Haven. I was going to tell you that in spite of the slime, you're all still welcome to come celebrate and eat some of the food prepared for the occasion in the town hall. You know, in a valiant effort to maintain some semblance of community and normalcy, and to reject sensationalist panic and obsession.

[A green blob drops onto his shoulder. He brushes it off with clear distaste, but from the time he touches it to the time it lands on the floor, it transforms into a platter of cream puffs that land with a resounding clatter.]

...disregard that. If you do decide to come, don't eat anything until you confirm with me that it isn't slime. Right now, that's everything over here.

[He turns the feed over so it's in view of a far less enticing display of healthier and plainer options. Much of it was probably canned or frozen previously.]

Comments

audio

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Sorry, but I think I'm going to have to pass. I appreciate it, but I've had an inordinately long day.

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[numberedshepherd]

It wouldn't be an invitation if it was mandatory to attend. I'm sorry your day's been long and for what it's worth, I hope it gets better.

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[jasminebloominginshadow]

Blame the giant balls of goo.

I hope the celebration goes alright, though. Good luck.

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[numberedshepherd]

Thank you for your kind wishes.

You aren't injured, are you?

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[jasminebloominginshadow]

Maybe sore and waterlogged, but no, not injured. You know how hard it is to hurt me.

[action]

[peacefulwinter]

You could have asked me to make something, you know. For today, of all days. [She's not outstanding, but Winter could easily have prepared small things for this. It's important, after all.]

The, ah. The slime is kind of weird with this, though. That seems dangerous. [Stepping daintily around fallen pseudo-snacks, she works her way closer to Lazarus, smiling faintly.] Everything all right? No terrible surprises?

[action]

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus ceases fuming long enough to turn toward Winter. It seems obvious in hindsight, but sometimes when it comes to matters of domesticity, Lazarus is not particularly realistic or clear-minded about his talents or lack thereof. This is especially true regarding cooking; despite messing up even the simplest dishes repeatedly, he seems to feel that every time will be different and better.]

No terrible surprises, not by our standards. Just the annoyance of getting shown up by slime. These look more appetizing than anything I've seen in my life and for all intents and purposes, they're not even edible. I guess my biggest priority now needs to be disposing of them before someone mistakenly takes a bite.

[He kneels to pick up the cream puffs, ignoring another glob that's fallen from the ceiling and landed beside him.]

This is happening all over the world, is it?

[peacefulwinter]

Mm, that's... going to need to be our priority. We'll want a separate trash bag for them, I think. [She starts to help with the snacks and desserts that are definitely not right, Raquel lifting single items that are more his own capacity.] Still, I'd rather have this than the alternate we'd started to get used to.

But, well. It is happening all over the world. The mission we went on this morning, here, in Gateway City, probably many other places beyond. In spots that don't have Numbered, it's likely just an annoyance. But in places that do... [A frown crosses her features. What are they going to do if there is a problem?]

[numberedshepherd]

Already on it, and they're labeled. If there's one thing I'm really good at, it's cleaning things up.

[He used to bathe with Lysol. He's not even joking right now.]

I'm worried that this will draw a lot of negative attention, even if the worst thing that happens is they turn into some cream puffs and trinkets. We're isolated out here, to the extent that we can afford to experiment, but not so much in the more populated areas.

Action

[solvethepuzzle]

[Barely off-camera, Nathan just blinks down at the slime-turned-creampuffs.]

This slime is rather concerning.

Action

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus is frustrated enough that if it was anyone else, he probably wouldn't be able to refrain from snapping something about stating the obvious and how it is supremely unhelpful. But it's Nathan, and he recognizes this as the young man's genuine attempt to relate and convey empathy.]

...yes, it is that. You aren't wrong.

[A deep breath, and he's already calmer. Several more and he can even offer a tense smile.]

Happy one-year. If you don't mind helping, maybe you wouldn't mind assisting me in getting rid of some of this. That's how it started, you know... I was trying to clean up the slime, but every bit of it I touch turns into some kind of fancy pastry.

Action

[solvethepuzzle]

[... Did he say something wrong? Perhaps he did. He'll allow Lazarus the moment to compose himself, won't ask if he'd somehow done something wrong. Nobody needs to deal with what is surely a ridiculous insecurity of his.]

I'll do what I can. I have . . . ventured to touch a few myself. [Sometime after Tony had done the same and proven the blobs are not going to attack them or whatever else.] Perhaps unsurprisingly, they have turned into toys.

Action

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus doesn't mind dealing with Nathan's insecurities. It's not like he hasn't allowed Nathan to see him in some dark, terrifying and illogical mindsets by now and he owes him that much for taking such good care of his responsibilities when he was falling to pieces.]

Sweets for L, toys for Near. I wonder if Mello had something that correlated to him that way... if all of them that came from that school did, for that matter.

[He kneels to start scooping up whipped cream and fruit toppings; clearly there's a part of him that regrets wasting all this just because it's made of mystery goo.]

Video;

[knights_king]

[He stared at the blob, gagging a little.]

Ugh, c'mon. How am I supposed to look at food, looking at those things?

Video;

[numberedshepherd]

It's not like I made the slime.

[Just... You know, turned it into pastries his Other probably had around constantly in huge amounts.]

Video;

[knights_king]

Just, y'know... label those or something. You don't want 'em getting mixed with your other stock, right?

Video;

[numberedshepherd]

[A heavy, petulant sigh and an eyeroll are the immediate answer before Lazarus pieces together a more mature response.]

I'm not taking any chances. It's all getting tossed... it seems a lot safer that way. It feels like a waste, even if I'm well aware of where they came from.

Action

[charcoalfeather]

[Rakka was already more then a little nervous around the gelatinous blobs, considering her first encounter with them. What were they? She had no idea.

Off to the side, she speaks up just as L finishes speaking to his video post.]

It's so... weird, seeing all of this slime around. [She brushes a little blob off the top of her shoe.] What if having all of this food out right now is dangerous?

Action

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus is frustrated and avoiding touching any more green blobs, since by this point he thinks he has a pretty good idea of what kind of outcome that'll have.]

You're right. I guess we should throw it away before someone mistakenly eats any.

[Which will be hard, considering it looks delicious.]

[charcoalfeather]

[Rakka hardly had the chance to avoid touching them to begin with. Like him, she was growing more concerned about what would happen if she touched it then the stains that came from tripping and falling onto one of the big ones.

Those were still a largely annoying problem though.]

Yeah... [She moves over to where some of the food was set up, poking at a plate. It all looked so yummy... No! It won't catch her like this!]

I-I mean. Maybe some of this is actually slime?

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus takes the opportunity to break a piece of poundcake in half, holding the pieces so that Rakka can see them.]

I haven't found any actual slime on or in anything I've touched. Whatever happens when Numbered touch them eliminates any trace. That being said, I still wouldn't actually eat any of this... but it's only because I know what it looked like before I touched it.

[Into the garbage bag goes the pieces of poundcake.]

What has happened when you've touched them? Anything similar or specific?

[Video]

[lovesickkiller]

[There is a prolonged gagging noise.]

Get rid of that stuff already, I almost ate it!!

[And yes she is using the network despite being all of two buildings away.]

[Video]

[numberedshepherd]

I'm getting rid of it, and I made this post to warn people.

I know where you are, you know. Are you that determined to get out of clean-up duty?

[Video]

[lovesickkiller]

Why should I have to clean up your mess? Just stop touching the slime so much!

[So, yes.]

[Video]

[numberedshepherd]

You don't have to, but many hands make light labor.