Fair enough. There should be a small pause, tho, indicated by text or formatting. Extra prolly would understand the intent anyway, but clarity is always good.
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Puella Magi Altera Factio
- Thread starter RecurringExtra
- Start date
- Location
- The Land of Giant Bush Bunnies
Is no one else going to acknowledge that Rachel apparently finds creative writing the easiest assignment? I know creative writing technically includes other stuff, but I kind of want to know what sort of stories an Incubator would come up with...
[X] Doing anything more is likely to make Emma miserable, especially when you still have a fair amount of time before the due dates and exam dates. While her reactions can be somewhat amusing, it is likely wise to not provoke her any further. Find something else to do instead.
-[X] Head out with the vessel's acquaintances and attempt to locate potential recruits. And maybe grab lunch while you're at it. It would serve an adequate enough excuse. (And you are a bit hungry.)
-[X] Head out with the vessel's acquaintances and attempt to locate potential recruits. And maybe grab lunch while you're at it. It would serve an adequate enough excuse. (And you are a bit hungry.)
- Location
- Around here
[X] Doing anything more is likely to make Emma miserable, especially when you still have a fair amount of time before the due dates and exam dates. While her reactions can be somewhat amusing, it is likely wise to not provoke her any further. Find something else to do instead.
-[X] Head out with the vessel's acquaintances and attempt to locate potential recruits. And maybe grab lunch while you're at it. It would serve an adequate enough excuse. (And you are a bit hungry.)
Yes. Let's go out and do something to advance our real agenda.
-[X] Head out with the vessel's acquaintances and attempt to locate potential recruits. And maybe grab lunch while you're at it. It would serve an adequate enough excuse. (And you are a bit hungry.)
Yes. Let's go out and do something to advance our real agenda.
Given the Incubators' apparent lack of imagination, I imagine Rachael just writes about things her Kyubey half has seen in the past and presents it as "historical fiction" or maybe "science fiction" if her brain-Kyubey has experience operating on other planets. Imagine you're a HS English teacher and your student hands you a story about Cleopatra or Jehanne d'Arc being a magical girl: you'd think they just had a very active imagination, wouldn't you? That sounds great for a creative writing class.
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Doing anything more is likely to make Emma miserable, especially when you still have a fair amount of time before the due dates and exam dates. While her reactions can be somewhat amusing, it is likely wise to not provoke her any further. Find something else to do instead.
-[X] Head out with the vessel's acquaintances and attempt to locate potential recruits. And maybe grab lunch while you're at it. It would serve an adequate enough excuse. (And you are a bit hungry.)
-[X] Head out with the vessel's acquaintances and attempt to locate potential recruits. And maybe grab lunch while you're at it. It would serve an adequate enough excuse. (And you are a bit hungry.)
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Voting will close at 8 PM EST tonight.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Vote closed.
June 9th: Out and About
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Just looking at Emma, the girl is clearly mentally fatigued from the workload she's been made to do. That such simple activities might have such an effect on one is not a great reflection of the human species, yet it is somewhat understandable seeing as the example in question is still in the juvenile stage of development. Of course, the other two present in the room have not degraded to such an extent, yet it has clearly taken some sort of toll upon both. Jess has the benefit of being able to derive some measure of enjoyment from her studies, and you refuse to accept the very concept of boredom as being a matter of concern. You have spent millennia doing work that would be viewed as tedious at best for those that live on this planet. Even if the vessel might feel some measure of discomfort from the workload you place upon it, such a thing is not worth being concerned about.
"No," The vessel says flatly, "the studying must continue." In response, Emma looks like she is about to start crying, while Jess looks between the vessel and Emma, face stuck in a mixture of concern and bafflement.
"...That was a joke." The vessel finally says after a brief awkward moment of silence.
"Oh thank god." Emma says, her voice dripping with relief. "I would've been pissed if you really tried to get us to do any more."
"I'm sure that you would've." The vessel says, with as much conviction as you yourself hold at the idea.
"So, do you have something else in mind, then?" Jess asks.
"We could go out and get something to eat. It has been several hours by now."
"No more work and food? Now we're talking." Emma exclaims, quickly rebounding back to a better emotional state.
