Arrival [video/action]

[skintoskin]

[A young man with dark hair, styled with heavy bangs, and intense blue eyes frowns at the screen. He has a slender build and is wearing a black T-shirt that has the seams showing, so it's probably inside-out. He was too distracted to notice when he tried to wring it out then pulled it over his head just a few moments before dealing with his new location. The T-shirt appears to be soaking wet, as does his hair and skin. Looking from left to right, he then regards the device warily. There are traces of injury on both sides of his face, wounds that have been cleaned, but are bruising. There are no bandages. Around his neck is a black cord with a round, silver dog tag on it. When he speaks, anyone from the Midwestern part of the United States might recognize his accent. His voice is uncertain. There is the sound of burbling water in the background - a fountain.]

Hello?

[Pause. He rolls his eyes and reaches for some bravado.]

Hell - lo? Anybody home?

[Pause. He looks left and right again before continuing.]

Shit.

I... asked for a phone and some girl in a bath robe gave me this thing.

[The image of the young man shifts in and out and upside-down as he makes it clear by shaking the device that 'this thing' is currently in his hand. Then the device mercifully remains still. Anyone dizzy?]

This isn't a phone. This is something out of a fucking... science fiction show.

[Pause.]

If there's anybody out there, can they tell me where the fuck I am and why the fuck I'm here? I'd really appreciate it...

[He is shaking by the time he's finished speaking, a touch of sarcasm tinging his barely contained fear. He manages a tight smile, but he isn't in control of anything right now, and it scares the shit out of him.]

Comments

[synanthrope]

Hello.

There's no real reason you're here.

[skintoskin]

[A response! And so polite. Not what he expected, though he wouldn't be able to tell you what he expected...]

Uh... Hi... You're not going to tell me there's no reason for any of us to be here, are you? Like some kind of... shit philosophy?

[synanthrope]

[She can be polite!....mostly. Sometimes.]

No, I won't tell you that. I'm not really a philosopher.

[signatures]

You could always ask the deities.

[ Pause. ]

But then you'll just ask me who they are.

[skintoskin]

[Okay, this is weird.]

Deities? Uh, yeah. That and what religious cult have I been abducted by?

[He shakes the device.]

And how my TV got so small...

[signatures]

I'm not sure about any cult following, but two of them are Lazlo and Mouse. There's some viking woman around, as well.

[anunluckypenny]

Are you okay? Can I--do you want help?

[skintoskin]

[Another polite person...]

Uh, yeah. Soaking wet and not in my neighborhood. What the hell is going on?

[anunluckypenny]

I can definitely help you out with the soaking wet. Give me a minute, okay? I'll try to explain stuff when you're not standing outside dripping.

[This polite person is going to grab some towels and go looking for someone who looked like they just fell into a fountain.]

[boutant]

[ Uh.

Well, it's definitely not the first face double she's ever seen, so... ]

It's called the City. Not the most creative name, I know.

[skintoskin]

'The City'. You're shitting me, right?

[boutant]

I wish I were, especially since it's not just a city. It's a whole island.

[ironmanic]

Please, even science fiction can come up with better crap than the technology in this place.

[skintoskin]

Who are you? Mr. Wizard?

[ironmanic]

You give me far too much credit. The wizard of Oz was such a charming fellow.

[nohometown]

Hello. Arrival here can be confusing. This place is known the City, usually explained as being a pocket dimension of sorts.

If you're in need of assistance or information, I can help.

[skintoskin]

Yeah. That's me, confused and pissed off.

So, I'm... what? In the 'Twilight Zone'?

[archivy]

[ There's a little girl peering at you from the screen of your not-phone, face completely blank and her voice neutral. ] Please calm down, sir.

You're in a place called the City. It is a pocket dimension, a nexus in time and space. People are brought here for no discernable reason. No time passes in your homeworld while you are here.

[skintoskin]

[There's a young man peering back at the little girl, trying to figure out how such big words are coming out of her mouth. Such big, strange concepts.]

So... I'm in someone's pocket? Shit...

[iwatchtjhooker]

Hey. Looks like someone already told you what we do know about where we are. But it's gonna be okay, man. Do you need a towel or something?

[skintoskin]

Uh, yeah, though it sounds like a bunch of stories...

[ Action ]

[latenightfondue]

Hey, hey, steady there with that, pal, y'don't wanna go breaking it. [ He's grown rather fond of the technology of this world, and he can't stand the thought of it breaking.

He steps right up to him, looks him over with a slightly raised eyebrow. ] Ah, y'one'a the unlucky ones that had a wet landing, huh?

[ Action ]

[skintoskin]

[Neil is still quite pissed off. He looks up at man, ready to give him shit for stating the fucking obvious - and sees a handsome man, older, with a moustache. Like a dark-haired version of coach. He stares.]

Shit...

[video]

[designedtoparty]

You got a girl in a bath robe giving you this thing?

I'm jealous. I never got given mine by anyone. Guess the deities must like you or something.

[video]

[skintoskin]

Yeah. Well, it looked like a bath robe...

[He shrugs a little.]

Eh, she wasn't my type. What's with all this talk of gods and shit?