#003 - Questions & Answers

[kryptonian]

So I’ve been here for about two weeks and I have some questions, after exploring a lot and talking to people. This is going to be pretty long, so if you’re flipping numerous pages in the journal, I’m sorry. (But I’m not actually sorry.)


General

1. How long has the oldest resident been here? The resident that has been here the longest.
2. What’s the shortest anyone ever stayed?
3. Who has been here the most times? I’ve apparently been here four times, and I do not like it.
4. Why are so many people here from Earth?
5. How come some people come back with memories and some don’t?
6. How many people here have come back with memories? How common is it??
7. What’s the most people that was ever here at one time?
8. What’s the craziest reaction someone ever had to coming to Paradisa?
9. What have people tried to get out?
10. How do you know time stops back home while we’re here?
11. How many different universes exist here?
12. Do some of you really come from such, uh... unadvanced worlds?
13. To people who aren’t from the 21st century: how confused are you?
14. Are some people here the only people from their worlds? Like, has never met anyone they know, or comes from some sort of “anomaly” universe?
15. How many people have met people they know, but are actually from other universes?
16. If we don’t age, does hair grow? Fingernails? Periods??

Death

1. When you die, what happens? Does it effect the timeline?
2. How often does it happen?
3. If people don’t stay dead, are you guys cool with murder or is it still wrong? (It’s not cool.)

Journals

1. Why do liquids come through?
2. Why do people bother using them? Can’t we stop using them and instead all get laptops or something? I have never written so much in my life, if it were possible, I would have carpal tunnel already.

“Price Losses”

1. What do people lose?
2. If you lose a memory, are you aware that you lost that memory, or is it like nothing ever happened?
3. If you lose an ability, what happens if you try to do it anyway?
4. What is the weirdest loss ever? The worst?
5. Do we KNOW that it’s a price we pay for being here, or is that just an assumption? (And you know what they say about assumptions... Or you should, anyway.)
6. Why does the castle pick what it picks?

“Temporary Losses”

1. Why do we even call these “losses”? I feel like that’s a little dishonest, from what I’ve seen and read about, some of these aren’t losses so much as “everything going crazy.”
2. What’s the extent of what can happen? Basically, what HASN’T Paradisa done, where does it draw lines?
3. What’s the point? I get the “draws emotional power, we’re batteries” thing but why does it pick what it does?
4. What’s the longest one ever lasted?
5. Is there a way to stop them early?

The Building?

1. I’ve been looking at the way the wires and vents are, and nothing really matches up. Nothing makes sense. Do we know anything else about that? Everything goes down to the ground, has anyone tried going under the castle?
2. Why do so many people hang out on the roof?
3. Is the laundry room sponsored by Tide? That’s so confusing to me, you have no idea.

Insolitus

1. What do we know about the abandoned room in there?
2. Has anyone tried to map it? I know it seems to change, but is there any sort of pattern, to it? Does Tunnel B go left only on a Monday, that kind of thing?
3. Has anyone ever gotten lost in there to the point where they couldn’t be rescued?
4. Has anyone tried drilling or breaking through walls in there? I guess what I’m asking here is does it “match up” with other parts of the maze, or does everything exist on different planes of whatever? I haven’t been able to figure it out.

Outside of Paradisa?

1. Why don’t people go out there more often?
2. Is there anyone out there?
3. Are there no other cities?
4. I don’t know much about city building, but it’s kinda weird to me that they can have a whole city with no trade or anything. Do the people in the city ever get shipments or whatever?
5. Why are there all these random abandoned warehouse type things when the city is pretty Dark Ages? Or Medieval Times? Or Renaissance? I don’t know the difference. If someone can explain that, that’d be great.
6. How far have people travelled?
7. Do we have a map?
8. Why don’t we have powers out there? Does Paradisa do that?

Misc.

1. Why is there a garage full of cars and other vehicles if this place doesn’t have any roads meant for cars?
2. What’s that big orange crystal on the lawn? I, as a rule, don’t go near random coloured crystals.
3. What’s the biggest mystery you want an answer to? Having only been here two weeks, I can’t even imagine what I don’t know.
4. Tell me something cool about the castle that I maybe haven’t thought of.

Thanks!
Kara

Comments

[therealrisette]

Oh, I know. Me too!

That's why I usually just talk. I'm used to public speaking, anyway.

[A slight pause, as she remembers something.]

I don't think we've met. I'm Rise. You said your name was Kara?

[Yes, she read every bit of that journal entry. Being a fellow newbie with most of the same questions and all.]

[kryptonian]

We haven't! Nice to meet you, Rise, I am indeed Kara. When did you get here?

