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]

Ian looked up, and was startled for a moment. Then they shook out of it with a warm smile. If they had burns like that they might have opted for cosmetic surgery to make it all look intentional and other also. Actually, all in all a pretty cool look.

"I'm... uncertain..." they admitted.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki raised an eyebrow. Uncertain seemed relatively mild if he was honest. "If it boils down to 'where am I and how did I get here', well umm... that's normal enough someone made a welcome pamphlet." He rubbed the back of his neck as he trailed off. Ie, that was real encouraging. This was why he'd decided to let others greet newcomers, and yet, here he was.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"A... welcome pamphlet? Why do I have a feeling I'm not in Kansas any more?" They mumbled.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Well. That was quick. "I guess, because you aren't? Not umm, not that I know where Kansas is." He shrugged and gave a small smile. "I uh I guess I should introduce myself, I'm Enki and this place is Auradon. I'm not exactly from here either."

[ubuntu_programmer]

Literal much?

"Hello, Enki. I'm... guessing there aren't many movie theaters around here?" Or did Enki see movies the way Jenn saw sports?

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm... not sure what those are either," he mumbled, flushing a bit by this point. Ie, this was definitely why he should let others greet newcomers.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"o....kay." They got to their feet, carefully, fixing their suitcase and putting their phone in a pocket. "Tabling that concerning admission for later, let's start with the basics. How do I get home?"

[under_the_raptors_wings]

He was getting tired of admitting he didn't know things. "If we knew that most of us would be home instead of here." At least this lack of knowledge was everyone instead of just him though. "I think basics would be more, getting you a communicator that will work here and a room to stay in." He paused a moment and then continued, more nervous rambling than properly explaining. "I can say you'll end up back home at some point. A few people have already, but I don't know how that worked exactly. But... I know the people left from here are working on the solution." Ie, very reassuring, Enki.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"At some point... oh no... no. sorry. Sorry, but I can't stay. I have to get back, my friends are waiting for me, I was running late as it was." Look, they hadn't expected a patch download to be running on their gaming box when they popped home to get it.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki pushed his fingers through his hair. "You... aren't exactly alone in needing to get back either."

He would have sworn if this place didn't change the words, but having them changed had stopped him in his tracks on doing so after the first time. Instead he paused, trying to collect his thoughts.

"From what I understand, when you go back it will be the same time you left and you won't remember this. But ummm, look, I'm bad at explaining, but someone who actually is good at it made the welcome booklets, so... uh. How about I get you one of those and go from there?"

[ubuntu_programmer]

"A booklet might be a good idea. Especially if we are talking about a fold in space-time and memory erasure. Neither of those quite seem to be a simple situation. The medical complications alone..."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Relief passed over his features when they mentioned a fold in space-time as a concept. "Ie, um, this way. There are booklets and phones at a booth at the entrance." Well, if they had that level of understanding they might even end up less confused than he was. "You just need to add a healthy dose of alternate dimensions and rules to this particular dimension that the locals call magic." Not to mention differing rules for magic from other dimensions represented here, but, maybe this wasn't the time to bring that up. "Which umm, I will freely admit that neither I, nor the other person from my reality have the explanation to, and basically everyone else calls it magic."

So... hopefully the dimension this person was from had some concept for magic? Otherwise he'd just direct them to Rren so the two could be annoyed trying to understand it together. While he really would like to understand it, he also had an easier time accepting it was part of the balance of this Universe than Rren did.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"I only believe in one kind of Magic," they said, lips twitching a bit. "Anything else is just science we haven't figured out yet. As for phones, maybe they can just sell me a sim for mine instead, my phone can handle duel sims better than I can handle hauling around a second phone just to get some bars. Cheaper too."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki glanced back, arching an eyebrow sharply upwards. "I um, I mean, logically, rules that are part of what govern a reality are obviously science. But seeing as those who live here and understand those rules better call that particular set magic... I'd argue that magic is a science, at, at least here."

He focused his attention back to where he was walking. "And I don't know if your technology and theirs are immediately compatible, but if it will take time and work, you um, may as well take one of their communicators 'phones'," Ugh, another word that felt weird to say, "for now so you can get updates and return it when you've adapted yours."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"As Arther C. Clarke once wrote, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'. It is hardly my problem of they do not understand their own technology. But I will take any offered phone that lets me contact my friends and update them."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

On one hand, he got not believing... apparently a single thing he had said. On the other not believing it and criticizing others for supposedly not understanding something rubbed him wrong. So he decided the best solution was to completely ignore all of it and just let them read the welcome booklet thing. The most visible reaction was a moment of surprise at the quote that he'd failed to hide. Given that he'd heard the quote before, just not the source.

"I... sorry." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "No communicator I've heard of would allow that. Well, Unless one of them ends up here too, I guess. It just will mean you can get updates on the situation here."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"I think I really need to see this booklet," Ian said, getting a headache.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"Ie. It'll at least be a starting point. And some of the others may explain it better than I can." As long as he'd been here he had a better understanding but explaining it? Not his strong point.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Perhaps they can. If nothing else if there is some machine somehow actually manipulating this space into a pocket of time, I may be of help fixing it."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki shrugged. "I think it's more how traveling dimensions like this works than a pocket of time, but it's still possible you could help." Oh good there was the entrance where the booth had been set up.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Traveling dimensions." In their own body? Without an accelerator of any sort? They had to see this tech.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki shrugged when they repeated the words. He didn't even have experience with the flavor of parallel universe travel that sometimes happened back home, so it wasn't like he had any further insight to offer. And outside of that, well, while some people he felt quickly at ease enough to just talk to, this person was not one of them. So he ended up going quiet for that last stretch.

[ubuntu_programmer]

After an awkward bit of silence. "Look... I'm sorry if I offended or upset you. I didn't mean to..."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki flinched and then shook his head. "It's more... I don't have words to explain further and... don't know what else to talk about." He worried at his lower lip, considering what else they should know given that they were stuck here too. "I um, should warn you the food situation here isn't great. We've been here a while and just about everyone from here is gone, so there is very little in the way of actual fresh food. We're working on improving it and then on getting some food to some people stuck elsewhere, but for the moment," he shrugged.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Sounds like getting us home should be an immediate priority so the food situation would matter less, and perhaps sending us home would create a vacuum that brings back those who ought to be here."

Oh. Right. Well. "As for other things we could talk about... like what kind of music do they listen to here? What do you listen to at home?"