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[azhdarchidae]

[The device is attached to the trunk of a tree. An enormous beaky head swings into view, one red eye looking into the screen. The beak opens and emits a series of hoarse caws and croaks. A girl's voice sounds at the same time, only vaguely in synch with the beak's movements.]

Testing. Test-ing. Okay, you either work or you don't.

The hell is this?

Comments

[earphonics]

[minato isn't sure what to make of the newcomer on the network; rather, he's sure that it's some sort of dinosaur, however impossible that may be, but it's the sight and sound that's throwing him off a bit.]

... Yes, this is more time travel. [excuse his loquaciousness. when creatures like this are extinct where you come from and the only ones remotely like it are demons summoned by shooting yourself in the head, you tend to get confused easily by seeing pterosaurs on your communication device's screen.]

You're in the City. You've been brought here from your world, at whatever point in time that might be. It's fun, isn't it?

[azhdarchidae]

[Janine puts her long face alongside, looking at the screen out of one big eye from close enough that said eye - which is about orange-sized - fills most of the view. It's mostly red iris, with a round pupil. She stares at Minato; rather than blinking normally a pale translucent membrane slides from the corner of her eye, covers the whole thing, and retracts.]

[At last she pulls back somewhat.]

Oh God that's weird.

[earphonics]

[uh.

we're a bit concerned now, but thankfully he manages not to flinch while the show goes on. he's never actually seen a dinosaur up close, so the whole eye thing only makes his own widen in response. for a second, he holds his own device out in front of his face, putting some distance between himself and the image.]

I agree.

[azhdarchidae]

It hasn't even been two weeks and I went and forgot just what human noses look like. That's... kind of pathetic. Wow.

Anyway. City. What's it called? Where is this, and when?

[earphonics]

[minato takes a moment to touch his nose and make sure it's still intact. right. strange creatures saying equally as strange things. moving on.]

It's... The City. Beyond that, it doesn't seem to have a name, unless you feel like giving it one of your own. As for 'when'... [he shrugs.] Dunno. The technology here is modern, at least.

[azhdarchidae]

[She's amused that she got someone to do that. The last of the adrenaline's ebbing now. Janine's afraid that at any moment now she'll be back in Moriarty's jaws, but she's not going to think about that.]

Right... Question, Noseman. What year is 'modern'? What kind of tech?

[earphonics]

It doesn't seem to be much different from what I'm used to, and I come from the 21st century. I can't really talk for the rest of the place, though. [another shrug. he does that a lot, usually.] There are average devices around -- computers, as well as these things. [shaking the device in his hands, yep.] If anything, the City accommodates us pretty well.

Ah... I'm Minato, by the way. Minato Arisato.

[azhdarchidae]

Twenty-first? Huh. ...Well, all right then.

Minato. And I'm Janine. How long've you been here?

[earphonics]

Good to meet you, Janine. [at least that answers the age-old question of whether or not dinosaurs have names.]

Not too long, actually. It feels like a day or two, so we're about as new as each other.

[azhdarchidae]

Likewise, I guess. Hope you didn't mind the nose thing. It really does feel like I haven't seen one of those in a while.

I'm guessing just... popping up here happens a lot.

[earphonics]

It's fine. It's always nice to know that I haven't lost pieces of my face. [there's a very quiet, very short chuckle.]

Popping up seems like how everyone else got here, so... Yes.

[azhdarchidae]

[Dry amusement.] My pleasure. Count on that, any time.

Do they ever randomly pop back out? Just disappear the same way?

[earphonics]

I don't see why not. Nobody's called the idea of getting out impossible so far, so it mustn't be too great a feat.

[azhdarchidae]

Huh. Well, thanks, I guess. Might be seeing you. Make sure you look up now and then.

[earphonics]

I'll be sure to. Keep an eye on the ground.

[azhdarchidae]

Always do.