[Open] The Entertainment Feed -- January

[offinventory]

who: Anyone & Everyone
what: Open Post for The Entertainment Feed
when: All month
where: The Entertainment Feed

content warnings: see individual starters. Docu-Lore: being observed/recorded.
Note: This post includes open prompts for The Entertainment Feed. Feel free to write TL's and tag each other.

You win again, you fluffy mutt. (Book Club)

This month, the book club meets Tuesdays January 10th and 24th. It is reading Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas, available via visual formats.

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.

It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.

Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

Where is the line between community and coercion? What makes you you? Are you still you when you change age? A pivotal event changes? From a whole other universe? What parts of yourself do you want to shed? What future do you see for Trench?

Now That's… (Silent Disco)

This month, the silent disco happens Fridays January 7th and 20th. Headphones and music are available. Play your own music or listen to DJ's mix. (open)

Each night you can choose combinations of decades and countries of Now That's What I Call Music for your own unique mix.

You can also submit your own playlist Now That's What You Call Music! for others to peruse and listen to, for dancing or any other time.

Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else. (Movie viewings)

This month, The Entertainment Feed shows double features episodes every Sunday and Thursday featuring episodes of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

Coming to a Feed Near You. (Kid's Corner)

Children's programming includes sleepovers this month.

In response to the sharp sudden increase in children neé adults, The Entertainment Feed is creating a children's program. This includes kid appropriate media of all types and calls for volunteers who specifically would like to help children. Children—particularly those who were previously adults—that lack guardians and don't live at the Orphanage can sleepover on the stage of the small auditorium with sleeping bags/other sleeping supplies. There are free child-sized pajamas, soundproofing from the other areas, and 24/7 drone footage so any requests for help or signs of distress receive quick attention, even if that's in the form of an awkward proprietor.

We listen with more than our ears. (Docu-Lore)

Murderbot has started filming events in Trench via its drones.

Perhaps a drone sees you acting weirdly. Perhaps one accompanies you to the new city or alternate world. Contribute to the video collection of lore for Trench! (Can be arranged ICly or OOCly)

Comments

Submit Doculore

[offinventory]

<font style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold">Character(s):</font> <font style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold">Date:</font> Roughly... <font style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold">Event(s)/Plot(s):</font> If it ties into an event, tdm, or player plot... <font style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold">Link:</font> Link to a thread if it's available. <font style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold">Summary:</font> Short summary. <font style="font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold">Notes:</font> Optional

Murderbot | The Muderbot Diaries

[offinventory]

Under Wraps (Book Club)

CW: spoilers for Squire

For ease of common discussion, a drone projects a display of the comic against a blank stretch of wall—whichever page is under discussion. At the moment, it projects a page from late in the comic, where the general expounds on the power of the story of an Ornu knight fighting for the empire. Aiza's skills and feats are irrelevant, per the general, compared to the propaganda.

"It's a bit meta," Murderbot admits, "we come here because we love stories and the positive ways they've improved our lives. Stories aren't only books and comics, serials and movies, the realm of fiction. They're everywhere. It's here in the shaping of a story within the story.

"What stories have you had to question and turn over—back home or here?"

Now That's What I Call Algorithms (Silent Disco)

CW: N/A

In preparation for the disco, Murderbot wrote a handful of algorithms for automated playlist generation as each and every person could have a unique mix officially from the "dj" aka Murderbot. These are ready to dump all the songs together and randomize the order. For the lucky few or those who come at moments of lover demand, they'll get analysis for beat, style, and the scientific undersides of music for better transitions and progressions across songs.

It's ready. It's anxious. Has it bit off more than it can chew? It's enough to make it stop worrying about children for fifteen seconds. That's the real reward on its end. It stands in one corner out of the way where it doesn't expect to attract attention, at least once more people arrive.

Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past (Movie Nights)

CW: N/A

As Fred Rogers finishes yet another simple clear and well thought-out lesson on screen, Murderbot despairs of how many young humans it has interacted with of late. Many of them are in the theater or seated on the steps because of the limited seating options.

