Ilsona: What exactly did you do? Hukayzo: That would be a little rude, you know. Fosimah: It certainly is, though I must admit, I am still curious. If you are comfortable sharing, I would also like to know. Feel free to keep it to yourself.
Holo-Davian: Now that is a question one don’t get very often. I am a pirate. What do you think I’ve done? Holo-Kyris: Maybe pirates don’t exist in their reality? Holo-Davian: I suppose that is possible. Anyway, to put it short and simple: I have robbed and I have stolen. Holo-Kyris: You didn’t mention kidnapping. Holo-Davian: Ah, yes, I have done that as well. If the real me ever find out who you really are, then your father will have to pay quite a fortune if he wants to get his son back. Holo-Jefrye: *folding his arms over his chest.* You also left out murder. Holo-Davian: *Glares at Holo-Jefrye* Only when it can’t be avoided. I do not care for unneccesary bloodshed. And unlike other pirate captains I could mention I do not look the other way when it comes to rape.
Fosimah: Our country is landlocked. I have heard of pirates, but only vaguely. Hukayzo: My mother used to tell me stories about them. She would say that if I ever went too far from Abze, they would come and kill me. She never really told me anything beyond that. Ilsona: Can we all agree that your mother really isn't...the best? Fosimah: Yes. Hukayzo: She's my mother, and I agree. Though, it did not occur to me how bad that was when it was happening.
Sapphire: There are pirates in the sea between us and Yaseroth, but Fraulia is landlocked as well. I have never encountered them. Katsumi: Given Tsakato’s claims to so many of the sea’s islands, I have heard tales of them. I believe there was a problem of some sort with them when I was, ah, ten perhaps. I could not tell you more than that, though. Ayana: Lethania may share a border with the sea, but Nithara and I had not left Atharis—that is our capital—very much prior to this. We largely had no reason to.
Holo-Kyris: Sound like our reality is the one having the most trouble with piracy, then. As far as the people gathered here are concerned, anyway. But now that we are on that subject... How do all of your realities view crime and how is it dealt with? Holo-Jefrye: As far as ours go, it is a little complicated. We have nine planets and all of them have their own laws and traditions. Of course, some things are universal. Like theft, murder, corruption. But still, depending on which planet holds the trial the punishment can vary. Ares, for example, has the lowest bar when it comes to death sentences while our planet Gaea has the highest. Holo-Kyris: Well, Hades is pretty much lawless now that every pirate crew has made it their home. And the punishment can also vary depending on how severe it is. Shoplifting would not warrant jail while breaking into someone's house and steal valuables would, for example. Holo-Davian: Now I'm sure there are some among you wondering: what punishment would I face? For starters, piracy is dealt with by Inter-Planetary Law and falls under the heavy crime category. If I get caught, we are talking about either life in prison or the death penalty. And that goes not just for me, but for my entire crew. Holo-Jefrye: Considering the danger that Kyris is in because of you, I would say it leans more heavily toward the death penalty. We are talking crime against the Imperial Family, after all. Holo-Kyris: *sighs* Guys... Don't give them any wrong ideas... You both know it takes a really serious amount for the death penalty to come into question, even on Ares nowadays. And so far, we are definitely not there yet. But I can't say that about all pirate crews, of course. Despite all their bad reputation, Davian and his crew are far from the worst. Holo-Jefrye: You really need to get away from them soon, Kyris. You are seriously starting to worry me.
Ilsona: We can't really speak to anything beyond our country, as we're all poor farmers with only about four years of education. But our country is... Fosimah: It does not deal with crime well. Our system is very corrupt. Ilsona: Before the Gapag invaded ten years ago, it was better, but it still wasn't good. The Ekhoslita, who are the majority, were very cruel to our people. Fosimah: Any crime perpetrated against us typically went unnoticed, and still does. Hukayzo: It would be hard to commit genocide if they did not, no? Fosimah: Other than that, it is also just very corrupt in most other ways. Enough money can absolve one of a massacre. There is a saying that goes, "One thousand lives are worth a hundred yoli." Yoli is currency, by the way. Ilsona: To be fair, it was like that when our people were still in power. It's not entirely the invaders' fault.
Holo-Jefrye: A corrupt system is very hard to deal with. Ours might not be on the same level as yours, but saying it doesn't exist in our reality would be foolish. Anyway, it sounds to me like you are fighting a war on two fronts. Holo-Kyris: Yeah, if you had been on better terms with the... Ekhoslita, was it? then you could possibly have gotten their help against the Gapag. Unless... Holo-Davian: For all we know those Ekhoslita might also be dealing with genocide at the hands of the Gapag. Holo-Jefrye: And if your people are farmers I guess there is very little you can do to actually change anything. It's horrible when an entire people has to suffer because of things beyond their control. Not to sound like a doomsday prophet or anything, but is there any hope for your people? I would have loved to help you, but sadly that would probably be impossible.
