Ian In The Wrong Place? - OTA

[ubuntu_programmer]

Open/locked?: Open
Who: Ian and whomsoever encounters them
What: Ian arrives in Auradon
Warnings: Some angst, maybe?


There was a figure slumped by the wall, their white and black hair disheveled, their glasses on the grass beside them. Their small suitcase was over their legs, their backpack dangling from one arm. After a moment they groaned and lifted a hand to their head. "Did I get hit by a truck or something...?" They mumbled.

Eyes opening, they looked around. "Well that's not good. I can't afford to be hallucinating now." They picked up their round lensed glasses and checked them before putting them on, then fished a phone out of their pocket. "No bars. Of course. I need to write an algorithm that will allow my phone to find signal from anywhere in the world. Of course, I should still be close enough to get signal anyway, hallucination or no. So... what is actually going on here...?"

Comments

[ubuntu_programmer]

"I can honestly say I have never heard that word before," they admitted.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki shrugged. "Can't say I'm surprised. Even where I'm from Terrhassu have their own name for us." He paused as he tried to drag up what he'd heard once. "They called Rihannsu Romulans and Havrannsu Remans? One of my old teachers explained it when I was growing up but I um, I can't remember more than that it involved the twin worlds."

Well. He supposed at least the person wasn't outright denying the idea? That might just be to avoid Enki going quiet again though.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Wait... so you are saying you are from outer space? Like... an actual from another plant alien? Wow. I jut thought you were into some really interesting body mods," they admitted.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"I mean, to me it's all of you who are the aliens," Enki replied with some amusement. "But, ie. I actually grew up on a moon."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Wow.." Ian said. Then grinned. "Oh this is going to kill everyone that I was the first one of us to meet you. Gotta say though, even with everything going on the past few years, not sure any of us had meet an actual alien on our bingo cards." A grin. "Now I want to know everything about your people. Tech, culture, music. Everything. Lay it on me."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

That sure earned an Expression of some kind. Overwhelmed was probably the closest and Enki rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he recovered. "I can't give any tech information. Those are your rules, not ours. Well umm, your people in my reality."

A pause as it belatedly dawned on him he might have messed with this person's timeline already. And yet, the best solution seemed to be to continue answering questions but to tread with a bit more care than he had earlier.

"I... I guess guess sharing culture won't hurt too much. I can give bits and pieces from Rihanh or V'Tosh, but, umm, specific questions might make it a bit less daunting for me?"

[ubuntu_programmer]

"I can respect an NDA," they assured him. "And sure, I can offer questions. Let's start easy. Music. What is considered new and hot, what is old and classic?"

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"You umm... you heard my attempt to describe music, right?" He asked with a small laugh, shaking his head. "And even if I was good at describing it. I can pretty safely say I'm not knowledgeable on 'new and hot'. I'm both provincial and very much influenced by the V'Tosh. And while I feel their composers are brilliant and it's fascinating to listen to them, my best friend back home disagreed with me on that. Vocally. The only thing he hated more was the Klling'hann epics someone decided to teach me. Which... may have contributed to me memorizing as many as I did." At least Ujehk was not an opera writer. Khev probably would have thrown Enki's music out of an airlock if he had been.

[ubuntu_programmer]

They chuckled a bit. "Alright, then what do you feel comfortable telling me about?"

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae considered, chewing on his lip a bit more. "I'd tell you some about languages, but I'm... bad at them too, outside of Rihan and Vuhlkansu, I can't speak anything else." He rubbed at the back of his neck and chuckled. "I guess I wasn't the best person for you to run into. 'Ie, I met an 'alien'. He knew basically nothing.'"

[ubuntu_programmer]

Ian chuckled. "I'm sure you know plenty, but lots of people freeze up when put on the spot. Not me, but lots of people."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae chuckled at that, shaking his head. "Well uh, I can safely say that outside of a fight, freezing up and overthinking is a definite issue for me." He considered again. "I... don't know enough about the history of Terrha to be able to ascertain much by year, but uh if you haven't had first contact yet, you seem to be taking the alternate dimension and alien part of this well. You will probably meet a synth too, sooner or later. They're hard to miss. They are... particularly fond of bright clothes.

[ubuntu_programmer]

The urge to correct grammar was strangled by the thought of alien languages and whatever translation software must be at play here.

Of course, the desire to be pedantic was utterly scattered by what was said after. "Synth?" whoever or whatever this synth was... singular they. Outer space was welcoming!

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"Ie, A umm.. synthetically created lifeform. I uh, I know there's a range of possible varieties, but they're the only one I've met before. There was a ban until a few years ago, so there aren't that many around." So much for space being welcoming. "Rren basically looks Terrhain, but they're very openly not."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"As in... artificial intelligence in a non-organic body?"

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"Artificial Intelligence, ie, but fully sentient, most starships have Artificial Intelligences, but they aren't even close to sentient. As to bodies, some are non organic, but Rren's is organic, or it at least reads as such to scanners."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Do... do you think they... would be willing to meet me?"

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae shrugged, a bit surprised at the intensity of their interest. "Sure, I can um, I can ask them to come meet us either at the welcome booth, or in the kitchen area?" The second seemed a lot nicer to sit and wait if Rren wasn't nearby.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Wherever would be most convenient for them," they rushed to say quickly. Seriously, the moon if that was what it took.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae nodded, pushing his fingers through his hair. Huh. He pulled the communication device, phone, from his pocket and sent Rren what was clearly a very brief text. "Alright. I asked them to meet in the kitchen. We uh, we're headed the right way anyway." And Rren might pick up showing this person around, which meant he didn't have to worry about missing half of what he should share. (Or more. Likely more.)

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Thank you. I appreciate it. Seriously."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

That just earned a shrug. "As I said when I brought them up, I'm sure you would have run into them sooner or later." As he continued walking his phone gave of several alerts rapid-fire. "Well, uh, they got the message," he grumbled good-naturedly. He tended to send minimal single texts when he had to, Rren tended to send.... a dozen texts back to back. At least one of those texts would be telling him he needed to give more details, and then another flat out asking for more. "They'll be there soon," he added without even bothering to check the device. There would have been fewer alerts if they weren't able to.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Given Ian still had hopes and plans to somehow get home as soon as possible.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

He shrugged, not sure how to reply. Fortunately they were at the welcome booth which gave him more to do, pausing at it to look around. "The pamphlets are... here," he pulled one from the slot and set it on the counter before searching for the box of phones and dug a new one out, setting it right by where he'd set the pamphlet. "And there's a communication device."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"A cell phone? Well at least that will be handy. I can call and let them know why I am late getting back."