@captain.eide; video

[themostbest]

[The video feed pops onto the network like a fever dream, swaying back and forth, upside down and sideways, with occasional flashes of the walls of a private hospital room, the humming light of a force shield barrier over the door, and a TV in the corner showing a gameshow, a flash of a nurse wearing a breathing mask over her face.

Then, upside down, a face with wide violet eyes and red hair peers into the camera from far, far too close. Just for a moment, before the video feed starts moving jerkily up and down as Sigrun shakes it violently.]

How is this stupid little thing supposed to keep me occupied?!

[It's halfway between plaintive and annoyed, and the nurse can be heard in the background, protesting that she's using it wrong, and Sigrun's loud argument that she 'ISN'T STUPID!' and 'KNOWS WORDS!' before the video cuts out.

...and then cuts back in a few moments later.]

Like this?

[Now it's right side up and Sigrun is staring squarely into the camera, wearing a simple grey scrub top and with her mouth pursed up crookedly, and a skeptical expression on her face.]

Helloooo? I was told there were people to talk to in this thing.

Comments

video | un: mantis

[glowfeelers]

[ Oh! Someone on the network is saying hello, and Mantis takes the opportunity to give the most simple of responses: ]

Hello!

[themostbest]

[When she sees the video, Sigrun's eyes go...well, about four sizes wider, and she makes a little yelp.]

Whoa! What are you?!

[A beat, and she remembers what they said while they were dragging her over to the hospital after she showed up. That this place has all sorts of weird people, but they're still people. Right.]

Hello.

[glowfeelers]

I am Mantis! Who are you?

[themostbest]

Uh. Sigrun. Sigrun Eide. Never heard a name like Mantis before.

[glowfeelers]

Hello Sigrun Eide! It is nice to meet you.

I have not met another Mantis before, either! Although, I am told that there is another Mantis in another world.

[themostbest]

Nice to meet you too.

Wait, they said something about other worlds, but I didn't get it so I figured it was fake. Is it real? Do you just mean some other girl named Mantis, or like, another YOU?

[glowfeelers]

Yes! There are many worlds, and many people here from those worlds. Time and space work very strangely here, so even people from the same world may have differing memories.

She is another me! Some people here have met their other selves, but my other self is not here.

[themostbest]

That sounds really confusing.

[That's putting it lightly. Sigrun flops back against her pillow, idly swaying the phone a little bit. Sorry about that.]

I bet there's no other Sigrun Eide out there.

[glowfeelers]

It is very confusing.

There may not be! But if there is, then you could be friends with yourself!

[themostbest]

Whoa. What?

[Sigrun's eyes widen at that. She's never thought that before.]

I'd probably be a great friend. Or I could battle myself to the death!

text; UN: Maverick

[deploy]

Yep. We live in here. For your amusement.

[themostbest]

[She squints at that, in sheer disbelief.]

No way. Do I look stupid?

[deploy]

I didn't say that, but now that you mention it... Just kidding.

Besides, what does the opinion of a tiny little man mean anyway?

[themostbest]

I wasn't asking because I cared about your opinion. Just because I don't believe you about being a tiny little man.

[A beat, and she's suddenly smirking.]

At least not small enough to fit in this thing. The nurse already explained it just shows me pictures or words from other people who aren't here. See, not stupid, so stop treating me that way!

[Another beat, and then-]

I take it back. I think I do believe you when you say you're a tiny little man though.

[Ouch Sigrun. Low blow.]

video; un: yakyuu.luvr

[yakyuuman]

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!

[ The camera is way too close to his face, but at least this muppet sounds friendly? ]

That's right! People talk about a lot of stuff all the time here! You can get super cool friends that way!

[themostbest]

Whoa. That's a lot of yeahs.

[For a moment, she stares soberly, then she cracks a slight smirk.]

Do they talk about anything interesting??

[yakyuuman]

Ehhh, depends by what you think is interesting! The posts are there so you can scroll down and see what tickles your fancies! You can also come up with a topic of your own and find people who are into the thing, or get into internet fights with people you disagree with!