Fosimah: The Ekhoslita will never have to deal with genocide, as they are descended from the Gapag and subscribe to the Gapag religion. Ilsona: They're really just the Gapag but under a different name. The only difference is that the Ekhoslita invaded us first. Fosimah: *To Jefrye* I do believe that there is hope for us. There are some of our people that have disappeared, and I like to think that they have escaped. Also, saying that we are doomed would be to resign myself to my own death, which I refuse to do. Ilsona: There are a few people who we know for sure have escaped, so while we'll probably be greatly diminished, I believe we will keep going. Fosimah: Though I will not resign to my own death, I will admit that I believe I will die. There is not much hope for me, as an individual. Ilsona: Don't say that. I may disagree with you on many points, but you're still my twin sister. I couldn't... Fosimah: You will never have to live with that. Remember? We took care of that. Ilsona: Right. Fosimah: ...However, I can live with my own death as long as all my people do not die. I came to terms with my own death as soon as they started chasing us down. Ilsona: I can't say that I have as much clarity and peace as she does, but if I lose her, I won't live through it anyway. So...I have nothing to fear. Fosimah: We will not be going anywhere we do not want to go, anyway. We will be going home, in the afterlife.
Sapphire: While it is hardly the same situation, in much of Aelion—or at least, in Fraulia—crimes against elves are treated the same way those against your people are. (angrily) An elven child and her father can be murdered, and the guards will make a brief, halfhearted investigation before declaring it unsolved and calling it a day.
Holo-Kyris: You too? *He sighs* Now I am actually starting to feel bad for living in such a peaceful reality... Holo-Jefrye: *He places his hand on Kyris' shoulder.* It is not your fault, you know that. And, honestly, there is one thing that potentially could threaten our world on a scale similar to what they are dealing with. Holo-Davian: Ah, you are talking about us pirates, I assume? Holo-Jefrye: Yes. Right now all pirate crews act individually and part of the reason for that is that there is animosity among several of the crews. But if someone where to gather all those crews under their command no fleet in the system could stand against them. Thankfully uniting the pirate crews would not be an easy task so it might never happen. Holo-Kyris: I guess you are right... *To Sapphire* If you don't mind, may I ask why you elves are being discriminated against?
Sapphire: I don’t know! Because s’ralni hate us, that’s why! Do you want me to provide you with justification for what we are subjected to? Because there is none! We surrendered to humans in a war a thousand years ago, and we pay the price today!
Holo-Kyris: No! I wasn't asking for justification, because you are right that there is none when it comes to discrimination. I was merely wondering about the explanation behind it. And it is regrettable that even after so long time has passed you are still suffering because of a lost war.
Sapphire: (sighs) Honestly? I don’t think most humans hate us—at least, not actively. They just accept it. The sky is blue, Yaseroth is hot, elves are inferior to humans. I mean, Katsumi. In Tsakato, most of your servants are elves, right? Katsumi: (looking a bit ashamed) Yes. Sapphire: And before you met me and Nithara, did you ever think about that? Did you ever stop to consider why? Katsumi: I mean…I suppose I should have. But I didn’t. That’s just what they were. Sapphire: Exactly. It’s been a thousand years—shit like that is all but ingrained in humans’ brains. Of course, there are also plenty of humans who actively despise us, and they do not hesitate to act on that hatred.
Holo-Jefrye: I guess this is one of the things you wish to change by overthrowing the government? And do all elves think like Sapphire or are there those who just like most humans are so accustomed to the way things are that they accept it?
Sapphire: (scoffs) Do you think I was always this way? Born knowing I deserved more, and that the way humans treat us is wrong? I didn’t even believe Lethania was real until I was nine, because the idea of a land where elves could live free, ruled by other elves, was so foreign to me. Nithara: When she found out Ayana and I were from there, I don’t think she stopped asking us about it for two days. She wanted to know everything. Sapphire: I—yes, that is true. Learning about it made it real in my mind, not just some idea. And, well. Knowing about a kingdom of people who looked like me, who didn’t live under the thumbs of humans, I guess it made me realize there can be more for us everywhere else.
Holo-Kyris: To be honest, I am not that surprised that she had a lot of questions. If I had been born someplace else and never heard about Gaea, I would have wanted to learn as much as I could about it too.
