WEEK 2

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 2

[It is again early morning when the train docks next. This time, however, the dock is not as busy. There are few trains to be seen, and even fewer people. Only a man stands at the dock, teeth sharp in his smile, scelera a deep gold as he stares beneath his fedora.

"Unexpected," he said with a smile. A two-dimensional dog with the head of a scribbled black cloud hops by, ignoring him. "But not unwanted. Do make yourselves comfortable."

This new place is known as Victoria's Chasm, named after an Empress. No, not that one. Her Thrice-Renewed Majesty is quite comfortable on her Throne, and rulled for much longer than 99 days, thank you very much.

In the distance, black begins to erupt like tendrils. Lightning flashes through the clouds. This is the land of monsters; tread carefully. And do not despair, whatever you do.


There are fifteen strangers left in this place.]

Comments

[biddentodance]

Depends how the chip works. Probably using sattelites...

Still, will be a way. Wouldn't be surprised if the train's taking us closer.

[Of course he doesn't know for sure, but....they can't give up hope. And this may well be what Charlotte needs to hear right now.]

[charmingheroine]

If it's being transmitted using artificial satellites, would the signal still get clearer the nearer we get? It's like film right now, I can't imagine....

[Please don't try to tell her about HDTV and screen resolutions, Minato, that's past science fiction become real and into things she just wouldn't want to understand.]

[biddentodance]

Maybe? Don't.....know much.... Don't have this much space navigation, where I come from.

[He'll spare her the technobabble. It's not really the time, all things considered. He glanced at his own cuff but doesn't bother playing the feed.]

[charmingheroine]

It's still all fiction and theory, where I'm from. I read Willy Ley's book earlier this year, I usually end up fighting my dad for the new Amazing Stories, but...

[She shakes her head, helpless.]

I guess I should be saying when I'm from, maybe?

[biddentodance]

Pre-1960s, then. Probably at least the 1920s, think this style of clothing was out by then...

[But that's as far as he can narrow down.]

[charmingheroine]

Men's clothing is hard to judge. What I woke up in was definitely something from the 1880s, maybe mid-90s at the latest, but this technology is something else.

[She plucks at the skirt of her dress.]

This thing's au courant formalwear as far as I'm concerned, though, but... it's from back home, so that makes sense.

[biddentodance]

Was trying to guess what time you're from, actually. [Amused.] Definitely more formal clothing than I'm used to. If it's late 1800s, then it's over a hundred years out of date. From my time, anyway.

[So last millennium.]

[charmingheroine]

So you're from... after 1999, then?

[And oh boy, this is going to get awkward fast.]

I'm from 1944. I won't lie, that was why I was so standoffish at first, on the Vespertine, but... that was stupid of me. It's like Uncle John always said, there are worse things to worry about than other humans. Especially now.

[biddentodance]

[A shadow flits across his expression at the mention of 1999. Much more so than at 1944.]

2009.

So....end of World War 2? --No, that was '45. Explains a lot.

This feels metagamey but she's used to reading JONATHAN, so...

[charmingheroine]

Wait, next year? Really?!

[She winces - she isn't oblivious enough to have missed what year made his face go briefly bleak. It's significant for different reasons, as far as she knows, but...]

Never mind that, I'm... I don't know what happened where you're from, then, but it's said it's going to be the year of a great calamity. 1999, I mean. I'm sorry, it just... came to mind as a divergence point, because of that, and with what's said might come to pass where I'm from... I'm sorry if I brought up something painful.

All good!

[biddentodance]

Yeah, summer.... Japan surrendered on August fifteenth.

[Good news for the future....and bad news from the past. Poetic. Well... There had been a prophecy, right?]

Already know about that? [Wait, crap--] Just a- .....personal loss, that year. Parents. Car crash.

[charmingheroine]

I'm sorry for your loss. To lose them so young as you must have been, that's... I'm sorry.

[It's unimaginable. If he's about her age, and from 2009... at least her partner had been old enough to properly participate at the funeral. Minato would've been half the age he'd been, if her math is right. It's enough that she looks as upset as she feels, which is distraught if nothing else. She doesn't even think to pursue that first question of his!]

[biddentodance]

Six.

[He's sixteen. Unless he counts the six months that have apparently passed since the Vespertine, then he's be seventeen, but he doesn't want to think about that.]

It's fine. Used to it. [A shrug. It's more than half his life ago, even if that night defined his entire life, he should be over it by now. So he'll be over it.]

[charmingheroine]

[Well, that answers the age question. They're used to thinking of themselves as the same age, at least. She's trying to avoid letting herself do the math...]

Still, it's... I know I couldn't have known, but what a coincidence.

But the other thing you said just then - "already know about"... what, exactly?

[biddentodance]

[The less we think about that missing time, the better, honestly.]

Pretty popular year for things to happen... Like the Y2K scare. Pretty sure that had people crying 'end of the world'...

[He's dodging the question. We'll see if she lets him get away with it.]

[charmingheroine]

Y2K, I haven't heard of, but... Nostradamus' prophecy about the King of Terror, that sort of thing?

[She's very forcedly nonchalant, obviously testing the waters. You can't just bring Dracula up out of nowhere, after all!]

[biddentodance]

Y2K, everyone thought--

[But then she mentions a prophecy and a king, and those two words in conjunction-- Ikutsuki mentioned that, and his heart rate picks up. Could it really have gone back that far? Fifty years of efforts leading to what happened?

It's horrifying.]

....never said where the prophecy came from...

[charmingheroine]

[Well. That was an unexpected level of reaction.]

I - if I'm wrong, here, you'll think I'm crazy, but I promise you I'm not. You recognized that. The thing I just said. Your world doesn't - well, didn't, rather - have a recurring vampire problem, did it?

that was meant to be small, not italics, oops

[biddentodance]

[It's something of a marvel, the way he shifts without moving a muscle - the aura he gives off, the look in his eyes. He's not a sleepy, somewhat-reckless high school boy.

He's a hardened soldier.]

Vampires? ...No, not....in the traditional sense.

[charmingheroine]

But there's a world most people don't know is real, isn't there.

[She marked that shift well. Whoever Minato Arisato is at home, he'd fit in well in the company she keeps.]

And, well... I'm used to the traditional kind, myself.

[biddentodance]

Not don't. Can't.

[He has to admit the imagery would match with vampires, though.]

Traditional'd probably be easier to deal with.