meet and greet

[cancrymods]

If you've been paying any attention to the screens around Invidia (and it's honestly harder NOT to pay attention to them than it is to actually do so) then you'll be familiar with Esme, the woman whose face graces every single screen. Some initial poking around has revealed that Esme is a sort of idol to the people of Invidia, whose enviously glamourous life has taken the city by storm but that's more or less all you've learned so far.

But it looks like you might have the opportunity to learn more sometime soon.

Just as the dark sky of Invidia gives way to what passes for daytime, all of the screens in Invidia light up with the same video – it's Esme, perched on what looks to be a fancy throne in the middle of a white void, nothing to distract from the glaringly insincere sincere smile on her face as she addresses the camera.

"Good morning, lovelies! ❤ I've been soooooo busy with work and filming lately, I haven't had even a single second to see any of you in person! And what's the point of all that hard work if I don't even get to see your smiling faces at the end of it? So today we're having a very special event! For this afternoon only, I'll be on the Starlight Stage on the roof of our mall, all ready to shake hands and sign things and see all of you lovelies face to face again! Make sure you hurry on down to see me, okay? Bye-bye-bye! ❤"

With a wave and a sickly sweet smile to the camera, Esme signs off.

Looks like you've been given an opportunity to do a little investigating...

Comments

[seasharp]

I prefer to think of it as bold!

[........there's a reason y'all are dead]

[discutio]

That is certainly a word one could use to describe this approach.

[twibeast]

...Ah.

I thought I heard some familiar voices.

[ Hi gang. ]

[discutio]

[OH THANK SHIVA ANOTHER ADULT]

[daughterofthemark]

[EXCUSE YOU VEIL IS AN ADULT

PROBABLY

MAYBE]

[twibeast]

[ YOU'RE WELCOME PHOENIX, WE CHAPERONE TOGETHER ]

[alcahest]

[ trailing along behind Beast like a duckling... ]

Oh, everyone else came too...? Thank goodness.

[twibeast]

Apparently we were all of one mind on this situation. Which is likely for the best, even if this is some sort of nefarious plot.

[ safety in numbers, team unity, etc etc ]

[phantasmagorial]

[ And here's Rei, trailing in with a look like she would rather be literally anywhere else in Purgatory right now... which quickly changes when she has the absolute audacity to be stunned that everyone else is here too. ]

Wh–what...? Did you really all show up?

[seasharp]

Hey, you're here too, aren't you!

[phantasmagorial]

W–well, I am, but...

[ ...

. . .

She literally doesn't have a retort for that. ]

[seasharp]

And you got here late, too. For shame, Leader-san.

[It hasn't started yet...]

[daughterofthemark]

Is she truly late? Lady Esme has yet to begin.

[seasharp]

W-Well... That's true, I guess......

[phantasmagorial]

Wh–! [ SPLUTTERING. ] I'm not late...! J–just because I'm a little bit behind everyone doesn't make me late!

[seasharp]

Late! It's gonna be a late fee for you.

[mementomoritz]

I just wanted to get more supplies... [It's not her fault the mall turned out to be plot-relevant, okay. She was just trying to exchange money for goods and/or services.]

[phantasmagorial]

... Wait. You're not here for the meet and greet?

[ A CRYPTID... ]

[mementomoritz]

Nope! [She cheerfully holds up her shopping bag by way of illustration.] I'm here to buy some things for my new lab. ...Well, I was- and then you all showed up, so now I'm not leaving. [Friend... ship???]

[twibeast]

Were you expecting to deal with whatever this is alone?

[ Said with a lot of "You better not have young lady" and "I'm onto your shit" dad energy ]

[phantasmagorial]

[ SHIFTY EYES... ]

I–I just thought... I could check in and let everyone know what was going on beforehand...

[twibeast]

And if something had happened to you without you being able to tell us?

[ He's stern as he says this but still... gentle. ]

Remember, you're not alone in this anymore.

[ Which is both meant in a "so you don't have to take burdens entirely upon yourself" way and a "so you also have to think of your responsibilities to everyone else and take care of yourself" way. ]

[alcahest]

Is there a reason we shouldn't be here...?

[ WHAT TRAP. ]

It seems like... Esme is "awake," doesn't it? What if she hasn't met anyone else like her yet? [ Mona looks extremely concerned about this. ] She'd be all alone... So I wanted to talk to her.

[phantasmagorial]

[ ... okay now she feels kind of bad about being so intensely suspicious about this and it shows on her face. ]

I... suppose that could be true. I'm just a little worried, that's all. I've never heard of anyone having this much power over so many Specters and we still have no idea how she's doing it.

[alcahest]

Mmh... I don't know very much about this, but... Does it really matter how? If we can find out why she's doing it...