voice; Awake is difficult and no one understands

[promiselisting]

[ Huh. Here is an unusual thing. Futaba is not usually one to use voice (or anything besides text) on the network. Maybe she wants to reassure other people with her voice and to hear theirs? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that her voice is still a bit muzzy with sleep. Maybe text requires more coordination than she has right now.

Either way, she's got an important post from her sort-of-brother to follow up on. ]

So.

[ There's a long, pregnant pause. ]

How many other memes are you all familiar with? Scientific curiosity.

[ She's been getting reputations up until now. The girl who gathers information. That one who really really mistrusts the Curti Center and is not afraid to be vocally critical of it. But it's past time she showed the world here who she truly is-

a shitposter. ]

Comments

video;

[spaceforged]

The Lions were built by an alien race, that includes our weapons and armor. And there are a few more layers besides that. [He claps Keith on the shoulder and gives him a grin. Keith needed the laugh too. He turns that grin on Futaba.]

And I was one of the first 'officially known' to meet aliens. My old arm was alien built. So yes, it's just aliens all the way down.

video;

[promiselisting]

[ Huh that's. Huh. Okay. Definitely filing that info away for later. She's too reluctant to give up her current amusement to chase that topic down to her satisfaction. But. Definitely gonna poke at that later. ]

I have it on pretty good authority that if my soul were like.... actually personified, it'd be a UFO.

[ There's a particular deviousness in her grin that might give a hint that she's talking in more than just hypotheticals.

All the way down indeed. ]

video;

[balancingedge]

...

["Officially." Keith grins at Shiro, because his dad sure beat him to it by at least sixteen years. And no, that wasn't a snicker. Neither of you can prove anything.

Though that catches his attention.]

Oh really. [Futaba might not, but he's kind of curious, himself.]

video;

[spaceforged]

[He shoves on Keith's back and grins back at him, his expression mischievous and somehow soft. Until he looks at Futaba and it visibly shifts to something a little more neutral but still open.]

That so? I'd say Keith's is wind and fire and I...just a storm. [He shrugs but it's clear he's discussion more than hypotheticals as well.]

video;

[promiselisting]

Huh... [ Now they've got her curious too. ] Well, I dunno about you guys but sounds like we got some stories to swap.

And if what the fish man just said is true, looks like the Curti Center might be a good place for that pretty soon.

[ She taps the edge of the camera a subtle way of trying to pass along "we're on the network." Which. May not be a big deal to them? But it is for her if they wanna go too deep into this.

At least for now. Once she's got her Persona back... it's going to be interesting trying to figure out how to maintain what cover they'll still have. ]

video;

[balancingedge]

[Shiro gets a playful shove back, that grin muting to a downplayed and mischievous smirk before it fades entirely as he looks at the screen.]

Yeah. Some other time. Maybe we'll run into each other again there.

[While he hasn't shared anything he isn't willing to let anyone else know on what is this planet's version of the internet, he gets that it's definitely starting to reach levels close to it.]

video;

[spaceforged]

Right, we'll talk more about that later. Let's include discussion of Ganeshan's discoveries to that list. [He glances at Keith. They both are spotting the line of nothing gets shared past this point with the public. Shiro turns to fully face the screen.]

Anyway, did you see Kupoto's message? If you haven't we can fill you in on it.

video; [in person for shiro and keith]

[thegoofball]

[There's bonuses to living with your friends and comrades, but there are also downsides.

Downsides like your friends memeing without you around.

Lance bursts into the video like he bursts into many things, looking aghast.]

Shiro! You know memes?!

video; [in person for shiro and lance]

[balancingedge]

[Keith stops, and he stares for a second. All before he just... doubles over, laughing.]

[promiselisting]

[ Futaba makes a confused noise. She hadn't really looked at much outside of Ren's post yet. ]

Don't think I saw that one y-

[ And then Lance, with all the comedic timing of an actor, bursts in and... that face. Nope. Nope she's gone. She dissolves into hysterical laughter again. ]

[spaceforged]

[He stiffens. All this time he's been carefully avoiding admitting he knows memes. He enjoys them immensely but Lance has been a meme lord and sometimes you need to be more serious.

