[network] @joacin; video/audio/text; poof [day 164]

[haillenarte]

[@joacin's voice is calm, husky, and professional.]

I would like to announce that the rubble in the museum has been cleared. There is now a viable path to the other side.

[there is an accompanying video:

the camera focuses on haurchefant — who else? — doing some heavy lifting, shouldering a large block of concrete from the pile and pushing it to one side. he isn't wearing a shirt, and even in the dim lighting of the museum, his muscles glisten with an alluring mist of moisture. haurchefant grunts. he doesn't seem entirely aware he's being filmed.

the camera then pans over to aymeric, who is just as topless and well-built as the first elezen, though considerably more tan, and less sweaty. he pauses in his work to sigh and roll his shoulders, running one hand through his dark and attractively disheveled hair. the camera keeps moving. house and merlwyb come into frame, but even though merlwyb has stripped down to a fairly revealing cotton bodice, the video doesn't linger on her. instead, it moves toward the last of the ishgardian knights, estinien, who has just finished removing the last of his armor; his back muscles flex while he pulls his luxurious silver locks into a ponytail — and just as he turns around, the video ends.]

Thank you for your patience regarding this matter.



[...unsurprisingly, five minutes later, @joacin posts another message to the network.]

apolgies
my apologies
please do not watch the preceding clip, here is the correct video
i am deeply sorry please frgvie me goodbye

[the second accompanying video is much shorter, and simply features the rubble pile collapsing in a cloud of dust, metal, wood, and glass while a startled hange yelps and moves out of the way. when the dust settles, there's a clear path to the other side! how nice!

...no shirtless elves in sight!]

Comments

[dravanicide]

This is not an explanation.

[haillenarte]

[a little louder, though in an oddly flat tone:]

What would you have me say? Would you prefer to hear that I did look upon you with lustful eyes, and yet Halone smote me not?

[dravanicide]

I would prefer that such recordings took no place at all, but alas here we are, drowning in your shame.

To what end was this recording? I see your desperate explanation to others, yet I still remain unconvinced of its purity. The secretive nature of your recording betrays your claims, Lord Francel.

[haillenarte]

What can I possibly say?

[more quietly still:] Nothing I have ever said to you has ever sated your anger, Estinien. If I defend myself, you will accuse me of weakness. If I admit to wrongdoing, you will accuse me of depravity.

There comes a limit to how much we can protest our innocence ere we take the plunge.

[dravanicide]

To admit to one's wrongdoings is not to be absolved of such wrongdoings, but to accept what depravity inspired such, and to move past it. Would that not be better than any cowardly act to hide what shameful proceedings you have endeavored?

Regardless, neither will sate my anger, as you have clearly gathered. If ever I find you have recorded either Ser Aymeric or myself in such a disrespectful and distasteful manner again, the bottom of Witchdrop would be a better alternative to what I will do.

[haillenarte]

[francel sighs deeply. and, in the end, the word that finally escapes his lips is not particularly ishgardian:]

...Okay.

[dravanicide]

[That's good enough for him. He's done here. If he continues, he knows he'll just keep getting more angry, and he's already got to deal with the others replying to this, some of which are being exceptionally annoying. Almost worst than the post itself.

THAT IS TO SAY, he'll disconnect. But if Francel feels judging eyes boring holes into him, he barely has to look to know it's likely from Estinien.]