1. (video)

[thisonetime]

[The feed comes on, but at first, everything's dark.]

The hell is this?

[Then there's a shot of Ellis's gray eye, and then it pans back out to his face. He's covered in a layer of dirt and various bodily fluids, and beyond that, he's tired and bruised in a few places. The stone ceiling of his barracks room can be seen in the background, and Ellis looks quite perplexed.]

Hello? Anybody out there? This funny little book's talkin' about worlds bein' unmade and records bein' kept and whatnot, but it ain't makin' much sense.

Like, how'm I here if everythin's not made anymore? And hell, you can't unmake shit! My friend Keith tried to unmake a car once, cause he thought it was haunted, but all he got was a broken car and a face full'a burnin' oil. He quit messin' with it after that, mostly 'cause he went blind for like six months. Don't know if it was really haunted or nothin', but I guess anything can happen, after the zombies an' shit...

[Ellis just trails off, then looks around the room. With his free hand, he rubs the space between his shoulder and neck and winces. Getting pounded into the ground by a charger sucks, and he's still aching.

Then, he turns back to the camera and smiles, though it's a little uneasy.]

So, hey, m'name's Ellis. I'm lookin' for Nick, Rochelle, and Coach, if any y'all out there.

[And they had to be, didn't they?]

Comments

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

That's what I'm sayin'! You can't unmake anything, y'just end up breakin' it!

[Audio]

[waitsandlistens]

So? Maybe Lord Fancypants destroyed the world himself, that's why he wants to fix it.

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

He ain't got no right t'be messin' with my world, s'already messed up enough! If he's gonna fix it, s'he gonna fix everythin' else, too?

[Audio]

[waitsandlistens]

What, do I look like his valet to you? Ask one of the guards.

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

What, we got guards? We prisoners or somethin'?

[Audio]

[waitsandlistens]

Yup.

They call themselves the staff, but all they do is handle us.

[And feed them, but she'll ignore that for now.]

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

Dude, that sucks, s'like bein' stuck at home with my mom again!

[Audio]

[waitsandlistens]

Tell me about it. Nothing but walls and rules. And this time I can't even break the walls!

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

Well, y'know, breakin' walls ain't usuall such a great idea. My buddy Keith's brother Paul worked as a demolition dude for a month, breakin' down all kinds'a shit, an' he almost dropped a big ol' chunk o'cement on Keith once.

[Audio]

[waitsandlistens]

Demolition dude...?

[Audibly more excited.]

You mean he got paid to break things?

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

Yep, he did. Always liked watchin' him take down whole buildings, alla dust, the explosions and shit, it was pretty cool.

[Audio]

[waitsandlistens]

Sweetness.

I'm Toph.

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

Pleasure t'meetcha, Miss Toph! M'name's Ellis. Y'prolly caught that one already.

[Audio]

[waitsandlistens]

Got it.

Call me miss again and I'll try some of that demolition stuff out.

[Audio]

[thisonetime]

[That gets a laugh. Oh, he likes Toph. She's spunky.]

Sure thing. Might wanna try it anyhow, though - ain't nothin' wrong with a li'l explosion here an' there!