compnetwork | 001 [video]

[The video flips on and a young boy with golden blonde hair and somber blue eyes blinks slowly into the camera for a few moments. His speech is hesitant and his manner apologetic.]

Hi.

I, um... I think this is working now. Can anyone hear me? ...I'm sorry if I'm not doing this right; I've never used anything like this before. But they said this was how I could communicate with everyone, so... hello.

[He shifts uneasily as he speaks, though he manages a small smile as he introduces himself; his gaze falls now on a point just slightly right of the camera. Technology was not something he was terribly familiar with using - or ever really wanted to be.]

My name is Lucas. And it's very nice to meet all of you. I guess I'm using this now, because I... I'm happy to be here and help, I am, but I don't think I really understand why I'm here. I mean, I do understand about the monsters and the 'demons' and all of that kind of thing, and... of course, I want to help, but what I mean is... I'm not sure I understand why me and why... now. I-I know it's a bit selfish, but I...

I'm very tired.

Do you think I can go home for a little bit before I start here? I promise I'll come back and help; it's just -- you see, the thing is, I sort of needed to see if there was a home to go back to, still, and then this happened, and I really should... check.

[He swallows, and his eyes flicker to his feet as his speech becomes ever more incoherent.]

Um. Sorry, that didn't come out right at all. It's not like that -- I mean, it is, a little bit, but not very; it all should be fine, I just -- Oh!

...I'm sorry. This wasn't how this was supposed to go.

[He blinks hard and brushes briefly at his eyes before reaching to fiddle with the COMP, trying to turn it off. It will take him some time to be successful.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh boy wasn't this starting to sound familiar.

He visibly drooped, but he was uh-- trying, not to let that show.]

Yeah. I know how it is..

I guess that's why we're here, but I think we're really-- just here to protect the city. And there's more than one way to do that...! There always is!

I see. [the poor fellow sounds like he's in a serious situation.]If it helps, they say that time in our home worlds stops while we're here. So yours probably isn't in any more danger than it was when you left.

Ah --

[He breaks off for a moment and lowers his head, his eyes still wet with tears.]

I'm sorry... I know it isn't fair to say things like that and then not explain, but... it's just happened. I'm not really even sure how to tell the story.

When the Dragon awakes, the world will be destroyed. That's what the Dragon is there for. E-Everything else is... Maybe I can explain... later.

Edited 2013-07-09 03:32 (UTC)

Time stops?

[It is easier to express his emotions when there isn't another face looking out at him. Lucas's mouth opens in a half-O of surprise.]

How can something like that --

[No. Of course it was possible. ...Throughout all of time and space, that was where Porky had gone, wasn't it?]

So this place...

I guess... in my experience, the only way to protect what you love is to fight. But, um. Maybe if there's something else I can do...

No need for a mister, my name is simply Cerberus.

I'm sorry, explaining this sort of thing isn't something I was made for. We left that to the Iterators.

I've read a number of stories like that in traditional mythologies. Quite often, the destruction of a world is immediately followed by its rebirth, in a sort of universal karmic cycle.

I used to think the same thing, but there's all sorts of stuff you can do to help! You can provide medical or technical support depending on the operation... some people just need stuff built and taken care of, you can plan things, or I bet even covert op missions or, something.

[...]

Probably not best for a kid to go on covert ops though. I think those are the hardcore operations.

A-Ah, sorry, Mr. Cerberu -- Cerberus.

[Lucas will, naturally, take upwards of six months to learn to address him as anything else as these kinds of things go.]

What do you mean by that? What's an Iterator?

[Lucas's reaction is a slight jolt of surprise as he swings his head up to look her straight in the eyes.]

...W-What do you mean by that?

You're not saying... this kind of thing happens often?

U-Um. Actually...

Medical aid is sort of what I do. That's how I usually help out in fights - heal. It's probably my strongest talent...

But it still involves being in the fight. And I know if I'm not there, people will be hurt.

Well, they're just stories. But even myths tend to have a kernel of truth in them somewhere. They're created to explain natural occurrences, after all.

Natural...?

['Natural'... wasn't that what his journey had been about? Changing things back to the way they used to be. The way they were supposed to be. Was that what the dragon was about?

Returning man to a more innocent state... A more natural state. The way he was always meant to be.]

I don't know if this is very natural...

But you're right. The Dragon is supposed to destroy the world and recreate it as the reflection of the heart of the one who called him.

Then there shouldn't be anything to worry about, as long as that person is firm in his convictions.

[Fumi should know - she's seen it happen firsthand.]

...But how can anyone ever be sure of that? No matter how firm you might think your convictions are, isn't there always a part of you you can't ever really know?

No one is perfect. No one should have to be perfect.

Awesome! That's what I like to do too-- I mean uh, I only have a few healing spells, but it's better than fighting.

With enough people around, you don't always have to fight directly at least-- you could help on the battlefield, but I know when stuff got bad here, we had to rush a lot of people to the hospital, so there were plenty of people behind the scenes that were busy helping out.

Oh -- that's right. You're defending a city...

It's a little different that way. Um. When you're traveling around, the fights sort of... always come to you.

[Lucas seems thoughtful for a moment or two before he glances into the camera and smiles.]

Thank you. I feel a little better now...

[Still, he knows he wouldn't be able to bear the guilt if he sat in a hospital healing people when there would be desperate need of his abilities on the front lines, too.]

You don't need to be perfect to have strong convictions. I'm personally acquainted with at least half a dozen deeply flawed individuals who nonetheless have some very strong beliefs.

I guess, then...

How can you know if your convictions really reflect your heart or if you're fooling yourself?

I think most people have a fairly good idea of what it is they really want.

Someone who promulgates and explains the Imperial Truth.

Learned men who were skilled in the arts of rhetoric and communication.

...

[Lucas is silent for a few moments. It seems he wasn't conveying his fears adequately... Or perhaps she just didn't seem to think it was an issue. After a bit, he speaks again.]

...Well. In any case, the worst that could have happened shouldn't have come to pass. The world will be recreated... somehow. So that's something to be thankful for...

...Why is it that only certain people learn the truth? Shouldn't it be known to everyone?

[It's the second thing, really. That and the fact that Fumi doesn't fully appreciate what it's like to feel fundamentally unsure of oneself. She's always worked very hard at what she wanted, and met with great success at nearly every turn. She doesn't sympathize well with anyone who lacks self-confidence.]

So what kind of world did you ask the Dragon to create, then?

I-I never said it was me!

[was it really that obvious]

I -- It was... I was helping this person who -- He, um... went on this journey to wake the Dragon, and I... was also there.

[Despite Lucas's many talents, lying was not one of them.]

Page 2 of 3

001 [video]

no subject

[voice]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject