video | un: desdemona

[maritorious]

[Nancy's looking a lot better since her arrival. Her black eye has faded, the cut on her lip has healed, and the damned headache is at long last gone. She sits with a straight back, and occasionally glances off-screen to make sure she's doing it right. Not like she'd really know. But it's fun, to be a part of something new like this, these video messages. These videos.

In the background, The Smiths play quietly. She takes a drink of what could be anything. It's not. It's tea. And gin.

Mostly gin.]

Hello, I'm trying this for the first time. It's all so incredibly new and exciting. [Her accent remains unchanged.]

Which is why I'd like to ask everyone something: How many of you are out of place? And how many are out of time?

I was speaking at the roller rink with Captain Bonnet and we were wondering if there were others like us here, not just dragged from a few years or across the country, but across the ocean, hundreds of years out of the past, into this ridiculous future and have no idea what cars or neon or arcades are let alone jeans.

If so, I propose we have a meeting of sorts. Try to learn all these new things together. Or if anyone is willing to explain the last two hundred years in history, I'm really curious. I know some of you are from the future future from here, but I imagine that'd be easier. [Now she feels like shes' excluding a huge chunk of the population, but come on. People like her and Stede were at a distinct disadvantage.]

Er-- My name is Nancy, and I'm from 1838 London.

Comments

un: Pegasus, video

[ferriswheelsandfootball]

Hi Nancy, I’m John. I’m from 2008 and two galaxies away. Not so much further in time, but in space, a whole lot.

un: desdemona, video

[maritorious]

Galaxies! [Her eyes are as wide as they can possibly go.] Oh I may have to rethink this whole thing, assuming we're all from the same planet.

That's... how is that even possible? [Her world is so small, and galaxies? Her mind is being blown kthx]

[ferriswheelsandfootball]

Yeah, it's pretty wild.

[John laughs, amused at her reaction. A few years ago, before he knew about the existence of actual civilizations on other galaxies, his would have been the same.]

We have ways of traveling to different galaxies. I'm on an exploration expedition--or well, was, until I got here.

[Also so much for security clearances and keeping the Stargate secret. If these people ended up in his universe somehow, they'd probably get picked up by the SGC anyway.]

[maritorious]

My friend, Mr. Peter Quill, he's from earth, but he's been living in space for quite some time now. [That's her over-simplified version if it. Best keep it that way until she learns about things like physics.

That is outstanding, see, until now I've never even left the city limits of London. Not that I remember, anyway. [She doesn't know if she was born in London. Just that she'd been there, then she was being taken in by who she thought was a kindly old man.]

The world is so much bigger than I ever thought possible! [And there is awe in that statement.]

[ferriswheelsandfootball]

I gotta tell you, space is a pretty cool place to live if you have the chance, and the choice.

As much as this place sucks for those of us that are used to livin' out there and being able to just go where you wanna go, I guess it isn't so bad for you. I don't think that 1838 London was a particularly pleasant place...

[He's not a historian but he's also seen a lot of movies, so.]

At least we got mostly modern amenities here. Running water. Paved roads. Antibiotics. Stuff like that.

[maritorious]

It really ain't. [She wrinkles her nose.] It smells so much better here, let me tell you.

[She has to laugh, though. He's absolutely right.]

We do! Innit lovely? I like the telly-vision too.

[ferriswheelsandfootball]

I don't wanna know. I've been to my fair share of...worlds that don't exactly have modern sanitation so I get it. I really, really get it.

[Despite himself, he has to smirk. He's practically made a career of dealing with civilizations of varying development levels but it's always fun to see someone's reaction to technology.]

The telly-vision is really great. Wait 'till you start figuring out which shows are your favorite. Then you can get into arguments with other people about it. Then you'll be like everyone else from this time!

For future reference, Star Trek is great, Mary Anne is a better character than Ginger, M.A.S.H. is realistic, and Sam and Diane belong together forever.

video; un: notanetrunner

[bodyoftheseus]

Hi Nancy, name's V. Not so far from my home but pretty far from my time. I'm from a place south'f here called Night City, and the year 2077.

I know you're more interested in people from the past like you are but I think you'n I are on the same page with this tech. This stuff's all so ancient I don't know how to work it either.

