( A few of the locals seem so burnt out they've immediately lost interest — there's this general sense of I have seen some shit and I am Tired that Ian's picking up off of them. A few remain curious, though too wary to ask, and are more than happy to eavesdrop on Alex.

Ian's got a permanent baseline of utter chill running through him, and doesn't seem the slightest bit affronted by the question. Pleasantly amused, amiable, happy to answer questions by the looks of it. )

You know, it's... I'm gonna ramble through an answer here that's probably way more than you were asking for, but it's too late to take it back now.

( It's light, definitely a joke, he speaks with a slow enough drawl that it would be super easy to cut him off. )

I'm from Earth, originally. One of them, because... I think it turns out there are a shitload. Mine's the one with the aliens, if that... rings a bell. But that's not where this whole thing is from.

( He palms at his chest absently. )

Where I'm from is normal. I mean. Aside from the- you know. Alien part. I got the glowy magic thing from this other... weirder place that snatched me up, kind of like this one. It's-- The explanation's actually way longer than this already long-winded answer, your knees might give out before I get through the whole story.

( Those eavesdropping locals seem a little disheartened. )