[video] they ain't gonna catch you when you fall

[builditstrong]

[The feed is turned away from Kid, showing a view of a shattered Wonderland, chunks of land suspended in midair, some of them connected by bridges made out of debris, some not. Some are small, some are large. The feed catches a door and a section of wall tumbling out into the nothingness below with a crack of wood and metal.]

Yeah, this one's mine.

[Kid keeps the camera pointed out at Wonderland. He doesn't want to look at the camera right now. Of all the events to happen only a week after his death, it had to be this one. It's adding insult to injury, this reminder of what his world has become, and all the things that go along with it. And all of this on top of hearing that Dean has vanished.]

[It's just been a miserable month.]

Looks jus' like Caelondia. 'S uncanny. [That's one word for it. "Disturbing" is another.] Figger things're pretty obvious here. Don' bother tryin' t' jump, it jus' ain't worth th' risk 'nless ya got some Hop-Scotch on ya, an' I dunno 'f the closets are gonna work. S'ppose Wonderland ain't gonna be kind like Caelondia an' form up bridges 'neath yer feet. Keep t' ropes an' such. We got folk what kin fly here, yeah? They might be willin' t'help.

I'd gen'rally say jus' stay in one place, but that means settin' fer three 'r four days without food an' water fer some. 'F th' diner's whole, I'd say head that way. 'Course I ain't got no idea where it's ended up.

Jus'...look out fer each other. An' don't fall. [He pauses.] Th' gods sure ain't gonna catch ya.

Comments

[voice]

[jolting]

... So basically if you can't fly or happen to carry grappling hooks and rope, you're stuck.

[voice]

[builditstrong]

Tha's basically it. Had some methods 'f travelin' back home what don' exist here.

[voice]

[jolting]

That figures.

I don't suppose these floating pieces will move at all, will they?

[voice]

[builditstrong]

They shouldn'. Never did back home, til some 'f 'em started fallin'.

video;

[eatsyourscience]

So this is what happened...

[Wow. Souji's imagination hadn't come close to the reality.]

The diner's still here. I got here, but it took some work.

video;

[builditstrong]

Yeah. This's what happened.

[And he really hadn't wanted to think about it anytime soon.]

Ya alrigh'? Safe an' all?

video;

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji nods.]

I had a couple close calls, but I'm alright. The cabinets work like normal, too, so there's food and water here. That probably means the closets are still working.

video;

[builditstrong]

They do, eh? Tha's good. I ain't, uh...able t'reach any o' the closets, so I weren't sure.

[video]

[cowhouse]

Holy shit, yo-- This is what your entire world looks like?

[Yyyyeah. Not what he was expecting. At all. How do you even...]

[video]

[builditstrong]

Not th' entire. Jus' part 'f it. My city an' th' surroundin' land.

Re: [video]

[cowhouse]

Still-- [He takes a (cautious) step toward the edge of his chunk of mansion, hissing as he peers into the darkness below.] ...That's a long way down, man...

[Yeah, he's just gonna... Back it up. Significantly.]

Anyway, uh-- How'd you guys get around? Did you have like-- like jet packs or those zipline things?

[video]

[builditstrong]

Real long way.

[He knows first hand.]

[At the question he pauses and reaches behind him, tugging a few times until something comes loose. He holds up something that looks like a large metal gear]

This's th' crest o' Caelondia. The remains o' th' city kinda...responded to it. Formed up bridges 'neath my feet when I was travelin' 'round. We also had th' Skyways. Sorta like glidin' on th' wind t'where ya need t'go.

[Video]

[breakthecurse]

Ah! Most of the diner's still here! I was lucky enough to be here from the start, and Souji's here now too so we're open for business.

[And indeed she's in the diner! Though, it's a lot brighter now that it no longer has a ceiling and at least one of the walls is very noticeably missing from this angle.]

We also still have most of our booths, so I've been setting them up with blankets in case anyone is having trouble finding a place to sleep or needs a place to stay. That...that looks like a really long fall, so I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt trying to leave...

[Video]

[builditstrong]

Well, tha's real good t'know. Glad you an' him are safe. Hope more folk find their way there safely.

[Video]

[breakthecurse]

Thank you! I really appreciate it, and I know Souji would too.

So...this is really what your world looks like? That's amazing! I've never seen a place that was disjointed this way before.

[Video]

[builditstrong]

Yeah, this's...what it looks like these days. Weren't always like this.

[video]

[donttestme]

[Chell's standing at the edge of a piece and looking out over the broken world, and the land far below. Too far for her longfalls to save her.

But that didn't mean she was trapped. She had her portal gun, and she knew the walls of the mansion could conduct portals. She could move around if she wanted to. But for now she was fine just taking in the view.]

... Were there other dangers in your world?

[It sounds like a question for the event - and it is, sort of. But Chell has been thinking, since hearing these events described as 'crashes'...]

[video]

[builditstrong]

Plenty. Windbags, th' Wilds, most th' life forms, really. Dunno 'f any 'f 'em are here. 'F ya see anything what looks kinda person-shaped but 's sorta like a ghost an' carryin' a--

[He pauses abruptly and is quiet for a few long moments.]

--a pickaxe, then jus'...avoid 'em.

[video] [the pain of having a muse who wants to ask questions about this game I don't want spoiled]

[donttestme]

[Ah, there's the catch, then. She nods.]

What are windbags...?

[Video]

[cursebreaking]

So what's Hop-Scotch? It's worth trying to get our hands on some if it means we can move around safely.

[She's really not liking the idea of sitting in one place for so many day all at once.]

If the closets don't work, sure, we're bust, but we might as well give it a shot.

[Video]

[builditstrong]

'S a liquor. Makes ya jump better. [Video game logic.]

I heard they do work, but I ain't anywhere near one t'test it.

[Video]

[cursebreaking]

If I can get close enough to one, I'll try to pull some out -- best I can without a visual.

[That's going to be tricky.]

Nobody nearby you can give you a lift to one? You'd probably have better luck than I will.

[video]

[justguidelines]

[Short, sweet, to the point. Because he has no intention of trying to play leapfrog to begin with.]

So this one's your'n.

[video]

[builditstrong]

Yeah. Said 's much.

[video]

[justguidelines]

Yes, thank you, I were quite aware of that.

[C'mon, Kid, you're one of the few he hasn't bitten the head off of.]

And here I were only musing, as you be the first to own it while it were still happening. And since I meself haven't had one- [And here's hoping that's a thing that never happens, considering.] -I wonder if there be significance to this broken up nonsense.