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[lingeringhope]

[Hope's voice is clear and clipped.]

If you would like to leave a message, you may do so here. I can't promise to respond. I have many demands on my time, and this sort of thing is far down the list. Still, if you would like to, you may.

Comments

text

[sonofacesius]

I'm not sure what the safest way is to contact you. Is there even a safe way to contact you? That doesn't put you at risk?

Anyway, I need an inhaler. One of the kids that came through the Door needs it. Can we make an exchange?

text

[lingeringhope]

This form of contact is reasonably safe.

I don't know what an inhaler is. Explain it to me, and I should be able to make one.

[Action] ambiguously the 16th-18th or so

[lifetothefullest]

[Lance knows this is a long shot, and one he doesn't really want to even try, but at this point there's very little choice. He can't just do nothing, and he hasn't been able to come up with anything else.

So he'd managed to convince himself to leave his apartment for the first time in a few days, and it doesn't hurt that he needs more water anyway. Hope's temple seems like the best place for that even if he didn't have a reason to go there, because now that they'd figured out that the water has an effect on mood, he can definitely use whatever hope he can get.

But first thing's first, and he shows up at Hope's temple during the brief patch of night, generally trying to avoid running into anyone else and deciding that would be the best time for that. It's cold, after all, though he prefers that to the heat.

The aura of the temple is apparent as soon as he enters, and he does his best to let it affect him and believe that maybe this will work out, and maybe everything else will too. It's worth a try, and he finds a place to lead back against a wall and take a deep breath while he decides exactly how to start.]

I know you're probably dealing with a lot right now, and so I'm sorry to have to ask something of you, but it can't wait.

[He goes quiet again for a few seconds, not sure if Hope might appear but not really expecting him to, so it's no surprise when nothing happens. It does make Lance question if Hope can hear what he's saying right now, but ultimately it doesn't matter; somehow he can't imagine calling him would be more effective, so either this works or it doesn't. It's worth a try.]

Drake said that you and he had a standing arrangement, about his condition, and it's understandable that your priorities have been elsewhere, but it's... Time is really running out. If it's a matter of making an arrangement with a different god for a time, while you're recovering, then we could work that out, just...

[Just let him know what to do, because he has no real idea. The feeling of hope in this temple or not, it's a struggle to stay positive at the moment, although he's doing what he can and he just has to believe it'll be enough.]

That's all, except that... I'm sorry for your loss.

[Regarding both Sorrow and Delight. The losses are very different, but Delight's betrayal is just as significant as Sorrow's death; Lance remembers just how badly what happened with Zack affected Brennan and the others and he imagines it might be similar--although worse--for Hope and the other gods right now. And as much as Lance is not feeling too favorable toward any of them other than Hope, after everything that happened, he can still empathize.

He's quiet another moment or two, before gathering the will to move again and leaves the temple without another word, stopping at the pool outside of it to refill a few water bottles before returning home. All he can really do now is hope.]

action. 17th

[puzzlingly]

「Early that day, Atem makes it back into the temple, for the first time not entering for shelter or relief during the fight with the Null, nor because he's waiting for people to be returned to them, he enters because he wants to.

The young man heads to the altar, stopping but a couple of steps away from it, then he goes on one knee and prays...

No, he doesn't pray to Hope, he can't, he instead sends his prayers to his own gods, just as he used to ever since he was but a child, back then, before he would forget everything. He hopes they might hear him, but somehow trusting that the so called god of Hadriel could use his sentiment.

When he's done, he doesn't stand, instead he simply whispers.」

Thank you, for bringing them back... Thank you... for giving them a second chance.

「Gilbert, Whistler, Michael, Harlan and Kain, probably many more he didn't hear of... he's thankful all the same.

He wishes he could do more, help more, say more, he knows about betrayal, he knows about loss, but the words get stuck instead, he doesn't know what else he can do to help but actually go out there and help others rebuild and get supplies and food. After a moment, the young Pharaoh stands and leaves the temple.」

voice;

[closerift]

Er... yes, so...

[ Who has two thumbs and doesn't remember every speaking to a god before?? ]

Sorry. I'm not sure if we've spoken before, but I sort of... died, a bit ago, and I came back - that is, I think you brought me back - without any of my memories. I know you've got a lot on your mind, what with... everything, but I thought I should ask if there's anything that you would... recommend I do in order to get them back. It's disorienting, the way I am now.