Even if you want to laugh at a friend's joke. He has to make a choice here. Go big, or let this just sit. He looks at Lance, grins, and decides to just go for it.]

I regret nothing.

[thegoofball]

[SHRIEKS!!!!

He's going to ignore Keith entirely, because THIS IS HAPPENING]

I can't believe this! Behind my back! For a year!

[balancingedge]

[Keith sobers up just long enough to glance at Shiro, because holy crap. He went there, to such an old meme that has somehow transcended the decades that even HE understands it because some stupid video that spread like wildfire in the Garrison during his time there.]

He lives as few men dared to dream. [RIP Lance, we knew you well.]

[promiselisting]

[ Futaba, meanwhile, is having trouble gathering enough breath to even talk, but manages to restrain herself for just long enough- ]

I- [ wheeze ] see what you did there

[ Annnnd she loses it again ]

[spaceforged]

What gave you the indication I didn't know them? [He crosses his arms over his chest and waits out the laughter and Lance's shock.]

And if we're being clear here. I haven't said a meme in two years.

[thegoofball]

That! That's what gave me the indication! All the memes and jokes I've made, and you've said nothing!

[Did you know Lance's voice could be this shrill? Because it can be.]

[balancingedge]

[Keith knew. He heard it reach these octaves once before, three years ago. Except the context was way different and not nearly as lighthearted.]

Yeah. I thought it was obvious I was the only one not getting it.

[Because, well. Yeah.]

[promiselisting]

[ She doesn't have too much to add here, but she can't just let the moment pass by entirely uncommented. ]

Shiro the stealth memelord.

[ She can't believe it. Shiro might have just leveled up twice in one battle. ]

[spaceforged]

Lance, you were memeing in the middle of battle. If I'd replied you'd have never have stopped.

[He closes one eye briefly at Lance's shrill tone. He's heard it before but ow.]

No matter how funny they were, we needed to focus.

[thegoofball]

If you can't focus while memeing that's not my problem!

[It's not!]

But! [He slams his hands down onto Shiro's shoulders and gives him a shake.]

Now I know. Now you can't pretend I'm not funny! You already admitted it!

[balancingedge]

[Well, RIP Shiro. Keith knew him well.]

Alright, while I'm glad we're all having fun at Lance's expense not realizing I'm the only one who didn't get his jokes... [He smirks, before sending Futaba a link to the post in question.] Kupoto shared a file of an old children's storybook on the Eidolons. You might want to take a look at it once you have a moment.

[promiselisting]

[ For a moment, Futaba's memelord side and information-gathering sides war with each other, but then she decides she. Does not want to get in the middle of that.

She slowly works her laughter down into giggles, and takes a quick skim of the link. ]

Ah yeah, this looks like good stuff. I'll have to check with Shiro later about how it lines up with the ones he heard.

[ When Shiro isn't. Indisposed. By virtue of having an angry red paladin in his face ]

[spaceforged]

Lance. [He reaches up and moves Lance back like one picks up a cat and sets them somewhere else.]

We'll discuss this later. [Shiro looks to Keith a similar 'I'll answer you later.' Aka, it's pretty personal and he doesn't want to discuss it in front of the others.

He turns back to the screen.]] Phoenix is missing from that list. I noticed Leviathan was too. But Hades and Odin are both in there.

[thegoofball]

[He sees how it is.]

I see how it is.

[Huffpuff.]

That's a little weird, though, isn't it?

[But look! He can be responsible and care about real problems!]

[balancingedge]

[Keith shoots Lance a look. They'll talk about this later, when it isn't over the network.]

Named, anyway. The responses make it sound like Leviathan may have been in there originally, but on an ink-stained page. [Keith crosses his arms.] Shiro, what did the representation of Phoenix look like that Kupoto pointed out to you?

[Because those five silhouettes at the end...]