Audio

[fistsofchange]

[This was unfamiliar technology to Lin, so before she tried making a post, she read the manual from start to finish. This "smartphone" was MUCH more complicated than the ham radio in the interceptor, but she eventually figured it out.]

Hi, I'm Bai Lin. I have a question. I've got that most of us are from different worlds. It's weird, but any time I talk to someone it becomes more and more obvious.

But I'm noticing a trend from talking to you all.

How many people here DON'T come from places where a nuclear war destroyed most of the world's population before you were born?

Comments

[fistsofchange]

Well nice to meet you, then. I'm Bai Lin.

[daughterofthemark]

And you as well, Dame... Lin? I am Arianna Wakasa.

[fistsofchange]

Just Lin is fine.

Should...I call you Dame Wakasa?

[daughterofthemark]

It would be "Lady," but please simply call me Arianna.

[fistsofchange]

Arianna, then. What kind of place did you come from? What's an environmental disaster like?

[daughterofthemark]

...actually, I am uncertain. The disaster was over a thousand years ago. I only know of it because of some unusual circumstances.

[fistsofchange]

Oh that's a VERY long time ago. I don't have a clue what my world was like a thousand years ago.

[daughterofthemark]

Indeed. We lack recorded history that goes back that far.

[fistsofchange]

What's your home like now, then?

Compared to here.

[daughterofthemark]

We have much less technology--Junpei said "medieval" once. It seems we once had more, but...

[Apocalypses. You know how it is.]

But what we do have is nature. Grassy hills, tall mountains, vast forests, the Yggdrasil trees... all of it quite beautiful.

[fistsofchange]

It sounds lovely. We just have a whole lot of wasteland...

...What's a Yggdrasil tree?

[daughterofthemark]

It is. Perhaps I may be able to show you someday.

Yggdrasil is the name of several trees, so large as to contain forests within them, existing in a few places in the world. One of them is somewhat near my home, in fact.

[fistsofchange]

So is that like a tree with a lot of trunks or more like a big hollow thing full of trees?

[daughterofthemark]

The latter, for the most part, though closer to the former near its apex.

[fistsofchange]

That sounds incredible. I guess they both would have been, but that's the MORE incredible option and I would love to see something like that.

Does it look anything like that big tree we found in the dream forest?

[daughterofthemark]

It is quite incredible. When among its highest branches, one can see clouds to the sides and below.

And yes, they do look somewhat alike, though not identical. Though in truth, it was the forest itself that felt most familiar.

[fistsofchange]

Wow!

Well, I've found absolutely nothing looking familiar here. It's been a whole new experience.

[daughterofthemark]

...have you been all right? It can be quite an adjustment.

[fistsofchange]

It's frustrating, more than anything else.

We're all very comfortable here and we have a lot of time with not much to do, but I was busy back home, and I want to go back. I can't help but feel like I'm letting my friends down.