audio | un: steinbeck

[graftage]

[There's the sound of someone clearing their throat.]

I don't know, I guess I just wanted to get this off my chest. See if this has happened to anyone else. It still feels weird to me to even think about it, but...

[A long sigh.]

Anyways. My name's John Steinbeck. And where I come from, that was just a regular name with no other meanings attached to it. Coming here, though, I happen to get lots of people askin' about some kind of author. Seems like he has the same name as me. Which is like, sure, guess the name could be common.

[There's a pause.]

And then, a really good friend of mine gave me one of his novels, and...its bizarre. The names of the characters have the same names as my family. The situation in the book is stuff that I'm familiar with, too. It's just....weird. And I guess I just wanted to ask if, like, this is something people have even experienced, knowing that there's some other YOU out there in a different world who you weren't even aware of. I know people come from different worlds. But has anyone found out about another version of themselves or whatever through talking to people around here? Or is there anyone else who has actually met their own selves here? I guess that could be a thing.

[World dimensional shenanigans, oh my!]

...Thanks for listening. [A beat.] And before anyone asks, no, I've never written a single thing in my life.

Comments

audio

[tigerpoet]

I'm so sorry.

audio

[graftage]

What are you apologizing for? It's not like somebody wouldn't have eventually done it. Don't be hard on yourself.

[tigerpoet]

I know, but... you're precious to me, I never want to cause you distress.

[Hearing John call him a very good friend, in public, made him happy even in the middle of his fretting.]

[graftage]

It would take a lot for you do cause me any distress, doc. [Yes, he knows he isn't a doctor, but the nickname sticks.] I appreciate it, though.

[tigerpoet]

Anything for you.

[gay]

[graftage]

Anything for you too, Atsushi.

[its gay]

[tigerpoet]

If you'd ever like, I could share some of my stories. I'm sure they don't have uncomfortable similarities with your life, at least.

[graftage]

I'd like that! And haha, if they did, I'd be super worried.

text | username: inaban

[dereban]

I wouldn't be surprised if another version of 'me' existed, even if I haven't heard anything of the sort. Yet.

Wouldn't be surprised though, since there's definitely different versions of my hometown. At least three, which is pretty weird.

While I don't know about myself, my roommate? Does have another version of himself here, and it's definitely something to deal with, especially given that I'm friends with both of them.

[tigerpoet]

I'm not sure if it's as good as Steinbeck's work, but I hope you'd enjoy it, at least...

text for now!

[graftage]

Three versions of your home?? How does THAT work?

Oh, really? How do they work that one out?

[He actually knows both Atsushis BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW SHE'S REFERRING TO THEM, welp!]

[dereban]

Parallel worlds.

They generally refer to each other differently, I think, and they have a slightly different hairstyle. Even if it's a very minuscule difference to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if someone mistook one for the other. It's like dealing with twins. I can tell the difference between the two because of their personalities (even if they have some things that they both share), although I usually call them by their first name unless they're both in the same room together.

[graftage]

Hey, I don't particularly like Steinbeck for obvious reasons. I'm pretty sure I'll love your more than his any day!

[graftage]

Did you ever go to those worlds or just hear of them?

Well, it makes sense that they'd look alike. They probably grew up in incredibly different circumstances, though. I know someone who has another version of themselves here and they're from a different organization than the other even though they're the same person.

text; un: swordsss

[swordhardy]

Not me, but ... I have met someone before, who doesn't remember me here now.
I didn't bother mentioning it to them, I didn't think they need the stress.

[dereban]

The latter.

They're all from the same city I'm from though and have things that don't exist in mine. And yeah, that's pretty much it. Like how special abilities are a thing in their iterations of the world while mine doesn't have anything like that.

And the minuscule differences in how they grew up can definitely change a person a lot because their experiences wind up differently.

Which is fine, honestly. It doesn't really bother me too much, although I'd imagine that getting mistaken for one another sometimes must be a pain in the ass to potentially deal with.

text

[scarsnstripes]

It is a little weird, isn't it?

It was a bit strange at first, but what's even stranger for me is that I read one of Atsushi-san's books as a child.

[tigerpoet]

You're too sweet to me.

[graftage]

[A short laugh.]

I don't even think I'm being sweet enough.

[graftage]

Nice username.

And you mean you met someone you knew from home but didn't know of you? That's pretty awkward. There's no one else from your world here?

[tigerpoet]

That's just another reason why I love you so much.

[Said casually, offhandedly, like it's no big deal that he's saying this and in public in front of God and everyone.]

[graftage]

Of course there's an Atsushi author

[Wait. What.]

Wait a second. You mean you read him in our world?

[graftage]

Wow. That's kind of not really exciting and yet its bizarre enough that I'd be weirded out in your situation.

Yeah, I guess, but it must be similar to twins anyways. Must be weirder for them than it is for others, anyways.

[swordhardy]

Not exactly.
I was on another space station before coming here. Wasn't home. Met them again here, but they don't remember the station, or anything we did there.
It was a surprise ... but nothing lasts forever. I know that well.
Still — strange.

[scarsnstripes]

I did. I didn't even recall the name of the author since I was so young at the time, but there was a book in the orphanage library by him.

But when I first met him, I recognized the book he always carries with him as the same book.

[Aka 'that book he turns into a sword' or 'the book that has his soul in it'. He's not mentioning that in public though.]