VIDEO • un: (empty)

[fujita]

[ when the video starts, it's to a close-up of a young woman squinting at the screen like she's not entirely sure whether what she's doing is working. after a second or two, her expression brightens, though, and she holds the device a little further away from her face. ]

Hi. Can anyone see this? Is anyone watching? I'm Dorothy. [ the camera swings around, showing albus dumbledore for a moment, though it's dorothy's voice that continues: ] And this is Albus, apparently. We've just met and we have no idea what's going on here, so if anyone has a clue, mind filling us in?

[ the camera swings back around to dorothy only long enough for her to shut off the feed. ]

Comments

[fujita]

[ dorothy's response comes quick enough: ] Whoa there. Can you hear me, anyone there? How about you hold this thing steady.

[inexhaustible]

[ leaning.. over.. her shoulder.. ]

Oh, it's a bit like a newspaper. [ albus what. ]

[darkart]

[ A disembodied voice, because Severus is still holding it the wrong way: ] Over a radio, yes.

[ He turns it the right way around but there's only a brief glimpse of his face, the angle making him look even worse than normal, but Severus figures it out quickly enough and puts the end of his index finger over the camera input irritably.

And then he.. turns it off. Ok. ]

[fujita]

A newspaper? [ dorothy asks the man standing close enough to look over her shoulder, which is frankly a bit closer than she'd prefer, but at least she gets why he does it.

she'd respond to the guy she'd caught a glimpse of over the — what, network? network. — except he's ended the connection. and she's not sure how to initiate a call-back, if that's even an option.

wait, yes, it is. ]

[inexhaustible]

Oh, yes, our newspaper photographs move. [ albus what.

he clicks his tongue at severus, though. ] .. Honestly, Severus. --Is he still there, or did he leave?

[fujita]

They what?

[ right. moving on. ] You know this guy? He - I guess he hung up. Maybe not on purpose, no idea. I'm trying to call him back, though.

[inexhaustible]

I suppose I know him better in the future, but yes. [ he's always like this, dorothy, godspeed. ] He's from further along in the timeline than I am, as it so happens. I expect that you are, as well.

[ he shifts, finally settling neatly on the edge of the bed and taking his glasses off to clean them on the edge of his sleeve. ]

[fujita]

[ it's fine, it's cool, she'll just ignore anything that makes her head spin. she's grown quite adept at just pushing through her confusion in oz. ]

So you think I'm from the future.

[ that's what he's saying, right? ] And so's that guy. Severus.

[inexhaustible]

Yes indeed. It was the 1920s before I woke here. [ he slides the glasses back on his face, smiling reassuringly. ] So I suppose from your point of view, I'm from the past instead. .. As for Severus, he's a fellow professor at the school I teach at.

[fujita]

Wow, yeah.

[ the 1920s were a long time ago. ] What do you teach?

[inexhaustible]

Transfiguration. [ there's no point in hiding it all here. they need to be able to trust one another.

he flicks his wand, turning one of the other bunks into a series of shelves. ] It's a particular passion of mine.

[fujita]

I don't know what that mea-

[ right. that's new. ]

Oh. [ a second later: ] Magic?

[inexhaustible]

Yes. You're taking it quite well. [ a beat, brows lifting in interest. ] A case of too many shocks in one day, or are you perchance a witch yourself?

[fujita]

I'm not sure.

[ probably both? which begs the question: ] How do you have magic if you're a guy? You are, right? [ in oz, only witches have magic. women, born to the mother witch.

and dorothy, now, but she inherited the elements. ]

[inexhaustible]

[ a slightly puzzled pause, and albus glances down at himself. ] Er, yes, I am, I suppose. [ his glance lifts again, fingers pushing his glasses back up again. ] It's unusual for men to have magic in your estimation?

[ he thought they might be from the same world, but now he's not so sure. ]

It's perfectly natural for both of the sexes where I'm from.

[fujita]

You suppose?

[ never mind that. ]

No men in Oz did, only women. And in my world, no one had magic at all. [ yes, she's been to more than one world. a grand total of two, even. ]

[inexhaustible]

Well, I was the last time I checked. I suppose it might have changed, but I doubt it.

[ you never know, really.

he straightens in interest, though, tucking away his wand and motioning for her to take a seat if she likes. ]

You've experienced this sort of displacement before, then?

[fujita]

[ what an odd guy. ]

Kind of, yeah. [ after a moment's hesitation, she sits down as well, legs stretching out in front of her. ] A tornado picked me up and dropped me in another world, a while ago. I only just got back home.

[inexhaustible]

[ he clicks his tongue. ] I'd say that's rather unusual behavior for a tornado, even by my estimation. .. How did you get home?

[fujita]

[ no kidding. ]

Another tornado. This one created by science instead of magic.