Experiment 2 [video, action for people in Lavender Town] [!Event: Wishes]

[imperfectscientist]

[It's been a while since Carlos has made a post to the network. In his defense, he's been running experiments, traveling, and moving in with his boyfriend during this time.

He's currently sitting outside in Lavender Town enjoying the sunshine. His Mareep is curled up in his lap, just visible from the angle of the camera, while his Amaura is peeking over Carlos' shoulder and his Kefkli is hovering about level with Carlos' head.]

Hi everyone. It's Carlos. Carlos the Scientist! I have a lot to say, but first off, it's been really amazing seeing everyone's powers on the network, so if anyone wants to talk to me about them, or even just show them off, I'd love that! Or, if you don't have powers, you can totally talk about the amazing world you came from. I'm always excited to hear about that.

[He grins.] That said, I have important scientific news! I decided to try out the whole 'hanging your wishes on a tree thing' for science, and it totally worked! I'd been working on constructing some of my own equipment here, but after wishing for one of my machines, I actually received it! [He holds up his device, which doesn't look incredibly complex, but he looks pretty proud of it, anyway.] It's called a danger meter, and I thought it up in order to measure the current level of danger in an area at a time. It's been...kind of buggy, but it's better than nothing, right? Anyway, I think this will be SUPER helpful the next time something strange happens around here. Oh, and if anyone else has tried wishing for things, has it actually worked. I really want to learn more about this!

Finally, if anyone at all is interested in science or technology, I'd love to work with you and compare ideas! I'm sure the level of technology of my world is pretty primitive compared to others, but it could also be advanced, or just plain different. So if anyone would like to talk about those things, I'd be really happy to exchange ideas!

Okay, that's all for now! [He shuts off the feed with a dorky little wave. What a nerd.]

Comments

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[in_praetego]

It was the most logical conclusion. After all, it looks like this is happening all over rather than just in one place.

[ Not that he's made any wishes, after all... or met many legendaries but it's the smartest guess. As for tanabata, he has some really good memories about that. ]

Tanabata's celebrated around this time, actually. Back home, we used to write wishes on little strips of paper and tie them to stalks of bamboo during the festival.

[ And there's a sigh with the smallest smile as he goes on. ]

My dad used to tell us the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi... which is supposed to be where the festival comes from.

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[imperfectscientist]

That makes sense. And it doesn't seem malicious, at least not that I've heard, so it would make sense that it would be a Pokemon rather than an organization.

That sounds really interesting. I wouldn't mind hearing the story, if you don't mind telling it.

[Video]

[imperfectscientist]

[Carlos frowns.] Oh, that's terrible. So, what did you do?

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

It's good to meet you Gundam Tanaka. I'm Carlos the Scientist. It's a real shame you can't talk about your abilities; I'm sure they're fascinating.

[imperfectscientist]

Wow, that's incredible luck. It's a shame about the gas though. I'm not sure they have any sort of gas equivalent here, so you might have to get inventive.

Well, where I come from, a lot of strange things happen, all the time, and the residents of the town I'm living in are just...used to it. They just walk into danger practically. So I developed the Danger Meter to help me tell whether the weirdness is common place or if it's something I should really be concerned about.

[video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

They are indeed. Few others could have tamed the fearsome creatures I command.

[...he sure is talking about them, and they sure aren't opening a hole in time and space or anything like that.]

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[in_praetego]

None of the legendary pokemon seem to be malicious... but once you think about it, I don't think any pokemon is really malicious to begin with.

[ But he's grateful for a topic like tanabata. It brings him back. ]

Sure.

[ Now how did the whole story go again...? Ah yes. ]

You see... Orihime was the daughter of the sky king and she loved weaving by the Amanogawa river. Her father loved the cloth she made so she worked hard every day to make clothes... but her only regret was that she'd never fall in love with anyone because she worked so hard.

So her father arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi, a man who herded cows on the other side of the river. They fell in love immediately and got married soon after. But when they did, Orihime no longer weaved and Hikoboshi no longer tended to the cows. This made the sky king angry and he separated the two lovers.

Orihime cried for her husband so her father took pity on her, finally declaring they could meet on the seventh day of the seventh month if they both finished their work. Though the first time they tried to meet, there wasn't any bridge across the river. Orihime's tears summoned a flock of magpie who made a bridge and allowed her to see Hikoboshi.

[ That sounds about right. Definitely not how Father Fujimoto used to tell it but that's the idea. ]

It always sounded like a tragic love story to me.

[conquersworlds]

Do you find them inadequate, or just hard to work with?

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

Fearsome creatures? And you command them? Does that transfer over to how you train your Pokémon?

[imperfectscientist]

Hard to work with, I suppose. I haven't been here all that long, so I'm still trying to adjust to the methods that work around here. Having an electric type certainly helps. I wouldn't say inadequate, per say, just very different then what I'm used to.

[video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

It does indeed. My Pokemon are indeed fearsome creatures to behold! Few have stood against them and lived to tell the tale.

[Gundam that's because you don't really battle against people very often.]

[crackpotcrocker]

Not that I'm aware of. Already - THINKING!

Oh? What kind of strangeness happens where you're from? I can tell you from having been here for over a year that oddness isn't unusual.

But that's besides the point!

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

That's excellent. They must be very well-trained. How long have you been in this world?

[video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

Long enough to have amassed a veritable army of the creatures that dwell within this world.

[Because that's totally an answer.]

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[imperfectscientist]

None that I've heard of, that's for sure.

[Carlos listens intently, nodding a long to the story.] Wow. That's a really beautiful story. It sounds like a tragic love story to me too.

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[in_praetego]

[ There's a slight redness to his ears because he's never really been one to have an audience before. But a small smile follows. ]

It is, isn't it? There's a version of the story from China, too. Since it's around this time of year, I couldn't help but think it had something to do with all these wishes suddenly being granted.

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

A-An army? Um. For a good purpose, I hope!

[imperfectscientist]

Well, do let me know what you come up with! I'll think on it too.

Ah, well, being here might be a welcome break from strangeness actually, even if it isn't unusual there. In the town I've been studying, strangeness is commonplace. Normal. The people there aren't even shocked when something life-threatening happens. They just go about their day. [He laughs.] It was a real adjustment living there.

As for the sorts of things that happen? Well, librarians are vicious monsters that could eat a kid, there's a glowing cloud that's president of the PTA and occasionally possesses people in order to get them to hail it, and everyone's been exposed to radon a thousand times over and no signs of radiation poisoning.

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[imperfectscientist]

Wow, it must have been a pervasive story, then. Maybe the legendary Pokémon that's granting them knows of some version of the story, you mean? Or maybe this Pokémon is this world's version of the story?

[video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

What nobler purpose could there be beyond forging a new Tanaka Empire?

[Sorry Carlos, he's not really trying to take over the world. Promise.]

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[in_praetego]

Could be.

[ There's a frown as he thinks it over a bit. ]

Wishes and Tanabata have always gone hand in hand... but I have to admit, I'm a little surprised to see something like it here of all places.

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

"E-Empire! Wow, um, that's pretty...ambitious. Although I guess if you're that powerful you won't have too much trouble....but uh, what do you intend to do with your er empire?"

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[imperfectscientist]

This place continues to surprise. People are coming here from so many worlds and times, though, I can't imagine why this place wouldn't know about a tradition like that.

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[in_praetego]

It's just a little surprising to see something similar to it when you're so far away from home.

[ And a small sigh here. ]

Have there been any others from your world here?

[video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

You need not worry. After all, such matters are beyond your comprehension!