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

[whydoyoushine]

Oh, he's good. That's fine, Zed likes a challenge from time to time...even if he doesn't like being shown up when messing around with powers like that. "Alright, let's see..."

He kept those darkness powers from Newport, the ones with the finer control...so while he'll stroll over there to make his shot from a distance, he'll also whip up a little something out of solid darkness. A disco ball cannon. This is totally a legit thing to bring to a friendly basketball game, right?

There's a small explosion as Zed fires the ball, and...

...okay, so that might have been more worth it if he'd made the shot.

[swinglow]

Cairbre laughs.

[whydoyoushine]

"Well," Zed says, sulking a bit, "it was worth a try."

[swinglow]

"Was a good try?" Cairbre offers.

[whydoyoushine]

"Not for basketball." There's a slow grin. "But for blowing stuff up in the future, sure."

[swinglow]

Cairbre chuckles. It sounds like a motor revving. "Useful!"

[whydoyoushine]

"Yeah," Zed muses, "I didn't know I could make a firing cannon."

[swinglow]

"Good to know," Cairbre says encouragingly.

[whydoyoushine]

"Cannons are better than basketball, anyway." Because he's pretty sure he can win at those.

[swinglow]

"Both have worth," Cairbre disagrees.

[whydoyoushine]

"The basketball doesn't shine, though," Zed points out. "Explosions are sparkling!"

[swinglow]

Cairbre looks down at the bouncy disco ball and back up at Zed.

[whydoyoushine]

"Well," Zed says defensively, "Most basketballs aren't this cool."

ARE YOU REALLY BRIBING ZED WITH DISCO BASKETBALLS

[swinglow]

"Can make them so. If I win."

YES

[whydoyoushine]

"Well, all right, then!" Zed laughs. "I'm definitely in."

Re: YES

[swinglow]

Cairbre holds up a many-jointed hand for a high five.

[whydoyoushine]

Zed gives him a high five. Nice to see they're on the same page here.

[swinglow]

After a moment, Cairbre moves its hand for a low five.

[whydoyoushine]

Zed gives him a low five, too.

[swinglow]

Two side-fives from either direction.

Then, the fist bump.

[whydoyoushine]

Zed's laughing as he meets all of these things in turn. Not like he's got much experience with friends to have done this sort of thing before.

[swinglow]

"I enjoyed our time," Cairbre says. "Any last questions?"

[whydoyoushine]

"Yeah, you're alright." Zed shrugs. "Can't think of anything else, really."

[swinglow]

"Goodbye."

And without further ado, Zed is returned to liminal space.

(His basketball jersey remains.)