1st Combo - [video]

[redcladidealist]

[The video comes on in a jolt of motion, which stills to a skewed image of pavement, buildings, and a soaking wet teenage boy clad in red and black lying on the ground. He winces as though he'd just hit the ground. Hard.]

Oww...

[Pushing himself up off the ground, he rubs his head.]

Is everyone all...

[Wait. Something's wrong. He looks around the plaza with clearly growing alarm, but still not at the SFC.]

Guys? Where is everyone?

[And where in the world is he?!]


[OOC: I'm up for action or network replies. Either works for me!]

Comments

[action]

[demonicbookworm]

Yeah... I'm sure that someone will know.

You should probably try asking... oh, that's right. There's this starfish-shaped communicator that allows you to talk to other people here.

[action]

[redcladidealist]

Wait... You have to ask a starfish before you can talk to people?

[action]

[demonicbookworm]

Ah, no. It's a device that looks like a starfish.

[action]

[redcladidealist]

Really? Huh...

[Can't imagine why someone would make something like that shaped like a starfish, but then he didn't understand a lot of things about technology.]

And you can talk to people with it? That actually sounds kind of neat! Where can I get one of them?

[Nope, hasn't noticed his SFC on the ground.]

[action]

[demonicbookworm]

Yeah.

_{[it's fine. In Ruca's world they don't have that kind of technology either.]}

...Um, everyone get one when they are brought here.

_{[Ruca notices your SFC lies on the ground and he points at it.]}

...I think that this is yours.

[action]

[redcladidealist]

[...that looks so disturbingly like one of the starfish from his world. Lloyd has an uneasy moment before he reaches down to pick it up. It stays still in his hand, not moving, not attacking. Slowly, he starts to relax, curiosity setting in.]

So, how do you use it?

[action]

[demonicbookworm]

Oh, it's really easy.

_{[insert here a long (okay, maybe not really that long) lecture about how the communicator works, what can it do etc., etc.]}

[action]

[redcladidealist]

[Even with the fact that he's actually interested in this, it's hard not to let his eyes glaze over just a little. Ugh, he's always had a hard time paying attention during lectures.

But hey, he's pretty sure he's got the gist of it, and he'll get the hang of the rest eventually. Really, how hard can it be?]

Okay, I think I get it. Thanks!

[He sticks his hand out.]

I'm Lloyd. What's your name?

[action]

[demonicbookworm]

No problem.

_{[he's glad to help.]}

I'm Ruca. Ruca Milda.

_[handshake]

[action]

[redcladidealist]

It's nice to meet you, Ruca.

[He lets go of Ruca's hand.]

So, if I'm stuck here for a while, I guess I should look around and get to know the place. Anything I should look out for?

[action] no, i didn't foget about this

[demonicbookworm]

It's nice to meet you, too Lloyd.

_{[He makes a thoughtful look.]}

...I guess that depends...

<sub>[He would love to say that you must see the library, but then not everyone like reading books, right?

Well, Ruca loves reading, but that's just him. He's a bookworm after all.]</sub>

XD

[redcladidealist]

[Yeah, books aren't exactly high on Lloyd's list of priorities.

...more like at the bottom.]

Is there anything dangerous here?

xDDDD;;

[demonicbookworm]

Dangerous? Well... the curses can be dangerous. Or so I've heard. This place is pretty peaceful most of the time though.

[redcladidealist]

C-curses?

[Him? Nervous? N-no way! What would make you think that?]

[demonicbookworm]

D-don't worry. They aren't actually anything really bad... _[really] ...Um, last one was making people say random confessions... Not all of them were real, though.

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd frowns.]

I dunno. That sounds like it could still be pretty bad. What if you said something mean that you didn't really mean? Or someone did something dangerous because you told them it was safe?

[demonicbookworm]

...Oh. I didn't think about it like that.

_{[but now that you mentioned it... yeah. that could be a problem.]}

B-but nothing bad happened... Everyone were a little annoyed by that curse though.

[redcladidealist]

Yeah, stuff like that is why it's important not to tell lies. Well, and other reasons. Dwarven vow number eleven: Lying is the first step down the path of thievery.

I'll bet people were annoyed. I'd be pretty annoyed, too. It's over now, though, right?

[demonicbookworm]

Dwarven vow...?

_{[blinking a little at that. Dwarves even exist?]}

Ah, yeah. The curses last for a week.

[redcladidealist]

Oh, right. I guess people in this place wouldn't know about them. Dwarven vows are facts and promises dwarves try to live by. My Dad was a dwarf, so he taught them all to me.

A whole week... Every time? And there's no way cure it or make it end faster?

[demonicbookworm]

Your... father was a dwarf?

_{[but you look human!]}

...I don't know. I've been here only a month and I've seen only one curse so far.

[redcladidealist]

My Dad is. My father...

[He shakes his head.]

I don't know much about my father, but Dirk's my dad now.

Dammit... I guess I'll just have to figure it out for myself, then.

[demonicbookworm]

Oh... I see.

_{[maybe he shouldn't have asked that question.]}

...I'm sorry.

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd smiles, suddenly reminded of Colette.]

What're you sorry about?

[He barely refrains from adding "you dork."]

You're already helped a lot. Thanks, Ruca.

[demonicbookworm]

_{[he blinks.]}

I... did?

_{[it takes him another moment before he finally smiles.]}

You're welcome.