ONE mystery solved. [before siren.]

[troparion]

[STATIC[a loud, loud burst of it, lasting for maybe a second-- it cuts out just as abruptly as it was sent, though, focusing into a lopsided, water-droplet-marked camera view. the view would be of a completely soaked, obviously chilled-to-the-bone man with an unlit, soggy cigarette in his mouth, who was using one hand to tilt the NV side to side

Comments

[video]

[deceptive_lulz]

[Sarina greeted the camera with an awkward and somewhat forced smile of her own. At least this stranger wasn't faceless!]

It's ah pretty strange most of the time, if that counts as normal? Heheh?

At least you figured out your NV well enough, I think?

[Hey, you're already doing better than the last person she tried to help!]

video forever!

[troparion]

[she's also the first to return video. he's jerking back a bit, but... okay. okay, sure, this was explained. a-ahem...]

If it happens all the time, guess that's the definition of normal, so-- no reason for it not to work!

[a beat.]

NV? - Oh, yeah, uh - maybe. [slight cough.] I'm not the first with problems?

[deceptive_lulz]

Teehee~!

[She grins, amused. She was at least nice enough not to give examples, but it was all still pretty entertaining to watch.]

Certainly not!

[Oh right, this guy introduced himself and she hadn't yet. She was gradually getting better at this...]

I'm ah Sarina, by the way. Heheh -- Sarina Svenson. I've been here for a few months.

1/2.

[troparion]

[... he was already keying in to her laughter, but - she wasn't doing any harm (yet). so, not going to point it out.]

Nice to meet you, Miss Svenson. A few months, huh? How--

[troparion]

- A few months?

[deceptive_lulz]

[Congrats, man. Most people would be asking her if something was funny by now!]

Yeah...I've been here since September. Haha -- it's a little scary at first, but you kind of get used to it, after a while!

[troparion]

[he generally took 'haha this is funny' laughter and 'haha I'm utterly batshit' laughter as two different things. apologies, but hers has... already been sorted into the second category.]

[more importantly -]

But - wait, wait, no! Hold on! I can't-- I can't be here for months! Fuckin'-- there's gotta be a way back.

Everybody keeps sayin' there ain't, but -

[deceptive_lulz]

[It's all good, that would be the accurate assessment anyway.

Her smile faltered a bit at his display. Though it was still beyond her why people wanted to leave here, others -- like Alex -- at least drove the point that there were often loose ends that people had to tie up.]

I'm sorry, hahaha...there's a rumor that you might be able to control that kind of thing if you get a hole of the Core...but...they don't make it easy to access.

[troparion]

[running a hand over his face, trying his hardest to keep it together; the rain along was upsetting, though. so much of it.]

[gentler,]

There any chance of access at all?

[deceptive_lulz]

[She was...getting pretty used to that reaction. All of you aloof types were the same.]

Well uh I spoke with someone once that claimed they brought their ah "brothers" back, heheh. I'm not sure how they reached the Core...but it's too much of a coincidence to discount it.

[troparion]

[oi, he resents that mentalthoughtcomment.]

... Brought 'em here? You know who they were? Or if they're still around?

[deceptive_lulz]

Well, I don't know for sure if he brought them or not, but he talked about it!

I know one of them -- Liquid Snake. He's not actually his brother because he's from an earlier year in my world, but he should still be back.

[She scrunched a corner of her lip thoughtfully, before continuing.] I don't know if you'll find out much from him though -- heehee --he thought he was only gone for a few minutes, when it had actually been about a month and a half.

[troparion]

- Wait. [bit more wide-eyed, now, frown certainly there. a pause, then;] Sorry, girl, but can you rewind a sec?

This guy... was here, then he left - then he came back again?

[deceptive_lulz]

Yeah, that's what I said.

[She blinks, not understanding why he was so perturbed over it.]

I wish it would happen more often -- haha -- so that people could finish up what they needed to get done and come back!

[While she was getting a bit better about understanding why people didn't want to stay in the city, there was still that childish -- and somewhat selfish -- part of her left.]

[troparion]

... You haven't got anything "back home" to do?

[he couldn't believe-- no way back... the seconds were ticking; what if there was nothing to go back to by the time he could leave?]

[deceptive_lulz]

[At that, she looks down, away from the camera.]

I...heheheh...I have nothing left to accomplish there.