voidtreckernet | Video day 23 to everywhere- from cabin 4:D

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Video day 23 to everywhere- from cabin 4:D

[Taiki is sat on the bench in the small cabin, looking straight at the camera with a very serious expression. Despite the fact that speaking to so many people, even over a video is a terrifying concept and despite the cloud of sadness that still clings to him nothing shows on his face. He looks perfectly calm, though he doesn't smile as he begins.]

Good morning. I apologise for disturbing you all. I was handed this ballot. [He holds it up.] Unfortunately I disappeared for a little while and so I have missed any run up to this election. [At least he understands the concept of an election, even if political science wasn't exactly a subject he had paid much attention to in school.]

I am still relatively new to this train and so I don't know most of the people on this list. I don't feel I can cast a vote without knowing what the candidates stand for and so, though I apologise if it is covering ground that was covered whilst I was away, I would like to know something of each candidate.

Thank you for your time.

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Hello Nita. [Her's was one of the names he did know.]

That is very helpful of you. I can come around now, um... If that isn't too much trouble.

[Nita shakes her head, still smiling.]

It isn't, I promise. I was thinking more of heading to yours, in fact.

[The journal pages will be as readable in one cabin as in another.]

Oh. That's fine. I'll let you in... [He pads over to the door as he speaks, it won't take her long after all.]

[Nita appears shortly with a very full journal. In it are the contents of the Network that Nita's been around to see for the past few weeks. The campaign speeches are bookmarked.]

Here you go, Taiki! And you can ask me questions about other stuff related to the election, as well. I may not have all the answers, but I should know who we can ask.

[Which could be a great help in and of itself.]

Thank you. [He takes the journal, impressed with how full it is considering she only arrived at the same time as he did.

His journal is mostly filled with drawings, a way to fill the time when he had been well enough to sit up but not much else.

He is silent as he reads through the speeches. She must have an impressive memory and a fast hand to have written it all down.

It is useful to have what has been said so far, he reads them all but then rereads hers.] Guarding what grows and lives...

[Let's just say Nita's had a hell of a lot of practice doing archive work by ear - and some assistance.

Nita's mind turns towards other things for a time, but her attention's called back in time when Taiki flips back to her entry again.]

...Setting aside fear for courage, and death for life.

[Nita looks away briefly, before turning back with a wan smile on her face.]

Not all parts of the Oath are going to be relevant for any given situation, but that one there was the one that suited the moment best. And what we're doing here in general, really.

[Fear for courage, death for life. Both of those sounded very noble goals instead.]

You seek to save others. Do... [He swallows and looks back down for a moment.]

[Nita can't tell the question on his mind - she's an oracular, not a mind reader! - but she looks at him curiously, and gives him time to put his thoughts to words.]

[He just gives a nervous smile and a shrug.] How long have you been a wizard for?

That's-

[Nita has to think back for a moment.]

Okay, not counting my time in Nautilus, which was five years... I took the Oath three years ago, and even though I'm still in school I've been busy with it ever since.

[Even being a wizard can't get her out of exams, on her world.]

Not counting time? [He looks confused. Three years ago but not counting five years?

Not much got you out of exams, if her world was anything like the earth he knew.]

[Nita nods. And oooh boy, they could commiserate!]

When I was there, I was able to go right back to my world, at the exact time and place I'd left.

And no one else from home was really able to know anything was happening, so it was as if the time in Nautilus hadn't happened, in most respects.

"Time travel..."

He sounds surprised, she had been on a different world but could go to her own, back to the time she had come from.

Three seconds into thinking about it he had a headache, time travel was complicated.

"It's a headache and a half," Nita confirms.

"Even back home, time travel's a whole thing, but you have to take all sorts of precautions..." she trails off, shaking her head.

"Then there was the whole 'being trapped in your own head' aspect, with being Awake. Do not recommend."

"Being awake?"

Trapped in your own head sounded terrifying. But he felt she meant more than normal waking when she spoke of being awake. And if it had anything to do with time travel than it would probably be complicated.

"Aware on and of a more metaphysical level of existence," Nita explained.

"That's the only way I know of to describe a Dreamer becoming a Wakened, anyway. You can still feel your Unawakened self's thoughts, but you can't control what you're doing. The timeline and everything else in it is fixed."

Definitely not recommended.

His face turned to horror as she explained. Being in your own mind, unable to change anything that was happening, or control your actions at all.

"But... Who was controlling you?" If they did not control themselves.

"Myself," Nita said.

"Or my Unawake self. It still felt like both 'me's had free will, making our own decisions - but if I thought something was wrong, I couldn't communicate that."

The Powers did not wish to have a universe full of puppets - even if the hierarchy of Wakened undermined that somewhat.

"Time still passed normally when I was there, though; one second per second."

"Oh." He blinked at her, "Sorry... That sounds scary." It must have been a terrible thing to experience. To be both in control and not. To not be able to change course, despite knowing something was wrong.

"It was," Nita admitted softly.

"But if I wasn't a Dreamer first, then I couldn't have been Awake to begin with!"

One thing begets another.

"And eventually both 'me's became one me, once the Call to Wake wasn't needed anymore. So it worked out, sort of."

"I see." He sort of does. But he's still sort of confused. Nita's life sounded very complicated but she seems to understand it and that is the important thing.

She is not of his world, either of the worlds he knows and so just as the two worlds he knows are always unknowable to each other so are the other worlds of those on the train. He can hear their stories but there will always be things he does not understand.

"I am glad... That it worked out for you."

If Nita's life were ever not complicated over something, she'd start to think something was up.

She gave a small, sad smile.

"Thanks, Taiki."

Turning again to look back at him properly, she asked, "Anything else you wanted to know?"

It wouldn't bother her to be asked more questions, sad or disturbing as the memories got sometimes.

He nodded at her, sadly before changing to a shake of the head. "No. Thank you for showing me the speeches."

It had been very helpful, he feels he has a much better idea than he did before posting the video, about this upcoming election.

Nita gave one more nod before getting up.

"You can keep the journal for now if you want."

Just as long as she did get it back, but it wasn't urgent.

"It's okay.." He smiled and held it out to her. "I think I can remember what they said."

His memory wasn't brilliant by any means, but it wasn't bad either.

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unfavorableinstigation - 2020-04-19 20:21 (UTC) - Expand

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longforgottenpromise - 2020-04-20 03:46 (UTC) - Expand

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Video day 23 to everywhere- from cabin 4:D

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[Action] 'To not be able to change course...' /stares at the train

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wrap?

I think so, yes!

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