Voice // Nobody's real, everyone go home

[espio]

[Okay so. After wandering around aimlessly for several hours, paying attention to such things as pamphlets and holograms, Espio has decided that this is clearly not a third strange reality he has been tossed into and instead come to the conclusion that unreality is a thing again. ... well, shit.

At least his memory seems correct this time - correct enough for him to realise the place was wrong, anyway. That almost qualifies as a plus! It means he can appreciate the goodness of temporarily having things like hot showers and electricity while he remembered he'd lived for a year without.

Unfortunately, it seems that his nice little self-powered smartphone has been replaced by a clunkier walkie-talkie thing that doesn't even do him the decency of having everyone's contact details. How the hell does one get hold of their favourite idiots like this? Network post?

...network post. By voice!]

Well, I'm lost. And not a soul I know out there, looks like. Unless everyone's just spread out, which'd be just typical.

Has anyone seen Dominic? Or Monty? Or someone else useful?

... this does actually connect to something, I hope...

Comments

[youfool]

Hello, and welcome! I've haven't seen anyone by the name of those two, but there's plenty of useful people here. Some say I'm one of them.

[espio]

['Welcome'. There is something about the word that makes Espio twitch. This isn't a new place - it can't be! It is just another bubble of unreality!]

And you are...?

[youfool]

[Ted would agree with him on that last part.]

Ted.

[Whoo-ee. If all the questions are this easy, he's gonna pass with flying colors!]

[dance_ix_dance]

Nope, don't know those guys.

Welcome to Genessia! [So helpful, Demyx.]

Voice

[imaginationswoes]

Ah, yes it does.

[She tries to sound pleasant over the phone, it's just a habit.]

Excuse me. I'm Airy. I think we're all a little lost but not because we don't know where we are but because we don't know the way home. I haven't been here all that long though...

[There is awkward silence over the phone for a few seconds.]

I haven't seen or heard of any of those people but if they're here they're reply. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[fierybluebird]

[It's Pinky!]

[In human form.]

[... Asking for not him.]

[Marco is annoyed :|]

Who the hell are they?

[espio]

[!!!!]

Ah!

[...that is the sound of someone genuinely and honestly startled and surprised, Marco. Good job.]

[espio]

[Let me know if recognition is not okay and I'll change it! CRAU and all.]

[Really? Because Espio knows that voice, and he knows damn well it's one of Monty's best friends.]

...maybe it's just me that remembers...

Hi.

[espio]

[That's it? Just 'Ted'? Is that all he's going to say?]

Hello, Ted. I'm Espio.

[For some reason, he's saying that slowly, like he's talking to someone a bit slow. It's actually more of a prompt for him to go on.]

[fierybluebird]

You okay there, kiddo?

Re: Voice

[espio]

I'm definitely lost in the 'I don't know where I am' sense.

[Sigh. And what's with the people he doesn't know? The last time something this happened, it was like everyone who wasn't 'real' faded into the background - only people from Between really stood out.

Maybe this is just how they're showing up this time. It's better than when they were buried up to their neck in a greenhouse, at least.]

Well, thanks.

[espio]

[DON'T MIND HIM his mind has just come to a juddering halt and an instinctive feeling that Marco isn't even going to recognise him at all, just like every other time he runs into someone he knows...]

No. I'm not!

[fierybluebird]

Where are you, Pinky?

[Because fuck technology. He still wants to smash it. The irony of his wife's amazingly high tech apartment with robots for everything is not lost on him.]

[youfool]

Pleasure to meet you, Espio. What tongue is that? [Didn't sound like any nationality he's ever heard of.]

[espio]

I don't know! A city!

[Like, the starting city. The one that isn't very... city-ish, to him. He'd call it a town, really.

Hearing Marco has really kind of shook him. He doesn't even process that the use of that nickname means that it is absolutely his Marco.]

[fierybluebird]

Aye. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me which district, mate.

Are there lots of trees, really tall skyscrapers, or anything identifiable like that?

Voice

[imaginationswoes]

If you don't know where you are... I might be able to help?

[She doesn't sound sure but she does have a map]

[espio]

All the streets are named after trees?

[Does that help?]

[espio]

You... what?

[...huh? He can't have noticed Espio's tongue is weird, not over audio. What did he mean?]

[espio]

Okay. Go on.

[fierybluebird]

Right, I think that's the starting place. If you see a cafe or something, stop there, and I'll be right over, okay?

[espio]

[Right. He can do that. He has money, too, which is helpful. He can't help but feel like he needs something a bit stronger than coffee, though.]

Mm. There's one just over the street... 'Cat's Eye Café'. That'll do.

[imaginationswoes]

[Airy laughs nervously.]

I'm only talking to you. I don't know where you are. Why not turn on the camera or read an intersection? Maybe I can find you. [She assumes he's still in Genessia somewhere.]

[youfool]

You know. Your mother tongue. What land do you hale from? Germany, Italy, Switzerland?

1/2

[fierybluebird]

Good, I know where that is.

I'll be there before you know it.