[video]

[darkshield]

[When the feed starts up, the only thing visible is a black hooded figure's head and a still-ajar door. Were it not for him speaking up, it would have been hard to tell exactly who it was. Even then, he doesn't offer a name - only a sigh of annoyance before he speaks.]

You know, for a place that tries to be so accomodating, it sure does leave a few tripping hazards.

[He temporarily tries to angle the camera to show what it was that tripped him coming in - a medium-sized package all wrapped in red paper, just inside one of the starter apartments - but considering his own little... handicap, only a corner is seen.]

I was wondering, though - is there an audio version of the reading material? While the girl's voice was helpful, I... can't read them.

[Not through the blindfold wrapped around his eyes, and he didn't want to remove it for his own personal reasons. Not that anyone could see it with his hood up in the first place, or any of his facial features beyond silver hair that escaped its confines in the tumble that was likely heard throughout the entire apartment complex with how thin the walls are.]

...Was hard enough finding my way here.

[The feed ends after a few seconds of fumbling for where the off button ought to be.]

Comments

Video

[melodiouspacifist]

[He stares at the screen for a full minute and pokes it a little, as if someone can feel him through the screen.]

Hey...did I know you and forget about you too?

[Like Xion. He wouldn't be surprised, exactly, but two of them would be something else. Maybe he should be concerned about his memory. Or he could watch clouds. One or the other.]

Video

[darkshield]

[Too bad, he can't feel a thing. Instead he raises an eyebrow, almost as confused as the guy on the phone.]

What-? Ah... You must be one of them.

[Greeeaaat. He has no idea if this guy's going to be hostile or not, but he shakes his head.]

I doubt it. Think I'd recognize your voice if we met.

Video

[melodiouspacifist]

[He hums slightly.]

If you mean a Nobody, yeah.

[Matching coats!]

Okay, phew, good, I was worried I like hit my head or something? I don't know. There's some other girl I apparently knew but forgot and just, man, I was worried I was losing my brain and I need that to play music.

[He has a friendly enough tone.]

I'm Demyx! Where'd you get a coat?

Video

[savage_nymphxii]

[That voice... It couldn't... Great. Juuuuust great. First she gets the flu, next THIS annoyance shows up.]

So are you the puppet or the real thing?

[She frowns, noticing the coat, and rudely blows her nose before adding her next statement.]

And why the hell would you wear the stupid coat?

Re: Video

[darkshield]

[And there goes any sort of possibility of impersonating a member ever again. Right out the window.]

The real deal. I take it you knew the fake?

[As for why, that secret is staying with him for now. Because if this woman knew the fake him, she was likely from Castle Oblivion.]

Video

[savage_nymphxii]

[She laughed and it turned into a coughing fit.]

Did I?! He was a weak little brat. I heard you were doing part of my job in Castle Oblivion though.

Not that any of it matters anymore.

Video

[clevermind]

I can teach you to read if you'd like.

Video

[darkshield]

[He pauses, lowering the hood. He recognizes the voice, but he sincerely doubts she would recognize him.]

It's not that I don't know how to read. I can't see them.

Video

[clevermind]

Oh. I'm sorry.

[She feels awful for recommending it!]

I can read them to you if you'd like.

[ Video ]

[mortal_son]

[ Frowns, considering. ]

If there wasn't, there really should be.

[ Someone should suggest that.

... Tripping hazards. Thinks that through. After going through it, weighing options: ]

The welcome center might have a copy in Braille. If you wanted one.

[ Video ]

[darkshield]

Maybe someone should suggest it.

[If only he knew, but he isn't a mind-reader.]

I'll take a look later, if I can't find a way on this.

[ Video ]

[mortal_son]

[ He shrugs, unseen, and then realizes exactly what he's doing. Well. He might need to be more vocal communicating here with this stranger. Which would be ... odd. ]

Dunno.

