This is not 16th Century France...

[scarlet_devil]

[ The feed opens to reveal a face that may be familiar to some... but there are differences. This was clearly a young woman, and instead of blue-lavender hair and red, cat-like eyes, she has light brown hair and bright blue but normal human eyes. The outfit, too, is different and clearly that of a 16th century French noblewoman - and red because of course it is.

She blinks down at the device with both trepidation and a small bit of curiosity. ]

{What manner of device... Ah! It's doing something!}

[ And she is also speaking entirely in French. ]

{...There's tiny people in this. Are you trapped? Hello?}

Comments

[bigbadrose]

We're not trapped. [But gentle toned.] You've never used a phone before? What time are you from?

These use our images and help communicate our voices, yeah?

Rose can speak French?

[scarlet_devil]

{Time? You mean year? The year of our Lord, 1523.

How is such a thing possible?} [ Phones, smart or otherwise, are quite unfamiliar to her. ]

Yup super poorly in canon but near flawlessly in AU / she had to learn for business/job!

[bigbadrose]

[She chews her bottom lip, that's difficult to explain so... long story short:]

{Time travel. Most people around are from the 21st century. 2000s.

Are you all right? I know that can be very overwhelming. If it would help, I can get you some tea or coffee, and try to walk you through the biggest shocks, yes?}

[scarlet_devil]

{You have an odd dialect of French.}

[ Of course, Remilia is speaking Middle French. ]

{You shouldn't need to worry too much. Though I'm going to assume this isn't magic. And I see the carriages here have no need of horses.}

[ Okay, a lot of the technology is a little... baffling. At least she mostly recognises it as technology. ]

[bigbadrose]

{I'm British, sorry.} [Worth an apology given the long history of wars.]

{Yes! You caught up quickly! Good job!}

[scarlet_devil]

{British?} [ She's also from a time before the UK was formed... ]

[bigbadrose]

{English.}

{Whales and Scotland stopped fighting us and united under one crown. Mostly.}

{And France has been our greatest ally since the world wars.}

[Off and on with America who isn't even appearing in this story yet so screw that.]

[scarlet_devil]

{The future sounds utterly bizarre.}

[heptagram]

[Someone so purple probably looks a little strange to someone from 16th century France.]

Not at all. Though, I suppose new technology is quite difficult to explain to those from the distant past compared to its development.

[scarlet_devil]

[ It must have been some dye to do that. And it distracts the young woman. ]

{...How did you color your hair like that?}

[heptagram]

...um. [Yeah not a good person to tell you're actually some kind of witch or something. This is not Remi as Patchy knows her.]

That'd take a while to explain.

[scarlet_devil]

{Will it, now? You have me curious, though, I've never seen hair as vibrant a colour.}

[heptagram]

I guess I could tell you later. Aren't you more interested in the device you're using?

[scarlet_devil]

This thing... how does it work?

[heptagram]

Well... this might take a bit to explain, and I'm not exactly certain of the exact technology involved in the device used now.

Photography didn't exist in the era I'd guess you came from. Photography is the application of the "camera obscura" effect, which involves projecting an image from one side of a wall through a tiny hole in it into a darkened chamber -- this was commonly used as a drawing aid. Someone projected it onto a light-sensitive substance, which I think was paper treated with silver nitrate, and found they could capture the projection on the substance that way.

Eventually, someone invented a length of light-sensitive film that could be used to capture several photographs without needing to replace it. A long enough length meant that if the camera was set to take pictures automatically, you could essentially capture motion. Additional technology allowed for the recording of sound, which... I know even less about... [The mun totally wasn't getting sleepy again or anything >_>]

The device you're using behaves similarly, but without directly affecting a physical medium, instead saving a series of information that the device can translate to images and sound, which are transmitted instantly through...

...I'd have to actually explore around this place a bit more to see what supports that. I don't have a great understanding of that anyway.

[scarlet_devil]

I have overheard a little about... pinhole image. I must say... A part of me is glad there's women around that could match the greatest... male polymaths of my time.

[sakuya_izayoi]

Sakuya had yet to find her own mask. So have a very shocked maid.

{... Lady Remilia?!}

Very young looking for one with hair so silver.

[scarlet_devil]

[ The woman blinks at this maid... How did she know her name? ]

{...Have we met?}

[sakuya_izayoi]

{Yes I...} Sakuya swallowed. She knew strange things had been going on but... Sakuya took a deep breath, regaining some of her composure. {Never mind. Do you know where you are? Would you like me to come and get you?}

Oh boy. This was not going as planned.

