video

[survival_isnt_living]

…remarkable, if there were some way to—

[Whatever the thought is, it’s cut off with a pensive hum, and a few moments later the feed clicks from audio to video. A handsome young man peers rather bemusedly at the screen.] I suppose anyone’s wanderlust should be satisfied by a location this… unconventional.

If what they say is true, though—about this place being between states of life and death, or really awake and dreaming—does that mean someone dreamed of all this? [He smiles faintly, his bright green eyes sparkling with mildly sardonic humor.] I think I’d like to speak to whoever did. Find out what else they might dream up.

[Beat.

Very clearly unable to stop himself:]

Are there only the five sectors of the city? I would have expected one for wind.

Comments

[video]

[stickshift]

[She smiles. Obviously a new arrival, so...]

I thought so, too. But I believe the locals here have a different view of the elements than some of the rest of us.

I'm Asami. Did you get settled in all right?

[video]

[survival_isnt_living]

[She gets a smile in return.]

Reasonably, considering the... uncomfortable trip in.

[Pause, then:] Sep. It's a pleasure. You've been here a while?

[video]

[stickshift]

It's lovely to meet you, Sep.

[And then she makes a little noise of affirmation.]

Longer than anyone, I think. Almost three months now.

[audio]

[emasculates]

It means that they expect us to believe that we are dreaming. Not the reverse.

[video]

[survival_isnt_living]

[Mildly:] It was presented as a little more than that. Besides, it would still beg the question, I think.

[video]

[emasculates]

These people are not forthcoming with answers. You will be 'begging' a while.

[She says that word with marked disdain. Yes, yes, English turn of phrase etc but she still dislikes it.]

[video]

[hackingyoursensors]

I always assumed it was a state of being in between all of those other states of being. It's a little hard to say; the kedan are nice, but not so generous with information.

And the elements seem to line up with Chinese philosophy, where they don't include wind.

[video]

[survival_isnt_living]

If it is between those, it still has the possibility that someone dreamed it.

[He pauses slightly.] ...Though as I think about it, that's disconcerting as well.

[Another, far more noticeable pause.] ...Chinese?

[video]

[hackingyoursensors]

It's a possibility. I just hope it's not the reality.

Yeah. [Oh, alternate worlds] It's a country in Asia. Keeliai has some aspects of Chinese culture.

video;

[flawedgoods]

[Interesting theory, Gaius.]

You think that someone dreamed this place into existence, rather than being in a place where dreams are?

video;

[survival_isnt_living]

Is there a difference?

[After a moment, though, he laughs.]

I honestly don't know, though. Just testing out ideas, see what they feel like.

video;

[flawedgoods]

It doesn't seem a poor way of starting to reason out the unknown.

[She manages a small smile.]

I wouldn't know myself. I left the nature of dreams and visions to those of Gentian House.

video

[sophos]

I'm not sure it's all one person's giant dream. It seems too real for that.

video

[survival_isnt_living]

One person might have had to start it, though.

[He smiles ruefully.] I admit, I didn't expect the question to take quite such a philosophical bent. I should have, I know.

video

[sophos]

I like philosophy, so I was probably a little predisposed to going that route.

video;

[trainwrecked]

Well. Where I come from, people used to believe the earth was on top of elephants that stood on top of a giant turtle swimming in the cosmos, so I don't think nobody has dreamed of it, one way or another.

But I kinda don't think they'd be here.

video;

[survival_isnt_living]

...Elephants?

[Sorry, Bucky, you lost him about there.]

video;

[trainwrecked]

Just to clarify. Is this disbelief or do you not know what that is?

[flytoohigh]

[ New best friend because you brought up Wind. ]

I was gonna say the same thing! I should have my own damn sector, just for me, the Wing King!

[survival_isnt_living]

[An eyebrow goes way, way up.

...Well then.]

The Wind King?

[flytoohigh]

That's right! Well, former Wind King. Also Storm King, and Sky King. When you're as big as me, one title isn't enough.

video;

[storm_warning]

Wind's kind of hard to contain to one Sector. And it's not exactly the best building material.

[Ororo says this with the voice of Experience (tm), a foot braced on the seat of her chair and her elbow resting on her knee.]

video;

[survival_isnt_living]

To be fair, while water can be contained, it doesn't make the best building material either. Same with fire.

And they're sort of present everywhere.

[And a voice of Experience (tm) answers. He looks slightly wary, however. White hair carries... bad connotations right now, even if she doesn't look much like a Marat otherwise...]

[plumlucky]

That's a deep thought, us living in someone else's dream.

[survival_isnt_living]

Assuming they weren't lying about the between-states, an argument could be made we're all living in each other's dreams.