Rat | 001 | Video | Day 68

[bluesrat]

[It's pretty clear from the video that the device has been turned on by accident, since the first view is partly up someone's nose. It's not a small nose, but a squinting blue eye quickly replaces it as the central focus, before the video pulls out to show the whole, narrow, lined face. The owner of the face mutters, half to himself, but clearly audible over the sounds of the water on the shore nearby.]

Hunh. It didn't do that before.

[There's another startling moment of video while he taps the screen with one calloused finger.]

Calling Dick Tracy? I don't know where Cape Kore is or how I got here, but I'm pretty sure you don't want me. If anyone's listening, I'd be glad for directions to the train station, and I'll just be on my way.

Comments

[burnburnburn]

[He glares at that expression]

Don't believe me if you don't want to, but I don't want to hear any crying over the network afterwards when one of them sets you alight. There's only a few of us here who aren't supernatural.

[bluesrat]

[He looks sheepish just for being called out on it, schooling his expression into something like an apology.]

Duly noted. It's just... I've been lucky so far, I guess?

[burnburnburn]

Pray that you remain lucky, but be careful with your prayers. There are gods trapped among us too.

[bluesrat]

I'll... be careful, thanks. [He can't help but think this kid is a little nutty.]

[burnburnburn]

So what's your name, old man?

[bluesrat]

[Ouch. And rude. Late forties isn't old... is it?]

...Markus Rathbone. What should I call you?

[burnburnburn]

[Don't ask Dilandau that, it's old enough to be a great-grandfather on Gaia]

I'm Dilandau Albatou, from the Empire of Zaibach.

[bluesrat]

[He never got as far as having kids.]

That's... mm. I'm from Kalamazoo, Michigan. [Sheepish grin, because he's not sure if that title meant where people come from is important to Dilandau.]

[burnburnburn]

Never heard of it. Are you another person from Earth?

[bluesrat]

I guess I must be. I take it you're not?

[burnburnburn]

I never even knew what you inhabitants called it until I was kidnapped to here. I'm from Gaia, a far more sensible planet than the one all of you are from. We can see a reflection of your world in our sky at times. We call it the Mystic Moon.

[bluesrat]

I've... heard the term Gaia, on Earth. But we have our own moon.

[burnburnburn]

Someone else told me that too. It's the name of a goddess on your planet. It looks like you've got at least one other person from your land here.

[bluesrat]

In a sense. Mythologically speaking, she'd be translated to 'Mother Earth'...