Aria: So... Hey! I know this started off kind of awkward,
Aria: And it's kind of quiet right now, but,
Aria: Let's start over! Formally, this time!
???: ...
Aria: My name is Aria Elwyn! It's nice to meet you!
Aria: Umm, I'm an illusionist!
Aria: I'm also a good baker...
Aria: Well, there's not many interesting things to say about me.
Aria: Check this out though! Monster disguise!
Aria: That's a sorta interesting thing I can do.
Aria: Aaaand, this is Five!
Aria: She's great at drawing! Say hi, Five.
Five: Oh! Hi, human boy!
Aria: And the dog is Ludwig!
Aria: He's a GOOD boy.
Ludwig: Bark.
Five: :D
Aria: :D
???: What... Are you doing.
Aria: Um, introductions!
Aria: That was everything, I think!
Aria: So! What about you?
Aria: What's your name?
???: Don't need to tell you.
Aria: Uh.
Aria: B-but...
Aria: I told you ours!
???: Did I ask.

Aria: Names are Practical. If something happens on the journey, you will need to know each other's name for fast communication.

Aria: Well... No.
Aria: But I'm just being polite by telling you, that's all!
???: You didn’t have to say any of that.
???: I don't need to know or use names.
Aria: W-why not?
???: There's no reason to?
Aria: Hey! N-names can be useful!
Aria: How are you going to talk to us without names?
???: No need to talk.
Aria: U-uh. Then...
Aria: What if something dangerous happened?
Aria: We'd need quick communication, on the spot! Names are good for that.
Aria: ...I can't believe I’m arguing about this of all things.
???: Ok. Look.

Amends: Horribly fail.

???: You're Blonde. She's Brat.
???: And the dog is what it is.
???: And then you can call me just whatever.
???: Done. That's good enough.
Aria: Huh!? That's not good at all!
Aria: And seriously, when are you going to stop calling Five such mean things!
Five: It's okay!
Aria: No, Five, it's not!
Five: Five knows, human boy is a good person.
Five: So it's okay!
???: Kid, stop doing that.
Five: :o ?
???: Quit repeatedly saying your name.
???: Just say "I". Like "I know".
Five: Eye?
Aria: Hey, leave her alone!
Aria: You don't have to listen to that, Five.
Five: ... :o
???: Only toddlers could possibly refer to themselves in third person.
???: And the brat looks to be way past that stage.
Aria: So? She can say whatever she wants!
???: If she wants her growth to be permanently stunted, sure.
Aria: Wow, I was just thinking that maybe, just maybe, I'd gotten you all wrong...
Aria: But no!
Aria: That was really RUDE, you're still really rude!
???: Hey, you demanded to be called something for communication,
???: And you got exactly that. Nothin's rude about it.
Aria: No way, you're going out of your way to be impolite!
Aria: That's more work than just being nice.
Aria: Maybe that's what the "R" stands for, huh?
Aria: Mister RUDE????
???: Wow, that's so clever.
Aria: >:)

Fantastic! Impressive!

You've verbally defeated a foe with raw insults, the likes of which you've never dished out in your life before!! Which is... The exact opposite of what you were trying to do in the first place.

Oops. Good job.

This is all kinds of AWKWARD now!
Like, even more than it already was... All because of you! Something tells you you're the only one here who feels that way about it, but still, you think you have to fix this. Let's move off of the wrong foot, and hopefully onto the not-wrong one.

Aria: ...
Aria: Hey, actually... I'm sorry about all that?
???: Dude. You're really going back and forth here.
Aria: W-well! I think I don't wanna be mean after all.
Aria: Even if you are.
Aria: ...
Aria: Sorry.
???: Look. There doesn't need to be anything here.
???: Is that so hard to understand?
???: You can just quietly walk, can't you.
Aria: But...
Aria: I'd still like to make some amends at least, if we're traveling together!
Aria: Well, that's what I was trying to do.
???: You don't have to do anything like that.
???: None of this will matter.
Aria: Well... Sigh, alright.
Aria: Sorry about it.
???: You can also stop saying sorry every three seconds now.
Aria: Oh, so-
Aria: I mean, OKAY.
???: ...Although, I do admire your determination.
Aria: Oh... Thanks?
???: That's not to say I condone what you're using it for, though.
???: The determination to bother me constantly is more than a little annoying.
???: Try using it for a better cause next time.
Aria: Oh, boo, whatever!!
Aria: You could've just stopped with the first thing,
Aria: That would have been so much nicer!
Aria: I pictured my savior a little more charming and kind.
???: Oh god, please do not compare me to whatever fantasy image's in your head.

