[Arete, sensing time. Diff 4, -1 for taking time. Aiming for 2 succs to last the scene.]
Dice: 1 d10 TN3 (4) ( success x 1 )
Kalen Holliday[How awake are we?]
Dice: 7 d10 TN7 (1, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7) ( success x 1 )
Alexander[Extending]
Dice: 1 d10 TN4 (7) ( success x 1 )
Kalen Holliday[And how distracted by Resonance are we?]
Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 2, 6, 6, 9, 10) ( success x 4 )
AlexanderAs winter passes into spring, so day turns into night. The sun has long set below the horizon and the stars above the city are visible in the clear sky. Points of brightness shine against the black, like metaphors for… well, there have been countless times in history that a few points of light stand against the darkness. The sky isn’t as studded as it would be further away from the city, light pollution drowns out the weaker points in the sky. But there’s still plenty to see.
The park is pretty quiet this late. An occasional person walks through on their way home, or out clubbing, or just for the pleasure of walking on a clear night. Somewhere near the shore of the lake, a thick blanket has been laid out and is currently occupied by Alexander. He’s on his back, staring up at the sky. One arm lies across his chest, the other is bent and used to prop up his head. His senses have been extended, reaching out to feel time as it flows by. The constant tick of minutes and seconds make their presence known as he just lies there feeling it flow.
A large rucksack also sits on the blanket, most of its contents already removed. A flask of soup lies nearby, the cup long unscrewed, filled and finished. A half-filled (half-empty?) bottle of water sits next to it, discarded.
Kalen HollidayKalen drifts through the park, sipping gingerly at a cup of coffee that is too hot to be a comfortable temperature for drinking. He had a fascinating night last night, but it was a fascinating night that led to dreaming. Still. It was a night he would keep. Dreams or no dreams.
He comes here, to the lake, where he thinks of meeting the Message. He finds Alexander, who he also met here, though he associates the House with Alexander more than this place. Still, he has found Alexander here more than the Message, and has stopped being surprised by things so mundane as chance meetings.
There is no hesitation as he approaches Alexander, he just comes up to him and lays wordlessly on the blanket beside him, on his side and a bit to one edge of the blanket. The color in his eyes is drowned out by shadows, both the kind that came with dusk and the ones that darken the skin beneath his eyes. The dusk-shadows might hide those a bit, but he's still ghost-pale, and in what little light there is that is only more apparent.
He watches Alexander, silent and intent. Patient. It's a greeting perhaps more suited a cat than a person.
Alexander[Awareness?}
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (1, 4, 5, 6) ( success x 1 )
AlexanderA storm approaches Alexander and his small spread of stuff. It’s a familiar storm, though. One that he knows and trusts enough to stay where he is as it nears, attention more focussed on the sky and the passing of time than on Kalen lying next to him.
“Hey. There’s soup, if you want some. It should still be warm.” Alexander’s tone is thoughtful, maybe a little distracted, when he greets Kalen without initially turning to look. “Chicken.” He does look, though, after some moments pass and sees him in the glow of the moon and the radiant glow of the city lights.
“You ok?”
Kalen Holliday"Mmmmmmmmmmm...I have coffee. But thank you."
He is quiet again, until the question. "I'm fine. I had an interesting night. Involving actually getting into the pool at the House. Which, while it went as well as it could, was not exactly an experience that led to the most peaceful of nights. But, never fear. I have coffee. And a fantastic wine cellar. I so have this."
He smiles a little. "How are you?"
Alexander[Per+Emp - you really ok?]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (5, 5, 6, 7, 9) ( success x 3 )
Kalen Holliday[By Kalen standards: well, he'd probably maintain that everything was fine while he was bleeding to death. Kalen standards aren't terribly useful. By normal human standards: not precisely, but mostly on account of being exhausted and not terribly intent on sleeping. He doesn't seem particularly upset, no evidence he's hurt, nothing to indicate really any issues beyond not sleeping.]
AlexanderAlexander remembers. He remembers meeting Kalen at the House one time, resting his legs in the water of the Node, and how wary he had been. He remembers a black river of souls – how could he forget that when he still woke sweating from an occasional nightmare about it – and the same guard that came up as Alex had approached the water. And so he looks closer at Kalen, seeing if he was fine or ‘fine’. A state he was no stranger to himself. It seems to be the former, to the relief of Alex. Nothing more sinister than exhaustion, so coffee probably is the better option compared to soup.
“I’m good. I’ve just been thinking, I guess. Always a dangerous thing to be doing.” He turns back to staring at the sky. “Wondering where we came from. Where we’re going.”
Contemplating the light stuff.
Kalen Holliday"I used to think that I wanted to pull apart all of that. Sometimes I still do. I'm not sure that's the important part anymore." He takes a drink of the coffee which only slightly singes his tongue, then sets the coffee on the grass beside the blanket and rolls onto his back so he can look up at the stars.
