[ trade 01 ] / [ Voice / English ]

[gotyourwallet]

[The comm comes to life with a loud crack. The device just got dropped accidentally. Vie’s muttered voice is heard.]

This is great. I’ve no idea where in Kellos I am and now I’m breaking items that I can’t even start to decipher.

[The comm is picked up and she turns it in her hands. Vie’s voice is louder with the device closer to her face.]

He could have warned me at least before--

[Whatever strength was in her tone dies out and she falls quiet. A second later, sobbing is heard. It takes her a moment to get back under control.]

Dammit. [Muttered] He's gone Vierren. Hold it together.

[The girl is unaware the comm is on, or really what it is.]

Comments

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Me? I'm as human as they come. Well, kinda. I'm awful tall, but I ain't a real giant. Not that giants exist where I come from, but I would guess they exist somewhere.

M'I safely 'sumin' that yer a human yerself, Vie?

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

Human. [She's sounding out the word, getting a feel for it.]

I am Valei, Sal. [Pause.] And there are no giants where I come from either.

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

...y'know, I'm real sorry if s'rude, but I ain't real versed on other worlds. Wha's a Valei?

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

Ah... You know, I've never been asked that before. And it's fine. I've no idea what a human is either.

It's a little hard to explain. Centuries ago the Valei were tall, graceful beings. Two arms, two legs, lean bodies. Mostly hairless save for what fell from their heads and ears with a distinct point at the end. Two eyes, a nose, mouth, eight fingers and two thumbs, ten toes.

[She laughs a little, feeling silly for the description.]

Now we are much the same, only lacking the graceful movement that my ancestors had and my ears are short and rounded. I hope that was some help.

[Please Sal. Don't be a shifter.]

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Well, sounds t'me like what I call human, you call Vallee or whatcha said. I think we're th' same thing, jus' got diff'rent words for it. An' humans ain't never been diff'rent than we are now. Never had pointed ears or nothin'. But seems we're basically th'same.

'Less'n you have magic powers, I ain't got none'a that.

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

[Definite sigh of relief goes here.]

I'm glad to hear it actually. Where I come from there are others that aren't so kind. It's a comfort to hear that we are alike.

And no. No powers or magic for me either.

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Then I guess we're th'same, huh? Whattya mean other that ain't so kind?

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

Ones place in the world is determined by clan, or race. My kind sit on the bottom of the ladder. The shifter clans and beasts hold the upper ranks.

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Fer real? Dang, where I'm from, humans are the top rung. 'Least, so far as we know.

Well, no worries. Everyone's equal 'round here, so y'can relax. Yer free as y'please.

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

Again, your words are a comfort. Thank you, Sal.

[You have no idea how much she means it.]

Free to roam but not allowed to leave. I guess I'll take what I can get.

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Yer takin' this mighty well. M'sumin' y'din' leave much behind?

Ah, y'don' gotta answer that if s'personal. Jus' the pattern I seen with people who take 'rivin' here as smoothly as y'are.

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

[Pause. She's taking a moment to compose herself so that her voice doesn't break when she replies.]

There's nothing to go back to. I can only move forward.

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

I see... M'sorry t'hear that. [He hates to hear when people don't have anything to miss.]

Listen, if there's anything I can do t'get y'settled in here, I'm an awful helpful guy if I do say so m'self. Don' know quite all th'in's an' outs yet, but I can cover th'basics, yknow?

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

Directions would be nice. If this ship is as big as you say then I'm bound to get lost. Is there anywhere I could find food or clothing?

...What is the currency?

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Deck twelve fer clothes. Head t'Sergei's on nine fer food.

An' don' worry 'bout payin' fer nothin'. It's take an' take 'round here. Don' know how, but th'captain seems t'be able t'provide fer everyone endlessly.

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

No payment? How... strange. Twelve for clothes, nine for food. I'm on deck...

[Sound of movement as she opens her room door and peeks outside.]

There are strange cases and clothes, items, everything really, thrown all over the place.

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Uh... oh. Well, hey, that sounds like deck twelve. Th'clothes are there fer th'takin'. Everything is, really.

There should be an' elevator 'round there someplace, too. That'll take ya t'nine. Er ya could take th'stairs if yer ambitious.

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

[Twelve. Nine. She's marking her room number as well.]

Ele...vatorr? What's that, exactly?

[This ship is weird.]

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Fer real? Dang. I ferget sometimes that people's worlds are real diff'rent from mine.

Okay, uh... it'll look like a big metal door with a button next to it. You press th'button an' th'door'll open in a short while. Lemme know when y'get that far?

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

Okay.

[Picking her way through the luggage and searching for a big door. Ah-hah! There is is.]

Found it. Pressing the button now. What's next?

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Arright, when th'door opens, it'll be, like... a little room inside? An' y'go in there an' press th'button that says '9.' An' th'doors'll close.

[Geez, this is really strange, describing something as everyday as an elevator to someone. The strangeness he finds in this is obvious in his voice.]

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

[Warning bells are ringing but Sal has been nothing but helpful until now.

The doors will close, and then?

[The strangeness in his voice is heard, and matched with her own tone of cautiousness. Sorry Sal, she's not going in there until you tell her the next part.]

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

An' then they'll open up an' y'll be on deck 9. S'like a li'l room that moves up an' down from floor t'floor.

Does that even make sense?

[gotyourwallet.livejournal.com]

[Ding! The doors open.]

Oddly enough, yes.

[Button pushed. Doors closing.]

Okay, I'm in. This is rather bizarre. I'm imagining explaining this to me is about as strange for you as describing what I was to you?

[Her tone is definitely lighter. Still cautious, but she can see the humor of it.]

[conquistasal.livejournal.com]

Definitely. Elevators're pretty much common knowledge where I'm from. So 'splainin' what it does t'someone's kinda weird.

Is it goin' arright fer ya? I guess I'd be a li'l freaked if it was m'first time on a... thing I don' know 'bout.