punchandkiss | Third Viking Assault. [Video]

[Astrid is sitting somewhere in Violet City when she turns her camera on, leaning her back against a wall. Her Axew is seated next to her, holding a pokemon egg between his legs as her Sentret sits on his head, chittering at everyone who walks by.]

[She's apparently added a new member to her team, as there is a rather tiny Shinx sitting in her lap. The little blue pokemon is gnawing on Astrid's thumb, her eyes intent, even as Astrid uses her other hand to rubs her fur between her ears. The teen doesn't even seem to realize she's doing it, her attention on the camera itself. She looks...frustrated.]

Okay, I know this place is pretty big, but how long does it actually take to get to Ecruteak from Violet?

[When you've spent your whole life in one village, distances can be a bit hard to wrap your head around.]

I need to get there. It's kind of an emergancy.

[She hesitates, her eyes narrowing as she studies the gear for a moment.]

Right. Someone told me I can use this to talk to just one person? Instead of...well, everybody. ...Can't figure out how, though. So, if anyone can let me know? I'm trying to reach a kid named Hiccup again.

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On what? This stupid magic window thing? Karkat, you just showed me how to make a phone call, which is apparently something everyone can just know how to do.

What do you think!

...

No, dumbass. On paper. Like secret messages?

[Well that brings her up short.]

What? No. I mean, like, we've never had to?

But you know what I mean, right? It's a message you have to decipher?

...Sure. Kind of.

What happens when one important letter can't be transcribed?

[She's not that familiar with it, but she can figure it out.]

...You can't read it.

And that's exactly the type of thing that I'm talking about. The stuff on the Gear only is able to work because of coded messages. If one letter or number somehow is missing, added, or changed... It screws with the entire thing. Corrupts it.

If this world works the same way, running on coded messages, then it's logical to assume that every now and then, the code becomes unreadable. That's exactly what a glitch is.

[Astrid is quiet for a moment as she thinks about this.]

But...this isn't some message. It's...the world.

Who says it has to be one or the other? It's very possible to be both.

[Astrid just sighs.] Maybe. But I don't get it. [She shrugs.] I mean, I get what you're saying, I just. I don't see how it's possible.

Sorry.

You're a human from a more primitive reality.

Sorry isn't really needed.

'Primitive?' [She looks angry again...]

Oh, so you have the ability to sail ships through the stars?

What? ...No. How would you even do that?

[She knew what happened if you flew too high, she couldn't imagine getting to the stars.]

See? Primitive. But all cultures start out that way, Astrid. It's not like I was stating it as an insult this time around.

A fucking miracle, some would say.