[ h e l p ]

voice;

[lingeringhope]

[It takes Hope some times to reply, and when he finally does, it's short and to the point.]

I am not able to help currently. Confusion might be your best choice to speak to.

[audio] backdated to 12/28

[onlyanautomaton]

[Oscar decides that the best way to approach Mr. Hope is to be transparent.]

Hello, Mr. Hope. You can be confident that we are doing all we can to maintain your emotion of choice. Is there anything else we might be able to do that could possibly aid you in your recovery?

[He is concerned, first and foremost, about what will happen to Hadriel's residents should Hope's state of health deteriorate any further. But his concern for Mr. Hope's condition is genuine.]

[audio]

[lingeringhope]

[It takes some time for Hope to reply, and when he does it's terse.]

Take care of yourselves and each other.

voice.

[wantsnudes]

Are you feeling a little stronger yet, Hope-san? I hope this is not too soon during your recovery, but I am in difficulty and would like to request your help, if possible.

voice.

[lingeringhope]

I have little power at the moment. What do you need help with?

February 20th; Action

[demonsional]

[Hayden knows where the temple is, of course, so it isn't too much of a struggle to make his way there. Knowing that Hope is weak and recovering, he hasn't wanted to bother him--but things feel different right now. Hayden feels agitated and alone and Harlan left him and now what does he have? He paces in front of the temple, his thoughts erratic and unlike what he's used to. He can't place this angry energy.]

Mister Hope? Lord Hope? Sir? Are you here? Are you, are...

[He turns and turns and turns the empty jar in his hands.]

I have a gift...a gift for you. I've been working on it for since when you got hurt so that it can help you get better. I need to see you, please don't be gone!

[lingeringhope]

[Hope doesn't appear instantly, like he has in the past. It takes a few minutes before he can muster up enough energy to appear. He doesn't look tired though - which makes sense, because this is a projection rather than his true form.]

I am here. Are you all right?

4/1 [action] oh my god

[nonscriptum]

[This is definitely not the wisest decision Nate has ever made, and neither is is arguably the worst, yet it ranks up way there in terms of legitimate stupidity, riskiness, and danger: not necessarily on-par with throwing yourself off a building for fun, but still bad.

Okay, extremely bad.

Ironic that the only god in this place anyone might trust to give half a shit about what went on over at Rage's temple is the one god that Nate has pissed off back when he just wanted to have a fun, shark-free diving trip. The salad days.

Hat metaphorically in hand, Nate knows better than to approach the sacred ground of a (to be fair, parasitical) deity without something to offer, particularly when said deity is probably still recovering from everything that happened with the Null. What he rests on a stone outcrop is a recently-completed sketchbook, filled with drawings of the city, its residents, the alien architecture and landscapes. The best that a simple man can do.]

Uh...I'm not...really great at this, and um, haven't really been to church in- God, years, but. There's kind of a problem, down here? [He casts a look over one shoulder, back at the city.] Not like the expected ones, not like the Door, but a person.

[In his current state he knows he didn't have much of a chance against someone who could fly, pull abominations out of thin air, and likely catch bullets with her bare hands. Nate barely got away from that pale demon who attacked him in the alley, and it kills him that he was, effectively, useless in both circumstances. Watching it happen from a distance and knowing there was nothing he could do.]

She's down now, I think, a bunch of powered people managed to do something, so...you got any advice on how to hold someone that seems to be able to anticipate every move and can probably rip people apart like wet tissue paper? I've got a gut feeling she's gonna be really ticked off when she wakes up.

[He pauses, for a moment, looking around. It's quiet still. Back to the wall Nate slides all the way down to the floor, knees up and arms dangling over top of them. He waves at nothing.]

That's okay. I'll wait.

4/1 [action]!

[lingeringhope]

[It does take longer than it might normally for Hope to appear, but when he does he looks completely normal. But of course he would - this isn't his true form, it wouldn't show any of the things he's been through recently. He doesn't look happy, but does Hope ever look happy?]

My apologies for making you wait.

[He does not sound that sorry.]

We've been able to contain Delight - next to that, any of you would be simple. However, my strength isn't in fighting.

text.

[puzzlingly]

「Whilst he's probably still eating them...」

thanks
srsly
thank you

text.

