tushanshu | 002 ✞ (VIDEO)

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002 ✞ (VIDEO)

[The normally reserved eleven-year-old appears on screen looking even more withdrawn than usual. Withdrawn, and exhausted. Like she was two seconds away from passing out over the console. Her lids were heavy, there were lines beneath her eyes, and her skin was paler than usual. Even at a glance, it would be apparent to the casual onlooker that she hadn't been sleeping very well the last few days. Not since her little visit to the Death realm.]

[In hindsight, audio might have been the better option. But she wasn't thinking straight right then, and unfortunately, what she had to say required a visual aid.]

I...found something. Out there. While I was...um... [Mind still slightly hazed, she struggled to find the right word before settling for:] ...exploring.

[Her eyes drift downward, and she reaches for something off-screen. Holding it up for the entire Network to see. It was some sort of purple circular device. Technology that definitely did not look local.]

Others were using the Network to help people find there things. And it looked important.

...whatever it is.

[She genuinely had no idea.]

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[Diana was aware enough of how to use the device to check it once a day, but she has never actually used it for communication during her brief stay so far. It seemed unnecessary, when she could always just approach them. It seemed a lot more personal than this, though she does appreciate the information she can gather simply by listening.

Or watching, in this case. The device looked familiar, and for a moment she was willing to dismiss it as another piece of technology than someone simply wanted to show off. However, the message contradicted that, and the nagging feeling that she should check again prevailed. She knew better than to go against her gut instinct, after all.

So the second time she looks at it, much more closely this time, she realizes it is familiar, but not necessarily hers. It could just look similar, and maybe it wasn't even remotely close to it but...]

Where did you find this? [Short, to the point. She knew enough to at least use the video function, but not the basic encryption. It wasn't like she had anything to hide.]

[The face was new. New-new; she had to go back and check, but Midii was fairly certain she hadn't seen her on the Network during her search. Unless she had posted recently, in which case, a second review might be necessary.]

[But that was later, and this was now. And right now, there was an unfamiliar face inquiring about the device she was still holding.]

The...mainland, I guess? [She wasn't quite sure what to call it.] Not in Keelai.

It is [She pauses, pondering this. The child looks tired, and for a moment Diana wanted to ask her if she was okay, but she could focus on that later. She didn't seem to know what it was, at least, so it couldn't be that she had malicious intentions. Just a helpful young one, then.] familiar. To me. Would it be all right if I met with you to take a closer look?

[She nodded, a little wild and with her eyes closed to avoid the accompanying dizziness. She was used to being tired. It wouldn't stop her from fulfilling her self-appointed mission.]

I don't mind.

Are you familiar with the city? [A question that may or may not betray the fact that she somehow recognized the woman as being new. As well as her hesitation in inviting strangers to her place.] I know a few places that are good for meetings.

[The moment she closes her eyes, concern surfaces a little more on Diana's features.] Are you all right? [If she was sick, perhaps the ray could help her. If it was the purple ray.]

I can recognize several landmarks. [Not all, not yet. Some stores and cafes all jumble together for her, because they all looked the same yet so different, and she's not sure what the differences are for some of them, but she could find them well enough if told to.] If you give me directions, I can certainly meet you there.

Yes. I'm fine. You don't have to worry.

[That was the last thing she wanted. Worrying meant more attention, and she was getting enough as it was.]

[Stiffening a yawn, Midii reaches over past the screen once more. Her eyes scan back and forth for several seconds. Reading something beyond the camera's vision.]

There's a small park on the edge of the Wood Sector, right next to fire. [Easy to find, and public.] The main entrance has some benches along the sidewalk. We can meet there.

[She looked skeptical, but doesn't push it. She was raised as a warrior, after all, and sometimes they tended to push themselves beyond their limits when necessary. It wasn't uncommon, and this was... sort of necessary. She'll have to make sure the child gets rest later, after she's confirmed the item.

She was familiar with the Fire Sector and how to get there. A brief pause shows Diana thinking about it, trying to remember the park. Ah, right. She's seen some of the residents playing there. She remembers it.] Very well, I will meet you there. The assistance is very much appreciated.

[She could try; Midii wasn't particularly a fan of sleeping at the moment. Not with the nightmares that continued to haunt her.]

[Another nod was her reply. Once certain that the woman knew where she was going, Midii quietly turned off her console so she could head for the designated location as soon as possible. She would have preferred to get there first, so she could properly survey the area and get a feel for her surroundings. If for nothing else than her own peace of mind.]

[Diana lived close enough to the park that it doesn't take long for her to get there. The past few days have been exhausting, but Diana could hardly bring herself to just rest. It wasn't in her nature.

