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

[callmemeibe]

"You are welcome. I will always listen to my Chosen's concerns."

She thinks for a moment about her answer, before stating, "Yes. But you can return to your proper time. I can ensure this."

[uzoda]

This news is not good news, the way that Kenzaki interprets it. His eyes go wide, and he springs to his feet. "I can't be gone! If I'm gone, then everything ends." He trips over his words, passes a hand over his face. "My proper time... so it'll be like I never left? I could be put back, and everything would go normally?"

He needs a yes. He needs a yes more than he needs to believe that he could miraculously remain by this Hajime's side.

[callmemeibe]

"You are gone. You are here in Liminal Space. Yet nothing has ended, not yet." It's very difficult for Durga to articulate what she wants to say, and so she lets out a bit of a frustrated sigh. "I do not intend on ending your world. You may be sent back then. Or you may stay with your friend. But you must choose, not I. I do not take volition from my Chosen."

[uzoda]

"I'm..." Is he both? No, no, it doesn't seem that he's at both. "So wait, wait, when this is done, you can just... put me back where you found me... no, no, when you found me, and everything'll be fine. Right?" He does not know if he's going to like any answer that he gets, at this point. Stay with Hajime and end his world. Return and keep the world safe, and lose all of this with Hajime. But it's the same choice that he'd had to make before, isn't it? But she hasn't said so... "If I chose to stay... then would there be a me in that world? Or would I be gone? I... I'll make the right choice, when the time comes, you've got to believe me, but you have to tell me what'll happen!"

[callmemeibe]

"Only if I am victorious," she warns. "There are some who would revel. In destroying your home world. If it meant reinforcing their idiom. But it's... theoretically possible for such to occur. There could be other options to pursue, also."

She shakes her head, sadly. "I cannot tell you what will happen. Only what might happen. I know it is difficult, to trust. But please trust me. I will help the Travelers. In any way I can. As long as it doesn't endanger my siblings. But I don't have the power necessary. Not now. But I can, if I win. If I do not..." She shakes her head again, and her shoulders droop at the thought. "Help Empress, or Chariot. They will take care of you, too. Should I fail."