Video, UN: Puppetking

[throneaway]

[ The video cuts in to a very plain assigned apartment room, and a tall, reedy-looking individual who smiles to see something light up or turn on on the device. Success!

Maxwell doesn't look too worried about all this 'saving the world' jazz.

Neither does the little floating eyeball that nuzzles up to his shoulder. He pets it absently. ]

Say, pal. How many of you 'randomly chosen' otherworldly visitors were already heroes in your own worlds? How many of you were ... Less heroic?

I don't mean to be suspicious, you understand: I'm sure they actually do need help here.

But I have some prior experience with kidna--err--this kind of selection process.

Comments

[throneaway]

I know which one I prefer.

We certainly need more of that attitude with nonhuman entities, believe me, but in this case, I don't rate the Peepers' general comprehension level higher than a frog's. I don't think it'll come if I call it, even.

[abnormalizes]

Good to know! [Do not flirt with the Peeper.] There are a lot of nonhumans brought here, so it's good that you're already used to them.

[throneaway]

Bit of a cosmic-sized ego for me to assume good old Earth would be the primary port of call for magic tethers, hm.

Not every monster looks it, either. [ That's so blithe it just has to be testing the waters. ]

[abnormalizes]

That's true! Though the coolest ones do.

[She respects a monster that looks human, of course, but it's much more fun if they have fangs and horns and claws and wings.]

So this isn't your first time away from Earth?

[throneaway]

[ He nods to himself, but doesn't argue, because: ] I don't know what temperature has to do with it, admittedly.

No, I've been away quite some time. And yourself?

[abnormalizes]

Oh - great, exciting, attractive, that kind of thing. That's what cool means.

Not from it in the first place! I'm from the City. Basically a capitalist hellscape.

[Said like it's no big deal. She's used to talking about it.]

[throneaway]

Oh, in that case, I can't dispute it.

My condolences. The pursuit of gold can only lead to misery, I find. Is it different here?

[abnormalizes]

Oh, it's great here! I get paid time off of work and there's all kinds of safety precautions, and if I want to quit my job I just can and my boss isn't allowed to kill me for it! And there's something called a labor union where a group of workers come together and negotiate for better pay and conditions, and they're just allowed to do that and don't get killed either? Incredible.

[throneaway]

[ Maxwell takes all that in. ] Yeah, sounds like luck broke your way coming here. We had labor unions in the world before mine too. [ Dryly: ] They weren't so lucky.

What is your job, anyway?

[abnormalizes]

Here? I work at the Research Center.

Back at home I worked in energy production through work with monsters in containment, which is exactly as sketchy as it sounds.