[therealrisette]

I got here about two weeks ago too! I was working on a commercial back home when I suddenly just woke up in my room here.

Did the same thing happen to you? Just waking up in your room, I mean.

[From the tone of the question, it's like she's expecting a "no". Rise's a bit fascinated at the different ways people have mentioned arriving at the castle still...]

[kryptonian]

Not quite! I had a weird entrance... when I came to, I was hanging from the ceiling. The castle thought it would be funny to wrap me up in red ribbon and a bow, and a "To Stephanie" tag. Stephanie being my best friend here, of course.

[She laughs.]

So are you an actress, Rise?

[therealrisette]

[Oh wow... so she was kind of like a Christmas present for her friend! Rise chuckles along with Kara at the thought.]

Yep! Well, I do a little bit of everything in showbiz, really. I'm a singer and model, too.

But wow... you're lucky to have a friend from home. Must've been easy to get used to this place, huh? Even with all the weirdness.

[kryptonian]

Definitely... I'm used to weirdness, anyway, but everything's better with friends. How about you? No friends here?

1/2

[therealrisette]

None from home, no.

[She sighs.]

I'm used to being away from people because of work and everything, but it's different not knowing when you'll get to see them again.

2/2

[therealrisette]

[Her tone suddenly shifts, as if she doesn't want to bother anyone with those kinds of thoughts.]

But the people I've met here so far are mostly nice, so I feel like I'm making a lot of new friends too!

And you said it first! Everything's better with friends.

[If she were any more perky at this point, she'd probably cause diabetes.]

[kryptonian]

[She laughs.]

Yeah... there are lots of good people here. Certainly more good than bad, as far as I've seen.

And hey, we can hang out any time.

[therealrisette]

Sure! That'd be fun!

You can look me up anytime too, Kara-san. I'm always available for friends! Even ones I just met.

[She sincerely means it, too. Being used to having a busy schedule and coming to a magic castle certainly makes it feel like she has a lot of time on her hands... and what better way to spend it?]

[kryptonian]

Of course. [Meeting people alway puts her in a good mood.]

What do you like to do for fun?

[therealrisette]

[She's caught off-guard a bit by the question. She's been so caught up learning about the castle and trying to make friends, she hasn't considered how much free time she'll apparently have now.]

I'm guessing there's not much around here for shopping, huh?

[She laughs nervously.]

Well, I do get to go to the beach a lot during the summer. Mostly for photoshoots and commercials, but I get to have fun while I'm there too. And I get into clubs sometimes too, for shows and release parties and stuff.

Oh! And there's karaoke, too. I don't go much since I'm an idol and all, but maybe it might be fun while I'm here.

[A hestitant pause...]

... How about you? Any ideas?

[Her choice of words easily gives away that she's a bit at a loss for how to spend her time once Mission Make Friends isn't her top priority.]

[kryptonian]

There's shopping in the city, but it's not exactly... modern. Which sucks because I do like shopping. But let's see...

Have you heard about the room that is an indoor beach a few days a week?

[therealrisette]

Yeah, figures this place'd strand us here without a decent shopping arcade or mall or something, huh?

[Not that it matters as much when you can get clothes and things from castle magic. But it's not the same.

Rise's voice perks back up again at the mention of an indoor beach room, though.]

Oh, the Four Seasons room? Yeah, I've been there a couple times! But it would be way better with some company.

[Actually, now that she has a friend or two to invite, she's starting to consider having a proper beach outing someday. If you can call visiting a certain room in the castle an "outing"...]

[kryptonian]

We should have some sort of beach day. Cheer people up with all the winter cold outside.

[therealrisette]

We should! I already sort of tried an open invitation once, but maybe it'd be better to have friends invite each other instead?

I mean, I can't rely on my status as an idol here, or anything. I'm just normal Rise Kujikawa again.

[She doesn't sound as sad as she thought she would admitting that. Maybe because she's grown up a bit since the last time she went back to a normal life, or maybe because she knows she can build her idol persona again if she works at it.]

[kryptonian]

That does sound good. I've got a friend here who has been here for three years... I'm sure she knows some cool people. We can just have a bonfire and a little pow-wow, just us and a bunch of cool young ladies.

[therealrisette]

Awesome!

[She's actually getting really excited about this. It's been a long time since she's had a normal gathering that had nothing to do with her work as an idol or crazy TV-world serial murder cases.]

You're the one with most of the connections here, so I guess I'll wait to hear back about when everyone might be available?

[She's still obviously not used to being without her showbiz contacts in this world, despite the year she spent separated from them back home.]

[kryptonian]

Haha, sure, I'll see what I can do.