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

[crosscutting]

Of course not! I'm not going to let some wanna-be idol beat me up for anything!

[seasharp]

So then there's nothing to worry about, right?

[crosscutting]

You can't go in trusting everything will be okay and have your guard up. What if she turns that whole crowd up there against us, huh?

[seasharp]

It's on the roof, right?

We can just go down.

[twibeast]

[ ...........

💦 ]

...Just a reminder, by the way, that my wings aren’t actually capable of flight.

[ SO LET’S.... NOT... PLS........ ]

[seasharp]

We could climb!

[Ariel.

Ariel there are so many problems with this plan.]

[mementomoritz]

The good news is that if you hit terminal velocity, I can probably still heal you enough to make it survivable as long as you don't land headfirst. [Medic, no???] The bad news is that I have to be touching you to heal you.

So... grab my hand before you jump, I guess? [MEDIC, NO.]

[seasharp]

See! That's a plan, right?

[.........it's hard to tell if she's serious or not.]

[twibeast]

[ just

literally just this face

girls.... please... ]

[crosscutting]

That's not a plan, that's suicide!!

[alcahest]

[ EMPHATIC NODDING. she may not always be one of the Sensible Adults but she is a disapproving big sister about this!!! ]

Please don't do that.

[emberserker]

We have to plan. We leave an escape route, know where all the exits are, and have people in reserve to block the crowd's path if it turns into a mob. Surely that's better.

[beknights]

[ Seal raises their hand like a kid asking for permission to speak. ]

« I can mark an exit. »

[ They're more than tall enough - and anomalous enough - that spotting them will be easy, at least. They don't like crowds, so they're fine with staying away. ]

[twibeast]

Ah! Yes, that would be perfect!

[emberserker]

And if we must jump, which we should not, let's make sure we have somewhere to land, shall we?

[crosscutting]

Or ropes to slow us going down, at least.

[twibeast]

I fear we do not have the time to procure those. We'll have to deal without if it really comes to that.

[ or you know just.

avoid jumping entirely ]

[mementomoritz]

Would trying to dig into the side of the building work? Some of us have edged weapons, so if we could jam them into the stone to try and slow our fall... [Well, not a terrible idea, comparatively, although it's likely to be hard on the arms.]

[emberserker]

Can anybody create an escape route that doesn't involve certain re-death?

[twibeast]

And I have a harp for a weapon. [ And he is the tallest one here, so he can't expect anyone else to help carry him or anything.

...light bulb. ]

Though, it is capable of slowing people down and making them drowsy. So it would be easier to play it and give everyone an opening to escape through a safer method.