Cheerio!

[thespaceopera]

[you're starting to recognize that familiar jingle, aren't you? the folksy tune comes drifting through your ship's speakers, followed by a much different voice than usual!]

G'morning, folks! I'm legendary interplanetary commentator Beau, filling in today for our lovely Diamond... Who has been feeling a little under the weather. Hope you feel better soon, darlin'.

Speaking of weather, here's the week's forecast!

Looks like we'll be having a heavy shower of transfers in the next forty seconds or so, largely over to the Wonderduck and Blue Fish, but with lighter showers moving in over First Breath and Huntress in the following twenty. I hope you folks have unpacked your ponchos!

[there's a hearty round of canned laughter from an unseen audience...]

Aaaand I am sorry to say, it looks like there's also been a bit of a cold front of disappearances--four of our band have left us, this week. While I can personally assure you it has not been due to death or other health complications, I can't completely rule out any connection with that cold that's been going around...

[a strange pause--before a little chime goes off in the background!]

This just in, we also have two brand new captains to lead our fine ships--everyone please give a warm round of applause to Captain Sok-ka of the SS Blue Fish, and Captain Fey of the SS Huntress!

[applause! tinny, pre-recorded applause!]

Fantastic. Be sure to tune in next week for more updates, and remember... the worlds are watching!


ooc: as usual, the network is open... but you won't get a response from Beau. the ooc post is here.

Comments

[wilder]

[...]

The Wonderfuck?

[idealistic]

[ ???????? ? ? ??? ]

Wh-what the hell kind of name is that?!

[ WHAT THE FUCK WWHO THE HELL WOULD NAME THEIR SHIP WONDERFUCK??? ]

[wilder]

[he gives a small shrug as he takes another spoonful of pudding, savoring it.]

I dunno. I didn't name it.

[idealistic]

I-I know you didn't but--

[ to be completely honest, he wouldn't put it past Zelos to have named it that. ]

It's still stupid! Why would anyone want to give their ship a name like that?! [ HE IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT BOATS AND SHIPS AND THEIR NAMES OKAY ]

[wilder]

[He raises an amused eyebrow]

Wow, you're getting awfully worked up about this. What's the big deal? It's just a name.

[idealistic]

It's a dumb name!

[ DON'T CHALLENGE HIM ON THIS WILDER

but instead if continuing with this argument, he'll help himself to another spoonful of pudding before realizing something.

he shoots Zelos a curious look ]

...Y'know, you never did answer my question from before.

[wilder]

[He snorts, taking another spoonful of pudding. It's in his mouth when Lloyd speaks- and it will even stay in his mouth while he speaks because his manners have gotten that damn bad thanks to being around you and other bumpkins in Exsilium. Terrible.]

Huh? What question?

[idealistic]

You never told me why you didn't say anything when I first got here.

[ yeah he still remembers that. he's not accusing him of anything though, he's honestly curious! ]

[wilder]

[...Crap. Maybe he should have taken the pudding and made a run for it.]

[But, it's too late for that now. So he'll remove that spoon out of his mouth and put it in the cup so he has his hand free to rub at his neck. Jeez, what to say]

Well, it's...sorta a funny story.

[In ways that aren't at all funny! Jeez...]

You see, I'm not exactly...the guy you think I am.

[idealistic]

[ okay, he was pretty intent on hearing this "funny story", but... the moment that last statement is out, Lloyd can't help but give him a funny look in response. ]

...Zelos, what are you talking about?

[ nooooo he's pretty sure that Zelos is Zelos. ]

[wilder]

Well, see....that's just it. For starters, my name's actually Kaneis?

[Okay, so it was Zelos too. BUT LETS NOT COMPLICATE THINGS EVEN MORE JUST YET. Its bad enough he has next to no idea how to explain this, and that he's preeeeetty sure most of what he has to say will go over Lloyd Irving's head]

[That thought alone gives him a weary sigh. Crap.]

I...don't suppose I'm gonna be lucky and it'll turn out you've heard of alternate dimensions before, right?

[He'll never be that lucky]

[idealistic]

...

[ ...

what

no seriously, what. he's pretty sure that this is Zelos, like 99.94739583829% sure-- he even responded to him whenever he called him "Zelos". how is his name "can o' ice" or whatever and what is he talking about alternate dimens--

wait a minute he's actually heard of the alternate dimension thing before. ]

You mean like how Sylvarant and Tethe'alla were?

[wilder]

[Well hey, that's...not quite helpful, but it's something! He's a bit surprised you retained that much info Lloyd. Because you know, Kaneis or Zelos, this guy is still a jackass]

Uh...sorta. Those were dimensions artificially made by Yggdrassil by separating one world into two, yeah. But, there's more dimensions out there than that. Naturally occurring ones. Like... [Crap, getting too theoretical better think how to put it into Lloyd terms]

Like, for example- imagine how your life would've been different if you had never met Colette- [Did this one meet Colette? He must've if he knew Zelos right?] It would've been pretty different, right?

