What was wrong with her? This wasn’t like her. She should treat that like it was the stupid question that it was… and yet she couldn’t bring herself to. She still felt oddly soft when it came to Bo. Which made her angry. It was time for General Ainsley to be out, not Jerica. How was he talking to Jerica right now?
Ridiculous.
“… normal.” She shrugged. “Better than whatever bullshit we just came from.”
That wasn’t helpful. Rek gave her a moment, and when she didn’t elaborate, he offered, “If we’re going by the terms used in the simulation, kind of medieval. Kingdoms and the like.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Ooooh, medieval, okay, okay," Mel said with a nod as she tried to mull this over, staring at their Beirania portal. It didn't look that peaceful since people were fighting. "So, like, swords and knights and stuff. What's with the setting over there? Are you at war?"
“Nah.” Jerica shook her head. “We already sent them home with their tails tucked. That’s just normal training now.”
Rek nodded in agreement. It was a multi-month stalemate before a grudging reparation from the Nykerians, but, well, he doubted anyone expected Jerica to tell a story without inflating it. That part of her stayed constant.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
“But they usually are anticipated, at least a bit.” He looked at Mel. “And there’s nothing brewing that we’re aware of. We just keep a strong military to be ready. A lot of the kings close to Atraya are dumb.”
“Well…” Jerica looked over at him with raised eyebrows. Their dear old uncle was dumb too. And she’d say it to his face. She had said it to his face.
“… a lot of kings are stupid in general,” he allowed.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Mel tried to take it all in. Okay, so Jerica and Rek were literally from another planet, but it sounded like a medieval version of Earth. They fought with archaic weapons, prepared for imperialistic wars, and were ruled by kings. There were more questions to be asked, but first...
"What about you, James?" she asked, turning towards him. "What's your world like?"
Maybe it was the uncertainty. Maybe it was the utter lack of comprehensive explanations about the other worlds. Maybe it was the minutes ticking away too quickly, breathing down their necks as a threat to indecision.
He’d been tracking with every word as the others went back and forth, discussing their options, but when he was suddenly directly addressed, he froze.
Staring blankly at Mel, he hesitated for a moment.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to return to Nye. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to any other world either. But there was a strange part of him that felt responsible for his answer, because it could welcome one of the others to his world. On behalf of Nye, he didn’t want to direct a group of strangers to it that could cause more havoc than it had already suffered.
“My world… to use the language of the simulation, which is our only common ground, is likely something you’d read of in a fantasy book,” James said slowly. “It’s filled with dangerous magic, and scarred by conflict - the result of wars, natural disasters, monsters, famine, and sickness. Human civilization is spread thin, and we do not have some of the convenient comforts of some of your other earths. By way of technology, we are far less advanced. Gunpowder, for example, exists, but is only available to the wealthy. To live outside of the walls of a city is to be on your own, against the forces of nature, which can be comparably harsher to earth, especially if it is foreign to you. Culturally… there are many nuances that would be too difficult to explain at this time. But it would be very foreign to all of you, if I understand you all correctly.”
Pausing, he flicked his eyes around the room at everyone.
“My people are accustomed to adversity,” he said. “For most, it is their lot it in life. That is what Nye is like.”
Jerica and Rek were military. Lordy was a king, and Bo seemed content in his own life. Mel, Evaline, and Elias were all from the same Earth, though the last two were silent right now and the first hadn't offered much about what her version of Earth was like.
Morri was a ghost. Daniel knew that. He had seen how ghostly Morri was in the room they had first awoken in. It was a hard truth to stomach, but it was a truth that was impossible to ignore.
Then there was James.
James, who didn't seem all that fond of his world. James, who only really described how difficult his world was and how the people of his world were used to the challenge. Daniel wanted to offer to take both James and Morri back to his home. He was sure Benji would get used to the idea. James was already their roommate before, and a ghost would fit in perfectly with their mansion's future inhabitants.
"You could-" Daniel started to say, but then he paused.