Boy, he's really adamant about not changing that image of a Rude Stranger here. Maybe it means that that's just what he's like.

The R DEFINITELY stands for Rudey Rude mc Rudeness.

It feels somehow wrong for you to leave things as awkward as they are, but it's not like you can do anything to change his attitude. In fact, whatever you do seems to just make things worse. It especially feels unpleasant when you fall on the verge of responding negatively to it, something you didn't know you'd be prone to until now.

Well, it's fine, probably. You will simply try not to be too "bothersome" from now on, or whatever. You'll be polite and quietly count the minutes until you're at your destination.

And then, you'll never have to see him again when all's said and done.

That being said... Until the time comes, and since there's no harm in it, you will maintain a nicer attitude towards the rudeness of the Rude boy.

Whose name you still don't know.

It will probably be a very long time until we learn his name.

Probably a very, very long time, before the name that begins with R is revealed.
Hours, days, maybe even weeks of... Hey! What's he doing there?

Why, you'd better take a look!

Aria: Sneak-a-peek!

He's holding something, and weirdly enough, he's completely focused on it.
He's so focused that he's walking much slower, and he doesn't even seem to notice you. Huh, what could be so interesting here.

Your curiosity gets the best of you, and you sneakily take a peek.

...In the way "sneakily" is natural to you.

You see something absolutely puzzling.
What the heck is this.

???: Notice the SPOOKY Aria-presence.

???: ...Augh!!
???: What the hell!
Aria: Reed?
???: Yes, what do you want?
???: Are you trying to give me a heart attack or someth- Oh, dammit.
Aria: So that was your name!
???: Dude, don't look at people's phones!
???: That was terrifying, just never do it again.
Aria: T-that's a phone?
???: Oh, right.
???: Of course you wouldn't know, duh.
???: Yes, it is, and you should not stare at it when someone is using it, seriously.
Aria: I was just curious!
Aria: Also, again, ha!
Aria: I knew it, I did see a name... Your name!
Aria: I SAW it! It's Reed!!
Aria: Right???
???: ...Uuugh. What's so important about that.
Reed: Yes, sure. You got me, or whatever.
Aria: >:)

Reed: It's Reed.
Reed: Reed Lumen. Nothing special.
Reed: You don't have to remember it or use it.
Reed: Are you happy now, will you leave me alone.
Aria: Yes, actually! We're now on even grounds!
Aria: And I'm never forgetting it, hehe.
Reed: Don't think you've accomplished some incredible feat of sleuthing here.
Reed: And if you do think so,
Reed: Then boy, your life's usual accomplishments must be really pathetic.
Aria: Come on, can you not be rude for once?
Aria: You Rude Reed.
Aria: :)
Reed: :|
Aria: Hey... What's the deal with your rectangle.
Reed: Phone. It's called a phone.
Aria: How is that a phone...
Aria: It's so small!
Aria: And so... Rectangular, and sleek looking.
Aria: It also had WORDS on it?
Reed: Do not try to dissect whatever you saw.
Aria: I didn't have enough time to!
Aria: N-not that I was trying to see anything in particular.
Aria: I'm more interested in the little device anyway!!
Aria: How come this so-called phone looks like everything except an actual phone?
Reed: Oh, heh.
Reed: You're used to those big phones with a wire and speaker, right.
Aria: Um, well, that's what a phone is.
Reed: Sure. And this is also a phone, only much more advanced.

