01 // audio

[fatemeter]

Good evening. [However little that means in a place that doesn't seem to have actual days, it hardly hurts to be polite.] My name is Naoto Shirogane. In my... own world [there's just a moment of hesitation], I'm a detective by trade. As such, in the interest of consolidating what information we have, I have a few questions I'd like to ask.

[It might be a bit difficult to put a gender to the voice here without any visual cues. It is unambiguously young - but given the practised, professional air with which all of this is being reeled off, you might overlook that. To some extent, that's the point.]

Firstly: what are the last events you recall before waking up in this "realm of dreams"? Is the memory continuous as far as you can remember, or is there a gap?

Secondly: were you previously familiar with the phenomenon of movement between different worlds, voluntary or otherwise? If so, what comparisons could you draw, if any, to the process of entering this one?

Thirdly: from what you know of those in this same situation, can you think of any commonalities we may have had prior to our arrival here? Is there evidence to suggest that the selection is something other than wholly random - based on certain criteria, perhaps, or even a conscious choice on the part of some other entity?

And, finally... [This level tone of voice doesn't change.] Where in this place might somebody procure firearms, should the need arise?

[Potentially unfortunate implications? What unfortunate implications?]

I assure you, any answers you can offer will be helpful. Thank you for your time.

[Without fanfare, the recording switches off.]

Comments

[Audio]

[letteropener]

Welcome to the world of dreams, Naoto Shirogane. I'll be happy to answer your questions.

My last memory of wakefulness is signing and delivering several scrolls, regarding various upcoming diplomatic negotiations I intended to undergo.

I know of very little than can compare to this transition -- at least, not that I can easily discuss, for which I apologize.

Next... those who have been brought here seem to share very little in common. Not even species. In that respect, I can offer no insight into what seems to have brought us here -- but I can advise you that the world that have awakened thus far have all been connected to those of us here.

For your final question, I would advise you to consult the Moogles.

[fatemeter]

I see.

[Answers that only invite more questions... Well, that's how it always goes. For now, it's probably prudent to take one thing at a time.]

Could you elaborate on the worlds you say have "awakened"? And when you say "thus far", if you don't mind me asking - what do you mean, exactly?

[letteropener]

That is probably a poor choice of words on my part. When the dream world first appeared, as I am told, it was only Traverse Town. Twilight Town was opened soon after, then the Mother of Invention, then Ponyville. With each new world opened to us comes new challenges, and we almost certainly must gain access to more worlds before we can be free.

[brodakota]

In the sense that I was in a hallway first and Traverse Town second, yes it was continuous.

This is brand new territory for me.

I don't think there's anything in common. Everyone seems pretty varied, especially when you consider the ponies. [Said with fondness. He likes them.]

[He's a bit wary in his answer for this.]

You can try asking the moogles, but it is expensive.

[fatemeter]

[Unseen, she's silently nodding along to most of that, until -]

...Ponies? [Okay, by now she's used to expecting anything, but the professionalism slips for just a second.] Ah... Am I correct in taking this to mean that the past abductions have not been limited to sapient creatures?

[brodakota]

[How does one even explain them? North just sort of grown used to them.]

Oh no, they're perfectly sapient. They're just...ponies. Some of them are pegasus or unicorns as well.

There's a lot of weird things here, so you kind of have to roll with it.

Action:

[realmenknitplushies]

[Now Kanji knows he's dreaming. He can't be seeing that clearly, can he?
As he approaches, on his curious exploration of the town - he realises that he is seeing what he thinks he's seeing.

So - here's a familiar face charging across the cobbles at top speed, a smaller figure (purple and spiky? Perhaps not inappropriate...) following very closely behind.]

Naoto? Naoto!

[...Okay, he's not being too coherent, but is that to be expected?]

[fatemeter]

[Naoto looks up from the bench she's sitting at with her finger still on the communicator, and is suddenly very glad she stopped the recording a second ago.]

Kanji-kun?

[Still, as distracting as his... everything is, she can't help but notice the purple creature bounding along at his feet. So, she's not alone... On more levels than one, that bodes well for her. She might as well get him up to speed.]

Kanji-kun, do you -

[A loud chirrup cuts her off. The small bat perched on the bench behind her has no idea who the spiky guy with the loud voice is, but it does recognise a potential playmate when it sees one, and that's all the motivation it needs to go cannonballing in the direction of the Pricklemane. ...Also at top speed.]

Oh, w-wait!

[realmenknitplushies]

Wh-whoa!

[Kanji skids to a halt in time. The Pricklemane, all new and excited as it is ... doesn't.

There's a squeak, a bit like a rubber ball being hit.

Kanji looks at the Spirit, concerned.]

Hey - hey, dude, are you okay? [Looking extremely embarrassed, tripping over his words, he looks back to Naoto-] Uh - sorry about your... bat guy, too. I didn't know that was gonna happen...

[Then again, what exactly did he know was going to happen today? Or ... tonight. Or whatever applies, here.]

Video

[unrecovered]

[Well, if the Neon Switzerland vibe of Traverse Town didn't tell you you're not in Kansas anymore, the futuristic armor this guy is wearing should take care of that.]

