i_speak_softly | Forty-Ninth Theory [Action/Voice]

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Forty-Ninth Theory [Action/Voice]

[Don has never been to an ocean before, and last time he was at an amusement park he had to electrify the roller coaster to defeat an enraged colony of nanobots.]

[He is determined that this excursion will be one of pleasant discovery.]

[To that end, he takes the teleporter to the beach on Thursday morning, and spends the next two days exploring the park, the waterfront, and as far out into the ocean as his own limbs can take him. (Or farther, if anyone is kind enough to offer him the use of a boat.)]

[At some point during the two days, he opens his journal and leaves the following message:]

Researchers, experimenters, tinkerers, inventors, curious people of all kinds... join the "Scientists, Hypothesizers, and Engineers of Luceti League". I'm starting it right now and everyone is welcome.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[Don moves up to the controls. He's never played an arcade console before, but it's pretty self-explanatory. In a moment he's exited the demo and selected himself as a character.]

Hm.

[Now this is just surreal.]

... Does this... remind you of anything? [Said so very awkwardly.]

Um... That didn't look anything like April. [Oh, he gets to play now. Excuse him while he figures out what the button combinations do.]

I wonder why everybody is so... distorted. [Even the sprites aren't very accurate... the style is obviously supposed to be cartoony, of course, but even with that in mind, there are some differences. And now that Robert's paying somewhat more attention... doesn't this look like the one guy in the Hall of Personas...?]

It looks pretty old. [He squints at the grainy images.] Why are the enemies exploding?

I have... no idea whatsoever. [Seriously. Is this common to all video games here?]

It is... rather ridiculous...

[Already distracted from that question.] Come on, how do I - [He jams the buttons harder, as though this will cause his avatar to fight differently.] Spin it, stupid!

[It's really pathetic when your in-game avatar won't do the things you would actually do...]

... There really is no command for that? [Just... so boggled. Robert thought it was ineptitude on his part or something.]

I can't find one. Who programmed this?!

[He resumes yelling at the game, absentmindedly slipping into Japanese as he does so - though since he isn't shielding, Robert will just hear it as a slightly odd cadence to his words.] The knees! Strike at the knees, you idiot Turtle! Do you call that ninjutsu? Somewhere offscreen your sensei is crying pixellated tears!

[On some level this is almost amusing. ~~Especially to the mun here.~~ But it's also kind of worrisome. Which one is the reality? The silly game with the stupid controls or the turtle standing in front of it yelling at the silly game?

... Does Robert really care? He knows which one he loves, anyway...]

I am hardly able to comment, but this does seem a rather ridiculous fighting style...

[Seriously, the pixel-Don is just... hitting stuff with a stick. That doesn't require anywhere near the finesse of the complex actions Robert has seen Don do with his bo.]

[The pixel-Don apparently hasn't thought to bring any shuriken or kunai either. What kind of unprepared jerk is he?]

I don't fight like that. [- he assures Robert, just in case the scientist thought otherwise.] And I've played better video games.

[Robert scrutinizes the screen closer, looking at the blocky surroundings and the colours and in general everything about the game universe.]

I do wonder. Is this a video game from... another multiversion? Or did the Malnosso make it up themselves...?

... If they did, I would have hoped they got more of the details correct.

Don't know. [He makes his avatar jump around the screen.] The music isn't bad. [Pixel-Don jump-kicks an oil can, and Real-Don seems entertained by the resulting explosion.]

It is... outdated-sounding, but nice... [And now a random explosion. Okay. What.]

I wonder if there are any games with myself in them.

[Don abandons the controls, leaving his video-game self to be pummelled by opportunistic enemies.]

Want to look around?

Certainly... [Robert casts the game console one more awkward look over his shoulder before stepping up next to Don.]

... I wonder if the games... include others here, too?

I wouldn't be surprised. I can't be the only one.

Well, there was Sonic Toss...

[In fact, this whole place just might be like this. Subtle, awkward references to the characters here. Fictional or not? Robert isn't certain if he can tell.]

You know, I think there used to be two people here named Sonic.

... Two Sonics... [~~Would Eggman be pleased to hear that one.~~] Multiversions of... the same person?

[He's not sure how he'd feel if a multiversion of Don were to show up.]

[Don thinks on this for a while - the conversation was a long time ago - then snaps his fingers.]

Yes. I talked to one of them, and he told me the other was himself from another dimension.

That sounds... remarkable, actually. I wonder if similar things have happened for other people here...

[Robert continues to glance around, searching out the various video-games for anything that looks similar to what he knows. ~~The mun is considering having the Blazblue console show up...~~]

I don't remember hearing about any other cases of it.

Perhaps it should be something we should ask about eventually...

[If only because it's fascinating to think about.]

You could ask over the journals. If it had happened, someone would know.

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