oo1 [ voice → video ] (July 1st)

[interspace]

Testing, testing... Is this thing on? ALFRED?

[ Despite the sound of rain mostly being filtered out of the audio, there comes a slightly-computerized male voice with none of the background interference. As if it's speaking from inside the microphone. ] We're transmitting.

Positive?

Positive.

All right, and now... [ Video! Here's a young woman with some bright red hair tamped down by the wet rain falling all over her as she walks down the street. She does have a rain jacket on with the hood up, but that never really helps completely. She's wearing a frameless visor over her eyes, but even with that, she may look pretty familiar to some of the Transports here, though her "user name" identifies her as 4d 69 73 68 61 20 48 75 6e 74. ] Voi la! Are we in business?

Not only that, but it's booming.

Great. Okay, now to finally have a point to this instead of just futzing with my new toy. What's the current progress? I mean, sure, all these links to history and general info is great, but there isn't a whole lot of talk on how far we are now, what's left to go, how coordinated the actual effort is... Basically, how much shit is this Initiative still in and how much do we "Transports" have to keep digging?

... also. [ She flips the notepad around to momentarily show the street that she's on, heading toward the apartments. ] Am I going the right way?

Comments

Audio

[maddeninghatter]

[ After a bit of eavesdropping on the public conversations... ]

It sounds as though you've been filled in on the bad news, sufficiently. The good news is that your... "AI"...

[ Forgive him, it's been quite a leap from fantasy Victorian Japanese France, but he's learning. ]

Yes, your AI might have the opportunity to make a lady friend.

[interspace]

[ Misha isn't really able to stop the surprised look. A lady friend? For ALFRED? ]

You're joking, right?

There's another AI present?

[maddeninghatter]

Yes, that's right, the Iniative has one. And, er. I think she's a lady.

[ Lowering his voice to a stage whisper. ]

How does one tell?

[interspace]

Generally speaking, you have to ask.

Now, why didn't we get introduced back when we were actually at HQ? That's so rude.

[maddeninghatter]

Perhaps she'll introduce herself. I think it quite likely that one of her interests includes lovingly watching over us all, including our interactions on these devices.

[interspace]

I wouldn't be surprised, honestly. Big Sister is watching.

Though it does raise the question of how secure even these security locks would prove to be.

Yeah, good point.

[maddeninghatter]

Why, I have no idea what you could possibly mean by that.

On a completely unrelated note, do feel free to pop by and say hello when you've found your way to the apartments.

[interspace]

[ That inspires a small laugh and an equal grin. ]

What floor would I find you on, then?

[maddeninghatter]

Fourth. There's a directory, too. Your man Alfred should be able to sort it out. Toodleoo~♪

[ log/actionspam/imply? ]

[interspace]

[ She doesn't even have to ask. ALFRED is already sorting through the logs and site maps for all of the relative information to locate this man's room. (It's handy, though kind of disconcerting, when she would usually need to give him some kind of prompt. That 'sentience' certainly does seem to be working.) She'll definitely have to stop by once she's had a nap to take the edge off her exhaustion. ]

See you soon.

[ actionspam fine by me! ]

[maddeninghatter]

Bye-bye!

[ END TRANSMISSION

..for now, he'll return to his knitting. ]

[ sweet, then away we shall go ]

[interspace]

[ Well, then. After meeting her roommates and a much needed nap... Misha eventually makes her way down to Xerxes Break's room. Which, really? Names are such terrible names to put in the hands of... anyone. Really.

Anyway, there's a knock on the door that ALFRED has identified as Xerxes' room: 403. ]

Yoohoo, anyone home?

[maddeninghatter]

[ The door pops open with an eldritch squeal (someone worked hard to make it that way), revealing: no one at all!

The apartment is spotless. Collette is neat. And Gilbert is, well, obsessed. Speaking of which, there's freshly-baked scones cooling on a rack in the kitchen; the aroma fills the air. ]

[interspace]

[ Misha peeks inside, just to make sure (also peeking through the crack in the door to check behind it), then laughs at the setup of the place. ]

Don't mind if I do.

[ She steps inside toward the kitchen, but does not actually make for the scones. The Jaws music starts to play on her headphones and she has to hold her breath to keep from busting into laughter. ]

Yes, ALFRED, very funny. Anyway—hello, one newbie here to say hi to her sort-of-neighbors!

