video; un: 000000

[scryption]

WHO: Zero and... you?
WHERE: The network
WHEN: Late January
WHAT: Zero learns how to use a phone that isn't a piece of shit burner phone.
WARNINGS: Not many for now.

[video;]

[Good evening, Kaisou. Here is... a very unflattering video angle of a wide, pale forehead and grey eyes.



The voice that goes with it is distinctly... not friendly, a bit like a cranky British vampire who walked out of a novel, at least if she'd fix her camera.]

... Who are you people, and what do you want from me?

I don't have a car, and I am not interested in what you are selling. Do not call me again.

[Might need help with this new age boomer over here.]

Comments

[poisontippedcure]

The answer to that question is more complicated than you'd expect.

And you have quite a large forehead, if you don't mind me saying.

video; un: shadeshift

[sunforging]

...


. . .

[what]



Zero?

video; un: 000000

[scryption]

[And here we have the shot of a... hat brim? And a light on the ceiling? Someone is living in a piece of shit hotel room.]

[matter of factly] I did not ask for your opinion on my appearance, nor do I care.

You are a criminal who has been harassing me for money. How is this complicated?

video; un: 000000

[scryption]

[Now that gets her attention.

And for the first time in a long time, there is some... uncertainty in her voice, and in her heart. But the camera is showing some wall, sorry, maybe a leather sleeve?]

... How do you know that name?

[SHE HASN'T EVEN INTRODUCED HERSELF YET]

[sunforging]

[She flicked in ear in confusion, adjusting her glasses. No, definitely Zero. And even if she couldn't claim they knew each other well, Scintilla was silling to venture a guess she wasn't hard to know on sight herself.]

[Gears turned in her head for a second or two, a clawed hand tapping against her head in thought.]

Must be somethin' like Raha, then...? Sorry--don't totally grasp a lot 'f how these things work, so it ain't easy to explain. But you're probably...d'you live here, natively?

video; un: kesitakame

[hoshikiri]

[See, Takame won't SAY that's a very unflattering angle but... he ain't blind. What he is... or will try to be anyway is helpful?]

You aren't being sold anything, my lady. Do you need assistance with your phone?

[scryption]

[Hold on. That wasn't a funny hat.]

You... [......................] You have cat ears.

[She doesn't want to be doxxed, so she's vague about her origins:] I only arrived recently. [NOT HELPING] Should that matter?

[Why does her chest feel so tight?]

[poisontippedcure]

[She's gonna brush off that first part, mostly because Rose isn't exactly "better" at technology than Zero.]

I'm not a criminal, I'll have you know. I came from another world. If I wanted to commit crimes, I wouldn't do it over this device.

[sunforging]

Born with 'em, aye. [obviously, gosh] Oh, sorry--name's Scintilla.

I came here from 'nother realm, believe that or not. Met someone that looks n' talks just like you not too long afore I left.

[scryption]

[My lady? He talks funny.

Takame gets a shot of... a hat brim, and one eye...]

... Is it that obvious?

[hoshikiri]

[It is that obvious. But again, he won't say that!]

They're difficult devices to work. I've found that setting it against something on top of a table, for example, makes one easier to see on camera. Though if you'd prefer not to be seen, you may also change it to only detect your voice.

[scryption]

[That indignation sounds pretty honest. She thinks on it for a moment.]

That is a peculiar story to lean on when trying to hide the truth...

[In other words, there are more believable lies to tell.]

This is... [She searches her memory for something she's heard before.] ... like Facebook?

[Gods. Help. Her.]

I don't understand what is happening.

video --> voice;

[scryption]

[... That's a good point, actually.]

I think I see the option, now that you've pointed it out.

[The feed clicks over to voice only. But she sets it on the table regardless, judging by the soft thunk.]

I would prefer not to have my face broadcasted in its entirety. In the past it has been... inconvenient for me.

