[network] @SceptredIsle; how do we bear this burden; day 56; text [open]

[keepscalm]

Good morning, everyone.

I'm sure you all saw the obituary a couple days ago. I elected not to post about it yesterday, as there were more widespread concerns regarding our safety and I didn't wish to detract attention from them. [Yes. That is totally the reason it has taken him a few days to post about this.]

But I'd like to request that you contact me if you have any information on the whereabouts of Sealand. His network handle is @TOTALLYANATION. He looks about twelve and he's got short blonde hair and blue eyes. I know he's not in the hospital's morgue; I checked. I've left him a message so that he can hopefully respond once he returns.

[If he returns.]

There's no need to go out of your way to search, but if anyone is going by the other morgues, I would appreciate if you could take a quick look while you're there.

And if he happens to contact any of you, please tell him that England and America are looking for him. [He's using his real name and everything! Mostly because hiding it now is pointless and he has better things to worry about.]

Thank you for your time.

Comments

@fastoon; voice

[clockblock]

.....odd names.

[He's guessing their parents were Earth nation enthusiasts, or some such nonsense....thinks the guy with his home planet as his network ID.]

I'll keep an eye out for him. [...] Can he pass for a younger child?

text

[keepscalm]

I get that a lot. I can explain if you'd like, but only if you're an open-minded sort.

[...well, technically Sealand is always passing for younger than he is...] Perhaps a few years younger, but it's safe to say that he looks well within the range of ten to twelve years old. Depends on what he's wearing. He's got this little sailor uniform that makes him look a bit younger, but he's wearing some warmer clothes on top of it now.

[clockblock]

Maybe later, if the need arises.

[It's something odd enough to comment on, but discuss? Not quite. Doesn't seem relevant, especially now.]

Hm....I see. I found some winter wear earlier that was meant for a child. [But he has absolutely no experience at judging human sizes, so.] He can have them if our paths cross, and they fit.

[keepscalm]

[Then England will leave that matter for now. Truthfully, he doesn't feel very passionate about explaining it right now, anyway.

Plus, the clothes sound much more promising a topic.]

If you're willing to give them up, I'm truly grateful. We've been looking for clothes in his size, but it's hard enough finding winter wear in the first place, much less something that will fit him. Anything I could make at this point wouldn't be very warm or well-tailored. [Since he lacks scissors...]

Being this far north, you'd think it would be easier to come across. But I suppose that would be too convenient.

@CaptSteveRogers; text

[starsandtights]

[More nation-people. OK. Knowing there are more than one actually helps him accept what America told him, even if it's still very, very weird. ...'Sealand', though? Steve's never heard of it.

Or. Him? A child, or... or looks like a child. ...Well, he's probably a child to England and America, whatever age he is in years.

Bad enough to be losing people at all, but to be losing children. To even bring children here...

When Steve finds out who is responsible for this, for all of this, he's going to destroy them.]

I'm very sorry about your friend. I hope you hear from him soon. I'll keep an eye and an ear out for him.

...Sorry, I'm new here. Is that what happens when... something happens to someone? They show up in one of the morgues?

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[keepscalm]

[England doesn't have the heart to say that Sealand is his family, not just his friend.]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Terribly morbid, isn't it? But I suppose it makes sense. That's where bodies go, after all, before they're put into a grave.

Sometimes people come back. There have been posts about it before. I've never personally experienced it, but that's how I know where they end up. [That and Sealand has died once before already...]

permatext

[starsandtights]

It does make sense. I guess I just never thought about it.

[Steve scrutinizes the maps.]

You say there's a hospital morgue... the hospital's in the ice tunnels, right? I'm seeing a funeral home, I assume that's got a morgue... there are others?

[Uh-oh. Wait. Steve is having a thought.]

People that have died and haven't come back... they'd still be in the morgues?

[keepscalm]

You said you haven't been here very long. Some of it takes time to sink in.

The hospital is located in the tunnels, correct. The morgue is on the lowest level. I don't know exactly how many there might be, but when I previously met someone following their revival, he said he came from a church.

It's unfortunate, but that seems to be the case. There were certainly other bodies in the hospital's morgue. I recognized a couple of them. [Link and Zelda, not that he knew them very well, but it was still an unsettling sight.]

[cloneprincess]

I should be near the chapel soon; I'll let you know if I find anything.

[keepscalm]

Thank you very much. Please feel free to contact me privately with your findings once you've been able to investigate.

[cloneprincess]

I'll do that.

[ Miranda hesitates before adding: ]

I'm sorry for your loss.

