001 | [Accidental Video / Action]

[raisedroyal]

[A new(?) face appears over the network. It belongs to a young woman with light hair and olive eyes. The face is also upside down.]

[She peers into the communicator screen curiously for a moment, tapping a button or two experimentally with a gloved finger - oh! it's making a beeping sound whenever she touches it. But after a few moments, she turns her head away as if distracted, and a worried frown creases her mouth. Fascinating as it is, there are far more pressing matters at hand. Far more pressing. She finally speaks - but to herself.]

Where is this place? It doesn't appear to be in the Zao Desert at all. They couldn't possibly have...

[She draws her arms in closer.] --No. I'm certain there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. Well then. If they are unable to return for me, I must simply take charge of matters and search for them myself!

Comments

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[firstaid]

I do hope that you are able to find your companions here. Some people arrive knowing absolutely no one, and some people already have many friends that are here!

[She realizes that sounds insanely confusing, and would only make sense to someone who has been here for a decent amount of time. So backpedaling, she explains further.]

Your friends may already be here, is what I am trying to say. I understand that perhaps you may have recently saw them in your world, however they could have already been brought here.

[Nope, still confusing. She sighs, realizing that there may not be any proper way to explain this at all and instead smiles, deciding to simply summarize all that confusion she just said.]

What I am trying to say is that your companions may already be here and if they are, don’t be terribly surprised by it. As for staying here, unfortunately, no one has really found a way out of here as of yet. Some people have left, even returned here after they have left, however it’s not intentional.

And people are arriving almost all the time, from all different worlds, to answer your question more directly.

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[raisedroyal]

[Yes, she is still rather confused by all of this. Nevertheless, through repetition, she's managed to latch onto one thing:]

What you're trying to say, then, is that my companions may or may not already be dwelling within the city?

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[firstaid]

Yes, you are absolutely correct! They could very well be here.

[She's so glad that Natalia summed that up into one easy sentence. Perhaps she will kindly borrow that sentence if she is ever asked a similar question in the future.]

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[raisedroyal]

[Natalia looks around her briefly. That's all well and good, but this is no small city. Finding them would be a huge undertaking in and of itself.]

Perhaps if I knew how to use this device effectively...

[She shakes her head and turns her attention back to Estelle.]

I believe you also mentioned something about a near-constant immigration of travelers from different worlds. How is it possible to bring so many people into one place without their realizing it?

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[firstaid]

You will learn to operate it within time. It's actually not that difficult!

[At least after some trial and error and some instructions, one learns such alien technology rather quickly.]

As for your question, I do not know. Apparently I have been here in the past, however I do not remember my last visit. For me, I consider this my first time here. Maybe it's best to say that the deities have a special kind of magic regarding that.

[One that she's curious about and would like to research a bit - it may even give answers into the curses that are put on the citizens of the City, but even Estelle knows that such research may be a near-impossible task.]

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[raisedroyal]

I suppose I shall have to, although Guy would be much better suited for understanding this sort of thing. [For all his peculiar ways, one can't deny that Guy Cecil knows his way around fontech. Natalia's completely out of her comfort zone when it comes to machines. Hopefully she won't break it.] Is everyone else in possession of devices such as these?

[What? Estelle's explanation strikes a note with her. Not being able to remember is a very serious problem to Natalia, because it's both a familiar and unfortunate obstacle for her. One she's been fighting against for a long time.] My... It seems the situation is even more complex than I imagined. I wasn't aware that memory loss played a part in all of this.

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[firstaid]

[Estelle doesn’t quite know who this ‘Guy’ is, though she must admit the name sounds somewhat familiar. At the very least she hasn’t seen him, so she won’t bring his name up. However, to answer her question, she nods.] That is correct. Upon arrival, everyone is given one of these devices, and it’s what we use to communicate with one another! [Never would she ever think that such a handy device existed.]

It isn’t a common factor for everyone. For some people, they actually do remember their previous stays here. [Like Rita.] I don’t think there’s any logical way to figure out why some people remember if they have been here before and why some people don’t.

[raisedroyal]

[She peers down at the device with renewed appreciation.] This device must be quite the convenient tool, then. Although it does seem strange... Where could they have possibly come from?

Well, that's certainly a relief. I would hate to think that this place had somehow altered the memories of all those dwelling within it. However, discovering that this "selective amnesia" still occurs at random intervals is troubling in itself.

Does it not bother you?

[firstaid]

Everyone has been nothing short of kind in helping me get settled here once more despite not remembering those that are not of my world. So, honestly it doesn’t bother me, though I do find it sad that I have to work to rekindle relationships. Some of these people probably knew me really well… and I return here and don’t remember them…

[That’s the one thing that bothers her about returning and not having a memory of this place. She’s seen the kinds of relationships that have formed between people and to just up and forget them… she honestly hopes she hadn’t brought that pain to anyone.]

[raisedroyal]

[Natalia bows her head slightly. She knows well how such things are difficult on the persons forgotten, but perhaps she's forgotten that such things can be disconcerting and difficult for the person who can no longer remember. Still, what good friends Estellise must have, and what strength of will.]

They must be wonderful people, Estellise, and I am inclined to agree. Though I have not been in this City for more than a few moments, you have all been extremely kind.

[firstaid]

Of course we are. After all, like you, we're, well, stuck here, so we may as well help others out to the best of out abilities.

[And she's happy that Natalia can see her and everyone else's kindness. Sure there are a few who are less than kind, but she's not going to force everyone to wear a smile for her. Though it does make her wonder who else knows her from her previous stays and refuse to speak to her anymore simply because she doesn't remember them.]