themainframe | [Video] ♞ Fire Cross I

You could do it a little nicer.

[He's flustered; he didn't want to yell, he just did.]

I've learned that "nice" doesn't always work.

Neither does this.

It does; I got some information, didn't I?

You're-- you're not making any friends here, to help--

[He stops himself, it seems, biting down hard.]

...Never mind. I shouldn't bother.

[ Laughing a little. ]

I think you're a little confused. Ya might wanna give that abruptly cut off speech to someone else. Squall Leonhart would probably be a good candidate. I bet the two of you could be real good friends, since you're both so similar.

[A quiet, grumpy mumble.]

What's so confusing about wanting to get along with people?

Because we're not all going to like each other no matter how much goody two-shoes like you may want it. I ain't gonna be nice or sugarcoat things to get people to like me. That ain't me, and all that would do is make people like a fake persona of myself. Besides, we don't all have to like each other to get things done, anyway.

It'd make it easier to work together... [Sighs.] Fine. Whatever you say. I don't feel like arguing.

You've gotta learn to separate your personal feelings from getting the job done. Otherwise it looks like you're gonna end up miserable.

[ Of course, he doesn't practice what he's preaching at all. ]

And I think most of us have enough reason to be miserable since we're stuck here in the first place. Don't be a dumbass and give yourself another reason.

[ For as much of a bully as he tends to be, he can't bring himself to pick on this kid. He won't even stand up for himself properly; it's like kicking a defenseless baby. The kid probably doesn't have any military experience either, so it's more like burning ants with a magnifying glass. ]

Got it, kid?

[That's... He already gives himself too many reasons. Too many that he knows he shouldn't, but already weigh too heavily on his mind. What a useless person, he--

...needs to find something to take for this soon.

As if interrupted by a headache, Cam rubs his forehead for a few moments.] Yeah, got it, I'll try.

[ He frowns as if analyzing him. ]

Got it, huh? Scout's honor and all?

[He never joined the Scouts when he was a kid... But uh. He throws up the three-finger salute.] Scout's honor.

[ He laughs a little. He'd never actually been in the Scouts when he was a kid either. ]

That salute's almost as stupid as Garden's.

[ It was an insult, definitely, but his tone was surprisingly gentle. Probably doesn't excuse the insult, but he feels it's nice to know there are other weird salutes out there. ]

Dunno if that's the actual salute, but I'll take your word for it.

[He...drops his hand.] Yeah, it is kinda weird...

[This...person does not seem as bad as before so he doesn't want to jinx it, but...] Um, I'm Cam.

[Never introduced himself. So.]

[ He has half a mind to mock him, something like "Hey Mr. Um." But now he's feeling a little sentimental, so he isn't in the mood. Maybe later. ]

Seifer Almasy. Head of the Disciplinary Committee and Sorceress' Knight extraordinaire. Well, you know, back in my world.

[ Here he's just Seifer Almasy, he supposes. Seifer Almasy, the partner of an annoying Impmon. ]

That...sounds real important. [And maybe a little cool.] I'm, uh, just me, Campbell Saunders, so... What's a Sorceress' Knight do?

[Now he's getting curious.]

It is important.

[ He contemplates whether or not to tell the kid. It couldn't hurt and he does like talking about himself.... Besides, there's a chance he may hear this story elsewhere and he'd prefer to be the one leaving the first impression. ]

It's not all that different from a knight. In my world, sorceresses can uses genuine magic when regular people can't. So, people bein' people, they're afraid of sorceresses and want to kill all of 'em. Obviously, the job of the knight is to prevent that from happening.

[ Though considering neither of his sorceresses are here... guess he didn't do too hot of a job. Whoops. ]

Comes with fame and glory an an entire military at your disposal.

[ And the risk of being manipulated so you're brainwashed and crazy but that's such a tiny, insignificant part of the story! The real winner is the fame and glory. Come on, who doesn't want that? Seifer did! ]

[And Cam listens, growing more and more impressed; magic, he knows, is common in other worlds, just as much as aliens, all that-- but he's a normal high school student, who's lived most of his life in a small, middle-of-nowhere town in Canada, so it's only natural that he's still surprised, even after a few months living in this weird world, hearing about all these amazing, wonderful things.

And so, it becomes clear as to why Seifer would think of everything in terms of jobs, and slowly, Cam tries to think of something to say.

What comes out is just:] ...Wow. That's...really amazing.

Your world must be pretty boring if you think it's amazing. What, no magic or dragons or the world hanging in the balance where you come from? What an easy life. What are you, anyway? 14, 15?

[A very big frowny face.] I-it's not easy...! Just 'cause there's no...magic, or stuff like that. ... 'm 15, go to high school.

Ahhh, right. Homework and peer pressure and social groups.

It's not just that! [He's shouting again; his voice cracks.] Being-- just-- just because it's not, world changing stuff, it doesn't mean that, it's not hard, just-- everything.

[That stubborn little voice mutters in his head, about how much he's making something out of nothing, how he should just stop being such a crybaby and how he probably wasn't strong enough anyway, why'd this world even take him?

In a hiss, he breathes in, because without realizing it he stopped for a moment.]

...My problems are still problems.

It's only hard if you let it be hard. Can't say I've ever experienced a normal high school life, but if you walk around letting people get to you in any setting, of course it's gonna be hard. When you let people get to you, you make it world-changing stuff.

I'm getting to you. I'm getting to you and I'm not even trying.

[ And if he were trying.... Well, it's a self-proclaimed special skill of his to get under people's skin. Still, it's not the same when he has this much of an effect on someone when he's actually making an effort to be polite and civil. If he actually picked on this kid? On Cam? Seifer's almost positive he'd fall to pieces. ]

Look. We may be fragile mortal beings. That doesn't mean we can't take on the world. You got dreams, don't ya? If you work toward those, you can handle anything.

[ That's it. He's been in this world too long. It's glaringly obvious because he feels uncomfortably guilty for upsetting a kid he barely knows by being himself. He liked it better when he was too busy following orders to care about the consequences of his words or actions. Now he has to sit here and think and deal with everything instead of leaving it behind. ]

[He listens, listens and you know, Seifer's right, but that just leaves a pit in Cam's stomach. How much does he have to try before he reaches that point again? The point where he's completely given up, in the greenhouse, and...

It leaves a lot of pits in his stomach.]

You're right, 'm... sorry.

[The feed cuts. He...needs a walk.]