animus_network | oo1 [ video ]

[While he usually uses audio settings back home, this time he's going to use video. It might help if someone recognizes him, and not just by voice. Which is why everyone can see that he opted not to use the white jumpsuit (because who really would?), and instead used the clothes that he had found in the trunk. Thank god they gave him brushes, too, or his hair would be a mess.]

This connects to the network, yes? This is Tseng, Director of the Department for Administrative Research. ID Number 46952. [There's no confirmation after that, of course, and his eyes narrow.]

After awaking in room 03-04, I found the letter stating that Gaia had been destroyed. Unbelievable, of course, and whoever has decided to play this kind of prank can be assured that their pay will be docked.

[The collar, too, is a nice touch; just enough that it's annoying, and such a garish color.] I'm more concerned with someone touching my things, and somehow knowing what to pack in that trunk. They also left me without a lighter, if there is anyone willing to lend me one for a moment.

Any and all information from a reliable, spoken source, would be appreciated.

[End transmission.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Holy shit! Tseng? Is that really you?

[After being away so long, Reno doesn't actually know how to respond. Instead just have him sitting at the terminal resting his chin on his hand.]

[That's a voice and a face Tseng didn't expect to see, here. This might be some proof that their world was really gone; if another one from Gaia was here, how many more could be?]

Martial Arts. [Pitch perfect and a slightly tilted head, which was the only thing that gave away his surprise.]

I did not expect to see you here.

[He's not used to Reno not speaking. He's silent for some time as well, taking his hand out of his pocket and pulling out his pack of cigarettes. He does still need that light.]

[He sits up a bit straighter, folding his arms on the table.]

Think Rod's got a light, but this isn't a joke.

[What should he be feeling right now? Relief, anger, sadness? Maybe a bit of all three?]

Gaia's gone. I've seen it. [That'd account for quiet Reno, anyway.]

This place is just full of surprises, trust me. The others will be psyched to see you.

[She's grinning and quickly brushes her hair out of her face.]

When are you from?

[Bullshit. That's what Tseng's first thought was. The planet had almost been destroyed multiple times, and it was still there, in the end. He would have heard about the world coming to an end, wouldn't he? Another battle had just been won, was it too much to expect a day of rest?

Reno was not much of a joker. A prankster, yes. A sarcastic person, yes. But this was not a funny joke, and neither of them were laughing.]

How long? [He sets the pack on the terminal, leaning in to see better.]

Others? [How many others could there be, here? Did she mean other Turks, or someone else?

...Wait, when?]

Cloud Strife had defeated the General, once again. We were in the midst of packing up to leave.

Sparky and Rusty, those are nicknames for both Reno's. Rude is here and so is Rod and, of course, me. I think I heard something about Elena being here but I haven't seen her.

[She barely surpresses a groan but she does look disappointed.]

So you're from about three years ago. Dammit, nobody from my time yet. I would kill to see Gun again.

[A mental checklist of the names, not that it's very long, but it was good to know who was here and who wasn't. There is something troubling on that list, though.]

Two Reno's? [That made absolutely no sense, and neither did the three years ago part. He didn't want to offend her by asking if she had been smoking some Gysahl Greens, but still.]

I think it would be best if you told me more about this place.

[That was a little more tricky to answer]

How long have you been here, Chief?

[Very troubling. She only mentioned the Turks.]

Yep, two Reno's. Completely threw me for a loop when I got here but I was in the same room as them both at one point. There are more people from ShinRa and everything here but not many people I'm fond of.

[Oh Ifrit's Balls, she really wishes she had been.]

Alright, here goes. This place can apparently 'save' people from different times and different realities. Or some bullshit like that. Which means more than one version of a person can exist. And the administrators here can be sadistic bastards, a whole shit load of people disappeared last month and there was no food here at all.

[He has the sense that he's not going to like this answer. He checks his watch with a frown.]

An hour and forty-two minutes.

Then it's been an hour and forty-two minutes.

[He's watching Tseng carefully. He isn't expecting him to believe.]

I can only offer you the FAQ I helped co-author. It's about as informative as you're going to get in this place.

I don't feel like going into the newbie spiel.

[It takes Rusty a while to get over the shock of seeing Tseng alive]

It's not a prank, sorry.

[His tone is it's usual seriousness, and scars coming out from beneath his shirt are different from the ones he had back on Gaia.]

I can debrief you in the cafeteria, I was going to head there myself and you should eat as soon as possible.

[Hi, Tseng! Have a blinking puppy on your screen. A blinking 18 year old puppy, one who's staring at you like you've sprouted a second head. He almost didn't recognize you without that silly little pigtail! Speaking of which....where's your ponytail, Tseng?]

Uh...did someone fill you in already? Cause this isn't a prank, man.

[Veld's protege. How nice.]

[Fuhito's calm, collected face flickers to life on the screen. He rarely uses this device, but he sees no reason not to lend aid, in this case.]

Yes-- Director. It is unbelievable, and thus very unlikely to be true.
It's refreshing to hear you wouldn't dream of taking the word of your captors as to the fate of your world. In that, at least, you're miles ahead of the rest of your-- group.

Make no mistake, you are a prisoner here, along with the rest of us. The very fact of this transmission should assure you of that, since otherwise communication between us would be impossible.

I suggest you use your-- considerable skills to acclimate yourself.

How many new people does this place seem to get, on average?

[Oh, what the hell. Turns out Martial Arts was right. A very different Reno, to be sure.]

...All right. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.

[Someone he'd thought about, but never expected to see again. Not until he was in the Lifestream himself.]

...Zack? What are you doing here?

[This isn't the Lifestream, right?]

[Have a headshake; they can deal with this! It'll be easy. ....or not.]

I've got no idea. I was en-route to Nibelheim, then boom. Waking up in this place with no idea how or why. Been here for about two months now.

[Not unless the lifestream is hell, Tseng. Don't get attached.]

It varies, but they usually pop in during the weekend or beginning of the week. Anywhere from five to ten average, though I'm seeing more lately.

[He doesn't quite know how to react to this one. His usual look will suffice, but this was just another thing for Tseng to be wary of. Not that he wasn't already...]

Fuhito. You are the last person I expected to be here. [He wasn't even on the list.]

A prisoner. Any escape attempts?

It's down on the first floor.

[there's a nod, and he's gone.]

[Reno is always relatively easy to find by his hair alone, and he's very calmly sitting at a table in a corner with a bagel and tea. He's wearing a tie properly though his jacket's on the back of his chair.]

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