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[welcome_summer]

Display Name: Mayuko Shiraki
Profile Photo: Ta-da~
Notes: Mmmmmaybe some mentions of cults and the not-nice things they can get up to if it comes up?


[The video opens with Mayuko standing in the midafternoon light of her parlor. Three humanoid ghosts (a man, a woman and a young girl) look on anxiously from the side, the girl holding the leash of a hound puppy to keep it from interrupting the shot. It's hard to tell what the fourth ghost, a large inky shadow with glowing eyes, is feeling but they're there, too. Mayuko clears her throat and begins:]

Citizens of Sunset Falls and fellow Starfallen,

I was looking forward to making an announcement about the upcoming White Heart Festival here in Sunset Falls in the near future. However, something rather urgent has been brought to the local government’s attention.

As confirmed by Loki Odinson in yesterday’s broadcast, Thor Odinson, his brother and a candidate for the upcoming mayoral contest, has been taken via Confluence. I knew… well, a different Thor from the one that was here, in another place. But I knew him to be a warm soul and a stalwart defender of his community. He will be missed.

[She allows a brief pause before continuing.]

The ordinances of Sunset Falls require that, should there, inexplicably, ever be a challenger for Mayor West’s post, at least one additional challenger must join the contest. Given the mandatory voting period is fast approaching, said bylaws include a provision that says a selection may be made from a roster of the most recent hires by the city, who have survived at least two months as residents and/or in their position.

Therefore, under Sunset Falls’ bylaws (and the stipulations recorded within my employment contract with the city), I formally acknowledge my selection by lot and do hereby announce my candidacy for mayor. I would enter the post with years of experience living and working in a place much like Sunset Falls. A place where the weird and the unfathomable occurred on a daily basis, and yet together, we carried on. I hope that we here continue in that vein, and I will strive to the best of my abilities to protect and support Sunset Falls.

[She pauses again, this time more from a loss for words. The feed audio briefly fills with static as one ghost offers a suggestion.]

Questions? I don't know how many answers I'll have, but questions are welcome! And of course, thank you for your consideration.

Comments

( video )

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki flinches at the mention of thor before carefully burying it. instead he clears his throat, keeping his expression schooled. ]

Good luck to you.

Re: ( video )

[welcome_summer]

Thank you. The council's selection was an... unexpected honor, to say the least.

[That two candidates had put themselves forward in the first place had been world-shaking enough. Having to scramble a replacement had had the local government buzzing like a kicked hornet's nest. There hadn't been any time to waste.

The ghosts converse among themselves before the woman drifts to the side, out of shot. Evidently she'll play mod for the feed.]

Good luck to you, as well.

[dothelokimotion]

Mm. Unexpected is one word for it, certainly.

[welcome_summer]

[With the announcement portion over, the other three entities disperse while Mayuko takes the puppy's leash off. Her smile doesn't reach her eyes.]

Yes, there are other words I could use.

[Most of them are four letters long.]

I expected to run for the school board back home, not the full executive. And not even that until I have the seniority. Or clout. The gods laugh as we make plans.

[dothelokimotion]

[ dryly. ]

I'm not laughing all that much.

[welcome_summer]

You do seem to prefer other avenues of consternation.

[Mistletoe was not that long ago.]

[dothelokimotion]

Mine are not so long lasting.

text; @Sephiroth

[unkindled_madness]

Required by law, is it?

text, private

[welcome_summer]

Yes, required. It has to be "a contest" so leaving him to run unopposed was a no-go.

Would you have run if picked?

[unkindled_madness]

I suppose, if it enabled him to win.

[welcome_summer]

Perhaps that's why they skipped you. You're partial to him.

Not that I'm looking to defeat him, either. The position seems

fraught.

[unkindled_madness]

I assumed I was just less of an upstanding citizen.

[Do the authorities know they're together...?]

But no, I did not take you for... interested.

[welcome_summer]

Some of the others in the lottery might have been unaligned. it WAS just the second-from-newest hires, maybe you passed a seniority threshold?

I would be happiest with the library. Literally. I've heard the mayor in his office from the street, it's kinda sad.

[unkindled_madness]

Wouldn't seniority make a person more qualified? Or are you suggesting it's punishment?

He's clearly not suited to the position.

[welcome_summer]

I think it's more they want people capable of surviving Sunset Falls (so no new arrivals), but aren't in high enough positions to be overly costly to replace.

Have you seen the town records? He's been in office for longer than normal humans live. And before him, the mayors seldom survived the length of one term of office.

[unkindled_madness]

I hadn't looked into him, no. I suppose that's not surprising, in a place like this.

But it only adds to the question of your selection. You are human, aren't you?

[welcome_summer]

Not really, right? There's a local portal to the Underworld, it bound to mess with people's lifespans.

Yes, a non-magical human before coming to this world. Got a set of powers coming here, as Starfallen do. I didn't know any of the others, to identify which were metahuman and which weren't.

[unkindled_madness]

I meant that it's quite likely he isn't human at all. I wouldn't have expected proximity to the Underworld to extend life, but Earth is... strange.

The others?

[welcome_summer]

Not to cast aspersion on Ms. Dolores but I wonder if it's the same for her. Her name's been attached to the library for a long, loooooong time.

There were others in the lottery, the drawing for who would be the second candidate. Me and some people from other departments in the city went to City Hall and drew lots. I didn't know any of them, like I said, I'm only familiar with our own coworkers.

[unkindled_madness]

Do you consider that an aspersion?

It's a very odd way of doing things. Although I suppose those who seek power aren't necessarily ideal candidates.

[welcome_summer]

No, but it might be considered rude to speculate into people's metahuman or other supernatural states unless they offer first. Like asking a woman's age.

I can't imagine anyone wanting to wrangle with Sunset Falls. Unless they were a cultist, they're pretty stuck in things.

[They even have meetings! Regularly scheduled meetings! In public!]

[unkindled_madness]

[Sure it's rude to ask someone what they are, but-]

What's rude about asking a woman's age?

[welcome_summer]

[there is

a long pause

before:] because some women are sensitive about admitting how old they are, from vanity or from discomfort thinking about mortality. Also some cultures have prejudices about women and whether they are adhering to standards based on their age.

Even if honest inquiry, women more often expect there to be some comment or joke at their expense over flattery or true compliment.

[unkindled_madness]

I see.

[He doesn't super get it, honestly, but.]

I suppose there isn't often any reason to ask.