Conversation Space: The Ultimax

[powersthatbe]

You feel as if you've stepped through a door.

Comments

[indeathputable]

"We weren't always Arcana," Death points out. "Evolution is a much slower process than the generational aging that defines an individual human. We grew into the roles as time passed and the game progressed--and as we did so, learned to define ourselves by the game that we played." There's a brief mental image on the network there--a chicken hatching out of a human skull. "If you'd like to see what would pass as a baby picture, there you go."

[comebewe]

"You're ideas. So you were born from the creatures that have ideas, that give them life and form," Matthew states. "So from a certain perspective...we made you."

[indeathputable]

"Possibly." There's a shrug. "When we became aware of ourselves, there weren't any parents there to provide any sort of explanation. It's equally as likely that creatures that have ideas exist because we do."

[comebewe]

"Did the chicken or the egg come first? Although, considering that eggs have definitely been around for longer than chickens, maybe not the best metaphor," Matthew says, shrugging. "But we are not so much interested in the specifics of what came first. We are more interested in what makes you...you. What makes you players."

[indeathputable]

"We are that which plays. The distinction you seek... is invisible to us. Even to me. Our nature is our office, in the words of your Augustine." There's a shrug. "Could you define your kind so exclusively, using as fragile a tool as words?"

[comebewe]

"A simple definition, no. Some things are not so easily defined; on that point you're not wrong. But we do not agree that words are fragile. We were born from words. We know their power."

Then they fall silent, as he watches Death with narrow, calculating eyes. He needs information. Information he's not getting. The question is: can he risk revealing why he wants to know?"

"...How much do you know about what Fortune's been encouraging lately?"

[indeathputable]

"Not as much as I might like," Death admits. "Something is going on, but as to the specifics? I don't actually know." It's accompanied by a shrug, and, while he does look a bit frustrated at his lack of knowledge, it seems genuine.

[comebewe]

Interesting - even if in some ways, that makes this harder. But the confirmation that the Arcana don't just know everything the Travellers are up to is always welcome.

"Let's just say...we do know a little. I'm trying to decide whether I can risk trusting you with it." He watches Death closely, as if just by the gaze of their inhuman blue stare, they can decipher just how Death might respond to this. Fortune seemed to think he was trustworthy - but Matthew doesn't know how much stock he can put into that.

"You wanted to end the game," Matthew says, abruptly. "That's off the table now, obviously. We heard that you were knocked out of play while we were out of ambit. But what about...changing it?"

[indeathputable]

If anything, Death seems to think this is all very interesting. "My idiom pertains to change. Were I to object to a change, I'd be going against everything I am." Interesting indeed.

[comebewe]

"Even if that change might not be in the Arcana's interests?" he says. "We certainly plan to change the game. But you and your siblings won't be the beneficiary."

[indeathputable]

"Yes," Death says simply. "Change is change, and I am change."

[comebewe]

"Well then," Matthew says, throwing all caution to the wind with a toothy grin. "We'd like to change the travellers into Players. And change the game while we're at it, but first thing's first. Any ideas on how we might do that?"

[indeathputable]

"Hardly." Death shakes his head. "It's the sort of thing that should not be possible." There's a thin smile. "But it would be the biggest sort of change this game's ever seen, something completely new."

[comebewe]

Matthew lets out an annoyed huff. He was hoping for more information than this.

"Yes, well, it's also a change that's never going to happen if we can't figure out how. Preferably without your siblings cottoning on. Fortune said that the game was for 'fellow Travellers on a mystic journey'. But it's clearly not enough to just meet that definition, because it's ambiguous enough that it practically describes us already. There's something we're missing. Something else that we need to be, or experience. Some unknown criteria that we still need to meet. I need something to work with. If you don't know how it's possible, do you know who or what might?"

[indeathputable]

"You're all liminal beings yourself," Death points out. "If what you propose is possible, you should be able to work things out from there."

[comebewe]

"So you're...absolutely no help at all," Matthew groans. "Wonderful."

All that for nothing.