I'm sure a lot of people are offerin to read to you, but. I figured you might prefer a way to do stuff on your own.

video;

[whiteas]

If I'm not mistaken, you can ask the CPU to read any written language out loud through your device with voice commands.

video;

[darkshield]

[...Huh.] Didn't know that. Thanks-

[He thinks about it a moment. Her voice sounds familiar.]

Miss Schnee, right?

video;

[whiteas]

That's correct. You're good at recognizing voices. What's your name?

Video

[youfool]

Tripping hazards? Oh, you mean...haha, I guess the box didn't make it in your lap like usual. I hope it didn't get too wet.

Anyway, welcome to Genessia! I'm Ted; what's your name? And what ails you? Illiteracy or blindness?

[Very perky and to-the-point.]

Video

[darkshield]

It didn't, surprisingly.

[...It was a different box, one that he hadn't sensed with his foot when he entered the temporary apartment he'd been assigned, but he wasn't going to correct him there.]

Riku, nice to meet y-

[Oh light, Ted, you don't just ask that of someone you literally just met. Still, to answer the question, he just.... lowers the hood. He's starting to think he should have just done that from the start at this rate. Does the whole blindfold thing answer it?]

Re: Video

[youfool]

Oh, that's an interesting name. Let me see if I can find the reference...

[He's getting better at Japanese onomastics. Some thirty seconds later...]

Ah! Means "land". Fair enough; you seem like a grounded individual.

[Oh, blindness. How terrible! But that does answer one question. It also raises another.]

Oh, I uh, see.

[Terrible phrasing, Ted. Just awful.]

But if it is blindness, what purpose does the blindfold serve? A signal? Fashion?

[Audio]

[specialist_snowflake]

[She studies his video carefully. Reading the other responses confirms what she suspects.]

I see. Understood.

Are you opposed to the offer of a seeing eye dog to assist with navigation and protection?

[Audio]

[darkshield]

[Look he's been making sight jokes on accident the entire day he isn't going to blame you for the strikeouts.]

I'm fine, usually. Unfortunately my sense of hearing can't always pick up small objects on the floor.

[By which he means, yes he is... if only because he hates relying on others for what was brought on by his own mistakes.]

[Audio]

[specialist_snowflake]

I would be somewhat impressed if that were the case.

[But only somewhat.]

And you are capable of combat? Self-defense?

[Audio]

[chocobosnap]

[He usually texts people he doesn't know, but this person can't read texts, so if he's going to greet him kindly, he's going to have to do it by voice...

and he's wasting dead air as he tries to clamp down on his anxieties. He's done this, he's talked to strangers, it hasn't ended poorly. Dead silence, that's an impression.]

H-Hi. [he swallows.] Welcome? Yeah, that's about right. Are you okay?

[Audio]

[darkshield]

[...? He could have sworn he heard the sound of an oncoming reply. He furrows his eyebrows, perplexedly gazing towards the phone and wondering if he had somehow hit the mute button until the guy spoke-

Oh. That explains it.]

I'm fine. Takes more than a small box to knock me over.

[...Well, might knock a bit off his pride, but that's been happening so much lately that he's surprised there's any left.]

I was about to ask you the same thing. Or if I'd hit the mute button, but...

[He caught that loooong pause there, buddy. But can you hear the shrug in his tone?]

[video]

[liveandforgive]

[the voice isn't anything special to Cloud. but... that black hood and the faint traces of silver hair underneath it? those most certainly caught his eye.

he doesn't show it, but for the faintest moment, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. a knee jerk reaction. but Cloud knows better. had this been back on his planet though...]

This place brings in the blind too?

[more or less to himself as he assumes the kid's condition.]

If there is, I imagine the welcome center might have some options.

[video]

[darkshield]

[Even if he had shown it, he wouldn't be able to see it without removing the blindfold. Something that wasn't going to happen any time soon unless he knew for sure if he could handle it, or absolutely had to.]

Apparently. Though mine is by choice. ...A few've already suggested that.

[He doesn't sound annoyed by it at least?]