Mmm. [ a light hum of agreement, a dragging pause for thought. ] I suppose you could say that. The place I'm from originally, it wasn't, but the other world made up for it.
[ after some debate, she settles on a piece of tiramisu, indicated with a twisting gesture and a light, yes, that one, before giving her attention back to her companion. ] I'm sure you've heard about it. Yes?
I have. Ah--thank you! [she takes her change and the treats in-hand, leading the way to a table by the window.
after arranging food and napkins:] Father Maxwell told me of it. The world that...sort of...precedes this one? In terms of...having such a similar situation.
[she frowns.]
No, but...can that be right? If this world's had its share of heroes for such a time...
[ Gone, now; erased and rewritten, like so many others. It's stupid to keep getting attached, when they leap forward like that. It's too easy to fall backwards into the gap between the old end and the new beginning, isn't it?
Ruka's expression is dour, but in her usual way; the only betrayal is a quirk at the corner of her mouth, and a slower blink, as she pushes those thoughts away. ]
The world he told you about is the one I knew, but he didn't know it as well as he might have acted.
Is there... something that confuses you? [ From the expression on Lucina's face, at least, it certainly seems so. ]
[it's pretty plain, too, by how she rubs at her temple.]
I vaguely remember some talk of heroes in the world long before us. Was that here? Or maybe that was more of what Father Maxwell spoke of in the other world?
[she plops her chin into said hand and sighs.]
I really am a terrible study...Kaneki goes to so much trouble, documenting so much, and every time I try to read it all my eyes glaze...
Sometimes it's hard to understand anything, when you're given too much at once; academics tend to write for academics. Maybe it'd be easier if I showed you.
[ She moves her plate to the side, digging into her purse for a small sketchpad and a pen. Open to a blank page, she sets the notebook on the table, and quickly draws a diagram.
At the top of the page, she draws two circles. In one, she puts a letter A. In the other, a letter B. As she talks, she draws a vertical line beneath each, stopping halfway down the page. ]
We can divide "our" imPort history across two worlds. The one where Lachesis came from, the one where she first "brought" us— [ Her pen taps the A-planet. ] —and the world where Lachesis "took" us, once that one was destroyed. [ Here, the B-planet. ]
For us, Lachesis's imPorts, our history started about ten years ago. We existed in that world for five years, and then it was destroyed. When it was destroyed, Lachesis opened a gateway, and she and the remaining imPorts of that first world crossed over— [ From the bottom of A's vertical line, she draws a sharp slash horizontal across the paper, creating an arrow, connecting it to the line beneath B. Her pen darkens the intersection point, and from there continues drawing the vertical line down the page. ] —to this world. ImPorts like me, and Senator Hundred, and Doctor Chilton, we arrived here almost five years ago. The rest of you joined us after that.
[ Her pen traces over the journey, darkening the line — half on A's line, then crossing to B's side, and then half on B's line, and back again. It looks a bit like a lightning bolt. The first half of B's line remains pale, untouched. ]
According to the history here, imPorts existed in this world before we did, and they were gone before we arrived. But they weren't Lachesis's imPorts, like we are.
[ The pen set aside, Ruka glances up to read the reaction on Lucina's face. ]
[when Ruka starts to draw, Lucina scoots her seat over so she's more at her side of the table to peer and watch, all while tearing a piece of her donut and popping it into her mouth, chewing behind her hand.
thank goodness she thought to explain with pictures; Lucina's a dreadful book-study, hence why all the pages upon pages Kaneki may have written still haven't sunken in when read alone.
her brow knits as she puts this information away in her mind.]
Then... [but why male models] Whose imPorts...were they? Or is that still a mystery?
[ Ruka shakes her head, trading her pen for her fork. ]
I couldn't tell you. It wasn't anything I was ever interested in. None of them had names I recognized, so it didn't seem likely any of them would come back.
[she makes a thoughtful, drawn-out sound, ending in a sigh as her chin comes to rest in her hand.]
And with the Outrealm gate positioned on my very own world...these sorts of things, these chances of passing realm to realm...it's far more likely than anyone would've thought. [tired jock-in-class sigh.]
Maybe that's just the natural order of some things. Whatever the case, it's clear it's high over my head.
It's complicated stuff. Even those genius-types that have had years to study this don't have a lot of answers, and those are the guys from worlds where skipping across dimensions is ordinary.
[ She means Stark. Seriously, fuck that guy in particular. ]
But that place... you're right, it was... very chaotic, most of the time. Things were rarely as steady there as they are here. It wasn't an easily acclimation.
[her mouth twitches a half-second smirk regarding the genius folks.]
If that's the case, then I'll certainly count this as much more of a blessing than I already do. More chaotic than this? I don't know how anyone could keep up...
... When we first arrived in that world, we were all concentrated in one city — a major city, with a civilian population in the millions. We all were assigned to live in one apartment building. There was no police force.
They'd... had one. But every one of them "mysteriously disappeared"—[ yes, she does the finger quotes ]—shortly before we arrived.
And none of us had any idea what was going on, and nobody was told what their powers were or how they'd changed, so... we were clueless, and in danger, all the time.
Gods. [she shakes her head, too, still baffled by the whole concept.] How could anyone keep up with such madness? People really are incredible. [not so much the lack of police; she's sure she'd have found a way to rally aid! or...rally to someone rallying aid.
it's the powers thing. if she hadn't known she could fly, and then suddenly went careening into the sky randomly...]
To tell the truth, we mostly didn't. It wasn't an easy place to live, even for the ones with more... ah, "heroic experience." All the information you're handed in this world, when you arrive, that's all stuff we had to figure out on our own.
