second dispatch ⚔[video]

[spycurious]

[It's Saturday evening. Long shadows are being cast through the library windows alongside gold shafts of light, framing the main desks of the library and the sensibly dressed man sat behind them.

The feed begins when he leans back after pressing the button to record.]

I am Benjamin Tallmadge. I've introduced myself before when I asked about firearms beyond the time of the 18th century on Earth. [It's been a stressful weekend, so he silently reminds himself to keep this to the point.]

Since last autumn I've been assisting Evelyn with the upkeep of the library. The purpose of this announcement is to open lines of communication for future reference. Similarly, if you have any questions about the library or about Wonderland, I would be more than happy to assist.

[There is a brief pause, in which Ben seems to reconsider addressing something else, then thinks better of being silent.]

I would also like to formally ask, in the interest of all of us protecting ourselves from possible threatening forces, for your assistance. I will be working with Commander Shepard and to help protect ourselves, we must keep our eyes and ears open. To that end, my intent is to gather and process intelligence--from you, if you choose to give it. Messages from Mirrors, experiences outside of events that are unusual even for Wonderland, no matter how innocuous.

At home, I am a Major in the United States Continental Army and General George Washington's Head of Intelligence during what will be known as the American Revolution, a war I am still fighting at home. I understand the gravity of a declaration of war and I know very well that many of us are still strangers to one another. I also know that if we cannot try to trust one another enough to work together, we will pay a heavy price.

My intent is not to alarm any of you, or to inspire fear, but to impart a spirit of cooperation. Any intelligence given will be vetted and confidential. Even the smallest details can turn the tide and save lives. A little trust can go a long way toward helping us defend ourselves from a deranged woman who, apparently, knows little about being a proper ruler. [He shakes his head. He's starting to digress.]

At any rate... If you've watched this far, I'm grateful for your time and consideration. You may contact me on the network or you may find me here in the library, if you have any questions to ask of me.

[Ben nods, leans forward and ends the feed there.]

Text

[ssmisery]

[The news brought on less of a freakout than may have been expected. I mean, not no freakout, but... Maybe it's because Lapis was already feeling a bit defeated, and already distrusted the carnival anyway. Maybe the declaration of war wasn't really a new development at all, just the nadir of a long, slow sinking feeling, something awful and inevitable clicking neatly into place. Maybe it had always been waiting there in the background. Maybe this can make her feelings on Mirrors less complicated, not more.

Because she had been thinking about trying to get better at dealing with them, but she had it all backwards, didn't she? She should be uncomfortable with the mirrors. She SHOULD hate them. Not because of her personal baggage, but because they're an enemy and they want to hurt everyone here. Maybe that would be easier.

Every particle of her being still screams that she needs to flee, but then that has already been the case since the day she got here, and escape is still quite impossible. When time passes and Lapis works her way back down towards numb, she just wants to know how screwed she is.]

so what can they do to us?