[voice]

[ryuuzaki]

[Ryuuzaki's low voice is accented in a way that people from places other than the U.K. might think of as "generically English," and when the message begins, his tones are pleasant and measured without being effusive.]

Hello, everyone.

The Ingress has brought us to the Moira from any number of places. When I meet someone, I can't say whether our similarities will outweigh our differences, or vice-versa... when you're this far from home, even small commonalities can seem important. It's led me to be curious about the broad strokes of everyone's backgrounds.

[A pause, as he approaches his real question.]

What can you tell me about the government in the place you came from before this? Both the form of government and, if possible, specific names of leaders.

If it wasn't your original home, I'd be interested in hearing about that, too, even down to what year it was for you.

If you'd prefer to answer privately, that's all right with me. I can promise you my discretion.

Thank you.

Comments

[ryuuzaki]

I'm not sure that's entirely true. It's typical, for example, for expatriates to band together when they're far from home, even if they're from different nations.

[His next words come on a falling sigh: a concession of at least some of her point.]

But I suppose that depends on the person.

[And then it's back to business.]

Are you American?

[She sounds American, but it's hard to say what translation packages might do to accents.]

[sheriffing]

Yeah, I'm American.

[Born in the Enchanted Forest, raised all over the United States. She'll spare him the complicated details and just go with how she's always considered herself, instead of adding on things that probably throw off his information more than they support it.]

But I wouldn't say I'm from any one part of the country, I moved around a lot as a kid.

[ryuuzaki]

Then we have that in common.

Did you ever settle anywhere in particular?

[sheriffing]

I thought I was going to settle in Maine, but then I ended up on the ship.

[The best laid plans, right?]

What about you?

[ryuuzaki]

No, not on Earth. Two months here and six months there. My guardian liked to travel... I suppose I stayed in the habit.

I was stuck on another ship for a few years prior to this one, however.

[sheriffing]

A ship like this one?

[That's useful, Emma can't say she has experience like this.]

Did it happen the same way?

[ryuuzaki]

[Theres a beat of silence before he answers her.]

No.

The ship was never intended to pull anyone in. It was malfunctioning... there were difficult circumstances on board.

[And Emma Swan had been involved in Security there.

Although he'd never really gotten to know her, his impression of her had been that she was reliable. The two iterations past and present may be different... that remains to be seen... but it's still better for anyone not to have been on the Tranquility. It's not exactly that he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy so much as that the idea of anyone being stuck on the ship strikes him as intrinsically wrong: the Moira is a vast improvement by comparison.]

[sheriffing]

So this just happens, in different ways.

[Different ship, different circumstances, it's still interesting to hear it's happened to him twice when this is the first she's heard of it.]

That's... intensely inconvenient.

[Or, you know, it sucks.]

[ryuuzaki]

I suppose it might be possible to be dragged somewhere better than either place. I also have the impression that it happens when someone comes up with a mode of travel as an attempt to get around the length of time it should take to get from one place to another in a straight line... anything that relies on quantum mechanics or advanced physics to work.

[After a pause, he adds as a concession to the possibilities he's been exposed to,]

Or magic that goes awry, I suppose, although nothing like that has been a factor for me.

[sheriffing]

I've dealt with magic. Falling through portals is more possible than you'd think.

[She'd know, she's done it.]

Is there magic where you're from?

[ryuuzaki]

No.

[Yes, in one very specific case, but he doesn't want to talk about it.]

But there seem to be a number of worlds where it's relatively common. Have you fallen through a portal?