Video | Intro

[jasidian]

[ There's a matcha green, underbite-y toddler staring at the other end of the device. She's wearing a loose-fitting cotton dress, her dark brown hair messily pulled back, and holds in her hand a half-eaten, baby-sized banana.

She puts the banana down on the goddamned floor and taps the device a bit before trying to put it in her mouth. It is too wide to go in her mouth.

As she babbles something that's comprehensible only to an exasperated parent, you get a glimpse of the area around her. Clearly the private study of some sort of eccentric millionaire obsessed with weird magic forbidden knowledge shit. There's like, specimens in jars and anatomical diagrams framed on the walls and everything. Plus walls and walls full of old-ass bookshelves. Not the kind of place that you'd expect a toddler to be in, but then-

Then she gets scooped up by a massive, bearded orc man who sighs, boops her nose, and places the device on a table before wiping the saliva off the screen with a handkerchief.]

Oof, I didn't anticipate this ending up here, but... um, hello! Sorry if I ought to have said something earlier, I've been away from home for a while and then I was so caught up with some research, and I suppose I didn't-

Harliss, Harley sweetie, no, I promise you that you do not want to eat this-

-erm, I just didn't expect there to be a... Whatever this is. In my study.

... this isn't another demon thing, is it.

[ There's a weak little laugh. ]

Comments

Video

[nostagesplz]

[Ooop, Trixie wasn't paying attention to her work as she got distracted by what looked like a green mini human like shape on her scroll. She's never seen a baby humanoid before and she's fascinated... The unattended potion behind her makes a 'pop' sound and turns into a cloud of neon yellow sparkles, that coats her entire potions workshop. It's going to take her a while to get all that glitter off of her supplies and books... never mind off herself.]

Oh for...

[She blinks as the big, green guy comes on screen and picks up the little one. Trixie can't help but smile a bit, as some things seem universal with kids putting things they shouldn't in their mouths.]

I doubt it's demonic... Magical and highly annoying on the other hoof...

[jasidian]

I was mostly joking, but...well. I suppose I can see how it'd be annoying.

[ There's a dorky little grin and a small chuckle. Meanwhile, the tiny orc in his arms is reaching out for the communicator and making distressed, teakettle-like noises. Let her have her screen time, Dad. ]

[nostagesplz]

I suppose it could always be worse...

[She pauses and hesitates a moment before cautiously asking]

So, uh, I don't want to be rude but what species are you?

[jasidian]

...an orc?

[ He seems genuinely confused about someone who doesn't know what an orc is? Like he's pretty sure that's a talking unicorn, which is not the weirdest thing he's ever seen. ]

[nostagesplz]

Neat! I don't think we have any orcs in Equestria...

[She shook her head.]

This thing is weird. I've talked to a human on it too, more than one. It's really strange, but learning things and making friends is nice.

[At least it was when she got her personal space when it came to the latter.]

Video

[have_hat_will_travel]

Mostly no. Other than some people might demonize it in the descriptive, metaphorical sense because this scale of interplanar communication is kind of, um, a lot?

Also there's me, and there was one other guy but I think he's gone now.

Pidonus Marasia, Succubus but more importantly Bard, hiding in a cave at your service.

[jasidian]

It's fine, I wasn't being particularly serious.

Klaus Vanderboren, priest, scholar, all-around...nerd?

[ He still gets called a nerd, even after all these years. ]

[have_hat_will_travel]

Hmm. Where you're from, does being a priest mean divine magic?

Mostly curious. For clarity, bardic stuff does allow me to do a bunch of magic and adjacent stuff, so, yay.

[jasidian]

Erm, yes?

I suppose there's most likely worlds on which it doesn't, but...in my experience, it usually does.

[have_hat_will_travel]

From what I've seen on this network, quite a few worlds are more boring about that.

But yeah, it should be safe. At least, it's probably enough that I could use info from it for plane shifting.

If I knew Plane Shift.

[jasidian]

[ He's doing some mental arithmetic right now. Mostly about how many spell slots he's got.

He eventually comes to the conclusion that, at the very worst, Pidonus might just have to do a sleepover at his place for a day. ]

...if you need any help with something, well.

I can see what I can do for you.

[have_hat_will_travel]

... It's appreciated, though perhaps it's best that you, um, know some of what's going on before assisting.

