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[The PDA clicks on when Alex rolls over onto it. For a while there's just darkness and a scraping noise as the virus gets up. Slowly. Unsteadily. The PDA is peeking over the side of his breast pocket, his lower torso and legs visible as he sits up. You can see the flap of his pocket occasionally getting in the way of the lens as he moves to look
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That's what gets her to start a feed. More than a desire to explain where he is, why he is, and who to hate for it, Lenalee's busy worrying about why on earth he looks like he just crawled out of a war zone. ...he doesn't seem to be in any pain, given how dedicatedly he's working on that surly attitude, but. Kanda's always been the same way. So a video feed clicks on (and she almost instantly wishes she'd gone for audio instead), revealing a young woman who likewise has a bit of that 'last-slept-when-she-was-dead' look going on.]
This is Nesreca. It's a city in Russia. A girl named Libitina brought you here... she'll be giving you a room number sometime soon, if she hasn't already. I'm afraid you won't be able to get home from here.
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[Shit! How'd he get all the way to Russia? His mind is already racing, thinking about a way home. The smallest body of water he'd have to cross would be getting to Alaska. Then he could go through Canada... it'd take a while to get to New York but he could manage. Getting through the quarantine on Manhattan Island would be the hardest part though.
...Oh he spaced out there. He gives the girl on the other end a long look. He doesn't recognize her but she seems to know what's going on.]
Yeah. Met her kind of.
And what's stopping me from just walking out this city?
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Lenalee's brow furrows the slightest amount as he sizes her up, feeling distinctly uncomfortable under the inspection of those strange eyes.]
Libitina herself, I imagine. [She doesn't know for sure, because she never did find the time or an opening to hunt for other cities in the area.] She's very adamant that everyone she brings here stays here. But even if you do try and leave, the only city we know of is just across the river, and beyond that there's just forest. You could try and get into Credinta- the other city- and travel from there, but they've ostracized us and will most likely arrest you on sight if they see any indication that you came from this side. And there simply isn't enough food here to supply anyone for a longer trip... we've had to steal from Credinta just to survive without ever even leaving.
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I'm going to test whatever these boundaries if they exist.
[A beat.]
What supplies are needed? [Just in case he comes back.]
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[And she cuts herself short, looking torn. She really ought to explain the concept of alternate worlds, or at least that time in his won't pass while he's here, but... they need supplies, and if he's willing to get them... In a somewhat guilty tone:] Medical supplies. Gauze, sutures, antiseptic... forceps, if we can get them.
[All very basic, because let's face it. Girl doesn't have the first clue what 21st century medicine is like. But there's something more important on her mind, which takes precedence even over medicinal care:] And food- any kind. We've been surviving mostly on vegetables and non-perishables for months. [And Allen's getting pretty damn malnourished looking. :T] I'm not sure what kind of animals live around here, but in June, we heard wolves, so there must be something out there for them to hunt. If we can get some- rabbits, or something, we could smoke them, o-or...
[And cutting herself off again. Shouldn't have asked her that question, man. There's too much that they need.] I'm sorry, I don't mean to give you a list of things to bring back. Time here... it passes differently, so you really don't need to run off. When Libitina sends you home, it will be the same day as the day you left, no matter if you're here for a week or six months.
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[He seems incredulous that no attempt has been made to escape this place. Still, these are normal people. In the presence of any kind of authority, most people are inclined to do as they're told.
He's not about to believe the part about time not passing. He doesn't even believe he's in another world yet. He decides not to comment though- everyone here seems to take it as truth and there's no point in arguing.
The long list of supplies doesn't seem to phase him; he's not surprised that there are such needs in a dump like this. He figures that it'd be best to grab what they need so they'll have a better chance to make a break for it like he will.]
I should be able to get most of that. Credinta is the neighboring city, right?
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[That incredulity comes as little to no surprise to her- most everyone reacts with that "why haven't you tried to leave?" when they first arrive. And she'd tried to leave, she really had, but then the apartments disappeared and Kanda got himself repeatedly stabbed, and she'd ended up staying behind even after everything came back just to keep everyone close-by.
Giving him as emphatic a look as Lenalee ever did make:] It is, but like I've said, it's not a good idea for us to go there very often. They won't hesitate to arrest us if they so much as catch someone coming over from this side of the river. Especially [and here, she looks a little uneasy; how is he going to react to her bringing up that speed-and-crater deal of his?] if we exhibit any... extraordinary abilities.
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I've dealt with a lot tougher than just police. [After all, he'd laid to waste hoards of infected, military, Blackwatch, supersoldiers and hunters. He wouldn't even have to kill anyone if he got noticed. This should be easy. ...Shouldn't it?] Do a lot of people here have, what you say, extraordinary abilities?
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Cautiously:] Yes. You're not the first person I've seen move so quickly.
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The other you've seen move like me, were they...
[He looks for the right way to phrase this. Again with words not being his forte. And normally he wouldn't care, but he feels stupid saying 'zombie'. And if he said 'infected' it may raise a few uncomfortable questions about his own nature.]
...Were they right in the head?
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...Though it probably says something that after all her time here, she still finds herself actually hesitating before giving an answer.] Yes. Yes, they're fine.
What do you mean 'right in the head'?
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He waves a dismissive hand.] If you're saying they're fine, then it wasn't what I thought. Don't worry about it.
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Is there anything else you want to know?
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He looks away, uncomfortable.]
A lot. But I don't think I'll be getting my answers from the people dragged here.
Though...
[A moment as he thinks.]
...The ones you said moved like me. Who are they?
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...A friend of mine. [Though, sorry, she won't be giving him Kanda's name. She will, however, fix him with a level look as if daring him to ask for one, and add:] And me.
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It's a useful skill.
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