stones of far (out) speech, 7/20

[wisdomspring]

Hello? [ Comes a voice new to the "network." It's young, feminine, and maybe British-esque, if you have to pin it down. ] Is it true that everyone on the island - on the islands, I think - can hear me?

[ It's the kind of tech that the Sheikah might come up with, like a more advanced version of the Gossip Stones spoken of in Hyrule's history. ]

Are you able to respond? If so... oh, I would really love to learn more about how these devices function. I'm happy to meet with you in person, or to speak by using the stone in order to receive a more "hands-on" lesson.

[ She giggles a little, clearly delighted by the opportunity. Who wouldn't be excited about something like this?? ]

But I've forgotten myself. I am Zelda, and I thank you in advance for anything that you might teach me.

Comments

[counterblows]

[Yeah, he hears her. And he's also...starting to get increasingly concerned about the number of children these islands seem to be hosting.]

How old are you?

[wisdomspring]

Tomorrow - well, before I was brought here - was to be my seventeenth birthday.

[ Does that mean she's missed that crucial date? How does time work in a place like this? ]

[counterblows]

Why are there so many children here.

[It's muttered slightly out of earshot, as though he's leaned away from the rock to sigh to himself, before Wash lapses back into addressing her directly.]

What kind of pointers were you looking for?

[wisdomspring]

[ Wash won't be able to see the slight frown as she catches the word 'children,' but it does appear... ]

... Well, I was wondering if they have any other functionality, to begin with.

[ Though this is an interesting-enough feature on its own. ]

[counterblows]

From what I can gather, they're... [There's a pause as, unbeknownst to Zelda, Wash struggles to form the words "rockie-talkie" and ultimately fails before moving on.]

...audio only. People who are blind or can't talk have used them too, but I don't know how. Everyone just keeps saying "magic," so that's our only explanation.

[wisdomspring]

People who can't speak... are able to use them?

[ He doesn't know how, but the question nags at her mind. This stranger mentioning "magic" has her smile, though, with a soft chuckle. ]

Magic is capable of many things, but not everything. [ The same can be said of technology, of course. ] But, these stones are magical in origin? Did the Storyteller make them?

[counterblows]

Apparently someone named "Lup" was the one to bring them in. From what I understand it cost a lot of stories, which is what the Storyteller uses as currency around here.

[He has not met the elves, which would probably shine a great deal of light on why Lup would have bothered in the first place. Meeting the elves would, in fact, explain a great deal about how things currently work on Ensō.]

[want_to_belong]

[Oh Astrals, why did she have to say "hands on"? Fortunately, when talking over the stones he didn't have to worry about her seeing him in person or even on video. He was able to spend his time gathering up the nerve to reply - though it might be slightly odd when he responded to her question about ten minutes after she asked it.]

I-I could teach you! I mean, about the stones. And how to use them! And, uh... Wait, you're already using them... is there anything more to them...? I, uh, umm...

[Suddenly, as he became flustered and moved around erratically, the stone slipped from his hand, followed by a quick "shit" that was more distant. He scrambled to pick it back up.]

Oh, uh, I, uh, I'm... [His voice became distant again as he turned his face away to mutter to himself, "Damnit, how could I forget my name?". But he quickly recovered and made his victorious announcement.]

I'm Prompto!

[wisdomspring]

[ The flustered tone of the young man on the other 'end' of the message doesn't bother her. In fact, Zelda seems delighted to have anyone responding at all, particularly since the ability to hear others' responses in the first place is a novelty in itself. ]

It's very nice to meet you, Prompto. Can you really teach me more about how these stones work?

[ The little question in her voice suggests she's worried that he might back out of showing her (she is). ]

[want_to_belong]

Nice to meet you, too! You kinda seem to know how to use them already... But I could show you other stuff around here! Are you new?

[He was a bit overexcited but, hey, she sounded pretty, and sort of sounded around his age. And was just a girl in general.]

[wisdomspring]

I do have a few more questions, and I would love to see a bit more, if you really don't mind.

[ She admits a sheepish, little smile at the question, though he can't exactly see it. ]

Ah - Yes, I suppose I am. Have you been in this place for very long?

[want_to_belong]

[Slightly more serious, though he tried to keep things light.]

Ah... yeah, far as I can tell I was one of the first to end up here? Along with my buds. Almost a year now, I think? ...Maybe a year.

[It'd been a long time, and while he'd been happy with it for a while his entire reason for being happy had disappeared when his friend disappeared.]

