ataraxion | 001

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[Dean's been around a while now, long enough to get settled in and learn how to work the stove, so he figures it's about the right time to give the Tranquility a formal greeting. Video feed opens up to Dean clearly trying to keep himself in frame, chin ducking once he's sure everything's set up and running.]

For anyone I haven't met yet, which... I'm sure is probably most of you, my name's Dean Winchester.

[It sounds a little rehearsed. He's run it through his head a few times, and it drags on a little as the words spill out.]

I'm, uh... well, apparently I'm not exactly new here, but for all intents and purposes, let's just go with that. If I knew you any more than, say, a month ago, I hate to break it to you, but all that's pretty much gone now. Blank slate. Sorry.

[He doesn't seem all that perturbed by it, but he's been through it too often to really put a lot of heart in the sentiment. He does offer up a tight sort of grimace in apology, but a second later he plows on. His eyes duck down for a second, and then they're back on the camera.]

I've got a couple of questions for anyone who thinks they can answer them. First of all- has anyone ever been anywhere before this? I'm not talking about back home on Earth, or... wherever it is you're from originally. I mean, has anyone ever been bounced to another dimension, or universe, or... something like this ship, but different? Possibly 80% less Star Trek?

[There's a sort of awkward pause there, and it looks like he wants to extrapolate on that. His lips twitch, and then he shakes his head, evidently changing his mind.]

Second off, does anyone know anything about tech crap? See, I got this...

[The camera jiggles a little as his head ducks, he searches through his pockets to find another phone. It isn't a ship-designated communicator, but it looks similar. He holds it up irreverently, flipping it back and forth to display it.]

This other thing, but it's... [He gives it a floppy shake] dead as a doornail, and I can't exactly pick up a charger from the nearest Apple store, so. If anyone has any ideas on how to give it some juice, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to get some crap off of it.

[It's shoved absently back into his jacket pocket.]

Oh, and uh- one last thing. Any word on why some people aren't popping out of the space womb tube things? Is there an ETA on that, or is it step one to getting shipped back home? What's the deal with that?

[It's asked with a sort of consternated, displeased expression. Obviously his phone isn't going to answer him, so after a weird second, he shrugs it off. Scratches awkwardly at his cheek.]

That's pretty much it. Anything you got for me would just be... awesome. Over and out.

[The camera gets a lovely second of vertigo wherein he shifts the view from his face to his boots before he can finally cut the feed.]

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[Excuse him while he pulls a face.]

Don't you go putting words in my mouth, Mrs. No Indoor Plumbing.

[Huff huff. Always have to assume the worst, don't you?]

There was a forest, a few fields, not a whole lot to write home about. A dock, too, but you couldn't go far out in the water without getting drug back. Same for the woods. The whole place was practically in a bubble, you couldn't get out.

[ woW MISS. ]

Sounds like Neverland. I mean, we never tried to push the boundaries, but you could see it was just one island. Portal in, portal out.

[She's not going to address that she knows Dean is right.]

He tried to hurt me. But it wasn't about me, he didn't know who he was attacking, it's fine now.

you sure won the jackpot
i've been to another dimension and i know "tech crap"
name's rikku

[He gives her a solid nod.]

Portal in, portal out.

[He agrees, though it was... less of a portal and more of a they had no idea.]

Crappy, horrible, traumatic events aside, it was a pretty sweet set up.

[Fortescue thinks for a moment — tries to mentally plot out what, exactly, would happen if the Empire of Imperium (and the States) found out about all this. It only takes her a minute.]

If I could give them the coordinates to these places, to reach them? Yes. [But.] But I couldn't guarantee the Empire wouldn't use the technology they found, for other things. That's how we've advanced. Borrowing ideas from other universes.

[It means highly advanced computers in the 1940s.]

The whole mass kidnapping bit, though... no. Not really their thing. [She chuckles wryly.] But I might be slightly biased against them.

[Have a voice arrive kinda in your head already, like bypassing the ear route. Also Death is on the screen.]

I WAS PREVIOUSLY AT A PLACE SIMILAR TO THIS ONE. A SMALL TOWN THAT WENT BY THE NAME OF MAYFIELD. IT ALSO DRAGGED PEOPLE THERE.

[Excuse him a second while he blinks, looking around like someone trying to swat a fly. He gives his ear a little shake like he's trying to confirm, but- yeah, no, definitely in his head.

He pins the camera with a hard look.]

Hold up- is that- are you in my head?

[Oh wow wait, you look a little like the grim fucking reaper.

What the hell.]

Nice to meet you, Rikku. Wish I could say it was a pleasure, but under the circumstances first, what's the deal with your dimensional crap?

