[network] @ADMIN; Arrival [open]

[snowblindmods]

Welcome to Norfinbury. The time is E̛̬̞͖͖̫R҉͖̯̬R̼̻͉̰͎̳̙O̩͓͔̫͇͈̯R and the date is E̛̬̞͖͖̫R҉͖̯̬R̼̻͉̰͎̳̙O̩͓͔̫͇͈̯R. This network has been provided for your use. Please interact politely with everyone else on this network.
E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫
E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫ E҉̘̩̙͢͝͡R̛̫̘̝̮̞̬͓̝̫̻̻̜̦̀ͅŖ̮̳͕̲͚͜O̷̙̖͓͙̗̰͘͟R̯̝͓̪̻̩̟̟͕̥͍̭̪͍͘:̵̛̛̝͖͓̺̥̙̝̀͜ ̧̛͙͚̱̫͇̹̙̥͎̜̖̺̻̕͠͝I͇͓̫̺͖̻͈̝͇̰͕̩̯͝͡N̶̛̪̯̤̭̻͎͚̻̟͙V̧̼͙̹͔͝A̷̸̵̧̰̱̺̗̤̤̹̙̺͕͎͇̦̫͕̣̰̪͟L͏̡͍̣̫̘̖̰̟̤̟̕I̛̜̻̖̦̥͓̟̫͡ͅD҉͏̶̴̷͔̬̗̘͖͓͚͔̗̱̝̹̻͔ ̷̢̗͉͚͓̱̫͙̱̪̥̤͢R̵̢̭͕͖̙̤̣̬̪̜͎͇̙̥̘͕̙͟͜ͅE̴̷̶͇̖̙̪̜̜̫̪̬̣̣̫̺͜F̢͏̸̳̬̟͖͉͎͉̤͉͉͎̣̲̙͉͢E͏̨̧̫̩̭̯͓̬̼̳̳̱͉̤͞R̶͉͈̪͔͈͘Ȩ̧̩͙̦̝͉͇͚̼̫̭̕͘͡N̷̡̖͇͕̻̰̯͈͕͉̯C̳̝͍̤̫̥̰͝Ȩ̴̨͡͏̥̥̯̰̭̻̳̫
E҉̨̢͎͎̗̦͈͎̘R̨̘̦̙̖̳͈͟R̢̞̺͖̩̟̻͙͕̩͜O̢̢̼͉͔̟̯̝͇̙͜͠R̴̛̗̝͕̣̘͙̪͖̀͟:̢̢͉̙̥̝͖͉̯̟͇̖̱̖͓̲̳ ͏̴͉͈͈̦̝̦͉͖̖͉̪̝̠̭I͡҉̣̼̜̩̻̜͓̻̳̼̥̭̯̭̫͉̭ͅL̶͖͖̯̝̥̬̖̤̥̹͎̟̬̻̦̜̝̻̗͟͞Ļ̸̸̸̥̺̝̜̭̘̞͈͎͚͉E̶͍͍͈̬̕͜͟G̳̬͉̙̥̩̼̭̦͔͘͜͡À̴͟҉̤͔͇̩̳͝ͅL̟͉̯̥̝̀͢͝ ͏҉͈͎͇̞̪̬͓͎̖̥̜̦̖̜O̺̹̺̜͉̠͉̠͇̭̣͔͡͞P̢͘͜҉̺̝̥͎̜Ḙ̢͔͇̰͇̯̺͇͓̜Ŗ̦̝̫̯̻̰͍͙̼̮͎̕ͅA̸̬̯͉͓̥̕͢͞ͅT̷̡͎̻̳̥Ḭ̵̡̥̭̥̀͞O̴͈̤͚͇̜͘͘͞N̢̬͕̙̫̦̳̫̭͖͙̤.̧͢͜҉̩̼̬̞̟̻͇̭͖ ̳̝̺̯̣̠̣̲͎̝̞̣̭̫͘͠S̡̧̼͈̱̳̰̰̳̻̺̫̝͈͖͎ͅH̦̖̣̦̱͓͙͓̣́͜͠͠Ù̸͎̹̼̱͈͇̼̼̕ͅͅṰ̤̝̦̞͍̮̦̞̼̪͕̹̬͈͝T͞͏̟͖͔̯̼̫̞̥̣̘͉̫̟ͅI̢͖̪̮̺̰̟͎͈͇̻͈͔͉̱̯͓̻͞N̢̨̮̱͕̣͟Ģ̸̝̟͚̩͙͖ͅ ҉̴̝̭̩̯̫̤̼̬͇͡ͅD̨͏̺͎̝̟͔͉͕̲̮͎̦͓̥͕̹͓̮̖̘̀͠Ǫ̵͍͇̝̱̖̳̦͖͡W̸̧̩͕̹̹̬̰̻̣̣͓̞̼̮̦̺͟͞͡N̡̛̫͙̠͚̠̲̙̟̤͔̦͙ͅ.҉̢̻̝̦͓̀̕͠

Comments

[armoured]

[Excuse you, it's like 1906 in Amestris, typewriters are the absolute cutting edge of technology. Except automail, just... incongruously. Al is starting to wonder if Steph has hit her head at all, she keeps making less and less sense.]

I really don't think it's a joke.

[Who would even play that kind of joke? Besides, this is all too surreal and vivid to be a simple prank, even from one of the homunculus.]

I don't know what's going on, sorry, I'm as confused as you are. But at least there's two of us now, we can work together and figure it out!

[spoileralert]

[ This is too insane. As such, there are only three options: either she's on a really bad trip, she never should have joined the hero game, or both. ]

I am so not caffeinated enough for this.

[armoured]

Look, um...

[Wait, he just realised that she never introduced herself in return.]