"Their pick of movies for a month to anyone who gets Fred Rogers here," Murderbot mutters. It'd gladly hand off everything kids to this man. He actually seems like he means it. So its internet searches say.

Tablet Generation (Kid's Corner)

CW: N/A

For the fifty-millionth subjective night in a row, Murderbot sits in the back row of the auditorium browsing articles on its omni. It goes through another three feeds internally on similar subjects. As it has had far too much footage (deleted), humans enjoy the babymaking process whether or not they like kids. Other than that simple explanation, it has not cracked what it is people like about children. The answers conflict and cannot all objectively be true.

However, it cannot deny that many people like children, and thank someone for that or D would be on its permanent shit list. Still, it's there in case anyone needs something. It could be farther away, but the visibility matters. Even it knows that much.

Tablet Generation

[obeir]

At some point a stray android child is collected off the street by a well-meaning soul, who delivers him to (abandons him to be someone else's problem at) the Entertainment Feed's makeshift daycare that was advertised on the network. For a long while K simply stands where he's been left, unnaturally still, awaiting further instructions in case any are issued, while interfacing with his omni and internally searching the network for the umpteenth time for any traces of his owner.

Nothing. It doesn't make sense. He feels adrift without orders.

Eventually his attention wanders to the gathered human children, and he observes them like the alien species that they are to him. Invitations to join them are met with an uncomprehending stare. He doesn't play. Doesn't eat, doesn't sleep. Mostly he does his best to unobtrusively take up as little space as possible while remaining available for receiving orders, just as he's been programmed to do.

But he's also noticing how uncomfortable his presence makes some of the children who don't seem to understand what he is, only that he's Different. Causing humans discomfort is too much for him, and it's what compels him to finally approach the proprietor for assistance.

"Excuse me." Awkwardly polite, unaccustomed to interacting with people. And clearly nervous, but he doesn't fidget — as ever, he stands robotically still. "What am I meant to do here?"

[offinventory]

Oh no, Murderbot thinks, the only thing more terrifying than dealing with a human child just then is dealing with some kind of bot child. It's weird because even the lowest level BotPilots aren't children. Even JollyBaby (self-named as it's very proud of as some sort of inside joke) is a CargoBot that works a job and understands what it needs to for that job (and for making inside jokes). Miki often seemed childlike but made its own decisions for itself.

Most terrifying of all, if Murderbot's being honest, is the risk that this child-categorized (correctly? incorrectly? fuck if it knows) AI could determine what it is and give it away. Which doesn't solve a single problem.

"Do you sleep?" Murderbot asks. That's the most obvious answer, but it knows how weird it is to lie on the floor and pretend to sleep while not actually sleeping. So.

[obeir]

Truly this is no one's idea of a good time. Thanks, Trench. K's already resigned himself to thinking that, if nothing else, this can serve as an opportunity to learn more about humans. Not the most productive use of his time, but it's better than standing idle.

Much more interesting to him are the drones throughout the area. Since shortly before he approached the proprietor, he's pinged the surrounding drones out of curiosity, a technological way of announcing his presence and inviting a response if they're capable of one. He isn't sure whether or not they're sentient. Nor does he suspect anything about their presumed owner, the proprietor — a human, as far as he can tell.

"I don't require it," he answers in a vaguely apologetic tone; he hates being an inconvenience. But he's physically capable of sleeping, in other words. Same with eating. Both useful for accelerating recovery and healing when it's needed, but otherwise serving no purpose. "...Do you need help with anything?" A beat. "Unrelated to child care."

While he can perform basic manual labour and domestic tasks, putting a model designed for combat in charge of the welfare of young humans is a poor idea, regardless of his current form.

Silent Disco

[threelayers]

She made her way over with a light enough step, though the look that showed in Neopolitan's eye was a little tired when she leaned up against the wall near to her, letting out a long suffering and seemingly exhausted sigh. she held her omni out and typed on it quietly, smirking at the woman.

Brothers, I need a little destress.
Protecting a town full of children is exhausting because they cause so much trouble!