Well, somewhere out there- there might be a dimension, another version of Sylvarant with another version of you- where that's actually true. Where you actually never met Colette.

Following me so far? [Please spirits and/or goddess, say yes]

[idealistic]

[ HEY HE CAN SOMETIMES REMEMBER THINGS!!!

anyway, he does listen intently, though Zelos's (can o' ice's?) explanation, and it does seem like he's following along! ...sort of. okay, so this talk about alternate dimensions and stuff is still as confusing as it was back when Sheena explained it, but he had a pretty good idea on how it works!

...at least, until he mentions a possibility with Colette. ]

...But Colette's my friend. We've known each other since we were kids; how could I have not met her?

[ yeah you lost him ]

[wilder]

[.............ugh. He knew it couldn't be that easy]

I don't know- maybe you never lived in Iselia! Or maybe Genis had a terrible fear of girls so you guys couldn't get near her without him screaming! Who knows! It's just an example!

Point is- there's other versions of your world where things happened differently.

[idealistic]

Ohhhh-kaaaay...

[ this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Lloyd never living in Iselia? then how would have Dirk adopted him? Genis being afraid of girls? now that's just dumb: Raine's a girl!

in a way, though, it does make sense. decisions influence action: who knows what would have happened if something went one way and not the other. it's something that Lloyd dwells on sometimes (Iselia and the berserk Kharlan Tree in particular come to mind), but he also knows that what's done is done all that can be done is to move forward. ]

I don't think I get it, but... alright. So what are you getting at?

[wilder]

[Yeah, he's not surprised Lloyd doesn't get it since he has that same expression he'd wore during the times Zelos had to tutor him at math. He has to resist the urge to rub his forehead]

I'm saying, you and I are from different dimensions. Stuff happened differently for me than it did for you. Which means...I'm not that guy you knew back in your dimension- your home.

[a beat]

Please tell me that makes sense, 'cause I can't think of any other way to say it without drawing diagrams and I don't have any paper.

[idealistic]

[ nnnnnope Lloyd is still lost. does that mean there are two Zeloses? and how would things have played out differently to the point where this Zelos had to constantly point it out?

now he's wishing that Zelos had that paper. ]

It's still weird... [ meaning it still doesn't make a lick of sense ] ...but I guess I get it. You're still Zelos, though, right?

[ just with a different name. ]

[wilder]

[Oh let's be real, the diagrams would be terrible stick figures and scribbles and would probably wind up making Kaneis confused himself anyway]

[But...yeah. he's doubting how much Lloyd actually gets. Just..for some reason]

Well, I have a different name, but...yeah, sure.

[idealistic]

Huh.

[ well then it's a good thing they didn't resort to it, because Lloyd's brain would probably end up exploding.

but moving on, he pauses for a bit from his thinking to look at Zelos-- no, what was it, again...? ]

Did you want me to use it?

[wilder]

Uh-

[He rubs the side of his head. The answer is yes, of course. It was easier being Kaneis. And it's not like he could go back to his old life even if he wanted to.]

[but...it felt like asking for a favor. From someone who wasn't a prick with their own agenda. And he really wasn't good at that.]

If you...want...

[idealistic]

Alright!

[ and there goes that goofy grin of his, shining as though there was nothing wrong in the world. admittedly, it's going to take some getting used to since he's used to calling Zelos "Zelos"...

but hey. if that's what he wants to go by, then it might be kind of weird, but he has no problem with it! ]

It was "Kaneis" or something like that, right?

[wilder]

[And he's...still smiling at him. He can't help but be a little taken back by it, since he doesn't expect to get that out of people so easily. Especially since hey, he just made it clear he wasn't the guy Lloyd knew. Shouldn't he be disappointed or something?]

...Yeah. Kaneis.

[idealistic]

Kaneis... [ an awkward laugh. ] Man, that's gonna take some getting used to.

[ he's way too used to calling him "Zelos", there's no doubt that he's accidentally going to let it slip a couple of times. but whatever, he'll worry about that when it comes up.

for now, he's going to help himself to another spoonful of his pudding. ]

How'd you come up with that, anyway?

[wilder]

[He meanwhile is still thinking this is crazy surreal. Like he's not sure he should be expecting some sort of trap or something. Maybe it's because he usually chooses this part of the conversation to bolt (or before this point really) - but where the hell is he gonna run to when he's stuck on a tiny spaceship?]

[So, he stays in his spot. Maybe he's just over-thinking things, right? Its not like this Lloyd knew anything anyway. And the other people he had met from the other timelines had been friendly enough to him...maybe he should just try to relax]

Kaneis? [He takes a second to think, it's been awhile and no one's really asked that before.]

I got r-[He almost says "revived" but catches himself] - nabbed by some guys awhile back. Thought it'd be better to keep a low profile, so when I got asked for my name I just said whatever popped in my head first. [You know, that wasn't the name of someone he knew]

[He offers a shrug] Guess it just ended up sticking.