Aria: Woah so, you're saying you can make a phone call on just that??
Reed: Yeah, and much more.
Aria: But it has no wires or anything!
Aria: And it's like, so little...
Aria: The phones that I know don't do stuff other than call!
Reed: Oh, you've seen nothing.
Reed: This is called a wireless phone.
Aria: Is that... Because it doesn't have any wires?
Reed: Yes.
Aria: :O
Aria: How does it turn on without electricity!
Reed: Battery.
Aria: :OOO
Aria: Now that you say it...
Aria: It suddenly sounds much more plausible for a phone to be this tiny.
Aria: Oh umm, so then why does it keep shaking?
Aria: Is that normal for a no-wire-small-rectangle phone device?
Reed: Oh, shit.
Aria: Hey! DON'T SAY THAT!
Reed: Sorry!
Reed: Look, you've had your fun, but now I've got to respond to this.
Aria: Respond? Respond to what?
Reed: Oh, uh.
Reed: Shit, I forgot you wouldn't know stuff again.
Aria: ...DON'T SWEAR.
Reed: My bad! God, don't yell.
Aria: I won't have to if you mind your surroundings a little more. :(
Reed: So uh, OK... These phones can send messages.
Aria: Messages? Like... Written words?
Reed: Yes.
Reed: It's called a "text" for short.
Aria: :O !!!
Reed: Revolutionary, I know.
Reed: You can let the phone buzz when you get a text.
Reed: Mine does that.
Aria: So... You are receiving messages...
Aria: Are they coming from the human world??
Reed: Mhm.
Aria: Wow... How is that even possible?
Aria: You're all the way here, but can still communicate to someone all the way there...
Aria: How did you humans even accomplish that!? :OOOO
Reed: Dude. You're asking me to summarize tons of tech advancement history here.
Reed: Most of which I don't even know myself. It's kind of boring, really.
Reed: I'm not interested in tech-y stuff.
Reed: If it's your thing, go read a book about it or something later.
Aria: O-Okay, that sounds exciting!!
Aria: By the way, who is communicating with you?
Aria: Like wow, it's still buzzing!
Aria: It's been doing it nonstop for a while now!
Reed: SHI-
Reed: SHOOT.
Aria: ...Oh good, you're learning.
Reed: ...
Reed: Just give me a second to deal with this first, okay.

Reed: Respond to texts.

There is... Quite a lot to trudge through. As usual.

Aria: You put words into it by poking it?
Reed: Uh... Sure.
Reed: You uh, you tap little keys on the screen. And it types out letters.
Aria: :O !
Reed: I thought this was the one thing about phones that wouldn't be that amazing.
Reed: Guess I was wrong.
Aria: Are you kidding, ALL of this is incredible!
Aria: What's not amazing is how unimpressed you're being!!
Reed: Well, this is like my everyday.
Reed: It'd be like being excited about putting shoes on.
Aria: Aww, but I can get excited about that!
Reed: ...Of course you can.
Aria: Yes! It means I'm about to go out and have a fun day!
Aria: You're lucky that it's just normal to have something so convenient every day...
Aria: You shouldn't take it for granted!
Reed: Eh.
Aria: ...
Aria: Hey hey... I know you're busy poking letters and stuff, but...
Aria: I'm curious, just who is this?
Aria: Who's sending you messages from soooo far away?
Reed: Uh.
Reed: ...None of your business.
Aria: Oh.
Aria: O-ok, sorry for asking!
Aria: I didn't know this is something not meant to be asked about.
Reed: ...Hey, actually.
Reed: Let's say it's...
Reed: Headquarters, who I work with.
Aria: !!
Reed: And the messages are because...
Reed: We've got to get back as soon as possible. Yeah.
Reed: Things are pretty urgent.
Aria: Headquarters, that sounds kind of cool!
Aria: Then, do you work for some kind of organization??
Aria: A secret operations thingy, to help humans from here!?
Reed: Hey. I told you it's urgent.
Reed: It means we can't waste time explaining all this to you for now.
Reed: You'll... See it all later, probably.
Aria: Oh, okay!
Aria: ...
Aria: Um, but...
Aria: You've been just standing here, poking your tiny phone for a while now.
Reed: ...I know, I know.
Reed: Just a second though.
Aria: :|
Aria: Hypocrite!
Aria: What's so interesting about it, I don't understand!
Aria: You could just poke it while walking.
Aria: Or you could poke it later.
Reed: Mmmyeah.
Aria: Wow... Are you even listening.
Aria: ...Reeeed...
Reed: I am listening, and you should give me just a MINUTE here.
Aria: ...Is this what tiny phones do to people's attention??
Reed: Okay. Done. Let's go.
Aria: Great! Do I need to remind you who's the one concerned about time here?
Reed: Let's not talk about that.
Aria: You really are a hypocrite!!
Reed: No, look, this is more important.
Reed: Remember when I said these phones can do more than just call and text?
Aria: Uh. Ummm, yeah?
Aria: It's already so impressive with just those two functions.
Aria: But it'd be unstoppable if there's more any features!
Reed: Oh, there are plenty more.
Reed: Here's one that I'll show you right now.
Aria: Oh... O-ok? This is a little abrupt.
Reed: Don't worry about it.
Reed: Just stand right here.
Aria: Just... Stand?
Aria: Like this?
Reed: Yeah.

