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[strangerpeople]

WELCOME ABOARD


[The first sensation you feel is a headache. It's brief, slicing, sharp. It passes soon after you wake up, but it is there nevertheless, and the pain is not easily forgotten. Perhaps your eyes also blur as if roused from a deep sleep; perhaps your tongue also feels off, like you swallowed a bug. It's not pleasant.

More unpleasant, though, is the second sensation that dawns on you all-this is not your bed. This, in fact, is unrecognizable. It is not anywhere you recall coming to, willingly or otherwise. It's a room with a bunk, and there is a strange smell in the air that is hard to ignore.

No, you are no longer home. Any possessions you may have had on you are gone, save your clothing and a strange watch you can't get off, no matter how hard you try. And when you run into the hallway, well-you might find yourself running into others who might be just as confused and scared as you are as the area around you slowly sways, up and down, left and right.

What is this place? Why are you here? Who are all these other people?


What is going on?]

Comments

Rec Room

[superstylishsquid]

[Well, there's a stereotypical devil with glowing white eyes walking up to turn the TV on, so...]

It's a television. A fancy one, but still not exactly an esoteric concept.

[godspiousjasper]

[ There's a small pause as Roland took in the man's appearance, as it resembled something out of a book he's read at some point previously. So many tales and historical recollections of vampires but demons were absolutely unheard of. ]

A television? Do tell me more. What does it do?

[ Matters of what someone was or wasn't could come later. This was a more pressing matter here. ]

[superstylishsquid]

You've never seen one? It shows recordings, uh...moving pictures, either showing real people or drawings that show a story. Looks like this one's also set up to play games on it.

[godspiousjasper]

Not before today, no. Never!

[ He listens intently, nodding as it all sets in before his whole expression just positively brightens! If it were possible he'd be sparkling ridiculously after this little revelation. ]

Really?! How positively incredible! Amazing! I didn't even know such a thing was even possible!

[superstylishsquid]

Looks like they have a bunch of DVDs, too. That's like...discs that hold visual books you can play on the television.

[godspiousjasper]

Visual... books!? Can you please show me one?

[ To him this is the most fascinating thing because his world has nothing at all like this where he comes from but that's one of the downsides of coming from the 1800's. ]

[superstylishsquid]

Not exactly a productive use of our time. But I guess a quick example can't hurt...not like we seem to be going anywhere fast.

[He wanders over to the DVD shelf to pick a movie.]

[godspiousjasper]

It doesn't have to be long! I merely just wish to see one for a few short moments.

[ One would almost never guess he was twenty six years old at ALL, not with how almost childishly happy and giddy he was about getting to see things like this for himself. ]

[superstylishsquid]

[He...can't help a bit of amusement. This guy almost reminds him of some of...ugh, no, don't think of any of Joe's traits as endearing.]

Well, a lot of them do have shorts at the start. Lemme see if I can find one of those.

[godspiousjasper]

Shorts? That would very much work for me. Thank you, friend.

[ That energy of his has not quite dissipated, but now managing to be patient as he waited for the other man to find what he was looking for. ]

[superstylishsquid]

Hmmm... [After a few moments of browsing, he puts a hand on his hip.] Little on the nose with the subject matter, here. But I see a few...if you don't mind them being kinda...propaganda-ish.

[godspiousjasper]

Oh, that's fine. The content does not matter much to me at the moment, I assure you.

[ Well okay he'd have a problem if any of the content was of a lascivious nature but other than that he wouldn't care a whole lot. ]

[superstylishsquid]

Alright then...

[Yeah, the WWII-style 'do your part' PSA video probably isn't exactly spicy.]

[godspiousjasper]

[ Indeed it is not 'spicy' but the fact there is moving images, sound and the like on the screen is enough to have him positively lighting up once more. ]

This truly is amazing! I can hardly believe I'm seeing this!

[ Even despite the dire circumstances he really can't help but be happy in getting to witness this kind of thing. ]

All of this... these televisions and these visual books... are these common where you come from??

[superstylishsquid]

In pretty much every home...though, thin ones like this seem to be pretty new? Still kinda expensive.

Granted, I'm a bit biased toward the big screen, personally.

[godspiousjasper]

Magnifique! I can certainly imagine they wouldn't be cheap, at least. Not with what it appears to be capable of.

[ That makes him pause, looking away and back to his companion curiously. ]

The big screen? Do they get larger than this?

[superstylishsquid]

Some, but not much. If you want really big, you get a machine that projects images onto something else and point it at a wall or a big piece of cloth. That's how theaters work.

[godspiousjasper]

[ He blinks a couple of times in mild confusion. ]

Theaters? You're saying they're no longer meant for plays?

[superstylishsquid]

Plays are still a thing, but theaters with screens are more common. Don't need a full set of actors for each showing, after all.

[godspiousjasper]

Oh!! So both exist? How fascinating!!

[ He's learning so much about how far their technology has advanced and he loves it so, SO much! ]

[superstylishsquid]

Of course. With recordings, it takes months and a small fortune for each new performance. The little touches different casts bring to even the same script are worth enough to keep live performances around.

[godspiousjasper]

Oh, I can only imagine! I only wish I were able to witness these things for myself.

[ The unfortunate curse of being in the 19th century instead of the 21st, truly. ]

[superstylishsquid]

Wherever you're from might eventually figure it out, though I guess with human lifespans...well, maybe if you find someone who can teach you a Sage's art.

[godspiousjasper]

Hm? Just what exactly is a sage's art?

[ Now that's certainly VERY curious and he wanted to know more about that. ]

[superstylishsquid]

Contracting with angels and using light magic to keep the balance of the human world, alongside Witches' dark magic. Neither clan ages out of their prime, so they can rival the average demon for lifespan.