Video

[golonghorns]

[Here's a guy who doesn't look at all comfortable at a computer. But he's managed to set himself up with a video post anyway. Because that might be better, should Ellie somehow come across it.]

Look, I never took the brown acid, OK? So I got no idea why a giant hand would tell me I'm teaching carpentry at this school. Wood shop. Whatever. Maybe I've finally gone nuts...

[A pause. Beard stroking pause. Glaring at the camera pause.]

Look, I gotta get back to where I'm from. Nice to see somewhere in the world hasn't been overrun by infected or hunters yet. Y'all have a nice set up here. But I need to find a way back to where I'm supposed to be. I got people relyin' on me, OK? Anyone can help me out with that, I'd be somewhat obliged.

....Ellie, you happen to see this, let me know. I'm in the teachers dorms.

Comments

[manforflowers]

Oh... did something happen?

[Hm, wait. That might be a touchy question. Inigo quickly covered up his brief worry with an even bigger smile.]

W-well, if she's anywhere in the area, you can count on Inigo, mercenary for hire, to find her! I will not rest until I have talked to every single girl in the city.

Sooo, what's she look like?

[golonghorns]

Mercenary.

[He really didn't much like the sound of that. Hired goons like Robert's men would use words like Mercenary and Gun for Hire and all sorts of other colorful names to hide the fact that they were opportunistic bottom feeders.]

It's fine. Just got your rest and leave the looking to me. I don't need to talk to every girl.

[manforflowers]

Oh, it's no trouble - I was going to do it anyway!

But if I happen to come across her, then all the better. The fair maiden's smile of relief and gratitude for being reunited with her surly, overly protective guardian is all the payment I need.

[golonghorns]

She ain't a fair maiden. She's a kid. And she's armed, knows plenty of ways to kill a man and she's gotten pretty good at it.

[Because surely this guy couldn't be nearly as nice as he was trying to make out. He should at least know that Ellie was capable with a weapon and more than able to defend herself.]

[manforflowers]

[Inigo's smile dimmed a little, but it didn't disappear. More than anything, it was just sad to him that a fourteen year old would have to learn to kill people, even here. How young was he when he had to pick up a sword? It was this kind of thing that he wanted to change, when he travelled back in time.]

I'll have to stay on my toes then!

Do the... two of you have to do a lot of man-killing...?

[golonghorns]

It's a pretty common occurrence where I'm from.

[This guy sure had a lot of questions. Pretty chatty for a mercenary, too. Though, it was probably for show more than anything.]

You're a mercenary. You know how it goes, I bet.

[manforflowers]

I know my share. Though I'd rather not kill living people, if I can help it. [But he brightened up again - Inigo was either a complete ditz, or he'd become very good at faking his smiles.] I much prefer jobs where I can make pretty girls laugh.

[golonghorns]

How are you going to kill someone who AIN'T living?

[Would it even count as killing them?]

Most jobs I've ever had never made anyone laugh.

[manforflowers]

[Sure it does!]

You can if they're the Risen dead. I guess you don't have those where you're from, either.

[golonghorns]

[Technically, the infected don't die. They just change. They're still alive. They're just not people anymore.]

....no. No I don't.

[But the fact that he takes forever to answer this is probably kind of telling. There's a lot of parallels to be drawn, after all, and he can't help thinking of them.]

[manforflowers]

...Just the 'infected,' huh?

[There was curiosity in his intonation, but Inigo couldn't help but feel some dread over what his response would be.]

[golonghorns]

Yeah. The infected.

They sure ain't dead. But they're not really what you'd call alive, either. They're taken over by a parasitic fungus that makes them hunt down and eat living folks. Most of the people in my world are infected.

[manforflowers]

[When he'd said infected at first, it was easy to assume it was simply a disease - but from the description, it sounded more like the work of dark magic than any illness he'd ever heard of. Another doomed world... how many of those were out there?

But if Joel was transported here, maybe it meant he was separated from Ellie from something like the Outrealm Gate as well. Which was all the more reason they needed to find each other again. Inigo remembered all too well how it felt like when he was thrown back in time and all alone - it hadn't been easy.]

...Well, all the more reason we should find Ellie and get her back together with you. I'll do whatever I can, you have my oath on it!

I know you don't want my help, but I understand what you're going through better than you think. What's the harm in working together?

[golonghorns]

[He hated hearing that. 'I understand what you're going through'. How could this happy, cheerful young guy with his blue hair and easy smile have any possible concept of the things Joel had been through, seen and even done? His first impulse was to shut off the computer and leave. Probably save him from saying something he'd regret.

...however, in a way Inigo wasn't wrong. Help wouldn't be entirely unwelcome, assuming it was genuinely offered and not with an ulterior motive.

Then again, Ellie had killed how many cannibals? And she had put down their leader pretty brutally, too. Even if this guy had some kind of angle on finding her? He had to trust that she could handle herself.]

...Ellie is about 5'3". Maybe 5'4" by now. Reddish brown hair. Green eyes and freckles. Little scar on her right eyebrow. Red shirt and blue jeans.

[manforflowers]

[Inigo nodded eagerly, putting these details to memory.]

She really does sound cute. N-not that you need to worry or anything...?

Do you have a name to go by, perhaps?

[golonghorns]

I go by Joel.

[He wasn't going to waste time reminding Inigo again that Ellie was just a kid. He figured he'd made himself clear enough the first time.]

You find her, just tell her where to find me. She's... There's a reason she don't take well to strange folks. Be careful.

[manforflowers]

I'll just have to charm her with my winsome personality!

[You poor, deluded soul.]

In the meantime, you could stand to practice smiling a bit. You know, for when you see her again.

[golonghorns]

....don't count on it.

[And please wear some sort of protective gear.]

I smile when I got somethin' to smile about. I don't need to practice, I know how my face works just fine.

[manforflowers]

Uh-huh. Right. And when was the last time you smiled?

[golonghorns]

'Bout ten minutes ago when a guy named Falcon reminded me that there's scotch in this world.

{HAH so there bet you weren't expecting that answer were you huh?]

[manforflowers]

[Hey, anyone smiling at all was a victory to Inigo!]

...! So you've already made a friend! That's great news!

[golonghorns]

Wouldn't go that far. We talked for a few minutes over the computer and he told me some things I needed to know. Friend-ly, maybe. Not exactly friends. That takes... time.