-005- [Audio]

[me_first]

[There's a long silence - long enough that one would be easily forgiven for thinking that this post was a mistake. Finally, though, a quiet voice speaks up.]

My... home, my world... Cloudbank, that is... was a place of... unimaginable beauty. Or rather, if you could imagine it, it could be made. This place... it's not the same, not the same at all. There's... well, it's big, but it doesn't have the same streets or people or... ease of change.

I don't mind it not changing, not really... but it's different.

The past is... a strange thing, strange indeed. You can't quantify it, you can't... break it down into variables that make any sort of sense. It just... goes. It's there and then it's not, like a leaf carried by the wind, or a cloud.

[There's another silence, but it's shorter. A breath, followed by an inhale and a pause, before he speaks again.]

... Cloudbank's like that, too. Gone, I mean. The physical structure is... still there, probably. You could walk around it... for a while. Until you were wiped out, I mean. Like everyone else... gone to the Country. The 'afterlife', some people might call it, though it's another life. Quiet, from what I hear. Though the Country inside... well. No one's ever been really sure if you get to the Country everyone else is in from that one. Not even me, and I made it.

[A quiet chuckle, before a sigh.]

This post has no point, I suppose. People found others from their worlds here... no one showed up from Cloudbank. Not that I saw, at least. But I did have a... a question. A poll, I guess, though the results don't really mean much. I was wondering how many people have... no home? Not anymore, I mean. Not one they can go back to because of... death, or the imminent threat thereof when they get back.

... And for those of you wondering... dying's not so bad.

[There's a pause, like he's going to say something else, but then the audio just clicks off.]

Comments

[voice]

[twinsanity]

[It takes Alfred a moment to work out how to answer this, but he'll answer eventually.]

How "not so bad" it all is depends on how you go out in the first place. In my circumstance the leadup was exactly that bad. Though the actual process wasn't, I'll grant that.

[...for fuck's sake. Hi, Royce, clearly it's a great time for a first impression.]

[voice]

[me_first]

Well... the actual shutting down of the body, I mean. Pain's... pain. There's few ways to make that easier.

[Oh, clearly. Hello there.]

[voice]

[twinsanity]

Oh, believe me, I know.

[...okay, you're practically begging the question here.]

So were you "wiped out" as well?

[voice]

[me_first]

Ah... I was. With something I made, in fact.

[voice]

[twinsanity]

...Why are you asking us about this? I doubt a question like that has no point behind it.

[voice]

[me_first]

There were... people from various worlds who joined us, as I'm sure you noticed. More than... usual. And... I was wondering if... well. If anyone else had no home to return to.

[voice]

[twinsanity]

[Well, at the very least it...doesn't calm him down any, but at least he seems a bit less supremely pissed off, which is a rare thing in and of itself.]

It likely goes without saying that I don't. I was shot.

[...That's the extremely abridged version.]

Audio

[a_sin_for_him]

I'm...sorry for the loss of your home.

[Compassion, she's slowly getting the hang of it!]

I can't return to mine, either, but I don't consider that any great loss.

Audio

[me_first]

[It's okay, he's not good at human-ing either.]

... I see. You weren't... fond of it?

Audio

[a_sin_for_him]

There was nothing left for me there. I was ready to be done with it.

...I wasn't ready for this place.

Audio

[me_first]

I don't think... anyone is ready for this place, to be fair.

Audio

[a_sin_for_him]

Some make the adjustment better than others.

Audio

[me_first]

True. I was not prepared for so much... wildlife. There's not much in Cloudbank, not at all.

[Video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...I've never had to wonder that.

[Video]

[me_first]

Some people... might.

[Video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

People who haven't died, I suppose.

[Stupid people that haven't died yet. Come back when you have and join the club.]

[Video]

[me_first]

You... have?

[He fiddles with his cigarette a little.]

[Video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Yes, a few times. None of the times were very fun, and every time I got brought back.

[The stitches on her face made a bit more sense now, didn't they.]

[Video]

[me_first]

... I see. That must have been... very unpleasant. Being brought back, I mean.

[AUDIO]

[sadisticwarfare]

From what I understand there are quite a few people here who are dead or in danger of dying should they return home. I can name at least four easily. I'm afraid I can't help you with specific numbers, but I doubt you're looking for that.

Did you send this out hoping to hear about how other people have died or what they've gone through in order to compare it to your own experiences?

[Despite the wording, the question isn't stated in an accusatory tone. Archer sounds distracted if anything, but otherwise completely neutral on the subject, like he's asking about the weather.]

[me_first]

Either. I was simply... wondering. Out loud. However people choose to respond is fine.

[He kind of forgot he was broadcasting halfway through. Oops.]

[sadisticwarfare]

Interesting. One more question for you: are you looking to talk about your own experiences?

[Don't worry, Archer would be doing the same thing if he was from an era that wasn't technologically backwards 1915.]

[me_first]

If anyone... wants to hear them.

[He's not really the touchy feely type.]

[sadisticwarfare]

Well you might as well. Maybe it'll help you move on.

[...Sorry he's so socially awkward.]

[me_first]

[You have not yet begun to awkward with him.]

To some people I probably seemed like... a villain. I don't really care how other people see me, not at all. Really... my only regret was that the idea we had didn't work.

[Thanks for that, Sybil.]