[maddeninghatter]

[ Another pop, and one of the upper cupboards swings open, just slightly.

Approach y/n? ]

[interspace]

[ Misha turns to it, brow raised. Sure, why not. She makes her way over, covering herself in that invisible power of hers to start phasing the upper half of her body. Just in case. She's not scared, so much as overly paranoid of everything. ]

Pro tip: If you want to run a haunted house, you should be charging at the door, not expecting tips.

[maddeninghatter]

[ The door swings open, revealing first a pair of white, oversized boots, followed by the legs, white floppy jacket, purple-frilled shirt, and white hair of one Xerxes Break, who unfolds himself from the shelves and drops down to the floor.

(There's no way he should have been able to fit.) ]

Hi hiiiiii!

You must be Miss Misha. And your man, Alfred, how do you do?

[interspace]

[ She steps back to give him room to drop, giving an admittedly somewhat nervous chuckle. Only somewhat. He might notice that since the time of her video broadcast and now, Misha has gained some pretty intricate scarring along her face: it starts at the bridge of her nose, then seems to follow the contours of her skull in six different prongs. ]

I am indeed Miss Misha, and I can only presume you to be Mister Xerxes.

[ Now that they're off the network, ALFRED's comments are for Misha alone in her earphones. ] I'm sure we can expect the rest of the Transports here to be just as colorful. It's almost like home, isn't it?

ALFRED says he's pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm still undecided.

[maddeninghatter]

People call me "Break."

[ He doesn't seem to notice anything at all amiss about her appearance, or perhaps he's simply taking it in stride. ]

Well good, good. Cos it's Alfred I wanted to speak to, particularly.

[ Already reaching for the kettle ]

I suppose you want some tea?

[interspace]

Break, huh? You got it.

[ She tilts her head at the admission, then nods. ] Sure. ALFRED, any ideas?

A few. External speakers would be easiest, however we may be able to rig something through the netbook without using its networking system. Or you could simply lend him one of your earphones.

If you're making some, sure. What type?

[maddeninghatter]

Earl Grey, if you've no objections.

[ The kettle filled and on the stove, he pulls out a teapot and a tin of loose tea from one of the lower cabinets. Teabags are the devil! ]

Your man's awfully quiet, he was downright chatty on the network.

[interspace]

None. Sounds good.

[ Misha nods and moves to a free space near the counter, settling herself on the stool. She reaches up and pulls out one of her wireless earphones, holding it out to Break. ]

He's right here. Try wearing this, then you'll hear him. External speakers aren't part of his design, unfortunately. What exactly do you want to speak with him about?

[maddeninghatter]

[ His manner has been so far odd, careless, and breezily confident. But now he hesitates, the corners of his mouth pulling down into frown, his gaze flickering-- ]

What is--that?

[ It's gone an instant later, the mask of his smile returning. He puts out his hand, tentatively, palm upwards, as if he expects her to put whatever she's holding into it. ]

I wanted to give him some dating tips ha ha ha!

[interspace]

[ She raises a brow, then lays the fatter end of it in his hands. She's getting Ideas at this point. ] It fits into your ear. Part of it should hook over the shell to rest there. Sorry if it's a little uncomfortable, they were made to my size.

[ ALFRED gives it a moment for Break to have a go at fitting the earphone in before he speaks in a droll tone. ]

I'm hardly in need of dating tips, especially for an AI I've never met before.

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ He has adapted fairly well, from a society that was principally magical to one that is technological; but there remain, even so, large gaps in his knowledge. He would have made a point to learn about earphones, had he known they existed; they are, like many things still, an unknown unknown.

He turns it over in his hand, feeling for the hook. He lifts it towards his ear (backwards!) and it doesn't fit, it falls off immediately, he manages to catch it (thank goodness, dropping things is a terrible bother) and fit it in the right way and--

Oh.

A little voice in his ear, a voice that no one can hear but him. And an assistant that is a machine (he thinks of it as some sort of complicated clockwork, cleverly miniaturized), not really helping a person, not in any sort of manner that implies altruism or obligation, but simply performing as per its specifications.

It's a full five seconds before he responds, and then it's only to say: ]

Ah--