"How about that diner on 5th Avenue?" Jess offers as an idea. 5th Avenue would be two blocks east from where you live, so a fairly short walk all things considered.
"Isn't that the place with good monte cristos?" Emma asks.
"I thought that was the place on 26th?" The vessel asks.
"No, that's the one with calzones." Jess corrects.
"Really? I thought that was the one on 18th and 6th." Emma asks.
"That place is just an Italian restaurant, not a diner." The vessel explains.
"Oh, right."
"So the diner on 5th then?" Jess asks to clarify.
"Yeah, sure, why not." Emma says with a shrug. The vessel gives a quick nod as well.
Before you head out, you have the vessel go and inform its father of its departure. He is found lounging in his room, seeming to have fallen back asleep at some point only to have woken up again. He is presently laying on his bed with his laptop, scrolling through what you assume would be work material, although with how he seems to be staring at the screen indecisively, you aren't completely confident on that for once. He does, however, notice when the vessel opens the door to his room, turning to look at it with a soft smile.
"Is there something wrong?" He asks.
"We're planning on heading out for lunch." The vessel explains. "Is that alright with you?"
"Well, it's a bit of a late lunch, but if you're going with your friends, I don't see the issue. Just try and be careful."
"I will." The vessel says with a nod, which its father gives a match in return. After a short wave, the vessel heads over to grab essentials (Keys, wallet, cellphone, etc.) from its room, then meets back up with the others waiting at the apartment's entrance.
"You good?" Emma asks.
"Yes. Shall we?" The vessel gestures outwards.
"After you." Jess says, opening the door.
"Ah, finally, the kind of treatment I deserve." Emma says with a smirk and wink.
"Why do I even bother?" Jess asks rhetorically with a shake of her head, as both you and Emma head for the elevator.
It's a short ride down from the fifth floor, and you're relieved to find William is the doorman on shift presently. A young, thin, dark-skinned man, he smiles as he sees you. He's very much the opposite of the other doorman who works the daytime shift, Gerald, who, while by no means completely unpleasant to be around, tended to get very chatty regardless of the other person's seeming desire to engage in conversation. As the vessel exits the elevator, he's already moving towards the building's entrance instinctively.
"Heading out?" William asks.
"For a short time, yes." The vessel answers, watching silently as William opens and holds the door open without comment. None of the other doormen bother doing this, and in truth the fact that he does makes you rather uncomfortable. It isn't as if opening a door of all things is difficult, or takes much energy.
"Thanks Will!" Emma calls out as she exits the building.
"You girls have fun!" He calls back, before letting the door shut behind him and returning to the lobby's desk.
The noise that defines the city finally comes into focus as you emerge out into the open world. While you can hear bits and pieces of it even inside the building, being outside is entirely different. The noise of over one million people scurrying about, and simply living their lives, is one that you have become intimately familiar with by this point. Emma seems to think it's what makes this place special, but you doubt there is truly that much of a difference from one city to another. You have refrained from airing such thoughts aloud, as there seems to be an odd element of pride that many of the people who live here have in the place, despite the rampant flaws that are plainly visible.
You have the vessel take a deep breath. The air is by no means clean, so calling it fresh is not completely apt, but it is almost comforting in its familiarity nonetheless.
[Potential Potentials: 35/100]
It is only several minutes of walking until you reach your destination, filled with further inane conversation interrupted by the hustle and bustle of people walking and running around to wherever they feel the need to go. As you're in a public area, Jess has become much more withdrawn as she tends to do when out and about, leaving much of the conversation to be filled by Emma, who happily obliges as she is oft to do when given the opportunity.
As you move, you keep the vessel's eyes peeled for possible contractees. Truthfully, you are well aware that those with potential are found out long before recruitment is attempted, as the number of documented cases of one's potential actually changing throughout the system's entire history remains in the single digits, with the cause continuing to elude any attempts of explanation. Nevertheless, exhibiting initiative of your own is prudent behavior that is likely expected of you. And then you realize the obvious issue facing you: you don't actually have a way to determine somebody's potential yourself. The ability to do so had been second nature for so long that, even after inhabiting this body for a decade and a half of life, you still simply assumed that you would be able to do so.
