[mingle] the space (january).

[fracturamods]

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently?

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble. It might've changed since the last time you saw it.

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin.

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

Comments

[lightmage]

[ She looks embarrassed to ask, but: ]

Airport?

[suddenlybees]

[ It's okay. Kano makes it worse by snickering, then full on laughing. ]

You don't know what an airport is? That's okay, it's okay~

[lightmage]

[ Frowns!!!! ]

[suddenlybees]

[ It's okay!!! Give Kano a couple seconds to catch his breath. ]

Haha, whew! Okay! That's settled, then, we're going to the airport! It's gotta be that place, yeah!

[ Alright, let's go. Kano is going to pick one random direction and walk along the train tracks, because who knows where the airport is, but they'll get there eventually somehow. ]

[lightmage]

[ She follows. Because what else is she going to do.

Besides POUT!!!!! ]

[suddenlybees]

[ She could do the smart thing and not follow him. Or wait until they see a train coming and shove him down on the tracks.

Having somebody behind him where he can't see is always weird, so Kano slows down enough that they're walking side by side instead and he can see the look on her face. ]

Aw, you're not bothered by what I said, are you? Sorry, sorry~ It's just surprising, you know? Some people have never seen a train before, either! Imagine that.

[lightmage]

[ ....... Awkwardly looks away because she had never seen a train before, either. ]

Then this sort of thing is... Common, where you're from?

[suddenlybees]

[ Wow. Kano smiles in delight at that reaction. ]

Depends on what you mean by "this sort of thing" but yeah, for the most part! What, the place you live doesn't have train tracks crossing the air like power lines? What's your home like?

[lightmage]

[ Wait no she's too clueless about other worlds, now she thinks some worlds are just. Like this? She meant does it have trains but!!! Okay!!!! Different worlds are more different than she had expected, wow!!! ]

N... No. I've never seen trains or...

What's a power line?

[suddenlybees]

[ All worlds are like this but hers. Kano will try to push this worldview until somebody else proves to her otherwise. ]

How to explain power lines... Hm... Okay, so let's start with the basics. Do you know what fire is?

[ How primitive does he have to go for her to be familiar with things?? ]

[lightmage]

I'm familiar with fire, yes.

[ That question is almost insulting! Honestly! Jeeeez! ]

[suddenlybees]

[ He's working his way up there, okay? We gotta start somewhere. ]

Okay, so that's good! Hang onto the concept of fire! Now, we're gonna take a leap and saaaaaaaayy... electricity! What do you know about electricity?

[lightmage]

I know of it.

[ Not, like, intimately, but she's heard stories! ]

[suddenlybees]

[ How convenient. This means he can ditch fire altogether, because it doesn't have anything to do with power lines to begin with. ]

Well, then, power lines are long wires bringing electricity from one place to another! And they're hung in the air, 'cause if we had them on the ground, people would trip over 'em and get themselves electrocuted.

[lightmage]

[ It's debatable if she really understands, honestly. ]

That still sounds dangerous...

[suddenlybees]

[ Hopefully it won't ever matter, or maybe power lines exist in mafialand. ]

They sure are. Gotta be careful 'bout flying around those sorts of places, you know? Don't want to get zapped~ But we don't have to worry about that sort of thing here, 'cause there's just tracks and not lines! The worst thing that can happen is flying around and getting run over by a speeding train!

[lightmage]

[ That is not any better!? ]

Is flight commonplace, here? Or where you're from?

[ Do people just??? Fly????? ]

[suddenlybees]

That's right~ Both here and back home!

[ Does Lux know what a bird is? He wants to ask, but he feels she'll be similarly insulted if he does. ]

[lightmage]

[ Her family crest they're looking for is of a bird!! She knows birds!!!!!

But she hasn't seen any, here. She was asking about people! ]

I... I see. I'll keep that in mind. [ No!!! ]

[suddenlybees]

[ Maybe it's some mythical creature to her, he doesn't know!! ]

New worlds sure get overwhelming, huh? If you ever get stuck on something, you can always ask for me, and I'll help you out! Call me Gel-P.

[ Which is not his name, but she can call him that in exchange for being fed lies. ]

[lightmage]

[ I hate that she has no reason to question what he's telling her!! I hate this!!! And she can't even go 'wow what a weird name' because different worlds and different cultures, she doesn't know! She doesn't want to be rude! ]

It's certainly a lot to take in. I appreciate all of your help, um, Gel-P.

I know that you said time is relative, but... Have you been here... For days? Weeks? [ She doesn't want to think that 'months' is on the table. ]

[suddenlybees]

[ I am so glad everybody's such weirdos, they literally cannot tell Kano off. New batches of newbies is the only time he can play this game, until the AU comes and spoils his real name for everybody. ]

Hm~ Well, I was here for a bit, then I was somewhere else for a bit, and then here again... Overall a couple weeks? Yeah. We'll be spirited away at any time, so hopefully we can find your emblem thing before then.

[lightmage]

[ She nods... She wants her emblem back... ]

Spirited away? What does that mean?

[suddenlybees]

Like, poof!

[ It's more of a blink, a "one second you're here and one second you're somewhere else" but poof works too. ]

Sorta like how you found yourself here all of the sudden? You were somewhere else before, right?

[lightmage]

So we're brought here to be brought other places?

Where?