[ He certainly had a leg up in that he could mostly blunder through it and figure it out. ]

video; un: desdemona

[maritorious]

Oh my god, that's over two hundred years from me. [Wow. Wow.]

Hullo, Mr. V, sorry. Just a little... two hundred years! [overwhelmed. The word is overwhelmed.] I can imagine, then. It's like we've found a time right between the two of us. Alright.

Good to know even people from the future, mine and this place's, are a bit out of luck, too, then.

soz for delay, brain's been weird

[bodyoftheseus]

[ V blinked at being called "Mr. V" - it reminded him of his meeting with Dex, and everything after. ]

I know, lotta years between us. Can't really imagine what kinda place you were from - couldn't even imagine a place like where we both landed.

[ He paused for a moment, waffling with whether to ask his next question. His curiosity got the better of him. ]

What was it like? Back when you're from? And, uh, what's London like?

S'all good!

[maritorious]

It's...

[Oh god where to begin.]

I lived in the poor areas of London, grew up in Saffron Hill. The smell was awful but you got used to it. There were thousands of people in the streets at all times, people without places to go, dirty and hungry. The East End wasn't exactly safe by any means, even for me, and I had the protection of a few notorious criminals. [She smiles, to think of one of them, touching her bruised eye.] I grew up among 'em, and called the shadows my home. London was all I knew.

Of course, then you go over to Kensington or Hyde Park and you're a whole world away, ladies in fine dresses, kind gentlemen, beautiful parks to spend the day in. That's where we worked, mostly. Until I got old enough, then it was usually White Chapel or Spittalfields. But a pocket's a pocket, right? [She can't count the number of times she's pulled double duty, lifting a mark's wallet right after he'd paid her for his pleasure.]

Time-wise... None of this electricity, running water. It's all I knew, but there were no luxuries, not even for the Queen, I imagine. Not really.

Now you've got to tell me about Night City!

[bodyoftheseus]

[ As Nancy spoke and explained a little about herself, V's eyebrows raised a little. He hadn't expected to have anything in common with her but the world was hard all over, no matter the time. ]

Grew up homeless in a poorer part of Night City. Not the poorest thanks to one'f the gangs there, but it doesn't really matter when you don't got a home. Lot of gang violence - the Valentinos and 6th Street would have a lot'f late-night fire fights with each other over turf. Lot'f people were... collateral damage.

Um, I worked a lot. Got what're called Fixers in Night City. They're middlemen for jobs. I've done a lot - breaking and entering, stealing items, stealing data, makin' sure people stay quiet... Pretty much anything that'd get me eddies. I generally didn't take jobs that took me to the City Center, though - that's where the megacorps are most concentrated and secure, and I don't really like tempting fate like that. [ If only he'd listened to his gut on his last big heist. He might not be here. ]

Far as tech... I don't really know where to begin. To me, this place we're at now doesn't have any technology. It can be the middle'f night and the city's lit up with lights and neon, I used to have a phone that could do a ton more'n these implanted in my head - it would manage my day-to-day for me. That's, um, the start of it. There's a lot more but I wouldn't know how to really explain it without us havin' to sit down and start from square one.

[maritorious]

[It's good to know she's not the only lowly street urchin around here that's all grown up and still up to no good. She breathes an audible sigh of relief, letting her shoulders drop.] I see- sounds a lot like London. What you do, Fixing, sounds a bit like what my- [Fuck it. She's going with the word Bill would have at the very least scowled heavily in her direction for. The conversation had come up a thousand times, and each time he'd ended it. Despite his love for his name, he didn't want sharing that name to mar his reputation.

Well. Bill fucking Sikes wasn't here today, and last time she'd checked, he'd at the very least brutally beaten her so she can be a little petty. Besides, there isn't a good word for what they are, anyway. Were. Are.] -my husband did. He'd work at the docks, too. Best known as a house breaker. [And murderer. And occasional secret teddy bear who liked to be the little spoon.] Whatever needed t'be done.

Wait, so you've a telephone planted in your head? [That's all she's understanding.] Alright, we can take 'em as they come. To me this whole place is incredibly advanced.

un: gentlemanpirate

[funhinged]

[ Video but make the quality and framing so inconsistent that it might as well be audio challenge. ]

Loving the initiative, Nancy! For the record, jeans seem pretty subpar from what I'm learning. Very scratchy material.