"I'm starting to suspect seeing knowledge and experience as simply a means to some final resolution is robbing them of their own intrinsic beauty." He sighs. "Maybe where we go matters less than how we feel about it when we get there."
Alexander“Or how we get there. There’s the whole thing about the journey being more important than actually arriving at the destination. I think that’s important. But that’s only part of it.” He turns to glance at Kalen’s form on the blanket next to him, all washed out colours. “I think I envy you sometimes. You at least have an idea of how everything came to be.”
Alexander sighs, a lengthy thing followed by more moments of silence, as he shifts position to cross his arms behind his head to prop it up a little more. “I don’t buy into the whole word of God creating everything in a week thing. Nothing exploding? Not convinced either. So.” He shrugs, shoulders rubbing against the coarse weave of the blanket.
Grace[Awareness!]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 7, 8, 9) ( success x 3 )
Kalen HollidayKalen's eyes drift closed, though he is still listening. "I see what I see. There are as many interpretations of the dawn of Creation as there are people in it, at least. More than that, if you count revised opinions.
"But they are, all of them, interpretations. Whatever the answer is, I'm not sure that we will ever explain it with science or with magic. I don't know that we really need to. There are mysteries, and I want to know their answers. I want search out greater truths and absolute knowledge, I cannot help that.
"But...for some things, I don't think knowledge will serve better than acceptance. And for when some explanation would be welcome...I wish that I could share my faith. Alas, that is not the kind of thing one can borrow." He opens his eyes halfway so he can rest a hand on Alexander's shoulder without worrying about hitting him in the nose. "I hope that you find your answers. Until then, I am here."
"And after. That too."
GraceThere was a night when Grace came to this park and a vampire shoved living shadows down her throat and (temporarily) turned her into a screaming, terrorized thing. Well, that's almost to be expected, right? Temporarily. Said vampire is now deader than she was previously. A remarkable improvement. Also, likely a warning to vampires everywhere that fucking with random people in Washington Park at night is a bad idea because this is Mage territory.
And if they don't have that idea? Well. Grace isn't afraid enough to back down anyway. It's not her thing.
So, it's with a bit of self-assured nonchalance that she returns to this place even now, to join Kalen. Maybe she doesn't have an exact location, but she knows he's here. And she can sense the presence of rain in a desert, the lightning striking hot sand. That's enough. If it weren't, she could always force the issue.
She walks up, likely as yet unseen, even though Kalen will surely feel her. Night makes it even easier to hide, and she is so good at that already.
"Pff. Please. We all know that the universe is a holographic simulation whose data is encoded two-dimensionally. There, I totally explained it."
For the record, the sarcasm just rolls off of those sentences. She's totally serious and not at the same time.
Alexander“A shame, it would make answering questions like these a whole lot easier. But I guess this is just one of those things where the journey is just as important.” Just then, the train of the conversation gets a little side-tracked with the arrival of Grace.
“Who created the simulation? Or whatever it’s running on. Who created them? The same as the whole work of God thing, whatever side you look at it. How was it created? Where did it all start?”
Alexander takes a breath, a second, a moment. “Unless the whole thing was always here?” He rests his hand on Kalen’s, making the contact a little stronger, before returning his hand to its position behind his head.
“Thinking is hard.” He is joking and the humour in his voice is obvious, as it comes through his smile.
Kalen HollidayKalen leaves his hand on Alexander's shoulder and allows his eyes to drift closed again. Both Grace's explanation of the universe and Alexander's observation that thinking is hard get little amused huffs of sound that he doesn't summon enough energy to turn into a real laugh.
"The Buddha generally refused to answer questions about the nature of the moment of Creation," he says, because of course he knows this. Kalen could probably recite at least half a dozen creation stories. "On account of it not serving any great purpose, that knowledge. You might like Buddhism, Alce.
"Some versions more than others. But there are parts of the philosophy that might suit you."
There is another sound that would be a laugh. "You could also try Socrates, but the legacy of Socrates is partly that those who seek the truth and encourage others to cast aside their illusions are condemned and killed. So if you go that route, do try to avoid the tragic death death by people who refuse enlightenment ending.
"Fucking brilliant though, Socrates."
Jo HamiltonIt's that time of year.
That time of year when students pile into places of learning, shove their noses in books, and hope for osmosis. It never happens, and many saddened hearts walk away with letter grades that are meant to indicate how much a failure they really were.