I could show you all over the place! All the safe places. Do you have a place to sleep? You could use my bed if you want. ...Not that you have to sleep with me! I could sleep with my buddies.

...Not that I want to sleep with them!

[He really didn't want to give the wrong impression even though it was what he excelled at the most. Then again, Ignis and Gladio had told him some women were into that, so he didn't even know anymore.

It'd probably be easier just to go with something that would be a sure hit.]

I have a chocobo! And two more just hatched, so you could pet them if you want.

[wisdomspring]

A year? [ Her smile falls, her stomach plummets. No. She couldn't afford the time she'd already spent here, let alone a full year. It may be true that her world is in stasis in the meantime, but Zelda doesn't believe it 100%, can't rest easily knowing that Hyrule may be in danger while she is elsewhere, useless.

Even more useless than before. She swallows, self-loathing prickling at her insides. She's so wrapped up within her own mind that she misses much of what Prompto says and returns to the conversation near the end. ]

I... I'm sorry, I was... [ fret fret ] Is everyone here on the islands for so long?

[souldeterminant]

[The voice that responds is also quite young, enough so to be androgynous -- but it's friendly nonetheless.]

Some of us use a different kind of "hands-on" talking. But the Stones are good, too.

I can help if you want.

[wisdomspring]

Can you? [ There's definitive hopefulness to the tone, and excitement, too. Clearly, nobody told this girl not to talk to strangers. ] Thank you for your assistance. I hope that it won't be too much trouble.

[souldeterminant]

You caught me. I'm a stone cold loan shark.

[They sound very pleased with themself for that.]

What do you want to know? It sounds like you know how to use it already.

[wisdomspring]

A - what shark? [ She's familiar with sharks, of course, but the descriptor is new. The pun goes entirely without notice, unfortunately. ]

I was wondering if they have functions, or... if not, how they are powered.

[souldeterminant]

[It's okay, they're used to it. Frisk continues on, unoffended.]

This is the function. You can talk through it to whoever you want. Friends or strangers... or everyone.

Nobody knows what it's powered by, but I think it's story magic.

[wisdomspring]

So, it has the ability to communicate with others - potentially all others - and it may be powered by magic. [ "Story" magic. Zelda nods slowly, committing these 'facts' to memory. ] Is that all it does? ... Not that it isn't incredible, this feature. I've never seen anything like it!

[ Not in her lifetime, though they may have had a similar stone in some piece of Hyrule's history. ]

[savedbyasong]

Zelda? [His mouth works faster than his brain sometimes but he catches himself quickly. This is not the Zelda he knows. It's obvious from what she has said. She's too young, too in awe of a stone that let's others hear you. Her voice lacks the confidence he would expect.

It's probably not even a Zelda. The name can't be that uncommon after all.]

It's nice to meet you, or speak to you I mean. I'm Shion. I'd be happy to teach you if you need any help, though you seem to have gotten the hang of the stones, they don't get much more complicated than just speaking.

[wisdomspring]

Yes...? [ Someone saying her name in that way - with a touch of question - coaxes fresh curiosity. Still, he doesn't elaborate, so she stuffs down the hope that someone here might be from Hyrule and tries to focus on the task at hand. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Shion. I would really appreciate any help that you can give me...

[ Not more complicated than this? So, linking two people by a speech function is all that they can do. It's still remarkable, of course, so she nods thoughtfully. ]

Can you explain how they function? That is-... what powers them?

[savedbyasong]

Would you believe me if I said magic? [She might, depending on the world she came from. Magic might be normal to her, or it might be incredibly strange but she already had found herself in a world that was not her own and spoken to a god.]

You have to be holding them, or be in physical contact with them, to work. They can speak to everyone like you initally did or speak to just one person like we are doing now.

[wisdomspring]

Of course. [ She has no issue with that: there is more than enough magic in Hyrule. She herself should be heir to magical abilities.

Should be. ]

I see. Is person-to-person communication like this their only ability?

[savedbyasong]

Yes, or speaking to a whole group. I don't know if you have been to the temple of the Story Teller but there is a rock there, it is six sided and works as a message board. If you need to leave a longer lasting warning or request for aid then that is the better way to do it.

[wisdomspring]

Oh! Yes, that's where I am now. [ She'd been so fascinated by the place when she first arrived that she's set up a bit of a camp in the area. ] How do others see those messages? Wouldn't they have to travel here, to the temple?