[Video]

[safevoyages]

[The video opens to a very nice view of Umi's right shoulder and the bookcases in the library behind her. Technology of this level is completely out of Umi's grasp, given the time she came from. The most modern pieces of technology she had access to were a landline telephone and an old tv.]

Good morning! I think I've finally managed to work out how this computer works. If I'm right then I should be recording a message to all of you right now. I hope you're all doing well today. I have a few questions to ask, if that's alright.

[Though most of Umi's face can't be seen from the position of the laptop, it's possible to catch the corner of a smile on her face before she goes on with her questions. She's aware that acting too normal might result in her disappearing, so hopefully this first question won't seem all that normal to most people.]

Would some of you be interested in helping me build a flagpole? It could go just outside the dorms so everyone could see it coming and going from their rooms. I've never made one myself before, so I'm not sure how much help I would be, however I'd be more than happy to make lunch for each person that helps out. [...] It would be a good way of skipping class and saving up your meal tickets, if you want to look at it from that point of view.

[Hopefully phrasing it like that will get a few people interested. If not she can always settle for going to the gardening club, borrowing a few canes used for growing climbing plants and then fashioning her own miniature flagpole that can be put up outside her dorm window.]

Secondly, I... Haven't made much of an attempt to use my phone yet. I had no idea phones could be so small, or that they could work without a cord attached. Whenever I try using it a message comes up asking me to pick an application for it, but there's so much to choose from I'm really spoiled for choice. Could anyone more experienced with these sorts of phones give me a few suggestions on what to get? Thank you very much.

[With her message finished, Umi moves forward in her seat and nods her head to the laptop. Even with the awkward position of the laptop its possible to catch Umi dropping her head forward for a moment before it goes back to a view of her shoulder again. Aah, technology.]

Comments

[safevoyages]

The vice president mentioned it, as well as something about the Angel Player. To be honest I felt a little lost when I first heard about it.

[Heck she still feels lost thinking about it now. All these leaders and vice presidents battling with someone or something called the programmer.]

But I'm not really new, my time here is getting close to a month now.

[tenminutes]

The vice.. you mean Haruhi?

[ She looks surprised. ] Oh. Well a late welcome then. [ At least she seems to have relaxed. ]

[safevoyages]

That's right, Haruhi, 'the school's student body vice president'.

[That's what she referred to herself as anyway.] Seeing how long some people have been here for I could probably still be seen as 'new', but thank you very much for the welcome all the same.

[tenminutes]

Just Haruhi's fine. The SSS doesn't answer to the student council, but she's a member of the SSS.

No problem. I was just worried you were brand new and knew things you shouldn't yet, that's all! Can't be too careful since we don't even know what the programmer looks like.

[safevoyages]

I see. [But wait-] Is there any way to work out if you're talking to the programmer or not? I wouldn't want to try explaining things to someone who is new here and then find out I was speaking to the programmer all along.

[While she does sympathize with the programmer for losing the love of his life, she doesn't want to accidentally ruin anything the SSS or Yuri is doing because she was trying to help out a newcomer.]

[tenminutes]

Not exactly. The programmer's been hiding as an NPC, he's a man, and he's nuts.

[safevoyages]

Well, that's more than enough to go off for the time being. I'll be more careful when talking to new arrivals from now on, at least until I know for certain they aren't another NPC... Though if he's 'nuts' it hopefully wouldn't be too hard to know who you're dealing with from the start.

[It's not like the afterlife is full of all sorts of nutty people or anything.]

[tenminutes]

If they're definitely new arrivals, it's fine to tell them anything that's out for general information. It's just when things seem suspicious like if they "just got here" and they already know a bunch of stuff. Besides that, the programmer is probably amongst the NPCs.