voicetesting

[darkseal]

ACTION - I;

[Being dragged from Fódlan into an entirely new world at such a critical point in time is not Hubert's idea of a good time. Honestly, it's sheer determination and rage that fuels him to keep going despite everything, which isn't really all that different from how it is back home, come to think of it.

He's holed up in the library today, which is becoming more and more common as the days pass. It's possible you've seen him in here before, and just like every day he's been spending in here, he's surrounded by entirely too many books. He's taking up the entire desk here, with several volumes open and entirely too many notes sitting before him. He's currently checking something against whatever he's reading in the book open in one hand, glancing between the two tomes curiously.

It would be easy to write it off as "Hubert's researching this world's history again and will probably work himself to exhaustion", but a quick look at the books indicates that... well, he's gotten distracted. There are history books there, though they remain untouched at the moment. Instead he's got several books about magic open and he's keeping notes on them (though good luck reading those notes, they're in some sort of code); the books are on illusion magic and creating visions of things that aren't really there.

...In his defense, learning about other kinds of magic is fascinating and he's hit a bit of a roadblock in his current history research in that there doesn't seem to be any indication about a way home. Listen, just let him live, he just wants to study magic for a little while!!

Feel free to approach him as he's working, or as he's preparing to leave and trying to figure out where all these books go... Why did he do this to himself, it's going to take forever to put all these books back...]

ACTION - II;

[Hubert's in town today to run some errands, but as usual, there's something to distract him. He isn't nearly this easily distracted back home, but there's so much to see and do here that isn't present in Fódlan, so perhaps it's understandable to want to stop and stare sometimes.

He'd been heading through a back alley - he still prefers to stick to the shadows as much as possible, and knowing his way through the alleyways is absolutely a necessity in case something happens and he needs to escape undetected (not that anything like that will happen, but it's best to be cautious anyway) - but there's something going on out at a stall on the main street that catches his attention even from back here.

As he approaches it becomes clear that the booth is specifically for games of chance. Hubert certainly isn't fond of gambling or anything of the sort, but the current game that's being played is fascinating regardless. The woman manning the booth has a hand spread on a wooden block, and is jabbing a knife into the block between her fingers. She speeds up with each stab, going back and forth around her fingers without ever missing and stabbing her hand.

Hubert ends up drifting closer to watch, a hand resting on his chin and his other arm folded beneath his elbow as he studies it.]

Is this what people do for entertainment here? Curious.

[Though his voice remains even with little indication of it, he genuinely looks amused. Well, as amused as Hubert ever looks, given the smirk.]

NETWORK - III;

[Hubert doesn't like using the video function on the device. It's awkward, and more importantly, he doesn't like to show his face on the network unless it's necessary. Some people might call it paranoia, but he likes to think of it as being cautious. Just in case.

So today's post is audio only, without any noise in the background whatsoever to indicate where Hubert could be. Caution, not paranoia.]

I have a question for you. Nothing time-sensitive or particularly important, just something I've been wondering.

[He doesn't exactly sound relaxed, but there's nothing in his tone to indicate this is anything more than idle chatter.]

What are your thoughts on loyalty? Just how far would you go for someone you care for?

[That's a... weirdly intense question, but surely it can't get any worse—]

Would you prefer to die for them, or kill for them?

[who let this man talk]

NETWORK - IV;

[Oh boy, a network post from Hubert, surely this can only end well. At least today's is text.]

I find it fascinating that we all come from such vastly different worlds. Things that I take for granted in my world are often absent in another's world. Some of the explanations I've heard about others' worlds are nearly unbelievable.

What is something integral to your world that doesn't seem to exist in another's? I'm curious to hear about the world you're from as well.

[Well, at least this one's sane...]

Comments

iii

[reanbeans]

[ .....Bruh.

Rean also is speaking on audio but this question?? Why??? He actually has an answer but because it's so out there it strikes him as odd. ]

...What brought this on all of a sudden?

[darkseal]

Curiosity.

[i'm so sorry, rean.]

I find hearing others' opinions about this topic interesting. What more reason do I need?

[...he was really bored and decided the best option was to throw that out there.]

[reanbeans]

...Well, I guess it's a reason.

[ This guy sure knows how to ask...interesting questions. Undoubtedly some people may even be riled up by it. ]

I'd say I'd watch out for the people I care as much as possible, but I'd do my best to make sure no one would have to die in the first place. So, betweeen the two I really wouldn't have a preference...

[darkseal]

[That's half the fun, right??]

Interesting. I'd imagine most people would feel the same, though I doubt many would agree that either option is fine. Most would prefer it never come to either.

Tell me a bit about those who have earned your loyalty. Your... friends, I'm assuming?

[There's a slight pause there, but he moves on quickly enough after it.]

[reanbeans]

You'd be right, and in a way, I'm one of those people. But, I know that when the situation gets tough, people really can't afford to be picky.

[ He's learned that the hard way. When he was younger, he is sure he'd have picked the former one in terms of preferences, though he wouldn't say so. ]

...Yeah. It'd be the friends I made at the academy back home. We've all been through a lot together, even fighting side by side when the odds weren't good. And it's because of them I'm still even standing here in the first place.

You know what's that like, right? [ More of a question than an assumption, despite his next words. ] Being able to have someone you always could rely on. That's all of them to me in a nutshell. Gaius, Laura, Alisa, Fie, Machias, Millium, Jusis, Elliot, and...Crow, that is.

