. v i d e o .

[mortalheart]

[It is night, the very earliest of hours in the new day, and Louis is sitting in a dully lit room. The color of the light is a dull blue, and his face is mostly in shadow. The darkness outside and the blue-teal light give his white skin -- what can be seen of it -- a very unhealthy hue. However, his voice is soft and curious in tone, and welcoming in its calmness]

One of my most favorite of memories of my home were the crawfish. Platters full of bright red crawfish, freshly caught, steaming and soon to be bathed in seasoned butter.

[Being in the Water district has brought these distant memories back and they make him smile slightly as he thinks on it. He couldn't now remember what crawfish tasted like but he remembered that he had enjoyed it.]

Do they have here what any of you recall fondly from your own homes? More surprising to me is not what all is different here, but how much is so similar, to what I once knew.

Comments

Audio

[redlightgreenlight]

[A woman's voice comes over the console, she sounds as if she is somewhere between amused and annoyed.]

We are in the midst of a diplomatic issue and you are talking about food...Are you one of the Dead Men?

[That had to be it, who else would spam the network like this?]

[mortalheart]

[Louis waits a long moment, staring calmly at the console waiting for a video image to accompany the voice. When nothing is seen, he cocks his head to the side and quietly wonders on that, though he does not mention it.]

What does dead man mean to you? There could be a... few ways to answer such a question. As for the diplomatic issue, I am no diplomat, nor am I familiar with the local politics as of yet. Is it something the average citizen need worry on about?

[redlightgreenlight]

Well, one of them would know what I meant, so I guess that means no.

[A light laugh]

As for the local politics, a potentially hostile force is currently visiting the city, so yes, I would consider that something the average citizen should worry about. But considering that you are a foreigner, and a new one at that, it concerns you even more.

Video:

[solo_patria]

[Given recent events, he HAS to be new. And Enjolras hasn't seen this man's face on the network before, so it explains a fair bit, actually. And honestly, he's a little relieved that mundane affairs are coming out again, if only for the brief respite.]

It IS strange, the things you miss after you've been here for a while. For the first year or so that I was here, you could hardly get me near any of the fish. Too much of it growing up. But now? I've found a decent bouillabaisse alternative, and the sea smells the same as it did in Cassis, especially if you go near the port.

I haven't managed to track down wine as good as Paris, but I remain hopeful we'll come across it at some point or another. The beauty of a moving island for you.

Video:

[mortalheart]

[Louis is completely still, listening quietly and attentively, until the mentioning of Paris and then he smiles just barely.]

Parisian wine will never be matched for those with a love for it, I think. Some of that French stubbornness comes from their vineyards, perhaps.

[It's a small joke of course, indicated by that small smile growing softly. His lack of eating familiar foods has nothing to do with being here though naturally this man couldn't know that, and Louis is content to let the assumption lie.]

Are you from Paris?

Video:

[solo_patria]

[Enjolras has to laugh at that, acknowledging the truth straight away.]

A fait accompli if I have ever heard one of those. But, yes, most recently. Cassis before, although I will admit, I am not quite so fond of those local varieties, although I might be biased by location too. Less company to be found there.

But still, it can be surprising what you are able to find that reminds you of home, sometimes. It's the smaller things, rather than the big ones sometimes, isn't it?

video;

[ruinsprofessor]

[The woman on the other end of the feed looks a little tired, but her smile's genuine enough.]

I take it you're newly arrived? If you have any questions, I'm happy to catch you up.

[He's accidentally hit on one of her favorite topics, though, and that's what she'll be pursuing unless distracted.]

This world isn't so foreign, is it? It's fascinating, given the vast number of possibilities there must be. Are you from a version of Earth as well, or some other place?

video;

[mortalheart]

That's very kind of you. [Louis closes his eyes and slightly nods towards the console in a respectful recognition of the help being offered; it comes genuinely and he is genuinely touched by the gesture.

When he looks up again he considers what he knows already of this place through the Welcome Center and while there are all kinds of questions, as he understands it they are not questions anyone really has the answers to.]

I am, yes. And yourself, are you from Earth?

video;

[ruinsprofessor]

[Kind? She supposes. It seems to her just decency, when they have each been cast adrift here in their own time. In the end Raine just inclines her head in turn. The offer will remain open.]

No. My world is known as Aselia, now. [Or she assumes it will be.] As I understand, it's somewhat smaller than Earth, both geographically and in population-- at least, as of the twenty-first century.

There are a number of different Earths represented here, it seems.

Audio

[walkthedarkpath]

Sadly, there is not much I miss from home. I suppose I had to choose it would be the simple things. Classical music and things mostly ignored by the youth of the world.

