poly_chromatic | [Karte 1: (VIDEO) Visitor in the Snow]

[A tiny brunette peers curiously at the screen, her short hair framing her cheek as just one brown eye fills up most of the screen.]

What is this thing? A cam-corder?

[She moves it away from her face, revealing the rest of her face and all the ribbons she's wearing-- four red ribbons all around her head, ribbons on her overall-skirt, and she's wearing so much pink and red too!]
Neat! [She's smiling, very interested in the device, turning it this way and that, making the recording blur.] Why does it have sho many buttons, though? With numbers on? Hey, is it a calcuwator? Or maybe it's like a phone without a dial! ... it's so acchonburike!

Pinoko wonders how it got here, though...? Pinoko didn't shteal it, you know! [She raises her head with a dignified air.] Pinoko's not a petty cwook; she's a lady!

[After a moment, receiving no response from anyone, she looked around warily.]

Doc? ... Dr. Black Jack! ... Doc, where've you gone?! Leaving your wife to fend for hershelf... you dummy! [She sounds angry, shouting at the City around her, but the look on her face betrays only fear. She's even shivering a bit, although that might be due to her being rather inadequately dressed for the weather (short socks and a short skirt? Not a very warm combination!).]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's a lot here that just does not compute in a big way. Oh man.]

Easy, little lady. Nobody's on you about taking anything. Why don't you go and find someplace warm for now? Y'know, to get your footing.

Is City magic.

[There's a man on the screen! Who's he? He's wearing sunglasses and he looks mean! Is he a mobster?

She drops the phone in mid-air, squishing her cheeks in with her hands.]

Ohmigewdnesh!!

[And the phone lands in the snow.

Well, it doesn't break, but it'll get wet if she doesn't pick it up quickly...

She snatches it up again, fretfully.] Is it broken...? [No, still functioning, luckily!]

Mishter, are you a mobshter? Pinoko won't hold back if you are! [She makes a fist, biting her lower lip and trying to look strong.]

Doc gave Pinoko full permission to—

Find shomeplache warm... [Blinkblink. That's not exactly threatening. But, wait, something else gives her pause.]

L-little?

WHY I OUGHTTA— PINOKO IS NOT LITTLE, SHE'S TWENTY, A VIRGIN LAY-DEE, YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU BIG, FAT NINCOMPOOP IN THE SHADY-LOOKING SHUNGLASHESH OR I'LL BREAK YOUR FACHE IN!!

[Fears forgotten, she's waving a fist in the air and howling and shrieking like a tiny banshee.]

Magic?

[She blinks curiously at the odd doll.]

A puppet?

Sho cuuuuuute!!

[Is she for real? White had no idea what on earth he was getting into. Sheesh. Both hands go up and his glasses fall forward off his nose. It is daytime, why's it so strange to be sporting shades. They're cool, Pinoko. Super cool.]

It's a figure of speech. Of course you're a lady. A strong independent woman.

[Hellcat. Impossibly troublesome and clearly not his problem.]

This place has a Welcome Center. It'd be warm and dry there.

[Say WUT?]

Me not toy! Is hunter!

A hunter?

[But, he looks so small! Well, then again, she's pretty tiny herself.]

Pinoko's a nurse! It's niche to meet you. [She bows to the camera.]

[She's seen too many movies and dealt with yakuza too often to not be this jittery! Dressing like a vampire from the Victorian era is cool. Shades are fishy when you aren't blind or headed for the beach! At least, that's what she thinks.
As soon as he refers to her as a lady, she simmers down, folding her arms and nods, accepting it as an apology.
(Hellcat's a new one on her! She's been called a "little broad" before, though.)]

Right!

... oh, really, a Welcome Chenter? Thanksh sho much, Mishter Mobshter! [Now, she's speaking in a way that's almost disgustingly syrupy in its sweetness, clasping her hands besides her cheek.] You've been a great help!

[The voice answering isn't quite monotone, and not simply put as bland. There's just a lack of emotion. It's flat. Not even "reciting memorized lines" flat. But void of even caring to memorize those lines in the first place.] We know you didn't steal it. Everyone who arrives is given one.

Welcome to the City.

[What a cold voice. It's a little bit eerie, but she welcomed her, so clearly, she means well! Right?

Pinoko is indoors now, having heard of the Welcome Center.]

Well, that'sh good! And very niche. That way, that way, Pinoko will find her darling fashter too!

Mish, you are...?

He might not be here.

My name is Yin. I work at the Welcome Center.

E-eh?! For real?

[Pinoko frowns.] But, Pinoko hash to get back to him! She needs to shupport him. Where is thish plache?

... and it's niche to meet you, Yin-shan. [Said a bit poutily, but she makes the effort to bow politely, even if she's not sure whether that's something one does while communicating with these things.]

[Yin does not return the bow - it's simply not in her etiquette. If she even has one.]

[Pinoko's concern about returning to this other person though, actually causes Yin to widen her eyes, slightly, and only for a second. But it's something she can relate to. Something she knows too well.]

If it helps, time pauses when you enter here.

This place is simply called the City, and no one is certain of its exact location, though many theories circulate.

[Not the bowing sort? Pinoko wonders where Yin is from, but doesn't take offense. The change in expression procures her curiosity, but she doesn't bring it up, only looking more interested in the one on the other end.]

Pauses? But, time is pashing for me... and it's passing for all of you, right? Sho does time shtop jusht for the ones we left behind?

The Chity. Right! ... aren't there any mapsh or planes here? Maybe we could find out where we are from higher up!

Me "He Who Kills", much good hunter!

[Yin nods on the question.] Yes, for them, it stops. You should return to the point you left from. This has been confirmed in the past by people who leave the City and return.

[Then there's a shake.] Flight above a certain elevation is not allowed. I could not find the exact height, but there are reports of people simply unable to go further. And people have made maps, but only of the areas we can explore.

Ah, I shee! Sho, time shtops for Doc and everyone else back home, until Pinoko getsh back... [She won't miss anything that way! And the Doctor will not need her assistance if he's likewise frozen.

She considers this for a moment, then smiles.]

Sho, in the meantime, it's like a little unplanned vacation! It's jusht a shame Doc isn't here with Pinoko... ne, Yin-shan, do you know how the people who left did it, if thish plache bawwicadesh itshelf like that? Is there a shecwet passhage?

He Who Kills, huh? That'sh a long name!

What kind of things do you hunt, Mishter He Who Kills?

[She's quiet until the last portion, the question.]

That is unknown, and only speculation. If those who left and returned did so by a means they found themselves instead of simply how we arrive here, they did not recall, or such an event was not recorded, as far as anyone knows. [It is possible she missed it, it was filtered, or it was in a conversation not had on the network.]

Me hunt many things. Have many trophies!

Wow, trophies, really? You musht be talented!

But, you eat what you hunt too, right? It'd be awful if the animals went to washte jusht for shport...

Me no eat. Meat go to others.

Ohhh, sho, you're like a butcher! Neat! Can Pinoko have shome meat when you hunt again?

Pinoko likesh to cook!

Me do if girl invite Cain Hargreaves to feast. He much good friend, we live in Opera House.

Sure! Bring him over and Pinoko will cook ekshtra! It'll be a gwand feasht!

[Karte 1: (VIDEO) Visitor in the Snow]

video;

no subject

[1/?; video]

[2/4; video]

[3/4; video]

[4/4; video]

[1/2; Video]

[2/2; Video]

[video]

Re: [2/2; Video]

[Video]

[video]

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

Re: [Video]

video;

[video]

[Video]

[video]

Re: [Video]

[Video]

Re: [Video]

[Video]

Re: [Video]

[Video]