[handset | video] one love, one life (backdated to 3/5 or so)

[edgeoftheknife]

[The video flips on to show Erskine, gorgeous as always, and actually not looking dog-tired for once! In fact, he's smiling. This is possibly the happiest Erskine has looked on the network while sober.

...which probably has to do with the attractive redhead hovering in the background. Those who've seen Erskine's echo stone will recognize Hopeless. Those who haven't might recognize the man Erskine's been attached at the hip to for the last couple of weeks.]

Right, hello everyone. So, Hopeless had a question--

[The redhead in the background scoffs gently.]

Alright, we had a question. How old are all you Foreigners out there? We're interested in age demographics. You can be vague if you like, and you don't have to answer of course.

And in the spirit of sharing, I... missed my last birthday. It was in February. Which I suppose makes me 409 now.

Comments

[Video]

[spoilsfun]

Seven. I think I might be the youngest foreigner here still.

[Video]

[scryinghope]

The youngest I've heard about.

[Hopeless rests his chin on the heel of his palm. Seven is very young, and an outlier given the responses so far.]

I don't suppose you've had any years in-between which you don't remember?

[Or didn't live for, as the case may be. He asks it gently, though. Seven is young, no matter how he's calculating it.]

Re: [Video]

[spoilsfun]

What do you mean by in between?

[He pauses for a moment in thought.]

And if I don't remember them, then how would I know?

[Conan was entirely certain that he wasn't referring to the years he had lost because of the poison.]

[Video]

[scryinghope]

Someone else might remember them and have told you about them. Like a coma or memory lapse, or something more difficult to explain.

['Something' leaves enough room for magical oddities, surely.]

Re: [Video]

[spoilsfun]

No one told me anything like that.

[scryinghope]

[A reassuring smile, all in the eyes.]

Then it's probably safe to say that it hasn't happened.

[Assuming, of course, that the boy isn't also missing memories of someone telling him so; or isn't from a timeline in which he hasn't yet been told he's missing the memories; or is actually seven and not someone much older lying. Casual interviews on a network do not a solid sample make.]

Were you seven when you arrived here?

[spoilsfun]

Mmm, I think so. It hasn't been a year yet.

[edgeoftheknife]

[Hopeless's response is much more thoughtful. Erskine's boils down to:]

Seven?

[spoilsfun]

Mmm, I'm in first grade back home.