Network: Voice because Alex gotta Alex.

[11calls]

Who: Alex Reagan
Username: alexreagan
Warnings: None right now, will edit to include if things come up.


[Because Alex is most at home in the audio format, that's what she's set this up in, and will respond to everything in an audio format. Her voice is cool and radio ready, but with a Canadian accent that sometimes trips her up on center words.]

You know, it's so weird that this is like five years later than when I'm from. Like the tech and everything is so close but so different. Back home, my podcast was pretty well known, but now there's so many, it's shocking to me. I knew things would get bigger, but I never expected this!

[Alex has been poking around on the podcast apps, of course and trying to see if her show is there on it. It's not, which is both reassuring and not. But it's second nature for Alex to explain what a podcast is so she does:]

A podcast is like radio on demand on the internet, if you know what radio is. Back home, I worked for Pacific Northwest Stories, and I started my podcast with the idea of doing various stories on interesting people with interesting jobs.

[And all that ended up f i n e. Really. Totally fine. Which is one of the reason Alex gets to the heart of the matter:]

One thing I love is people's stories. I'd been working as a producer telling people's stories for three years before I ended up on my own show, and honestly I kind of miss it. More than kind of. Honestly, it's just something that would make me feel more normal. So if anyone's interested, I've got a meal on me if you're willing to talk at my record and answer questions. Oh! I'm Alex, by the way. Alex Reagan.

[A soft and self deprecating laugh follows before Alex adds:]

Which of course you already know from my username. Sorry.

Comments

[the_archivist]

It seems unlikely that when considering multiple realities you'd be able to pick out some cohesive thread. Even in a single world, I imagine cultures have different emphasis on different ideas.

[11calls]

[Softly, just on this side of muttered:]

You'd be surprised about that.

[But Alex is going to ignore her show and the things that have tied together and come from different cultures in her world even though they shouldn't, and focus on something else:]

Do you think that we ended up at random?

[the_archivist]

Convergent evolution of ideas is something that happens. And when it comes to folklore and mythology, well, people tended to travel and share ideas in the past rather more than we give them credit for.

[And well, he doesn't think he arrived here at random. But everyone else?]

Yes. Sheer random bad luck.

[11calls]

[And this is amusingly familiar, even if it's in a bittersweet sort of way.]

Wow. You sound just like a friend of mine back home. Are you a skeptic too?

[the_archivist]

About some things, yes.

[11calls]

What sorts of things? I mean considering everything and where we are, I'm sort of having a suspension of disbelief until I've got a better grip on everything here.

[the_archivist]

Well, I know from my work that the vast majority of cases of reports of the supernatural are false. Ghosts that turn out to be shadows, unfortunate mental health issues, all of that.

[11calls]

"The vast majority" god, you even sound like him. But the vast majority isn't all. There are supernatural things happening in your world then? Cases you can't disprove and everything?

That's how it works in my world in my experience. Everything has a rational explanation until it doesn't.

[the_archivist]

Oh, there's a rational explanation for everything. It's just that sometimes the rational explanation is the supernatural one. But that is rare.

So no, I don't believe in... angels, or the ghosts of our loved ones returning to leave messages, or psychic abilities. And those make up nearly all of the reports. But the real things... yes, I believe in those. Would be foolish not to.

[11calls]

My friend, he'd never admit that the supernatural answer is the right one. Even when it is.

I don't believe in ghosts or angels either, if it helps. What kinds of supernatural things are there in your world?

[the_archivist]

Various things. Evil books. Evil people with powers. Nothing good.

[11calls]

One of the books involved wouldn't happen to be The Cenophus, would it?

[And since they're sharing.]

We've got evil music if it helps. And evil math. And evil people who may or not have powers, we're still not sure.

[And that whole pesky end of the world thing, thanks Alex.]

[the_archivist]

Not as far as I'm aware, but my knowledge isn't encyclopedic. There are at least 978 known volumes, and that is probably not an exhaustive list.

Yes, I've heard of evil music too. Evil maths wouldn't surprise me.

Monsters, various artefacts, locations.

[11calls]

Wow. 978 volumes must mean they get into an awful lot of people's hands.

And while I don't believe in angels, I definitely do believe in demons and Chthonic chaos goddesses and the end of the world.

[the_archivist]

They definitely have their ways.

Oh. No, no demons or gods. Not in the traditional sense. The End of World though is very real.

[11calls]

[There's a soft sigh at the End of the World being real, because of course it is. It always is.]

Not in the traditional sense?

[A beat.]

Sorry, would you rather talk about this in person?

[the_archivist]

Well, no men with red skin, horns and pitchforks. No tangible gods who think in the way people assume gods to.

...I'm not sure that's a good idea.

[11calls]

Our demons aren't men with red skin or pitchforks either. We're definitely Sumerian/Ancient Babylonian rather than Christianity.

And...okay? I can definitely give you some privacy if that's what you want.

[It's a question but Alex doesn't push, even if she is currently taking notes.]

So the gods are intangible then? Or whatever their equivalent is?

[the_archivist]

[He doesn't want to ask her for a statement, but he can already tell it would be very difficult to resist.]

From outside reality, would be more accurate, I believe.

[11calls]

[Hey it's all good, Elias is having her write out a thing to feed him.]

More multiversal stuff, or like outside outside reality?

[the_archivist]

Outside-outside. They can only push tendrils into reality really.

[11calls]

How do they push tendrils in? Is it like people needing to open portals for them?

[Nope, that doesn't sound like she's thinking of anything in particular from her world or anything.]

[the_archivist]

No, I don't think so. They're part of the world, but also outside it. It's...

Imagine you're an ant, and one day a finger shoves its way into your anthill. What would you think?

[11calls]

I'd think that the sky is falling, probably.

[the_archivist]

Probably. But you wouldn't necessarily think 'this is part of a larger entity pushing a tendril into the world'. You'd think 'this is a monster' because the truth is just... incomprehensible.