=01=

[solaeuftderhase]

Ah, hello?

Hello?

Wow, this is pretty cool!

[Audio]

- Oh, the screen went away! And - it can hear me? Hello? [A laugh.] How fun! I wonder if this is -

[Video]

[A boy with a curious look to his face flickers onto the screen.]

- some sort of video - Ah, it is! [a friendly wave.] Hi there!

[An intent look returns to his face.]All right, now, I

Comments

[voice]

[cajuncardtrick]

Hm. I see we have another new one. Tres Bien. Who might you be?

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

So many voices, it's hard to tell them apart... I'm Souma Momiji! Hey, hey, who are you? Are you stuck too?

[audio]

[cajuncardtrick]

[He hesitates for a moment.]

My name is Gambit. And I do suppose I'm stuck too, come to think of it. Never really figured it that way, but I guess that's what it is. A lot of us are stuck here.

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

Gambit? A trick in a card game? [He grins.] It's how someone else described it to me. Well, it's nice to make your acquaintance!

[He suddenly notices something off screen, and disappears briefly before coming back.] Say, I have a question.

[audio]

[cajuncardtrick]

Haha. You've got the right idea. What's your question?

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

[After a light pause, Momiji comes back into view with the wallet.] Does this belong to me? I can't find any ID in it, and I'm pretty sure a kidnapper wouldn't leave their wallet with their hostage. [A laugh.] I feel like I'm in a spy movie!

[video]

[cajuncardtrick]

You're a funny kid, you know that? But--yes. That wallet is yours. I have yet to figure out why our captors give us provisions, but that's another story entirely.

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

Funny isn't a bad thing, right? [A laugh; he clearly doesn't think this is the case.]

[He rifles through the wallet.] A little more than my allowance... huh. Does that mean I pay rent here? [A blank look at the communicator.] Do the kidnappers want us to play house for real?

[audio]

[cajuncardtrick]

Well--I have never heard of being asked to pay rent, so not to my knowledge. I reckon we're here to have normal lives--as far as hostages can, anyway.

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

Here to have normal lives, huh... [A pause as Momiji grows a bit somber, followed quickly by a bright smile.] Well, that doesn't seem to be too out of skip with what I did back home! Can we go out into the city and stuff?

[audio]

[cajuncardtrick]

Oh yes. Mostly anything you want--just try not to leave. It don't work very well.

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

I see! That's what Mello told me, uh-huh. [A smile] Well, that's all right! I didn't have anyplace to be, so I guess hanging around here won't be so bad. Where did you come from, Gambit?

[audio]

[cajuncardtrick]

I come from a city by the name of New Orleans. Have you heard of it by any chance?

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

New Orleans? [A pause... then three nods all in a row.] Yes, yes I have! It's a city in America, isn't it?

[audio]

[cajuncardtrick]

It is. Louisiana, to be exact. What about you? Where you from?

[video]

[solaeuftderhase]

Waaaah, an American! Your Japanese is really good! [A laugh] I'm from Japan! Near Tokyo~