1st Engraving [Video]

[eagledheart]

[A well-dressed woman in early middle age appears over the network, taking advantage of the maid's explanation of the workings of the bracelet she was given. The Internet was hardly known in 1986, after all. At least she wasn't rebelling at the very notion that gods might have brought her here - if witches existed, so might gods, and no normal means of transport could have taken her off of Rokkenjima with the typhoon that was raging there. She worried inwardly at what actions her sudden disappearance might cause that man to take, and she knew it would make her look even more suspicious than she already did, but it couldn't be help. Little of her inward concerns showed through her elegant and dignified demeanor, though.]

Hello, I thought I should formally introduce myself to you, the other 'guests' brought here. My name is Natsuhi Ushiromiya. [Skepticism about their actual status as guests leaked into her words - she was not unfamiliar with prisons that had no walls, after all, even if her relationship with Krauss had become a true marriage and she'd accepted the Ushiromiya family as her home in time.]

Since I don't think we'll be allowed to go home until we've done what those who brought us here, does anyone have any idea how to, ah, 'restore life and color' to this city? I was told we need to live and grow, but I don't quite see how that will help restore the city.

Also, if any other members of the Ushiromiya household are here, I'd like for you to respond to this message. In such an unusual situation as this, supporting each other is more important than ever.

[As she finished her message, she wasn't sure if she wanted any of her loved ones to be here or not.]

Comments

1/2

[successorsama.livejournal.com]

[Lion's eyes widen when he sees the video. He knows this woman; she was the one who raised him. And despite being brought to such a strange place, she still maintained her dignity as best she could.

Lion really wants to tell her that he's here and that things will be fine, but he can't. There's a very slim that Natsuhi will even know who he is, and Lion can't risk revealing himself just yet.]

voice

[successorsama.livejournal.com]

[Still, Lion can't just ignore his own mother on the feed. So he uses voice, since video would show that he wears the One-Winged Eagle on his clothes and that itself would be suspicious.]

Pleased to meet you. Though I'm afraid I don't know much more than you do about what these gods want us to do, I agree that supporting one another is the best thing to do right now.

Video

[eagledheart]

[The other person's voice seems a little familiar to her, but she can't quite place why that is.]

It only makes sense since we're all in the same situation. You seem like an intelligent young man. I'm pleased to meet you as well, ...?

Voice

[successorsama.livejournal.com]

...Lion. My name is Lion. [Hopefully just giving his first name won't be too much of a risk.] And I thank you. I hope I can put my intelligence to good use while I'm here...

Video

[eagledheart]

[Thankfully for Lion, even though recent events have forced her to recall the incident 19 years ago, details like the child's actual name and gender are still lost to her.]

You're welcome, Lion. And I think we'll all need to combine our talents if we are to return home to our loved ones.

Voice

[successorsama.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't seem to have caught on, which is a relief to Lion. Perhaps sometime soon he can reveal who he is to her.]

Well, that shouldn't be too hard, considering that we've all been granted new abilities, it seems.

Video

[eagledheart]

Yes, the maid who explained things to me mentioned that. Mastering them will be important.

[Maybe if she'd had the ability she'd been given here back home, she could've kept the family conference from getting so acrimonious.]

video;

[satisfies]

Huh, now this is starting to get really spooky.

video;

[eagledheart]

Spooky in what way, sir? I don't believe we've ever met before.

video;

[satisfies]

Yeah, that would be kinda difficult... [ seeing as you're dead... ]

I work for Tetsuro Okonogi, one of your husband's business partners. [ a tip of the hat. ] I guess I should say... it's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.

video;

[eagledheart]

I see. [Though if she recalled correctly, Okonogi-san had more dealings with Hideyoshi and Rudolph than Krauss.]

It's a pleasure to meet you as well. May I ask what you do for Okonogi-san, ...?

video;

[satisfies]

I work... security. In fact, I'm currently on a job in that capacity, even here.

[ though... does he even bring up ange? how does that work exactly. ah, this is getting way too confusing for him already. ]

[ video ]

[eagledheart]

So you are the person working as my niece Ange's bodyguard, then? She's already explained the time differences involved to me.

[ video ]

[satisfies]

Hyahahah, yep, that's me! Just leave Ange's body to me. [ ha ha... ha... ] Time differences, huh... so does that mean you're from 1986?

♡voice

[gentle]

Hello, Natsuhi Ushiromiya. Unfortunately, after going through most of the posts on this network, the general consensus appears to be that outside of the instructions we all received, there is no other useful information available to us; most specifically, nothing has been unearthed in regards to a way out other than most of the population would indeed like to leave.

Video

[eagledheart]

[Natsuhi nods seriously.]

I rather doubt those that brought us here will allow us to return to our homes until they no longer have need of us. We didn't travel here through any ordinary means, so I doubt we'll be able to find a way to return to where we came from ourselves, unfortunately. It would have been useful had these supposed gods made it clearer how we are supposed to help them, though.

May I ask your name, young sir?

♡voice

[gentle]

It's quite frustrating but it appears that there is little we can do other than remain here and hope the situation becomes a bit more clear. I personally am curious as to what lies ahead for those who resist recoloring this world, whatever that entails.

My name is N. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

[eagledheart]

Video

I think I would rather find that out through observation than personal experience myself. I have already lost enough.

It's a pleasure to meet you as well, N-san.

[ video ]

[entreats]

[ ... First there had been Amakusa, which hadn't been a surprise to her in the slightest. But now.. first Lion, a family member from a fragment who she hadn't even seen before, and now one of her long dead aunts.. Ange is surprised - of course she is - but by the time she turns on the feed, she forces her expression to be more calm. ]

Ah.. Natsuhi oba-san. I'm here too. [ but then again, she's not six anymore, so she should probably say.. ] ... It's me. Ange.

[ video ] 1/2

[eagledheart]

[Natsuhi can't help the initial surprise and confusion that cross her features at the young woman's statement.]

Ange-chan...?

[But the more Natsuhi looks at her, the more she can see the ways in which this Ange resembled the Ange she remembered, even down to keeping the same hair style. And there was the One-Winged Eagle emblazoned on her clothes, as well.]

[ video ] 2/2

[eagledheart]

[Her expression changes to a more thoughtful one as her initial surprise fades.]

...If these apparent gods can pull people from different worlds, then it should be no great shock that they can take people from different times. You are... around 18 years old, correct? So you would be from twelve years in my future.

[ video ]

[entreats]

Yes. I'm eighteen right now, and so I'm from the year 1998. [ not.. mentioning that she grew up pretty much all alone aside from Eva though, better not scare her aunt with the story that everyone died since she most likely doesn't know yet. ]

It seems these gods really are messing around. They brought me and my bodyguard from my own time here, but.. at the same time you're here all the way from the past.

[ video ]

[eagledheart]

[Well, it's not like people hadn't already died in the version of the family conference Natsuhi's been pulled from, but she didn't need to know how bad things would end up getting.]

We don't know enough about what they want to figure out why they made the choices they made yet, unfortunately. But differences in time not withstanding, we're still family, so we should look out for each other.

[ video ]

[entreats]

... Yeah, I think so too, oba-san. [ Even though it feels.. well, downright weird to be able to talk to her aunt again like this, to see people from her dead family alive again. Battler had been one thing, since she had talked to him during the game, but.. ]

We still don't know what's going on for sure, so it's all the more important to look after each other, right?

[ video ]

[eagledheart]

[Natsuhi nods.]

That's right. We don't know what kind of dangers this place might hold, after all.