There's a few situations that I'm kinda concerned about on other worlds, not counting my own which is why I can't just find a local ally of the appropriate power level.

[nijistaryume]

Pretty sure it's not demons. [Wave.] It's a weird inter-universe technology thingy. Hi!

[jasidian]

I was mostly joking, but yes, h-

He is immediately cut off by the tiny orc squealing in response.

"HI!"

[nijistaryume]

[The child giggles.] Hey, you never know. I think some people on here are still convinced everyone's just really dedicated roleplayers or something.

[jasidian]

...I'm going to probably sound like a complete dweeb here, but what is "roleplaying"?

[nijistaryume]

Like when you're kids making up stories on the playground, but for grownups, I guess. I mean, kids do it too, but you know.

[jasidian]

...oh! It does sound enjoyable, yes.

Although I scarcely think there's a lot of people who'd be able to keep it up for as long as people might suspect, if that's what they're assuming here.

[nijistaryume]

Yeah, and if you did it all the time without breaks, that's when people would just think you were weird.

[jasidian]

I feel exhausted just being me sometimes; I'm not sure how I could really get into being someone else.

[ There's a small laugh. Meanwhile the kid looks lost in thought in his arms, one hand in her mouth. ]

But I suppose if you're not used to planar stuff, that's...the only plausible explanation there is. Even if it's still less likely than actual magic.

[nijistaryume]

Probably. I mean, magic's kinda hard to get used to sometimes, but -- wait, can I say I got used to it? When you see it happen in front of you a bunch, that's kinda different from deciding to believe just on what you see off the internet, huh?

[jasidian]

Um.

Pardon me asking, but what exactly is an "internet"?

[nijistaryume]

Basically this, except this is a magic version. It's a virtual space connecting people from all over, and you post stuff and read stuff and try and avoid the weird conspiracy theory stuff designed to make you hate everybody. Lots of memes, though.

[This is immediately followed by a text reply:]

vidja

[axmeowder]

[ A catgirl is pulling close to the camera magic mirror, gazing into it to try and get a... good view? ]

An orc! Are you a part of Paul's army? What's the situation like over there?

[jasidian]

[ there is the tiniest "YEAH!" from the smol half-orc before Klaus chuckles extremely nervously. ]

I feel like this is going to be awkward, but... Who's Paul?

[axmeowder]

Paul, the Dark Lord...?

[ ... if he doesn't know who Paul is... but no, he's an orc. She hasn't seen any other orcs on here, only humans and human lookalikes and one unicorn.

He has to be from her world, right? ]

[jasidian]

[ He notices her face, and...his expression becomes one of concern. ]

I know this isn't exactly what you'd wanted to hear, but...I'm sorry, I have no idea who that is.

video

[godslantern]

Definitely not demonic. Someone else would have noticed its presence before I left Heaven, otherwise.

[jasidian]

Was mostly in jest there, but...well. Wouldn't be the first time I ran into an angel.

[godslantern]

I rather doubt you met anyone I know.

[For multiple reasons. Angels don't tend to leave Heaven as a rule, and Neriel would remember a species like this turning up in the Creation files.

Probably, anyway. Earth got the most attention, which doesn't mean everything else in the universe is uninhabited, but even so.]

[jasidian]

I met...three angels? But they'd already fallen and were trapped in a layer of the Abyss, so I doubt they're really the standard angel archetype.

[godslantern]

Not... so much, no. Falling, at least in my world's case, constitutes a substantial metaphysical change.

vidya

[lightnovelexperiences]

You would probably be a better expert on that than me my dude, given the tasteful furnishings I see, but like...

...warlock? Is my first guess?

Your kid's cute. Nice to meet you?

[jasidian]

Ah, well, this is actually my wife's house? I mean, the anatomical models and whatnot are mine, but... her parents were rather accomplished adventurers, you see.

It's...great to meet you too?

[ The kid, meanwhile, is giving a little wave after some prompting from her dad (probably along the lines of "say hi, Harley".) ]

[flirtyinventor]

Not demonic. [live from 1943!]

[jasidian]

Was mostly a joke, but other people have come to say mostly the same thing.

[ That tiny orc in his arms is now trying to reach for the new person. Hi! ]