@quark | voice

[averytinyparticle]

I remember him! We talked about building snow forts! I'm not around a morgue, but I'll keep an eye out if I see him and let him know.

[A pause, and then Quark decides he should say a bit more. You're supposed to express sympathies when that kind of thing happens.]

I'm sorry that he's gone...I'm sure he'll be back soon! Really, really soon!

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[keepscalm]

[He sounds so young...and the likelihood that he's actually as old as Sealand is rather low. England is probably talking to an actual mortal child.]

Thank you, Quark. That's very kind of you to say.

If you come across him, it might be wise for you to travel together until we can locate him. I'm sure Sealand would appreciate having someone close to his physical age.

[This suggestion is for both Sealand and Quark's benefit, truthfully.]

[averytinyparticle]

Yeah! He could definitely travel with me! I don't think anyone else would mind. I like having other kids, around, too.

[Nice ones, at least. And so far the only other kids he's met here have been really nice, so he's not too worried. And...okay, Quark has to ask.]

What do you mean by physical age? Is he different on the inside? [He's never heard of anything like that before.] If you don't want to talk about it right now, though, I understand. You don't have to!

[He knows he probably shouldn't be acting on his curiosities right now. England's probably super stressed out about it, he doesn't need anything pressuring him!]

@fullmetal; text

[forfeits]

He might still come back. It takes some time, though. I'll make sure the group I'm with keeps an eye out though.
I'm sorry. Are you alright, though?

text

[keepscalm]

So I've heard. I do hope it doesn't take too long. [England will generously omit that it's already been half a week...]

Thank you. I'm all right, I suppose, or as well as anyone can be expected to be in this sort of situation. [So, not well at all, but England isn't going to just admit that.] My other travelling companion is still safe. We're managing.

audio @LELRIC

[armoured]

[There's a sinking feeling he can't deny on hearing someone else is missing, especially when that someone was a child.]

I spoke to him a couple of times, he seemed really friendly, but-- I don't know where he is now, I'm sorry.

text

[keepscalm]

He is rather friendly. If he likes you, at least.

[He is far from friendly to England, but now is not the time to call him a brat.]

It's all right. I don't expect anyone to have answers right now. It seems a few people are going to investigate the other morgues; that's already rather generous.

audio

[armoured]

It's good that people are going to look, but do you know if he was travelling with anyone before he went missing?

[There would be the best place to start for information on what exactly happened.]

@CmdrShepard; voice

[gtfoourgalaxy]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[Shepard's voice is soft, and a little shellshocked. Twelve years old. Just how many children are there in this hell?]

I'll keep an eye out, I understand that the chances for - [there's the smallest hesitation] return aren't too bad. Can you tell me if people usually revive in medical facilities?

text

[keepscalm]

I appreciate that, thank you. I do realise there's a chance he may not return, but I wish to be prepared for the possibility.

As far as I know, they revive in the morgues. There's a morgue in the hospital, which I've personally seen, and then other people have confirmed that there are morgues in a funeral home and a church somewhere. I've never been to either place, but the funeral home is on a few of the maps people have created of the town.

voice;

[gtfoourgalaxy]

Keeping up hope is never a bad thing. You never know - whoever's behind the revivals, they might just prioritize people who have someone waiting for them.

[Why not, actually? That's pretty much how it was for her. Brought back because she was still needed, and thank god for that.]

Understood. I'm not near the funeral home or hospital, as far as I can tell, but I'll try to head in that direction. [A pause as she makes some mental calculations.] I know this isn't the best time to be asking you questions, but how come no one is posted near those morgues for regular checkups?

[rubikscomplex]

[Time for the insensitive guy to step in because, seriously? No one's mentioned this?]

okay, limey
england and america i get
but sealand?
is that supposed to be another country or were you guys running out of names?

[keepscalm]

[Ah yes. This is everything England wanted to deal with today.]

Believe me, he's not a country. He's something called a "micronation." Most of them are only officially recognised by just a few other nations, if any. No nation has formally recognised Sealand.

He's actually a decommissioned British sea fort. I think his population is around twenty, I can't remember exactly.

So no, he's not a country, but he is an entity like us and he prefers to be called by the name of the micronation he represents. His human name is Peter, if you'd rather call him that.

[England has managed to answer reasonably without rising to the bait! Good job, England, for once in your life.]

[rubikscomplex]

leave it to the brits to get super creative on names
so if you're supposed to be england are there a scotland and wales, too?
northern ireland?
does he get along with the republic or is it a cain and abel thing going on over there?

also, what the hell's up with personifications of countries?
who thought that was actually necessary?
what happens when a nation ends?
just vanishing?
must've sucked to be the ussr