(01 video)

[anomia]

[The camera flips on to reveal a young girl with long bright blonde hair drawn up in two high pigtails, and a blue and white striped sweatshirt. There’s also noticeably a long, wrapped package slung over her shoulder, in what someone who’s familiar with swords might realize is exactly the right size for a full length katana. There’s a fierce, set expression on her face, and she dramatically points her finger directly into the camera.]

Alright! Let’s not waste any time around here! If we’re given obstacles, then we have to overcome them, right? I’m sure if you’ve all been here for a while, then you’ve gotten a lot more answers than what those unhelpful lackies told me on the ride down… So, fill me in. What's something interesting you've learned since you got here? Just one thing!

[She’s not totally mindlessly determined and naïve, though. Raimei sobers, frowning slightly.] My name is Raimei Shimizu, a samurai. We don’t need to keep any secrets here, do we…? I’ll openly try to achieve my goals with my sword.

[Then she brightens up again, not letting herself think about how dire circumstances are for too long.] Ah, and--! Since I guess I’m not going anywhere fast, what’s all this about a job? Shouldn’t a girl my age still be in school?!

Comments

[everylittlegirl]

I'm kind of trying to set up a school? But it's not going well. People don't really care.

[anomia]

Well, missing school isn't really a big deal. [she waves a careless, dismissive hand, cause she does it all the time]

But it's a little strange that they're treating us like adults. Not that I can't handle it! [laughing a little, like that's ridiculous] It's just not what I was expecting from something like this.

[something that seems like the surface world, she means]

[everylittlegirl]

Some people have been here for months now. I don't really care about missing school, but I still want to learn.

[anomia]

[yeahhhh Raimei's probably missed that much school before]

I guess I see the point. [Whether she does is debatable because she immediately goes on.] But you don't need school to learn, do you? You just have to set out and do it!

What kinds of things are you interested in?

[everylittlegirl]

School makes it a lot easier to learn more things.

I don't know. I guess like, science and maybe medicine.

[anomia]

You're right, technically speaking... School just hasn't been a priority to me for a while!

I've never been that into those, but I could help you look around for ways to learn them if you want. I need something to do!

[everylittlegirl]

Uh. Sure, that would be great.

How old are you?

[anomia]

I'm fourteen! [she says without a beat.] What about you?

--Wait, I don't even know your name! Tell me that, too.

[everylittlegirl]

[She chuckles a little.]

Hayley. I'm fourteen too.

Are you always this.. energetic?

[oathwalk]

[Richard is incapable of fighting a smile at that kind of enthusiasm, circumstances as they are. But, even with that sword, Raimei is young, only 14, and Richard doesn't really want to just throw the most serious information at her.]

That's an admirable approach to take, Raimei. My name is Richard. It's a pleasure to meet you. As for something interesting, I'm not entirely certain what meets your interests. I've been trying to look into the health of the turtle, but that has not turned up many results yet.

[anomia]

[Raimei would be completely impatient if she knew he had that attitude. The world of Nabari never waited for someone to grow up before throwing things at them. But since she doesn't know, she just grins at him for a moment at the compliment.]

You're not asking about my interests, are you? [she teases.] I guess what I really want to know is why we're here. What we're supposed to do, things like that. But no one gives out that kind of information freely.

[Then she sobers a little, frowning.] The health of the turtle... You mean like the rationing, right?

[oathwalk]

[Richard misses that teasing, though he understands the tone, because what cultural context for that? Nope.] I suppose, if you'd like to talk about them, I am. [This is correct social interaction? Yes, good.

But all right, that part he can answer now, while he tries to assess her general preparedness for bad things. Richard and his friends may have had violent awakenings in their childhood, but that is all the more reason he doesn't want to push something like that onto another. But he knows she will doubtless hear about it eventually, so it's mostly a matter of taking measure of her first.

His expression becomes a little more serious.] The rationing seems to be, at least in part, related to why we are here. As the turtle sickens, so do all things on the turtle. That, at least, is how I understand it. I don't know if that was the Emperor's intended purpose, but one thing that many hear seem to be attempting is to understand the cause of Tu Vishan's illness and exploring alternate methods of providing food for the people here.

[anomia]

[That gets an amused look.] You're kind of oblivious, huh? [Tact, its name is not Raimei.]

[The exposition dump is actually normal to her, because Nabari is an extremely talky series. She listens much more intently and calmly than might be expected from someone this excitable.]

Are we going to get sick, too? If our life force is tied to the turtle, then... [These kinds of barely explained metaphysical concepts are bread and butter to her.] What kind of investigating are they doing? It's not research, is it?

[Cause she's not great at that.]

[oathwalk]

[Richard is not easily offended, and actually smiles when he replies.] I don't think I'd be aware if I were.

[It's nice that someone reacts well with the exposition dump.] It's certainly possible. Most of the investigation does seem scientific.

[And let's slip to—]

[Private, default encryption]

There is another path of investigation that focuses on what is apparently an ancient threat. Some of the people here think that may be the cause of Tu Vishan's affliction.

