tushanshu | 001

[Mera looks less than pleased as she stands in front of the terminal, arms folded over her chest. It's probably about time she spoke to people herself but she's not happy about it. Gotta try to be less grouchy than Arthur though]

I really do not appreciate being plucked out of the sea like some kind of fish. I don't appreciate being tossed into a cart after being plucked from the sea either. I'm not a trout waiting to be sold in a market. [She's really just complaining because this is weird. Better to complain than to seem lost]

Did if ever occur to anyone that I might be happier in the sea? No, of course not. Why would you ask someone if they would rather stay in the water than be brought up onto land.

[She lets out a calming breath, pinching the bridge of her nose]

I'm sorry. Being irritated really won't help anything and it's not the point right now anyway. What I want to know is how many people here are familiar with Atlantis, have heard of it or are even from there? I know my husband has already spoken to some of you but I want to speak to you myself. It's not all that important but I'm curious. [She considers asking about the Justice League too but she knows that some of Arthur's "friends" are rather secretive. That might not be received well]

That's it, I suppose. This is nonsense...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well I can imagine it's not something people talk about very often around here. [That first name is definitely Atlantean. This girl is blonde though and Mera is pretty sure it's rare for blonde Atlantean babies to be born. At least for blonde Atlantean babies to be born and survive beyond their first few hours]

Nice to meet you. Now this is just a guess judging from the name and the gills but...you're from Atlantis, aren't you?

Yep! You have no idea how many people are all "but I thought it was a myth!" No, dude, I'm standing right in front of you.

[Arthur and Mera are going to have a much easier time of it because of Nita's wide-ranging cultural awareness lessons.]

I've gotten that before. Even people who have met Arthur and I face to face don't always believe it's true. They probably think we're crazy and just making stories up. It gets old after a while, doesn't it?

Well, it never really happened back home.

[Invade New York a few times and suddenly everyone believes you exist.]

Ah then you're the one Arthur mentioned who is from Atlantis but a different Atlantis than us. Alternate universes and dimensions and all that.

That's me!

[Hi!]

I was the only one 'til you guys showed up. Haven't found any signs of habitation on the coupla times I've been able to reach the seafloor, either. The ocean's not as wrecked as the surface, but it's still not in great shape.

Well then it's nice to meet you.

[Hmm]

That's disappointing. I guess wherever we are isn't near Atlantis' location in the ocean. Then again, considering we're apparently not even in reality that's not that surprising. Or whatever it is you want to call this place.

There might not even be an Atlantis in this universe.

There might not be. Who knows. All I've learned so far is that this isn't where I was and that apparently there are all these limitations on swimming.

Yeah, there's a barrier like half a mile in all directions.

[Trust her. She's tested all directions. More than once.]

That's disappointing. Though not surprising. I wouldn't expect kidnappers to make anything easy for us.

It knocks you out like hitting a brick wall if you're moving fast enough.

[Like, say, Nita's top speed in the water, ahem.]

[Mera makes a face. Well, that sucks. Better tell Arthur not to try that and actually make him listen]

Well, thank you. You've been very helpful. Actually, now that I've thought of it has anyone ever tried hitting the barrier with something? Something hard? [Like hardened water, for example?]

Edited 2013-02-21 23:31 (UTC)

It's not a physical thing. It's psychic, or magic, or something intangible like that. If you're going slowly, you can feel it creeping up on you and you have time to turn around. If you're, uh, really eager to be leaving, it hits you all at once. It KOed me and Superboy like were were human.

[Excellent choice of analogy, Nita. Not at all inflammatory.]

Well that does complicate things a bit, doesn't it? Nevermind my idea then. [Damn it] I guess for the time being I'll just have to settle in.

There are worse places to be trapped. I've been in my share of cages, and the gilding makes a difference.

[You start your existences as a sidekick, you spend a lot of time tied to railroad tracks.]

So have I. And I have to admit, by comparison this isn't that bad. [Compared to that time Arthur's not!clone held her captive in some weird pocket dimension. Or the months she spent as a drugged figurehead in Atlantis] Still, I don't like being forced to stay anywhere. But I suppose it doesn't do much good to complain.

I'm sure there's something totally fishy at the heart of this [she's kinda smirking at that particular surface idiom] but you've gotta be careful poking around. The Emperor is definitely holding the high cards right now.

Oh, I'm sure there is too. There always is. [Oh you] But for now I have no intention of drawing attention to myself. Better to quietly gather information than snoop around and possibly get myself killed.

[That's remarkably prudent. Are you sure you're Atlantean?]

Maybe convince Arthur of that?

[She doesn't even know what he's like; she's just assuming because he's a king of Atlantis.]

[Mera laughs at that because wow it's like you know Arthur already]

Easier said than done, unfortunately. But I think he's going to try to behave for the time being.

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