It's the end of that time in that the week has left them and now they are left with their sadness. Most of them will drink it away anyway, so it doesn't matter that much does it? Jo doesn't drink (yet), mostly because she doesn't have any friends who have that much dedication to alcohol to skirt the rules...and everyone knows her gaming skillz will drop and she'll lose a round of LoL and lose her entire reputation. Duh. Instead she seeks out carbs, and sugar, or sugary carbs, or sugar drenched in carbs or.. wait..carbs drenched in sugar? That's more like it.
That means she's on her bike. Somewhere. With her cellphone. At that's really all she needs to make it in the world. Especially when one considers that sugar carbs are best enjoyed with company. So it's a very simple thing to send a message to Grace, who has so far shown herself to be something of a waffle fairy.
Dude.
Comes the first text.
Sugar?
Comes the second text.
4 realsies?
Comes the third. Because Jo never does things half-assed. One must annoy the shit out of someone.
Grace"Personally, since I've seen people in this universe write their own universes which then go on to be separate things in their own right? It might just be universes all the way down," Grace says, shrugs. "Or maybe universes evolve. Successful universes give rise to intelligent beings which allow them to reproduce."
Grace slips down onto the blanket and leans back on her arms to appraise the sky. Looking up into the stars is appropriate for discussions like this.
And then, her phone's text notification goes off.
Three times.
It gets pulled out, and then, oh -- she is stuck inside it.
Jo, do you have some or do you want some? I imagine yes and yes. Am I right?
Alexander“I guess… If everything is just a continuous cycle, then how it starts isn’t really as important as the cycle continuing. But then isn’t there the whole thing in Buddhism about trying to escape the cycle and stop coming back? Which… admittedly is about the limit of my knowledge of it. Well, that and not swatting bugs.”
Alexander twists his head to look at Grace once she settles and gives another version of The Way Things Are. “What happens if the… parent? Or whatever you want to call it ends. Do all the children just wink out of existence?” Another thought suddenly catches his attention.
“We create our own universes? Do you think that’s an Awakened thing?”
Kalen Holliday"Well, if nothing else we create our futures and shape the futures of others. Perhaps to a greater degree than others might because of our nature, but really, all things do that. Sentient beings most demonstrably and dramatically, but really all the parts of the whole of Creation, or existence, or this universe, or this reality, or whatever the fuck we can agree on calling it-" And here he sounds only amused, because their inability to come to a consensus on the nature of reality does not really bother Kalen at all. These discussions he enjoys.
"Have some effect on the greater whole. Some are more marked than others, but it's like that rocks into a pond thing. By contrast to our views of the truth of the world, which seems more like the blind men and elephants thing." He says this as though he has forgotten not all people spent years in formal training that included philosophy and little parables for discussion.
Jo HamiltonIt's as simple as....
Yup. Both. ;)
Because Grace knows her too well. Jo never travels without some form of sugar on her person, should starvation set in and she be required to revive herself. This is a viable possibility, Really. Maybe?
Buuuuuut. Jolly ranchers not cuttin it. XD
Though she might have twizzlers still in her bag. Sometimes...sometimes...she found candy in the secret universe that is her backpack. Sometimes things would magically appear...like one big bag of holding for sugary goods.
Where u at?
Grace
Washpark With some cool people.
Even with her face in her texts, Grace is paying attention. Obviously, because as she types out the latest one, she replies: "You know what I wish? I wish the blind men could have just talked to the elephant and asked her who she was."
Type tap type tap...
Bring your own sugar. I am sadly sugar free.
"I suppose it is a possibility that all the worlds could wink out of existence, but so many things are possible I find it difficult to worry about them all until they show up."
Alexander“I get that what we do – everyone not just us – can change more than we think. I know it’s a simple view of things, but good things generally create good things and bad create bad. I.. think that’s part of why I do what I do. Although I probably didn’t really think of it that way before you guys landed in my life.” He shrugs again, lying back and tracing out a constellation in his mind.
And then Alexander starts getting a little lost in the conversation. “A talking elephant?” He nods, though, when Grace says it’s hard to worry about the multitude of things that are possible. “I’d drink to that one, if there was anything more than water. Unless you can toast with chicken soup?”
Alexander looks over at Grace again. “Did you want some, by the way? Soup, I mean. It’s more than possible that there’s some here, although it might be on the cool side by now.”
Kalen Holliday"You could steal some of my coffee, but it is tragically non-alcoholic." He manages something resembling an actual laugh. "I'll tell you the elephant story one day when I'm more awake, Alce. It's the best representation of the madness of trying to fight over whose worldview is the right one when we're all just trying to figure it out based on an incomplete knowledge of truth and circumstance.
"If the elephant could talk...it would be a really different story. Though, admittedly, probably pretty cool too."
Jo HamiltonOMW.
It's a sad state when someone is sugar free. Mostly people are sugar free when they are trying to diet, a point at which Jo finds complete despair. Diet?! Why? All the glories of the universe resides in the magnificence that is sugar! How else are people meant to survive?
