acatalepsy_rpg | video, after the caverns

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video, after the caverns

So, correct me if I'm wrong about this.

[Hank doesn't bother with an intro, just starts right on in. The angle he's holding his wrist shows both his face and the stick he's dragging along the wall behind him, which has been in a fire at some point in the recent past and leaves a long black trail of ash over the wall as he walks.]

But when all you heroes trooped into the haunted caves under the mysterious freaky lake the communication plan was along the lines of, 'gee, if someone gets their feet ate off by some freaky bullshit I sure do hope they yell real loud so I can get there before they bleed out' right? I mean, I trust you guys know to make a post letting us all know if you need backup, but what if this- [Here the screen shakes as Hank wiggles his wrist, indicating the watch] -gets busted, or stolen, or whatever?

I don't know, I was just thinking, next time a bunch of us, or just anyone, goes into something that might get bad there should be some kind of post stuck to the top of our feed that we could all check, just something like this-

[He stops walking, still talking as he starts to scratch a little list in ash onto the wall beside him.]

Hey, I wonder how little Suzy's doing. Oh, she checked in an hour ago, she's probably fine.

[He writes Suzy on the wall, and a checkmark next to her name.]

How about JimBob the Murder Bot? Oh, he hasn't checked in for about seven hours, I should take someone to go look for him.

[Next to JimBob the Murder Bot he doodles a little skull. Sorry Jimbo, it's hard out there for a figurative probably-dead robot. Better luck next time.]

Or maybe you guys would rather do some kinda daily role call like in school or, hell, maybe it's just more fun to lone wolf your way through all this world saving shit, what do I know. Decide amongst yourselves. I might be around, I might not. Just thought I'd throw this out there. I'm gonna go eat.

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Shit, yeah.

[Hank finishes chewing as he talks, pointing his spoon at the screen.]

Checkpoints. That’s a great idea. We could keep one wherever a lot of us end up staying, if we can find some people who don’t mind staying home for a little bit while everyone else goes out to do stupid shit. Think I could put you on the list for that, since it was your idea?

[He's a very colorful fellow with his language, isn't he? Elizabeth isn't quite sure whether she should feel a little scandalized here or not.]

Of course, I should be happy to help. I am Elizabeth Bennet.

Cool, someone with a last name. Those are rare around here. I'm Hank Anderson.

[He digs leftover food out of his teeth with his tongue, looking at the screen thoughtfully.]

So, what's weird about you? Everyone I met here, even the ones who seem normal, got some secret freaky shit going on. What's it with you? Magic bullshit, or are you actually a robot? Kind of seems like those are the two options.

[She's suddenly reminded of Mr. Hurst. Elizabeth clears her throat momentarily.]

I am afraid I must disappoint you, sir. I am quite normal, aside from what abilities Astoria has seen fit to bestow upon me.

[Her brows rise a bit thoughtfully.]

Though perhaps the time I hail from is odd enough? It does seem most here are from ages far removed from my own.

Yeah, it does kinda sound like it. But hey, you know 'normal' is a pretty exclusive club around here, if you want in you got to give me those credentials. When and where? If I recognize any of it maybe I'll think about letting you in.

I come from England, in the county of Hertfordshire. At present the year is eighteen hundred and twelve.

[She can't help but sound a little cheeky and teasing now.]

Is that sufficient for your exclusive club, sir?

[He starts to smile a little, responding to her tone.]

Well, there's just a few questions I got to ask you first. Club rules, you know how it is. Just a little questionnaire type thing. What do you got in Hertfordshire? You got... houses? Cats, dogs, people, the dead that rise in the night and feed off brains and living flesh? You got taxes? Are there any apocalypses in your history, recent or long term? You involved in any cool historical shit like uh, piracy or revolutions or whatever they did back in the eighteen hundreds? Any or all of this miscellaneous fuckery could qualify or disqualify you, so think about it before you answer.

[Well there's quite a few questions. She brews on her thoughts a moment, an exaggerated look of thoughtfulness on her face.]

Beyond the current war I know of nothing like a revolution or an apocalypse. I certainly have had no hand in any of the business. We do have many houses and a fair few cats and dogs as well as people, though thankfully I believe those who have passed on remain that way.

[~~In her particular version of her canon anyhow.~~]

[He nods, playing up the assessing look he's giving her.]

Well then, I guess in that case I gotta award you with probationary membership into the Normal Club. As of now it's a club of two, until some secret weird pops up in someone's background cause you never know when that's gonna rear its ugly fuckin head.

[Although he would have had to admit her anyway, probably, even if she had said yes to the zombies. His Earth's got the android thing, after all. But Hank's not thinking about that.]

So what's your current war? I'm not that up on my history, that was always the kinda thing you forget the moment you pass the class, you know? I don't remember what was going on back then.

At present it is an ongoing conflict with the French and Napoleon. I was fairly young when the wars begun.

