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[Jane appears to be sitting in the middle of the woods. It's raining, though not terribly hard, and she doesn't appear too bothered by it as she shelters under a tree with an irritated-looking bird fluffed up on her shoulder.]

I've been thinking about something... and indulge me, because sitting out here waiting for the rain to stop is terribly dull.

[She doesn't use the network too often and rarely for a casual query, but she is bored.]

There are a good many people here from other worlds, yet I often notice that most seem to be... hmm, heroes of some kind, I suppose? Or people who were already powerful in magical ways, or people of high political influence. Some are gods, even. [A little shrug follows this, and she hums thoughtfully.]

So I wondered, then, just how many are not. How many were pulled into this from perfectly ordinary lives where nothing magical or horribly dangerous really happened to them, and they were certainly never anticipating having to halt some multiverse-ending calamity.

[A fat raindrop hits the top of her head and she flinches, looking up and then shuffling further back against the tree.] I'm sure I'm not the only one who often wonders which capricious higher power thought they had the skill set for this.

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Uhhh...well I barely remember it. Ummm...give me a second.

[ He searches his memory for the article and the picture of the creature in question. ]

Okay so, its got like a mix of dark and white fur...a long-ish tail? Its about half the length of its body. Beady eyes, round ears, four legs - not sure how many toes....I just can't remember the name...

Edited 2022-05-15 23:17 (UTC)

[She has to think had about it, building a picture in her head based on the description that he gives to her. It all comes together all at once and she lets out a very audible 'pfffffffffffft' of laughter as the 'sock with legs' comment suddenly makes sense.]

You mean a ferret!

[They had only started to become popular as pets around Jane's time back home, and she had never really seen one in person... but goodness.]

A sock with legs... oh, you really did get it right with that.

That's the one! Ferret. Sister Nette thought they were cute, but I reckon none of us would even get that chance to even see one in person.

[ A beat. ]

Not for a few years at least. I can't take credit for that sock with legs comment, me sister came up with that. Royalties to her.

I would imagine we could find them here. If I come across one, I'll make sure to let you know.

[If not a ferret, she knows that there are other creatures that are similar. Perhaps she might see one of those! Avalon truly is abundant in wildlife, both of the normal and entirely supernatural kind.]

But-- I do have to wonder... how is it that your world has so few animals?

I'm not sure. It's more bizarre for me that this place has so many. Also the fact that this place lives on a flat of land, a rather large one at that. Surrounded by water, no less. Curious stuff.

[ The water bit being the more amazing thing. ]

Where I come from, we live on towers surrounded by the fogsea. Folks here call all that water the sea but for me, the sea is white-ish grey and you can fall through it, not swim in it.

Oh, that sounds terrible!

[Uh.

Wait.

Her face flushes slightly and she awkwardly clears her throat.]

I mean-- ah... I really ought to think before I speak.

[ He wasn't going to say anything becase, if he thinks about it - his world does sound rather...distressing. ]

It's alright. I admit that compared to some the things here, my world does sound a bit dull and lackluster.

[ Though it strangely hurts to admit that. ]

Oh, well... I'm sure there must be more interesting things about it than just animals, right?

[She sure hopes so, or what a dull world it sounds indeed for the people who live there.]

That'd depend on what you find interesting though, wouldn't it? There's a lot going on my level of the tower. People just living their lives, the occasional trouble maker that's got to be put in their place, the odd rumor here there about so-n-so sleeping with someone's wife or husband. It may not have a lot in terms of animals, but the people always find a way to keep things interesting.

[ And Noah is nothing if not a people person. ]

And like I said, I'm a courier, so I meet all sorts of interesting folks in and around the towers. Like the other week - [ A beat. ] - the other week before I got here I mean, I was out at this hamlet - a really large one - and the lady there was growing this new kind of corn. They were as long as me forearm, about as thick too, and orange! Really facinating stuff, and she got really excited explaining how she did it though I didn't understand anything - bless her.

Hehe... people can be like that when they have something they're excited about.