I am not getting old.

Re: Silent Disco

[offinventory]

Generally, Murderbot stays out of the way and only interacts with people as needed. Its lack of dancing helps it be overlooked. Neo's all right, though. They bonded over The Fast & The Furious. That franchise helped Vi when she was a MurderHorseHuman construct.

It nods and pulls out its own relic to type a message back. It's lower stress than talking in a mostly silent room of people dancing with headphones on. Anyone could take their headphones off at any time.

I have never been around so many children for so long.
Some of them sleep here!

Technically, D asked whether it was willing to have kids at the Feed. What was it supposed to say? 'No I am against the safety of minors.'

Want music?

It holds a pair of headphones in its other hand. After all they can text and listen to music.

Re: Silent Disco

[threelayers]

Neither have I, if you can believe it.
It's definitely kind of an experience, isn't it?

Which was to say it was seriously exhausting on most say. She laughed silently and shook her head before pointing to them and considering.

Something with a damned good beat to dance to.
For when I start dancing later.

Funny how it was easy to talk like this, even with the headphones on.

Tablet Generation

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul had found some plastic dolls and action figures. He was busy trying to slice through one of them with a pair of scissors, but after repeated mutilations, they weren't as effective as before. He was having trouble cutting through a generic figure dressed in cameo, possibly meant to be an army figurine.

So he went up to the nearest adult, which happened to be Murderbot, and asked the lady in the back polite as you please, "Excuse me, do you have a knife?"

[offinventory]

Murderbot stares at the tiny little Maul and the young polite tone to ask for a weapon. MegaFaunaMaul needed to kill and eat (not necessarily in that order; Murderbot didn't stick around to find out) crabs, but he attended book club outside peaceably enough. All in all, it thinks that version was less disturbing.

"I don't," Murderbot replies in near monotone. Its algorithms kept some regular human emotional rhythms present. "What do you need a knife for?"

Yes it sees the footage upon review, but it still goes through the motions. A human wouldn't be that on top of it.

cw: death caused by young child mentioned

[survivalthroughhate]

"To cut and stab things with," Maul said very matter-of-factly. At least there was a small mercy in that he said things rather than people.

He hadn't yet reached the point in his training where he was expected to hurt other life forms in that manner, even if he had killed people before at a young age. Hence he still held onto a mostly innocent mindset.

Tablet Generation

[icanhearscreams]

Jun is exhausted. There's been a lot of kids running around, and he can metaphorically see Kana staring at him from beyond the grave. He's been trying to help wrangle the children, trying to calm the little ones down and wipe the tears from the crying ones.

He's tired of babysitting so he flops down in a seat near Murderbot, glancing up at it. He doesn't really know this person, but...

"Tired of playing babysitter, too?"

[offinventory]

With resignation, Murderbot looks over at the child who sits next to it. Jun's older than many of the little kids here, and he's helped handle them. That's appreciated since they require more supervision than strictly feels like it should be required (certainly more than the standard 10:1 client to SecUnit ratio).

"Yes," Murderbot says softly, not to disturb the little chaos cyclones.

It continues to look in Jun's general direction, more toward his chin than his eyes. "Why have you been helping?" it asks, "You're not legally an adult, at least where I'm from."

It supposes it doesn't know where Jun's from.

[icanhearscreams]

He doesn't mind the lack of direct eye contact - he's not the biggest fan of it unless he's in a combative mood. Which right now he isn't, thankfully for everyone involved.

"Because I know some of these people when they're bigger. And it doesn't matter if I'm 'legally an adult' - I'm seven years off of that by the standards of the country I came from. We all have to pull our weight here, no matter what age you are."

He glances down at the children running around, and then back at Murderbot. "... I had a younger sister once. I didn't treat her well. I guess... maybe I'm hoping that taking care of kids now makes it up to her somehow. Though I know that's not how things work."

teen vi in the kids' corner

[fistprize]

[the media? this is cool as hell, but it's geared way too much for little kids for her to be truly interested, and she's not here because she's got nowhere to go (she can go anywhere, she can just break in! she's done it already!) she's here to try and help. kind of. so she'll answer distress calls from super small children, break up a fight that looks bad, or encourage one that looks fun, and maybe start a foodfight with any available snacks.]