Unless...
You turn the vessel's gaze towards the other two present, and focus. Your attempt is met with a sensation that feels both alien yet simultaneously familiar, and in a way, almost comfortably nostalgic. The powers given to contractees was most commonly based largely on their wish, but on occasion puella magi received odd or otherwise unexpected capabilities based around the circumstances surrounding their wish as well. Luckily for you, that seems to have been the case, as the odd sensation that pulses in the back of your mind informing you of the potential of the other two girls confirms.
Trying to actually describe the sensation is difficult, despite the seeming familiarity that it holds. What once was ordinary and routine is now foreign and off-putting, as if there are worms wiggling through your mind. You quickly shut the ability off, lest it begin to disorient the vessel, only to quickly find the vessel about to step onto the crosswalk during a red light.
"You okay there, Rachel?" Jess asks, her voice noticeably less energetic.
"I blanked out for a moment, apologies." The vessel replies.
"Hey, it could've been worse. Remember the time I wandered out onto the middle of the street during rush hour?" Emma says, ready to pivot to a new topic.
"You were four years old, to be fair." The vessel adds.
"Yeah, but the fact I didn't get myself killed was a miracle. Guess the lord on high was watching out for me for once."
"How'd something like that even happen?" Jess asks, much to your dismay and Emma's delight. You take the opportunity of Emma going on about something inane to instead focus on trying to find any girls with high enough potentials that might be worth trying to recruit.
Despite your attempt, however, you fail to find any signs of potential until you are actually near your destination. By this point, the conversation has shifted yet again, as Emma is thankfully prone to tangents more often than not. In the midst of Emma's spiel about whether mermaids would count as fish or not (She insists they would, while the vessel argues back that they are still mammals despite the anatomical changes) you spot one girl who you actually recognize. Isabelle Gurney happens to live in the same building as you, albeit on the third rather than fifth floor. More importantly, as you see the eleven year old exit a hair salon alongside her parents, you're able to determine that she possesses a fairly large amount of potential. Not as large as Jess, but enough that attempting to form a contract with her would likely be a worthwhile endeavor.
Relieved that you at least have an initial lead to pursue, you allow the vessel to enjoy itself without much complaint, although you are beginning to grow frustrated with its diet over the past two days, especially once a plate stacked full of french toast, meat and cheese slides in front of it. You despise the fact that its sight actually excites you somewhat. At least the changes to the vessel's body make concerning itself with its diet of somewhat less importance than previously. While by no means immune to the effects of poor dietary choices, the bodies of puella magi were designed to be able to function effectively in much worse conditions than that caused by poor choices in food intake.
The meal, and the conversations accompanying it, pass quickly. Jess decides that it would likely be wise for both her and Emma to head home after they've finished eating, much to Emma's annoyance.
"Why should we head back so early? I don't know about you, but I don't really have anything better to do."
"You're already on thin enough ice with your parents, Emma. Don't you think it'd be better to play it safe?" Jess asks.
"Playing it safe is boring." She grumbles.
"Aren't you a bit old to be acting like a toddler?" The vessel snarks.
"Yeah, yeah." Emma says with a sigh. "I know you're probably right, but being at home usually just stresses me out. I prefer hanging out with you two, you know?"
"Emma..." Jess starts.
"Sorry, not trying to guilt trip you both here." She says, offering a smile. "Hopefully the 1 train isn't delayed."
"It isn't the C train, so the odds aren't that bad." The vessel offers a lighthearted jest.
"True, I can be thankful for that much." She says with a snort.
As the other two girls get ready to head home, you wonder what you should use the rest of the evening to do. Considering it's a school night, it would be wise to ensure you're able to return to your routine sleep schedule, lest you risk losing it. You could stay out, and try and find a witch to hunt down to start stockpiling grief seeds for the future. Of course, you'll figure out what your abilities actually are before you fight the thing, but locating one should still be a priority. You could also try and figure out if this area is claimed and controlled by a local magical girl at present, or if you could attempt to make a claim for it yourself. Lastly, you could simply head home and return to your schoolwork. If you take care of it all early, that means more time that can be spent on other matters.
[ ] Stay out and...
