[11]

[urbandev]

I'm sorry.

I saw black and white yesterday, but seemed otherwise unaffected by the anachronism. I gather it was some sort of television program?

I wonder what universes the City pulls its curses from, with so many overlapping... Cetra help us if we all have to spend the day in a scene from Loveless*.

[OOC: He means this Loveless, not this Loveless.]

Comments

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

I think they curse us with whatever they want to see at the moment, regardless of the universe the idea would fit well in.

…”Loveless?” I’ve never heard of that story. Can you tell me anything about why it would be such a bad one to be cursed with?

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Fickle.

Ah, well. It's a book of poems from my world -- an old adventure myth, actually, that later got translated into a stage play. A very terrible stage play. Things like, ""I'll come back to you. Even if you don't promise to wait. I'll return knowing that you'll be here." And the worst part about it is it never ends. I don't know how things are in your world but usually a play turns up, does it's run in Gold Saucer, maybe a tour... Loveless has been playing since I built that city and the entire city is gone now but damned if it doesn't still pull eight performances a week.

...Ahem. Excuse me. Suffices to say, it is sentimental drivel. Musical drivel. We'd all go insane.

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

Extremely.

…ugh… while it might not be universally noticeable that the citizens were driven insane, the rest does enough harm to make it worth the word. Drivel and neverending- the stuff of literary nightmares and flashbacks of the nonsense I had to read in English class back when I was a teenager.

The longest running play that I’ve heard of played for fifteen straight seasons since it kept selling out for that long, but I think the playbills that the local companies send change every couple of months otherwise.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

I've never been one for words or literature, honestly. That's why I like maths. They're factual and definite. There's no hidden symbolism or profound depths to discuss. And, apparently, they're the same wherever you are.

Fifteen seasons. At the risk of dating myself, Midgar was built when I was just turning twenty. Nineteen years ago, now, and the city's been in rubble for three.

I wonder if I could pass a law banning Loveless from Edge. When I get home, that's the first thing I'm doing.

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

I like certain types of literature, but I don’t have much patience for things that continue past when they should have ended or that seem to be more hidden meaning than anything that could be visible during the first dozen readings.

…You’re younger than my father and I am three years older than Midgar would be if it was still standing, if that’s any consolation.

That would require that at least the majority of everyone else involved was equally sick of it, unfortunately. Unless, of course, you hold all decision making power, in which case if it’s as awful as it seems you’d probably being doing everyone a favor.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Banning it outright would undercut a lot of the work I've done to make most of the world autonomous, unfortunately. I bet I could convince AVALANCHE to publicly boycott it, though, that would be almost as good...

It's not much consolation, but thank you for trying.

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see… Arranging and carrying out a public boycotting might cause the theater company to show something else in order to stay in business if you can get enough people to join in? That’d be no more banning than a protest would be, and would probably get the message to change the playbill across just as well…

It’s no problem.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Well, if the Heroes of the World announced that the show was tired, corrupt and worn-out, people would stop going and they'd find something else. I'm calling Cloud as soon as I get home.

...It would be rather beautiful if that actually worked...

Indeed. Well, thank you anyway.

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

Heroes have to walk a very fine line since they can influence so many. I honestly don’t know whether to envy or pity them because of that.

I imagine it would be. Hopefully, something better rather than something worse would be the replacement if it does.

You’re welcome.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

...The thought of what they might come up with next is terrifying enough to stay my hand.

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

Drivel and fictional evil don’t follow the same principles; removing one piece of drivel from the world doesn’t necessarily mean a worse one will takes it’s place… anyway, I’m sorry I discouraged you?

…I think we need a new topic… how’s the legos? Did you finish any of the kits yet?

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

I'm working on a pirate ship. Honestly, though, I'd like to do a 1/18th scale model of Midgar. Yuffie would kill me.

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

Planning on having an epic Pirates verses Vikings Lego sea battle in your living room?

…that would take a lot of Legos, especially if Midgar was a large city.

[OOC: Honestly? The first thing was meant just to try to lighten the mood, but now that I read it again, that would be awesome.]

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

More likely in the bathroom, if it's to be a properly pitched sea-battle. Would a Lego ship float, I wonder?

What is a Viking?

Yes, but it would be beautiful. I used to have a model like that... well, not in primary colors, obviously, but...

[OOC: If the pirates are fighting everyone it would be the ninja. s. Ninjas. Totally plural. Cough.]

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

I don’t know; I haven’t tried to float one, but the hulls might be watertight.

What was the original model made of?

[OOC: Vikings verses Pirates verses Ninjas verses AVALANCHE… What do you mean it’s not epic? XD …I seriously have a weird mind.]

