⚒ 002 | text

[rocked]

I haven't forgotten a thing, so I'm not going to talk about that... assuming that's allowed.

[it's hard to tell over text, but she means that in a little bit of a bratty, sarcastic way, poking fun at the virus panic]

If we're all really from different worlds-- yeah, I believe that now-- does that mean nobody here is from my world? How do I find out for sure?

[also not visible through text, but she pauses here, thinking, before continuing to type]

My country's called Panem. We have twelve districts and they all serve the Capitol. That's enough to go by, isn't it?

[unless there's more than one Panem out there, but... she's not going to think about that possibility unless someone actually confirms it]

Comments

[papillio_tempestatis]

There's no particular reason someone else couldn't be from your world, but there are a lot of people who simply don't have "neighbors", I suppose you could call them. Me, for instance.

I've never heard of a country called Panem, but considering the Empire tends to deny anything outside its borders exists, that hardly rules it out.

[rocked]

There aren't any other countries on my planet, not anymore.

[that she knows about, anyway]

[papillio_tempestatis]

... "Aren't any other countries" as in "everything outside this country is a howling waste full of invisible vampire ghosts" or as in "country covers the entire planet"?

[rocked]

Ha ha.

The first one, I guess.

[there aren't any other countries that the Capitol lets its citizens know about, anyway-- and Clove knows barely anything about anything outside of her district]

[papillio_tempestatis]

That's certainly not a guarantee of there not being any other countries.

In case you're wondering, yes, that is exactly the story the Empire tells its citizens. The world beyond the wall is a wasteland with nothing of value in it, populated only by invisible, bloodsucking ghosts.

[rocked]

The Capitol doesn't have any reason to lie about that. And even if they did, I wouldn't care. It wouldn't mean anything to me.

[papillio_tempestatis]

Really? The Empire has plenty of reasons to lie about it. It would have more if most of the people weren't too complacent to bother questioning it.

And I know the Empire is lying, because my father has been to the world outside. And while I admire my father, I do not think he has the imagination to come up with half of the things he claims to have seen.

[hasbottombunk]

I've never heard of a place like that, but that doesn't mean there isn't someone one else here from there. There are quite a few people here after all.

[rocked]

Do you know how many?

[hasbottombunk]

No, not for certain anyway. But there are new people showing up all the time.

[rocked]

I guess on a network like this it's not so important to get a headcount.

[hasbottombunk]

Nah. It's more important to look out for the viruses, anyway.

[rocked]

Everybody keeps talking about those. I guess this is one of them.

[plainflush]

I'd like to know more about that, too, actually. Though, um, I haven't heard of Panem before, sorry. So I guess that means we're on different worlds?

[rocked]

I guess. Even if there are people on this world outside of Panem, I'm sure they would have heard about us.

[plainflush]

I'd think so. I mean, I don't have every country memorized, but I'm familiar with most of them.

[rocked]

Do you have a lot?

[plainflush]

Countries? Yeah, I've never thought about it but I guess we do. I mean, there used to be even more and I guess there still could be if something happened.

[rocked]

We used to have a lot more too, but a lot of them were wiped out. Is that what happened to yours?

[tunics]

...Oohh... your world sounds pretty neat.

[even though he knows so little.]

Can I come visit it sometime? I want to visit all the worlds I can for sure. But sorry, I don't know anyone else from Panem.

[rocked]

[she genuinely has no idea how to answer that; the question takes her off-guard]

I don't even know you.

[tunics]

Aren't all your friends strangers at one point?

[yes, saying he would like to be friends as well.]

[rocked]

Sure. But they don't want to come over right away.

[tunics]

...Don't you want to see other worlds?

[rocked]

I might.

[she actually doesn't know yet]