[ He learned more about the internet here than back home where he really didn't have access to it. ]

[themostbest]

[The enthusiasm is catching, and pretty amusing after all the sad sacks she's been around for the past while back home. And, well, the sad sack she's been herself. Not that there's no reason for it. Not that she's been forcing herself to deal with it so she can pretend she isn't a sad sack anymore.]

Huh. Mostly I think fighting is interesting, I bet there are tons of people here who are into that. These internet fights sound great.

[A beat.]

What's an internet?

[yakyuuman]

[ Wow, that sounds like a punchline! He snorts, failing to hold back a chuckle. ]

Hehehe! Sorry, sorry, I'm not making fun of you, it's just the way you said all of that was funny!

[ Jyushimatsu gestures vaguely with his hands, long sleeves waving left and right. ]

There are some people who don't know how internet works either! I never cared about it until I arrived here! Anyway, uhhh... [ He's the most unreliable person to ask these questions to, help. ] Internet is... a biiiiiiig place where you can chat with other people without having to meet them in person, like what we're doing right now! That's it! And internet fights happen when you yell and insult at each other through the screen! Nothing really physical!

[themostbest]

[Normally Sigrun would be pretty offended at someone bursting out laughing at her like that, but she's self-aware enough that she can tell she sounded kind of funny. Thing is, she's never heard of an internet, and the most she can figure out about it is it has something to do with this little radio and maybe computers, which she distinctly remembers as those broken boxes with glass in them that Mikkel said the information about a cure for the Rash might be in.

Doesn't make sense.

So she pays attention to this guy's explanation, which, frankly, is the best possible explanation because it's simple and not technical. Sigrun is the opposite of a technical girl.]

Wait, the internet is a place? How do you fight a place...

[Then it clicks.]

Oh, so you fight with people in the internet! Wait... [In a place with someone, but also not meeting them in person? What?] ...this is giving me a headache.

[yakyuuman]

Hmmmm!

[ He tries to think of better ways to explain it. This is Hard. ]

You know when someone pisses you off and you punch them in the face? That, but you do it with words or text because you're not near each other! It's still a fight, but not a fight fight, yeah? You can't reach through the screen to punch them, which I know it can be pretty frustrating!

[themostbest]

[For a moment, she stares with one brow furrowed up in an expression of disbelief.]

Oh yeah, I know what an argument is. I just don't get the... [She waves a hand back and forth as if it could make her brain work faster or better.]

You know. Where. Where are we fighting?

[yakyuuman]

Here! On the internet!

[ He's run out of words that make sense already, forgive him. ]

Arguments, yeah! That was the word I was looking for! I guess you never texted someone before?

[themostbest]

[...she still doesn't get it, but let's be real, she's pretty used to not quite getting it. Who cares, as long as she's functional and able to do her job and protect the people she's with? She can talk on the internet, who cares what it is?]

Nope. There's letters where I come from, but no internet or computers, at least anymore. And no texting!

[yakyuuman]

... Eeeeh? You mean there were actually computers in your world?

[ Reverse technology??? He makes a loud, confused noise. ]

Are you from some post-apocalyptic place?

[themostbest]

Used to be, a long time ago. But don't ask me about them, I don't know anything about computers.

[Does she seem proud of that? She just might.]

Uhhhh, post-apocalyptic? If you mean a place where a virus wiped out most of the world, then yeah.

[yakyuuman]

Uh-huh, that's what a post-apocalyptic scenario is usually like, at least from what I've seen in movies!

[ Almost everything out of ordinary he'd seen in media, he's quite an Expert (he's not). ]

You must be a pro at surviving, I bet!

[themostbest]

What's a movie?

[This is a very interesting conversation, she's learning so much. And it's exactly the kind of useless but fun thing she enjoys learning. As opposed to, like, reading books and math and stuff.]

