01; Action;

[uzuki]

We've got to hurry! We have to find Shion!

[It might have seemed strange to someone else, Shion speaking about herself in the third person, but Shion had already grown accustomed to it. Her past self was outside somewhere, in the warzone that Miltia had become over the last few hours. Shion knew she had precious little time to find herself, and rescue her parents, but she had resolved to do it.

She sprinted ahead of the group, and raced out of the large glass doors of the Labyrinthos lobby, and into... Another lobby? this is where she enters Prospero. She staggers to a stop, and takes a moment to stare at the interior of the hotel lobby she now occupies.]

No... This can't be right...

[She hurries outside again, and this time makes it. But it's very obvious that she isn't on Miltia anymore.]

I don't understand... What's going on?!

[Feel free to welcome this confused and frantic woman who is now trying to figure out how she has time or spaced jumped yet again.]

Comments

[papermache]

Lost?

[uzuki]

I...

[She stops, taking a moment to decide exactly how to move forward.]

I suppose I am. I know this may sound strange, but what is this place called?

[papermache]

No problem. Welcome to the town of Prospero on the island of Prospero. Better known as "pants-on-head land".

[uzuki]

Excuse me..?

[Yeah, she's confused by that. She doesn't know whether a joke is being played on her, or if she was just approached by someone who is out of touch with reality...]

[papermache]

Okay, what I mean is that this place is messed up. If you don't know how to fight, don't go out at midnight.

[uzuki]

Oh, I see... [Maybe.] Do you mean this is a dangerous area after dark?

[papermache]

Sort of.

[uzuki]

Well, I may not seem like it, but I can protect myself...

[She pauses for a few seconds before continuing.]

You haven't seen a large green ship anywhere near here, have you?

[papermache]

Probably left behind in your world.

[uzuki]

Left behind? What do you mean?

[papermache]

Look. Believe me or not, you're not in your world. You're stuck.

[uzuki]

How do you know something like that?

[papermache]

It's kinda common.

[uzuki]

Common? I'm sorry if I seem skeptical, but my friends and I just experienced something similar to what you're describing. We left our world in a sense... But we were still altogether during that.

Even if something happened and we ended up somewhere else, it would make sense for them to be here somewhere.

[papermache]

This place is run by a couple nutjobs no one knows anything about, and we? Everyone on this phone network was picked out of their world and dumped here.

[uzuki]

Hm... Where are the people who are in charge. Maybe they know about what's happening?

[papermache]

No one knows who got us here, but there's some people who I guess are trying to help us fight 'em off. At least, they say they are. Use the key you got with your phone if you want to talk to them, but you might want to just get settled in first.

[uzuki]

[She rummages through her pockets for a moment, before pulling out her own phone and key and looking vaguely surprised.]

I can find them with this?

[WELL, that isn't the strangest idea she's heard, but still...]

Well, I hope I won't have to stay long.

[papermache]

Sometimes people don't. And then some people do. I wanna get home too.

[uzuki]

Have you tried appealing to these people directly?

[papermache]

You name it, someone's tried it.

[uzuki]

Well, there has to be something we can do.

[papermache]

Who said we were giving up? I want to get home, you want to get home.

[uzuki]

I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. I guess it's just that I don't know the situation here yet. But I want to get back as soon as possible...

[papermache]

Then you can help us out. No one'll complain.