She shall remedy this.
The bike has shifted its course. The USS Enterprise is on route to the Galactic Federation of Grace and Co. Captain Jo is confident they shall encounter no alien life, especially not The Q. Oh god..not the Q. Please not the Q.
Thus does she move, the static hum of the modern world gliding its way towards the trio, though she has no immediate knowledge of their where abouts. Sure she could probably do something like...follow a GPS route, but Jo...Jo isn't that kind of person...sometimes. Instead, her search for said trio begins in the most unconventional way (unless you're in a Disney movie).
"I'm wishing...for the one I love...to find me..."
Grace"Super condensed version? One blind guy says, 'It's a rope, obviously'. He's holding the elephant's tail. Another guy says 'No no no, it's a tree' because he's feeling up a leg. The third guy says 'Dudes, I'm wigged out, it's a snake!' because he's got the trunk and the elephant is probably thinking, 'How about you guys keep your mitts off my trunk please? That's sensitive...' because nobody can talk to the elephant."
She puts her phone back in her jean pocket and resumes staring up at the sky again. "Is there sugar in the soup?"
Probably not.
"Also, we have company coming. Jo. She's cool."
Alexander“Buddhism’s the reincarnation one, isn’t it? It would be quite cool if they could remember what it was like to be an elephant. Or, you know, talk to the elephant. Assuming they didn’t have their own version of the Union back then. But I guess a talking elephant is possibly more likely to kick of a religion than a hippy guy talking about peace with everything.”
Is there sugar? “Not a clue, I didn’t read the label on the cans. Probably, though. Does chicken have sugar in it?” And suddenly the reason for needing sugar becomes clearer. “I think it would need to be sugar and water to keep her fuelled.” Alexander shakes his head, remembering her preferred foods.
Jo Hamilton[All the feeeels perc+aware]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7) ( success x 2 )
Kalen Holliday"I would just like to observe one of the Order observing you teaching a philosophy seminar," Kalen says in response to Grace's retelling of the story. As though he had not casually proclaimed that Socrates was fucking brilliant like that was all one really needed to know just a few moments before.
"One of the reincarnation ones, yeah. It's a sort of evolution of Hinduism, which is an endless cycle of reincarnation one. Buddhist teachings present a way to achieve enlightenment and thus reach Nirvana, which frees you from the endless cycle of rebirth." There is a slight pause. "Well. Generally. There are bodhisattvas. But I suspect you are not looking for a terribly detailed description of all that at this time."
"There is an all night donut place like...." Kalen waves in a direction. "Like ten blocks that way on Louisiana."
Jo Hamilton"To find me... today. I'm hoooooping... and I'm dreaming of... the right things...to saaaaay." And ever, ever closer as she feels out the shift and flow of the sensations, like playing hot and cold, only without anyone respond back. Though Kalen... now that's a new one. She's never met Kalen before, and the prospect of meeting another... uh what did they call themselves? Whatever.. another person who -isn't-like-the-others. Mage. Wizard. Sorceror. She can't recall the exact term. Personally, she'd rather be called a lich, just because liches are cool...but that has a completely different meaning entirely.
Anyhow.
The bike comes ever closer, and Jo has no shame about her terrible singing, because she's not trying to win an award or attract her one true love.
"Danger Will Robinson! The Jo-inator is here!" Hot.. hot ... hot.. yup that's them! "Cause like seriously, you're in like some serious need of like ER treatment. No sugar?!"
Grace"Oh! You know Jo!" Grace exclaims in response to Alex, because yes -- whoever knows Jo knows about her... addiction.
"I'd like to observe one of the Order observing me teaching a philosophy seminar. Do you I think I could make smoke come out somebody's ears?" Grace grins, and it's a little scary.
Speak of liches, and they will appear, apparently. Because Jo takes this moment to show up, singing on her bike.
"I can go without it for like, a while, Jo. Not forever. I think people need small amounts of sugars in their diet anyway to avoid malnutrition. But that's why God invented astronaut ice cream."
Alexander“We met. There were tacos. She seems nice, if even more caffeinated than Elijah.”
Alexander laughs at Grace’s wanting to make a member of the Order’s head implode. “If you ever give that lesson, please invite me. It sounds so much more entertaining than just telling them to…” there’s a glance to Kalen, although he probably knows exactly where the line of thought was headed. After all, they both knew Alyssa. “Find somewhere else to be.”
“Hey Jo. Donuts actually sound good right now. And more coffee. If you guys want to stay put, I’ll ride over and grab some. It won’t take long.” He rolls over and pushes himself up to standing, happy to leave the blanket and other bits where they are until he returns.
[And, because it’s half 6 in the morning and I kinda need to sleep, this seems like a good time to slip Alex out. Thanks for the scene!]