[scryption]

Scint— [Oh. Oh, that's a headache. It passes as quickly as it came, but it's hurting her to focus on it. She shakes her head as if to clear it.] Scintilla. Why is that so... I am certain we have never met.

[Of course, then she gets the answer, and it's not one that she... expects. Her memories tell her that it isn't a complete lie, but... y'know. It's crazy.]

... I don't understand. How is something like that possible?

[sunforging]

Don't know, t'be perfectly truthful. It ain't the kind of thing I understand for the most part, there's others that would know better'n me from more experience or study.

Lot of impossible things seem to happen here. Unbelievable, too.

partial text, mostly still video

[hoshikiri]

[He didn't blame her for it. Nice hat tho.]

For a mercy, Zodiac allows some measure of privacy with these devices. If you'd prefer your voice concealed as well, you may opt for your messages to come through only in text.

[He sends a quick text.]

Others may see your texts, though you are also able to see them.

I believe I should still be visible to you. [He bowed on camera, just as an example. He's helping!!]

[scryption]

Typing is... awkward. [She pauses.] I am not used to a glass screen, or the layout...

[b o o m e r]

Am I correct in assuming that you, too, are from another world?

[Assuming any of this crazy shit is true, which, honestly... it might as well be, she's seen some crazy shit herself.]

[scryption]

[She's even more confused, but if Scintilla is kinda too dumb to understand it then she'll just have to ask someone else. That's fine.]

I have seen unbelievable things in my own lifetime, but even this beggars belief. How long has this been going on...? [The talk of Kaisou dealing with the supernatural did not touch upon this AT ALL. Maybe it's a recent development. She doesn't even know how old that intel was.

The fact that there are some... deeply buried memories stirring makes her feel incredibly uncomfortable. Combined with the certainty that they have absolutely, positively never met... Her heart and her mind are saying two different things and she's at a loss.

She's never been one to listen to her heart anyway, not really. That would require feeling something, and she simply refuses to.]

[hoshikiri]

[touch screen was a mistake

He nodded, as if the multiple scales and horns were any indicator that he was an isekai. Let alone his manner of speaking.]

I am. I arrived during ah... October. [Still remembering the names of the months here. Given her unfamiliarity with the app, Takame assumed she was new to it.] Are you perhaps a native of this land?

[scryption]

[He could be an escaped experiment from a secret lab for all she knows, but probably not.]

I wouldn't say a native. [Seriously, the accent...] I'm from across the ocean. [That's. Not—] ... But I was born on this world, if that is what you meant.

Do you know why this is happening? I had heard about the more unusual aspects of this city, but that part was left out.

[hoshikiri]

I see. [you know what fair enough.

Knowing she was born in this world gave Takame a better idea of things, though. As for her question, he shook his head, concealing an inaudible and almost frustrated sigh.]

Unfortunately, I do not. How or why we from other worlds arrived here and those born in this world acquire the app is unknown to most of us. And Zodiac never responds when asked.

video: UN: trienemybest

[droptheious]

[Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh.]

No one's calling you? You called the app? I get it, they're pretty tricky.

[poisontippedcure]

Yes, which is why I can tell you for certain it's not a lie. Lying is too much work to begin with, even if it were a more believable tale.

[And she's too lazy to put in that effort.]

I'm not sure what a 'Facebook' is, but this is a network of sorts. We can use it to talk to each other.

video; un: 000000

[scryption]

[Here's... a shot of the ceiling? And maybe a partial hat? I'm so sorry Varian.]

If I did, it was not intentional.

[He sounds younger, though. Maybe he has more of an idea...]

I have only had this phone for a short time, yet the moment it was activated, I began to receive calls from strangers demanding I give them money. I assumed that this was more of the same.

[scryption]

... I suppose so.

[Begrudging acceptance is a... start.]

Convenient. Is it open to all in the city, or only a select few?

[Who clicks through things without reading? Yeaaaah.]