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

[blackmagus]

I'd keep it that way. They live in the woods. [She shrugs.] I haven't seen any, either. But I don't have any reason to doubt my sources.

[Yet, anyway.]

[bluesrat]

I guess I'll stick to the city. [Either everyone here is crazy, or the place itself is, and he's beginning to come around to that second possibility.]

[blackmagus]

Good idea. From what I've heard, the forest is just... teeming with unpleasant things.

[bluesrat]

Like... slugs? Bears? I'm more of a city by, really.

[blackmagus]

Bears. [Mechanical ones, but she'll spare him that for now.] Giant cats. It's enough to make anyone want to avoid the place.

[bluesrat]

Sounds like the U.P., no thanks...

[blackmagus]

UP?

[bluesrat]

Upper Peninsula, Sorry. It's rural there, woodsy.

[blackmagus]

You don't like it there, I take it.

[bluesrat]

More just that I wouldn't know how to live there. I grew up in the city, and I've always made my living in ways that are kind of dependent on a city environment. Especially now. Busking doesn't work out so well in small towns and farmland.

[blackmagus]

[He's just full of terms she doesn't recognize, this one.]

There's not much to worry about here. No money. No rent. You shouldn't have too much trouble.

[bluesrat]

[If she asked, he'd explain without judgement, but since she doesn't he goes blithely on.]

You're... not the first person to tell me that, but you'll have to forgive me if I'm still having trouble believing it.

[blackmagus]

You'd have to pay our landlords, darling. They're quite absent. And I don't know if I'd pay my kidnappers anything.

[bluesrat]

Fair point. It's just... weird. I'd say I'm not used to something for nothing, but the trade-off of being trapped here is a high price by itself.

[blackmagus]

Quite so. I suspect we'll have plenty to get used to.

[bluesrat]

Have you been here long?

[blackmagus]

About a week, now. It goes by slowly.

[Normally her lifestyle is rather high-octane.]

[bluesrat]

Does it? I guess there's not a lot to do, here...

[blackmagus]

Not really. There's trying to get out, and trying to piece together what happened here.

I should let you get to adjust, I suppose. But if you need help, don't be afraid to ask.

[bluesrat]

Thanks. I can always use all the friends I can get! The offer is reciprocal, by the way. You need anything, call on me. I can't promise much but I'll try.