(video, default encryption)

[anomia]

[His lack of offense is gratifying, so she keeps teasing along.] Maybe I should help you out by dropping hints until you catch on.

[Raimei's not a tech whiz or anything, but she is a Japanese teenager and she's well aware of how privating conversations on forums works. She's also well used to secrecy and doesn't even question the switch.]

So there's something to fight? [She's gaining momentum and determination.] I wouldn't really be much help with the science side. But if something needs taking on, count me in! People shouldn't just be kept here like this.

[And she's far more upset about it than she's letting on at the moment, completely isolated as she is.]

(video, default encryption)

[oathwalk]

[He doesn't mind the teasing carrying on. He doesn't have a face that he really needs to maintain, here, and honestly? It's fun.] It would be cruel to simply leave me hanging.

[But bell rings in Richard's head. It's the bell of, 'oh, enthusiastic fighters.' He knows a few of those. He almost expects her to use 'protect' somewhere in the next few sentences.] Unfortunately, we don't entirely know what we're supposed to fight, or what form it will take. I assume it isn't here, but we don't know that either: only that it exists, and it will come. You can imagine how frustrating that has been.

[He can imagine that she may be frustrated by it in upcoming months.]

(video, default encryption)

[anomia]

Maybe I'm a little cruel! It's the best way to learn!

[Raimei is at least not mindlessly enthusiastic. Just... incredibly energetic. She takes in the rest of this explanation as intently as she had the exposition earlier.]

Definitely frustrating, but it sounds kind of like a ninja war, to be honest. You don't always know who the enemy is or how they'll strike. But that just means we have to be extra prepared! And we have to gather information!

We should assume that it's already here and informing itself about us, too. That's the only smart way to approach it.

text/video

[cowled]

こんばんは。!

[And then a change-over to video, Bruce is laughing at himself, obviously embarrassed.]

I couldn't resist, sorry. I'm probably a little rusty. As for what I've learned, hmm. I will say that the Pissaladière is atrocious.

[It's probably worth noting that he mangles the pronunciation of that just enough that it doesn't translate into her native language, and instead stays stubbornly français.]

video

[anomia]

Geez, how many languages do you speak?! Was that French?

[But then she brightens.] I'm glad someone else speaks Japanese here! I don't really know enough English to follow it. [She's completely unashamed of her lack of knowledge, too.]

video

[cowled]

Terrible French, but French nonetheless. My Swedish is a little better.

[He shakes his head, smiling in amusement.]

I know... a few. I'm a businessman, it's sort of necessary to the industry. I spent four years in Japan when I was a young man, however.

Re: video

[anomia]

Oh, so that's why you know all those languages. That must come in handy here.

Hmmmm. [She's visibly thinking something over.] We really don't have to keep secrets here, do we? I wasn't wrong about that? [This seems like a non sequitor, but isn't really. Raimei's wondering if other versions of Japan have the world of Nabari in them, but feels like she shouldn't be that open about the question. Even if she wants to be.]

video

[cowled]

It doesn't really matter too much, actually. Given the translations. Not many people write in text on these computers.

[Shrug.]

Why would anyone want to keep secrets period? They're such an unnecessary complication.

[Bruce pls.]

video

[anomia]

[Welp Raimei is just going to completely forget to answer the part about languages because she actually cares about the idea of secret keeping with a lot of verve. It's been a major aspect of her life that's baffled her. And now she's just going to work through her reasoning to herself out loud, almost forgetting he's even there.]

They're not unnecessary! [she says strongly.] Sometimes it's dangerous, or sometimes... it's so close to you that you don't want anyone else to know.

But I'm terrible at them. [She admits this forthright, slightly frowning.] I don't put enough thought into it. Anyway, I'm used to having to keep anything about the world of Nabari [the 'hidden world'] a secret, but that's what I'm guessing doesn't matter here.

You're not ninja, but I don't think any of you are civilians.

video

[cowled]

[Wow that's.

A pretty Bat-way of thinking, there. Bruce doesn't reply right away, instead he gets up to get himself a glass of water before he sits back down at his console. This girl-- she reminds him of Stephanie, and his expression is tight, though it smoothes out again when he turns the video feed on. He's just. Not going to address that bit about secrecy because there's no way he's letting on he's savvy enough to pick up on the nuances thereof.]

I'm not sure what else I can call myself. I've been a civilian all my life.

video

[anomia]

[It's easy to fool Raimei on her best days if you're trying to keep something hidden from her, and this isn't one of her best days by far. She totally misses any nuance there might be for her to pick up on that'd suggest there's more beneath the surface.]

That's the sort of thing any good ninja would say just then, [she says slyly.] You sure you're just a businessman?

[Ironically, although she's awful at picking up on subtleties, his cover happens to be exactly the sort of cover that was used to hide secret ninja connections on her world. Raimei doesn't think it's a big deal. He probably doesn't actually have secret ninja connections if nowhere else has the world of Nabari. She's really just teasing, here, because it sounds so familiar to her ears. But--]

Everyone has to be hiding something, don't they?