video; un: brickfuckingmaster

[giraffic]

There's no fucking way this works--

[ the tablet is set up in some basic room, Ellie's face way too close to it as she gets it set up, and still. she handles it with the utter lack of finesse of someone who's never experienced technology before. it immediately falls over, enjoy watching her sideways.

she's practically shouting. ]

Hey! Does this work? Can you guys hear me? Someone said I could talk to, like, everyone on this. Hellooooo? Houston, we have a problem, over. Uhhh...Echo five-niner? Testing 1, 2?

Okay, whatever, but if you can hear this, what the fuck is 'manslaughter'?

[ she's trying to sit it back up ]

I mean I shot some dudes, but they deser--

[ aaaaand it's accidentally shut off, thanks for coming to her TED talk ]

Comments

[incorrigibles]

Brills. Chuffed to hear that.

[ the words come accompanied by a bright, sincere grin; he was worried for a bit there, but luckily her answer is enough to wipe that away. ]

So what's a QZ, then?

[giraffic]

Chuffed... Quarantine Zone. Don't know if that's ever gonna stop being weird to answer.

[incorrigibles]

[ don't @ him and his london working class slang okok thanks ]

Sorry, I know it's strange, people not knowing what's common knowledge where you come from. But I'm guessing if you were quarantining from something, food must've been scarce. Bloody sucks, that. At least however else this place sucks, too, lack of food's not the issue.

[giraffic]

I'm pretty sure there's more food here than anyone where I'm from has even seen in the last 20 years.

[incorrigibles]

... Shit. That sounds bad.

[ a pause. he wants to keep asking questions, to learn as much as he can about all the other places, but. she might not want to talk about it all. ]

So... what's your name? I'm Charles.

[giraffic]

IT sucks, but it's kinda what I'm used to. I'm Ellie.

[incorrigibles]

Cheers, Ellie.

[ well, this slight interlude of good manners is doing absolutely nothing to beat his curiosity. so, ]

Can I ask what is it you're used to, exactly? What're you quarantining for?

[giraffic]

Not gonna get used to that question either. Uh... Mushroom fungus that takes control of your brain and makes you rabid and bite people. Trying to keep whatever's left of humanity alive, I guess. At least, whoever is in the QZ.

[incorrigibles]

Sorry, [ he says on reflex, because — well. he kind of knew the question was going to suck. ]

... Jesus fuck. A whole zombie apocalypse, then? [ that's up there for the worst worlds he's heard of so far. ] ... guess this place must be real different.

[giraffic]

No one's trying to kill me for my food, and there is food. Like...everywhere. It's winning on a different scale at the moment.

[incorrigibles]

Right —

[ what the bloody fuck do you even say to that. that sounds like hell, and he has been to hell. ] Is it bad to say I'm glad you're here, then?

[giraffic]

Naaaaah, if I gotta end up somewhere, might as well be somewhere with a fuckton of food.

[incorrigibles]

Yeah, that's not a bad way to look at things.

[ a pause. ] Reckon there's a lot of other things here that're different from what you're used to, too.

[giraffic]

I'll figure it out. I can handle myself.

[incorrigibles]

Don't doubt that.

[ if she's from a literal zombie apocalypse and still alive... well!! clearly that speaks for itself. ]