[Console - Video]

[valevectorian]

[The feed opens up with a headshot of a guy at the console. Moppy white hair that barely touches his shoulders, red eyes, pale skin. An expression that seems to embody a mixture of boredom and annoyance. A black choker encircles his neck, with a black box connected to it and wires that go from the box to somewhere behind his ears. A person who doesn't know any better would likely mistake it for a fancy, if unusually designed MP3 player. He takes a moment to glare daggers at the screen before proceeding to speak.]

To start off, I'm only going to bother with three questions.

[The rest could always wait.

Accelerator holds up the pointer finger of one hand.]

One- I don't care whether you're someone I'd hate or tolerate; does the name 'Academy City' mean anything to anyone else here?

[He holds up the middle finger now.]

Two- I need to know if anyone's come across a girl named Misaka who speaks in the third person. She was with me right before I woke up in this weird-ass place.

[He holds up a third finger.]

And three...

[Deliberate pause. His eyes narrow, brow furrowing. He hates to bring this up in case it brings too much attention to the topic he plans to ask about, but it's too important to ignore for the time being.]

Three. What's the norm for supernatural abilities when you're not from here?

[He's felt drained since he woke up. No matter what the truth of the nature of this place was, his connection to the Misaka Network doesn't seem to be compromised. His power, on the other hand, seems to be barely functional, based on the few testing attempts he made when he first woke up. Something was up.]

Comments

[theideaguy]

[Geez, this guy is a regular ball of anger management issues, isn't he?]

Hey hey, take it easy! Sorry I asked and tried to be conversational. Geez. Don't take all of this new-world stuff out on everyone else; we don't like everything about this place either.

Top three things you need to know, hm?

[But at least the question was interesting, and that causes Sokka to at least think a little bit about it. Though it still doesn't take him long.]

Okay, got it.

[He counts them off on his fingers, much the same way Accelerator did.]

Number one: My personal recommendation for buying food and essentials is down in the Water Sector. There's a small market there where the vendors will actually sell things to you... AND the prices aren't also astronomically terrible for people like us. They aren't rude to us like half the rest of the town is. Just don't... be rude to the guys over there. The last thing I need is to find another spot in town willing to sell me things.

Oh also, the shops on the land are also really cheap too, and they don't hate us at all.

[Perhaps the most useful of the three tips.]

Number two: You might have noticed it's kind of cold. Actually, it's practically freezing. And I'm should be used to this since I grew up near the South Pole! Just don't go outside for longer than a half hour, and cover up all your skin as best you can. And get something warm to wear if you don't have it.

[Perhaps that's something Accelerator might now, but hey, he came in late summer or early autumn, so that wasn't on his introduction loop.]

And number three: Uh... er...

[Uh oh, he lost it. It just slipped his mind. Oh well, mayday, mayday, backup plan activate!]

Have you checked in to the Midnight Hotel yet? It's probably the best place to stay for the first... however long it is until you get on your feet. If you help work here, the rent is free, and it's actually the friendliest part of town, really.

[Sokka grins mightily at that. He might know that one already, but it's probably still good advice all the same.]

[valevectorian]

[Yes indeed he is, when he isn't suppressing everything and coming off like the most bored, apathetic asshole alive. Utterly charming~!

After listening to all that, he glances toward the floor by his feet, leans over and partially offscreen and pulls up a white lamé winter coat with white fur-trimmed hood. He'd taken it off since he was indoors currently, but he holds it up casually for a moment, dropping it into his lap from there.]

Luckily I'd been in the middle of a frigid wasteland at the time, so I already got that one part covered.

So since you mention something that is free, is there a money exchange place somewhere for everything else? I have a feeling they don't take yen.

[He'll save commentary on the hotel for in a little bit. Question expecting answer first.]

[theideaguy]

[Well, the large winter coat does give him some idea that this guy already has some knowledge of the outdoors. He would have argued that that only proved that he had acquired a winter coat, but the whole question about exchanging money pretty much was a dead ringer that the coat had come with him, and as such, therefore he must have come from somewhere cold.]

Oh... right... That whole process would be different now without the whole elaborate greeting ritual now, isn't it?

There's not really... a currency exchange to speak of. I mean, I'm still sitting on a fair bit of Water Tribe money and Fire Nation coinage myself that no one will take. But the Welcome Centre might have a little bit of change to get you through the first week or so?

[valevectorian]

...I don't like the sound of this.

[theideaguy]

Yup. And just in case you haven't gotten an official greeting yet:

Welcome to Tu Vishan, the world where everything is terrible, and we're all poor and scraping by to survive!

[valevectorian]

Oh goodie. Because my life wasn't shitty enough before this.

[theideaguy]

Yeah, sorry for the rude awakening. But hey, I'm sure things will be better any day now.

You know, the day this turtle takes to the air and flies amongst the clouds.

[valevectorian]

Well, it wouldn't be the first time I'd seen a town-sized object floating in the air.

[Said with utter dryness.]

I'd sooner claim something about water being breathable and air not, or something equally ridiculous.

[theideaguy]

You know, I think I had a dream like that once.




It wasn't a very pleasant dream.

[valevectorian]

Is that so? How would I ever have guessed.