video;

[rathercommon]

[ This? This is, for the very first time, an actual honest-to-god face. It’s the face of a very pretty girl, eighteenish, with dark hair and heavy eyebrows and a very intense expression. Here she is, Kitty Jones, at long last, in all of her fierce revolutionary glory. ]

Don’t get excited when you see the network ID. I’m not new. The Porter hasn’t started bringing in new people yet.

[ Her accent is South London. Her voice is confident, bordering on bossy. Passionate, but not crossing the line into angry. Definitely not the terrified squeak that would be more representative of how nervous she is right now. (This has been rehearsed many times, and sounds better right now than it did the first few.) ]

I’ve been around about a month now, but I’ve going on the network by Lizzie Temple. It was a fake name. My name’s actually Kitty Jones. I had reasons for lying, but those reasons are gone now, so this is really me. A pleasure meeting you all.

[ That last part is said with a hint of irony. But that irony drops away immediately, because who has time for it! Not Kitty Jones, scared but pretending to be ferocious. ]

So why was I hiding?

My world, my London, is dominated by magicians. Which, yeah, sounds like it ought to be a joke, except magic where I’m from isn’t card tricks and taking rabbits from tophats. It’s enslaving spirits to your will. It’s using those spirits to keep a particular sort of order, where commoners - non-magicians - aren’t allowed to vote, to speak up in dissent. It’s hurting those spirits, and hurting commoners too, if any of us step out of line.

I’m part of the commoners’ resistance against magician rule, and have been for years. The trouble is that we’re making no progress. Commoners haven’t got any power against magicians ourselves; all we’re able to do is lob a few bombs, then suffer when the magicians crack down, get angrier, get more violent, suffer more - go around and around like that as more and more people die. The way we're fighting right now - people are dying, but we're making no progress. For that to change...We need help.

[ Her smile is quick, tight, determined, and mirthless. ]

In my month here, I've learned two things about all of you. First: you love freedom, and you hate oppression. You believe strongly in the rights of the people, that the voiceless should be given voices, that the weak should be sheltered. Second: you all have power that’s far, far beyond what the magicians can muster. That's a combination that's led me to think that there are some of you who might be willing and able to help us back home.

So who will? If I lead you to my home world, who will help fight tyranny?

[ She sits forward in her seat, hoping that call to arms was sufficiently dramatic. Really, really hoping. Inspiring speeches, leadership, all that - she hasn't really had to lead anyone since she was a kid, and that was just a couple of other kids. And she very much doubts that she’s ever inspired a single person in her whole life.

But people’s lives are on the line. Self-doubt is a luxury for times of peace. ]

This won't be bloody. I know magicians; they're cowards who will back down soon as it's clear they won't win. And it won't be forever; I'm working on a way that'll get you to my world and that'll let you leave again. It will take bravery, and strength, and goodness. And success isn't guaranteed. But if any of you are willing to take this chance, if any of you are willing to help to free my people - if any of you think that there might be something that will lead you to be willing - speak up.

[ And then she sits back again. She lifts her chin, all poise and confidence. ]

I'll answer questions now. Don't ask me about the travel between worlds; I know everyone will be curious, but you'll have to wait for details - but I will give them, I promise. Ask about anything that sounds wrong, or anything you're not sure of. I'll answer anything. No lies this time.