001 - [Video]

[primordial]

[The video feed clicks on, and at first, you might mistake the person on screen to be a dirty mop, what with the long messy strands of brown hair hanging down from his head. But on second glance, no, there's a face underneath all that, and it doesn't look that happy.]

W-why am I here? Again?! I didn't ask anybody to be here, this is not what I wanted, this is really, really, not good at all!!!

[And he murmurs and shakes his head, looking down at the ground as it he is wishing it could open up and swallow him right then and there.]

...

Yeah. Um. So...my name's Sam. Sam Erstwhile. I was here before, and then I was back home...and I guess I'm back here again. I don't know. So, really, you don't need to tell me about the whole Persona thing, I know about it. I still don't understand why in the world they would choose me to be here again...I'm no one special. Really, I'm not.

[A sigh.]

Erm, so has anything changed recently that I need to know about? Same old, same old? No crazy other-world field trips or the like? I don't think I could deal with another other-world field trip, the last one was horrible...

Comments

[angryyoungvamp]

Great. So this thing goes back and forth on whether to even keep us here. That'll be good to know if I ever actually leave.

Anyway, uh. Call me Maugris. Sorry you got dragged in here again, Sam.

[primordial]

Pretty much. Fun to find that out, isn't it?

[He nods sullenly.] Yeah...it's alright, I guess. At least it's not like I forgot how this place works, so there's that. Maugris? That's an unusual name.

[angryyoungvamp]

Oh, definitely. Just fantastic.

I'm still learning; I just got here last week. I learn fast, though. As for the name, it's after a character in a French story. Sort of a fairy tale, I guess. Maugris d'Aigremonte - one of Charlemagne's knights who was also a wizard.

While we're on names, Erstwhile's an interesting last name, but I bet you get enough jokes about it already.

[primordial]

Oh! [If there's one thing that perks Sam right up, it's hearing about legends and fairy tales.] Oh, that's...that's pretty cool. I've never heard of that one, but I've read quite a few fairy tales in my lifetime.

[And he lets out a huff at that, which seems to be his version of a laugh, judging by the way the side of his mouth quirks upward for about two seconds before falling back into its usual miserable state.]

Ah, yeah...I do, I do. Didn't have the pleasure of choosing it, though, so I guess I'm stuck with the "Formerly Sam" quips at my expense for a long ttime...

[angryyoungvamp]

His cousin's more famous - Renaud de Montauban. Or Rinaldo in Italian - they show up in the Roland stories, too. All the stuff with Charlemagne's knights is basically the French equivalent to the King Arthur stories in Britain.

Sorry. I ramble a little.

But yeah. Having unusual names with obvious jokes is a pain. [Then again, Maugris thinks his real name is a little too swishy, so take his taste in names with a grain of salt.]

[primordial]

Yes, yes, I think I remember the Roland stories. Huh. Those weren't bad stories at all, if a bit hard to read. But I liked them all the same.

Ah, no, no, I'm sorry, I'm the one who's rambling. It's just...I really like those kinds of things. That's all.

[He shrugs.] Yeah, but what can you do? A name is a name. You're kind of stuck with it for a good long while...that is, unless you decide to use a fake one.

[angryyoungvamp]

Oh, no, it's fine. I can probably go on about it for way too long, myself. Especially the Matter of France, but stories in general - I was a lit major in college.

Heh, fair enough. Then again, a place like this makes a new name easier, if you wanted to get one. Meeting an entirely new group of people and all. Though I guess you are sort of stuck the second time around.

[primordial]

Lit major? Haha, yeah, never went to college, I had to support the family...but if I did, I would've probably gone down the same path. I just really love stories.

[A nod.] It does, but as you said...kind of messed up on that since there are still people here who know me. But live and learn, I guess.

[angryyoungvamp]

Mm. Kind of a shame. Then again, I haven't ended up doing much with mine, to be honest. Life decided it had its own ideas. Then again, we both know what that's like just from ending up here.

[primordial]

That is very true.

...When you got your lit major, what were you aiming to be? A professor?

[angryyoungvamp]

I don't really know what I was aiming for, honestly. I don't think I did then, either; it was just a major in something I was interested in.

[primordial]

Oh, well, I guess not many people know what they're going to be when they grow up and get out in the real world. [An attempt at a smile.] I know I didn't.

[angryyoungvamp]

That makes two of us, then. You're probably right, it's probably not that unusual.

[primordial]

Yeah...I think it's also because people don't want to be forced into things. Or something like that.

[angryyoungvamp]

Something like that, yeah. People don't like being tied down.

[primordial]

Have you ever felt like you were tied down by something...or someone?

[angryyoungvamp]

[Maugris does a really bad job of keeping his disgust at the memory out of his face.]

... Yeah, a few times.

[primordial]

[Ooh, that's a good reaction. Sam doesn't want to press to hard, but he's keeping that in mind.]

So have I. That...that person who tied me down the guy I used to work for. I didn't even realize how much he was limiting my life and controlling me until it was too late...