✬ 001; video [during the morning of the 6th!]

[caladrius]

They say this place is both the Real World and the Digital World-- but I'm wondering what exactly constitutes the "Real World" in this place.

[A loaded statement for a first post, but Hope's got a lot of questions and little answers.]

One would assume it's the world we come from, but it's very obviously not from the looks of this place. I spent my first couple of days searching and researching, though the scripts are unfamiliar to me, thus I'm unable to read the texts at all.

I'm not a philosophical person by any means [actually it was one subject he had trouble wrapping his head around back in school] so I apologize for all the deep thinking. I just have a lot of questions that have no answers-- which I imagine is the norm when arriving here.

My name is Hope Estheim, by the way. Good morning.

You need to stop thinking too much.

[The speaker of that particular line is nowhere to be found, but Hope looks down, somewhere at his feet, and well. His partner is off-screen, obviously.]

I like thinking, actually.

Comments

[forevernocked]

In this instance, I agree with whatever your partner is down here.

Thinking too hard really doesn't help you much, here. Might even make things more confusing.

[caladrius]

[SUDDENLY HE IS VERY VERY ANNOYED because this guy sounds a whole lot like Snow that jerk... but nope, he has to stay calm, because obviously that's not Snow.

Even if that sounds a like Snow's voice.]

You're speaking from experience, I presume?

[forevernocked]

Buddy, experience is the only place I speak from. Even from before here really. I knew some people that enjoyed some really big words or some really deep thinking.

Just pass the peanut butter and let the moment pass, I say.

[He gives Hope a very casual laid back grin, trying to come off more casual than he is.]

[caladrius]

[... Yeah that's very Snow-like and Hope's really got to stop. Like, really stop thinking back right now because that's not helping matters.]

I'll leave you to that then, but I'm not the type to leave every single thing up to experience.

[ Video ]

[fullofthorns]

[ Roze pops up on screen, all pink hair and shark smiles, green eyes aglow with curiosity. ]

Hell~o new guy! I'd roll out the welcome mat but its been suggested that my constant enthusiasm is unwarranted and even obnoxious so I'll refrain and just say:

How do you do, sweet Prince?

[ That white-toothed smile got even wider, if such a thing were possible. Wider, and significantly more vulpine. ]

Not sure how much help I can be in regards to this but I'll give it my best shot.

Every world is real to the people in it. Don't get your head all tangled up in existential questions and shit. Just focus on a layer-cake. Or some other tasty treat you can think of that has multiple layers. Or better yet, think about lots of sheets of fabric. Yeah.

There's lots of different worlds, all of them've got their own color and pattern, but they all matter and they all exist. Why and where is irrelevant.

There's some major badness going around that can affect every world. This place here is like a threaded needle, poking through every layer of fabric in space and time. The virus, or bad ju-ju as I call it, is taking the needle and jabbing through all over the place, causin' knots and bunches and tears all over the place.

Which is a damned shame because everything was lookin' pretty good. The universe is well accessorized.

But now this bad ju-ju comes along and shits on the wedding dress. We're the tiny little tailors come along to fix everything and salvage the mess. You follow?

The worlds are all real, they just usually overlap instead of intersect. This place is where everything intersects. And if we don't fix it, pretty soon there's gonna be a lot more wires crossed and shit's gonna go south.

Does uh...that help at all?

I mean it makes sense to me, but everything always sounds better in your own head.

[ Video ]

[caladrius]

[More than half of it goes right over his head, because it's all slang not present in his world. But at least he gets the gist of it.]

For all the slang, I do follow you.

I do understand we have to save this world-- it's all over the letter for newcomers after all. No need to put it in different words.

The thing is, this is the aggregate of all the "Real Worlds", as you've said and while there some yet to intersect, this world has nothing familiar to me. To some, perhaps, but not to me. So, was I called here to prevent my world from appearing here as well, or because it already has, and there are no signs of it in the city?

If it hasn't come here yet, how can we be certain that my presence here has not aggravated the situation? Or better yet, our presences.

[fullofthorns]

Hm. Hmm. Yeah you make a good point. I figure it like this - these guys aren't the enemy. If they wanted anything bad for us they wouldn't go so roundabout to do it. So chances are, your presence was needed here because your world has already been affected in some way. Maybe just a small way.

[ She holds up her thumb and forefinger as though it were an accurate unit of measurement for all things, universally. ]

After all, you're the only one here from your world so far, unless someone else said anything to you? I'm havin' a hard time keepin' up with where everyone is from, to be honest.

But just because you don't see anything familiar, doesn't mean you won't. The real goal is to keep anything from gettin' worse, and repair what's already gone wrong.

Most of us have only shown up in the last few months, really, and there's not a lot of solid information one way or the other.

I do know there's this chick Alex...andria? I think. I've seen her drop lines on the D-T. Her, and this kid Ed. They make a lot of noise on the D-Teriminal's about their research. I'm sure they've got a way better handle on the technical bullshit.

[ She sighs and shrugs, expression genuinely apologetic. ]

I just fight monsters. Sorry I'm not...all academic n'shit.

[caladrius]

Then let's just say my presence will eventually bring in pieces of my world. Only time would tell, though I would rather it not come here.

