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]

"Would like them not to win," Cairbre confirms. "World isn't required to be used to revived lost Arcana. Merely customary. Many Arcana will remake Temperance, Fortune, Hierophant, Star. Do not trust Devil, Tower to." There's a note of frustration in the engine thrumming of the Arcanum's voice. "Not right. Revival, rebirth, and remaking of Arcana one of the functions of Synodiporia. Is often why we start play."

It sighs. "Moebius was Devil's, Death's. Death set term of play requiring cyclability, Devil set term of bloodshed. Made long frustrating slog into bloody one."

[bite_the_hand]

Eren begins to calm down further as Cairbre speaks, the reactive battle-fury draining out of him to be replaced by a slow-burning core of anger - and determination. He wants vengeance, yes, but more than that he also wants to make sure neither of those two will be allowed to hurt any of his friends or his fellow Travelers ever again.

And... well. He can't help but find himself feeling a little sympathetic to Cairbre's situation, and he's feeling a bit guilty now for originally lumping all of the Trumps in together. He's still angry about the way the Travelers are treating in general, but... He knows what it's like to loose a friend. He knows what it's like to be given a way to pull a friend back from the brink of death. He knows the pain and frustration of someone that should be an ally snatching that hope right out of his hands... And he knows what it's like to be willing to go extremes to take that hope back.

Does it make him suddenly stop feeling angry about the all of the freedom the Trumps have stolen from him and the other Travelers? No. Does he continue to feel like the offense is entirely unforgivable and unjustifiable? Also no.

He takes a long few seconds to think it over, expression serious. Once he continues the tone of his voice is still somewhat agitated, but otherwise is back to the range of normal conversation. "So Death's condition was set first? And why'd they want the Jaunt to be frustrating for the Travelers?" With a name like Death, that one sounds like one he should be cautious of too. Even so, he's more wary now of jumping to conclusions about the Trumps too quickly.

[swinglow]

"Yes. Was Death's turn to set first condition. Was agreed by quorum that next Jaunt should be difficult. Travelers created many troubles previous Jaunt. Then finally refused to leave liminal space at all. Time wound down on Jaunt. No clear outcome. Failure. Cyclability was to counter possibility of another general strike. Time cannot wind down if day repeats itself. Was to be long and annoying, but eventually good outcome. Just Travelers must work for it.

"Devil wanted blood."

Cairbre is silent for a long moment.

"Travelers did do good there," it says, awkwardly. "Moebius Loop was terrible thing. Because of Travelers it was stopped. That is a good thing. Still am sorry that Travelers suffered."

[bite_the_hand]

"So everyone agreed to just stay in Liminal Space? Why?" Something about that statement doesn't sit right with him. At first it sounds as if everyone just gave up. But if that was right before Moebius, then shouldn't Armin have been there too? That doesn't sound like his best friend. Or, for that matter, any of the other Travelers that have been in Liminal Space a lot longer than he has. So either that was a decision made by the majority and the Travelers that hadn't agreed to just wait in Liminal Space got drug into that messed-up punishment Jaunt too, or there was a very good reason they'd refused to leave.

Regardless, as uncomfortable as he is with the idea of a punishment Jaunt in general, what the first condition had intended was nothing compared to what Devil turned it into.

Eren sighs. "I know it needed to be stopped. But there must have been another way!"

[swinglow]

"Do not know. Was not paying attention." Cairbre sighs. "Might have been other way. This was the way that it worked. I am sorry, however. Others sorry too. Did not understand mortal reaction to experiencing deaths until after. Thought bodies being safe made it not so bad."

It hangs its head.

[bite_the_hand]

Eren blinks, honestly surprised by that answer. "You mean you're not all watching us all the time?"

Then his expression becomes serious again. "Everyone except Devil and Tower, you mean. And being sorry doesn't make it better." There's still a hint of anger in his voice. Having a better understanding of what happened does a lot to remove his urge for revenge, but it's too little, too late for him to ever truly forgive the Arcana. Even so, it does at least help him believe most of them won't try something like Moebius again. If stopping the ones that would repeat it means allying with the other ones? So be it. It might go against his morals to work with his captors, but the only alternative he sees here would be so much worse.

"There's one more thing I need to know. What happens when you win, besides getting your friends back? What happens to us Travelers?"

[swinglow]

"No. Not I. Lovers yes. Enjoys watching. Especially the kissing. I watch when I am invoked. I watch when drawn by Travelers acting in my idiom. Otherwise, watching too stationery to do for pleasure."

Bounce, bounce.

"Should I win, will keep Traveling. Keep going. For pleasure, not for game. Travelers may come with. Continue to live in Liminal Space. Or may leave when I reach their world. Will go to all the Traveler worlds first, before venturing onwards."

[bite_the_hand]

"...Do they watch us even while we're in Liminal Space?" The idea that there's a Trump that comes snooping every single time he and Mikasa start making out is really damn creepy and uncomfortable, okay.

There's a sharp breath at that second answer - not in anger, but excitement. Excitement that he quickly squashes back down, but for a moment it was very obviously there.

"What happens to our worlds if we keep Traveling? Could we have a chance to fix our worlds with the help of the remaining Travelers, like we help the worlds we go on Jaunts to now? And keep Traveling after things there are put right?"

[swinglow]

Cairbre appears to consider this. "Yes. Do not see why not. As long as we keep moving, keep going forward, do not mind making stops along the way. As long as things are getting done."

This pony doesn't do well with forced idleness.

[bite_the_hand]

Eren grins, determined, no longer trying to hide his excitement - but there's something nearly predatory in that grin too.

"You like it when things are moving forward and hate it when things stay the same, right? Then I'll show you things getting done. I'll show you humanity winning against the Titans and reclaiming the world after spending the last hundred years trapped in a cage!"

He's quiet a moment then, expression becoming more calm again as he considers something. "When the game's over, will the Travelers have any more control over where we go, or who we become?"

[swinglow]

Cairbre's horsey face can't grin like a human's, but it perks up its ears and its body seems to almost vibrate with excitement. "Yes! Is exactly what I like! Very good! Knew you were suited!"

Then it sobers slightly. "Is more control what Travelers want? Will take input for next destinations. Will see if Infiltrating or not can be elective. Think it can. Perhaps not as who."

[bite_the_hand]

Well, looks like he's getting a better understanding of how the horseperson works. Good. It's starting to sound like he might actually be able to achieve his ideal ending to all of this. If Cairbre is the winner of the 'game' at any rate. So... now not only does he have a reason to work with it to make sure a few of the other Trumps lose, he has a reason to want Chariot to win.

Eren certainly wasn't expecting Chariot to be willing to work with the Travelers so readily, either. The horseperson sure is full of surprises. "Yeah. There's a lot of good things about Liminal Space, but we're not free. A comfortable cage is still a cage. Right now we're not allowed to choose our fates, we're just being helplessly carried along with your damn game, never knowing when our friends will vanish or when we'll stop being ourselves for weeks! There's a lot of Travelers that resent that lack of control over their lives. I'm one of them."

[swinglow]

"Is good to have control," Cairbre agrees. "Very much in my idiom. Cannot change how rules of game work now. Set down by Fortuna for chance and luck. Will be different should I win."