Video (Backdated to the 18th)

[punchingbagman]

[The video starts out zoomed in on a single, brown eye, as the owner of the phone speaks in a thick, country accent.]

Would you look at that, Giet? It's like somethin' right outta the ruins of Terises...or maybe even the bottom 'f the Legacy. Too bad Bubbles ain't here, huh?

[The eye moves to show a glimpse of a jeweled eyepatch and red hair as the speaker turns to look at something offscreen, earning a canine woof in response.]

Yeah yeah, I know, just 'cause it's up there with that kinda stuff don't mean it's the same.

[The camera angle expands, finally showing a man with tattooed arms and bandoleers made of large gems...and no shirt, despite the fact that he's out in the snow.]

How d'you figure we're supposed to work this thing? Hold up, what's that little word there in the corner? Wait, does that say recordin'-?

[He fumbles with the phone, somehow managing to end the recording in the process. That's one way to say hello.]

Comments

[burnt_offering]

[And Ace at least brings the heat. Who fears the cold, when they're made of fire?]

I sent so many accidental messages when I first got here. Dumb videos too, people got to see me sleeping and there were lots of nice views of the insides of my pockets. [There's a snort, and he looks a little sheepish for a moment.] We didn't have anything like this back home, so it was a big change for me. The snail phones aren't this complicated.

[punchingbagman]

[Moses doesn't have any fire powers, but spend enough time training in the cold and you just get used to it.]

We don't got nothin' like this where I'm from, neither...unless you count ancient ruins stuff that nobody but history experts know nothin' about.

I don't even know what you're talkin' about when you say 'phone'.

[burnt_offering]

[There's nothing like pure trained in badassery to drive away the cold.

Ace perks up a little at the talk of ancient ruins, and stuff that only history experts know about. And for a second he almost wonders if there's a connection there, but he doesn't pursue it. Hidden history and secret technology seem like things that happen in multiple worlds, everyone's got a few things buried deep in the ruins.] Guess we both got thrown into the deep end. Anyway, that thing you're talkin' on is a phone, or something close to it. You can call people with it, send them messages, things like that. And a lot more too.

[punchingbagman]

I gathered the whole 'send messages' thing from the fact that it's showin' your face. Sure beats carrier galf, don't it, Giet?

[What sounds like a rather large canine lets out a woofing noise from offscreen, and there's the whumping sound of a tail hitting the ground.]

Hey now, don't go thinkin' I'm gonna let you get lazy just 'cause I don't need you to track people down with letters!

[burnt_offering]

You can send a few types! This is just one of 'em! [The sound of the woof and the thumping make Ace wish the view showed the dog too. He assumes it's a dog anyway, who knows in the end with how mixed up the different worlds are.]

Sending private letters and stuff through News Coo was possible where I'm from, but it's kind of a pain to negotiate. Otherwise we have our snail phones and the newspaper to get us our information. [And Ace wasn't fond of the risk of communicating through News Coo and the snails phones could be messed with. They weren't infallible by far.] So Giet did that kind of work for you back home?

[punchingbagman]

Sometimes. He's got a good nose for trackin', and he can cover distance real quick. Long's he knows who he's lookin' for, he gets my messages where they need to go.

Gotta say, though, this is a lot faster.

[burnt_offering]

So he's probably just as good as the News Coos if not better. He can't fly though, that's probably where they have him beat. [A pause.] Unless he can. Wouldn't surprise me if he could.

It's way more convenient.