There was a bit of eagerness in her steps though, a sense of urgency to make sure that she wasn't just imagining things. Once there, the first thing she does is to find Midii, surveying the surroundings for a familiar face.]

[Diana had the benefit of close proximity, but so did Midii. She also had the path memorized, and made it to the entrance of the park with a few minutes to spare.]

[She sat on one of the benches, legs lightly swinging over the edge. Too short to reach the ground. The strange device was in her hand, and she was eyeing it with more than a little curiosity. Turning it over in her hand several times, as if that would aid in identification.]

[When she eventually catches sight of the older woman approaching, she bypasses introductions in favor of a more direct:]

What is it?

[Direct, wasn't she?]

Something from my country, if my hunch is correct. Is it all right if I take a look at it first before revealing it, in case it was not?

[Only always.]

[Midii thought about it for a moment. But, really, what good would saying no do? It's not like she knew what to do with the device. She'd already agreed to meet the older woman, so there had to be some level of trust there. Maybe.]

[Wordlessly, she nodded and handed it over.]

[It takes Diana a moment to start tinkering with the device, double-checking it to be certain. Once she can confirm it though, she smiles, the twinkle in her eyes bright with glee. Something from home, it seems, even if it were the same thing she had not realized she could have here.]

We call it a purple ray. It is one of the most powerful healing devices in Themyscira. [For the explanation.] I will have to test it out on someone with an injury, but I am quite certain this is it.

[It was instinctive; the moment Diana mentioned needing an injury to test it on, Midii's hand fell to her right arm, covered with a thin, blue sleeve. The bruise underneath didn't hurt very much, but she was never one for letting anybody see her pain if she could help it.]

It doesn't look like any first aid machine I've ever seen before.

How...does it work?

You simply turn it on and let the light do the rest of the work. [The movement catches her eye though, and she turns to her arm curiously.] Would you wish to try it?

[Again, an instinctive flinch. But, after a pause, Midii slowly lowers her hand.]

Will it hurt?

[She wasn't afraid of a little pain so much as she was trusting another individual at all. But Diana had been nothing but kind so far. And if it could help her, she would be willing to try.]

No. [She can assure that much.] It is meant to heal only, and should work instantaneously. Do you trust me?

No.

[The answer came almost immediately, but not hurried. A statement, rather than outburst. Was she afraid of Diana? No. But she knew better than to immediately trust someone she had only just met. It was nothing personal--she didn't really trust anybody on the Turtle yet.]

...but you can try your healing device on me.

I want to see how it works.

A wise answer. [If not a little blunt, but she can appreciate that. Well, with permission, she starts fiddling with the device, switching it on as soon as she could before directing it to her arm.] This is where the pain is centered, correct?

[Midii nodded, keeping her eyes focused on the wound. And the device. Not wanting to miss a second of whatever happened.]

[It seemed like just a normal ray of light. Purple, like the name, and even Diana thinks they should rename it. However, she might find that if there were any scratches, they are slowly closing or healing. If there is a bruise, it is slowly disappearing. Any discomfort she might have will also slowly recede to nothing, as if she never gained the injury.]

How does that feel?

[Her eyes were wide by the time the whole thing was over. Gently reaching over to touch the spot where the bruise no longer was.]

...better. I can't feel a thing.

You managed to find the real thing. [She is relieved. At least she got the right device.] This device could heal almost any wound instantly, though we never really used it all that much.

That's amazing.

[It was rare for Midii to express so much genuine awe in her tone, but this was the first time anything 'magical' being presented to her had proven to be so invaluable.]

Where did it come from?

Themyscira, the land of the Amazons. That is where I am from. [She's proud of her home tech, of course. They made a lot of advancements others could only dream of.] Though, the fact that it was brought here is unusual. How did they manage to get a hold of it?

[Themyscira. Amazons. She'd never heard of either before.]

I don't know.

I just...found it. I'm not even sure most of the locals knew it was there.

[ He wishes he were Sandy, someone who could give her and anyone else a good night's rest when they needed it. ]

seems like you could use a day off.

[Getting to sleep wasn't the problem. It was staying asleep.]

I'm fine.

[It was only a lie if she no longer tried to convince herself it was true.]

one doesn't cancel the other.

I can rest later. [She hoped] I promised I would bring what I found to the person who lost it.

all right.

...

but soon, okay?

[The reply takes a while to come back to him. She stared at the screen, not wanting to lie, but unwilling to give him the whole truth.]

I'll sleep when I can. I promise.

[ It's the best he's going to get, and he knows that. ]

ok.

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002 ✞ (VIDEO)

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