001 ✶ video

[darkcure]

[The feed opens on a young girl, who's staring at the camera very quizzically... until she notices the little light went on.]

Huh? Did it do something? [There's a cry of "Happy!" off-screen for a second and the screen 'shakes' slightly, as if someone's tapping the gear that's recording.] Oh... Do you know how this works? I'm not really sure what I'm...

[She stares some more at the screen, tilting it left, then right... even flipping it upside down. Then she blinks a few times as some of the information on the screen finally registers...]

W-Wait, can people see me through this? Um, I... I'm... [She looks around nervously, before reaching down and picking up a Happiny, which she quickly hides her face behind.] You... You say something instead...! I don't know what I'm supposed to do... [The little Happiny looks very confused, but her trainer is still hiding behind her.]

Um. Is there really someone out there? I'm really lost.

[...Like this it does almost seem like it's the Happiny talking instead of the girl. That's one way to talk to the network. She does, shyly, poke out her head juuuust a little. But it's really just the top of her face that's visible now.]

I'm looking for my friends. Jude? Milla? Can you guys hear me? Alvin?

...Teepo?

[Oh geez, at that last name she almost sounds close to tears.]

Comments

[darkcure]

That's good.

[Assuming this girl is trustworthy, anyway. She seems nice, but... Lots of people have seemed nice without actually being nice.]

She is?

Then... she's like me. I'm stronger than I look too.

[beastofasister]

Mm-hm! [Her head bobs up and down in an encouraging nod. Then, almost conspiratorially, she leans closer to her 'Gear and stage whispers:] My first doesn't look like much, either— But she hasn't let anything bad happen to me yet!

[darkcure]

Hm... Okay. [Hey, check it out, she actually sounds a little relieved now.] So they're really reliable. That's good to know.

It's kind of like having Teepo with me. Except... he couldn't fight by himself at all.

[beastofasister]

Mhm, something like that! [She doesn't know the details of this girl's situation, exactly, but...] There are a lot of us here who would normally be able to use some kind of magic or special powers. For some reason, we can't do that here, so we rely on these little guys instead.

[darkcure]

So... no one can use their powers? That's why I can't use any spirit artes?

I just thought I couldn't use anything because there aren't spirits. But I wouldn't be able to anyway...?

[beastofasister]

Right! Um, to give you an example... [She presses the tips of her fingers together, considering how to state things plainly.] When I use magic, I can draw from both the outside world and inside myself to cast it. But here, I can't do either. It's like it's all just...gone.

[darkcure]

That's so weird. It would've been nice to keep my abilities.

I've never heard of magic like yours before. Um, what kind of things could you do with it...?

[beastofasister]

Anything I wanted to!

[That statement is punctuated with a giggle, as if she were merely boasting.]

The proper term is magecraft. Real magic is actually a little different... There are a lot of different schools of it, but the name for the one passed down through my family is witchcraft. It's mostly charms, curses... That sort of thing.

[She's leaving out a few details, but... Witchcraft is a bit gruesome, and she doesn't want to upset her again by talking about animal sacrifice.]

[darkcure]

That's definitely really different than spirit artes. Those can't do anything like curses. Um, those sound like they'd be a little scary, though.

But charms sound nicer. Are you really good at those?

[beastofasister]

[If only you knew, Elize...]

Mm-hm! [She answers with a quick nod.] I can't use them here, of course, but... If I could, I could send you good luck and protection, or other things like that!

[darkcure]

That sounds really nice... I wish that was possible with spirit artes.

I mostly used my powers to heal people or fight monsters.

[beastofasister]

Mm, but that's something to be proud of, too! There are a lot of people who couldn't do that, especially at your age.

[darkcure]

Hm, it's mostly because I have Teepo to help me. He helps me cast my spirit artes, so they're a lot stronger.