thenearshore | OVERFLOW for | 012

[[OOC: Cont. from Dust's top-level]]

[As Dust explains, Kairi ends up nodding in understanding.]

I see what you mean. You're a shinki like me. Then don't worry about those reflexes - no harm done.

[But she does throw her chin over her shoulder in the direction of the rest of the party.]

Anyway, the person I was talking about has a tail too - and paws and whiskers and pointed ears and all of that. I think his face looks like a cat's, if that makes sense.

[She wouldn't put it past Dust's world to not have a word for four-legged housecats.]

So my kind or not, that doesn't stop me from talking to people, Dust. My name's Kairi.

...Sorry. I shouldn't assume. [At least he recognizes he owes her an apology, though part of him thinks he ought to just keep being frustrated and angry. None of this is his fault!] I've only seen -- people like you here. Not other Warmbloods, or even Moonbloods. I was starting to think I was -- unique. [Alone. Lost. Misplaced.]

[She nods at him.]

No harm done.

[Forgiving him is a lot easier knowing she's been in a similar position.]

I wish I knew what Warmbloods and Moonbloods are, but I don't I'm sorry.

[She knows she can't change him feeling a little distant from people not his 'kind' but at least she can try to focus on something else.]

Has... anyone like me been rude to you about being 'unique'? I hope not, but...

I haven't really been here long enough for that. Although I certainly picked a time to get here when the differences were... most on display.

[Seriously, so much skin, so little fur. Dust is all the more glad he didn't let anyone dress him up in some nonsense suit.]

[At first she doesn't get it, but then when she looks around, she starts to see what he means.]

Oh. That is kind of unfortunate.

[She tries to edge closer to Dust.]

I hope you won't hold it against us, though - we can't control what we look like any more than you can.

[Dust doesn't mind her edging closer... so long as he can keep hidden behind his hat. Right now it's sort of like armor, keeping him shielded so he can come to grips with everything.]

No. You are who you are. I can have problems with the situation and not the people in it, right?

That's right.

[It's more or less how she sees it.]

Did they give you a phone?

[She pulls out her own and holds it up.]

Looks kind of like this?

A phone? That's what that's called?

[One hand drops to the ~~inventory slot~~ pocket he'd dropped the device into when they'd pushed it on him.]

Oh man, another one... I wonder why they keep finding shinki who don't know about this stuff... It seems really frustrating for you guys.

[She turns back to Dust.]

I don't mind explaining it - I've done it multiple times now - but sometimes it just takes practice.

I'd appreciate that. Sorry. [He feels like he's imposing, now, if she keeps having to do this.]

It's not your fault, Dust. Let's start with... [She taps her chin.] Right, do feel like it's... possible at all to talk to people over long distances? Spells or alchemy or technology or anything at all?

[She's wondering just how far back to start the 'lesson']

Hm. I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. [That isn't a ringing endorsement of the idea, but it's better than complete dismissal of the thought, right?]

Okay, that's good. That's basically what our phones let us do. There's 3 formats - text, which is just like writing a letter, audio, which uses just your voice to talk to someone else, and video, which records... I mean it makes a copy of both what you're looking like and talking about at the same time as if you were having a face-to-face conversation! It's really handy, honestly.

[And pause for inevitable questions about that.]

And all of this is instant? [The letter part is a bit surprising. Somehow the idea of other communication still doesn't seem too strange.] And it's -- it can go to any other device like itself?

Yep, it's instant. You can talk to just one other person or you can talk to a bunch of all at the same time -- that's called the BBS.

[She brings that part up too so he can see it.]

But how does it know who I'm trying to talk to? [Now at last here they've hit a sticking point.]

Oh let's see... You tell it how to contact someone, actually. See... I go in here I can create a new contact. I'll call it "Dust". [She smiles at him.] And then right here, I can put in your phone number that matches your phone.

[She takes his and looks up what his number is, then hands it back.] Now, if I tell my phone to call your contact, it'll match up to your phone and...

[And his phone starts ringing!]

Huh.

[Dust looks down at his phone as it rings and vibrates in his hand. And looks... the pause growing a bit uncomfortable.]

[There must be something more to this. He pokes the word 'ANSWER' on the screen, which fails because he's supposed to be moving the slider over to that side instead.] It's not...

Like this. [Kairi moves over to swipe her finger.] Now hold it up to your ear and I'll talk into it for a bit.

[She turns away so that he can get the sense of her voice coming out of the phone.] Hi Dust!

[Lifting it to his ear is not instinctive, and he fumbles with it for a moment as he shifts his grip on it to hold it up.]

[To his ear. Which protrudes from above the broad brim of his hat.]

...I don't think these were designed with me in mind.

[Kairi turns back around when he says that.]

Oh... you're right, I'm pretty sure they weren't. That's a shame.

[But the way she says it, it's not the end of the world - because she's already considering some other options.]

I'm actually planning on going shopping here in the Near Shore in a few days... how about I look for a better earpiece for you then? Headphones, something. You can come too if you'd like to try them on.

Wait, hold on -- we can go shopping?

[He's pretty sure he's dead, right? Dead people -- don't just randomly wander into stores and buy things, do they?]

[...the difficulty in finding phone accessories that suit his ears, we'll leave that for later...]

For sure! If you want, I'll keep a look out for these cool headphones I'm thinking about - where they aren't a specific shape, they just kind of wrap around a part of your ear. I bet they'll rest on yours pretty well - it's better than using the phone like this, especially if you want to keep wearing your hat.

[She wasn't trying to say the hat was a bad thing to keep hold of, just that it was a twofold problem - one, the distance from his ear compared to a human ear and the mic on the phone, but also the hat separating his mouth and ear if he just kind of stuck the phone in roughly the same spot anyway.]

I'll call if you if I find anything, how's that?

[Yes, Dust is going to keep wearing his hat. That is not going to change. Ever.]

I'm... really confused, but if you know what you're doing, I'll trust you.

Will do! Don't be a stranger, Dust!

[And with that she waves, prepared to look for bluetooth earbuds for him next time she goes out shopping.]

OVERFLOW for | 012 | The Beach Episode

Dust

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