maskormenace | 006 ✿ Video

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006 ✿ Video

One year ago today, I arrived in this world. One year ago today, I shared a fateful drink in De Chima with the man who would become the love of my life. One year ago, there were different faces in this world -- different people to greet me upon my arrival, but many are and have remained the same.

[ Raina smiles a sappy smile. She is genuinely happy for the experiences she's had here and people she's met. ]

There have been a lot of ups and downs, especially as of the past few months. But I would be lying if I said that being in this world hasn't been a largely positive experience for me. And while it's sad to think all of it can be gone and forgotten faster than we can blink, that just means we should try to appreciate what we do have here all the more, doesn't it?

[ She leans forward, warm and inviting. ]

So I'd like to hear about your positive experiences. What are some of the best things that have happened to you here? What opportunities have arisen for you here that you would not have gotten back home? What friends did you make that you never would have met otherwise? And for people who have ported in recently, what opportunities do you hope this world will bring you?

We're so focused on the bad things or getting back home to our responsibilities or the people who aren't here that we often neglect to stop and appreciate the little things. Even if it's something as simple as getting to taste strawberry ice cream for the first time. So let's take a moment to share our experiences with each other.

[ A pause. ]

Also while I have you here -- a few months ago I was speaking to a friend of mine and we were talking about how it's possible to port out and return without memories of ever having been in this world. I brought up the idea of writing a letter to ourselves detailing our time here and he proposed that we try to see if the government would include those in the files we're given upon our arrival. If people overall think it's a good idea, I can talk to a few representatives to see if it can be done. I just know that there are people and things here that I would not want to forget, and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same.

And I think that's about all I have to say. I look forward to hearing your stories. Even if we can't have our letters included in our files, maybe this post could serve as a little something for our future selves to look back on and see how happy we once were if ever there's a time when that is forgotten.

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[From the way she tilts her head, it almost seems like Countess feels she's in the same room as Raina, rather than in another state on the opposite side of a screen. Videochatting and cell phones, they still feel... not strange, exactly, but impersonal. She's seen the world through so much technology, so much change, and she can appreciate it, but it doesn't wipe away the memory of the more personal connections she built an unending life around.]

It should never be an honor to meet someone with a matching perception, just a delight. Crows will always find each other in a crowd of pigeons, won't they? [She beams.] And you, my dear, have wings just as black as mine. Tell me, where do you live?

I don't want to force him either.

[ She's not so great at admitting her feelings either and that's getting more and more obvious. It's easier to let teenage hormones do the talking. ]

... we have been dating longer than I expected.

the future iterations of imPorts who have married may, eventually, learn of those marriages. But it shouldn't be the first thing they are told. That is really the part of this I have the most difficulty accepting, beyond the nature of it, the timing proposed can be done with a great deal more tact.

Really, leaving a message for your future iteration doesn't need to involve the government at all, there are better ways to introduce the message, ways that account for the problems in the timing. I think it would be better to tell one's former partner about your marriage personally, at a more organic pace. Any such message could be given by that same person, if they really need it for the sake of credibility. That information should be passed at the partner's timing and discretion.

And no, I do think it's more complicated than to see every iteration as the same person. They may share a common foundation, but they are different branches on that person's timeline. I have a friend who I've known in four different iterations as an imPort, from various points in his life, and my relationship with each was different. I wouldn't want to cast the shadow of either iteration on the next, because I know that whatever my intention, he would feel obligated to continue the previous relationship. That doesn't work. Whatever emotional connection that motivated the relationship is no longer present, and if we are to pretend it is... That just doesn't seem healthy.

Maybe the passing of information between iterations isn't the worst idea, but the implementation you propose...it certainly isn't the best way to accomplish it.

New York, if you please.

I think you overestimate us, Dr. Chilton.

I've been abandoned and forgotten enough times that having the barrier of memories is my best shield against the inevitability of the phenomenon. I've had to live with my own brother revert past every step of progress we've ever made together, to the point that we felt almost like strangers to each other. I can't even imagine how I'll need to handle Rose, if she ever returns. That they could be allowed to know, in only intellectual terms, what they left behind with me, with no emotional resonance to the information? That doesn't lessen how much I would need to navigate with them, it increases it.

Perhaps their iterations will understand their prior experiences here, but it will be to the detriment of the rest of us. Which doesn't even account for the potential to abuse it.

Imagine someone like Norman Osborn returning, with the full details of what he's done, a list of everyone who he had wronged, and who had wronged him? The potential that it could dredge up old vendettas in a continual cycle, not because of anything that anyone directly experienced, but because past iterations long ago had passed their ire to the next generation.

That is a bit hyperbolic, but as you said, not everyone here is kind, and those who aren't tend not to be in very hyperbolic ways. Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if Osborn had left a trail for his future self already.

Oh, I try to make it a rule not to underestimate anything. [sage advice from time spent at the bottom of virtually every food chain.]

I've certainly been in worse worlds. And congratulations, of course, on you being able to - well, on you and Dr. Chilton, that is. [awkwardly. He flounders further for clarity:]

I just mean, it's hard enough finding someone when you're in your own world, sort of thing. The odds were against you. ...So. Well done.

Edited 2016-04-11 01:53 (UTC)

You are most welcome, Raina. We shall see what Captain Ananke has to say about whether the holders of our files will cooperate with this idea.

