001, Video

[iamtetsuo]

[The feed clicks on at an odd angle, quickly re-adjusted as Tetsuo sets it down and collapses back on a bench, one hand clutching at the fresh bandage around his head. The brief flash of his surroundings reveals that he's not only looked at his welcoming packet, he's torn it apart.

You'd think he'd be worried about losing the scattered papers littered around him, but he doesn't seem to be thinking about that.]

This is on, right? Hahh... Is this for real? I can do all this? Ngh-

[It's a brief flash of pain, but enough to kill his train of thought to what he was going to say. Whatever his deal is, that seems to be a killer migraine he's got.]

If anyone has something for a headache...

[As an afterthought, he reaches down to hunt through the scattered papers, finally finding the ones he wanted again and flashing them angrily up at the camera. He doesn't understand anything in 'medical history', but boy does he wish he did.]

And what's a 'blue wave pattern' even mean, huh? Someone care to explain this?

Comments

[selfimage]

Well, things aren't going to stop happening less to you from here on out.

[iamtetsuo]

What's that supposed to mean?

[selfimage]

The little multiversal jog that you just took. That thing.

I suppose there are other things, too.

[iamtetsuo]

[You know what, he really doesn't have patience for riddles right about now.]

Either you know something about this, or you don't. Which is it?

[selfimage]

[ but word games are so much fun. ]

Okay, first off, which this are we talking about? I know about the multiversal thing, perhaps a tiny bit about the other thing.

[iamtetsuo]

[He hates you already.]

Fine. Then start with the first thing.

[selfimage]

You've been transdimensionally kidnapped by a mythological computer program known as Lachesis—and now you're here! Tah-dah! The government seems bent on utilizing us for what must be some greater scheme, but for now they seem to want to keep us and limit our freedoms all at once.

That's the basic run down in your pamphlet.

[iamtetsuo]

Really? That again?

[Dammit he was really hoping that wasn't actually true. Then again, that's what governments do, so that last part sounds about right.]

Look, I don't trust pamphlets. If they wanna tell me something, say it to my face.

[selfimage]

Something tells me that would be unwise of them.

permatext

[deadtective]

Sounds like a bunch of complicated bullshit, so I can't really help on your color waves. Sorry you got saddled with that though, the cryptic shit always sucks.

[speaking from experience, Hazel? maybe a little bit. she could have done with some more details about what she is now, if they weren't going to be kind enough to remove it for her.]

You can probably pop something over-the-counter for the headache, though.

Video -> text

[iamtetsuo]

Hunh?

[It takes some fiddling, but not much before Tetsuo figures out how texting works on this thing. He still isn't used to this 'that doesn't quite feel or look like japanese I'm reading' nonsense, not exactly, but he's reached the point where it's just one more weird thing to deal with.]


somebody knows what this means. ill find them.

for now you can tell me where to find that something.

[deadtective]

Sure, if you really need the directions. You still in Heropa or did you move?

[iamtetsuo]

na. im somewhere else, nona or something

[Pause]

i could find it on my own but dont feel like wandering around.

[deadtective]

Yeah, I don't blame you. The humidity's fucking brutal in the south, I have no idea why they put so many of the housing complexes down here.

Anyway. From the assigned housing you go [DIRECTION] and then [MORE DIRECTIONS IDK MAN] you'll hit a drug store. Not that hard.

[directions] are my favorite places to go!

[iamtetsuo]

at least somebody around heres useful. you got a name?

[directions] help you get to [place]! it's pretty much the only way.

[deadtective]

Enjoy it while you can, I'm notoriously difficult if you ask anybody else. My name's Hazel.

what if I want to get to [other place]?

[iamtetsuo]

heh. that so? well just dont be difficult with me and i wont be difficult with you. im tetsuo.

permatext; comm tag is "Tadashi"

[tadeadshi]

[Ah. So the other one did come. Somehow, he's not surprised; it was only a matter of time, but he should tread a little more carefully here. He switches his text to Japanese at least to make it easier.]

If you still need help with the headache, I can help. And I don't know about the 'blue wave pattern' but I can look at the rest of the medical history.

text

[iamtetsuo]

[Japanese, yes, good, that's one less weird thing for his overloaded brain to deal with.]

I don't need help. I just need it to go away

[Pause. Another text]

Fine, you can look at it, but only if you tell me what it means!!

[tadeadshi]

I think I can do that, but my healing works by touch. If that's okay with you?

And of course I'd tell you what it means.

[iamtetsuo]

[That gets another long pause.]

You're not doing anything until I get some answers. Hands off, got it?

[It's not that he doesn't trust you, it's - oh, no, wait, that's exactly it.]

[tadeadshi]

Of course. Whatever's best for you.

My name is Tadashi. I've been here for a while with my brother. If you need anything you can ask us, all right?

[iamtetsuo]

Look, just translate this stupid paper into Japanese.

And I'm Tetsuo

[tadeadshi]

[It's a good fifteen, twenty minutes later before a response gets sent over, a translation file sent directly to Tetsuo's comm after Tadashi rewound the video and paused a few different places to make sure he got everything.

This is dangerous. This is dangerous and he knows it but if they can help Tetsuo now maybe it won't be so dangerous later.]

That's everything I could see on the screen you showed.

[iamtetsuo]

[Now it's Tetsuo's turn to take a long time to reply. Hours, in fact.]

Hey

This is useless it doesn't say what I'm

supposed to do about this damn headache