Video

[fullmetalbrat]

[The video feed cuts in on a blond teenager squinting dubiously at the camera. His eyes widen a moment later when he notices the video display on the screen.] —Is it working?

Uh—hey. Can people really see this? If there is anyone watching, I'm looking for a guy in a huge suit of armor. Goes by the name Alphonse. [He leans closer to the camera, pointing emphatically.] If you see him, tell him his big brother's looking for him!

Now that I've got that out of the way, I got some more questions for all of you. Someone told me that when people leave this world they forget everything about it, but they might remember if they come back. Is that really true? Is there anyone who's left and come back that I could talk to?

I want to know more about this registration scheme they've got here too. I heard plenty about what you get for it, but what's the catch?

And, [he starts, pausing to glance at something laying just below the camera's field of view], what's a "pop star"?

Comments

[monster_san]

Ahh, I see. I hope it isn't too hard for him to find polish and the like in the 21st century.

[That's an interesting face, Ed. Fuu keeps hers pleasantly neutral, although she doesn't like the thought of someone who appears close to her age having dealt with this sort of thing already.]

It does? I'm sorry to hear that, although I suppose it means adjusting will be that much easier.

[fullmetalbrat]

If he needs more I'll just make it for him.

[Ugh, adjusting.]

I guess. Didn't think I'd get stuck with this shit twice.

[monster_san]

Yes, going through such treatment once should be quite enough. I tend to think that Miss Porter makes her selections based on people's previous experience.

[fullmetalbrat]

[That sure catches his attention. He turns an intently curious look on her.]

Miss Porter?

[monster_san]

Yes, the Porter is a sentient machine, and, well, it feels awkward to refer to something like that as an 'it'.

[fullmetalbrat]

Can we talk to it—her? How do you know she's a girl if she's a machine?

[monster_san]

I don't, but I prefer to think of it being female. [cause if you're kidnapped across dimensions, it's less awkward if it's something of the same sex. right.] Unfortunately, the military keeps a rather close guard on her--we aren't allowed back once they usher us out of the room.

[fullmetalbrat]

Not even if we're registered?

[monster_san]

Not even then. You would think that with it taking people from all sorts of historical and futuristic environments, they might want to enlist someone's expertise in sentient dimension-crossing devices, but evidently not.

[fullmetalbrat]

Hahh . . . Of course they wouldn't make it that easy.

[monster_san]

It is an annoying attitude on the government's part. But they do say that if something is easy, it isn't worth doing!

[fullmetalbrat]

That sounds exactly like something my teacher would say.

[monster_san]

Does it? I doubt I've met your teacher, so I don't know if it's meant to be a compliment....

[fullmetalbrat]

It's not a compliment or an insult. Just a fact. . . . It's not exactly wrong either.