RADIO FREE ELLIE: 1st Broadcast.

[ascocarp]

WHO: Ellie and YOU.
WHAT: Ellie is bored and playing with a ham radio.
WHERE: Anywhere with a radio.
WHEN: After the TDM, for various values of 'after' when time is variable.
NOTES: It's Ellie, so casual discussions of violence are de rigueur.

[The broadcast begins a little fuzzy as Ellie messes with the dials and utters indistinctly to herself.] Can I- uh- yeah, okay. Cool. Hello? Wait, no, that's... [More fuzz and murmuring.]

[Eventually, she seems satisfied. Now, how do radio broadcasts go? She remembers the ones in Boston's military QZ go...? God, she never paid any attention in that class. Her voice comes in clear, and it's obviously a young person speaking.] Uhhhh, nine-hundred hour... fuck it, the sky's fucking broken. Callsign... Daniela Star.

[Right.]

So, like, is there anybody here that goes by William? Or Will? Not Bill. Heh, those guys are assholes...

Oh! Also, has anybody seen any frickin' trees? Like real trees, with branches and shit. I found some potted plants, but they were all plastic. What about animals and stuff? I don't mean the freaky shadows, fuck those assholes. Like actual living breathing animals.

But... y'know, speaking of the shitty shadow fuckers, does anybody know how to, like, beat them? I saw somebody do it, but they had like a full suit of armor. I tried it and my hand almost fell off. They're cold.

...Maybe that's it. Anybody seen any fucking suits of armor laying around?

Comments

[ascocarp]

[A very long pause. Her voice is quiet:]

...No.

[calculo]

( ah. )

Sorry to hear that.

( meaningless words but what else is he gonna say to that? )

[ascocarp]

[And yet, she never got an apology from the person who was supposed to get it.]

...Thanks.

Anyway, that still doesn't fucking answer why you kick ass with a chain.

[calculo]

There has to be a reason for it other than I like the chain?

( there was. he just wasn't sharing yet. )

[ascocarp]

Yeah, kinda.

[calculo]

( good intuition. )

I like the chain.

( didn't mean he was going to fess up that quickly though. )

[ascocarp]

That's the answer after you fucking grill me?

[She doesn't sound mad, just... canny.]

[calculo]

You didn't have to answer.

( but she had, for the most part. and while offering up some of his own answers might have been the nice thing, robbie doesn't think he's ready to do that just yet. )

[ascocarp]

[Okay, now she's a little angry.]

Oh, fuck you. After all the shit you gave me about being nice and fessing up and crap? Get bent, Robbie.

[calculo]

I'd rather not, kid. Look, I'll swap stories with you a little later. Not over a radio.

( maybe. )

[ascocarp]

Whatever. You talk big, but you're full of shit.

[calculo]

Whatever you say, kid.

( probably no use in arguing right now. she was angry and he wasn't really good with reassurance and comfort. )