[mortalheart]

The youth of the world. [Louis is amused by this phrase and he isn't certain why, though it has his head tilting almost imperceptibly as he stares at the blank console the voice has come from.]

What do you consider to be the youth of the world, what does that mean to you?

[walkthedarkpath]

[ Vergil only had one of the phones that had been given out weeks before, so he had no video to project. Still he smirked a bit at the question returned.]

I would suppose any younger than myself. Here in my thirties I find the world endlessly unbearable. [ Sadly, he's not even sure he is in his 30's anymore.]

video

[risingwinds]

[Ven likes to spend these hours stargazing, but with Aqua and Xion out camping, he decided to pee at the network. So here we have ne spiky-haired teen, watching the feed with interest. Crawfish? Not something he's had much of before, and he's tepted to ask about 'em.

But first the question at hand.]

Well, there's stars, even if they're kinda different. The whole sky's changed from what I'm used to, and it's cool, but I wish the city lights didn't drown out all the dimmer stars. I'm still not used to being in a place this busy...

[mortalheart]

[The hair has Louis' attention as the youth begins speaking but soon enough his gaze is where it ought to be on the face. He too noticed the sky is different and after two-hundred years of staring at the same sky, it was rather a shock actually.]

A moving city must be lovely for a star-gazer, you would have a different sky regularly, yes?

[risingwinds]

Yup! And I can't really complain about that. I've got my Glider, so I can go all the way out to the turtle's head if I wanna get away from all the lights and stuff.

[He gives a thoughtful hum, fingers tapping at the edge of the keyboard.]

But I guess there's some perks to staying close to the city. This place is so busy compared to my home.

[Video]

[purered]

That's a delicacy of the southern United States, if I'm not mistaken?

As far as food from my own home, I doubt I'll be seeing a schwarzwälder kirschtorte here any time soon.

[Video]

[mortalheart]

That is just so, you are correct. [Louis cannot remember now the first time he crawfish but he does remember growing up with it. He used to tease his sister with them, stolen from the kitchen much to the slaves' irritation] Most of my childhood was spent in New Orleans.

Hmm. My German is a bit rusty. Torte is cake, schwarz black. [He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth briefly before releasing it.] Some kind of fruit cake?

[Video]

[purered]

My apologies - it's called a Blackforest Cherrycake. Named for a type of cherry liquor.

[It is, in fact, a heart attack in cake form.]

I've yet to visit New Orleans, but I hear it's a remarkable city. You are from some version of Earth, then?

[video]

[wolfstrike]

Crawfish... aren't those like mini lobsters or something?

[Yuri had to think on that for a minute as it's not exactly a common thing where he's from. But he's definitely no stranger to seafood at the very least.]

That does sound pretty good. If you find some around here, maybe I can cook them up.

[video]

[mortalheart]

If you've a name with your request I will be sure to let you know.

[Although he will not eat any of it, the thought of watching it prepared and someone else enjoying it does appeal to him!]

I am Louis. [Pronounced in the French manner of Louie.]

Re: [video]

[wolfstrike]

Yuri Lowell, nice to meet you.

[He certainly has no problem with introductions. Especially if it means getting some interesting food. And this guy's accent reminds him of a certain someone he knows. A dead someone he knows, but yes.

And leave it to Yuri to not distinguish between a French and German accent. Oops.]

video;

[insertdadjoke]

If you want to get poetic about it, this place has people. That's about all you really need in the end.

[ Call him old-fashioned, or easy to please, but it's the little things that matter. Not to mention one could consider it a cop-out if they think about how varied people are. Cain likes the vague answers that sound concrete. Force of habit. ]

video;

[mortalheart]

[Louis can't help it, he gives a slow but wide smile and is soon ducking his head as he chuckles. He's almost unconsciously careful that his smile isn't quite wide enough to reveal his fangs, but lowering his chin helps hide them too. Louis licks his lower lip before he lifts his eyes again to the console.

Lestat would surely say something awful at this point, about needing people indeed! The vampire gives a small huff.]

Poetic or not, it is true. How terrible it would be to be alone, here or anywhere. [Such a hard fate, one he knows well.]

video;

[insertdadjoke]

[ Tell him about it. Cain knows all too well that people need people, himself most definitely included. ]

Suppose it's not impossible to live that way, but I'll leave it for the ascetics. That said, crawfish is a good thing to have, too. Suppose being on a giant turtle reminded you of seafood?

[irishthor]

Crawfish... If only I were in a position to enjoy them back home

[Where Shay is from, they're quite the delicacy... therefore expensive.]

Welcome to Keelial. I'm sure you'll find more things similar the longer you stay here.