[lingeringhope]

You're welcome. Thank you for your assistance while I was weak.

text, morning of 4/20

[pocketspa]

hey
quick q
did you put merle up to the dumb shit hes about to do for all of your asses
just wondering

text

[lingeringhope]

What are you talking about?

text. 24th

[puzzlingly]

what happens to you guys when someone trashes your temples?

text. 24th

[lingeringhope]

We fix them, which is annoying and a waste of energy.

Voice

[stealyoursoul]

So I've got a problem I was told you might be able to help with. Thing is I'm not human like most of the people here. I can only eat the souls of sinners, and while there's plenty of them here, I'd prefer to take out as few of them as possible rather than causing a bunch of grief. Is there a way you can, I don't know, conjure up souls for me to eat? It'd be better than weakening you all by losing some of your followers.

[He's really hoping he put in a convincing enough argument for this god to help him out. If not, he'll need to feed off one of the people here in the next day or two.]

Voice

[lingeringhope]

I could manage that, yes. What is it about souls that nourishes you? Is it the energy that they hold, or something else?

action; june 2nd.

[whip_poor_will]

It wasn't Ravine's intention to show up so late after the move, among other things that have transpired as of late. Between bustling around the city so soon after Fear's need for an energy boost and her sealing Atem's soul wound that she had inflicted as a result of that, she has been fairly preoccupied.

(Oh, and speaking of which... there he is. But Ravine isn't here to keep her meditating friend company, much as she wouldn't mind to.)

With this it's better late than never, and rather than speaking through the mundane communications that is their phones, Ravine enters Hope's temple directly. Or as direct as a reaper emerging from the tendrils of shadows in the darkest corner nearby can allow her to. It's pretty direct.

Eyes shifting from sharp gold to their usual soft brown, she approaches the temple center as a guest than a devoted worshipper, a raging critic, or a beggar.

"If it would not be much trouble, Hope, I would like to have a word with you."

He should know.

action;

[lingeringhope]

Hope appears, because he generally does when asked. It's put him in danger in the past, and he is aware of that, but it's not in his nature to live in fear. Caution, rather, and he is more cautious now.

"Yes?"

voice;

[closerift]

Hope -- [ Sigh. Is this even the right thing to do? ] ... I'm not sure if you know anything about this yet, but one of those things is broadcasting messages yet again claiming it knows the location of "the ninth god." Just a friendly warning from someone who has been here long enough to know: if your lot doesn't get out in front of this, and soon, then people are going to go mad trying to find these "pieces."

voice;

[lingeringhope]

Yes, we saw it, though I appreciate you bringing it to our attention. We are discussing it currently. Remember that no Null can be trusted.

text

[thirdreturned]

I should have told you.

This isn't how I wanted any of you to find out.

text

[lingeringhope]

So it's true, then.

You should have told us.

text

[unnature]

hey
god guy
we havent spoken, im dr razi, etc etc
whats a girl gotta do to get some lidocaine for the clinic(s) around here?

text

[lingeringhope]

What is lidocaine?

action;

[odinbolt]

( Serah does the same thing she did with Sorrow, squares her shoulders and walks in, her steps echoing through the temple. It's measurably easier, the prickle of emotion that comes with being in the vicinity of a god easily bolstering the hope Serah clings onto every day.

Lightning is here. Lightning is here and the simple presence of her sister is enough to make Serah believe they can succeed here. They can help the gods and find a way home, and together, she can Lighting (and Noel and Mog!) can find Snow and save the future. They can do all of it.

This isn't a bad feeling at all, and Serah is happy to spend a minute standing by the altar, taking it in before she says anything. )

Hello? Hope, are you here?

( Of course, that one name will always conjure images of a young man with silver hair and an unbreakable resolve. )

action. august 15th-ish something something

[puzzlingly]

「It is not the first time, nor would be the last that Atem simply goes to Hope's temple to pray, again, not to him, but to his own Gods. But the young Pharaoh would like to think that his own devotion and hope towards his deities would help Hope himself in some way as well. This day, however, he doesn't just leave the temple when he's done, he instead sits down on the floor as he leans on the altar.」

Hey, Hope?

「You there, buddy?」

action.

[lingeringhope]

[He appears, as he usually does when called, even though it's nearly gotten him killed in the past.]

Yes?

Text 20th September

[hoperulesdespairdrools]

I apologise for bothering you. However, there is something I’d like to know about your ability to resurrect people. I’ll make it worth your time.

