Conflict://004 - Night: [Video + Teneka]

[notglitching]

[The feed opens to a head angled slightly in a stare, attention flickering somewhere off-center before returning towards the display. Dark brown hair, blue-grey eyes, an expression somewhere between serious and calm. A new face-or not one anyone's seen in Promenade. And if the close black suit, or the shapes of light glowing blue-white across the

Comments

video;

[checksin]

[ Have a tiny human just staring at you. ]

[video + Teneka] foreeeever

[notglitching]

[ Tron stares back. Uncertainly. (Why is this function so small?) ]

...Greetings?

forever and ever you'll stay in my heart — wait i mean ...

[checksin]

Tron?

~together forever, that's how it must be...~

[notglitching]

...Yes. [He shakes his head slightly, expression bemused.]

And you are?

[meitori]

[Yuuta comes on with wiiiiiiiide eyes.]

You're glowing!

[Forgive him. He's eight.]

[notglitching]

[ ...so maybe the size is a systemwide effect. This place is strange. ]

...Yes. I- [Okay, the lack of circuitry is just... he's from another system. That's not normal.]

Why aren't you?

[meitori]

[Oh, is he talking about computers? He loves computers.]

Because... I'm not? Why would I glow?

[notglitching]

[...]

What is your function, program?

video | teneka;

[isomorphology]

Tron. You're here too?

video | teneka;

[notglitching]

[Disbelief crosses the program's features before they break into a reluctant grin. He shakes his head with a short laugh.]

You.

Isn't this somewhat farther than your usual explorations?

video | teneka;

[isomorphology]

[ Quorra just smiles happily in return. That little mischievous one that says he should be on his toes. But, thankfully for Tron, she hasn't managed to do anything just yet. ]

It is. I haven't seen anywhere look like this on Grid. Not even Arjia City looks like this.

video | teneka; <--- until mentioned otherwise

[notglitching]

[ Tron's smile turns faintly rueful. Arjia City aside, she's been in far more places on the Grid than her access privileges should cover. That he knows well enough. But this isn't the Grid. ]

It's... another system. It seems like there was some kind of unscheduled transfer. Though I've been unable to contact the local sysadmins, and the structure is...

[He hesitates. It's becoming increasingly unclear if this is "in-system" at all.]

voice;

[bitty_berry]

Are you lost too Glowy-san?

[video + teneka]

[notglitching]

[...another user? The reaction was close enough.]

I'm... not familiar with this system, no.

"San"?

[video + teneka] ...Some day I will remember to mark my tags right /headdesk

[bitty_berry]

You mean this city? It looks kind of like home. My house is here. But I think I'm lost.

...And, um, I don't know you Glowy-san, so I don't know if that's right. I'm sorry if it's not right.

[video + teneka] ...correct markage is overrated?

[notglitching]

[...Then this is the user world. Most likely.]

If your home is here... why are you lost?

[His tone softens a little at the clear uncertainty.] I'm Tron.

[video / teneka]

[corpsecakes]

[Here, have another small child to deal with. This one is staring intently at the feed, eyes wide with what could be fear.]

Why are you glowing? Do you have a slug inside you too?

[video / teneka]

[notglitching]

[...users are small. Very small. Flynn didn't mention this was such a pervasive trend.]

No. That's-you are a user, yes? ...human?

Those are my circuit lines.

[video / teneka]

[corpsecakes]

I'm a...human. [He says it warily, as though he's not entirely sure about it.] I think.

What are cir...circuit lines? Is that EVE?

[video / teneka]

[notglitching]

[...shouldn't a user know what it is?]

Circuitry... helps programs with sensation. [And varieties thereof.] And it can serve as identifying markers.

What is EVE?