Video

[her_saga]

[She doesn't really know that she turned on the feed for the video at the moment. The woman is just sitting there on her seat, looking into a hand mirror with a puzzled look. It might appear that she's talking to you, but... no, she's certainly talking to herself.]

Okay, let's analyze this face staring back from the looking glass! What three words can you use to describe it? Well, gee, I suppose I'd have to pick intelligent, sophisticated, and dare I say it? Charming. Here we have a picture-perfect visage of elegance that just exudes likeability. No matter how much I look at it, I can't help but feel I'd like to know more about it.

... SO, QUIZ TIME!

QUESTION ONE, WHAT IS YOUR NAME!?

Why, simple, it's Excel. ... But you only KNOW that it's Excel because you were TOLD it was Excel! How do you know that's a fact when you don't know yourself? It could be Excellen. Excelina. Excelandra Excelakova! Or Slammin Flowerchild! Anything, everything, and absolutely nothing are valid as long as you, yourself, have no friggin' clue!

And how the frick is collecting a bunch of jewels supposed to help jack with getting your memories back? I smell a scam here or my name isn't Excelorge Excelashington! ... AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT COULD BE!

The brain collects and stores memories in itself! Simple, then it's all still in my head, not some stupid jewels! If I just... think a little...

[Excel hits her head repeatedly, thinking that would help her reclaim some of her lost memories.]

Come on, head, remember! Remember! REMEMB-

[And... the bleeding. Followed by the screaming.]

BLOOD! BLEEDING! I'M BLEEDING! HELP ME, L... ... ah?

Comments

[faithful_kitsune]

G-goodness! Don't hurt yourself over it!

[her_saga]

WHO!?

[Dropping her mirror, Excel looks around for the source of the voice, blood still dripping out of her forehead. Seems like she still hasn't noticed the video.]

The board specifically said that I was the only one rooming here! Either you're a freeloader or the bugs behind the wallpaper! ... A very considerate freeloader, thank you!

[faithful_kitsune]

I am... speaking to you from the phone, dear.

[her_saga]

[And... she notices.]

... You mean to tell me this was on the whole time?

[faithful_kitsune]

I am rather afraid it was.

[her_saga]

... So that aside, who're you?

[faithful_kitsune]

I am Ran. Just another poor amnesiac like you, it would seem.

[trustycrowbar]

Wow... and here I thought you had a leg-up on everyone in the brains department right up until the self-induced head trauma. But I'm with you; in fact I've been saying this all along! Anemoi goes into a big secret lab, a little later poof, you remember something; so therefore the anemoi was what did it? That's hoodoo logic! Why don't we start carrying around fetishes and chanting to get our memories back? It'd make just about as much sense!

[her_saga]

Damn straight! From what it sounds like, they're trying to market off a glorified placebo as if it was some cure-all miracle drug. This chick ain't buying, no sirree.

I think I'm inclined to agree with you agreeing with me.

[trustycrowbar]

Hell, you're the first person who even knows what I'm talking about! The thing is, as much as I don't trust the mechanics behind the whole system... the system still works. It's reliable. Anemoi go in, memories come out. So I figure we may as well use it to our advantage.

[her_saga]

Yeah, but damn, you have to wonder why it works so well. Speaking of which, you have to wonder why we ended up in some foreign town without nary a memory in the first place. It might work, but all I'm saying is that it just works too well.

[trustycrowbar]

Ohoho trust me, I've wondered! And I mean to find out. I've got a hunch the key lies with the anemoi itself. I'm going to figure out how those things are supposed to store memories, even if I have to teach myself everything I need to know to do it! Hey, 's not like I have anything better to do right now...

Oh yeah, forgot to introduce myself. Name's Gordon.

[her_saga]

Yeah? It's nice to see someone who has a brain around here for a change. There's a reason behind all this. A reason that can't just be attributed to "ooh, magic". Pretty sensible, guy, pretty sensible.

Name's...

[... Huh. She's having a little trouble giving her name out. She knows what it is, they gave it to her. Something inside her just seems hesitant.]

... Excel.

[nomen_est_numen]

"..."

You've reduced him to speaking in dots, it seems. He regains his composure and takes a big breath, letting it out in a stream of sarcasm worthy of the Brit he clearly sounds like:

"You know, that could very well be how you lost your memories in the first place. Perhaps it's different for each and some of us simply keep ourselves in an amnesiac state with repeated self-induced head injury!"

[her_saga]

... Okay. I know I didn't hit myself enough to start seeing giant, talking birds. So, what are you really? Besides my imaginative figment.

[nomen_est_numen]

Shen sighs heavily, rubbing his brow with one wing. "This is the second time, now," he mutters.

Then he looks at the screen again. "No, not enough to start hallucinating, but clearly enough to render yourself unspeakably dense. What reason would I have to fake being a large talking bird?"

[her_saga]

[She actually had to think a little before answering this question.]

... You tell me.

[nomen_est_numen]

"Ah, now, logic dictates that the burden of proof rests with the accuser. You've accused me of being false. So why would I do that, eh?"

Don't ask him where that little bit of reasoning came from, he likely wouldn't be able to tell you. Brain hiccough.

[rainbowbrush]

[Relm just stares through the entire rant.]

Lady, you're totally nuts!

[her_saga]

Manners will get you everywhere, kid.

[rainbowbrush]

[Eyeroll. She is so not bothered.]

Why do I need manners to say what everyone else is thinking?

[her_saga]

Sounds like you're just following the call of the sheeple there, kid. Manners nothing, you aren't even thinking for yourself.

[rainbowbrush]

Wh-whaaaaaat?!

[She sputters incoherently for a moment. Looks like Excel hit a nerve!]

I'm more original than anyone else here! I'm the only Pictomancer, ever! You don't know anything!

[her_saga]

Haw, haw, sure, kid, you're the greatest pictowhatsits ever. I believe ya. Having a healthy imagination is good for a kid your age.

[She isn't buying it, of course.]

See, I'm the Queen Wizard of the Memory Rocks.

[mokomanjuu]

Does Excelakova Excelandra need a band-aid?