[Dooku remains resolved to prove Raina entirely correct about his potential and his oncoming accomplishments. He lifts his head a tad when she brings up Mexico- so good to have his diplomatic achievements circulating in the minds of others.]

If only the government's acclaim for my deeds was as warm as yours. However, I fear they value the power of imPorts in war more than they do our abilities for negotiation and peace.

I was about to mention that mission regardless, actually: witnesses the warm hospitality of our Mexican allies was among the most heartening experiences I have had to date as an imPort. In a world with so many enemies, it is always good to remember who our friends are.

[ They've never spoken before, but Kasumi can't resist the siren call of someone being a sappy romantic on the network. ]

Congratulations on that very first bit. It's nice to see people in the import community bonding like that.

My life there doesn't matter. It's this world that matters to me. And if anything, I would say it's a relief to not have to exist very long in a life without you.

[ They made it a full year. She's entitled to this sap. ]

Why don't I see you now? Privately?

[It is his professional opinion that Raina might need some immediate company.]

It doesn't seem to matter what I want.

[ john chuckles. ]

What, do you mean you didn't like my dressing gown?

[ raina, honey, everyone wanted to burn chilton's book and john isn't keen on therapy on a good day. not that he vocalizes any of that, but at least he seems to be taking the idea seriously. ]

To be honest, I haven't really thought about it. I was okay for a little while. [ when sherlock and mary were here. ] But I'll definitely think about it.

It always matters what you want.

Look, Daisy. What you choose to do here is not important to me. I don't care to interfere in the life you build for yourself. I've told you from the beginning, and maybe now after you see the sacrifice I made for your sake, you will realize that I'm being honest. All I want in my life is to continue living here with Frederick and actually have a chance at happiness. I have served my purpose when it comes to the relationship between you and me, and there's really no reason for you to be suspicious of my motives. I don't have some hidden agenda when it comes to you.

[ Raina won't ever think they can be friends. But they aren't enemies either. She doesn't hate Daisy. Raina once envied her, but then she came to see that even though Daisy got all the things Raina wanted, it was because she was the only person who could handle those things. Her powers, the inhumans, Cal. All of it. And now there's nothing left between them. No more rivalry, no more shared world. Nothing. ]

But in spite of you still choosing not to trust me, I will tell you this with sincerity: You should allow yourself to enjoy this world and its opportunities. You shouldn't hold back from living here. You will return home in your own time, but there is so much you can do for this world to help it become a better place for the people who will continue to live here. You're a natural leader and that is something you should embrace. Build the friendships, make the alliances, have the romance, and be the hero you were pulled into this world to be.

Find that happiness for yourself and show me that my death wasn't in vain. [ She offers a sad little smile. ] Because what are the thorns if the flower they're protecting does not thrive and flourish?

[ There's a confused pause. She hadn't said anything overtly sexual to inspire such a sudden private meeting. So she can only imagine this is Chilton, the therapist, wanting to comfort her with his therapeutic technique. And when she realizes this, she lets out a soft laugh as though to prove she really is in good spirits. ]

I'm okay, Frederick. I've had a great deal of time to come to terms with my fate. Unless.

[ A pause. And she asks the following question gently. Chilton has dealt with a world full of murder and murderers. He's seen and experienced some extremely horrifying things. He is not such a sensitive man when it comes to those subjects. But maybe. When it comes to thinking about her death. Because she matters to him. Maybe the thought of her not being alive any longer haunts him more than he wants to let on. ]

Unless this is about you coming to terms with it?

Thank you so much! People always say it isn't worth it. That one of us will port out and abandon the other. But I don't think anyone in this world should allow that fear to hold them back from experiencing something truly extraordinary.

thank you
for your support and kind words

a benefit concert
like for charity?
thats a great idea!
i am just as interested
to hear the music of fellow imports
to be honest

It might be worth befriending some other immortals in the event you find yourself ageless.

[ Lucifer is probably looking! ]

How long have you two been an item?

It's always the best place to find a new pair of shoes.

Since mid-December?

[ Saying it aloud surprises even her. ]

... haha, wow!

You know, it's funny. I don't actually think the odds were against us. For the first time in both of our lives, things worked out perfectly. He was the very first imPort I talked to, you know? It was like Fate had delivered him directly to me. And he was also recently single -- so it was as though Fate had delivered me to him as well.

Now you're right. Such a thing is definitely rare. But in a world where various other worlds are merging together to create a community, I think the odds of finding a soul mate increase. And perhaps you'll even get the chance to experience it for yourself.

[If his marriage proposal had gone well, he might have named that as the most unique, what with how much effort Toby had put into it. But instead,] I guess that depends entirely on what sort of unique we're talking about.

Although... This might sound a little silly, but I don't think Dorian would ever let me go to prison back home. So his marvelous little setup for welcoming me home after my release was especially unique and special. Definitely a night or two, or three even— [Chuckling in amusement.] —worth remembering for a lifetime and then some.

Yes, exactly! And I think it's exactly the type of thing we could use after some of the recent events.

[ Like imPorts deciding to embarrass the president and all. ]

Anything to distract from this war is a good thing.

It would be difficult to reconcile our dichotomy of worlds regardless.

[Regardless of her death, which only made the stark contrast more pronounced, more heart-aching.]

What have we been escaping all this while?

The only place they don't consider saddle shoes the height of fashion.

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006 ✿ Video

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