[Hank nods, pursing his lips.]

Gonna be honest, I don't know shit about that. I'll take your word for it.

[There is amusement in her expression and tone.]

To be perfectly honest, I only know a few things here and there. It is not precisely a topic one dives into often.

[Well, if they are female, that is. In Elizabeth's time the men much preferred talking business and politics during their time alone with one another after dinner. It wasn't strictly verboten when in the company of women but it wasn't typically dwelt on as often either.]

Yeah. [He shrugs.] For the best, I guess. There's always a war going on there somewhere anyway.

It does seem so, unfortunately. Even in these worlds we have traveled to so far. I suppose it is simply the price of being alive, if not the price of being human.

Yeah. [Shit, this got deep fast. He leans to one side and scratches a hand through his hair, and his voice comes out dry.] Almost makes you envy the robots, doesn't it.

In a way, at least if all of them are much like Daylight or Connor. I am afraid I do not have an acquaintance with many others.

[Though do you call them both robots? She was fairly sure that was the right term for Daylight. Was it proper to call Connor that as well?]

Yeah, well, they're not like Connor. Connor's more, uh- [What is Connor, exactly? Fuck if Hank knows.] -advanced, I guess. The other ones - not the ones here, either. None of those count. Unless we do one of these little vacation adventure trips in good old Detroit you're never gonna meet a real android.

[Oh. That wasn't the answer she expected really, given Connor himself seemed fairly comfortable being termed an android.]

I see. Then perhaps Astoria shall indulge you are some point and whisk us away to Detroit.

What, you think that was me bragging?

[Hank shakes his head, running his tongue over his teeth.]

How many rounds of this whole, uh, multidimensional hero bullshit have you done? I was thinkin Detroit in twenty thirty eight might be a little much for you but I heard the last place you all went was a whole city full of robots. A planet full of em. So, uh. I guess you got any freaking out over with a long time ago, huh?

Only two at present. And I daresay if Detroit is anything like that place, I should feel fairly at home ... as long as not large storms present themselves.

[That said, Elizabeth laughs a little.]

Perhaps. Or it is entirely possible we might stumble upon some place in the future that might cause me more 'freaking out', as you put it.

Yeah? Well you'd still be one up on me, if I was from way back when, two rounds in I'd still be fuckin losing it, used to big weird future cities or not. How do you deal? Do you just... You just kind of accept that it can't be real, or...

[Or what? He doesn't know. He doesn't. It'd be real great if there was some kind of other option, one that actually made sense.]

[Ah. Elizabeth's brow furrows and for once she actually looks uncertain.]

I own that it was not an easy thing to adapt to. We barely found ourselves here before we were wisked away to a completely new world. There was a great deal I had to learn and I wager there is even more I could learn even now.

[And given Elizabeth is the sort to mask discomfort with jokes and teasing, a great deal of what turmoil she did and still does feel has been more reserved for quieter, lonelier moments.

But...]

I would think this was a dream if it were not half as fantastical as it is. Despite being a prodigious reader, my dreams have never been so vivid as to call forth people who can traverse through space or robot men who behave in more gentlemanly ways than some humans! No, calling all of this a dream simply won't do.

So I have set my mind about another task. If I am to be here then I will be capable of experiencing a great deal more than I would at home. If I am to experience new things then I shall do so wholeheartedly and at my own discretion when I am capable of such.

[At that, she gives a teasing smile.]

I also have a very vexing temperament. Any intimidation only causes my courage to rise, you see.

[Hank's gaze kind of glues itself to the screen as she talks. Then when she starts to finish up he sags, looking down and then back up again with a tiny, crooked smile.]

Yeah, I guess that'd help. Too bad that's not the kind of thing you can teach, huh?

[He looks down again, lips pursed. Whatever. Asking for advice was probably always gonna be a crapshoot.]

You got it, though - this is too weird to not be a dream, but it's too- too real to be one, too. Too much. Too much of it. But, fuck, uh, I guess it won't matter when shit starts to kick off - whenever that turns out to be. If my batch of newbies didn't just fuck the whole system up with that weird sickness shit and we're just stuck here forever.

I don't believe it was your group. In Struxta there was a storm ravaging the lands. It almost felt like, to myself at least, that whatever caused that brought illness upon us. Or something happened to Astoria, the supposed goddess who brought us all here.

[That said, Elizabeth's brow furrows.]

I am unsure just what has happened to her, of course. The illness itself was certainly real enough.

Yeah, from what she said I was kind of assuming whatever brought us in without her say-so was the same thing that kicked everyone's ass with that death-flu shit. It could of been just her - uh, her powers- [That's so stupid, it's stupid, he still can't quite make himself talk about magic powers - even without using that m-word - with a totally serious tone, like it's a real and serious thing.] -fucking up, but that didn't feel like what she told us was going on, unless she was just lying to us for whatever reason.

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