subsystem | voice

[ Kitty's voice is cheerful, girlish, and energetic. She hasn't been around lately: the effects of getting out the warning about the invasion of Olympus had intense physical effects on her, and a long period of unconsciousness has been followed by a period of working hard to recover from that physical weakness. So this post's chipperness is partially motivated by the fact that Kitty's persona/alias Lizzie is just a chipper person, and it's partially motivated by the fact that Kitty wants to prove to herself that she's recovered and in good health and spirits. So...Honestly, that energy is frankly bordering on manic. ]

Hullo, Zion! Or at least the network-users of Zion. It's Lizzie again.

A few things. The first of these things, I think, is going to make some of you quite happy. I expect a lot of you remember the restaurant I work at - Cafe Modak - it's the one with the best food in the whole city, so you might have heard of it. If you pay attention to those sorts of things. Anyway, Chef and Mrs Dutt - that's our owner - are putting together a little celebration dinner, for the people who helped defend Olympus. And also when I say little celebration dinner, I actually mean that it's going to basically be a feast. Everyone's invited, but people who helped out get to eat free. So if you've got any dishes to request, just request them here, and I'll pass it along to the two of them.

Anyway, the second thing is that we really don't all know each other so well, do we? I mean, we do all use this, but I hardly know any of your names. Or anything about you. So we ought to play one of those silly games like they make you do, to get comfortable with the people around you. So...How about we play a few rounds of two truths and a lie? If you all know that game. Or you could do a little introduction speech. Or just talk about your favorite sims, if you do sims.

[ Translation: let me pick your brains and figure out what sorts of people you are. ]

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[ The voice that answers is less plucky, more tolerantly amused, but all right, he'll bite. ]

Why don't you start us off? Two truths and a lie, Lizzie.

Oh - me?

[ Her voice slips into something a little more teasing. (She of course has two lies and a lie prepped, so this isn't evasion, it's actually teasing him a little bit.) ]

I don't know. How can I know that you're not just trying to get me to give up my air of mystery without giving anything back yourself?

Me? Wouldn't dream of it. Politician's honor.

[ So, useless. ]

I swear on the grave of my dearly departed dog to answer you in kind, how about that?

Aw, poor dog.

[ But - Okay. She squares her shoulders and reports: ]

In my home Matrix, I had hair down to my elbows. I'm allergic to peanuts, and...I'm sixteen years old.

You are not sixteen. Really?

[ He sounds more faux-surprised than skeptical, though, and gives a contemplative hum. [

It has to be the peanuts. That'd be terrible, by the way, I'd be so sad for you.

[ With a laugh: ]

It's the peanuts.

[ And the hair, too - just to build a false mental picture of her, in case anyone else from her world shows up. The age isn't actually a lie, at least. ]

God, could you imagine? That would be so terrible. Especially working in a restaurant! It'd be a death sentence, wouldn't it.

Anyway - your turn.

[ A noise of agreement. Enunciation isn't anything he's particularly concerned about at the moment, it seems. ]

Hmm... I didn't actually have a dog, I did have an evil twin, and I've never eaten shellfish.

Hmm. You've almost certainly not eaten shellfish, since technically speaking none of us have eaten that, right, with the nature of reality and the Matrix and all. I'd have to say...No evil twin.

Both those things are a matter of perspective, madam. [ Haughty, but he's pleased she caught the shellfish. ] But all right, I guess everybody knows which of us is the evil twin.

[ Spoiler: It's him. ]

Your turn again?

No, hold on - I mean, yeah, it is. But hold on, have you really got a twin?

Good question, but you know, I think I only promised two truths, and that's definitely three.

Oh, but I want to hear about him! Or her, I suppose.

You're just going to have to learn to live with disappointment.

[ There's a pause and a -small slosh. Ignore that. ]

-Or trade me. A truth for a truth.

[ She huffs an overdramatic, insincere sigh in response. ]

Oh, all right. A truth for a truth.

And so we have an accord.

[ He gives an exhale, like he's repositioning. ]

I do have a twin. It's not half interesting as it sounds, I promise.

In the Matrix, or out here? And what's he like? Or what's she like.

In there. She's the most boring person alive. All goodness and light and perfect little princess, you know.

[ Ugh. He sounds long-suffering, but there's affection in his voice too, deeper and more genuine than the show of apathy he's putting on, and subtle enough he doesn't seem to notice it slipping out. ]

Stubborn as you are, too. [ And maybe that's the real reason he's telling her any of this. ] Are you going to hold up your end of the bargain?

( why not.

hang on, she said to that politician that she's sixteen. hold while mila revises her truths and lies for 'things she can say to a teenager'. )

Milagros Gallo wasn't my full name, I speak fluent Spanish, and I've thought about having children.

( nailed it. )

[ She grins - both at his comment and at his quiet warmth - and says cheerfully: ]

Sounds like you've got a streak of that stubbornness too. Okay. My truth...Oh, how about - I'm an only child.

[ Actually true. ]

Another one from you. What do you do for a living?

[ Kitty already knows - of course she already knows. But it pays to seem a little clueless. ]

Oh - hmm.

[ She chews a little on her lower lip, thinking about the possibilities. ]

I'm guessing...You haven't considered having kids. You sound young.

( there's a brief pause, and then a dry, slightly startled laugh from mila's end. )

That's a very flattering guess. I'm afraid I'm starting to push forty fairly hard.

( anna sounds a little awkward, when she responds; partially because she's english fifteenth language and partially because it's such a studied effort to be sociable that it veers between either endearing or a little sad, depending on your perspective. she doesn't know the game, but she observes long enough to get the gist of it, and then-- )

My surname is Stolsbord. I have scar in shape of rose. I wrote travel book once.

Oh!

[ Honestly a little surprising. But, cheerfully: ]

Well, you've got a beautiful voice, definitely. I bet it's an elegant forty. So - was I wrong?

Hm.

[ With a little laugh, she confesses: ]

Oh, I really hope it's the first one, because the other two are just so brilliant I desperately want them to be true.

( light and wry, ) I never mastered Spanish, but I can do a good impression of a Spanish speaker doing broken English.

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