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[consulinchief]

[The camera turns on to a man with a ponytail and young face wearing a large blue and black trench coat despite the summer weather. He smiles easily and gives the camera a short, almost embarrassed wave.]

Hello, I'm sure you've seen a million of these already, but I was told I should introduce myself. My name is Roland Crane and I was recently brought here thanks to your porter. I'll be residing in Maurtia Falls, government housing number 6.

Rather than pester you with questions about this world and what I should know about it--I plan on researching such topics in my own time--I would like to instead ask about the worlds where you once came from. What were they like? What do you miss most about them?

As for myself, I'm from a world similar to this one. There was strife there too, but of a different nature. I suppose the biggest difference is that my world did not have abilities. The world I had just come from, on the other hand... was much different.

[Just when it seems like he's going to elaborate on that, he just... stops. There's a brief pause before he suddenly changes gears.]

Actually, I know I said I wouldn't pester you with questions, but I do have one. I've seen your newspaper headlines about riots at the "porter cities", and I was wondering if this civil unrest was common here. Any insight there would be appreciated.

Thank you all for your time, and have a wonderful day.

[He moves to turn off the feed before stopping and pulling back. He rubs the back of his neck.]

Oh, and to the boy I ran into a few hours ago, I want to apologize again for frightening you. It was not my intention, and I hope that you made it back home safely.

[With his piece said, he actually does turn the feed off this time.]

Comments

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[sonofgold]

I just got here myself, but... I can tell I'm going to miss the people back home the most, I think. Especially my brother.

[consulinchief]

[A wistful smile tugs at the corners of his lips.]

That's true, it's very hard to be parted from family.

Are you two close?

[sonofgold]

Very. He and I have barely been apart our entire lives- though, to be entirely fair, we'd just parted to go traveling, so it's not like this threw me too hard.

[consulinchief]

Were you off to see the world?

[sonofgold]

Yeah... we wanted to see what we could learn. I went west and Brother went east; traveling west would have been too hard on him because it involves a desert crossing, and his left leg is Automail. [A pause before he remembers he's not in his own world any more and explains-] It's an artificial limb made of metal.

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[hairswirls]

( the question is a bit unsettling for kirie- after all her world was basically a wrecking ball by the time she gave up fighting it.

still she answers his question the best she can. )

I wish I could go back in time, to when things were normal in my world. I'm just arrived here myself and I'm not sure how to feel about this place and what's going on with it but...

I guess it could be worse.

( everything could always be worse really. )

[consulinchief]

...It certainly could.

[He should have known better, that people might have bad memories of their past world. It isn't as though images of the missile flying overhead and the searing heat that followed haven't kept him awake nights.]

I'm sorry for dredging up painful memories. Is this place providing something of a "normal" for you, at least?

[hairswirls]

It isn't your fault. You asked a genuine question.

( it certainly was nice to talk to someone about something other than surviving or the possibility of eating snail-people.

she offered roland a soft smile, pushing her short hair behind her ear. )

That's right it is, well in some way or another. I still feel like this is all a dream though. I'm sure you're wondering about all this too huh?

[consulinchief]

Yes... [He pauses, thinking over how much he wants to say.] but I also knew firsthand how damaging that question could be.

[He returns the smile.]

This... is actually the second strange world I've found myself unwillingly thrust into. The disbelief wears off after the first time, apparently.

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[baetiful]

The protests and riots are not that common. Even though there are a wide variety of natives and even native groups who despise us, they typically keep their disdain on the internet or in more one-on-one scenarios.

This recent strike was motivated, I believe, by an investigation some imPorts are planning.

[consulinchief]

Given the unique situation this world, or more specifically this country finds itself in, I'm a bit surprised to learn that. Of course, from what I heard happened in Maurtia Falls, that tends to be an extreme case, but... protesting something unpopular isn't that unheard of.

[Roland raises an eyebrow at that last part.] And just what investigation is that?

[baetiful]

It's Maurtia Falls.

[ Says Baelish, ruefully. And then because Roland is new and probably doesn't quite understand what he means, he opts to elaborate. ]

When things happen in all of the porter cities, they tend to hit Maurtia Falls the hardest. But we are the city with the lowest approval rating for imPorts. Things do have a tendency to turn violent. With that said...

[ He flashes a playful smile. ]

Welcome to the city.

[ Levity aside, Baelish's smile fades to answer the question. ]

I do not know the details -- simply that a group of imPorts are planning an investigation into space. The locals are upset because they believe equipping us with the opportunity for space travel gives us far too much power. And they may be correct.

