voice;

[loseashoe]

Everyone here is so certain they aren't fictional.

But why? You all come from interesting places, surely the concept of information leaking from one world to another and being fictionalized would present itself when coming up with theories. [ She sounds genuinely irritated and a little baffled. ]

Comments

[allons_y_alonso]

I'm not sure at all! There are people here who grew up with me on telly! Which, personally, is brilliant.

I'd rather I was from books, though.

Anyway, if we really are fictional, that means one day I might get to meet Harry Potter!

[loseashoe]

Finally, some sense.

[ You people are, on the whole, the weirdest Fables she's ever met. ] I mean, really. The whole 'you're fictional' thing isn't such an absurd charge.

[allons_y_alonso]

The only real question it raises for me is why, in all of my travels, I never detected the existence of 'reality' before. I've been between dimensions, across both ends of time, from the bright heart of the universe to the void beyond the edge, and if we're in the real world now, obviously travel between states is possible. So why and how is it than in eight hundred years of rambling, I never found a hint of a more primal reality?

But then, there's always something stranger, isn't there? I'm not saying I believe I'm fictional, but I don't disbelieve it either. I'm waiting on the evidence, that's all.

[loseashoe]

Reality is a pretty subjective word. I don't know that this is the real world. It's just real to the people within it. In terms of this world, we're the fictional beings and they're the real ones. Were they to come to our worlds, positions would be reversed.

What do they teach you guys in your homelands?

[allons_y_alonso]

I'm the wrong one to ask. There's only one surviving person in this or any other universe who went to the same school I did. And I never got very good grades, to be quite honest with you.

[loseashoe]

One of those worlds, huh.

[allons_y_alonso]

Not at all! Most of the planets in the universe remain remarkably non-blown-up! Just mine, really.

[loseashoe]

Bad luck, that.

[allons_y_alonso]

There were... reasons.

In any case, the war's done now. As over as anything can ever be over, and then some. Just the two of us left -- and now, my daughter. Brilliant girl.

[loseashoe]

Good on you guys.

[notjohnsmith]

Reality ought to be more plausible than fiction. However far-fetched the world I came from was, this island definitely doesn't qualify as more convincing. In fact, I'm still not positive this isn't some purgatory I was banished to for the crime of displeasing a certain someone.

[loseashoe]

[ ... ]

Hasn't anyone ever told you that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction?

It's a pretty accurate statement.

[notjohnsmith]

Truth being stranger than fiction is something I have a great deal of familiarity with. But I see little reason for anyone else to believe they can adequately categorize between the two in a universe that can be changed upon a whim at any moment. If there is a fictional world, doesn't Occam's Razor dictate that the decrease in causality in our lives suggests that this is the less 'real' existence?

Even if someone were to submit that we were all shadows on the wall of a cave, this doesn't seem to be a likely cave. In fact, the events on this island fit the pattern of shadow puppets being manipulated for someone's amusement all too well.

[loseashoe]

There's no doubting this place is strange and a little bit messed up, of course. Something's up with it, and I wouldn't mind finding out what.

But in terms of this world, is it really so strange to think that we're the fictional beings here? Maybe in an extremely strange reality of sorts, but still.

[notjohnsmith]

It's not a good category to be put into, regardless. No-one worries about hurting the feelings of a fictional character if they decide not to read the book they're in. People may cry when a beloved character dies, but since they can resurrect them by turning back a page, it's unlikely to cause lasting concern. In fact, any problem a fictional character possesses can be dismissed by the 'real' people as not mattering at all.

Given that, I don't intend to be thought of as imaginary. It's bad enough that even the island officials use my nickname on all their official forms.

[loseashoe]

Oh, that.

[ Yeah, she doesn't really worry about people not thinking well of her unless they're actually a threat. ] I think it's unlikely they could manage to really hurt us.

[notjohnsmith]

Not worth the risk to find out.

[loseashoe]

Oh, if you say so.

[notdogmatic]

It is more probable to believe that this is simply another iteration of fictionalization, instead of an ur-reality suggested by Platonic ideals.

[loseashoe]

What specifically do you mean by another iteration of fictionalization?

[notdogmatic]

If all of the worlds we come from have been fiction, isn't this likely to be a fictional world as well? Is there any evidence that such a thing as 'reality' can be said to exist?

I have some degree of evidence for this statement.

[loseashoe]

This is similar to what I was telling the other guy up there. Reality is a pretty subjective term. Does it really matter so much that we're fictional in this world's view?

[notdogmatic]

Humankind wishes for validation. While objectively our condition is unchanged, however we characterize it, it's natural for humans to insist on their own importance and solidity, even though we are still in a world where people age and die and are forgotten. At its most basic form, it's probably a psychological tool for survival, though its adaptation to this circumstance is questionable.

[loseashoe]

[ What is up with all these words from everyone, seriously. ]

People should learn to take things like reality with a dash of levity.

[notdogmatic]

Levity?

[loseashoe]

Yes! It's important for a sensible outlook on life.

[mindoirsurvivor]

Frankly, I don't care.

[loseashoe]

Thank you! People seem to be wasting a lot of time and losing perspective with this whole 'we can't be fictional' thing.

[mindoirsurvivor]

All I need to know is that my bullets feel real to the other guy. Everything else is details.

[loseashoe]

Yes.

[notvictorious]

Considering I already found out half of my life was fake, I'm not super pumped to find out the other half was too.

[loseashoe]

Reality is relative! Your life was real in your world, it's just fictional here. Doesn't mean everything you experienced wasn't important.

[reanimated]

I don't really care one way or the other anymore, but here's a mindfuck for you, love: what about what we considered fictional while we were fictional? Y'know, movies and shit.

[loseashoe]

Falls under the same category.

[reanimated]

But even the poor fucks in the movies we watch watch movies!

[loseashoe]

Exactly.

[morsporta.livejournal.com]

It never really mattered.

[loseashoe]

Good.

[morsporta.livejournal.com]

Good?

[loseashoe]

Yup.

[usedellipsis.livejournal.com]

[That makes a lot of sense! It leaves Red thinking.]

...they knew about me.

[loseashoe]

Oh? Other of us fictionals here, you mean?

[usedellipsis.livejournal.com]

...yeah. They knew about Pokémon. [An agreeing "Pi-pi!" can be heard on the background.]

[loseashoe]

Interesting. That certainly does seem to back up my theory.

[usedellipsis.livejournal.com]

...did you know about other people too?

[loseashoe]

Not particularly, but I never really had time to keep up with popular culture.

[usedellipsis.livejournal.com]

...ah. [He's not sure what pop culture is, but he gets the idea.] ...I don't know anyone either.