[scarlet_devil]

{Why would I let you do that? I don't even know you.}

No, it looked like it wasn't going to planned at all, especially since she can't remember Sakuya. And with Sakuya still being the way she was... it'd be best if she kept some things to herself.

[sakuya_izayoi]

{Ah- We've met before I've served your house previously, though pardon if you don't remember my face...} What else could she say? {There are places around here that are dangerous and I merely wish to ensure your safety.}

Sakuya was also trying to look at the background around Remilia to see if she could identify the location.

[scarlet_devil]

{Hmm. Then you're stuck here too, if that's true.}
She looks to be quite a young maid. Pretty, too... she privately admits to herself. Remilia seems to be near the water cave, having been there when she found that mask.

[sakuya_izayoi]

{Indeed I am. For quite some time, actually.}

Sakuya leaned toward the phone. She seemed to be examining something when.

{Ah! I think I Know where you are. If you will excuse me for a moment I will come and find you. Please do not move from that spot, Lady Remilia.}

[scarlet_devil]

{The, ah... 'British' woman mentioned time travel. Is this something to do with it?}

She wasn't sure about this maid, but for the moment, she will stay put.

[sakuya_izayoi]

{I will be there in a moment.}

And it truly was a moment. The connection cut and mere seconds later a sound could be heard, a rather out of breath maid stood by the tiny once-vampire.

{Lady Remilia! I'm here!}

Normally she would wait in the stopped time to catch her breath, but patience was something she did not have much of today.

She's a full grown woman now, and not so tiny.

[scarlet_devil]

[ She was expecting her to take much longer than that to find her, and... here she was. ]

{You were quick...}

Apologies for that

[sakuya_izayoi]

{That is why I am such an excellent maid.}

She straightened up, still slightly winded but holding her composure well.

{It is not safe here, so let us be off.} She offered her hand. {I will prepare a soup with bread and cheese. These caves are dreadfully cold and dreary}

Re: Apologies for that

[scarlet_devil]

Well... she'll gingerly take her hand. She seems trustworthy, at least?

{Is it not?}

[sakuya_izayoi]

{No. It isn't.} She will pull Remilia in closer, gently and firmly holding her upper arms. There was a wave of dizzying sensation that chilled Remilia to the bone and- They found themselves in an elegant room.

{Here. We are within the castle's walls now. You will be safe here.} And Sakuya would make damn sure of it.

[scarlet_devil]

"...!"

Okay now what in the name of everything holy just happened? There is now a very disorientated and dizzy Remilia.

[sakuya_izayoi]

Sakuya stepped forward quickly, taking Remilia's hand and helping her sit down onto the bed. {Apologies, Lady Remilia. That was less graceful than intended.}

Her hands seemed to flicker and she was holding a lovely cup filled to the brim with fragrant floral/spice tea. No blood in it this time. Sakuya understood that much.

{Something to warm you up.}

I keep forgetting what her fave tea is, lol

[scarlet_devil]

Remi sat down on the bed gently, looking up at Sakuya.

And suddenly, she has tea? "My favoured blend. How did you know...?"

Sakuya's signature tea is black with rose hips, chamomile, cinnamon, lemongrass, orange peel...

[sakuya_izayoi]

{I am your maid.} She sounded just a little bit shaky as she said it. After all this was... well this was weirder than usual.

She was in such an awkward position, not wanting to frighten Remilia off but still feeling the pull in her blood to help and serve.

[scarlet_devil]

{I'm sure I would remember a maid like you.} She's not going to bolt or anything, the woman is just confused.

And then, she quietly sips her tea, feeling better already.

[spacepeterpan]

[Interesting. Hadn't he seen her around, somewhere..? Well, no matter, there were lots of people and things he'd seen and filed away somewhere in the back of his head to make room for more interesting topics, it would surely come out again eventually if it was important, so he just grins cheerfully and assumes she's new.]

Oh, hello, dear, haha, no, no, not trapped, not actually in the phone, that's what you're holding, no, more like a mirror, imagine a mirror that instead of showing what's in front of it, shows what's in front of a different mirror, I can see you in mine, too. Oh, sorry, where're my manners, hello, I'm the Doctor, and you are..?

[scarlet_devil]

[ Give her a second to process that... and done. ]

That does sound quite... odd.

Doctor... who? [ Because this pun, accidental and meta it may be, had to be made. ] I am Lady Remilia Scarlet.

[spacepeterpan]

Oh, you know, the main one, just "Doctor" is fine, that's what everyone's calls me, well, mostly everyone, and definitely the one I like best, wonderful to meet you, Remilia, lovely name, and it is odd, but y'get used to it. Mind if I ask where you're from?

[scarlet_devil]

Paris, France... and last I knew, it was the winter of 1523.