halflived | second | voice + action

[The day starts like any other since he started working at Seventh Heaven a month back: go in, open up and prepare what he has to, make the food for the morning customers. Aleos has learned to take it all in stride, and once the number of people starts to dwindle down he takes time to rest against the counter, fiddling with his journal. There was something that had been bothering him since before he arrived, and now... It's a good time as any to ask, isn't it? So he takes a few deep breaths and starts to speak, hoping he doesn't sound too much look a fool.]

voice.

What does a name mean to you? Almost everyone has them, but it's not exactly uncommon to go by a nickname, or another name altogether. The latter part of the group interests me a little more—why did you not keep your original name?

... Why didn't you change your name? [He must sound so stupid with this, and he shakes his head a little in frustration. Public speaking wasn't his strongest suit.]

And if you've had enough hearing about that, I guess I'll take the time to ask about a fighting instructor, or partner. Self-defense, firearms and a little swordsmanship, that's what I know. But I'm not calling myself an experienced fighter.

[That should be good enough. Once he's received some answers and dealt with anyone lingering in the restaurant as his shift ends, he'll be heading out to go mill about the battle dome, observing anyone using the rooms but not in a hurry to go in himself, if at all.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... Daria, all right. [She has no idea how much effort it took to not add 'Miss' in front of that, except for the way he hesitated before repeating her name.]

You really don't care otherwise?

Let's just say I don't tend to stand on ceremony.

But since we're asking, what should I call you, then?

I suppose so. As for me... you can call me Aleos, for now.

[Yep, guess who has some issues with his name.]

Aleos, then. [No skin off her back. It could be the fakest name to ever fake, and she probably wouldn't care much.]

So how long have you been in this madhouse?

[It's only half fake depending on how you look at it.]

Me? Since January, why do you ask?

I'm just trying to figure out if there's any rhyme or reason to this whole thing. [Which isn't much of an answer, but she means she's trying to make it all make sense, and curious simple questions like that have been what's helped her notice arrival cycles, for one.]

You mean you're trying to psychoanalyze me because I asked about this? [It's a little amusing honestly, he can't have been the first to have asked about this.]

No. I ask people questions because I want to figure out this stupid place that has us trapped, or whatever's really going on here.

I don't believe in psychoanalysis anyway.

So every question asked, no matter the person or numb of times, is something you can use. [He could sort of understand, though he's not us how much names would factor into finding that out.]

You don't?

[Really, she was just idly curious. She hasn't had asking someone's name open up a conversation this confusing before.

Better to stick to talking about psychoanalysis. Which is definitely a thought she never thought she'd have.]

No. If someone's not self-aware, the psychologist isn't going to help them, either. And if they are, the psychologist isn't going to tell them anything new.

I suppose you're right. [And he shrugs a bit, wondering just how much info she had managed to gather in answering questions such as these.]

If you think there's something I know that can help you figure out this place, ask away I guess.

Most of what I want to know, no one's really answered yet. Like where this is.

[She pauses.] And I don't mean the name. [She means more that she still doesn't know whether to believe all this talk about twilight zone alternate dimensions, so what does that leave?]

I hear it's because we haven't been allowed to know any of that yet. Either that or there are people within this enclosure who aren't speaking up.

[There's a brief pause before he speaks again.] Is it so strange to believe we are in a different world?

Oh, it's strange alright. I'm just trying to decide whether it's the sort of strange you find on Sick Sad World, or the sort of strange where I start hoping this is all in my head.

I think I would worry more about how exactly we were brought here. [Since traveling worlds was a possibility where he's from.]

[If it's all in her head, that doesn't really matter. Unfortunately, nearly a year here has... nixed that possibility rather effectively.]

Maybe. What do you think brought us here, then, aside from saying it's these Malnosso?

I heard that it's not actually the Malnosso who brought us here? It's something to do with the world, but I've only been here a few months and have been stuck in only this enclosure, so... I haven't though of it as much as some might expect me to.

[Well, it's more plausible than blaming some shadowy organization. But it isn't very helpful or an answer, either.]

At least you're thinking about it at all. I don't think most people are.

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