video, un: j.k. [post-butterfly effect]

[aeturnus]

[ On the screen is one Cain, also known as Romulus, commonly known in the city as Jacob Kane. He looks normal. Normal as he's ever looked, really, but the confidence that he lacked during the recent event is back in full force and he's very nonchalant about it all. He's at a flimsy-ish table with a laptop off to the side where the camera is obviously his propped up phone instead. ]

Hey! Long-time no talk, Riverview Quarantine. Just a few things. If you met me over the last week and a half or so, that was... technically me but not. You know that thing that was going on? Yeah, that. Don't worry about it. Forget about all that.

Quick catch-up for those who have (or haven't!) met me, I go by Jacob Kane nowadays. [ Not Romulus. Nope. This total 180 is completely normal considering he hardly looks any older or different at all. ] My job while I'm here is designing phone apps. I've been here for about two months now and I think this is my first actual post on the network. Anything interesting happen while I wasn't looking?

to Doom; Still good for lessons?

to Shai; Thank you. For everything you did.

to Natsume; Seen anything like our colorful friend lately?

Comments

[aeturnus]

No one falls all rules all the time. Then we'd all be pretty similar, huh?

[scholiast]

Yes.

(A horrible thought, really.) I've been to worlds where it's like that. Where we had to follow a lot of rules, I mean. It was awful.

[aeturnus]

What kind of rules?

[ Just enforcing tons of meaningless laws and rules seems like a good way to kill a country, or the spirit of the people in it... ]

[scholiast]

Curfews, certain ways we had to behave. Sometimes worlds were uninhabited, but others were home to people who ran their lives according to rules we weren't exempt from.

It... makes sense. We were staying on their planets after all, so it made sense to abide by their laws. But... sometimes it was hard, and boring.

[aeturnus]

Did you ever check out the other countries? Or different cultures?

[ He finds it hard to believe that so many worlds in the vast universe would only have one culture per planet. Surely not...? ]

[scholiast]

Sure. But we had to stay closest to wherever the light fell, so. We'd be in more or less the same place for the entire cycle, unless we didn't see it fall at all.

(Those were the worst cycles.)

[aeturnus]

Never figured out some kind of radar for it?

[ Ouch. ]

[scholiast]

Nope. Not for lack of trying, though.

I'm hoping we can figure out a way to track it more reliably soon.

[aeturnus]

Maybe you could use some of the time here to figure it out. Did you ever record any of the readings?

[ What with her journal-keeping and all. ]

[scholiast]

I did, but...

(She frowns.) I only had one journal with me when I crossed over. The rest are on the ship.

[aeturnus]

Ouch. Think you could remember any of it?

[ He's trying to help??? ]

[scholiast]

Probably, if I sat down and dedicated an afternoon to it.

(If she closes her eyes real tight and thinks, she can remember her journals spread out in front of her in her quarters on the ship. Hopefully she can glean something from that.)

I really should start looking into a way to have all my information with me at once.

[aeturnus]

Oh, that's not too hard. We should get you a laptop or tablet or something. They've even got ones you can write on that will convert it to plain text...

[ Now he's thinking about it. ]

It'd basically be like a journal with thousands of pages and none of the bulk.

[scholiast]

Oh, like– is this another electronic thing?

(She's a bit confused, but the whole thing sounds very positive.)

That would... that would be a real game changer, honestly.

[aeturnus]

It is. We can take a look around later for one you might like, see what prices come out to be. I'm sure it'll help.

[scholiast]

Okay.

Thank you, Cain. You really should let me help you with your magic, in that case.

[aeturnus]

Help with it?

[scholiast]

Yeah, let me teach you some things. I could teach you prestidigitation.

[aeturnus]

Party tricks?

[scholiast]

You know it. Maybe even some wards, if you think they would come in handy.

[aeturnus]

What kind of wards?

[scholiast]

Guarding wards, to protect objects or places. Always handy to know, just in case.

[aeturnus]

You're right, that would be cool, too. Little more useful than party tricks.

[scholiast]

Mmm hmm. I think there can always be a balance, though. Time for work and time for play.

[aeturnus]

Except when work is play, then you're just outta luck. Or maybe very in luck?