[icanhearscreams]

[Jun's younger than her, but he still has to stop this. He reaches up to grab Vi's wrist as she goes to throw another snack. He's fully aware that she's likely to try to punch or kick him, so he's on guard and ready to dodge when she does.]

[fistprize]

[hey. you can't do that. that's not allowed. why are you stopping the fun? she tugs at her wrist, yanking it back and kicking out, attempting to shove his shoulder to free herself - kid's small, she's not inclined to throw a punch, but that doesn't mean she's happy.]

What's your problem? I coulda made that shot! Who made you the food sheriff?

[icanhearscreams]

You probably could have.

[He hops out of the way of her kick neatly, not minding the shoulder shove. He lets go and just looks at her seriously.]

But if you start a food fight, you have to clean it up. Those are the rules.

Darth Maul | OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

cw: mental and physical child abuse mentions likely when interacting with Smaul.

[Maul as an eight year old kit hadn't been sure about being brought to this place, wary as he was of strangers. Everyone was potentially someone who would hurt him because he did something wrong. But he was cold, tired, and hungry. He'd been quick to curl up in a sleeping bag and fall fast asleep once he'd gotten there, purring softly to himself to the whole while. Once he woke up, one could find him eating whatever food was nearby with the ravenous appetite of a child who knew food wasn't always a guarantee in his life.

Then he'd found a pair of sharp scissors (The Force only knew where) and was currently using them to cut off the head of a plastic doll in his own version of "playtime". He was humming softly and happily to himself. As the scissors finally cut through the neck, he said in a cheerful voice:]

And now you are de-capil-tated and dead and can't plot against the Sith anymore!

[He picked up another doll, surveying it for what part he should cut off next, whether it should have been a hand, foot, or the head again.]

You are an enemy and must be dealt with properly! First you shall need to be tortured...

[Someone might have wanted to take away the scissors before he tried this out on something that wasn't non-living.

Otherwise, one could find him happily watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood episodes on the days when they aired. He was a bit fascinated by this calm, kind human on the screen, a presence Maul had been sorely lacking for the last few years in his life. The current episode was one he related quite strongly to given his own situation. If someone tried to talk to him, he'd shush them, rather irritated he'd been interrupted.]

Be quiet! The human is talking about important things!

won't you be my neighbor

[fistprize]

[vi hadn't appreciated being told to shush (she's usually the one doing the shushing) but this kid is younger than powder, and that sort of thing rolls off her back like it's nothing.

it seemed like baby stuff (and some of it is), but with a little huff of fine, what's so cool about this anyway, she settles in next to him and decides to actually give it a watch. even if it's not for her, she can sit and watch something (the media is amazing!!) in silence to make this little boy sit still and take notice. he's obviously really into it. toward the end, she finds herself quiet not because she's trying to be, but because it's about the subject of food drops.

topside didn't drop anything but toxic waste, and the whole-ass ball when it came to the bottom. she's imagining a world where food drops happened. and she's seen this kid eat, too - shit, he even eats like powder. he eats like an undercity kid, amazed the food isn't rotten, and that there's enough - taking too much too fast in case it suddenly goes away.

so when the episode finishes, she finds a snack she's seen him eating, ties it up in a piece of paper from the area stocked with craft supplies, and ties a bit of string around it. then all she has to do it climb (easy) until she's up on something she shouldn't be, probably some kind of shelf or light fixture (balance? not a problem.) and whispers to get his attention:]

Hey. Pssst!

[she won't drop it before he looks up because she doesn't want to startle him, and it isn't a prank - but if he meets her eyes she'll smile and whisper as she dangles it:]

It's a food drop!

[gently dropping it for him to catch, then she'll drop down, grinning.]

