Tales from the 4th Wall

By: Persona

Disclaimer

The 4th Wall Bar and Grill and Persona are (c) Persona, all other characters mentioned are (C) their respective owners.

Author's forward:

This is going to be a bit of a first for me, so try and bare with me. This chapter and the one following are going to be written in first person from the reader's point of view, with a nameless character known simply as "You". This is most like likely going to be the only time I use this format in this series, but I wanted to use these chapters to act as an introduction of sorts to a newcomer to the 4th Wall. Sort of a tour of the facilities as it were.

This will give me the chance to expand upon my descriptions in the first chapter, and give you, the reader and potential cameo, a rough idea of what life at the 4th Wall is like, should you decide that you would like to make an appearance. That being said, please enjoy!

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Part Two: Welcomes and Explanations

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Staring at you're surroundings, you wonder how exactly to came to be in the position you are in now. One minute you're walking home, minding your own business, when suddenly a feeling of uneasiness comes over you, followed by a wave of nausea. Next thing you know the was a blinding flash of light, and you found yourself on the floor, confused and disoriented, and in a room that wasn't there ten seconds ago. This further added to the confusion, as you were clearly outdoors before ending up here.

As you get to your feet and collect your bearings, you take note of the room you are currently in. All in all, there isn't much to the room. It's not very big, and doesn't have anything in it other than what looks to be a rather comfortable recliner in the corner. The only other things of note in the room were a stone arch way that held large double doors in the wall furthest from the recliner, and several strange runes carved into the center of the stone floor in a circular pattern. The runes in and of themselves were rather odd, but the fact that they were also glowing was even weirder, and perhaps, even a little disturbing.

Deciding that you wanted to find out where you were, and also to put some distance between this room and yourself, you decided to check the doors. Disappointingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, you found that they were locked tight. Slumping down into the recliner, you begin to massage your temples, as if trying to stave off a headache. How was it that you ended up here? And perhaps even more importantly, why?

After about five minutes, there was a knock at the door. Startled out of your thoughts, you found yourself standing tense and alert. All your senses were on edge, not knowing what was behind that door, and whether or not it was friendly. A moment later, you hear what sounds like a lock being opened, followed by the large doors opening.

Standing in the doorway was a man with long silver hair wearing a black trench coat with red trim, black and red boots, plain pants and a white shirt with a red cross design. While you are taking in the appearance of the man in front of you, you find that he is also taking note of you. Though he hasn't said anything yet, you notice that he's smiling and has a kind, if not slightly amused, expression on his face. Once he had entered the room he closed the doors once more, and you could hear them locking once again.

"Well then..." He said, breaking the silence. "I suppose you're wondering just what the hell is going on at the moment. Am I right?" The look you gave him said that he had just made the understatement of the century. The man's smile got a little bigger after seeing the look on your face, and he began to chuckle lightly. Clearly, the humor he found in this situation was not shared.

"I suppose that's understandable." He said after he stopped chuckling. "That's why I'm here though. Please, have a seat. The answers to your questions may take a while to explain, and perhaps longer to comprehend." He had caught your full attention with that phrase. Deciding to heed his request, you sat back in the recliner, eager to finally get some answers. No sooner had you sat down that you found yourself back on your feet in shock, as a second recliner suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind the man, who calmly sat back in it. Noting your shocked look, the man shrugged and grinned. "I thought I'd get comfortable as well. Please, sit back down. I promise all will be explained."

Slowly sitting back down in the recliner, you indicate that you're ready to hear what's going on. Leaning back in his recliner, the man began. "I suppose I should introduce myself first. I'm called Persona, and this is my home. I know that doesn't quite satisfy your question of 'where am I?', so I'll say this as well, you're no longer on earth. Hell, you're no longer in your own dimension anymore!"

You stared at the man now known as Persona in bewilderment and awe. In that one sentence he had single-handedly redefined the words 'impossible', 'insane', and 'blunt'. You were starting to get worried, seeing as how you were stuck in a room with a person who was clearly off his rocker, when Persona continued.

"I know that look. That's the look that says 'this guy's a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic'! I've been given that look several times before." Somehow, this tidbit of information didn't come as much of a surprise to you. "Regardless, what I've said is the truth. You're not the first one to arrive here like this. Let me guess, you were going about your business as usual when you started to feel strange. Suddenly there's a huge flash of light, and the next thing you know, you're here having this delightful conversation with what you consider to be an apparent nut job. Am I close?"

You regarded Persona with a more critical look. He had just described the exact circumstances leading up to this point. Perhaps even more importantly, he said that you were not the first to have this happen to them. Nut job or not, this person obviously knows more about this situation than he's letting on.