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be that hard to fix. I'm more worried about the weight of the blocks themselves.

Tin, aluminum, a few other alloys. Some clay and wood, but mostly metal...

[OOC: Come to Anime Boston. We have a continuing cosplay plot. Ninjas vs. Shinigami, Alchemists vs. Host Club. Except this year the Pirates saved everyone.

[electronicly.livejournal.com]

Hm… Perhaps it could be compensated for?

Interesting… a model made out of many of the same things as what is likely beneath the exterior of the city itself.

[OOC: That sounds good, but… I’m too broke to take the road trip and live in Virginia. ;_;]

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Not, I'm afraid, without concentrating the density of the water. Although, perhaps if we added a great deal of salt...

I used a tiny Restore materia to create working generators. It was BEAUTIFUL.

[OOC: But you've got an entire year. *tempt*]

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

The city seems to particularly like pulling things from the various Earths. Both people and curses.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

"The various Earths"? Everything here becomes so complicated.

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Mmm... quite a few-- perhaps even most?-- people here seem to originally be from some version of a world called 'Earth'. The City here seems to be based most closely on that particular world.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Interesting. That must explain some of the differences from my own world.

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Not from one of the Earths? To my knowledge my world isn't one either, so I tend to be quite lost over certain things.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Not that I know of... I... well, I don't know about my universe, but we called our planet Gaia. And there was never an earth that I heard about in all the history or folklore. I know Yuffie's found some connections between her culture and another she finds very similar, though...

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

I don't know if my world has a name of its own, as it was always simply 'the world' when I was back there. But while there are some similarities, its far more different from any of the Earths than the Earths are from each other.

I think I've spoken to someone about a world called 'Gaia' before, though. Do you happen to know someone named Tifa?

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Tifa? Yes, she's a very dear friend of mine... I've heard she was in the city, though I haven't seen her. Have you spoken to her?

I'm sorry. Besides you and -- you said your sister, yes? -- are there other people you know here?

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've spoken to Tifa a bit. She used to run the tavern 'Seventh Heaven' near Xanadu Gardens, but I've heard that she found a way out of the city recently.

There used to be quite a few of us from my world here, but now its just my sister and me.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Ahhh. Good for her. Yes, definitely the same woman... she's had Seventh Heaven since before I ever met her.

I'm sorry. That sounds... very lonely.

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Oh, so she has the same place on Gaia as well? That's rather neat! Seventh Heaven is being run by Lyra and Franca right now, as far as I can tell.

It's all right. I may not have any friends from my world here, but I have enough friends here from other worlds.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Yes. It's been destroyed and rebuilt there at least once that I know of, but... Tifa is nothing if not persistent.

That's good, I suppose...

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

A good trait to have, particularly in worlds that aren't always so peaceful.

It makes the stay here far more enjoyable, although I have quite a few things back in my world that I'd really like to get back to.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

I suppose so. Tifa is rather amazing in that way; she's like glue holding people together. Just because she refuses to let them fall apart.

I understand completely.

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I know a few people like that. Also a very good trait to have, to put it lightly.

Most things seem to point to little time passing back in our homeworlds while we're in the city which... I really hope is the case.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Ahh, really? That's good to know... less of a chance my company will fall apart in my absence, I suppose. Although... how does that work, with the countdown to the end of the world? Were we all taken the moment before apocolypse, as it were?

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's not always the case, but in the majority of times it seems to be that way. As I was taken during a... tricky time, I'm really hoping it's true for my world.

Nothing much is really known for sure about the countdown and the end of all the worlds. It's mostly theories and even then, some people think it's all just a lie to try and keep us here. Not that we have much choice in the matter... However, people here are from all different points in time, so we can't all be from right before the destruction of our worlds, at least.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Indeed... the same for me. I left people at a time I'd have rather not left them.

...I feel I will never know what to think about this place.

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I think the city is doing that on purpose just to stir us up even more while we're stuck here.

A sentiment shared by many, I believe.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that. It sounds like something the deities would find amusing.

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

And it would make sense if our emotions really are powering the city, as has been theorized.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Has anyone ever thought that maybe it's all just wrong? There is no end of the world, no clock, none of us are fueling anything?

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's another one of the popular theories... All those things about the clock and such are lies meant to keep us trapped here or make us run around in circles for the amusement of the deities or whoever's really in charge.

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

It seems more plausible, sadly. Judging from what I know of most humans.

[bright-shield.livejournal.com]

Well, quite a bit of the population here isn't human. Not sure about the deities... I didn't really think they were human, but you never know!

[urbandev.livejournal.com]

Mmm, point taken.

I think I'm happier not knowing, really.