tvk | First Lecture -- Audio

This is Zelretch's fault, I'm certain of it.

My name is Lord El-Melloi II, and I would appreciate it if someone would inform me of where the hell I am right now. And don't tell me 'in America', because I already gathered that. I'm looking for information that's a little more specific.

[The voice that comes over the phone was calm and coolly confident; the voice of a man who has grown used to being listen to and obeyed, with undertones of 'it's been a very long day and it's only going to get longer' and 'this is shit only I would have to deal with'. It is the tone of a patient man, but of one who it patient not because he has some kind of predisposition towards being long-suffering, but simply because it is the only manner of preserving his sanity. It also doesn't sound like this is the first time he'd shown up in a strange new place before.]

[Shit always happens to him. He has long since accepted this fact, but that didn't mean that he had to like it.]

I am a very busy man, and I can already tell that I'm going to be wasting more time that I can afford to getting back to where I need to be. I swear to God, if my research gets set back because of this...

[Priorities, clearly he has them.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Eh? That was a person's name? ...Well, I almost feel bad for saying that, now.

[A beat.]

You're stuck on some island that literally no one you're asking right now had heard of before waking up on it randomly, by the way.

He's a colleague of mine.

[Clearly they are the best of friends-- ~~no srsly he kind of wishes Zelretch would DIAF.~~]

Ah. That is... problematic. I assume some of you have already attempted to leave?

Mm, I think people actually have left the area... Just, people attempting to use these phones to call home always find that the numbers they know aren't functional anymore. I dunno if the rest of the world is as anyone here would remember it.

[Sure isn't the world she knows.]

...Where's this Zelretch guy from? I just can't place that name at all.

Then I shan't waste my time trying to call.

[This is sounding more and more like he's been stuck in an alternate universe, which he was kind of already suspecting.]

He's German, I believe. Zelretch is not actually his surname, it's something of a... nickname, I suppose you could say.

I dunno, it couldn't hurt to check. Only a minute or so of time, right?

[At least he's not weirded out over the alternate universe bit. Though considering who half of this conversation is discussing, that's not too surprising.]

So, you're telling me this guy likes to go by a name that isn't even a real name? ...Guess I've heard weirder.

Perhaps.

[It's now pretty low on his list of priorities, though, especially if there's a precedent of it not working. He's got other things to worry about.]

He seems to prefer that name over any others. I really don't care much either way. He can-- and will-- call himself whatever he pleases.

True. A name's just a name, in the end.

[A pause, and a thoughtful "hum" from the other end of the line.]

Any other questions I could take a stab at answering? Though, you seem pretty collected, all things considered...

I am quite used to strange things happening to me.

[Mostly because of Zelretch, but that was kind of what happened when your colleague was a troll with control over the operation of alternate worlds.]

Is there somewhere that I could stay while I am getting my bearings?

[Not that he had any American money on him.]

Mmhmm. Conveniently, there's a hotel that offers free room and board for an indefinite amount of time.

...That seems almost too convenient.

Ah, you think so too? It seems harmless enough for now at least, so it's probably a good idea to take advantage of it.

No normal businessman would offer his services for free for an indefinite period of time. It does seem that I have no choice but to stay there, though.

Thank you for your help, Miss--?

Devola. No surname.

[Or title, but between you, Baron Wulfenbach, and Sola-Ui the deficit in both is made up for in spades.]

A pleasure, Lord El-Melloi II. Sorry about your research being stalled.

First Lecture -- Audio

[Audio, because I'm a dumb]

[audio] no worries i forget that all the time xD

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