Conversation Space II.

[powersthatbe]

As Thorne shared with the network, Travelers who vanish find themselves alone in a small room. But it doesn’t look quite as described last time. Paper lanterns hang in the corners, and a lemniscate of live, spicily scented blue roses traces a figure eight on the floor. A little marble plinth sits beside the looping roses, with a champagne flute balanced on it, pink, fizzy liquid quietly effervescing within. In place of the throne that was there before, each half of the loop holds a brown leather sphere - a yoga meditation-ball chair. They’re a little tricky to balance on.


The walls, floors, and ceiling are tiled, a prismatic fade from one color to another, each tile unique, just slightly different in hue than those around it, each colored line giving a sense that it belongs to a bigger pattern, but never revealing enough to allow anyone certainty about what that pattern might be. It is only a glimpse of a larger world… in this small, quiet space.

Comments

[swinglow]

The Chariot's mouth is not really built for smiling in this form, even less than when it was a proxy. But there is some pleasure in its rumbling tone: "Yes."

[truerevelation]

"Hah!" He actually outright grins, punching one hand into the other. "Alright, I'm startin' to see how this works."

[swinglow]

"Good," Chariot says. "Any questions? I may not answer all. I will answer what I can."

[truerevelation]

"Man, have I got questions," he says with a bit of a laugh. It's ... it's an odd feeling. He'd been dreading this, but ...

"Alright. First one's a quick one. Who else've you got your eye on? I know 'bout Zed, hard not to, but ... hell. My friend Chie. She's always been, heh, big on your thing... man, that sounds wrong now I say it. Is she...?"

[swinglow]

"Eren. Korra. Your friend? No," the Chariot says. "She outgrew me. Just as you outgrew the Fool. The others like you as well. Another has chosen her. She was wanted. Is wanted."

[truerevelation]

He fidgets with his glasses for a moment - a bit of a shame that he won't have anyone else with him in this particular mess, but ... they were always going to be split up, after all. Already had been.
They were always going to have to work around this problem.

"Thanks," he says, genuinely appreciative of the information. "D'you know who or is there some kinda rule against you tellin' before they get to it?"

[swinglow]

"Would ruin the surprise," Chariot rumbles. Then, after tilting its head in thought again, it adds, "Souji is Lover's. Rise is Strength's. They also claimed in this space. If it matters."

[truerevelation]

Kanji chuckles slightly. "And I guess you like surprises, huh," he says, dryly. "Was pissed off when I found out about yours, y'know."

[swinglow]

"I saw you suited me," Chariot says. "Words were unnecessary. Also, proxies must wind their voice boxes."

[truerevelation]

"Eh, point." As much as he really hates to give one to it.

"So. This whole big ... competition." There's still a bit of a scowl at the word, even if he's going along with things for now just to get what information he can. "What's the goal? What're we 'playing for'? And what do we get for bein' on your team in the long run?"

[swinglow]

There is a brief pause as the Chariot continues to bounce on the medicine ball. "Weight," it says finally. "Meaning. The World. My help. More if I win."

[truerevelation]

"...Sounds like a hell of a prize," he says, watching the Arcana's motions for a little. "But we've been through a whole lot of worlds."

[swinglow]

"Yes," the Chariot says. "A finite number are left."

[truerevelation]

"Huh." Given the state of his home timeline, that makes Kanji pause. "Only so many left we're going to, or only so many left that're ... out there?"

[swinglow]

"Going to," the Chariot replies. "Until the end of game. Tournament brackets."

[truerevelation]

There's an end in sight.

It's a bit ... scary. Kanji's not going to admit to it, though. Hardly even to himself.

"That's what I thought. Alright." Instead, he fiddles with his glasses for a moment. "And then you, or someone, gets their big prize. But ... why're you competing in the first place?"

[swinglow]

The Chariot bounces thoughtfully. "No better way to achieve the World."

[truerevelation]

Kanji nods. His heart's racing a little as he asks - "Is it more than just a game for fun?"

[swinglow]

"For power and possibility and primacy," Chariot agrees.

[truerevelation]

"Huh." Not the best thing it could have said, but far from the worst. Kanji frowns. "And these are all that important. Means enough that you go through all ... this."

[swinglow]

"Yes," Chariot says. "We wish to be reflected throughout reality."

[truerevelation]

So that's the reason.

That's what this all comes down to. Kanji rubs his head as things start to piece themselves together.

"...Damn," he says, simply.

[swinglow]

"What do you want?" Chariot asks. "At the end of this?"

[truerevelation]

That's got Kanji a little stunned. "You ... you really want to - no, you're not the sort who's gonna ask questions for the hell of it. Man. Just ... give me a moment here, okay?"

Since when does it care about these kind of things? he wonders.

[swinglow]

The Chariot keeps bouncing on its meditation ball. "Cannot guarantee anything. But if I win."