eachdraidh | A1. video. [ open to both courts ]

[ it doesn't immediately occur to thomas that he could probably just communicate through a text system--as far as he knows, the locket is a lot easier to use by video, and so he does. the network is presented with a pair of big, brown doe eyes before he leans backwards a little, revealing a face that could be rather familiar to some--dark hair, a button nose, moles like spots littering his face.

this is not the man you are looking for, however: this is thomas "murphy", and he clears his throat before he introduces himself. ]

Hi. I'm Thomas Murphy, and I'm--kind of a new arrival. I guess they'd call me a greenie if this was back home. [ there's no hint of humor on his face, but he did actually just try and make a joke, and his tone is a little lighter, for it. ]

Can anyone tell me about the Seelie and Unseelie--in your own words, if that makes any sense? What you know about it...you don't have to tell me any secrets or anything, but, maybe why you're there, I guess. [ he's not going to say which court he is (though it's obvious eventually, by the background of caer scima), but he just needs to know. ] Or, if you're okay with where you are. Not that I'm not, but...I don't know. Is there any reason why someone wouldn't be? They apparently brought us here for a reason-- [ again. ] --since we have these "shards", or whatever they are, but I don't have a lot of trust for anybody who says that, because it's usually a load of klunk.

I guess that's all I've got to ask. [ a beat. ] Actually, that's not true. Is there another map around here? Besides the one they gave me, I mean, it's not very good. [ ... ] No offense.

[ thomas is just going to shut his trap now. he almost physically winces and shakes his head. ] That's it, honestly. I'm just going to... hang up now. Thanks.

[ thomas does hang up, and the feed ends--for all of five seconds, before he snaps it back on. ] Oh, wait--also, I want to know if anyone here's ever heard the phrase "WICKED is good." It has to look like this. [ after a second, there's a typed out phrase that appears instead, with WICKED fully capitalized. ] That's really all this time. Um, thanks.

[ click! for real this time. ]

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[ that's actually a really, really solid point, and thomas frowns, thinking about it. ] Like everyone who's world was ending came here? Maybe to save this one, if our own are lost.

[ a beat. ] But, I don't want to believe home's gone. We almost made it to Paradise--we were there, and then I woke up here.

Oh, neither do I! I wasn't saying ours were lost causes or anything. We're going to save them.

[ On that point, she's firm. ]

I just figured if we're determined to do that in our own worlds, that might be why we ended up here.

[ piper gets bonus points from thomas almost immediately on that one. he looks a little relieved. ]

Maybe. That's the best theory I've heard so far, to be honest. If we could save our worlds...then maybe we could save theirs? [ he sighs. ] It's not a terrible reason for a kidnapping, but it's still a kidnapping.

Yeah, totally. So let's hope we can get to this world saving business here sooner rather than later, if that's what's going on. Then we can go home.

[ Maybe. Hopefully. ]

Sounds like a plan. [ he smiles, then, a faint thing for the serious glader. ] I didn't catch your name.

Oh, I'm Piper. You?

Thomas. [ it's not a group b girl's name. at least he can stop calling her brenda in his head. ] Nice to meet you, I guess.

Yeah, same.

[ Including the "I guess." Since they're on different sides and all. ]

I still think it's kind of weird that they let us talk to the opposing side.

Me too. [ when thomas met with the "other side" back home it...did not end well. at all. ] Aren't we supposed to hate each other?

Who knows? I don't plan on it.

Me either. [ a little more of a relaxed look, then. ] Apparently the war goes slow around here, anyway.

I guess that's preferable to the alternative.

[ And she knows all about getting out of one deadly situation only to nearly immediately land yourself in an even bigger mess. Down time is good. ]