-[ ] Attempt to locate and hunt down a witch. Beginning the process of collecting a stockpile of grief seeds would be wise to do sooner rather than later.
-[ ] Try to determine if this area is already controlled by a magical girl before you attempt a hunt.
-[ ] Write in
[ ] Head home and...
-[ ] Finish up more of your schoolwork.
-[ ] Write in
[ ] Write in
I live. And am now technically a college graduate, so that's neat I guess. It's about time. Covid really screwed that part of my life up. Apologies for the delay, but I had a few other things to take care of as well. Nothing super serious thankfully, but the stress really messed with my ability to focus in spite of the fact that i really had no reason to be stressed about them. Anxiety is fun like that. Still, better a (relatively) short pause, rather than a months long freeze.
The diner section was originally planned to be an actual scene, but it would have been pretty much entirely fluff, and I'd rather just get this out sooner rather than later.
"No," The vessel says flatly, "the studying must continue." In response, Emma looks like she is about to start crying, while Jess looks between the vessel and Emma, face stuck in a mixture of concern and bafflement.
"...That was a joke." The vessel finally says after a brief awkward moment of silence.
"Oh thank god." Emma says, her voice dripping with relief. "I would've been pissed if you really tried to get us to do any more."
"I'm sure that you would've." The vessel says, with as much conviction as you yourself hold at the idea.
"So, do you have something else in mind, then?" Jess asks.
"We could go out and get something to eat. It has been several hours by now."
"No more work and food? Now we're talking." Emma exclaims, quickly rebounding back to a better emotional state.
"How about that diner on 5th Avenue?" Jess offers as an idea. 5th Avenue would be two blocks east from where you live, so a fairly short walk all things considered.
"Isn't that the place with good monte cristos?" Emma asks.
"I thought that was the place on 26th?" The vessel asks.
"No, that's the one with calzones." Jess corrects.
"Really? I thought that was the one on 18th and 6th." Emma asks.
"That place is just an Italian restaurant, not a diner." The vessel explains.
"Oh, right."
"So the diner on 5th then?" Jess asks to clarify.
"Yeah, sure, why not." Emma says with a shrug. The vessel gives a quick nod as well.
Before you head out, you have the vessel go and inform its father of its departure. He is found lounging in his room, seeming to have fallen back asleep at some point only to have woken up again. He is presently laying on his bed with his laptop, scrolling through what you assume would be work material, although with how he seems to be staring at the screen indecisively, you aren't completely confident on that for once. He does, however, notice when the vessel opens the door to his room, turning to look at it with a soft smile.
"Is there something wrong?" He asks.
"We're planning on heading out for lunch." The vessel explains. "Is that alright with you?"
"Well, it's a bit of a late lunch, but if you're going with your friends, I don't see the issue. Just try and be careful."
"I will." The vessel says with a nod, which its father gives a match in return. After a short wave, the vessel heads over to grab essentials (Keys, wallet, cellphone, etc.) from its room, then meets back up with the others waiting at the apartment's entrance.
"You good?" Emma asks.
"Yes. Shall we?" The vessel gestures outwards.
"After you." Jess says, opening the door.
"Ah, finally, the kind of treatment I deserve." Emma says with a smirk and wink.
"Why do I even bother?" Jess asks rhetorically with a shake of her head, as both you and Emma head for the elevator.
It's a short ride down from the fifth floor, and you're relieved to find William is the doorman on shift presently. A young, thin, dark-skinned man, he smiles as he sees you. He's very much the opposite of the other doorman who works the daytime shift, Gerald, who, while by no means completely unpleasant to be around, tended to get very chatty regardless of the other person's seeming desire to engage in conversation. As the vessel exits the elevator, he's already moving towards the building's entrance instinctively.
"Heading out?" William asks.
"For a short time, yes." The vessel answers, watching silently as William opens and holds the door open without comment. None of the other doormen bother doing this, and in truth the fact that he does makes you rather uncomfortable. It isn't as if opening a door of all things is difficult, or takes much energy.
"Thanks Will!" Emma calls out as she exits the building.
"You girls have fun!" He calls back, before letting the door shut behind him and returning to the lobby's desk.
