@all (during the week everyone's in nocwich)

[takeatrip]

I know everyone's a little preoccupied at the moment, so I'll keep this short.

I didn't think it'd be a problem to wait a few weeks to visit the Horizon for the first time, but obviously that was a mistake, so I'm hoping someone can help me out with getting there sooner rather than later. I've heard you lose your memory the first trip, and I get that people might not be interested in babysitting right now, so I don't care if you just abandon me there; I'll figure it out.

[Is this a terrible idea? Probably, but it still seems entirely worth it at the moment. He isn't a total idiot, though, so he also adds--]

And if there's anything in particular that might be good to know about the whole thing, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Thanks.

Comments

[aquilus]

I think that depends on the strength of one's imagination. Perhaps artists are more able to start with anything, but I began with where I was born.

[takeatrip]

Where was that?

[He's curious in general, but also to see if it's somewhere he might recognize.]

[aquilus]

Masyaf. It's in Syria, if that means anything to you.

[He's learned it often isn't, but he's curious himself how many Summoned come from wildly different land masses.]

[takeatrip]

I'm not familiar with Masyaf, but I know of Syria. Never been there though, since it's halfway across the world from where I'm from.

[But it's a recognizable location, which is a pleasant surprise.]

[aquilus]

[Up until hours before he arrived here, Altaïr would have assumed that to mean England, or perhaps France.]

And where is it that you're from?

[takeatrip]

Washington DC, in the United States. Is that a place that exists for you?

[aquilus]

It may exist, but I have not heard of it.

[Who is uniting the states. Why do they need to be united.]

[takeatrip]

[Important questions that will not be answered.]

It's across the Atlantic ocean, if that helps. To the west.

[Trying to figure out how to contextualize things for people whose worlds have completely different frames of reference has been a challenge, but Jayden's found it to be actually a little more fun than frustrating, at least so far.]

[aquilus]

[It Does Not!]

I expect it isn't known to my people in the time I came from.

[He remembers the globe projected by the Apple. He recognized familiar land masses and saw ones that were less so.]

[takeatrip]

At the risk of us using totally different dating systems, what year is it there? Any big wars or events or something happen recently?

[History is not Jayden's strong suit, but he knows basics so maybe they can at least figure out a basic point of reference.]

[aquilus]

By the Christian calendar, the year 1191.

[Big wars. Yes, one could say that.]

The Holy Land is in the midst of the Kings' Crusade.

[takeatrip]

[Success, though it's hard to be too excited about anything involving the Crusades. Yikes.]

Suddenly makes perfectly sense why you wouldn't know about the States. It's going to be awhile before that's a thing.

It's 2011 for me.

[aquilus]

[He does the math in his head quickly. Ah.]

I expect there's a great deal yet to be discovered over the course of eight centuries.

[takeatrip]

A lot's changed, for sure. Was it tough getting used to the technology here?

[aquilus]

No. The functions of the most useful advances were apparent by their nature. Understanding how they were developed is more difficult, though. I do a lot of reading.

[takeatrip]

Any tech you're particularly enjoying having?

[As someone who likes to play with experimental technology in his world, he's curious.]

[aquilus]

The indoor plumbing is extremely convenient.

[takeatrip]

Oh yeah, that would be a big one. I'm definitely glad that's still a thing here.

[aquilus]

There are other conveniences as well but some are magic, not technology. Though from a certain perspective there is little difference between the two.

[takeatrip]

Yeah, it's hard to find a real line between the two. Is magic something that exists in your world?

[Because although they seem to share some aspects when it comes to their worlds, this could still be a difference.]

[aquilus]

I don't know.

[That is hard to admit.]

Not like ago I would have said no. But there are things I learned shortly before arriving here. Discoveries that were made and can't be explained. So I won't presume to answer with certainty.

[takeatrip]

[Sounds complicated, and he's curious, but it seems like he doesn't really know much more and so Jayden won't pester him with questions about it.]

I can't imagine what a shock it'd be to find out there was magic in my world. It's weird enough dealing with it here.

[aquilus]

Indeed. It was an adjustment for me as well.

Ultimately, I suppose it's less important whether what exists in my world is truly magic and more important what men do with it.

[takeatrip]

If you don't mind me asking, what'd you find out that you think might be magic?

[Because although magic existing is a major thing in itself, it sounds like there was something specifically and significant that happened.]

[aquilus]

[He does, actually. The Apple of Eden may be a world away, but Altaïr does not want anyone else to know what he's only begun to discover the strange sphere is capable of.

He's aware this is paranoia.]

A strange artifact. It would be too long a story to tell.