Voice | UN: Arrietty Clock

[borrowers]

... It works!

[A surprised voice of a young girl comes through the feed suddenly — excitably so!

It's a good way to try and stay physically hidden from everyone else, at least... A voice doesn't really give away that you're a very, very, very small person. (Little does she know, some of the people who saw her in the casino-bean-place are here too.)]

I hear you all...! I've never used a phone before. If this counts as a phone, anyway... Um... Can we call people from our worlds? I'd like to tell my mother and papa that I'm safe... They must be really worried about me. Especially my mother. She's very nervous in nature.

[There's a pause.]



And... I think there has to be some kind of mistake, anyway. I've heard people are here because they have to prove their world is worth saving. But I'm not... I can't possibly be the person they meant to bring here. There has to be some kind of mistake. Or — if it's not a mistake, it feels unfair to the world I came from.

... Does anyone else feel like that?

[Because this feels so outside of everything and anything she's ever known.

Even right now, as she sits in a small shoebox she's converted into a hotel room of sorts in an alleyway not far from the hospital, she can't help but feel like she's lost at some proverbial sea... She doesn't have the experience her father has in a complicated world. She's pretty sure he would be lost too, but... he would at least be brave and march on without hesitation.

After another moment, an additional question comes through the feed:]

What are the big metal robots talking about, when they mention a... 'water park'?

Comments

[Voice]

[once_reborn]

[Well that's all so familiar.]

You know, I've asked myself those questions since I got here the better part of a year ago.

I wish I could say I had answers - but I'm sure there were better champions for my universe than me. But I do the best I can.

[borrowers]

But is that fair to our worlds? If we're not qualified?

I wouldn't even know where to start, to prove my home is worth saving...!

[once_reborn]

[She's silent a moment. She's thought over that quite a bit.]

Well, for one thing, I used to think exactly like that - and I still believe there are better people than me from back in my universe by any measure but...I don't think anybody knows what it means to be qualified for this.

And fate is a tricky thing we cannot know until we've reached where we're meant to go.

[borrowers]

Yes, but...

[But she's particularly underqualified, she thinks. She's never been one to think herself as anything but capable of whatever she puts her mind to. It's just... you know. This is another challenge entirely. She can spend hours getting down the apartments stairs, but she's expected to help save a world?]

Then what should we do? To try and make sure we do what we have to?

[once_reborn]

Well, people like me...we believe there is a destiny for all of us. Not to be afraid of it, or to live our lives consumed by it - so we just try to do the right thing, whatever that is.

[A pause]

Personally, my goal is to find a way to try and reason down the people behind all this. I'm not terribly trusting of so much power, and what they're proposing...I think it needs challenging.

LethalProtector | Audio

[decodex]

Glad to see someone so excited about technology. ( well, hear them, since he can’t see her. maybe she’s enthusiastic because she’s the adventurous type? ) No phones so far, sorry to say. You’d think it’d be easy. If they can pull us from out worlds, surely they can work out dial-up, right? Or a pager?

But… I’m sure your parents are alright. Worried, maybe. But, you know, safe.

[borrowers]

I guess it wouldn't matter if they're not able to give my parents a phone, too...

[They would be very surprised by the sight of one their size, surely. Even when she looked at the small earpiece, it looked... as big as a flake of pepper in her palm. The beans could swallow it and never know what it was capable of!]

We were in the middle of moving, when I woke up here.

What if they think I've gotten lost in the woods? Or fell into the stream?

My mother's prone to fits of anxiety...

[Truly, Homily Clock is the queen of dramatically panicking.]

[Video; UN: philanthropist]

[ghostlord]

You're thinking too hard. Whether we deserve it or not, we're here and it isn't easy.

[It's not like they have been given any favors - beyond food, drink and shelter.]

Don't get wet.

[Voice]

[borrowers]

If there's ever something to think too hard about, it's saving a world!

[C'MON.

But she imagines he's right, in that she certainly doesn't expect she'll get answers.]

... I enjoy jumping in rain puddles.

But I can't imagine a water park is only that.

[Voice]

[ghostlord]

Then be heroic.

[What else can they do? Failure isn't an option.]

Likely not and especially not here. Everything is lined with danger. If the danger isn't obvious, expect for it to be tucked away, just out of sight.

[Voice]

[borrowers]

But, mister... Isn't part of being heroic facing the danger?

[It's a much bigger danger than she's used to, but nonetheless.]

[Voice]

[ghostlord]

Being a hero is only useful if you win. Otherwise you're just another victim.

un: Accelerator; text

[levelshift]

There's no fucking point in dwelling on whether or no you're a good fit for saving your universe. For all we know Echo is just picking people at random and not because they've got some quality that makes them good candidates.

text

[borrowers]

But that doesn't seem fair! Random just means some are more prepared than others, isn't it?

And what is a 'fucking point'?

[Her parents are good souls who never used a bean's curses in front of her.

Obviously.]

[levelshift]

Yup, and some people way outskill others. It's completely unfair and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

[Better to face the reality of it and start adapting than be stubborn, in his opinion.]

I mean you can sit and twist your brain into knots about your own worth, but what good will it do? [AKA the cursing is just to emphasize what he's getting at, and he isn't going to bother to tell her it's language kids shouldn't be using.]

[borrowers]

I am worth a lot, even if I don't have many skills.
I just know there are a lot of things here that I'll...

have to be very creative with.

It makes me nervous not having my mother and father here, but I would want to make them proud by facing being alone here bravely.

[levelshift]

[Well, it's good that she doesn't have any self-worth issues.]

As long as you can adapt it isn't that hard to survive here.

[From both that remark and her tone of voice in her initial message Accelerator is guessing she isn't that old, which is unfortunate.]

You ever been away from your parents before?

[ un: Sleepnear // voice ]

[quibblingfunctionary]

[ Sleipnir decides to answer the first question, rather than second since obviously this regular human-sized person can simply walk and find out what a water park is herself. So, his lilting Scandinavian accent comes across languidly. ]

No, as it is always are duty to keep our worlds safe-- Unless you are someone who delights in the suffering of your people...?

[ voice ]

[borrowers]

Is this usually the way you introduce yourself to new people?

[Rude!]

Then... you're some kind of fighter. You sound really confident about have a duty.

[ voice ]

[quibblingfunctionary]

Oh? [ he chuckles ] You did not ask for introductions, you sought permission to get out of your responsibilities.

[ She's not wrong! He is rude!! And bad with people to boot. ]

...But I grant you are keen in your deductions. There are only two in all of Valisthea who can best me with a blade.

[ voice ]

[borrowers]

It means a lot to you, then, to be given responsibilities by someone you've never even met.

[It's fine — she'll dish the rudeness back as best she can.

... Teenaged eyerolls included. But she's much more interested in the other part of his response.]

You're some kind of swordsman?

un: sonia | video

[stylebythemile]

I don't think there's a way for us to contact anyone outside this dimension. It would be handy though, wouldn't it?

video

[borrowers]

I... yes. It would.

What's a dimension, exactly?

video

[stylebythemile]

[Oh... hmm.]

It's like a different version of the world as you know it. Similar in certain ways, maybe, but not the same.

video

[borrowers]

The world is already so big... It's hard to imagine something bigger.