prismatica | ( video, un: koriel )

[ it’s this guy again. although he seems considerably less sad than he did the last time he appeared on the network to talk about accidental sympathy with the oracles of the sinless, that may not be the best thing in the world once he begins speaking. he's also wearing small angel wings, visible in the view of the camera—they're definitely fake accessories, however, rather than being a moonblessing or even a more permanent effect of the bracelet. ]

…hello.

[ he's nervous? he's nervous, and his shoulders fidget slightly. he can't look at the camera. ]

There’s been a lot of people asking about churches. [ ah. ] …I am a member of one that recently opened. It is… a re-establishment of the Order I used to belong to in my world before.

[ it isn't a ringing endorsement, but it is the truth. ]

We don’t worship any god. It is an order that focuses on the internal self and what people are capable of. A man named the Archangel is our leader. If you’ve met him… um, anyway, please come by.

[ and included, information about the Order of Malkuth, located in a primo spot on level one. go ahead, join the cult. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I see. Community is important for any social species, that's true. [ She nods. ] What methods for self-improvement does your church advise? How does this community serve its members? Are there restrictions placed upon members when they join, or requirements demanded of them, such as time or money? What tenets do you ascribe to?

[ Allura's face and voice remain kind, though these are obviously some pretty direct questions. Oh, and now there's a tiny pink mouse climbing up and perching on her shoulder. She squeaks and begins to groom herself, and Allura smiles and pets her gently with one fingertip. ]

[ oh, the mouse is cute. dextera would so much rather ask about it than have her continue to inquire about the church’s foundational practices. he knows he can’t avoid it, though, so he tries to take her questions in the order they come. ]

Uh…

[ tries, being the operative word. ]

We ask members to wear the wings, and devote time to the community while doing it. That is the basic requirement. [ he really is a scholar of all this, even if he doesn’t appear to be. ] There is more I can say, but I don’t think it’s of interest to people outside the church.

But you are looking to recruit others, are you not? Is all of that information publicly available?

[ If he thinks one mouse is cute, wait until another joins her. This mouse is blue, and even smaller than the pink one. They nuzzle each other affectionately; this is obviously a mother and her baby. The mother begins to groom the smaller mouse, and the baby squeaks contently. It's an adorable scene. ]

[ yes, he would much rather talk about the mice. perhaps later, if this conversation continues as amicably as it has, he can inquire about what they are. ]

It… once was. In our world. I suppose I’m one of the only people who knows about it anymore.

Have you considered documenting it?

Documenting it?

[ no, he hasn’t considered it. he never thought about it, and his eyes widen slightly. ]

As in… a public text?

Indeed. That way, if anyone has questions about your beliefs you would easily be able to address them by offering a text as reference.

[ It seems logical to her, though she notes his surprise. She doesn’t point out that an organization with nothing to hide should have no qualms about making the full body of their religious texts publicly available.

As she’s talking, a third mouse joins the first two on her shoulder. This one is blue, His features more angular than the others. Just how many mice does she have? ]

[ she’s being surprisingly helpful, but maybe dextera was initially reading too much skepticism into her questions, and not enough genuine curiosity. when people treat him like this, he feels like perhaps this isn’t the worst thing he could be doing.

so he nods in agreement, but his curiosity finally gets the better of him. ]

What are those creatures?

[ Her ears perk a bit at his question, and she chuckles softly. Reaching off-camera, she picks up another one—rotund and a light yellow-green—for him to examine more closely. ]

They’re mice from my home planet, Altea. This one is Platt, and the ones on my shoulder here are Churchill, Plachu, and Chulatt. Oh, and I’m Allura. What is your name?

[ …they’re precious. unfortunately his first question, though one he keeps to himself, is what they might taste like. the line between friend and food is often thin. ]

My name is Dextera.

[ he adjusts his screen so he can get a better look at the mice. ]

I’ve never seen mice like that.

[ It's a good thing he doesn't mention his question, too, because that would be a surefire way to turn this conversation unpleasant in a heartbeat. Allura loves these mice, probably enough to become physically violent if something were to happen to them. Let's hope he never has to find that out.

For the moment she's all smiles, at least. ]

They were inside the cryostasis pod I was placed in for... quite a while, so we have something of a telepathic link. They're very special to me.

[ Platt, who is closest to the camera, yawns once and then leans in to snuffle at the screen. Please enjoy the view. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Dextera. Tell me, you're recruiting for your organization, but... are you happy?

[ Because he surely didn't seem too happy in his initial post, which is probably the reason she came sniffing around in the first place. ]

[ dextera has many other questions that don’t necessarily involve the mice, too. the mention of a cryostasis pod sounds like something the researcher angels would indulge in, and he wonders if he and allura have anything in common. he hopes not, since all that’s in him is tragedy.

her question posed to him, however, is an unexpected distraction. ]

I—?

[ … ]

I have no reason to be happy.

[ That answer catches her off-guard with its bluntness. No reason...?

Her face and voice remain gentle--possibly becoming even more so than before as new concern fills her. ]

Could you explain what you mean?

Ah…

[ dextera didn’t think anything of his answer until he saw allura’s response, and his shoulders hunch shyly—shameful, even if it was the only answer that he could really give. ]

…I simply don’t. [ he shakes his head. ] What makes people happy? I don’t really understand anymore.

[ While an organization's worthiness isn't necessarily derived from how happy it can make its members, for him to say such a thing... it tells her all she needs to know about his church. Isn't the point of a church to enrich its members? To improve the quality of their lives? Allura shakes her head. ]

I suppose what makes people happy is unique to the individual, but everyone has similar needs: food and shelter, but beyond that... To know that To have people you can rely on, and who can rely on you. To be loved and appreciated, and to give those things in return. To pursue the things that you feel passionately about. To know that... if you need help, all you have to do is ask for it.

[ dextera sees what she’s telling him, and her definition of happiness feels like something he once knew. when he was younger, and his world was no bigger than his brother and the room they shared, he was happy. too much has happened since then for him to wholly reclaim that feeling.

still, he nods slowly. ]

And do you have all those things?

( video, un: koriel )

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