thisavrou | 001 ☾ video

[She’s definitely glad she went to Earth instead of staying in Arlia; there’s only so much you can do in a rural village and her stay on Earth has at least taught her how to use a communicator. Though some other technological inventions are still an anomaly to her, she’ll figure it out eventually.

When the feed turns on, a blue-haired girl with pointed ears is shown with a light-hearted smile. In the background, the lone tree in the garden can be seen.]

Hello everyone! My name is Rena. Rena Lanford. I’m sorry for interrupting, but I’d like to ask a few questions if you have the time to spare. It shouldn’t take too much of your time!

[She takes in a quick, deep breathe before continuing.]

First of all, is it possible to venture out of your official job position? Like assist in other sections? I mean I’d still do the job I was assigned foremost, but I feel like it’s such a waste to not use healing Symbology, you know?

Second, since people are from other worlds, does “magic” seem familiar to any of you? From what I read in stories it seems similar to Symbology so I’d like to compare them!

Lastly: is there any way to get any items from back home? I was sure I had my hairpin, but I seem to have misplaced it…

[And it was a gift from her mother so she’d really like that back.]

Anyway, I... believe that's it! Thank you for the time! And… sorry. I didn’t mean to talk so much.

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What do you mean by energy? Like... mental wise, I guess?

[She lets out a titter before she could stop herself at hearing his job. And she thought her job was assigned inappropriately. She's just going to try and keep a neutral expression, but a small smile is still visible.]

I... I'll be sure to let you know if I hear anything about it, but you don't really look the type to be assigned that.

Sort of I suppose? But it's manipulating a certain kind of energy to protect and attack.

[Yeah, laugh it up. Everyone else did.]

And yeah, you'd be right. I'm a soldier normally. Laundry is something other people do for me.

That sounds somewhat similar to Symbology then! Though we use symbols and an incantation to form things.

[It's... complicated, she doesn't even know how it works, really. It just sort of happens.

--She's sorry, but not really sorry.]

Really? A soldier?

... For what?

Symbology in my world sounds like something mystical, a mumbo-jumbo kind of thing. No offence, it's just how it sounds in my world. No, we use technology to help it, though I use mnemonics to trigger the effects.

For the System Alliance, representing Earth in space.

None taken! I did say it seemed magical, after all.

[A surprised expression appears on her face; she's never heard of that division from the Earth she knows.]

Systems Alliance...? So you have an Earth in your galaxy as well?

Edited 2016-10-25 19:14 (UTC)

[Kaidan could be offended, but really, when you have three Shepards here, it takes a hell of a lot to get offended.]

If by galaxy you mean Milky Way, then yes, we do. I'm beginning to think time has as much of a part to play here as worlds.

[Annnd she's officially confused. So there are people from other worlds that also have a Milky Way galaxy and Earth?

.. She wishes her friend was here to explain it, he has much more experience with this space stuff.]

Time? What does time have to do with it?

[Oi. This could get complicated.]

What year was it for you when you came here?

[Why is this so weird!!]

I think it was different on my planet, but according to my friend it was 368 SD on Earth.

[Some people find it weird.]

Huh. That's a different system to what we use. What does SD mean?

And it was 2186 when I left.

[Sorry, Kaidan, she's just going to be silent for a bit to try and remember what it means.]

Oh! I believe it means "space date"! So I'm guessing that numbering started whenever Earth discovered space travel.

Hm, what year did you guys discover it? Spacefaring, I mean.

[He thought about it for a moment.]

1961 was the first man in space, though we didn't leave the solar system for a very long time. But that would make it 220 or so SD, which wouldn't work.

Hm... Maybe it's just an alternate universe entirely then? Well, that's what I think anyway since I've never heard of those technological enhancement things on Earth.

Biotics? They haven't been around very long on Earth, just since we truly started exploring space.

It's fine, given I'm supposed to be dead according to people I know, the idea of alternative universes is fine with me.

[She would ask about the biotics but the dead part surprises her a bit too much.]

In another universe you were dead? You don't find that unsettling?

[He shrugged. Life could be a bitch at times.]

Considering I met someone else here who is dead at home, not really. What can I do about it? I'm pretty sure I'm not dead, so that's a good thing at least.

Wow, I guess soldiers are cut from another cloth then; it'd definitely be on my nerves if I heard that.

[She pauses, somewhat curious about that dead person. It's interesting to hear that the Ingress is able to bring them back too.]

Who was the person that was dead?

[It was, to a point. Kaidan brooded far more than was sometimes healthy for the average soldier; but he knew he wasn't exactly average. L2 implants would do that - fellow officers tended to be on edge the whole time around you, waiting for you to crack, even though you hadn't. Ever.]

I'm not sure I should tell you - really, it's his story to tell. [Nihlus stood out enough, with the whole 'not being human' thing, without telling others that he was dead as well.]

That's true; I wouldn't really want anyone to know that I was dead either.

[And it's not something that comes up in regular conversation.]

So what exactly is that "biotics" thing, anyway?

Basically, I can kill you with my mind.

[He paused, then gave a bashful smile.] Not that I would. But it's using technology, and memory pathways to do different things - like put a barrier of energy around you that makes it difficult for you to be shot at. [Spoken like a true soldier.]

[For like five seconds she just stared at the screen until he smiled. Thanks for the scare there, Kaidan.]

Wow, it really is similar to symbology then. I can invoke something similar to a barrier and it does require some sort of mental power, but it's not through technology like yours.

Not all that different, really. [He gave a calculating look.]

Perhaps a comparison is in order at some point.