The noise that defines the city finally comes into focus as you emerge out into the open world. While you can hear bits and pieces of it even inside the building, being outside is entirely different. The noise of over one million people scurrying about, and simply living their lives, is one that you have become intimately familiar with by this point. Emma seems to think it's what makes this place special, but you doubt there is truly that much of a difference from one city to another. You have refrained from airing such thoughts aloud, as there seems to be an odd element of pride that many of the people who live here have in the place, despite the rampant flaws that are plainly visible.
You have the vessel take a deep breath. The air is by no means clean, so calling it fresh is not completely apt, but it is almost comforting in its familiarity nonetheless.
[Potential Potentials: 35/100]
It is only several minutes of walking until you reach your destination, filled with further inane conversation interrupted by the hustle and bustle of people walking and running around to wherever they feel the need to go. As you're in a public area, Jess has become much more withdrawn as she tends to do when out and about, leaving much of the conversation to be filled by Emma, who happily obliges as she is oft to do when given the opportunity.
As you move, you keep the vessel's eyes peeled for possible contractees. Truthfully, you are well aware that those with potential are found out long before recruitment is attempted, as the number of documented cases of one's potential actually changing throughout the system's entire history remains in the single digits, with the cause continuing to elude any attempts of explanation. Nevertheless, exhibiting initiative of your own is prudent behavior that is likely expected of you. And then you realize the obvious issue facing you: you don't actually have a way to determine somebody's potential yourself. The ability to do so had been second nature for so long that, even after inhabiting this body for a decade and a half of life, you still simply assumed that you would be able to do so.
Unless...
You turn the vessel's gaze towards the other two present, and focus. Your attempt is met with a sensation that feels both alien yet simultaneously familiar, and in a way, almost comfortably nostalgic. The powers given to contractees was most commonly based largely on their wish, but on occasion puella magi received odd or otherwise unexpected capabilities based around the circumstances surrounding their wish as well. Luckily for you, that seems to have been the case, as the odd sensation that pulses in the back of your mind informing you of the potential of the other two girls confirms.
Trying to actually describe the sensation is difficult, despite the seeming familiarity that it holds. What once was ordinary and routine is now foreign and off-putting, as if there are worms wiggling through your mind. You quickly shut the ability off, lest it begin to disorient the vessel, only to quickly find the vessel about to step onto the crosswalk during a red light.
"You okay there, Rachel?" Jess asks, her voice noticeably less energetic.
"I blanked out for a moment, apologies." The vessel replies.
"Hey, it could've been worse. Remember the time I wandered out onto the middle of the street during rush hour?" Emma says, ready to pivot to a new topic.
"You were four years old, to be fair." The vessel adds.
"Yeah, but the fact I didn't get myself killed was a miracle. Guess the lord on high was watching out for me for once."
"How'd something like that even happen?" Jess asks, much to your dismay and Emma's delight. You take the opportunity of Emma going on about something inane to instead focus on trying to find any girls with high enough potentials that might be worth trying to recruit.
Despite your attempt, however, you fail to find any signs of potential until you are actually near your destination. By this point, the conversation has shifted yet again, as Emma is thankfully prone to tangents more often than not. In the midst of Emma's spiel about whether mermaids would count as fish or not (She insists they would, while the vessel argues back that they are still mammals despite the anatomical changes) you spot one girl who you actually recognize. Isabelle Gurney happens to live in the same building as you, albeit on the third rather than fifth floor. More importantly, as you see the eleven year old exit a hair salon alongside her parents, you're able to determine that she possesses a fairly large amount of potential. Not as large as Jess, but enough that attempting to form a contract with her would likely be a worthwhile endeavor.
Relieved that you at least have an initial lead to pursue, you allow the vessel to enjoy itself without much complaint, although you are beginning to grow frustrated with its diet over the past two days, especially once a plate stacked full of french toast, meat and cheese slides in front of it. You despise the fact that its sight actually excites you somewhat. At least the changes to the vessel's body make concerning itself with its diet of somewhat less importance than previously. While by no means immune to the effects of poor dietary choices, the bodies of puella magi were designed to be able to function effectively in much worse conditions than that caused by poor choices in food intake.
