<sub>[Okay, this is awkward for him to even think about doing let alone actually doing but here he is with the SFC in hand mulling over the right words. He's never had to do this before, but...]

...This is fuckin' retarded.</sub>

This is gonna be the only time you hear me askin' about this, got it?

_{[Alright that wasn't so hard. Let's keep going.]}

Say y'knew someone from Vatheon who disappeared and came back after awhile 'n they remembered you and all that shit. How the hell d'ya go around showing that you're glad to have 'em back without making an ass outta yourself? I've been tryin' to think of somethin' for the past couple days and I got nothin'.

_{[This is not really his forté and what is actually caring about someone even if it's just a little bit?]}

[Call it guilt, call it a bunch of different factors, the Lombax holds a small kitten in one arm, sitting by a bed occupied by one(1) Jade Curtiss. The small creature mews incessantly, digging its tiny claws into the General's arm, trying to crawl up further. They were safe on the island above, for the time being. But... they shouldn't have to be up here at all.

Especially with the Colonel like this.

And yet the situation wasn't yet resolved.

So he grabs the SFC with his free hand, ears bent back and a snarl from a fanged mouth, the General far from pleased with how things were progressing.]

Let it be known that a good man's efforts fell for naught in this blasted city. If the rest of you have any other bright ideas, I'd sure love to hear them.

( someone seems a little more thoughtful than usual...
he looks down at the sfc in his hand for a few moments before lowering it, knowing that it's recording... he's standing near the coral, in the meantime -- )

People just come and go at the drop of a hat, don't they. Both the stupid ones and comrades alike, it doesn't matter. And it's not like they have any say in it either, it's like we're all just waiting for our damn turns to take a stab at the odds of leaving.

( his grip tightens around the communicator, which you can actually hear... )

So, tell me. How many of you have had your comrades come and go, then come and go again? Personally I'm getting pretty sick of it. What's the point in showing up again if you're just going to leave. Just leave them where they are so we don't have to deal with it in the first place, I say.

Some days, I really want to go home. Other days, I can't imagine leaving. I hate being torn like this.

[She sighs.]

Sorry. I've been feeling strange ever since that last curse. Maybe I just miss my dog a lot. Not that I don't love Sacra, but...

[Although her expression is hidden from the rest of Vatheon, the frown she wears is evident in her voice.]

Um, nevermind. Hope everyone's doing okay.

[And as abruptly as it began, the feed ends.]

[when the SFC turns on, there’s actually two people visible. One is Shiro, and he looks less than pleased. He has removed his coat at some point, and now Rin is wearing it. Rin certainly looks worse for wear. Whatever happened has left him with a mostly-bandaged arm, and several spots of skin that aren’t covered by the jacket are red and faintly blistered. He doesn’t look terribly happy either but he’s not frowning nearly as much as Shiro.

They're also up on the island, sitting on the beach.]

Good afternoon. We, ah, felt it was important to let you all know something-

[Rin cuts in before Shiro can fully get to his explanation]

Dad broke the ocean.

[Shiro sputters at that and is quick to protest.]

I did not break the ocean!

Yeah, okay, we both broke it. Well. I mean-- I dared Dad to bless the ocean and it kinda worked better than we were expectin’.

That doesn’t mean it's broken, it’s just a little holier than it was yesterday.

[Whoops they were supposed to be talking to the SFC, not each other. So Shiro turns his attention back to that.]

We just wanted to warn any residents who might be affected by holy water, you probably won’t want to go swimming for a day or two.

Still think it’s funny to say you broke it...

[The feed shuts off just after Shiro smacks Rin on the back of his head.]

It has been a year since I arrived in Vatheon. A longer time than I was ever truly alive in the Junkyard or in the real world, and more than a year since gaining the Atma. Yet Nirvana seems to remain beyond our reach.

[When Gale speaks again, after a short pause, he sounds more thoughtful.]

At what cost should one give up their emotions?

For those of you who knew her, Cheria Barnes has returned home. Pascal and I are the only ones left from our world now...

[There's a good, lengthy pause as Hubert debates on saying more, but whatever he's thinking just happens to be a pile of negative things and upset-driven notions that he feels like he shouldn't bother sharing.]

If anyone has a burning need to bother me I'll be at work at my usual post.

[And that's the end of the broadcast, but true to his word he can be found in the amusement park, if anyone actually does go looking for him.]

Residents of Vatheon, if I could have your attention for a moment please.

While I was up at the island today during the kite flying event, a companion and myself stumbled across a disturbing sight. I'll try to spare gory details and disgusting images, but what I'm about to say is not for the weak of stomach regardless, so I apologize in advance for it.

It appears as if some one has killed and taken apart a deer, and left it strung up in one of the trees.

This event likely happened several days ago from the condition the remains were in.

[Hubert pauses her, and pushes his glasses up.]

Now, even as a member of the Defense Force, this is not something I can really do anything about since the deed is done and the action wasn't taken against a resident, but I do encourage anyone who comes across anything else strange like this to at least report it to some one on the Defense Force. I hope we can prevent any more... startling discoveries such as this one in the future.

Thank you for your time.

//Filter: Defense Force//

I was taking a guess, but I don't suppose we can do anything to people who kill animals on the island, can we? Or at least to people who leave such a mess for innocent passerby to stumble upon.

What the hell is this about? Someone just left this here? ( he holds up one of those heart-things that seem to have been delivered lately ) Like anyone would be stupid enough to go to them for help, like they say in that stupid note.

( so heat is just going to frown, looking down at the heart that had some bits of confetti sticking to it ) What am I supposed to do with something like this? ( he snorted ) Next time, don't bother. It doesn't taste anything like the real thing. Someone can have this if they want, or else I'm just throwing it out.

Chocolate. Hn. ( and muttering to himself -- ) How the hell did they even get in here...

[Sera's never experienced snow before, so she had to have a look. But almost as soon as she left, she returned. Having the Atma that she does gives her resilience to the cold, but it's still unpleasant to be in the snow with the way the weather is right now. Her face is a deep pink from the cold, and she sniffles between lines.]

The weather's starting to get scary. The wind is cold and sharp, and it makes my face red.

[And that's just the wind.]

It's strange that something beautiful can make you feel miserable.