Fosimah: Neither am I. Though I have never been to a foreign land, I am still very curious about all of your worlds. Ilsona: Well, it's a bit different, because you're not actually moving or living there. Fosimah: True, but that has no effect on curiosity. Ilsona: I suppose. Speaking of, how does religion work in your worlds? Are any of you religious? Fosimah: Did we not just agree to stay away from that topic? Ilsona: We agreed to not talk about your refusal to do the right- to marry Ihuzo. Not to avoid the topic of religion on the whole. Hukayzo: Do not worry, I will act as mediator. If either of you begins to fight, I will put a stop to it, as you two children apparently can't come to an agreement. Fosimah: I really do not think that I am the child here. Hukayzo: Well, yes, but Ilsona acting as a child turns both of you into one. Ilsona: What? I'm not just confused by that because I'm a little offended. Fosimah: Well, we have found something we can agree on, at least. Hukayzo does not explain things well. Ilsona: She never has, has she? Fosimah: No, I do not believe so. Hukayzo: I am still here. Ilsona: Not all of us are obsessed with social decorum as you are. Fosimah: Indeed. Being polite is not the most important thing in the world. Hukayzo: Of course I know that now, with the hell that we have been put through, but I will not lose my manners just because we are actively being hunted down. Ilsona: I think you're missing the point. Just a little. Hukayzo: I do not think- Fosimah: Anyway, do tell us about the religions in your world. Do they exist at all?
Holo-Kyris: I’m affraid we won’t have much to contribute to such a discussion. You see, our writer tend to ignore things like that because she isn’t religious at all herself. Holo-Jefrye: She is more aware of it now, though, so it will definately be worked on. Maybe if the topic comes up again later we might have something to tell. Holo-Kyris: But I am very interested in hearing what the rest of you have to say about this.
Six: While there is a large part of history that isn't included in my memories, I do know that there were several gods that governed all natural forces on Yara, including Magic. These gods destroyed themselves to strengthen Adra to a state where he could defeat Relias. I believe you met the former, and I talked about the latter, earlier. Of the gods that I know existed, there were several. The God of Land, Lyran, was prayed to for safe travels and protection from natural disasters, but was also prayed to by druids in service of their magic. The God of Water, Walen, was prayed to for safe travels over water and plentiful fishing trips. The Goddess of the Sky, Seri, was prayed to to ensure that those who are lost will be found, but was also turned to for a good harvest season. The Goddess of Fire, Falliti, was prayed to by blacksmiths and merchants, to aide them in crafting their wares, or in discerning which metals are superior to others. The God of Time, Tel, was mostly considered to be an inactive deity, so was only really worshipped by very few. The God of Space, Sar, was considered to be inert, like Tel, and so was also only worshipped by the vast minority. The God of Magic, Mi Rae, was prayed to by magicians, aspiring and accomplished, mostly, to fuel their arcane arts. From what I can gather, several new gods existed within the timeframe that I don't know about. In fact, most consider this time to be largely fantasized, and not many consider the records we have of that time to be credible. I don't know too much about them, though. If you wish to know, I could go get Sam. He would know a lot more than I do.
Ilsona: Don't worry, we don't know much beyond our own religion, anyway. Fosimah: In our religion, there are many different practices and traditions. Our people and that religion tend to be synonymous, and go hand-in-hand, so all those practices and traditions are very interwoven into our people's culture. For example, there are festivals that are entirely non-religious, but there are traditions in it that have to do with the practice of wearing veils - or an iras, in our language. Ilsona: Speaking of veils, everyone who practices our religion are required to wear veils from the age of ten. However, the extent to which can depend - because there are only a few writings with the basics of our religion taken down, the specifics tend to vary from region to region. Hukayzo: And our land is very mountainous, so areas tend to be kept separate for years and years. The veil, in particular, I have noticed varies the most of all traditions. I have come across areas that require floor-length veils for all made of thick cotton, with only a small opening for the eyes, and others where veils are not required at all, or only cover the eyes. Fosimah: Our particular area requires elbow-length veils made of a fabric that can be seen through though not well for women, and the same amount of visibility but only chin-length for men. Apparently, this is one of the most traditional takes on the requirement, and I have been called old-fashioned too many times to count. The most common requirement seems to be chin-length with complete visibility, only filtering the features through the colour of the veil. Ilsona: It may seem like we're harping on about this, but it's very important to our religion. The face is something very personal to oneself - the one thing completely unique to you. The face depicts emotions, the eyes tear and give away misery, and the mouth - well, our religion isn't centred on purity at all, but people do tend to keep that sort of thing private. A behind-closed-doors kind of thing. Fosimah: Yes, and the stars and night sky are very important as well. At night, the divide between the realm of the gods and the realm of their creations is smallest, and so they can see us and we can see them; each star is a god or goddess. Though the sky is not the location of their realm, it is the doorway into it, so we can see the gods through it, if that makes any sense. Ilsona: It's always hard to explain it to those who don't know, like children who are just learning it for the first time. As each star is a god, when a star falls, so does a god, and each of those fallen deities will have many children and start a new empire. No one keeps track of such things, as those who see it will be dead by the time it comes to fruition, but if you see a shooting star, you know a new kingdom will begin in the next five or six hundred years or so. Hukayzo: We should stop going on and on. They must be bored by now. Our author has put much thought into this, as she is religious. There is even more, to tell, but we really should stop.
