[As early evening stretches shadows and forces the temperature down from Unpleasantly Hot to Basically Tolerable, Penny finishes scraping the last traces of graffiti from the Welcome Center's facade. She picks up a small stack of posters and addresses the network.]

Okay. I'm all for getting involved in what's going on in the community and freedom's a great thing, but it's been a week and I'm still picking these [a demonstrative wave of the posters] up. The graffiti's not too bad. The flyers, though? I don't know where anything in the City comes from or if we need to worry about conserving natural resources, but in most places, all of this anti-deity Cityzen stuff would be putting a dent in the tree population.

I'm not saying that stirring up some rebellion is bad. I just don't think we need to go around wallpapering the City with posters when we can talk about it. Save some trees--or whatever it is paper gets made out of here.

Oh! And sorry, but I'm not interested in any uprisings right now. Just trees. The curses've been weird enough this month without annoying the deities, right?

[Video Post]
[A flicker, a blink. It takes a second for the image to clear. There's a thumb in the way as the device is set down on a table. It's evening, or so the soft light might suggest. Another rough and run-down place at the edge of town. It's not even a room: it's more like a porch in the background. Rough-hewn posts holding up a sagging roof, a handful of benches, a handful of tables, a dirt floor, a few strange characters sittng nearby--most with cups and tumblers and glasses. There's sunset light in the background, but sunset light as seen from the east, where the dark comes in first. It's quiet, at first--maybe the sound of a fly buzzing through.

But right in the midst of it, right in the view of the camera, is Our Man. He's leaning and slouching on one of those benches that seem to have been polished by use. He's holding something--a large, white sheet of paper. He's studying it, considering it. After a moment, it becomes clear that it's one of the posters that have been popping up all over town.

He considers it a moment more, and then, quite deliberately, addresses the camera of the Network device:]

Something like this... [He glances at the poster, then back to the devices] ...makes you wonder what the bosses of this town might think.

[He scratches idly at the side of his face and contemplates it a moment longer. After a moment:]

Makes you wonder, too...how much it might be worth to them to get rid of whoever put these things up.

[A smile, then, of course. Sly--cunning even. He's said his piece. He's as good as hung his shingle out. He gives the poster one last glance, and the same glance to the Network device...

And then he reaches out to cover the lens with his fingers and again and cut the feed, driving the whole thing down into the dark in a--]
[//video post ends]

[ooc: Alas, Cowboy, I don't think the Deities are going to hire you for your services. But one can always dream.]

[ It has been a few hours since Cleopatra found herself not in the confines of her little prison, but free on the streets of an unfamiliar city. She has put that time to good use, however, and feels ready now to make her presence known.

A pre-recorded message is accompanied by a static image of a dark-haired woman in a plain white shift, who stands facing forward, her head bent with her eyes lowered. ]

The woman before you is called Cleopatra Philopater, daughter of Ptolemy Auletes, son of Ptolemy Soter, son of Ptolemy Euergetes, son of Ptolemy Epiphanes, son of Ra. She seeks audience with men and women of knowledge, priests and scholars, and with men of arms.

She humbles herself before the wisdom of those who would offer succor to a traveler. She humbles herself before the benevolence of those who would offer service. She humbles herself before the might of those who would offer protection. She humbles herself before the graciousness of those would offer friendship.

I'm glad the weather's back to normal. The heat I don't mind, but the cold I could live without. You want heat, try a Palaven summer.

Another fun month.

[ 8/ ]

Has anyone actually seen the posters being put up? Or the graffiti everywhere?

[ he knows it just as likely has been done by invisible robot creatures at this point -- it is the City -- but no harm in asking...right? ... ]




[ooc: as ever thanks for patience...as i continue to try to...exist...still replying to last post but..yeah working everyday rly gets in the way argh /facehands]