1 [@necromantica:video]

[burntbridges]

[Letha's confusion over this new technology is clear from the first moment of the video. She's turned on the camera facing away from her, showing her desk full of neatly organized piles of paper, all forms with neat cursive scrawled across them. The angle is skewed, camera shaky, and she keeps moving it as she tries to figure out the device.]

There's absolutely nothing like this in my world...

[Sure, she'd tried very hard to follow the orientation instructions, but she's handling it much like a grandmother with her first smartphone. She finally gets it turned around, but that just gives viewers a worm's eye view of her shocked face as she sees the unflattering angle and turns it back around to her desk.]

If only I could write on these, it would be so much simpler. Well, anyway. Can anyone hear me? I thought it might be prudent to contact this 'network'... and see if anyone who understands these... inventions better than me could lend me a hand.

[Go easy on her, she's never even seen a telephone or typewriter before.]

Comments

{ video }

[inthemoonlight]

[ Oh, someone who is also struggling! Cecelia opted for a tablet, because it was closer in size to a book. She feared she'd leave the smaller device somewhere and lose it, so she asked for this one. The video she has figured out, but it is quite a hassle to hold the tablet out for long periods of time, so she's carefully propped it up on a table, anchored by mugs on either side and a bowl behind. ]

Hello, hello. I can hear you, and I admit these things are quite strange, are they not? My name is Cecelia Wynn, and while I am not the expert you are seeking, I simply had to share my woes with you. [ She chuckles. ] I fear I have forgotten half of what I was taught about how to use these things already!

[staystrong]

I always wanted my own cell phone, so these aren't so bad.

[She got a fancy smart phone, like what one of her neighbors had before the shit hit the fan.]

My handwriting is crap anyway.

[burntbridges]

[This gets a bright smile out of her, although Cecelia won't see it since she's still too in the dark to figure out how to show her face.]

I had a great-aunt named Cecelia. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance - my name is Letha Regis. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only person having trouble with it.. I've only met one person thus far that didn't seem to be from the distant future.

[burntbridges]

Is that what these are?

[The word 'phone' really means nothing to her... and going from sending letters by post to having a touch screen at her command is way too much of a shift.]

[inthemoonlight]

[ Cecelia smiles back. It's strange to not see the face of the person she's addressing, but she can hear that Letha is pleased. ]

Did you? I am afraid I've not heard the name Letha before, but it sounds lovely. Are you a Miss or Mrs Regis?

[burntbridges]

Mrs, although my husband isn't around in this reality. At least not as far as I know.

[That, and she's dead so they technically aren't married anymore. But both of them tend to ignore that fact.]

And you? Do you have a husband?

[inthemoonlight]

I did, yes. Sadly, he passed away.

[ And her life sort of fell apart after that from the rumors and suspicions alone, hence why she appeared here. ]

I would be more concerned with being here had I left him behind, but there is nothing really tying me to home any longer.

[burntbridges]

I can relate. As much as I'd like to return to my world... all that's waiting for me there is my inevitable disappearance from history.

[She has a somber voice, but after a pause she cheers right back up.]

I'm sure that doesn't matter much, though. We're here now, by whatever magic brought us here. And I intend very much to stay alive here.

[inthemoonlight]

Goodness! That sounds serious, if you do not mind my saying so.

[ Staying alive here? Very serious, it seems! Perhaps it's not proper to delve any deeper, but, well Letha did bring it up. ]

Are things really so awful at home that your life is at risk?

[burntbridges]

[That gets a quiet laugh out of her.]

Oh, no. I had already lost my life back home. A long time ago. But... for various complicated reasons I was in danger of losing my existence instead. That's much more important in my opinion.

[inthemoonlight]

I... see.

[ No, she doesn't see. Is this some kind of metaphor? Surely it must be because how can someone lose their life and yet be here talking to her? Ghosts don't exist. ]

I shan't press you to speak of complicated matters. It sounds very... involved. Perhaps we should bond over this strange world instead. Or strange moon? Is it a world because we live upon it, or still a moon?

[burntbridges]

Well, I suppose that's up to interpretation. Everything is only what one decides to call it. And in that case, we may as well call it a world.

[While they're speaking, she finally manages to prop up her tablet in a way that shows her at a flattering angle.]

There we go... is this crooked at all?

[inthemoonlight]

Oh, not at all! You look quite centered. Hello again.

[burntbridges]

Hello!

[She waves politely, still looking nervous with the whole set-up. Now that she can step back from the camera, Cecelia will be able to notice that despite her old-fashioned clothing she's not wearing a corset - in fact, she's wearing an adjustable dress. Hmm.]

If you don't mind me asking, what year do you remember it being back in your world? You're the only person I've met who seems to come from a similar life.

[staystrong]

Well yeah. I mean, I think most of them were. I know we could pick from a few types, but they were all basically phones and other communication devices, I think.

[Can she play solitaire on this? She has no idea how to play it but she might try and figure it out anyway.]

What's yours look like?

[burntbridges]

It's... big? One of the bigger ones they offered, I thought it would be harder to break. It's sort of shaped like a book. A short one, granted, but those are often the least dull.

[She's still trying to figure the tablet out, so Clem gets a shaky view of Letha's desk and little else.]

Are you from a world where these are normal?

[staystrong]

... Sort of.

[They used to be normal, anyway. The whole zombie apocalypse thing had taken care of that. No one would be coming out to fix the wi-fi any time soon.]

I never had one, though. Carrying around a bigger one sounds like a hassle.

Video

[ragnarsson]

If you figure this out, be sure to let me know.

[The vaguely European accented voice comes from a teenager with not only blue eyes, but blue sclera. Ivar had been struggling to use his own phone for a while. The video is all out proportion, so he'd settled for propping it up on something, and scooting back a few feet so that he can actually be seen. Fortunately, he's smart. He'll figure this out eventually.]

Video @lolococo416

[threatenwithcuteness]

Your world must be really boring.

*Gee Lola, way to jump right to a judgment. Lola's using her own phone so she's not really having any adjustment issues to this network. Some of her apps don't work here, but she figures that's because they have nothing to connect to. She's got this confused little look on her face.*

How do you keep in touch with people without a phone?

[burntbridges]

Perhaps... but I can't think of a reason why I would need to take it away from my workplace. Anywhere else I can just speak to others in person.

[burntbridges]

I suppose it's only fair...

[Oh, this person looks different. She doesn't seem particularly bothered, more curious than anything.]

Say, your eyes are quite blue. Are you some sort of magician?

[burntbridges]

Oh, it's quite interesting when it wants to be.

[Although, it chooses not to be pretty often.]

I find it's fastest to find someone and speak in person if I need to talk to them. Of course there's written letters and contact through the Netherworld, but the effort often outweighs the urgency of information.

[threatenwithcuteness]

See, these are way faster and more personal than letters. And you can do it without leaving your house like in person. I have no idea what contact through the Netherworld is, but it sounds creepy.

*Not that technology isn't without its downsides, but Lola doesn't generally bring that up without prompting.*

[burntbridges]

It's not creepy, it's convenient. And it's the fastest and most personal method I know of. The Netherworld is the place that souls go after death, and... necromancers like myself and my family can visit there with each other and the dead. I can't think of anything more personal than that.

[inthemoonlight]

[ Hmm, that is something surprising, but politeness means she's not going to say anything about it. ]

It was eighteen hundred and fifteen, A.D. And what about for you?