Like... that we would resurrect, if we died. That if we disappeared, then maybe we were sent home. That people who had disappeared could come back. That they could return without their memories — and, sometimes, with them.
[ her head cants, and her fork digs a little at her tiramisu. ]
I don't mean to make the hardships of this world sound like they don't matter, but... it is kinder, I think. This place is kinder.
No, you...from where you stand, you make sense to say so. [she's still a bit woman-with-math over here, but it's starting to ebb. she's at least relieved that the level of madness Ruka experienced before is less of late.
while Ruka picks at her treat, Lucina glances out the window.]
How many more worlds out there could have such crazy things happen...If it's happened once or twice before, then why not thrice? Or more. [she rests her chin in her hand.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ after some debate, she settles on a piece of tiramisu, indicated with a twisting gesture and a light, yes, that one, before giving her attention back to her companion. ] I'm sure you've heard about it. Yes?
no subject
after arranging food and napkins:] Father Maxwell told me of it. The world that...sort of...precedes this one? In terms of...having such a similar situation.
[she frowns.]
No, but...can that be right? If this world's had its share of heroes for such a time...
no subject
[ Gone, now; erased and rewritten, like so many others. It's stupid to keep getting attached, when they leap forward like that. It's too easy to fall backwards into the gap between the old end and the new beginning, isn't it?
Ruka's expression is dour, but in her usual way; the only betrayal is a quirk at the corner of her mouth, and a slower blink, as she pushes those thoughts away. ]
The world he told you about is the one I knew, but he didn't know it as well as he might have acted.
Is there... something that confuses you? [ From the expression on Lucina's face, at least, it certainly seems so. ]
no subject
I vaguely remember some talk of heroes in the world long before us. Was that here? Or maybe that was more of what Father Maxwell spoke of in the other world?
[she plops her chin into said hand and sighs.]
I really am a terrible study...Kaneki goes to so much trouble, documenting so much, and every time I try to read it all my eyes glaze...
[the curse of being a goth jock.]
no subject
[ She moves her plate to the side, digging into her purse for a small sketchpad and a pen. Open to a blank page, she sets the notebook on the table, and quickly draws a diagram.
At the top of the page, she draws two circles. In one, she puts a letter A. In the other, a letter B. As she talks, she draws a vertical line beneath each, stopping halfway down the page. ]
We can divide "our" imPort history across two worlds. The one where Lachesis came from, the one where she first "brought" us— [ Her pen taps the A-planet. ] —and the world where Lachesis "took" us, once that one was destroyed. [ Here, the B-planet. ]
For us, Lachesis's imPorts, our history started about ten years ago. We existed in that world for five years, and then it was destroyed. When it was destroyed, Lachesis opened a gateway, and she and the remaining imPorts of that first world crossed over— [ From the bottom of A's vertical line, she draws a sharp slash horizontal across the paper, creating an arrow, connecting it to the line beneath B. Her pen darkens the intersection point, and from there continues drawing the vertical line down the page. ] —to this world. ImPorts like me, and Senator Hundred, and Doctor Chilton, we arrived here almost five years ago. The rest of you joined us after that.
[ Her pen traces over the journey, darkening the line — half on A's line, then crossing to B's side, and then half on B's line, and back again. It looks a bit like a lightning bolt. The first half of B's line remains pale, untouched. ]
According to the history here, imPorts existed in this world before we did, and they were gone before we arrived. But they weren't Lachesis's imPorts, like we are.
[ The pen set aside, Ruka glances up to read the reaction on Lucina's face. ]
Does this make sense?
no subject
thank goodness she thought to explain with pictures; Lucina's a dreadful book-study, hence why all the pages upon pages Kaneki may have written still haven't sunken in when read alone.
her brow knits as she puts this information away in her mind.]
Then... [but why male models] Whose imPorts...were they? Or is that still a mystery?
no subject
I couldn't tell you. It wasn't anything I was ever interested in. None of them had names I recognized, so it didn't seem likely any of them would come back.
no subject
And with the Outrealm gate positioned on my very own world...these sorts of things, these chances of passing realm to realm...it's far more likely than anyone would've thought. [tired jock-in-class sigh.]
Maybe that's just the natural order of some things. Whatever the case, it's clear it's high over my head.
no subject
[ She means Stark. Seriously, fuck that guy in particular. ]
But that place... you're right, it was... very chaotic, most of the time. Things were rarely as steady there as they are here. It wasn't an easily acclimation.
no subject
If that's the case, then I'll certainly count this as much more of a blessing than I already do. More chaotic than this? I don't know how anyone could keep up...
no subject
At all.
[ she is still so tired. ]
no subject
stare some more. swallow.]
A...a city of a larger scope than this? But-- [blink. grimace.] How? Wouldn't the citizens rally to...to reform one?
[woman with math dot jpeg]
no subject
They'd... had one. But every one of them "mysteriously disappeared"—[ yes, she does the finger quotes ]—shortly before we arrived.
And none of us had any idea what was going on, and nobody was told what their powers were or how they'd changed, so... we were clueless, and in danger, all the time.
no subject
it's the powers thing. if she hadn't known she could fly, and then suddenly went careening into the sky randomly...]
no subject
Like... that we would resurrect, if we died. That if we disappeared, then maybe we were sent home. That people who had disappeared could come back. That they could return without their memories — and, sometimes, with them.
[ her head cants, and her fork digs a little at her tiramisu. ]
I don't mean to make the hardships of this world sound like they don't matter, but... it is kinder, I think. This place is kinder.
no subject
while Ruka picks at her treat, Lucina glances out the window.]
How many more worlds out there could have such crazy things happen...If it's happened once or twice before, then why not thrice? Or more. [she rests her chin in her hand.]
Somewhere, this is commonplace for all...
[somewhere called the DCU]