two, two, two posts in one; 4/6

[wearingguess]

[ hey, it's a prismagram post from 1stQadrMargaFan! you know, that one c-plus/b-minus-list influencer who's always posting magic tutorials, fashion selfies, food pics, and random animal encounters. (well, not so much recently, but... yeah.) ]

Hello, First Qadr!!
Thank you all so much for your comments and messages over the past couple of weeks. I can't believe I went three entire days without responding to anything! 😳 But I always read everything you send me, and I will try to answer you all as soon as I can. 🧡🧡🧡

But now I must make an important announcement!
✨ Starting today, this account will be going on indefinite hiatus ✨
I will keep comments open, but I won't be posting any more pictures or videos. This is just a personal issue and there's no need for anyone to worry! 🦋😸🍇
I want to say thank you again. Your support over the past several months has meant more than I can possibly express!! You're all breathtaking, with and without your Moonheld and Moonblessed traits! Let's all keep doing the very best we can to look out for one another! 👋🥰

[ a few minutes later, there's another post, from another account: laurea. this one's video. long antennae and parts of the colorful underside of a pair of butterfly wings are visible on the subject (who doesn't appear particularly jazzed about them). ]

Hello.
Ah... this message is primarily for my fellow Moonblessed. For those who don't know me, I am Titus Alexius.
I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately, and... I think that we ought to, if possible... that is, to the extent that it is possible...

[ deep breath! ]

I think we should stop moonlacing.

[ and now the hurried qualifiers. ]

We need to do a little, of course, to survive. Obviously we should all feel free to do that amount. But beyond that minimum, we should most likely refrain.

[ he hunches his shoulders and looks down!! ]

This will certainly be a great sacrifice... and terribly difficult, especially during the moon cycles... and no doubt quite unpleasant in many ways as well. For some of us more than others. But while the effects of chroma generation initially seemed exclusively beneficial, with the very worst of them still being harmless, it is now more than clear that there are others that are neither predictable nor safe.

[ now he shuts his eyes. ]
...All of Port Sylvel paid the price for that. And many perished in the subsequent battle as well. We cannot bring them back, but we owe it to them not to let it happen again.

[ another deep breath. then he opens his eyes and looks back into the camera. ]

At least that is what I think.
I would like to know what all of you think.


[ there's a slightly awkward pause!! ]

...On that note, I am also looking for work.
I am willing to do anything, though... physically demanding work is probably best avoided, unless you don't mind its being accomplished poorly and only after a likely unreasonable length of time.
Nothing that requires moonlacing, either, though I suppose that much is obvious.

...
And that is all. Thank you!

Comments

video; un: laurea

[wearingguess]

No reasonable person would hire me to do physical work, but I am willing to do it.

perma-audio

[force_a_change]

Ah, but willing and able are two different things.

[wearingguess]

Which is why I claimed only to be willing.

[force_a_change]

It still strikes me as odd, when there are simpler ways to make money then attempting something you're bad at.

[wearingguess]

What is odd about mentioning my limitations upfront? Now anyone who might be willing to employ me knows that I am bad at that, so they will probably not ask me to do it, and I will in turn be more likely to make money in one of those simpler ways you mention.

[force_a_change]

Nothing odd about it, just I think it's silly to cut off the easiest method to earn money because of something beyond any of our control.

[She means moonlacing.]

[wearingguess]

Ah.
Well, I did make all my money that way, for nearly all of the past year.

Was it really beyond our control?

[force_a_change]

If it wasn't, then I am sure we would have had more signs of what was to come.

[wearingguess]

What sort of signs would you have expected? Something like Majestas appearing within the amphitheater months ago, uttering cryptic threats and causing havoc before escaping? Or like medical evacuees beginning to arrive from Port Sylvel with a strange crystallizing disease... or like the crystalline monsters that appeared within the hospital?

[force_a_change]

... You do realize that all of those were most likely before I got here. Although I do have to say that if the native folks don't seem to take such things as a good warning then perhaps they deserve it?

[wearingguess]

You said so confidently that you were sure we would have had more signs. I could only assume you were already well aware of everything that happened.

But in any case, if you truly believe that, then we probably have nothing else to say to one another, do we?

[force_a_change]

Perhaps.

Although I think your idea for a solution is just going to backfire as much as the problems you claim moonlacing has caused.

[wearingguess]

So confident, once again. I am impressed that you managed to become such an expert on this topic in so short a time; do please share your insight.

[force_a_change]

Now why should I waste my time on someone who doesn't want to listen? And really, I'm simply going by the fact that it appears that you're in the minority in regards to the whole situation.

[She just sounds annoyed, now.]

[wearingguess]

[ she's not alone in that! he's not really in the mood to beg a person who implied majestas's victims deserved to die for her unique take on the situation, especially since it kind of seems like she just wants to tell him that no one else is going to do this (which he's figured out on his own by now). ]

I see. As you are no doubt aware, part of the reason I made this post was to collect the perspectives and ideas of others in the hope that we might find a better solution. If at some point you realize that you do have such a perspective or idea, I will be glad to listen. Otherwise, thank you for your time.

[force_a_change]

Funnily enough, I wasn't aware, since your posting didn't seem to imply you felt like listening.

But you're welcome, I guess.