Text

[lingeringhope]

What would you like to know?

Action

[oldtonew]

[ If the elements won't speak to her, Kettara supposes she will try these gods. The strange electronic devices seem unwieldy, so she goes directly to the temple and sits down, ready to meditate if that's what is required. Sometimes the elements make her wait for hours - even days, if the matter is pressing.

She clears her throat. ]

I am Kettara Bloodthrist, of the Frostwolves. I have come to speak with you.

Action

[lingeringhope]

[Hope shows up rather promptly, appearing between one moment and the next. He stands next to her, looking down.]

What would you like to speak about?

audio; forward-dated to like... the 26th?

[dedikated]

( Power exhaustion is nothing new to Kate. The way it weighs on her whole body, the effort even moving requires. She knows it and hates it, but it always goes away.

And it doesn't burn. Not like this. Not the way her whole body has since she woke up yesterday, agony lighting up her eyes rather than power when she tries to run her own tests on the state of her body. Normally, all she'd expect is a dull ache and nothingness, rather than something which leaves her vision spinning for a good minute afterwards.

She lies back in her bed and breathes deep until the burning returns to throughout her whole body instead, mind running through everything she knows, and all of that is saying that she should be dead right now, that she owes Tranquility hella drinks (not that the gods drink, but still) for his work in protecting her.

Power Exhaustion. Usually lasts a couple of weeks or more, when the body needs to recharge. This?

She grimaces at the thought, at things she remembers Dagny teaching her, things she's seen in too many under-trained Superhumans — the ones who try to live normal lives trying to do something flashy. This is the kind of thing she can't leave to time, and she doubts there's a healer in the community who would even know how to begin fixing something like this.

Which means there's only one... well. One Hope for her. )

You make house calls?

( She'd say hi, but the pain is evident even in the way she grinds those words out, as though she's putting all her energy simply into making this call instead of going back to sleep. )

audio;

[lingeringhope]

[She does not have to wait long before Hope replies.]

I can access any part of this city with my power. What have you done?

[action]

[sallyfaced]

[Sal admittedly had a few reservations about speaking to actual deities — face to face, especially. But it felt weird to use his phone and he feels like it would be kind of stupid to avoid them. Besides, he took up residence close by Hope's temple, albeit accidentally, so why not come down in person? It's easier on them...isn't it? He doesn't know. He'll just assume so.

Either way, when he enters the temple he's...not sure what to do. He's also a little worried about bothering these gods, especially with that poll going up Hope probably has his hands full. But that's kind of in part why he's here, isn't it?

He clears his throat.]

Hope? If you're...around — can I speak with you real quick?

[action]

[lingeringhope]

[Hope appears between one moment and the next. He looks as he does whenever he uses the video function on the phones: like a normal human man.]

Yes. What is it that you need?

text

[unfollowing]

hey

how much hope do i need to bring out in people to get a coffee cart again? or if you're spread too thin, who should i ask

it's fucking cold and coffee helps people feel a little better in this weather, if that help at all

[ This is how she says hello apparently. ]

text

[lingeringhope]

I am still working on getting the basic functions of the city running properly again. If you need a coffee cart, you'll have to provide extra energy for it - for example, inspire hope in five people. That would probably be enough.

action

[theladyofhighever]

[Mariane arrives, dressed not in armor but in a white dress lined with white fur peeking out from the sleeves and the bodice. she has also left her sword, her dagger, and her Mabari at home. her hands are clasped neatly before her and her expression is neutral, edging on calm]

Hello. I realize that perhaps we didn't get off to the right start in our association and I would make amends. May we speak?

action

[lingeringhope]

[Hope appears, as he always does when summoned in his temple. In truth, he does not entirely remember the details of their first interaction - after years of receiving misdirected anger from people arriving here, it no longer makes much of an impression on him.]

Yes. What is it that you wish to speak about?

[audio] 2/20ish

[synthedick]

You know how to read any of this? Because from what I can tell, it doesn't look good.

[And now he's sending over the files Nate sent him. Yeah, he probably should have gone to Sorrow with this, but he's trying to manage the synth equivalent of his blood pressure at the moment, which is through the roof with disgust.]

[audio]

[lingeringhope]

[It takes some time before Hope replies, since he is looking over the files. When he does, his voice is tight and controlled.]

Tranquility will be able to read it. However, it is clear enough regardless.