[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

[quickpersuader]

[Hmmm.]

Hewwo!

[It's. Just saying it louder, there's no sparkle or pizzazz.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Hm. We got a lot of work to do here. ]

Why don't you try it with some hand gestures? Like, throw your arms out while you hewwo?

[quickpersuader]

[What! She totally had it that time.]

I don't think I'm really suited to this...

[suddenlybees]

Aww, don't give up! I believe in you! It's called playing pretend, doing things you're not suited for, after all, and the worst that could happen is that I will laugh at you.

[ And he will laugh at her. He doesn't have to verbally make fun of her either, because the laughter does double duty.

But really, there's no harm otherwise. ]

Why don'tcha give it another try~

[quickpersuader]

[Hm.]

Somehow, that description doesn't make me want to try any harder. I think I'm better off sticking to being a traveler.

[suddenlybees]

You can be both a traveler and...

[ whatever the hell this is ]

play pretend, right? 'sides, we're all travelers here, so that's nothing special?

[quickpersuader]

Who is "we?"

[suddenlybees]

"We" as in all of us?

[ He gestures to either side of him regardless of if anybody's around. There's probably the sound of the train running along the tracks in the background, which is proof enough of other people's existences. ]

Surely I'm not the first person you've run into here. How unfortunate for you, if so~

[quickpersuader]

[The answer to that last part is fushigi mystery because how do timelines work.]

So everyone who finds themselves here is forced to travel on the trains?

[suddenlybees]

[ Timelines don't exist anywhere else but at Cetana, yeah. ]

No, no, not like that~ Everybody who travels is a traveler in a way, aren't they? Whether it's on foot or by plane or trekking the world by pogo stick! 'sides, there's nothing forcing people on the trains. You're free to go as you please, however you please~

[quickpersuader]

I suppose so.

[Conceding that.]

But I'd still like the answer to my question, if you can answer it.

[suddenlybees]

Mm, isn't that a good enough answer? Nobody's forced to go on the trains.

[ In fact, he bets Kino can stand right here beside the slab of marble for the next week, and whatever mystical forces are out here will yoink her away and throw her into mafialand regardless of where she is and what she's doing. ]

[quickpersuader]

It's a little vaguely worded, so I'd like to be sure of it so I don't get the wrong idea.

[suddenlybees]

Like, you can choose to go on the train, but you don't have to?

[ WAS THAT THE QUESTION now he's not sure if he had the wrong idea ]

[quickpersuader]

Right. And... adding to that, even if you don't go on the train, are you forced to travel anyway?

[suddenlybees]

That's how it was before, anyways~ I was napping on top of some Danish butter cookie tins, and the next thing I knew, I was getting shuttled along with the crowd at the airport! ...Though I guess it's possible I blacked out and got thrown on a plane without my knowledge?

[ It's very possible. He would do it to somebody else too if he had even the slightest reason to. ]

[quickpersuader]

Plane?

[suddenlybees]

[ Oh. Oh no. Is Kano going to have to explain Technology all over again? He makes a mental note not to talk to anybody new for at least three days after they've all arrived, if this happens again, so he can let somebody else take the fall.

For Kino, though, he'll make the effort: ]

Okay, so... you know what fire is, right? Gotta start somewhere.

[ Assuming!! she's asking!! what the hell a plane is, not "oh, there's a plane?" It's hard when he gets just the one word to go off of and nothing else. ]

[quickpersuader]

Yes. And motorrads, and cameras, and cars.

[Just




no planes.]

[suddenlybees]

What's a motorrad...?

[ Maybe Kino should be teaching him about technology, not the other way around. ]

[quickpersuader]

It's a two-wheeled vehicle that can't fly. It has a motor to make it go.

[...]

If you're familiar with a bicycle, it's a little like that, but you don't have to pedal.

[suddenlybees]

[ Most two-wheeled vehicles he know can't fly to begin with, but okay. ]

It goes vroom vroom?

[ He does the revving hand motion. ]

Like a motorcycle?

[quickpersuader]

Vroom vroom and the occasional annoying comment, yes.

[The what.]

Motorcycle... sounds similar. Is that what they call it where you're from?

[suddenlybees]

[ Annoying comment... like creaking and popping, he's going to imagine, not full on sentences. ]

Yep! The official word for a vroom vroom machine is a motorcycle! And a plane is sorta like one but all covered up and has wings and can fly— I bet you just have a different name for it?

[quickpersuader]

[Um...]

I did help someone make a flying machine using a bicycle before. But that was the very first of its kind, and I wouldn't say it was all covered up.