Reed: Take picture.

Reed tells you to look at his tiny phone as he holds it up, and suddenly, a light flashes from it very briefly.

Aria: !!
Reed: See, it's a picture.
Aria: W-whoa!!!
Aria: That was like... A camera!!
Aria: But there's no waiting to see the picture...
Aria: It's very instant!!
Reed: Well then, you can probably guess what it's called.
Aria: Ummm... An instant camera?
Reed: Spot on.
Aria: Wooow!!
Aria: Look, look, Five! It's a picture of me!
Five: :o !!
Five: Can I have picture, too??
Aria: Oh, yes! I want one together!
Five: Together!! Yes!
Aria: Um, R-Reed?
Aria: Just one more picture! Please?
Five: One of everyone! Please!!
Reed: Man, was all that not enough.
Aria: H-hey!!
Aria: You just wasted time yourself, so this is the only thing that'll make up for it!
Reed: And who decided that.
Aria: Me! I did!! You hypocrite!!
Aria: So,
Aria: Pleeeease!
Five: Pleeeeeease!!
Aria: PLEEEEEAAAASE!!!
Ludwig: BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRORK.
Reed: Okay, okay! Jeez!
Reed: Just one, okay?
Aria: :D
Five: :D

And this continued for a bit until you took a picture of all three of them.

Er, all four of you. Sometimes you forget to count yourself, as one does.
You guess you now have two (2) useless pictures in your VERY REVOLUTIONARY no-wire-small-rectangle device now.

That is a better name for it than "mobile phone", really.

You note that the girl's disguise somehow didn't get caught in the photos, contrary to what you planned. You were hoping the picture could double as an explanation for her circumstances to... Uh, to headquarters.

You suppose this is due to some limitation of the ability itself.

Reed: Get back to +Eido1on

You're not sending the one with the monster kid and the dog though, since that'll be significantly harder to explain over text. They will just have to meet face to face later.

Reed: Finish responding.

"Headquarters" is not handling the extended absence well as usual, but you make sure to reaffirm that you'll do your best to be done as soon as is humanly possible.

A swift escape is achieved.

You’ve got to keep your promise of returning soon, though.

Although, you do take a moment to look over the logs from the start 'till the end just once, for good measure. You ignore the nagging of Aria- you mean Blonde Girl while doing it for a little bit more. You'd better make sure everything's alright on the other end.

OK, that's enough of looking at and messing with your phone.

They're not typically things to be shared, you know. Lots of privacy that has to be kept safe in there. A monster kid, and a human-living-as-monster-girl could never understand your delicate human concepts of a personal phone's privacy.

Unfortunately for you, the human market doesn’t really value the privacy of its product consumers either.

Anyway, now that your business is taken care of...

You forcibly get everyone (and yourself) to get moving and stop dawdling around. The respect-worthy "Headquarters" is "QUITE LITERALLY starving zero joke", after all.

Not to generalize, but gee...

Girls are so melodramatic sometimes!

But, you know...

That's what also makes them so romantic sometimes!

Like, wow, who describes a person with sentences like "a treasure made to be cherished" other than them?

Why yes, these are the healthy thoughts of people who are as well acquainted with the brains of fair maidens as they are with the back of their hands, indeed.

Kaji: Are you still failing your duties?

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Unclever title

5 years ago

This was a glorious update.

Alex

amazing

annonymous

Nino and Kaji would get along - Nights warning us of the endtimes.

anonymous

Kaji:Be drunk Kaji.

HousePet

How does Reed think Aria talks too much when he knows people like Eido1on?

???

Reply to HousePet

Either Aria was right about Reed being phone crazy, Reed excuses it because of texting(technically not talking) or knowing Eidolon is drinking or R excuses old and close friends.