You bet I am! I wasn't a Captain in the Troll Hunter army in Dalsnes for nothing!

[yakyuuman]

[ He feels like he's burdened himself with the duty of infodumping and this is so taxing for his brain since he never uses it 3/4 of the time. Truly, he needs a nap after this. ]

Movies are, uhhh... fake depictions of various stuff! Like a drawing, but with real people acting it out! Imagine your world but with actors and special effects instead of the real deal!

[ He's trying his best... ]

Trolls? You have trolls over there?

[ No internet trolls for sure, but he sure watched that bad Trolls movie at some point. ]

[themostbest]

[That earns a blank stare and a couple of blinks from her, before she grins a bit.]

Sounds cool. I'll have to try one of these movies. You watch them, right?

[That much, she gathered. But when he talks about trolls, she leans in a little, both her brows raising.]

Of course. Does your world have trolls?

[yakyuuman]

Sometimes I do! If we have a movie night I'll surely hit you up, though I think we've also got theatres around here. It's even better over there, trust me!

[ If that didn't imply he'd take her on a... date... he would get out of his way to suggest the idea more.

He leans back as she leans forward, blinking owlishly. ]

Nah, don't think so? There are weird things in my world, but trolls may not be one of them!

audio; un: worstwitch

[bastardofipswich]

Bonjour! Bienvenue en Quarantaine! Comment vous appelez-vous?

[ Look, he's bored, he's going to try to troll you with high school level French. ]

watch out Chase, she's a troll hunter.

[themostbest]

What nonsense is this.

[Deadpan.]

Great, are you another one that can't speak Norwegian?

yessss excellent

[bastardofipswich]

Quoi? [ In an overly dramatic gasp: ] Merde! Ce traducteur est cassé!

[themostbest]

[.....a beat. A very long beat. While she stares blankly at the screen.

For a moment, she misses Tuuri, misses being able to yell for a translator, even though that's stupid because Tuuri didn't know whatever language this is, and that's the stupidest possible reason to miss Tuuri. There are too many reasons.

Ugh. Depressing, too depressing.]

The only thing I could make out from that is there was a swear. I hope it was a good one.

[bastardofipswich]

[ He's half-tempted to KEEP ON GOING and start spouting out nonsense sentences in French, buuuut...

He'll be nice. For once. ]

It means 'shit.'

[themostbest]

[Ah! That makes her smirk.

Not only that he's speaking normally now, but that he finally broke down and talked to her because of a swear.]

Hah! Shit. That one I know. Drittsekk is my favorite, personally.

[bastardofipswich]

[ SWEAR WORDS: THE THING THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER. Chase grins, though I guess he's on audio so it can't be seen. BUT PERHAPS IT CAN BE HEARD IN HIS VOICE. ]

Sounds hardcore. What's that mean?

[themostbest]

[Oh, if there's anything Sigrun can hear clear as day, it's a grin on someone's face when they talk.]

Shitbag. Feel free to use it, it sounds far better in Norwegian.

video; un: sg.rogers

[livingsymbol]

There is. That connects all of the devices similar to yours in the city. It makes communication a lot easier. And I guess it does keep us occupied for a while.

[themostbest]

Is it like radios?

[Leaning in, she peers at the big blond guy on the screen.]

Radios don't send pictures though.

[livingsymbol]

It's similar. You can send video to other people and choose who you want to contact to keep the transmission secure if you want. Pretty convenient.

[themostbest]

Sounds like it. It's really small too. I'm used to radios being big.

[A little sigh.]

It's going to be hard to get used to this place.

[She looks really tired for a moment.]

[livingsymbol]

They figured out a way to make more efficient power cells and smaller receivers. These things are more complicated than any radio. But they can be convenient. You can write messages and send them from anywhere.

[themostbest]

I don't really understand any of that, but neat! Complicated and convenient seems about right.

[Her brows raise at that.]

Yeah, the text thing, isn't it? I've done that a bit, mostly on that Friendr thing.