[video] backdated to the 17th

[quixotically]

Okay, it should be on, so --

[The video starts with a close-up of the lower part of a face. But then, Elle leans back, and the rest of her face comes into view. She grins.]

Awesome! Man, this is cool. Er -- Hi! I just got here today. Name's Elle, Elle Days, I recently signed on as a guide, so I've got training starting pretty soon, but I wanted to try this thing out. [She holds up a hand and wiggles her fingers in a wave, her smile widening.] So, uh. Hi.

I guess I could say a few things about myself? Sure, alright. Um... Back home, I do work as a courier. Which, really, means I do a little bit of everything, not just delivering mail or whatever. Running, gunning, exploring, throwing rocks at deathclaws... Getting into trouble. That sort of thing. Uh... I live in a casino-slash-skyscraper thing with my friends. Anddd... My favorite drink is Nuka-Cola. Um.

[There's a beeping noise. Elle glances to her left, and her grin is back.] Right! And I didn't come alone. I brought a friend along for the ride. [She adjusts her communicator so that a robot comes into view.] This is ED-E. ["Eddie."] He's what we call an eyebot. He's like a floating radio with lasers. And, a few other nifty tricks. Say hi, buddy.

[The robot bounces in the air and makes more beeping noises, cheerful this time.]

Oh! [The feed refocuses on Elle again. She leans in closer.] And, uh. Boone? Are you watching this, too? This is where you ran off to, right? [She smiles sheepishly.] Sorry to crash the party. But, they offered, and, I mean, d'you really think I would've said no? [Cue nervous laughter.]

Anyway, uh. I look forward to meeting all of you! Thanks. Um. Now to stop the...

Comments

[quixotically]

[His pause makes her more nervous. Did she say something wrong??? Calm down, calm down, take it easy. Just... relax. Yeah.

Luckily, Rex is an easy topic. She smiles.] Hey, and if we end up with a rat infestation, then he'll make himself especially helpful. He hates the things.

The creepers... I've heard a little about them, but not a whole lot. Do other detection systems not work? Or are they smart enough to dodge things like tripwires?

[vengeance_driven]

Tripwires can get them- once. You don't hear them coming. Usually they get you out in the wilderness, so is better if you have a beast on you when you go out. Or just go out in the day. Creepers like to be out at night or in shadows more, and they don't like beasts.

There are lots of infestations, too. He went after the props pretty good. One got loose at my place, and it got me bit on the ass before it turned into Boone's hat and took off down the street. [Boone's new friend is a classy guy.]

[quixotically]

Has anyone tried using laser tripwires? You wouldn't have to keep re-setting them. You're right, though, it wouldn't be any help to anybody who's out there in the wilds... But maybe they'd be useful to make a proximity alarm for the town, if it's needed? [Hmmmm.

Elle laughs at the story, even though she's a bit confused by it. The basics are understandable enough to make it funny.] It turned into his hat? Jeez, that's a pretty talented critter. And rude.

[vengeance_driven]

I hate to tell you this, but they have proximity sensors. Much better than laser trip wires. With these things? You mostly have to count on your eyes and the normal natural things.

Trust me. Use a cat. Anything else will dick you over.

[quixotically]

Oh! Okay, then. Fancy. I guess it's comforting to hear that my old tricks are still gonna work. I can get used to anything, but I'd hate to have to unlearn using my five senses.

A cat? You were talking about a "beast" earlier... So the specific kind of beast is a cat? [She scratches her cheek.]

[vengeance_driven]

You can't hear them, so one doesn't matter.

Not until they blow up, anyway.

Okay, I keep calling them cats, but they are actually called a beast here. They kind of look like alien cats. I have one and Boone has one. But Boone also has mine because his made mine pregnant because I fed them too much.

So he can show you. Mine is friendlier, if very fat right now.

[quixotically]

[slowly:] Boone's cat... got your cat pregnant... because you got her fat?

What is a cat, anyway? [Elle shakes her head slowly.] Uh, I mean, I'm gonna find out sooner or later, anyway, but... I've never actually seen one. I heard they went extinct, back in the wasteland.

[vengeance_driven]

She wasn't fat before, just well-fed. Now she is fat because she's, you know, full of baby. The animals here, they breed if they have enough food.

Ah, yeah, he mentioned that.

They're furry and have tails and claws and they make a little rumble noise when they're happy.

[quixotically]

Huh. That actually makes sense. [Medicine 100/Animal Friend] There are animals and insects on Earth that'll undergo reproductive diapause if they don't have enough food, or if their environment is too stressful, so that the offspring and the parent both will have a better chance of surviving.

... er. [Elle clears her throat.] Yeah. So that's a thing. I get it now.

They... rumble when they're happy? [And they're fuzzy??? Elle claps her hands.] That's adorable. I can't wait to see one!

[vengeance_driven]

What is "diapause". Sorry. I don't speak English all that good. Is my third language.

Maybe my translator will work.

[He can be heard fiddling with it.]

[quixotically]

It's, um... It's like hibernation. Except, instead of the animal going to sleep, and all of their biology slowing down... It's just parts of its biology that stops. And they don't need to be asleep for it to happen. And it's a reactionary thing, instead of something that's planned. So, certain things will make the biology stop, and other certain things will make it start up again.

[vengeance_driven]

Here I think they do this all the time, then. Until they have lots of food, then they're ready to reproduce. Otherwise? No babies.

[quixotically]

That's really interesting. I guess that makes it easy to manage the population, though. When's the baby due, do you have any idea?

[vengeance_driven]

Any day now. His beast has been worrying a lot over her.

[quixotically]

Awwwwwww. That's so sweet, ohmygod. I showed up just in time. Baby cat.