text; @b.crusher

[dancingmd]

There's something I've been thinking about over the past few months of being here: the portal appears to have a distinctly Human bias. I'm Human myself but I come from a universe with hundreds, if not thousands of other sapient species, yet the three of us who are here from that universe are all Humans. What's more is that no one else I've talked to here has ever encountered or even heard of the other people we share our galaxy with, no more than I'd known of Asgardians or Elves or the Prawn before I arrived. On the other hand, despite vast other differences in our realities here, most people seem to know about Humans, which seems strange to me. Surely there must be an infinite number of universes out there without Humans, right? So why are there no representatives of those worlds? Or simply more representatives of a wider variety of peoples?

Now, if this was one of the historical portals built by the inhabitants of the planet we orbit, I wouldn't think as much of it - perhaps they'd specifically target realities that were closest to their own. But if this one is supposedly a natural occurrence, then why this pattern of selection?

Any thoughts on this?

[Because surely, she can't be the only one thinking about it.]

Comments

[spellslots]

I stand by what I said.

[It could've been worse.]

Do you like, know them, though?

[Not everyone lives for centuries, Taako.]

[dancingmd]

I met Leonard once in passing, but that's it. Like I said, very different generations.

[spellslots]

Yeah but like, when Lucretia showed up she was from over half a century before me. Maybe the portal's just bad at time.

[dancingmd]

Taako, I don't live on a ship that regenerates me every year, and neither do Jim or Leonard. We're just normal Humans who age at a normal rate. They were already almost a hundred when I was born.

[Well... Leonard was at any rate. Kirk died a long time ago, but she's certainly not putting that on the network.]

[spellslots]

I know, I know, I'm just saying, like, maybe the portal isn't super great at working out time. Even if you don't know each other super well, you're still from the same world and close enough that you've interacted

[dancingmd]

Well.

Not exactly the same world. But I see your point - considering it's not always precise in finding people who are truly displaced, we can't expect it to be accurate to time and place.

[spellslots]

Exactly.

Maybe it was better before it died

[Things he forgets: this isn't a well known fact.]

[dancingmd]

What? What do you mean, "before it died?"

[spellslots]

Oh, it used to be alive? And now it's not. Fucked if I know why though.

[dancingmd]

So... that means it was sentient at some point? How did you find this out?

[spellslots]

✨✨✨✨ magic ✨✨✨✨

But I mean, alive shit isn't always sentient. It could be like a plant

[dancingmd]

[Beverly squints at her phone screen. What... are those... are they sparkles? How did he make that happen? She makes a note to herself to ask Lucretia.]

Did you really use magic or do you just not want to tell me?

Oh, of course! It's only that a few other people have floated the idea of the portal having some sort of consciousness, so I didn't know if maybe you had more insight on that.

[spellslots]

All I got is magic, pumpkin. I didn't science the shit out of an answer.

[He's not being down on himself here, he just realistically knows his strengths, and science is not one of them.]

Afraid I've got nothing on whether it's sentient, just
"once alive, now supported by the moon"

[dancingmd]

[Pumpkin...]

What sort of magic did you use? Remember I am not very familiar with how all of that works!

It's still more than I knew before about the portal so that's somethings!

[spellslots]

Divination, so it's like, revealing hidden shit? The specific spell tells you forgotten lore about whatever you're focusing it on

[dancingmd]

Interesting! So does that mean even the people from the planet below don't know the portal was once alive?

[spellslots]

Wouldn't have a clue, it hasn't popped up when I was searching around but maybe it's in a book somewhere I just don't have access to.

[dancingmd]

Perhaps it is time for me to do some more research!

[spellslots]

Fuck, no wonder you and Lux get along so well

[dancingmd]

You're telling me you aren't curious?

[spellslots]

Like, kinda? But not enough to research. Or spend any time at all on it when I could be doing fun shit

[dancingmd]

Are you calling me boring?

[spellslots]

I would never

But I mean, yeah I absolutely am 😘😘😘

[dancingmd]

[Look you can't see her but she is definitely squinting at her screen right now.]

What are those?

[Teach her the way of the emoji, Taako.]

[spellslots]

[oh my god]

They call them emojis, they're like little faces and shit, they're for expressing yourself

👌 🦄 🎉 🌈