Jesus. look, i'm not sure what his motive is for keeping you on the sunnyside, I'm just saying be careful

I promise I'll let you know if things go badly. I will be careful.

You better. In the meantime, any ideas on how to get my junk some power?

[His phone. He means his phone.]

I-

Yes, I have some, we'll need to go to engineering.

<small[SHE IS GIGGLING SO HARD except you know, silently]

hey it could still be a pleasure
good things can happen in bad places after all

well let's see
almost exactly five years ago i was kidnapped from my world by a quirky porter machine named lachesis and taken to a place called the city on earth
it's basically new york city if you've ever been there
then like a year and a half ago i was brought here by who knows what
that's the super short version

Well, it's not all that different here. Food's probably worse on the Tranquility— at least if you don't wanna go vegan. [ And given that Dean had been the poster child for Fight Club, she can't imagine he's big with the veganism. ]

[Yeah, no, about that. The face he pulls is 100% anti-vegan sentiment.]

No. No, no, no, no, no I'd rather eat all the cows. Every cow. Seriously. Space cow. Mars cow. Purple Cow. Screw that plant crap.

[Though, the only thing he'd found that even remotely resembled meat ended up tasting like bananas, so. He's not so sure he hasn't accidentally gone that route already.

But hold up, he's just going to circle this conversation around really quick.]

What's with the sudden questions about my origin story?

We don't have an overabundance of space cow. But there's canned ... something.

[ But she's quickly distracted from diet woes by his question, and Emma's quick to raise one hand in passive surrender. ]

You're the one who brought up Wonderland. I was just trying to get an idea of how different it was from here. I mean you said it was a lot alike, it could help us to figure out how much so.

[She nods although it seems unnecessary. Like she would have spoken up if she wasn't interested in helping out. But she appreciates the fact that he doesn't just assume.]

Sure thing. It's not like I've got much else really going on what with the being trapped in space and everything. Although [She winces here slightly. She so hates to be the bearer of bad news.] I should probably warn you that there might not be much I can do.

[She shifts slightly on camera before raising up her tablet from home so it can be seen. Her smile is part sympathetic, part annoyance.] She's been giving me fits since we got here.

[The tablet disappears and her smile shifts back to typical Charlie - all excitement and perkiness.]

But I'm all for giving it the old college try!

[It's okay, he gets that a lot. Both of those really.]

YES. I'M AFRAID IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN SPEAK. LACK OF VOCAL CHORDS YOU SEE. AND TO BYPASS ANOTHER QUESTION. YES I AM DEATH, NO I AM NOT ON DUTY HERE AND NO YOU ARE NOT ONE OF MINE.

[ Her neutral expression drops as she rolls her eyes. Well, there goes that idea. ]

God, okay, I'm sorry about before. I was in a crappy mood and took it out on you. [ Which isn't an excuse, but it's the reason. ] And I do have friends, just fyi. Just like you do, apparently.

[ You butt. ]

Anyway, I have to agree with you on that. I dunno if yanking people out of the tubes would be a bad thing or what, but I'm not above trying it.

I don't remember being here, but I can't say I've met any of the residents before, either. [ She frowns slightly, curious. ] What was it like, wherever you were before TQ?

Longer than I'd like.

[ Not actually counting at this point; a year, maybe? The months have a habit of blurring together after a few centuries. He leans back slightly, making it obvious he's seated somewhere — the bar, probably — and his comm is settled on the table in front of him. ]

Did Emma give you a tour of the ship, then?

[ Which is a serious question, actually. His tone's taken a turn for more conversational, less guarded. ]

Let me know if anyone gets that thing working. Maybe they can get my laptop up and running, too.

TQ?

[He repeats somewhat incredulously. People really call it that? Huh. Not the abbreviation he would've gone with, but whatever. He shrugs it off.]

It, uh... it wasn't a ship so much as a land. Wonderland, if you've ever heard of it. It was... small, magical, but livable.

[He watches her with a skeptically raised eyebrow, seems conflicted on how he plans on handling this. On the one hand, he'd sure as shit love to keep on being a douche for as long as he can stretch it out.

On the other hand, he's go to give her points for agreeing to yanking people out of the tubes. He said the same thing to Emma, and she half shot him down. Vindication is sweet, even if it's by a total b-]

Got a suggestion to take the idea up with science and engineering. Even if we don't start popping wombs open this time, it's probably a good thing to know how to do later on.

[He crosses his arms, looking her over. When he asks his next question, it's with maybe a touch less hostility.

Just a touch.]

Who do you know that's stuck?

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