"Continuing on, let's discuss where exactly you are." Persona continued, deciding that he had your full attention again. "I assume you've heard of the theory that there are an infinite number of dimensions and alternate realities other than the one you come from. And if you haven't heard of this theory beforehand, well, I just told you, so problem solved!" He quipped with a cheesy grin that caused you to roll your eyes. "Needless to say, that theory isn't just a theory, it's fact. This place where we are now is proof of that. This place exists nowhere, and at the same time, everywhere. A place that is connected to every known dimension there is. This place is commonly referred to as 'The Inter-Dimensional Nexus' to those who know of it's existence."

Persona paused, and you were glad that he did, as your head was beginning to hurt again with what he was telling you. Yes, he was making good on his promise to explain everything, but the answers were actually more confusing than the ignorance. Everything he said was just to incredible to be true, but at the back of your mind, you couldn't help but wonder, what if it is?

"Actually," Persona began again, "the place has changed a great deal since I decided to 'remodel' it. This all used to be one giant chaotic energy tempest. Quite a sight to behold if you were one of the ones who didn't go insane from the lack of most of your senses. But I'm straying from the main points of this discussion. Back on topic, now that you know where you are, it's time to discus why you're here." He said, his face donning a serious expression.

You couldn't help but feel anticipation at this point. If what this person said was true, then there had to be an important reason to be here. Sitting here in what could very well be the center of existence, and talking with someone who calls this place home and can apparently alter the very essence of an entire dimension? You actually began to tremble slightly, feeling that whatever Persona might say next may alter your life forever.

The serious look on Persona's face suddenly turned into a nervous grin, complemented by him rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, I have no idea why you're here!"

If your jaw had dropped any faster, you swear it would have been dislocated. Disappointment and frustration began to well up inside of you. This guy was supposed to have all the answers, now he says he clueless? After a few moments, you notice Persona is having a hard time keeping a straight face, until he finally broke down into laughter. After a few more moments he regained his composure.

"Sorry about that!" He said, still laughing lightly. "It's nothing personal, but I always like to lightly mess with the heads of the new arrivals. The look on you face was priceless!" You gained two valuable pieces of information from that little confession. First, from the way he said 'new arrivals', it seemed safe to assume that people showing up here unexpectedly wasn't that uncommon. Secondly, it seemed that Persona had a rather twisted sense of humor.

"Seriously though, there is no 'reason' that you're here now." Persona continued, now fully recovered. "This dimension has always been chaotic by nature. Granted, it's far less chaotic now then in the past, but one of the dimension's fundamental traits is to randomly spawn portals in random locations in random dimensions. You just happened to be lucky enough to be near one of those random portals when it opened!" You couldn't help but think that apparently you and Persona had different terminology when it came to the definition of 'luck', and saw fit to tell him so.

Persona had to grin at that. "About two hundred years ago I would have agreed with you." TWO HUNDRED YEARS? Your mind screamed out, noting that the evidence that the person in front of you just wasn't normal kept piling up. Seemingly uninterested at the sudden expression of shock your face registered,Persona continued on. "Today, I've taken steps to make sure that visitors find their stay here enjoyable. This room that we're in is simply an arrival point for those who wander into a random portal. Originally, new arrivals showed up in the main lobby along with everyone else. Boy, what a mistake that was! Most people's brain's couldn't handle what they were seeing and just overloaded, it took quite a lot of time and effort on the part of our medical staff to convince them that they hadn't gone insane. Needless to say, I soon moved the new arrival point to here, where I or my main staff can explain what's going on with much less of a shock. Now comes the fun part."

You involuntarily raised your eyebrow at that comment. Considering all that's been said thus far, coupled with the warped sense of humor Persona had demonstrated thus far, you were almost afraid to hear what this 'fun part' was.

"As it turned out, even once they had this orientation of sorts, some people still couldn't cope with what goes here. As a result, I now offer a choice to everyone at this point. If you wish, you can return home now, without ever seeing what lies beyond those doors." He said, gesturing to the doors directly behind him. "You'll return to your regular life and can believe this little conversation was all part of a really weird dream, should that be your desire. You'll never return here again unless you happen upon another randomly spawned portal, and the odds of that are slim. I only ask that you never mention this place or anything that I've told you to anyone. Not so much for my sake, but for yours. Remember that not many people know about this place, and you may sound like a raving lunatic to those outside of here. Remember the look you gave me at the beginning?" He added with a bit of a smirk.

"Your other option: you choose to stay, and I show you just what lies beyond those doors. While here, you will be subject to all rules and dimensional laws that are in effect here. You will also be subject to the penalties applicable for violation of said rules and laws. Choosing to stay also gives you a rather nice bonus. When the time comes that you want or need to return home, you always have the option of returning here at a later time. It's your choice."

You pause for a moment to consider your options. You know that the first option is the safest, simplest, and least bothersome of the two. It would be quite easy to simply forget about this and move on with your life. But still, there would always be the thoughts of 'what if'. It's human nature to explore the unknown, regardless of the risks. Besides, while whatever lies beyond those doors has the risk of breaking one's mind, wouldn't the constant wondering of 'what would have happened if I had stayed?' be just as maddening as well? What will you do?

