[Locked to Luceti Residents]

[malnosso]

[In the afternoon, the enclosure receives a message from none other than Mr. Catherine himself. He hasn't been heard from by the village since his death last June. Remarkably not only does he sound chipper and full of life, but the old raspiness that identified him as an old man is gone. In fact, he sounds quite full of life, like a young man high on life.]

Goodness gracious, how long has it been? Nearly a year, I should think, since we truly ever talked. Not counting that nasty business where I died. Best forgotten, that.

Now then, I suppose you've been beside yourselves with concern about my whereabouts. Well fret not, I've been hard at work! I'm not quite the CEO of the Malnosso, but I have made remarkable progress. You all have been quite helpful to that as well. We are quite a team, the lot of us! Wit and might mixed together for a remarkable combination of change. I suspect we could do most anything if we worked together!

In any case, to business. As you might guess, you will be undergoing an experiment soon. No doubt your more experienced 'old feathers' have enlightened most of you on what to expect. I realize this is all terribly frustrating. The heart strings are quite the delicate things, but it is very important. I won't be involved in running the experiment, but I've been assured that this will provide some absolutely astounding data in the future of Shift research. Your participation, willing or not, it is greatly appreciated.

Ahh- what else? Oh yes. I suppose you wonder what I'm up to? Well, it's quite exciting. I'm at Sirry Crags! The mountains, oh yes. The skies are perfectly clear. Blue skies abound! Not a single cultist dots the skies. Indeed, they haven't been spotted here in months. Mark that one for a victory. After hundreds of years, this mountain range is finally free from those nasty cultists. Exciting, isn't it?

[Locked to Rem]

Oh ho, I hear it's nearly over. You must absolutely tell me how the experiment went!

[Locked to Molly]

Well well, my dear. I do hope you have some news for me. Please, please, do not spare the details. This channel is absolutely secure.

[Locked to The Great One]

A-ah, I hate to intrude upon your important work, Great One, but might I trouble you for a moment of your time? I sincerely promise you this won't be like last time.

Comments

NPC Threads

[malnosso]

[ locked ]

[justobserving]

Must I?

[This is the voice of an exasperated woman.]

[locked]

[ricecakes]

Rediscovered the Fountain of Youth, I see.

[locked]

[hatesherjob]

Of course.

[ With muted pride. ]

They've been t-t-telling me ab-bout that virus f-f-f-from Vaskoth. And i-i-i-information ab-bout the droids.

[locked to luceti residents]

[reminded]

What happened to drive the cultists away after so long a time, if I may ask?

[malnosso]

Much as I would lay it all on our fine soldiers with the MSF, I do believe that we have internal strife to blame. For the cultists, not us! Though we do have our own, aha.

[Written]

[eyesofstrength]

If you aren't quite the CEO, then who did replace the Count after his mysterious disappearance?

[Written]

[malnosso]

Well, that's quite the question. One might say it's filled. Or vacant. Company politics are quite tricky, you know.

[Voice]

[goldenglasses]

Do you know where children who are born and then taken from here are sent to when their parents return home? [Oh, he means hello there. Man on a mission and all that.]

[Voice]

[malnosso]

That I do! And goodness me, it is quite the nice place. I was there just last week. The trees, my dear Vash, are absolutely lovely. Certainly you have some nice trees in Luceti, but they are nothing at all like these trees. Astounding. Marvelous. The root structure! The branches! Oh, and the flowering buds. The flowering buds are incredible!

[locked to luceti residents]

[deathsdoctor]

[This experiment again. Not that it wasn't unexpected, but annoying all the same.]

It's certainly been awhile.

I trust you've been keeping safe since then? [Mild. Given the Rogues attempts to capture Bil last year, he can only wonder what's happened since.]

[locked to luceti residents]

[malnosso]

Ho ho, no one accomplishes anything by staying safe, my dear doctor. But I've been cautious!

[savedtheworld]

[Aang had been told about Bil during that whole crisis where the Malnosso had been threatening retaliation... and then he had gotten caught up in that moon draft. But from the time he refers to as well as any visible signs of blueness... Aang can figure out it's him.]

Hi. You're - you're Catherine, right?

[malnosso]

That's me, my boy! Hello!

[rashness]

Man I don't care if it does give good data, messing with peoples' hearts ain't right. [He's not sure if he should be shouting or not. When this guy says it, it actually sounds like there might be a purpose. So he ends up not shouting]

[malnosso]

I couldn't agree more.

[Written]

[not_a_troll]

To: Sir Not The CEO Of The Malnosso
From: L. Laufeyson


Please tell me what the purpose is of your experiments. They seem rather aimless and only connected to a certain need for grotesque entertainment. On the expense of others of course.

Of course I do not wish to antagonize you. Not at all. You are most welcome to come by and try my shaken milk made out of skittles.

[Written]

[malnosso]

Milk and skittles? Is that tasty?

Ah, but I suppose you don't know the thrust of Shifting, do you. Has no one explained it to you?

[Voice]

[unseenspy]

You're back. And...are you younger now?

[Voice]

[malnosso]

No, of course not. Once doesn't simply get younger! I'm older than we last met.

However, my body has gone back to a more familiar physical state. That much is true. But I'm every bit as old as I should be!

[castbytheglyph]

The hearts strings huh. [...] Hey! What if there's a guy out there whose heart and brain are totally flip-flopped and they remember stuff with their heart and pump blood around with their brain. Would the experiment effect their heart-brain or their brain-heart or what?

[malnosso]

Oh dear, I hadn't thought of that!

I'll be sure to submit that for review!

[Voice]

[most_unwanted]

Sounds like someone's finally gotten his beauty sleep. Are you actually as young as you sound, or did you get caught with some kind of shift effect?

[Voice]

[bil]

Ho ho, I'm not any younger than I was before. Not in mind. Certainly in body, yes! But it's no Shift.

[voice]

[chikaidestroyer]

Nearly a year indeed. I should thank you for the ... gift. If the intention was to give me something new to think about, it worked.

Congratulations on the clearing of Sirry Crags. I was not aware that it had been plagued by the cultists for so long.

[voice]

[bil]

Ho ho, think nothing of it. After all, you did request it so long ago. It seemed unfair we should have to keep it caged when you were in want of company.

But indeed yes, the mountains had been a dreadful place. Some parts worse than others. I do believe tourism will improve now that people will no longer fear for their lives, aha.

[Voice]

[rather_be_surfing]

...You actually announce the experiments?

[Well, holy fuck. Luceti has hit that special 'you're in Bizarro Land' feeling Derek had managed to shake after his arrival. Thanks, there, Bil--er-Catherine...]

[Voice]

[bil]

Not always! But sometimes I do feel it's prudent to give a fair amount of warning.