outer_divide | [video] Sunday Afternoon, Week 39

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[video] Sunday Afternoon, Week 39

[ While trying to figure out what path to take, Helga has been studying the communicator device that she was given. It is unlike anything she has ever seen before. It does not resemble something that even great Archimedes would have crafted. It is sleek. There are no gears that she can see nor can she see any moving parts. She cautiously experiments, buttons are pushed. The screen flashes on. People talk. It startles Helga into dropping the device as though it had just burned her.

What is that? The device is pointed up at her and it shows a woman with long, red hair wearing an even longer mustard-colored dress. She is sitting outside of the great ship. There is an expression of uncertainty on her face.

She watches it for a moment before picking it back up. ]

Is this a two-way mirror of some kind? Can anyone hear my voice?

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Alliterative, though... although to be fair, 'Pepper' is a nickname. It's just gotten entrenched, over the years.

[Beyond the polished friendliness of a greeting, a bit of honest humour dimples Pepper's cheeks for a moment before she's all business again.]

So far everyone has. They vary in appearance -- the ship seems to have done its best to match them to objects we'd find familiar, or understand the purpose of, regardless of the world we come from. A few of the locals here also have communicators so that they can see or hear messages as well. There's basic accommodations available for new arrivals, as well -- no need to worry about where you'll sleep tonight, at least.

Nickname? I see.

[ Helga assumes she means it is a term of endearment of some kind, based on the context. A term of endearment that stuck. ]

I take it that there are many people who have climbed out of those pods. Enough that it is something of a regular occurrence but for what purpose, do you know?

The name my parents gave me was 'Virginia'. If it's easier, you can use that -- I still answer to it, it's just not all that commonly used.

[And, some time over the years she's been with Tony, Pepper'd stopped thinking of herself in terms of it. One failed (and fired) therapist had found that fascinating.]

Our purpose here used to be a matter of local myth and legend, but more recent developments suggest that the ship caught us after we all fell through... rifts, I guess is the best explanation. Rifts or tears in the walls of the worlds we all live in. We fell through them into a hazardous place and the ship rescued us and placed us in the pods until it could find a way to send us all home again. Unfortunately, it crashed on this planet a century ago and was very badly damaged in the impact.

[ That is not good news to Helga. It is the very opposite. ]

I see.

[ She doesn't see at all, actually, but there might be a silver lining. ]

My friends and my family, might they be aboard that ship in one of those pods?

I know it's a lot to take in, so don't feel like you need to put a brave face on it.

[Pepper's expression is wistful, remembering some of her own finer moments of adjustment difficulty over the months she's been able to lay claim to a place on Verdana.]

And... it's possible. Many of us do have people from our own worlds here, and I have friends and a loved one here myself. There are thousands on thousands of pods and only forty or fifty of us awake at any one time, so even if they aren't here now, they could appear at any time.

[ She is going to look on that ship every single day. If she cannot go home, she would like to see at least one familiar face. ]

I tried to wake a few in those pods. They would not.

[ Helga lowers her head. It is a lot to take in. ]

[All the sympathy of someone who's stood that particular watch herself has Pepper's smile dying back to wry embers.]

The ship controls their waking, in most cases. We've been able to get better at predicting if a pod is going to open soon... but it's inexact. If you could give me some names to watch out for, I could spread the word to look for your people, and to direct them to you if they do wake up... Um. What's your name, come to think of it? My apologies for not asking sooner.

My name is Helga Hufflepuff. My friends are very resilient. There names are Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor. I have no doubt that they would come through this well. However, I am concerned should any our students suddenly find themselves here. Should anyone mention Hogwarts, I would most appreciate being told. Please give my name freely.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Helga, although I'm sure we both wish the circumstances were different.

In terms of Hogwarts... I think I've heard that name before. A young man named Neville, I think. We do have a school system for the teenagers, so they're not running around at loose ends. Once you can get to Poseidon you can probably contact him.

I shall look for him.

[ Later on, she will meet him. ]

I take it that Poseidon is a large city?

I'd say that depends on your definition of 'large'. There are certainly several thousand people in Poseidon. The Old City is the settlement closest to the ship, but it's only called that out of a sense of history. It's mostly a military outpost, although they'll put you up for the night in the barracks, if you need it.

[ That is indeed Helga's definition of large. ]

Thank you. I shall attempt to make my way there.

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[video] Sunday Afternoon, Week 39

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