Brand New (OTA) [video]

[runes_brand]

[Brand has been kidnapped, disarmed, and tortured with bad slide shows, electric shocks, and small talk. Today can officially get fucked. At least fallout from the fucking "Go-Away bombs" hasn't suppressed his bond to Rune -- he can feel him just fine, even if he's not entirely sure what to make about the emotions he's getting. But that can be resolved and soon as he fucking finds Rune, which would be easier if he had any fucking idea of where to start.

The sensor in front of the Mess only gets a scowl, and Brand stalks off to find another place to hole up and try and get in touch with Rune. It doesn't take him long to find something that looks like a corporate break room threw up on itself.

When an unfamiliar face appears on the network, it's wearing a near-homicidal expression, because that's just how Brand looks when he doesn't fucking know where Rune is.]

Where the [BEEP] is Rune Saint John?

[Do you answer this angry stranger about one of your fellow New Hires? Or do you try to find out more?]

Comments

[runes_brand]

The [BEEP]'s the Yuck Puddle?

[The rest of it seems fairly straight-forward. Even the rogue office supplies aren't too weird, though he should get his hands on some to see how they're different from wild magic shit. Maybe they're trainable, that could be entertaining.]

[valkywhee]

Gross, that's what it is. I think it might be alive.

[Nora that's totally useless.]

[runes_brand]

[That gets an eye roll. It's a good eye roll, Brand had a lot of practice even before he and Rune added teens and a precocious preteen to their home.]

Is it mobile? Acidic? Is there something [BEEP]ing living in it that will try to eat people?

[valkywhee]

It's slimy, you can't mop it up, and it migrates. It smells like gym socks and failure and I think it eats mice.

[runes_brand]

[That there's mice around here for this thing to potentially fucking eat doesn't bode well. Brand sighs.]

'Yuck Puddle' it is then.

[valkywhee]

Yeah, told you, it's gross.

Anyway, I'm Nora Valkyrie.

[She waves at the camera.]

[runes_brand]

Brand.

[His surname? Why would he need to give his surname? And no, he's not going to say "nice to meet you" or any other such pleasantries either, politeness has been deliberately excluded from his wheelhouse.]

[valkywhee]

[Sucks to be him: Nora doesn't notice and also is Very Friendly, assuming you pass muster, and if Brand is Rune's friend, he's probably okay.]

Nice to meet you!

[runes_brand]

[If she starts saying things like "you almost always like me after a couple of days", he's hanging up. Brand sighs.]

Circumstances could be [BEEP]ing better.

[valkywhee]

[Nora believes people not liking her is a Them Problem, and thus doesn't focus on it.]

For sure, but at least you're not a jerk.

[Unclear what definition of "jerk" Nora is using here.]

[runes_brand]

[Decidedly unclear. Enough that it gets her a smirk, though not an entirely unfriendly one.]

Getting ahead of yourself there.