Let's cut to the chase: there's no pattern. People here are from all different worlds, or dimensions, or whatever you want to call them. On top of that, there's no guarantee that people from the same world will be from the same time. Nobody's really figured out why we're here or how we got here, aside from "falling asleep." It looks pretty random.

[You sound pretty young to have a gun, kid.] The Moogles don't sell them. [Let's just not mention the Mother of Invention at all, shall we?]

Did you get the welcome packet from the Moogles? [It's worth asking - some people manage to bypass it entirely.]

perma-audio

[fatemeter]

The... welcome packet? If you mean the items I received along with this communicator, then yes. If these incidences are truly random, they seem quite well prepared.

[If she's honest, she thinks that armour looks seriously impressive... But no, she intended this as an audio broadcast, so come hell or high water she's sticking to that. And now she has the added reason of not betraying even the smallest suggestion of gawking.]

I'm aware of how the situation looks. I was simply curious as to whether the conjectures of those with more first-hand experience of this realm bore any resemblance to mine. If it's true that there are no connections whatsoever, even though we're self-evidently capable of some communication, that may be a point of interest in itself.

Permavideo, because someone is stubborn. Or can't be assed to change his comm settings. Either/or.

[unrecovered]

That's the one.

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if they're part of the dream themselves instead of being dreamers. It would explain the preparation. [Of course, the fact that they're merchants preying on displaced people could also explain that. Optimism!]

[Oh hell it's like talking to Delta.]

Yeah? How so?

text

[statisticallyterrible]

1. potato + head injury
2. no
3. ponies or trauma
4. check the spaceship

text

[fatemeter]

[That was... succinct. All right, she'll pick somewhere to start.]

Re "ponies or trauma", could you elaborate?

text

[statisticallyterrible]

A lot of people are ponies
A lot of people have trauma
Usually not both at once

....Taking some canon from a drama cd, dun mind me [video]

[trademark_skull]

Wait, you're a detective? [Staaaares]

That's... [Wait, something seems off here...]

That's..

That's so cool!

[Ahhh, right, the questions.]

....Ah-ahem, well the multiple worlds ain't new to me..

perma-audio because she's a loser

[fatemeter]

[She allows herself a small chuckle.] Thank you. It's a rewarding vocation. Could you tell me more about your past experience with multiple worlds?

...i r smart and didn't even see the audio tag, OOPS

[trademark_skull]

The traveling between them, or only what I know about them?

[Which kind of experience are we referring to..]

[notquitedracula]

The last thing I remember before waking up here was, ironically, trying to go to a different otherworld, namely the realm of chaos. I'll spare you most of the details, but I most distinctly do not remember going to sleep anywhere along the way.

My answer to your second question can be surmised from the first - I am familiar with the concept, but only recently. None of the methods available to me seem to be able to penetrate the veil surrounding this realm.

As far as commonality goes, I haven't noticed much except that most of us seem to be capable of fighting to some extent, though our methods vary widely and wildly.

I know someone suggested going to the Moogles for a gun, but you won't get one from them - they seem to have an aversion to firearms, though they're happy to supply ammunition if you acquire one. Your best bet for that is the world known as the Mother of Invention, which seems to be the interior of a spaceship of some description. Though to be fair, you probably won't need one; if you met a Moogle when you arrived, it should have given you the pieces to assemble a dream companion that is quite capable of fighting for you, and you can hunt the wild ones for pieces to make more. For some reason, though, we don't seem to be able to have more than two with us at any given time.

[fatemeter]

Thank you for the advice. I ask mainly as a precaution, but regardless, it's useful to know.

[There's a brief but thoughtful pause.]

Phrased like that, fighting does appear to be a theme... Would you happen to have some examples of these "methods" you're aware of? If you say "most", what are the exceptions? [She's not sure if this will go where she wants it to, but a good detective follows up on every lead!]

[earthshatter]

I believe who shows up here is random at best. However, to answer your questions, the memory is continuous in my personal experience, and I had been aware of other worlds prior to my arrival here.

[fatemeter]

If it isn't too much trouble to explain, how far did this awareness of yours extend? Was it first-hand?

[earthshatter]

It was, yes.

[lessabrasive]

[ She'd say you sounded a bit young to be a detective, but her mother was under sixteen when she helped Avatar Aang save the world - and youth hadn't stopped her being the most powerful Earth Bender of her age. ]

Lin Beifong, formerly Chief of Republic City's police force. [Her own tone is quite cool.]

I can see others have already answered several of your questions, so I won't be repeating their answers. But suffice to say, those who're familiar with this.. plane of existance, for lack of a better term, have said that their circumstances for being here now are very different.

There does not appear to be a clear rhyme or reason for the choices in us being pulled here. My last memory prior to my arrival was of combat, and being knocked unconscious.

[fatemeter]

It's a pleasure to meet you, officer. [She's not deliberately trying to dispense with any of the level, businesslike formality either, but she is very sincere!] But that the answer may not immediately be clear means only that the question is worth pursuing.

There is, then, a gap between your last memory of your own world and your memory of waking up here?