first reflection → video

[heartmirror]

[ The video opens with a closeup of Stephanie's hand, as she does her best to get it into place. When she eventually pulls back, she nervously tucks a loose lock of hair behind her ear and gives the steamgear a slightly awkward smile. ]

Um... hello, everyone! I guess I'[m a little late doing this, but I was looking for a place to stay... it feels a bit weird, just picking a house like this, but it's better than sleeping on the streets, right?

[ She picks up the steamgear and turns it, giving everyone a look of the apartment behind her -- it looks like a loft apartment, lots of bleached wood and sparse decoration. Once she's done, Stephanie sets the gear back on the table in front of her, still smiling nervously as she does so. ]

Anyway... I guess we're all stuck here for now. I don't know anything about fixing up computers or machines, but I'll do my best to help out.

But what I wanted to ask is... is there any way to get things... you know, fixed? Um, stuff we brought with us from home, I mean, that stopped working.

Comments

[heartmirror]

No, it is-- it's just not reflecting what it's supposed to reflect. Does that sound... weird?

I'm sorry.

[miraculess]

... It does sound a little strange, but I think that would only mean that it's in good company.

[heartmirror]

[ Stephanie laughs, though it comes out a little awkwardly. She's being laughed with and not at, right...? ]

I guess everyone here has something weird they've brought from home, huh...?

[miraculess]

Sometimes including themselves. ...It's interesting, really. I've seen a lot of people who would have been considered strange where I came from.

[she sounds comforted by this, though, rather than alarmed]

[heartmirror]

I guess that's to be expected, since we're all from different places... it's sorta nice, since we don't have to worry about being the weird ones out.

/2

[miraculess]

Precisely.

[miraculess]

...Although, ah. I suppose that's not much help with your original problem... My apologies.

[heartmirror]

No, no, don't apologise! It was just nice to talk about it. I feel a little better now.

Thanks!

[miraculess]

... You're- you're welcome.

[heartmirror]

[ aaaaawkward pause. ]

So um... you're stuck here too, right? What's your name? I'm Stephanie!

[miraculess]

[how do socialize '/-']

Ah—

...I'm sorry, but... I don't actually have one.

[heartmirror]

... oh.

[ oops.

She very nearly asks how can you not have a name but realizes that it'd be kind of rude so she hastily swallows the words and tries to think of something else to say that'd be less awful and rude. ]

Um... have you been here long?

[miraculess]

[sounding somewhere in between relieved and startled]

No, actually— only a little over a week. I don't think most of us have been here very long; the majority of us came in one batch, from what I saw.

...Were you in that group...?

[heartmirror]

Yes -- yes, I was!

[ Stephanie brightens audibly. Finally, some proper answers! ]

So we all got here around the same time... that must mean the computer brought as many of us here as she could. Like, she used up all the power and stuff she had left to get herself fixed...

... ah, sorry if I'm rambling or something!

[miraculess]

No, it's all right— this is a fairly ramble-worthy situation, I would say...

...That would explain why she didn't bother with asking before taking us, though. Which is somewhat foolish, if you ask me; she could have easily gotten someone who hated non-human intelligences or the like.

[heartmirror]

I've been wondering about that, too.

Maybe she doesn't have enough power? Like, she's running on emergency batteries or something and she doesn't have any processing power so she's just making a bunch of shots in the dark and just hoping it works out for her.

[miraculess]

I suppose...

...I still think that sort of blind trust is foolish, however.

[heartmirror]

Me too, to be honest. She's been kind of lucky so far but there's no telling what kind of person could show up next. For all we know, she could end up bringing some crazy serial killer or something.

[ she laughs, though even to herself it sounds false and strained. ]

N--not that I think that'd actually happen but. You never know, you know?