[darkseal]

[Oh, yeah making friends during the academy phase before heading off into battle no idea what that's like...

Hubert's quiet for a moment before speaking, though his tone remains exactly the same as before.]

It sounds as though the experience was good for you. What was the academy like?

[This is straying really far from the original topic of conversation, but listen. It sounds kinda familiar, and that's interesting.]

[reanbeans]

[ Hubert do you need to make more friends? ]

...Something like that.

[ It wasn't all sunshine and roses, but the experience wasn't something he'd trade for the world. ]

It was, well. I think kind of amazing. If I hadn't enrolled in Thors, I wouldn't have been able to explore the places I did, and meet my friends in the first place.

Sure, the workload was absurdly tough, what with the homework on top of the field studies, but I feel like that also made the experience worth it as well. Then there was the Festival...and really, there are moments where I missed those times. Being just a student, that is.

[darkseal]

[who needs friends anyway!!!]

It sounds a bit like the Officers Academy.

[It's out there before he can think to stop it, though he supposes it isn't a particularly terrible admission. He'd prefer to keep such thoughts to himself, though, and he moves on quickly enough.]

What do you do currently, now that you've presumably graduated?

[reanbeans]

Officers Academy? Is that a military academy as well?

[ Rean perks up a little more. It looks like they might have something in common!! ]

...I just became a teacher and was actually on my way to the Thors Branch campus to start my first day. Well, before I was pulled here.

[darkseal]

Something like that, yes.

[He's content to let that go, though.]

A teacher, hmm? What were you hired to teach?

[reanbeans]

You can say I was hired to make sure my students knew their history well, and keep them familiar with what's going on. Enough so that they can do something about it themselves when the time comes.

[ The soon-to-be new Class VII in a nutshell, really. Titled just 'Class VII, Special Affairs', but he thought it fair to try to go into it a teensy bit than just leaving it at that... ]

I was kind of hoping to follow through on that too. But, I guess destiny calls?

[darkseal]

Indeed.

[It's only one word, but it manages to sound both mildly annoyed and deeply amused.]

Were you excited to begin teaching?

[reanbeans]

[ Surprisingly that's at least a mood Rean would get. ]

Yes. I was even nervous about it a little, but...I was really hoping to make it happen. I'd been working so hard to prepare for it for awhile now.

[ But then shit happened. Story of his life, honestly. And being pulled into this type of thing...it kind of bothers him a lot. ]

...Did you have any big responsibilities that you had to put on hold too?

III.

[auralsphere]

[...Oh, okay. That's fine and a normal question and sounds like it's coming from exactly the sort of person that Ghetsis would not want him talking to ever, especially with such lack of willingness to attach a face to the question.

But Ghetsis isn't here, and while this whole thing is kind of...it's kind of, there's no one stopping him from answering, and he's not going to attach his own voice to this because the question kind of has him thinking, and maybe the distance afforded by text might be welcome, who knows.]

I think something's probably gone wrong in the first place if the only available options involve death.

[darkseal]

[It's easy enough to switch over to text, although he's still figuring out how to do it in a timely manner, so responses may be a bit slow.]

Certainly, but if such a situation were to arise, what would you do?

[auralsphere]

Remove myself from the situation. I refuse to take a life, and self-sacrifice is noble for about five minutes before the return is no longer worth the risk. If anyone were to insist on either outcome, then they aren't worth being loyal to.

[darkseal]

So you would never consider either option. Interesting.

[What kind of world does this person come from where that's an option??]

Out of curiosity, who is the person you would say you're most loyal to?

[auralsphere]

A lot can be sacrificed without taking lives on either side.

[There's a pause, though. That consideration of words becoming necessary.]

My father. I owe a lot to him, and to his guidance.

[darkseal]

[Such an idealistic world view... It's ridiculous.]

Tell me about him. Are familial ties part of the reason why you're so loyal to him?

[...said as though that's a weird thing...??]

[auralsphere]

I don't know...? I don't think so. He found me when I was very small; he's my father because I've decided he is.

My father is a wise man, very brave and strong in his convictions. A good public speaker, and one who is willing to make hard decisions if necessary, though not at the expense of his morals or beliefs. I suppose some might find him uncompromising, but I've never found him to be unkind. Again, he took me in when he wasn't required to. He's a bit strict, but he's trying to prepare me to do what I can for the world.

I'm loyal to him because he deserves it.

[darkseal]

It does sound like your belief in him is due to who he is as a person rather than simply because he's your father. He sounds like an interesting man.

What is it he's training you to do, exactly?

[auralsphere]

[You have the gross misfortune of speaking to the only person alive who ever has anything good to say about Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius and I am so sorry that this is your first impression of him. The man, the myth, the muumuu.]

Something that he would do himself if he could. It's something I consider an honor, though. I'm happy to do what I can.

You ask a lot of questions.

[darkseal]

[learning about pokémon b/w through n is a wild time]

Are you surprised that I'm curious about your situation?

[auralsphere]

Curiosity is a good thing, and I tend to think of it as the natural state of being for people, human and nonhuman alike. It makes me happy to see it.

I do wonder how you would answer those questions you asked in the first place, though.

[darkseal]

[...hopefully your world has different nonhumans than his...]

I would do whatever is required of me in order to ensure the best outcome for the Empress. While I have no interest in sacrificing myself and have a difficult time imagining a scenario in which that would be the best option for her path forward, I would do it without hesitation were the situation to arise.