tushanshu | Video

[From the moment the feed began, Zatanna's surroundings were a little more visible than usual. The Welcome Center, with her leaning slightly back. Clearly prepared to get comfortable if necessary. As if she planned on sitting there for a while.]

Hey, everyone.

[And to start, she waved at the camera. Master of showmanship, this one.]

Okay, so, most of you probably at least recognize my face by now. Because if not, I'm so not doing my job properly.

I'm Zatanna. I run the Welcome Center, and...well, let's just say there's a reason for that. I've kind of been here a while. Like, a really long while. Including that year we all spent in the Dreaming Realm...probably more than five years by now. Man, time sure does fly when you adjust to your kidnapping, huh?

[Jokes aside...]

A lot's happened in that time. I mean, we're talking everything from zombies to ghost possessions to baby turtles dream-hopping to people's powers getting all messed up. We used to have Emperors, you know. Like an actual monarchy. Oh, and that whole thing with the shell starting to glow? Yeah, that's definitely not new, though I haven't seen it since Ast--I mean, the Great Turtle was busy not being in a coma.

So, yeah, I guess if anybody has any questions on that sort of thing, I'm here to answer them as best as I can. I mean, I figured, share the wealth, you know? Since you all deserve to know what kind of place you were brought to, and how this whole thing all started in the first place.

((ooc: As I mentioned here, I did recently put together a basic list of plot-relevant events of the past for newcomers to check out. But here's a chance for your characters to get in on the story IC. Not ALL of it, of course, and these stories will be told from Zatanna's IC perspective, which can sometimes be a bit misleading or even missing information...but fellow Turtle Veterans are also welcome to join in on conversations. Mix and mingle and possibly threadjack at will!))

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[It was a good question. A very good question. One that she not only had to pause to think about, but even then...didn't have a solid answer.]

I don't know.

[A few years back, someone had asked her the same thing. And she'd been a lot more certain then.]

The way things work here...the people who've all come from my time...

Even when our memories were all mismatched, there were always certain things that lined up. Meaning that, even though we came from different points in time, they were those same points in time that everyone else from that world agreed with.

But then...I've also met people from a parallel world. Same people, but different things happening at different points in time. I wouldn't even be the same age as most of my friends in these other worlds.

So...I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not.

[China waits patiently, giving Zatanna the time to think through it. It's a philosophical question, after all.]

Knowledge of the future typically changes what will happen, after all. But we forget.

[It's effectively the same thing Zatanna just said: maybe, maybe not.]

And it's a different problem entirely from parallel worlds. Judging by our own.

[Forward, not sideways.]

I've taken us somewhat afield, haven't I? Hm.

[She doesn't sound particularly concerned, just noting it.]

[In response, Zatanna shugged. She, too, didn't seem overly concerned by the deviation.]

Hey, I said I would answer questions, didn't I?

And this was...sort of relevant. In a way. Since it involves a type of magic that someone from this world could once do.

So you did.

[A pause for consideration.]

There truly aren't very many mages here, are there.

There've been a handful, here and there, over the last couple of years.

And I know Raine's been trying her best to get the magic word out more.

[So they weren't the only ones.]

[Ah, yes, the Sage woman.]

Clearly magic and the capability for it does exist here. It simply... isn't used, in many instances.

Theories?

[A couple, actually.]

Well, either this world is like back home, where only those with the proper bloodline can perform true magic...or else everyone who knew of the traditions and the like died out.

Maybe both.

A little of both does look more likely; don't those bloodlines still exist, after all?

And this world is hard on mages, by what you yourself have told me.

[She sighed.]

You have no idea how badly I wish I could say that's not true, but...yeah, it seems that way.

What a pity.

[Spite it by teaching sigils to as many kedan as she can, or keep her secrets? Decisions, decisions.]

One last thing, for now. Do you have any idea why it might be that you've stayed so long, where others have not?

[Again, not so simple a question. She couldn't even give a solid no.]

Could be any number of reasons.

Either because of my magic, or the fact that I deliberately chose to stay after the Malicant fight. Maybe they're having a harder time sending me back, considering where I was at the time. Or it could be dumb luck.

I'm so glad we've narrowed that down.

[Well, it isn't like she was expecting much of an answer. The spell seems to be inscrutable to everyone.]

[Her eyes did narrow a little at that, less appreciative of the sarcasm, given the topic of conversation.]

Well, if you've got any ideas as to how we can resurrect Eshai and somehow convince her to answer questions she wouldn't even answer when she was still alive...I'm all ears.

I'm hardly about to advocate necromancy, my dear.

[Necromancers are mostly not worth the time to deal with.]

Are there any reasons you've genuinely ruled out?

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