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

[roundandaround]

Hm... You mean my season? I'm a Summer! Like this!

[She makes a little fireball levitate beside her and dissipates it.]

Which season did you get? They're all really cool, I think.

[throneaway]

That's exactly what I meant, yes. [ He's gotta get his head around local nomenclature. But he will always appreciate anyone who takes an opportunity to show off their powers, no lie. ] Looks handy to have in a pinch. The brighter the candle, the darker the shadows.

I'm in Winter, and I can't say I'm surprised to be, either. I was renowned for this sort of work where I come from. Not so much the wet stuff, but any occult knowledge is better than none.

[roundandaround]

Really? Like you're an exorcist or something back home?

[throneaway]

[ Maxwell looks genuinely flummoxed for a moment, like that's a career path so obvious and yet so strange he never considered it. ] I never thought of that. That could have been useful, too.

But, no, I was originally a magician. [ Very, very originally. ] And yourself?

[roundandaround]

Hm... I work at Shining Karaoke, but I do a bunch of quests, too. I was still in high school when I first came here, and ever since I finished that, I've been thinking of what all else I can do.

[throneaway]

I suppose I'll have to figure out something I can do in this world in the interim. Everything has a price.

...What's 'karaoke'?

[roundandaround]

When a machine plays a song but just the backtrack, and you sing along! We have a bar with private rooms for it, in Blossomcrown!

[throneaway]

Ha! I would need a nonzero amount of alcohol to feel comfortable singing, even in private.

[ He thinks about it a little more. She's been very nice so far, and it really wouldn't be a big ask to investigate for himself. ]

I can already see that it's more economically responsible to support 'otherworlder' businesses wherever possible, so I'll come see what all the fuss is about.

[roundandaround]

Yeah! Ren-san founded it, but he went home for a while, and Usagi-chan took over while he was away. We update the machines regularly, so there's all kinds of songs.

[throneaway]

Ragtime?

[ He tries to ask it neutrally. But it's obvious from the grimace he hopes the answer is no, never, we have banned ragtime, it's hateful and loathsome, etc. ]

[roundandaround]

Eh? Like that old music? I dunno, nobody really plays it, but I'm sure it's somewhere. What kind of music do you like?

[throneaway]

Then I'm growing more fond of this dimension by the minute.

I'm told we're a century ahead of where I was, and you're the expert. You tell me what's the best genre for karaoke.

[roundandaround]

Oh, there's all kinds! I mean, if you like slow and old-fashioned stuff we've got things like enka, but there's all kinds of pop and rock and metal and meme songs...

[throneaway]

[ Could those words really correspond to musical genres? Or is she just having fun? Metal? ] By "metal", do you mean... a brass band.. ?

[roundandaround]

Not really! It's a lot different from that. Kinda... loud and angry a lot of the time.

[throneaway]

Do you like it? Or do you prefer rock?

[roundandaround]

I dunno, I like all kinds of things. My own music is something like pop meets dubstep plus happy hardcore. Oh, but some people don't get that, so lemme show you!

[Immediately puts this on.]

That's my solo cover of an anime OP I thought was fun!

[throneaway]

[ Maxwell listens to it intently, with the most confused expression, initially. The Peeper squints and then bobs happily to the beat, finding it a lot easier to parse than Max does, but it also sounds nothing like the music he hates, so he's able to give it a fair hearing, even if it's ultramodern. ]

You have a talent for singing, even just for fun. And it does sound 'happy', I'll give you that.

[roundandaround]

Thanks, it's a lot of work! Back home I'm in a unit, but here it's just me. What do you like to do?

[throneaway]

I know the feeling... [ He hesitates, then clarifies. ] About being alone, I mean. It's surprising how much you can come to miss someone who you never really appreciated being around before.

I suppose there's always a chance your companions might show?

You know, I haven't been at liberty too long. I have always loved chess, but I can't find too many people to play with me these days.

[roundandaround]

Chess? Hmm... there's a ton of smart people here, so probably some of them know how to play! I bet I could ask Evangeline-neechan, she knows everything.

[throneaway]

That's very kind of you. You're far too helpful, you know that? [ Aren't you sick of being nice? Don't you want to go apeshit? ]

Forgive my terrible manners, I didn't ask your name, either.

[roundandaround]

Rinku! I'm Aimoto Rinku!

[She smiles guilelessly. No, she has not once considered going apeshit, why do you ask.]

And my sister's Evangeline -- her eyes sparkle too, so you've probably already noticed her! What about you, what's your name?

[throneaway]

A pleasure, Rinku.

Ah, yes, I have met her, I think. You're both very lively, it's true, if that's what you meant.

I am Maxwell.

[roundandaround]

Yeah, that too! [nod nod] Nice to meet you, Maxwell-san. I bet you'll have a ton of fun here♪