This post's authors have general content warnings that might apply to the current post.
View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
This door was supposed to lead to the hall closet with the cleaning supplies, but Bella doesn't see any good way to mop up spilled soup from the kitchen floor. "Extraplanar studies students," she mutters, stomping into the bar in her nice useful boots. If she takes notes on this place she can probably get extra credit somewhere for it. She goes up to the bar, and notes the lack of bartender. Maybe they stepped out for a minute.
castmyown
"No, but I'm working on it. It's not - instant miracles that happen just because science, it will probably take years. If I manage it at all."
subtly_artistic
"No instant miracles, huh? I guess they probably gloss over the boring parts in the bad cartoons."
castmyown
"It's really more like - systematically figuring out how things work. But a lot of the time the things you figure out have nothing to do with the things you need to know. So while it's useful, you still don't always get the result you want."
castmyown
"Yeah. Um - your world sounds kind of scary, should I see if there's a way you can - I don't know, flee to the hills to mine or something?"
subtly_artistic
"I don't know how I'd do that - I'm tempted, this sounds like the start of an escapist sci-fan novel, ordinary college student finds a door to a science world and adventures with - with replication studies and empirical testing ensue, but - I don't know. For all I know I'd just - bring it with me."
castmyown
"Thaaaat is kind of terrifying, is there a way we can safely check to see if science works here?"
subtly_artistic
"If it doesn't work, it's not safe," says Bella. "There is no contained cute fourth-grade class project of it like there is with raising caterpillars until they turn into butterflies or something."
castmyown
"Not your fault, just - kind of freaky. Um. If we can figure out a way that you won't bring it with you, though - you can jump ship, start living the dream of an escapist sci-fan novel."
subtly_artistic
"I don't know. I don't know what this place is, or why it was in my closet or your library, and even if it is as stunningly well-behaved as I can imagine, my parents don't live near campus and it would take a while for them to respond to an urgent request that they come visit me, and they probably wouldn't show up at the same time."
castmyown
"Hrmm. So what we need to do is investigate this bar without the use of empirical testing, and figure out what to do from there." He shifts back to human (for the height difference) and starts looking around for a bartender.
There is no bartender.
However, there is a suddenly appearing napkin that says in feminine cursive, First drink is free.
However, there is a suddenly appearing napkin that says in feminine cursive, First drink is free.
castmyown
Darren blinks. He takes the napkin.
"Thank you," he says, slowly. "Um. Are you the bartender?"
"Thank you," he says, slowly. "Um. Are you the bartender?"
subtly_artistic
I'm the bar, says a new napkin.
Bella is reading over Darren's shoulder. "Oh! Can I get a strawberry milkshake, if the first drink's free?"
Of course, says the napkin accompanying a strawberry milkshake. Bella collects it and sips through its straw.
"Mmmmmm."
Bella is reading over Darren's shoulder. "Oh! Can I get a strawberry milkshake, if the first drink's free?"
Of course, says the napkin accompanying a strawberry milkshake. Bella collects it and sips through its straw.
"Mmmmmm."
subtly_artistic
A root beer float appears.
"What can you tell us about how - evacuating me and possibly my parents to the science world would go?" Bella asks the bar.
If he holds the door for you, you may enter his world, and vice versa. The doors do not persist in the same places between uses, however, and I don't control when or where they reappear, so when you've left I cannot guarantee more chances.
"That rules out getting my parents, probably, I don't have a pocket mirror and I doubt I can get away with sitting in the hallway holding the closet door open while I wait for my parents to get all the way to MU anyway... and what about the science thing?"
I am afraid I have no special expertise on whether that will remain attached to you if you leave your home.
"What can you tell us about how - evacuating me and possibly my parents to the science world would go?" Bella asks the bar.
If he holds the door for you, you may enter his world, and vice versa. The doors do not persist in the same places between uses, however, and I don't control when or where they reappear, so when you've left I cannot guarantee more chances.
"That rules out getting my parents, probably, I don't have a pocket mirror and I doubt I can get away with sitting in the hallway holding the closet door open while I wait for my parents to get all the way to MU anyway... and what about the science thing?"
I am afraid I have no special expertise on whether that will remain attached to you if you leave your home.
castmyown
"Do you know if the science thing has spread here, too? Or - if there are books, on why this anti-science phenomenon happens and if it can spread to other worlds?"
He sips his root beer float. Sip, sip.
He sips his root beer float. Sip, sip.
subtly_artistic
I am functioning normally, reports a bar napkin, and suspect that within the environment of Milliways, Milliways rules tend to take precedence regardless. There are books from her world about the anti-science phenomenon, but no documentation in my library about its contagiousness.
Bella sighs.
Bella sighs.
subtly_artistic
"Yeah, me too. I don't want to wreck your nice science world. Mine's - okay, for everyday, anyway. I can work out my frustrations lucid-dreaming, that's safe as houses."