Sorry, but what's your name? If we're going to be working together, I should probably know what to call you.

[Since Steph is being given no choice in this alliance.]

[spoileralert]

[ She sighs. ]

It's Stephanie. [ She'd rather not draw attention from anyone who knows her dad, even if he is dead. ]

This network probably isn't secure. Whoever brought us here could be monitoring every word we say. Since we don't know what they want we should really avoid saying anything we wouldn't want a sadistic kidnapping psychopath from some terrorist organization to overhear.

[armoured]

[He would like to think that she's being overly paranoid, but he's no fool. Seeing the best in people doesn't make him blind to how the world can be, especially not after months dealing with the homunculus.]

Mm.

[It's a small, thoughtful sort of noise.]

We should really try and find each other, and not just because it's safer to speak in person.

[spoileralert]

[ She is being exactly the right amount of paranoid, thank you very much. She grimaces. ]

That's great, but I'm not exactly dressed for the arctic desert. I have no food, no weapons, and no concept of where I am in relation to anything else. And I'm sorry to say, metal armor's not great for heat insulation. If you've got an idea about how not to freeze to death, I'm all ears.

[armoured]

O-Oh, don't worry, I can come and find you.

[He chuckles awkwardly, a little too high pitched to be entirely natural.]

You'd be surprised how warm I am in here, I'm sure the cold won't be any problem.

[He hasn't learned yet, he still thinks his illusion of feeling the frost is in his head. He knows he can't feel cold, can't feel anything... he'll learn he's wrong soon.]

[spoileralert]

No. [ Her response is immediate and firm. ] No. Don't you dare. I am not going to be responsible for some kid getting lost in a snowstorm and freezing to death. You try it and I'll go after you myself, and then we'll both be dead.

[armoured]

[He sighs, a small and irritated tinny sound. He knows he will be fine, he can't feel the cold (right? Right... that's just an illusion of some sort) so he won't be any danger from being out in the snow.]

I can take of myself, really! I'm as warm as toast, so let me come and find you.

[spoileralert]

This is a suicide pact you're making.

[ Not gonna happen, Al. ]

[armoured]

H-Hey! Why won't you listen to me?

[Hmph. Sadly, when Al is grumpy or arguing, his voice gets even higher pitched, making it more child-like than ever.]

I just want to help you.

[spoileralert]

[ She is going to take a wild guess here: ]

Because I'm older than you and you obviously don't care about your own safety! This isn't a game, Alphonse.

[armoured]

I know it's not a game, you have to trust me to be able to help you! I'm not kidding around, I know what I'm doing.

[His fingers tighten over the tablet in his desperation to make her understand, forcing a metal creak to crackle out through the speakers.]

I've walked through a place like this before, I know I can deal with the snow.

[spoileralert]

Then you should know that metal will cause frostbite. I don't trust you, not enough to let you die alone in this bitter awful cold.

[armoured]

[ARGH! How does he explain that his armour won't cause frostbite without revealing his terrible secret?!]

It's not like that, this-- this armour is part of my training to be an alchemist. I've already trekked through high snow in it by myself for days, I swear I'll be fine.

[spoileralert]

[ He doesn't! He just has to either accept Steph's stubbornness will win or hand over the secret. ]

Just don't. You won't find me, I won't look for you. We'll both survive the night.

[armoured]

I'm not going to sit still out of fear of the cold!

[His anger and irritation are shifting into something more determined now, firm without being too annoyed.]

I'm going to find answers and keep moving forwards until I know how to get home, and what's going on, no matter what.

[spoileralert]

[ Meanwhile Steph's anger is giving way to her fear. Her bone chilling terror that she's going to die and none of her skills can save her. ]

You'll keep moving forward until you die, if you come looking for me. And then what am I supposed to do? I'll just keep running and hiding and running and hiding until I starve or freeze to death.

[armoured]

Don't talk like that!

[Despite his young voice, his tone is commanding.]

You have to make the choice to live, and fight, and struggle. Even if I don't know what's happening here, and I'm scared to be away from my home when everyone there needs me, I'm not going to let it overwhelm me. I'm going to move forwards and I'm going to survive no matter what, because nothing else is acceptable.

[He pauses for just a moment, before he adds another fierce command.]

And you're going to survive too, because I won't let you die. I made a promise that I wouldn't watch anyone else die, and that doesn't change just because I'm here. You and I are friends now, Stephanie, so don't think for a second that I'll let you give up.

[Unfortunately for Steph, she has no choice in this. Al makes friends quickly and indiscriminately, and will protect them (and anyone else he comes across) to the death.]

[spoileralert]

I'm not giving up! [ The whole friendship thing is apparently taken in stride. ]

I'm being realistic. This is a life or death situation and it doesn't help anything if you run around playing hero ignoring the things that are going to kill you.

[armoured]

Nothing is going to kill me!

[It bursts out, he sounds so sure. Sadly, he's so naive. He doesn't realise that this place has somehow, impossibly, altered his form to make him capable of dying of exposure, of needing to sleep, eat, and keep warm.]

[spoileralert]

With an attitude like that? Everything is going to kill you.

[armoured]

That doesn't make any sense! Believing in life, and making a vow not to die, are things that will help you survive.

[He sighs.]

Okay, I promise not to take unnecessary risks, but I'm still not staying here and waiting when I could be looking for clues and helping people.

[Helping you, is the subtext there.]

[spoileralert]

Thinking you're invincible, on the other hand...

[ But okay, no unneccessary risks is probably the most she can ask for here. ]

Good.

[armoured]

You better not take risks either! I don't like to make friends and then find out they've been hurt.

[He sounds enthused rather than worried, though. There's a mystery to solve, and the time is ripe to get going!]

Try to keep in contact, okay? I'm going to go now and set out, I'll let you know what I find.