1) To play it safe and return to your normal life, simply hit back on your browser.

2) To see what lies beyond the doors, continue onwards.

Deciding on your course of action, you tell Persona that you want to stay and see what's happening beyond the doors.

Persona smiled and nodded once. "Follow me." He simply said getting up from his recliner. As he stood up, the recliner faded into nothingness. He stood in front of the doors and placed his hand upon them. As he did so, you heard them unlock once again. "They're special doors." He explained. "They don't unlock unless either I or one of the other members of the 'welcoming committee' want them to. Plus they're super tough, it would take far more power than the average human, or even a large group of average humans could muster to force it open. Just as well too, seeing as how the door leads... 'Somewhere else' if forced."

You had the feeling that 'somewhere else' he mentioned was probably none too nice a place and best avoided if possible. Placing that thought in the back of your mind, you watch as Persona pushed on the doors, which opened to reveal a long corridor. Following along side Persona, you begin to wonder how long this corridor could be, as you seem to be unable to see any end to it.

"I'm actually rather glad you decided to stay." Persona said, breaking the silence. "It's been a while since I've been able to give a new arrival the grand tour. Usually I'm too busy running the place to personally welcome someone for the first time, but today's been a bit of a slow day. A bit of a rare occurrence around here actually."

As the two of you continue down the corridor, you notice that the walls now have pictures hanging on them. These pictures depict several familiar scenes. Scenes such as people enjoying a meal, shooting pool, there was even one of a person standing in front of a microphone getting pelted by produce. While the pictures themselves were fairly normal, the people depicted in them were anything but. The pictures depicted different races, species, all manner of beings aside from human. But perhaps the most astonishing thing of all was that you could actually recognize some of these people.

"Interesting pictures, aren't they?" Persona said, noting the stunned expression on your face. "These pictures show some of the events that have taken place where we're going." He continued, stunning you even further. Looking at the next picture, which depicted a human and three other beings that you could only label as 'alien', as you've never seen anything like them before, were engaged in what appeared to be a drinking contest.

"Remember, I said that this place has connections to all realities and dimensions everywhere." Persona said, answering you question before you even had a chance to ask it. "Surely you didn't think that throughout all existence, humans are the only forms of sentient life there is?" Your face flushed in embarrassment, as that was exactly what you were thinking up to a moment ago. You were just beginning to realize why some people simply couldn't cope with whatever went on here. Looking at Persona, you ask him why several of the beings in the pictures look familiar or blatantly recognizable to you.

"Ah, a good question, that one is." He said with a big smile on his face, glad to see that you were more inquisitive than weirded out at the moment. "The answer to your question lies in where you come from. You see, while all realities and dimensions are connected to the Nexus, some reside closer to the Nexus than others. Think of your dimension as encased within a bubble, and surrounding your dimensional bubble are an infinite number of other dimensional bubbles. Using this bubble grid analogy, the Nexus is just like all the other bubbles on the grid, the only difference being that it's the only bubble that can directly link to all the others. Now, the outer rim of your dimensional bubble, the dimensional barrier, is in direct contact with the dimensional barrier of the Nexus. Yours is the only dimension in which this occurs."

"What this means is that the dimensional barrier that separate your dimension from the Nexus, while still intact, is somewhat weakened. This allows people from your dimension to subconsciously view some events that go on in the neighboring dimension. While this occurrence is by no means rare, in your dimension's case it's quite unique. Seeing as the Nexus is connected to everywhere, so too do the people of your dimension get subconscious images from everywhere. Another result of being so close to the Nexus is that more random portals tend to spawn in your dimension than anywhere else, so the majority of visitors we get comes from your home. That leaves you to consider this, perhaps those works of fiction the people on your world tend to enjoy, aren't quite as fictional as you would like to believe." Persona concluded.

Your mind still reeling from the bombshells you were just hit with, you and Persona suddenly found yourselves at the end of the corridor, standing in front of another set of doors. "I feel I must apologize for hitting you with all that information so fast." Persona said as he stopped in front of the doors. "I know your brain must be hurting by now, but I've always believed in the blunt approach. I feel that if you sugarcoat or simply glaze over the truth, you'll have no preparation for what you'll see here." He said, gesturing to the doors behind him. "At least now, though you may be in serious need of an aspirin, you have somewhat of an idea of what to expect. Now, let's continue."

That having been said, Persona opened the door and lead you into a lobby where all manner of beings, like the one you saw in those pictures, were conversing. Looking back at you with a large smile, Persona extended his arms to the sides, as if it indicate everything around you.

"Welcome to the 4th Wall, please check your sanity at the door and enjoy your stay!"