[Audio]

[neverfeltthatway]

Ah... to all the new people arriving, please stay calm. Try not to panic, and try not to project your thoughts so chaotically - with all of you that are arriving, it'll only make things more confusing for everyone. No one will hear your thoughts if you're not actively projecting them.

I know you all have a lot of questions. There are many of us who've been here a while, so try to find someone who looks like they know what they're doing, and they can help you. I'll try to help as best I can too - we can talk like this, or if you'd prefer face to face, I'm over by the black knight.

Comments

[dorarara]

[S-Stay calm? UHH?? There are voices in his head, man!! This is normal here? How does he even.. respond?]

Uhh...

Hello? Am I doin' this right?

[That's... a start.]

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin's careful not to transmit his innocent amusement over the network.] Yes, I can hear you.

First thing's first. Are you all right? You're not hurt?

[dorarara]

Whoa it worked. Man... this is kinda crazy...

Um, nah, I'm not hurt but... wait, am I supposed to be? [Armin can't see it of course, but Josuke checks over his shoulder.] There isn't anything out here looking to beat the crap outta me is there?

[Even though he's fairly confident he'd come out on top...]

[neverfeltthatway]

No. Not here, anyway. [Though once you get to Dolorosa, he makes no promises for any of the dragons or bandits. Or the barons, for that matter.] Some people arrive here injured, though. It's always best to make sure.

[dorarara]

Wait, seriously? Man that must suck. Talk about timing...

So uhh, I'm guessing you're pretty familiar with all this right?

[neverfeltthatway]

Yes - I've been here for more than half a year. I can answer any questions you might have as well as anyone here. [Which is not necessarily to say he can answer them all well, or that he will always have a good answer. Just that no-one will have a better one.]

[dorarara]

Half a year?! You've been away from home for that long?!

[Dude that's long enough for the cops to consider your missing person's case dead cold.]

Whoever brought us here seriously isn't messing around. Why can't they just do all this themselves?

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm afraid we don't know. There's speculation about who brought us here - why they do all this, and what else they're capable of - but nobody knows for sure. My best guess is that they can't do this themselves, for whatever reason - they need us to influence the world. [That, or this was all an experiment - but that's not a theory he's inclined to share with new Travelers.]

[dorarara]

So how close are you guys to fixing this thing then? I mean in half a year, you've gotta be making some decent progress, right? Like it's nearly totally under wraps, and you just need a few more finishing touches?

[neverfeltthatway]

Oh. [He's clearly done a poor job of explaining. Then again, there never is a good place to start.] Well, it's not just one world we're affecting. We usually spend 4-8 weeks in one place, then we're sent somewhere else. We call these jaunts. This is my 5th, that I remember. Other people have been on a lot more.

[He's quiet a short moment. He considers not saying this next part - but no, he won't sugarcoat it. That won't help anybody.] On the other hand, if you're asking if we've figured out how escape this whole thing and go home, I'm afraid we're not even close. It's been half a year, and we're barely any closer to discovering how we got here than when we started.

[dorarara]

[There's a prolonged silence as Josuke absorbs all that, and at the end of it all, comes a loud, exasperated sigh.]

So basically we're all workin' on a contract with no expiry date? Are we even getting paid anything? What happens back home?! My mum's gonna turn the friggin' town upside down lookin' for me.

[Not an exaggeration. And sorry for all the questions, Armin...]

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm afraid so.

It's... hard to say what happens back home. Nothing, quite possibly - I was taken from earlier in time than my friend, who came with me. Yet, he doesn't remember me disappearing.

[dorarara]

Whoa, seriously?! Man, you're just throwing one curveball after another at me. I'm barely keepin' up.

So-- wait-- you're saying it's like your friend never noticed you left to come here? What does that mean for us? I mean, if life's carrying on as usual...