[ Yes that's important. He has to show support for the meeting and the knowledge pool. ]

Ed and I got in from 1717. Straight out of the West Indies. Talk about a weather differential!

un: desdemona

[maritorious]

[omg more praise! best day!]

I'm still not all that used to trousers, truthfully, [she's worn them, of course. But jeans are weird. At least their are still skirts and dresses readily available.]

Wet and rainy are par for the course back home. Though I'd love a bit of sun. I've heard it's like a paradise over there.

Leaps in!!! Ed > Stede > Nancy ?

[polyonymous]

[Well this is all just cute as hell.]

Trousers are good. Don't get caught in things. Not very airy, though.

[So a point both ways, really. Belatedly, he raises a hand to wave at Nancy from where he's squished in next to Stede.]

I'm that Ed he's talking about, by the way. Hiya.

i'm down with anything 🤺

[funhinged]

Oh, yeah, this is Ed! Ed, Nancy, Nancy, Ed.

[ World's most necessary and helpful addition. ]

I guess the new fashions would be a bit more of an adjustment for you, wouldn't they? Trousers and all. [ Stede hadn't considered that even a little. Head empty no thoughts. ] Well, if we all want to get stocked up on wardrobe options, we're gonna have to add learning the weather patterns to our list!

well now that's dangerous and I have to finish OFMD.

[maritorious]

Lovely to meet you, Mr. Ed. Are you a captain as well?

[She's got no idea.]

At least they've done away with corsets, I'm not too proud to admit that. [While people didn't actually wear them as tight as one would imagine, they were still restrictive. But now there were bras to figure out, and she's not prepared to talk to two men about those unless they were paying her.]

We are! I'm used to the rain, so that won't be any bother, at least. That should be at least one of the meetings- understanding the modern fashions and weather patterns of our new home.

yesssssss please do

[polyonymous]

How'd ya know?

[Ed grins, clearly pleased by her guess. It's nice to think he still gives off captain vibes when not actively threatening someone or being all scary. He elbows Stede, as if the guy isn't sitting right there with working ears.]

Y'hear that? She called me Mr Ed. Fancy. [and back at Nancy-] Don't gotta call me that. I'm just Ed. Never had a title outside of captain, and I can't have you calling me that when I don't even have a ship.

S'far as I can tell, the fashion here is uh... bright. Puffy. And that weird material everyone's wearing, all stiff- [He waves his hands around, trying pretty fruitlessly to emphasise the shape of it.] Looks like something blue you left out in the sun for too long.

[janescayre]

[This is a lot. Waking up two whole centuries later is no joke, but the most shocking of all—]

That guy's a captain? Of what?

[She wouldn't put Stede at the wheel of a clown car, much less a ship.

She suspects he hosts a mean tea party though.]

I'm too far ahead to join your little club, but I'm from Japan. It's 2014 for me.

[maritorious]

Captain of a ship.

Japan! I'm meeting people from everywhere. People from outer space, the West Indies, Japan! I can hardly believe it

[janescayre]

Is he new at it?

It's not half so novel as the 1800s or outer space. Though you should probably stay away from whoever that is, they probably brought some horrific alien disease with them.

Is there something in particular you have a question about?

[maritorious]

I don't know?

Alien diseases? That's not good. Not in the least.

Well, honestly, everything.

[janescayre]

Judging from how accident prone he is, I'd say so.

It's what happens when disparate populations meet. Everyone gets sick and a whole bunch of people die because they don't have the right medicine to treat it.

You could at least narrow it down a little! Don't expect everyone to do all the work for you. Just pick something.

[maritorious]

[Well, this girl doesn't seem particularly kind.]
To be fair, a lot of people aren't good on rolling skates.

I'm not...?

It's that I have a very long list of things I'd like to know about, and I have no idea where to start, but if I did it would probably be a very large question like What The Bloody Hell Happened In 200 Years and I don't think we have anyone here with enough patience to sit down and tell me everything, so I'm quite content with asking questions as they come up, thank you very much.