He...didn't really know a lot about James, now that he thought about it. He didn't know a lot about anyone here, besides Benji and maybe Morri and Lordy. Even Jerica and Rek mentioning a war back in their realm didn't really help. Wars were complicated things, and all that Daniel knew about theirs was that they had been the victor.
Daniel took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to say something, but then Benji beat him to it.
"...We don't know anything about each other," Benji said. It was a simple statement, but it held a weight to it. Maybe it was because it was the realization that Daniel guessed everyone else had to be thinking, too.
"We weren't exactly given a lot of time to get to know each other," Bo answered. "That might've been deliberate. We've probably got fifty minutes now, maybe less. But before we move on to more personal stuff, I think it'd be good to hear from those who still haven't shared their experiences with what their worlds are like yet."
Looking to Elias, and then Evaline, Bo raised his brows.
"Elias, you've been pretty quiet. Evaline too. What's your guys' world like?"
Elias was aware of his surroundings. He was aware that he was in space, surrounded by his friends discussing their different worlds - all because they were given a mission. A directive.
One door. One world. You get to choose.
That was all Elias could think about as he barely listened to Mel take lead of the conversation, and barely paid attention as the others talked. The one time he actively listened was when James described his world, Nye, in great detail. Elias was able to get a slight sense of all the other worlds, but hearing more about them in detail helped Elias imagine it. Really, truly imagine it. Like he was living in it.
Elias couldn't help but continually gaze at the simulation portal. He could go back. He could. But was it even real? Was any of this real?
But to be perfectly honest, Elias didn't really care. This felt real enough.
Suddenly he was name-dropped by Bo, and for a second he had to stare at him as his mind lagged behind, trying to take in his words.
He asked him and Evaline about Earth. Their Earth.
Elias hesitantly glanced at Evaline, who was staying silent and refusing to even look at him. He didn't really know what to make of that... or any of this, really.
He cleared his throat when it became clear that everyone was waiting for him to speak.
"Our Earth is..." He faltered, trying to think of positive highlights. "Well... everyone has powers. There are animals, good and bad. Cities. Government. People. It's not perfect, but..."
Elias trailed off, eyeing the simulation portal again. He was hoping he could first learn more about everyone's worlds and where his fiends wanted to go, but since he had the spotlight, maybe it was best to just be honest. It was always best to be honest from the start
"If we can choose where to go... I'd like to go somewhere else," he said slowly. "I don't really have too much of a preference where."
That was a small lie. He glanced at Mel again, who was looking up at him with big sympathetic eyes. If he had it his way, he'd follow her wherever she went, and they'd stick together forever. But he knew that was an impossible ask, and he wanted her to choose freely.
Bo hummed softly in the back of his throat and leaned back on his seat, thinking for a moment.
“If you wanted to come to my world,” Bo offered. “I’d be happy to help you get adjusted, and I could show you around and what not. We were roommates before, in a way, you know. Nuance. But if you’re looking for a clean slate, you wouldn’t be going in alone.”
Daniel glanced over at Benji. Elias coming to their world didn't make as much sense as someone like Morri or James, but Elias was a good person in the simulation. He hadn't done anything outside of it to hint at him being different outside of it. If they approached the subject carefully enough, Elias would hopefully be understanding.
Hopefully being the key word.
Benji gave the smallest of nods.
"You could also come to our Earth," Daniel offered. "We have extra rooms at our house, and I could always make more of them."
Evaline tried her best to list what she knew about the situation. She was silently listening to everyone, taking in their words and figuring out what decision they would all make, and what kind of person they really were.
She didn't really know what to make of Lordshire and Morrigan. Lordshire seemed more calm and collected than his simulation self, but there was still something uncanny about him. It didn't surprise her that he was a ruler and king. That amount of power could change people, and often not for the better.
Morrigan was a different story. He often spoke in poetic analogies, and Evaline couldn't help but wonder if he was literally dead or if he was in a situation where he may die if he returned. She didn't know what to truly think of that. She wasn't sure she wanted to.