[Jane does the same sort of thing, and she isn't ignorant of the fact.] But you didn't mention a tower before. Do a lot of people live there?

I didn't? Well yeah, the world everyone lives on the towers, save some brave few who take part in the hamlet projects.

I come from....Avalon towers. [ There's a pause and a clearing of his throat. He doesn't like comparing his home to here. ]

Avalon towers?

[How funny that they would have the same name. She looks curious about it.] Are they named after the myth?

[Not every world has the Arthurian legends in them, she knows that much, but some of them do and it stands to reason that some of those places might be worlds entirely unlike what she knows.]

Myth? I don't know anything about a myth. The Architects named the towers. Avalon, Elysium, Kunlun, Mu, Asgard, Takama-ga-hara, they were all named by the Gods. Not sure

Supposedly the names that were given were places of importance to the Gods, but mortals like meself aren't privillaged to that kind of intimate knowledge.

Oh--! No, I mean... some of those places, maybe even all of them... they're names of places in mythology where I come from.

[Ah, how to be delicate about this...]

In Earth history, Elysium was a level of the ancient Greek underworld. Asgard was the place where the gods lived in Viking myth. I'm sure that I know the others, too.

Earth history??

[ Now that is bizarre. ]

You come from a very different Earth if these places are myth to you. These are very real places, though I've never been out of Avalon myself. This is probably....the furthest anyone from my world has gone.

[She can't help the giggle that pushes its way out of her. It's more a nervous sound than anything else.]

I would say we do come from different versions of Earth, even without knowing that. [The animals thing told her that much.]

And I might have thought that terribly strange at one point... but I think that when you come to somewhere like this, and you meet people that you were always taught were only stories... you really do have to open your mind to a lot of possibilities. Don't you think so?

[ He gives it some thought and what she says is reasonable, but he still struggled to really wrap his head around it for many reasons. ]

You're right, and I know you're right, but...

[ He scratched his head. ]

Its all really a bit much, heh.

[ All he could do is smile bashfully. ]

[Her expression turns sympathetic, and she nods.]

I know. It can be terribly overwhelming sometimes. [Then she really has to chuckle at the tone of her own voice, because where does she really get off trying to sound like the adult in this conversation?]

I don't think this is something that many people would have signed up for if they had the choice. But we're here now, so I think we should make the best of any opportunities that we have.

....Probably should. Mayhaps start of with...getting a job. Then we could go on and chase animals or whatever it is zoologists do.

[ And he means a good solid paying job. ]

That shouldn't be too difficult, right?

[Careful Jane, your privilege is showing.]

What are you good at?

[ He surprisingly has an easy time getting a job, just not the kind that is stable. ]

Well, like I said, I'm a courier by trade so I'm good at that. Not sure if this place needs something that though since - A - I don't know the lay of the land yet, and - B - I don't have any wheels to get around. So that's gonna make things a bit difficult.

Ah, well, I might be able to help you with the 'lay of the land'.

[She has been around a while and has done a fair bit of exploring, making rudimentary maps where she needed to.]

As for... wheels... are you talking about motorised vehicles? [A damn shame they don't have those here, when Jane had just learned how to drive one in the last world she was in.]

Oh I can make sense of the directions meself, no offense. I'm pretty good with terrain.

[ Being a scout and cartographer for a time would do that. ]

But aye, motorised vehicles is a way to put it. I mean, I'm gonna need other things as well, like capital for one, but having something to get me from A to B quickly would be fantastic.

Hmm. I've seen several different kinds of mounts being used by people here. [Not just horses, and she's been a little excited to perhaps try to acquire one herself... at some point.]

Perhaps one of the ones with wings would be useful to you?

[They... have those, she thinks?]

At least when it comes to surveying the area.

[ He tilts his head in confusion. ]

I don't follow. How is an animal with wings gonna help me?

[ Then it hits him and his eyes go wide as saucers. ]

You mean ride them? An animal??? Are you serious????

[ Hell to the No. ]

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