[survivalthroughhate]

[Now why couldn't Maul have had a master like this nice human? He seemed very kind and wise. He knew he shouldn't have been thinking something like that, Master Sidious did care about him, or so his little mind kept lying to him. To think otherwise would have been acknowledging all the cruelty and horror inflicted upon him was for no reason other than sheer sadism.

Still, there was some nice message to be had in this piece of media, far kinder ones than those Maul was usually taught, and he was left to mull over what Mr. Rogers had told him. Maul was a quiet, thoughtful child much of the time and so he sat quietly, drawing out a rough approximation of Mr. Rogers on a piece of paper, the art typical for what one would have expected from an eight-year-old.

Maul looked up when he felt a pair of eyes on him and a whisper in his direction. The small kit smiled big when Vi tossed down a food drop to him. He opened it up and found a snack of the crackers filled with the powdery cheese many children loved at this age. He bit into one, slowly rather than wolfing it down this time, and mumbled around the food in his mouth.]

'ank you.

[fistprize]

[she smiles as she approaches, it's partly her way of saying sorry for interrupting - she's a little too proud to make a proper apology all of the time, but it's also because she's recognized that hunger, and a small bit of wariness - so she makes a note to keep an eye on this one. he looks like he could end up being a scrapper, but he's also really young, and kids (adults too) can be real shits to each other.

plus, she's seen him draw, and he's not bad. it isn't standout, but she's got a soft spot for kids who draw, okay?]

No problem, kid. I can get more if you want 'em. Been meaning to tell ya, you look really cool.

his skin colorations, markings, the horns, the eyes? it's badass.]

Chrollo Lucilfer | OTA

[crossreversed]

1. A Treasure Trove of Tapes

Chrollo has never seen so many books, games, or movies in one place. Not ones that worked, anyway. And better yet he could understand all of them *and* there were plenty of things he wanted to watch. He was up late at night, but not in the room with all the sleeping bags. Instead he'd snuck off into one of the further rooms to watch movies and cartoons. He's brought some snacks with him, and while he's sad to be alone, the large spider with twelve legs has been keeping him company.

2. Unfamiliar Games

During the day, Chrollo has been steadily making his way through all of the available games. He's just not playing them. Instead he's reading all the rule books and looking over all the boards and pieces and reading all the cards that go with them. He might spend a little time moving things around, but soon enough he packs it up and puts it away and moves on to the next game to satisfy his curiosity.

[fogsong]

Sharon came to check on the children staying in Entertainment Feed for a time. It was late enough that she figured they'd all be asleep, tucked into the sleeping bags. Her heart pinches when she glances over the empty one she'd spent a few nights in. For the first time in Alessa's life, she'd felt accepted by the world. She'd had friends for a small time, friends she'd never have the chance to really have, and Sharon felt a flash of bitterness at the whole situation.

Why couldn't she have had that back home? Her life would have turned out differently then. She might never have had to lock herself in the bathroom. She'd never have wound up alone with the janitor. Things could have been better.

Sharon shook those thoughts from her head. She knew better than to linger on the what-ifs, knew it'd just make her feel worse. She forced her attention back on the other bags, each one with a shed Sleeper nestled within. Except... that one had been Chrollo's. It's easy to assume he's returned to normal just like she has but she still decides to search the Feed. When she comes across the room he's in, she knocks on the open door.

"Hey, can't sleep?"

[crossreversed]

The twelve-legged spider is sitting on Chrollo's lap when the door to the room opens, and he lifts up slightly to look towards the door. He doesn't recognize the woman in the doorway, but her aura is odd in the same way Alessa's was, the flow of it weird compared to the normal wispy evaporation.

"Yeah," Chrollo answers, reaching for the snacks. He's been in here since before most of the kids were going to sleep, and he might sleep in here too. The chairs are pretty comfortable.

"Has Alessa come back?"

By now he's realized that most of the kids are like him; they're adults who have been displaced by a younger version of themselves. This woman might be her, but they don't look alike except for their weird auras. Chrollo has been carefully keeping notes for himself.