voice

[mostlyprofessional]

I have a confession to make: Before ending up here, I'd never been to the States.

[Indeed, her accent is Australian.]

Not for lack of opportunity or connections - I've got some good mates who are American - just lack of interest. I'm into old things, and this country's pretty young.

But apparently the government doesn't like us leaving, so give me recommendations for your favorite museums or archaeological sites here. Porter cities would be ideal, but I'll probably try and hit the road at some point, so it's alright if they're around the country as well.

Or, if you haven't been to any here, what's your favorite museum or site back home?

Comments

[ voice ]

[ghoulking]

We can leave the country as long we go to US allied countries.

Though Porter cities are incredibly recent, I doubt you'll find anything old here. But there is the memorial site if you want to see old imPort history.

voice

[mostlyprofessional]

Mm, not so used to that kind of restriction; my world's pretty peaceful.

imPorts have only been coming in, what, this century?

voice

[ghoulking]

We have to adapt.

Yes, since the 80's. The difference is that because we aren't native to this world, whatever we bring in can be pretty different.

[mostlyprofessional]

This place seemed pretty different already, even without me bringing in anything special by either world's standards.

Did you bring something different in?

[ghoulking]

[ he sure did - he helped legalizing cannibalism.

Not that he is going to bring THAT up, but - ]

I'm sure it has been a surprise to everyone. Even the natives.

But I've been here for four years, so there is a lot to cover.

[mostlyprofessional]

Alright, then - best and worst in your experience.

[That hits a couple of major points of imPort history, surely.]

[ghoulking]

Worst experience would be when the Russians invaded US soil and brainwashed us.

Best would be a bit more personal. When I got married.

Shouted from the other room;

[imaphantomthief]

Go to Hollywood! And Canada! And Texas!

[There has to be something cool in at least one of those places.]

[mostlyprofessional]

[Chloe chuckles, turning around to face the doorway.]

I ask for museums and old things, and your first thought is Hollywood?

[imaphantomthief]

Hollywood is old! Movies used to be in black and white.

[He stretches until his spine pops. Taking a nap half on and half off the chair is only comfortable until you wake up.]

And we learned about Texas in history class once.

[mostlyprofessional]

[Ah, to be young and uninterested in history and see black and white movies as old. Chloe shakes her head, though she's smiling.]

I don't know about your world, but on my world they've been in color for under a hundred years - last century, living memory's not that old. Tell me what you learned about Texas is older than that.

[imaphantomthief]

Huh? How old are you?

[She sure doesn’t look 100 to him. But history clearly isn’t his best subject, so living history doesn’t ring any bells. Still, he wants to help out with what he knows. What old stuff is in Texas, again? Geography isn’t his best subject either. He runs his hands through his hair, messing it up a little while he’s thinking.]

Don’t they have clay huts? Those are always old, right? Ours are. The ones in Europe are too! People stopped living in the ground a long time ago when we figured out about flooding, right?

[mostlyprofessional]

Don't... ask a woman that question, kid. [But quickly moving on:] Living memory means there are people alive who remember it, not that that person is me.

But I'll give you the clay. Good, you learnt something in history class.

[imaphantomthief]

Right. Sorry.

[The apology comes easily and sincerely, even if it only distracts him for a moment before he’s back to the conversation at hand.]

Hey, it had to happen eventually. I’ve been going every day since primary. Well. I guess not as much this year. I bet it takes forever to learn it all anyway, right? There’s no point when I’ve only got two years left. I bet you studied for ages to know all that stuff.

( text )

[fettering]

DC is full of smithsonian museums! and it's relatively close to de chima, i think

sorry this is late! also text

[mostlyprofessional]

Oh, I think I've heard of those on my world - wasn't sure they'd be here, some things are so different.

Video

[namesaquestion]

You'd like Johto, back home. There's lots of history there.

sorry this is late! video

[mostlyprofessional]

[Chloe leans forward to the camera lens, eyes alight with interest.]

I'm not familiar with a Johto. What's your favorite part of its history?

video

[namesaquestion]

It's a region back home that is known as the birthplace of the pokeball, and home to a bunch of really powerful pokemon.

[mostlyprofessional]

Pokeball, pokemon... You've lost me.

[Which in her book is a good thing! She wants to learn.]

voice

[am_i_a_monster]

I wanted to climb Eagle Mountain back home. It's the highest point in Minnesota. Not all that high really.

And I wanted to see the Normal Chapel. It's supposed to be beautiful. It's not the U.S., but it is old.

sorry this is late! voice also

[mostlyprofessional]

What stopped you from doing either?

that's okay :) voice

[am_i_a_monster]

I was going to climb it with my mom. She passed away before we had the chance.

I had plans to see the Norman chapel with someone too. But he, um, that's a long story.

[mostlyprofessional]

I'm sorry.

[It's soft and awkward, but genuine - before she was ported in, Chloe had been following her long dead father's footsteps.]

Why not do it here, for her? Same with seeing the chapel for your long story.

[am_i_a_monster]

Thank you.

I might someday. When it doesn't feel so..

[She trails off. The first word she thinks of is tainted. But that might require more of an explanation, one that she's not sure she's ready to give.]

When it's not so painful.

[mostlyprofessional]

It can take a while, yeah.

[It took her years to pick up her father's trail, and not just because of timing and money and whatever lies she told herself over the years.]

In the meantime - you've got a whole new world, lots of new things to see even if you're from the same country. [Which she's guessing from Abigail's accent.]

[am_i_a_monster]

That's true.  Back home, I only saw Minnesota and a bit of Maryland. I've seen more here, the porter cities.  It's amazing the freedom we have here.

voice

[eloquentness]

You might want to check out Boston, whenever you go on that road trip of yours. It's one of the oldest cities in the country and has sights like the Freedom Trail...

Otherwise, I'm not entirely sure. De Chima isn't far from DC, so you could take a Porter there and hit up the Smithsonian.

voice

[mostlyprofessional]

[A quick Internet search later...]

Congratulations: 1600's and American Revolution sites on the Freedom Trail mean you've brought up the oldest site so far.

[Which she audibly finds amusing, albeit in an "I don't know what I expected" way.]

voice

[eloquentness]

I'm not surprised. There's a popular saying around here - for the rest of the world, a hundred miles is a long way, but for America, a hundred years is a long time.