[consulinchief]

[Roland chuckles at the introduction to his new city, thankful for the warning and the bit of levity contained within it.]

Don't worry, I may not look like much but I know how to protect myself. Thanks for the heads up.

[At that last bit of information, Roland's eyebrows shoot up. You cannot be serious.]

"May"?! That's practically an act of aggression, whether the people organizing this mission mean to or not. No wonder the people are angry. Have they not thought to work in alignment with NASA or through official US channels?

[Say what you will about American bureaucracy, and lord knows he's all too familiar with it, but those parts exist for a reason.]

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[ct_7567]

[ A scared boy in Maurtia Falls...

There's more than one child imPort in Maurtia Falls here, certainly. Lucky's one of them.

Rex doesn't believe for a second that it's anyone other than Martin. ]

How'd you scare the kid?

[consulinchief]

[Ah, there appears to be someone who knows the boy. Good, he has friends here.

Roland rubs at the back of his neck.]

What didn't I do, I'm afraid? He was in De Chima and had gotten himself lost. I bumped into him by chance, and helped him avoid the populace's rather invasive ways of questioning, but when I tried to strike up a conversation, I seem to have only set him more on edge.

[ct_7567]

I see. Brown hair down to about here - [ he waves vaguely at his neck ] - short, a bit scrappy looking? Probably wearing sunglasses?

[consulinchief]

[The description matches, right down to the sunglasses, so Roland nods.]

That's the boy. I never asked his name; I got the distinct impression he wouldn't tell me anyway.

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[eloquentness]

[ It really isn't often that she sees such a classy introduction. Most people are... a bit all over this place, and this guy seems a little too calm. Like he's been through this before. ]

I'm from an Earth really similar to this one. Most of the differences are pretty minor, like the cereals being off-brand. [ and the space race still being important, though that can be saved for later. ] I miss the people more than anything, really.

But I take it you're not exactly new to this "waking up in another world" business?

[consulinchief]

A popular answer, it seems.

[At that last question, he just rubs the back of his neck.]

This is my second time, actually. Waking up in a new world.

[eloquentness]

Only the second, he says....

[ Though she supposes after the first time around, not much would surprise him. ]

As for your other pressing question, the civil unrest has been fairly recent. I would guess the seed had been there as long as imPorts have been in this world, but it just came to a head with the most recent space missions.

[consulinchief]

[He chuckles.]

I didn't mean to imply that it was all that common.

[At the mention of the unrest, he just sighs. What a mess he's found himself in already.]

So I've heard. It's... admirable... but incredibly misguided.

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[dun_moch]

[An elderly man in a suit sighs in the video.]

Regrettably, this is not the first or second or even third time that the citizenry have erupted into chaos targeted at imPorts. Our community is frequently a subject of hostility and resentment.

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[consulinchief]

[Roland sighs as well.]

It's not surprising, given what I can only imagine is a power imbalance between the locals and the imPorts. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't condone it, but fear and anger are natural responses to feelings of powerlessness. What steps are the government and the imPort community taking to bridge that gap?

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[dun_moch]

[Dooku makes a 'hmp' noise.]

The imbalance is not on the side you might imagine from the protests, although there are many who continuously seek to cast imPorts as the guilty party in any incident. Despite our powers and benefits, the fact remains that we are outnumbered, restricted, attacked, and under constant surveillance.

Many imPorts have acted to gain the trust of our hosts. We contribute to this nation's economy, entertain the masses, invent new technologies, and save their lives in times of crisis. What the government is doing... I cannot say.

[consulinchief]

[Roland listens quietly as Dooku speaks.]

I see. I didn't mean to sound accusatory and assume that imPorts aren't doing anything for the community, so thank you for setting the record straight there.

[And he means it; his apology is quite genuine.]

Nor did I mean to imply imPorts don't face their own plights. As I said before, I do not condone the behavior of the local citizens. However, though we might be vastly outnumbered, there is still a literal power imbalance--from what I've heard only a select few citizens have what would be considered "superpowers". This creates tensions on both sides....

[Roland pauses and suddenly looks sheepish, scratching the back of his neck.]

Something that I certainly don't need to tell you. Lost in the thought.

[He pauses again to let the moment pass, and he's back to being all business.]

My point being if the government is choosing to embrace the imPorts that show up on their front doorstep, and wishes to keep their native-born citizens happy as well, they should be taking stronger measures to co-mingle the two communities and encourage cooperative opportunities, rather than sitting back and waiting for the imPort community to do the heavy lifting.