maskormenace | VIDEO.

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VIDEO.

[The video opens held distant and slightly off-centered on Deucalion's face. The reason for this is probably immediately apparent, though, in the colour of his eyes and the fact his gaze isn't directed quite at the camera. A voice post might have been better. Or maybe this was intentional.]

I can't say my interests in historical study ever extended to considering how changes in events might alter the course of the world, but this is a truly fascinating peek at things. Though I think I would have preferred it without some of the... nostalgia.

[Which is probably the most gentle way possible of referring to the political climate of the cold war.]

I imagine someone's already looked into how far back the divergences started? I'm sure dealing with new arrivals has grown quite tedious, but if you wouldn't mind sharing, I'd be interested in hearing it. I'll make my way to a library once I have my bearings, but having an idea of the immediate terrain seems wise.

[A pause, a small tilt of his head, mouth tugging into a slightly self-deprecating smile.]

And I'll admit the government stamping may be leaving me a touch over-cautious.

[It's not entirely dishonest. But it's also fishing. Come tell him your thoughts on the government, people.

But then, there is another, slightly more alarming thought as to the potential historical ramifications--]

It is still possible to get a cup of tea somewhere, isn't it?

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Divergence is a bit strong of a word when speaking in terms of omniversal travel.

Perhaps I should just start passing out brochures.

[ a pause, then! ]

And tea, no. Coffee, yes!

Here I was hoping that was a foolish thought. Banned, I suppose? Or extinct?

[One being easier to get around than the other.]

And admittedly I was assuming we were being drawn from a relatively small pool. A brochure on the matter may have been more helpful than the mysterious file containing only information about myself.

[While Deucalion had opened with a video post, it seemed more prudent to respond using voice all things considered. It wasn't as though the man could see him, and even if he could, well... being cautious had its merits as well, even if his name was being broadcast.

Alfred's voice is distinctly British when he speaks.] I'm certain you'll find no shortage of people willing to discuss the current... situation here with you, however, it may not be entirely wise to do so here. After all, one would assume that the government has ways to listen in on the devices that they were so kind as to provide. There may be those who would, however, be willing to meet in person.

[His own arrival had presented him with the same dilemma, although there had been no shortage of those who were willing to exchange information in private.]

As for the tea... it's acceptable, although I do admit that I prefer to brew my own.

Incompetence.

[ maybe. possibly. who knows with him. ]

Er ... drawn from a small pool, you say? Well, I suppose there's just a handful of us, but that's not entirely saying much for the situation itself. Broader scale, I suppose.

[ oh jesus. ]

How long have you been here?

[ cutting to the chase, tbh. ]

I've been around on and off for like, I don't know. Five years? Maybe more? Some of it I don't remember though. So at least that long, I guess. Is that what you're asking?

[Hearing another Brit gives answer to some of the concerns he'd been considering, even if the rest of it isn't so reassuring. Not that he's really surprised.]

Clandestine meetings with strangers from other worlds sounds almost as risky, but I suppose those are the facts of the situation.

[At least he's put feelers out, now.]

And that's a far better answer than the previous. Any recommendations?

[There's a visible pause, a flicker in Deuc's expression. It remains amicably calm, but there's a different edge under the light tone of his words when he speaks again.]

Only a day or so. How long have you been here?

[He recognises that voice, but with only one sentence stated over a line and no way to stop and look, he's careful, wants to be certain.]

Not quite, though I've heard talk of five years elsewhere. [Which makes it slightly more interesting.] That wasn't all spent here, was it?

Then let's just ignore my notions on "omniversal travel" - there is always that wonderful saying about assumptions, after all.

[The speechmarks are practically audible. Things he never thought he'd be talking about.]

How many universes would you say have been pulled from, here?

Sixty or seventy, give or take one or two. It changes a lot.

[ he looks a little thoughtful. keeping track of this has been a little side-hobby of his. ]

It's all comparative anyway. Why?

Curiosity. How we're brought here and what process is used to select us seems like an obvious line to look into. Or is that not a common mindset?

You mean the algorithm that Lachesis would find preferable? As capricious as she is, I'd say that we'd be searching a long time for such a pattern. Perhaps universes that contain no real unicorns, or ones where donuts were invented, perhaps those without the inevitable "bad end."

[ So far all of the familiar faces have been good news. Scott does a double-take on this one, then freezes when the voice registers, hackles raising. He doesn't reply immediately; there's a pause to consider the questions and the replies thus far. ]

Tea.

[ Flat and really, really unimpressed. Let's see if Deuc can recognize a voice from one syllable. ]

The "divergences" as you're calling them, I assume by that you mean the introduction of Imports to this world. The current collection of Imports here can date back to the beginning of this year; 2014. Previous to this new "batch" of Imports, there were other instances of Imports being brought here, dating back to 1986 and continuing until 2010. Our arrival in January is the first time in those four years there has been an Import arrival.

Does this answer your questions?

A few months.

[ deliberately non-specific, though it's probably not hard for deuc to figure out if he tries. stiles and lydia had announced their arrival pretty blatantly. ]

Long enough to know the library isn't half bad, if you're in Heropa.

My roommate makes a right tasty cup of tea, from my experience. Not sure how she'd take to me offerin' it, though.

You're in the middle of a city. There's a coffee shop on every corner.

[ And also she just doesn't like you. She swaps to voice because well what's the point of video when he's obviously still ... y'know. Lydia's smart enough to cotton onto that. ]

[One syllable is almost enough, and with Derek already having answered it's not so surprising that Scott would be here too. But Deuc would still prefer more confirmation, and his manner remains pleasantly neutral, no real sign of recognition or lack of recognition, eyebrows raising only at the tone.]

Little familiarities can help a great deal in easing difficult transitions. Tea happens to be a favourite of mine, as stereotypical as it might be.

No, not quite. I was attempting to ask about divergences between this world's timeline and the timeline of my own, but unfortunately seem to have muddied the water with my own assumptions.

[He sounds politely chagrined about it.]

Twenty years is an awfully long time for this to have been going on, though. That was here, and not "the old universe"?

Possibly best to ask her first, then, before you have her making cups for strangers.

[His eyebrows raise a little, but nothing else in his manner seems to change in reaction to this unfamiliar girl being snippy about tea.]

It's been my unfortunate experience that coffee shops don't always sell tea. Not to mention I haven't had the chance to see much of the city, yet.

[There's a pause, both taking that in and comparing it with what he already knows.]

You're another one who believes Lachesis is involved, then. I was given the impression that was rather rare.

As if. Holiday admitted her involvement, himself. There were imPorts before those in the City arrived, as well as a Porter. Lachesis infected the Porter, and tah-dah, brought those from the City before their inevitable bad end.

And here I was hoping this message would help make sense of the various disparities.

[He'd seen Derek last only a couple of days ago, in the old distillery, during the eclipse. Not something he was expecting to have to handle any witnesses of, here, and he doubts a few months has done much to fade it from Derek's mind.]

I'll be sure to take a look. Though I do have to doubt that experience of the library is all you have to show for your time here.

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