Holo-Kyris: You talking about your veils actually reminds me about something. It isn't religious, but it is a very old tradition just the same. I do remember that we mentioned part of this back when we talked about Davian being born a noble, but... Well, whether you are male or female, every Gaean noble wears their hair in a fishtail braid. *moves his fingers through his short hair (the only part of his hair that isn't short is his bangs).* I had one too, but I cut it in order to make it harder for the pirates to find out who I really am. And no, its length is not a measure of status. Mine for example was shorter than Jefrye's is. However, many females tend to weave colorful ribbons or strings of pearls into it, especially at celebrations. Holo-Davian: If I may say so, I think this style rather suits you. Holo-Kyris: Uhm... Thanks? I guess? Holo-Jefrye: I'm not sure exactly how many thousands of years ago it was, but back then Gaea wasn't one nation. I think there were about 20 nations at the time. And war among them wasn't uncommon. But resources were growing scarce and we didn't have all the technical knowledge we have today to prevent diseases and starvation. When the situation grew rather desperate the nation leaders met and after a few years of ongoing discussions, it was decided that the nations were to unite into one. It was honestly our species' only hope for survival at the time. As a symbol of that union, the ruling families of the former nations began to braid their hair - separate strands joining together into something stronger. Some time later a few other noble families that hadn't been part of the ruling families picked up the habit and so it has become the tradition it is today. Holo-Kyris: By the way, Davian, I am curious as to why you are still wearing one, as you have claimed to have cut all ties to your past on Gaea. It is small and almost unnoticeable at a first glance, but it is there. Holo-Davian: That is not anyone's business but mine! Stay out of it! Holo-Jefrye: That is no way to address His Highness! *The two of them glare at each other while Kyris shakes his head with a deep sigh.*
Nova: *sighs* What's the point? *Slams down her notebook* Lee: What happened? *Looks over at her* Nova: I-I can't do this anymore! I don't have anything left in me. Lee: What are you saying?! There is plenty for you to write. Here, lemme see what you have so far. *Reaches over and takes her notebook* *Lee's expression changes as he reads more of what she's written* Nova: Done yet? *she taps her foot impatiently* Lee: *Finally looks up* Jeez gal, that was tough to read... Nova: Yeah, when it was tough to write. I still don't understand why I must spill my heart out to a bunch of oblivious jackasses who don't give a shit about anything. *rolls her eyes* Lee: *Looks hurt* Ouch gal Nova: Well, not you. You are the only one who actually cares. Lee: Of course I care. You're my best friend, and I love you. *hugs her* Nova: *smiles and kisses his forehead* What would I do without you?
Allison: Excuse me, but are you a published author? My name is Allison Cruise, and I had been meaning to write a book of my own, but I don't think I know the process enough to try to publish anything. On a side note, do you know exactly where we are? I was sitting at home, working on a new doll *Holds up a half-finished wooden doll*, and I open my eyes to this... place. I'm glad I'm not alone, but I think I'd like to know where I am.
Holo-Davian: *to Allison* To be honest, I'm not that sure, either. Holo-Kyris: *pushes up his glasses* Then allow me... *to Nova, Lee, and Allison* This place exists somewhere outside the space-time continuum. Countless realities converge here, and thus we are all able to meet. My name is Kyris, and I am prince of Gaea. These two beside me are Admiral Jefrye Claydel and Davian Shancher, Captain of the pirate ship Star Raider. Oh, I do hope you excuse our transparent state. As it happens, my companions and I are holograms. To put it simple the real me made us because while he was here in person at first, he is in a situation where his real identity must remain hidden from the pirates since he is currently trapped onboard their ship. By creating us he could keep learning more about this place but avoid discovery since the pirates also have found this place. Holo-Jefrye: *to Nova, Lee, and Allison* And while we are holograms, I assure you we are fully able to interact with you just like if we really were of flesh and blood. Holo-Kyris: *to Nova, Lee, and Allison* Aside from being royalty I also happen to be a scholar, and very interested in new knowledge, so if you don't mind I'd like to know more about you and where you came from.
Allison: I'm not stupid, you know. *Her hands glow, and the half-finished doll starts to float.* I'm sorry that I don't have time to finish you right now, but I need you to go find the exit. *It flies off.* *To everyone else.* Alright, I guess you all brought me hear, but why? It isn't just to make me listen to your nonsense about holograms and continuums, can it?