[For not-so-obvious reasons, really.]

Technicalities I can keep from speaking-- however, if it's world-specific or even culture-specific slang, I may not understand at all. I wont keep you from it, if it's habitual, but all I would ask is a little explanation or even understanding. [Cause honestly. He gets that enough back home.]

[Video]

[happiestberry]

I'm not sure how much help I'll be for you, but I can certainly try my hardest to help you, Hope!

[Video]

[caladrius]

Thank you. Though I believe I know enough. Not about the entirety of this place, but enough about my current situation.

[Video]

[happiestberry]

Oh. I guess I kinda got too eager huh.

[Video]

[caladrius]

No, no, it's fine. It's just that I have been here for three days now-- I've explored enough to have an idea of what is going on. However, if I'd come forward the moment I arrived, you may have helped.

video;

[anequal]

It appears that in this world, there is something that is called "electricity." I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the concept, but from what I've been able to gather, many things created by electricity, such as these moving pictures and our voices, are considered... digital.

If what was created by electricity is considered digital, then what is real must be anything that is made by other things, usually kept separate, but according to the message we received upon our arrival, the separation is beginning to fail.

video;

[caladrius]

I'm familiar with electricity-- it's energy, a power source, not a component. You cannot create things from it, but you can create things that run on it.

Did someone give you this erroneous information?

video;

[anequal]

... [There's a long moment of silence as Armin opens his mouth and then keeps it open, trying to think this through.

He has never heard of a "power source." He can definitely figure out what that must mean, but the power he thinks of are powers like the titans'. But he knows this man must not be talking about political power or titans' powers. What does that mean in this case, then. Electricity is energy?]

I didn't receive it from any one person.

What does it mean to run on something?

video;

[caladrius]

[A frown. How in the world is he going to explain basic science classes of his world to someone who has absolutely no idea what electricity even is?]

To "run on" means to work with the assistance of energy.

Have you seen lightning before?

[guilmon]

[Wow, this guy seems really smart... And he seems to like thinking about confusing stuff, too. Guilmon hadn't even considered the "Real World" aspects of the place before now, so at first he sort of stares into the camera, scratching his cheek with his claws. Hmm...

He's got nothin'.]

Mm, well, there's lots of Real Worlds out there, and Guilmon's pretty sure there's a lot of different Digital Worlds, since this one works differently than the Digital World Guilmon went to before. Guilmon did see parts of Shinjuku, though.

[So maybe part of his world is mixed in! Hm.]

Maybe the "Real World" this place got mixed up with is the one connected to this Digital World. I don't know. Thinking about that stuff is hard!

[caladrius]

[A... humanless Digimon? Well, it's nothing he hasn't seen before, considering several Digimon have no partners, but how did this one get a D-Terminal?]

If this Digital World is connected to a singular "Real World", then would it not make more sense for only people of that Real World to be brought in? Food for thought.

[guilmon]

Hmm... I didn't think about that before.

[He tips his chin up, trying to think it over.]

Well, what about the Tamer who wrote the guide? He might be from that Real World.

[But that's still just one person among lots of Digimon. Maybe there's more to it...]

[lovespinkbirdies]

Yeah, umm... calling the "Real World" that is kinda silly. I mean, it's not like the Digimon came from a pretend world or anything like that!

[ She pauses for a moment, thinking it over. ]

I... well, if you don't recognize the "Real World" part of this place as your world, then I guess the world you're from isn't Earth, is it?

[caladrius]

As I haven't heard of a world named "Earth" before, that's right. [Especially when "earth" is just another name for the ground for him.]

If this "Earth" is what passes for the Real World in this place, then the title of Real World is a misnomer, considering my world is very real as well. And as you've said, data in itself is real, just not something as tangible as our home worlds.

[lovespinkbirdies]

Yeah. I think they might've been calling it that back when they only knew that two worlds existed and they just never changed it.

[ She doesn't say anything for a moment, before deciding to ask a question. ]

So... umm... what's the world that you're from called?

[Video]

[headup_stickontheice]

[So he looks somewhat familiar, but if Cam didn't have suspicions before, the name completely tips him off. That Digimon doesn't sound like Bravera, but he doesn't really register that.]

Hope? You-- holy crap, you're back. And...older.

[Video]

[caladrius]

[That's... curious, actually. Hope is fairly sure this is the first time he's been here, despite fuzzy memories. However, his vague recollections are all firmly from Gran Pulse, and he knows nothing about having been to worlds other than Cocoon and Gran Pulse.

"Older" though, strikes a chord. It means somehow, as a boy, he'd been here. As a l'Cie? Possibly.

That set of memories are the one he knows are almost false after all, especially the ending of his l'Cie days. Who knows what else he's experienced then that he doesn't know or remember?]

I suspect you know me.

[Video]

[headup_stickontheice]

[The smile growing on Cam's lips freezes in place and his shoulders slump slightly; even though he never got to know Hope very well, he'd grown somewhat attached to his first pair of roommates.

So many people leaving lately, so many of his friends gone. So to have someone he at least knew back...]

You...don't remember? I'm Cam, we were roommates.