maskormenace | 1 cuff | video

[ The video turns on to reveal a large man, who is providing it with a close-up shot of about half of his face, and one strong, muscular shoulder. Most of his skin is bare, aside from a white tunic-like garment pinned at that shoulder. It's evident that someone is in the room with him, since he's focused on them and not on what he's doing. ]

Is it working? I cannot tell if --

[ Another voice interrupts, directing his attention back to the camera, and then Damen adjusts it so that his whole face is on screen. He is dark-haired and dark-eyed, and his olive-toned skin is well bronzed by sunlight.

He could not look less comfortable with a camera in his hand. His smile is a somewhat awkward attempt at friendliness, but it's obvious this is new to him. ]

Hello. My name is Damen. [ His eyes flick away from the camera at that, looking again at his companion. 'Damen', and not 'Damianos'. A pet name given to a network of strangers. He sees no reason to hide their true names - but he’ll do it, even so.

While he is introducing himself, the person who had his attention earlier decides to make an appearance. Or better yet, he decides to slide into the space by ending half on Damen’s lap, one hand lazily lifting to sweep a little of his hair back from his forehead. Where the original man is large and olive skinned, Laurent looks fair and slight in comparison. He isn’t actually in miniature, a fact he will press upon people at some point, when perspective is brought up. And where there is bare skin on show behind him, his is all covered up by the kind of clothing that looks restricting even by modern standards. ]

And mine is Laurent. [ He somehow manages to look like he’s smiling without following through, which is a power he possessed before the Porter ever decided to bless him with new ones. ] As you might have guessed, we’ve only recently arrived to this wonderful place.

[ Damen has rearranged himself to give Laurent space, and slide an accommodating arm around his waist. At that comment, though, he rolls his eyes up at his lover. Be nice, Laurent.

Laurent catches that look out of the corner of his eye, mouth twitching slightly like that smile he’s been curbing is threatening to break free. ]

We would like any advice you can give about acclimatising while here. This world is unlike our own, your buildings, modes of transport, ways of communication - [ Lifting his brows upward as if to indicate the device . ] - they’re all unfamiliar. We would not like to remain ignorant.

[ Then Damen leans in, tagging onto the end: ]

And I have need of a place to train. I prefer the sword. If any of you would test your skill against mine, I’d welcome it.

[ The glance they share then seems to be one of mutual agreement. Laurent shifts slightly, reaches out to turn off the feed. His sleeve obscures the view, but to those with extremely good hearing they might catch the as if anyone could best you before Damen interrupts his own smile to reach forward.]

Wait - there was something else. [ There’s a brief scramble for something beside him, and then Damen lifts his file into view. With his eyebrows lifting and expression dubious, he reads from the page. ] Can someone tell me what-- ‘Sunday School’ is? I am supposed to teach it.

[ He glances up at Laurent, nodding. ] That’s it.

[ It’s settled then, Laurent angles the camera once, so that his sincere ( no, really! ) expression can be caught. ] We appreciate the aid.

[ ooc: Damen is red and Laurent is blue. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thank you for listening. Or reading, I guess.

And—

it's really okay, if you decide it's not something you want to do. Or if you try it and find it doesn't feel right. Trying doesn't mean you're committing forever—all it means is that you'll try.

I think it's important to know that too.

Unity is important. Religion can bring people together.

[ He knows that. He also knows that it can divide, that for all the good it can do it can be dangerous, too. Wars have been fought and lost over religion. Chiefly, Damen is worried about trying to teach something he does not believe. Surely it would be a heresy, and that would be good for no one.

But he will think on it, all the same. This is the most measured argument he has seen. ]

Are relations poor between imports and natives?I agree we should improve them if that is the case.

Person to person, I don't think it's bad.

Community to community, it can be harder. Especially when there's imPorts who have caused a lot of trouble, or hurt people. Heropa and Maurita Falls aren't as friendly as Nonah and De Chima.

And country to country, it's really hard. There's parts of the world where we aren't considered to be people at all.

Then what do they think we are?

[ That's a simple question, and somewhat abrupt given that their conversation had been free flowing before. The problem is that Damen has spend some time being told that he is not a person. It's an experience he isn't keen to repeat. ]

Weapons.

[ There's a long few seconds before she starts typing again. ]

The kind of weapons that shouldn't have thoughts or feelings of their own
the kind that
they think America has 'mismanaged'
giving us as much freedom as we have.

Not all countries think that way. but the ones that do
are powerful
and the people there don't like us much at all.

And yet we are people brought from another world. They know this. Everyone knows this.

We were not brought here to be their slaves.

Neither for America, nor any other country. How do you know that this is what they think? That this is what the Russians think?

And who agrees with them?

The USSR. Not just Russia, but all the Soviet republics. It's what their leaders have said, and at least, it's what the people in their military believe. I haven't met anyone outside that, though, so it might not be everyone.

There's been imPorts who have done a lot of work to change things, and to make sure the rest of the world see us as people. It can be hard, because there's imPorts who have done some really bad things, and when people are scared, that's what they think about. The worst case.

If America is on one side, and the USSR is on the other, most other countries fall somewhere in the middle.

And yet we are on this side only because it is where we were brought.

I have no allegiance to this land. I seek only a return to my own. I do not suppose that is how all feel, but it is how I feel.

I have little interest in their war.

1 cuff | video | joint post

text;

text;

text;

Re: text;

text;

text;

text;

text;