The meal, and the conversations accompanying it, pass quickly. Jess decides that it would likely be wise for both her and Emma to head home after they've finished eating, much to Emma's annoyance.
"Why should we head back so early? I don't know about you, but I don't really have anything better to do."
"You're already on thin enough ice with your parents, Emma. Don't you think it'd be better to play it safe?" Jess asks.
"Playing it safe is boring." She grumbles.
"Aren't you a bit old to be acting like a toddler?" The vessel snarks.
"Yeah, yeah." Emma says with a sigh. "I know you're probably right, but being at home usually just stresses me out. I prefer hanging out with you two, you know?"
"Emma..." Jess starts.
"Sorry, not trying to guilt trip you both here." She says, offering a smile. "Hopefully the 1 train isn't delayed."
"It isn't the C train, so the odds aren't that bad." The vessel offers a lighthearted jest.
"True, I can be thankful for that much." She says with a snort.
As the other two girls get ready to head home, you wonder what you should use the rest of the evening to do. Considering it's a school night, it would be wise to ensure you're able to return to your routine sleep schedule, lest you risk losing it. You could stay out, and try and find a witch to hunt down to start stockpiling grief seeds for the future. Of course, you'll figure out what your abilities actually are before you fight the thing, but locating one should still be a priority. You could also try and figure out if this area is claimed and controlled by a local magical girl at present, or if you could attempt to make a claim for it yourself. Lastly, you could simply head home and return to your schoolwork. If you take care of it all early, that means more time that can be spent on other matters.
[ ] Stay out and...
-[ ] Attempt to locate and hunt down a witch. Beginning the process of collecting a stockpile of grief seeds would be wise to do sooner rather than later.
-[ ] Try to determine if this area is already controlled by a magical girl before you attempt a hunt.
-[ ] Write in
[ ] Head home and...
-[ ] Finish up more of your schoolwork.
-[ ] Write in
[ ] Write in
I live. And am now technically a college graduate, so that's neat I guess. It's about time. Covid really screwed that part of my life up. Apologies for the delay, but I had a few other things to take care of as well. Nothing super serious thankfully, but the stress really messed with my ability to focus in spite of the fact that i really had no reason to be stressed about them. Anxiety is fun like that. Still, better a (relatively) short pause, rather than a months long freeze.
The diner section was originally planned to be an actual scene, but it would have been pretty much entirely fluff, and I'd rather just get this out sooner rather than later.
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- Location
- Indonesia
Yes! Well, if that's the case...
My vote:
[X] Head home and...
-[X] Finish up more of your schoolwork.
-[X] Attempt to contact a terminal (Incubator instance) and ask if your local area is claimed.
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RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
...The biggest downside to writing in the early hours of the morning is that the obvious options right in front of your face are somehow missable. Yeah, that's a much better idea that I'll now probably go with.
- Location
- A Shattered World
[X] Head home and...
-[X] Finish up more of your schoolwork.
-[X] Attempt to contact a terminal (Incubator instance) and ask if your local area is claimed.
I hope this works? And is formatted correctly?
-[X] Finish up more of your schoolwork.
-[X] Attempt to contact a terminal (Incubator instance) and ask if your local area is claimed.
I hope this works? And is formatted correctly?
Question: So, with the voting options, are we allowed to write in another one if we have a reason to? Say, if there's something obvious that you missed (like in this one)
- Location
- Indonesia
Well yeah, that is what the write-in option is for. Though, that's my opinion.
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Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Head home and...
-[X] Finish up more of your schoolwork.
-[X] Attempt to contact a terminal (Incubator instance) and ask if your local area is claimed.
-[X] Finish up more of your schoolwork.
-[X] Attempt to contact a terminal (Incubator instance) and ask if your local area is claimed.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Vote will close at 10 PM EST tomorrow, although I just got hit by some really bad news involving a close friend of mine, and I'm not really in the best of mental states right now. Not trying to fish for sympathy here or anything, I'm just struggling to process this.
- Location
- Indonesia
I hope you and your friend are alright.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
I'm not directly involved with it, so I myself am perfectly fine (physically at least), but thank you for your concern nonetheless.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Getting pretty sloppy here. Vote closed.