CONTACT [EL NYSA]

[priorly]

[Greetings, Prophet. The Great Work Begins.]
(leave a message after the tone)

Comments

[priorly]

No, recent events proved you haven't noticed your circumstances have changed. I meant, who has the gun to your head making you call me?

[ofobedience]

I just wondered where you'd got to.

[priorly]

And chose to call me?

[ofobedience]

I suppose so.

[priorly]

Well, there you go. Take that choice and work up.

[ofobedience]

[There's something vaguely disconcerting about that, but for the moment he pushes it back, tries not to think on it for too long.]

It's complicated.

Anyway, I just wanted to ascertain whether you'd made it back to civilisation or chosen to live out your time here in the wilderness. Even if it does seem to be spreading at the moment, what with that greenery cropping up all over the place.

[Forgive him, he's from an scientific facility deep underground, he can't yet determine one plant from another]

[priorly]

The mistletoe? Well that's more Germanic than jungle, we needn't fear the humidity's headed here next.

[ofobedience]

Germanic, is it? I wasn't aware.

[Prior may have noticed his distinctly German accent during previous conversations, though it comes as no particular surprised to Giovanni that he was unaware of the plant's cultural relevance-- he's always been set apart from the rest of world, created in Germany yes but existing in a contained space that normal culture cannot reach. And besides, his version of Germany exists in a post-apocalyptic future, a world steeped permanently in winter thanks to the environmental crimes of their forebears-- in all likeliness he'd know nothing of the old customs even if he did lead a normal life.]

[priorly]

I think so. Most of Christmas is German, really. We just don't tell the veterans that.

[ofobedience]

I can't say I've ever heard of it. Christmas. Funny in a way, that you seem to know more about my country than I do.

[You know, in a way that isn't especially funny at all.]

[priorly]

Well I have ancestors from there. Ancestors from everywhere, really, the Walters did get around.

You've never had Christmas?

[ofobedience]

Did they, now.

And no, I can't say I have. I've never so much as heard the word, until now.

[priorly]

In that way, I suppose I'm just following in the family line.

I suppose your line of work didn't come with much of a holiday plan. That's what it is - a holiday.

[ofobedience]

Lucky you.

And there we have it, then. Tools of war don't get days off, let alone holidays.

[A little downtime, snatched hours here and there, but not much]

[priorly]

But there's no war here. Welcome to your first vacation. And at Christmas too, that's a good one.

[ofobedience]

And what, may I ask, makes it so good?

[A genuine question-- he really has no idea what he ought to expect.]