Rek and Jerica were interesting. Jerica especially seemed more reserved, not wanting to share the details of her world. Evaline felt the same way. At the same time, Evaline wasn't sure she even wanted to really know of their world. It wasn't Earth, and it sounded needlessly and violent and archaic.
Daniel and Benji seemed sincere but also unnaturally inviting. At a high level, it seemed that their Earth was a combination of her Earth and the simulation, but she couldn't be sure. She didn't know what they really meant by the supernatural and cryptids. Evaline was especially wary that they were eager to find a solution to see each other again in the future. They didn't really know them.
Bo seemed more or less the same, but older. If Evaline knew him better, she may even go as far to say that he was like an older version of his simulation self. He seemed grounded and genuine, but she was also wary of that.
And then there was James. He had told her a little bit about Nye, and now had the opportunity to hear a more detailed version - this time without her condescension. As James described his world, she couldn't help but feel her heart drop a little bit because she was beginning to feel the weight of her previous words as she better understood the situation they were in.
There was a villain who brought them here, yes. But there was no other catch. There were no stakes. There were no evil and nefarious intentions.
There was only one intention here: to pick their own fate.
For the first time since she woke up, Evaline could see a very real possibility of living a peaceful life. And if she dared to imagine further, she could see a very real possibility of including her friends... and of James.
But that thought had only surfaced for a brief moment. It was still buried within the murky waters of her mind, and she didn't allow herself to dream too much. Not with this many people watching. She didn't really know anyone. Not Mel. Not James. Not Elias.
Just being in the room with Elias felt suffocating. The tension was so thick and so strong, it almost felt like it was strangling her. She never thought she'd see him like this again, nevertheless in this circumstance. Evaline wanted to be angry and she wanted to do something... but what was there to do? She could ignore him some more and they could go to different worlds. He didn't even want to return to his own world. What did that mean? Would that mean she would never see him again if she returned? How would this affect her fate? It would... be better. Right?
She felt her folded arms tighten across her chest as she watched the interaction play out with Elias, Daniel, and Bo. They had offered him a chance to escape with them. She couldn't even begin to describe what emotion she was feeling right now. Vengeful anger? Hatred? Jealousy? She didn't know, and she didn't care to know.
Elias looked to be in a daze and his eyes glossed over from their words. "That would be nice," he said softly in appreciation to Bo, Daniel, and Benji. "What's it like over there?"
Bo hummed. He supposed, he hadn't actually given a thorough answer to the whole "what's your world like" question.
How to describe earth?
"Well," Bo said. "That's a bit of a complex question, I guess. But we'll start with this: there's no magic and no special powers. And anyone who does have that stuff came to the world by magical means but isn't from there. So like, if you were to come, and you have powers, it wouldn't be because you're from Earth. You know?
"As for the world as a whole, there's a bunch of different countries on different continents each with their own unique types of governments. Each of them has its flaws but some are better, and some are worse. I live in a country called the United States, which is just as it sounds. A bunch of states, which are just like, smaller, sectioned-off territories. But when I say smaller, understand that the world like, geographically, is still very big. There's a ton of it - namely the oceans, but some other places too - that's still largely unexplored.
"Insofar as the experience of the world is where I'm from which is all I can speak about personally, I think you could really just imagine the world from the simulation, but take away the structure of being in a school. People can get all sorts of jobs, and it's by no means an entirely painless existence without struggle but I mean, people get by. Life goes on. I, for example, work as a chef. My fiancée - or uh, partner, if that's a foreign word - is a doctor. I'm sure you could find something up your alley, but you're welcome to stay with us until you get on your feet."
He paused, brushing his bearded chin in thought.
"Integrating you into society might take a little finagling as far as official records with the government go. Like birth certificates and whatnot. But that can all be arranged. People do it all the time.
"I wish we had more time, though. I'd explain a lot more, but that's the gist of it. Unless you have any specific questions or concerns."
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