hugtopia | 01 – Video (backdated a little, to the start of the month)

[ Labrys' first attempt at a video uhhhh doesn't go great. In fact, it's hard to tell it's even a video of Labrys at all, because all that's really visible of her is her eye and part of her hair falling into her face. In fact, she doesn't seem to realize that she's recording right away. Then it abruptly cuts off.

A few minutes later, a second video pops up with a fairly embarrassed looking Labrys on camera. Going by the angle and the slight jitter of the frame, it looks like she's holding the communicator up as she paces through Havenwell so she can double dip on exploring and putting a message out to anyone who might see it. It's also more obvious from this angle that while her face might look human enough, her body looks a little more like the native residents of this world. Hm! ]

Oh – hey, looks like this is workin' now. Second time's the charm, I guess...

[ She gives the camera a nervous grin. This is definitely pretty different from the last two times a lunatic thought kidnapping her was a good idea and while she's not loving it, at least no one seems to be in immediate danger. ]

Uh... man, I don't even know where to start, really. Guess I should just go with my name, huh. I'm Labrys... and I guess this is me just makin' sure I'm the only one wrapped up in this. If any of you guys – Yu-kun and your pals or Mitsuru-san and them... heck, I'd take Sho-kun at this point... if any of you guys are here, hurry and drop me a line, yeah? We've gotta stick together. And if you ain't here... I guess I'm just talkin' to myself!

[ She laughs, but there's no real mirth to it and she quickly lapses into an uncomfortable silence. ]

For everybody else... I've got a question, kinda. Are any of you folks not... used to all this huggin' and touchin' stuff? [ She goes a little red, even as she says it. ] It's kinda new to me. I ain't really sure how I'm s'pposed to get used to it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ A hand goes up, as if to say stop right there. ]

No. Just because the gods decided to bring us here as their emergency battery supply doesn't mean anyone has to go along with it. Please don't feel obliged just because some people are all gung-ho.

[ A beat. ]

There'll definitely be circumstances that force you into it anyway, sooner or later. So don't volunteer unless you really feel like it.

W–well, yeah– I get that part, but they wouldn't bring us here if they didn't really need the help, yeah? I ain't gonna pretend it's not weird, but if they need folks bad enough to pull 'em in here, what else are we gonna do?

[ she is 100% not capable of not helping in a situation like this. rip, labrys. ]

[ Hold on as the picture jostles and sways a bit, she needs to sag a little, and lean her forehead into that previously raised hand. ]

You... aren't you still pretty new here? That's the idea behind all those questions, isn't it? There's really no rush to sympathize with your kidnappers.... You can take your time with it....

Huh? I ain't really rushin' to do anythin', I don't think? I just figure, if they coulda done this by themselves without bringin' all us over here, they woulda. Whoever's behind this, anyway. Don't get me wrong, I ain't sayin' it's right, but I kinda see where they're comin' from.

[ I apologize for how infuriatingly good-natured she is. ]

[ So she's one of those types. How exhausting. ]

Well, if that's how you look at it, I don't think you'll have much trouble making yourself get used to it. All you have to do is put up with a little inconvenience for a good cause, right? A good attitude is half the battle, or something.

I guess... I mean, if ya come up into somethin' and act like you're gonna hate it, then yeah, you're probably gonna hate it. But if you're at least a little bit willin' to give it a try, I figure ya can probably get used to anythin'.

[ Then she wrinkles her nose and amends that: ]

I mean... anythin' reasonable, anyway.

Well... I can't guess what you consider unreasonable, but it sounds like you'll be fine. Just keep looking at it like that, and you'll be used to it in no time.

Fingers crossed, I guess.

[ But now she's curious. ]

From the way you talk, I'm figurin' you've been here a while?

[ There's a resigned little hum of confirmation. ]

It's been... about half a year now, I guess? [ Hold on, counting on her fingers. ] Definitely half a year.

[ DEPRESSING. ]

Half a year?! But that's like, six whole months!

[ She's Not impressed. ]

Has there been anybody you know from home showin' up since then?

No... nobody has. I can't even be sure there's anyone else from my particular universe here, if I think about it.

[ But it's. Fine! It's okay!! It's better that way right!! She wouldn't wish this place on anyone she likes, and that's all that matters! ]

--Ah, but it's not unheard of for that to happen, if that's what you wanted to know.

But that's awful!

[ She sounds more distressed on Kyoko's behalf than anything else, for what it's worth. ]

I mean – I'm guessin' you've made new pals since you got here, but still! You're such a huge way away from home...

Um, no.... [ She still smiles, but it's getting increasingly strained. ] If I'm mad to be here, I definitely can't say it's bad that none of them have to deal with this. Don't worry about it.

Yeah, but at least if you guys were all together, it'd kinda take the sting off of havin' to deal with it. Right? Everythin' here'd be a whole lot easier so long as you had your pals helpin' you out with it.

[ She seriously thinks she's helping here... ]

[ She has to pause a moment, trying to keep the words that are about to come out from being too harsh, but her smile vanishes. ]

... No. I'm not saying it's wrong to want things to be that way, but--that's just not how I can look at it. If any of them were here, I probably--no, definitely, I'd feel even worse about it. Relying on them for that kind of thing would be....

[ There's another pause, and she lets out a small breath. ]

Well, but I don't have your particular problem.

[ Her eyebrows knit together with what's pretty transparent confusion. ]

But... they're your pals, right? It ain't wrong for you to rely on 'em, especially for somethin' like this while we're stuck here. I mean, if they're your friends, they'd get it, right? Relyin' on each other is just what you're supposed to do.

[ She says this so sincerely, it's kind of sickening. Apologies for the friendship speech and all. ]

[ Wow, those are some foreign concepts right there. It's not that Kyoko is some dramatic figure who's ~never relied on anyone all her life~ but to be able to say all that so naturally? ... Well, maybe she could, if she was talking about someone else. ]

I'm saying I won't wish for someone to be kidnapped and held prisoner just so I can rely on them. It's better for them to happily live out their lives without me.

[ A beat, and then she mutters to herself ]

Moko-san was always rejecting my hugs anyway....

01 – Video (backdated a little, to the start of the month)

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