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 Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:06 pm
The girl seemed to misunderstand just what an illusionist did. There was no reality to an illusions. It was a mind game. There couldn't be a person who 'pretended' to be an illusionist. You could either do it or you couldn't. there were many different approahces and techniques, but the end result was the same. His amused smirk was plastered across his face as she attempted to tear down his ego. And when she mentioned a the newest toy being able to beat him, he giggled aloud, casting a glance over his shoulder at the one sitting at the booth. His eyes foind their way back to the woman, who was proving to be at least halfway entertaining. She knew at least a little about his games. The Player and the Played. It was simple.
"The Player is the creator of the game. Create a situation, and find a toy--or the 'Played'--to keep the game going. The game revolves around the toy. Without a toy, there is no game. Or, if the toy refuses to play, the game ends before starting. Something we're both familiar with."
Since she udnerstood that particular game, she had known not to give him the reaction he wanted, thus ending his fun. But there were so many options. So many ways he could start a whole new game. However, the conversation was giving him the opportunity to pick at yet another person's brain.
"Now what would you consider to be a 'real' illusionist? Certainly there must be some difference in the way I go about my illusions and the way the professionals do it." He said with a smug grin. His hands still folded together, he moved them up to cover his mouth while his eyes watched her. His glasses caught the glare from the lights in the tower, making it impossible to see his eyes. The only problem for other people was that the line between illusion and reality was unclear. Nobody could ever know just what was real and what was fake. That was the beauty of it. They had so many things to questions under the circumstances that he would put them in. Their sanity, trying to figure out if it was real or not. If their decision on it being real or not was right. They would be too busy second guessing themselves while trying to figure out ways to get out of the situation and would end up having too many thoughts at once, which can cause hesitation.
It was all in the mind. Make the mind go berserk and you've won. And that was what made him stick to the conversation. The chance to gain the insight of another unique mind. It wasn't out of respect for the woman herself; far from it. It was the respect and curiosity he had for the mind that allowed him to still be entertained without having to cause any chaos.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:43 pm
"You try and you fail. Miserably at that. On both accounts on top of everything. I guess your mind can only handle so much after all. With all that thinking going on, one would assume you had something worth saying. I've been made the fool before however."
She fell to silence for a moment, more or less to let him respond, if he chose to. Either way it wouldn't bother her any. He was close, but then he went in the complete opposite direction with his definition, likely due to her constantly challenging his intellect. Now she had him thinking so hard he failed to answer a simple question with...well...simplicity.
"The Player does not create the game. Rather he - or she - must be willing to play it. To some degree they do have some influence on the rules, but not a great deal. Usually some one else designs the platform, the rules, the physical boundaries, and requirements for completion, and though they may be Players too, once the world is created, they are just as susceptible to the rules as everyone else. The Played, then, would be that which the Player uses to play the game. In this respect it is like a toy, but unlike your view, it has no choice in what games it plays or how. The Player controls all of that."
Another moment of silence to let this sink in. She chose not to always speak with as much clarity as she could muster, and she knew it. Though it should not have confused the three men yet, she wanted to be sure they were all clear on what she meant.
"You two can chip in as well, or just keep listening if that is your inclination."
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:26 pm
"You've got quite a mouth. Do you hear that often?"
His elbows dropped to his knees and his forearms crossed over, each hand holding the opposite knee. He leaned slightly and cocked his head to the side with seemed to be genuine interest. But there was that smirk.
So she understood that in reality, a real illusionist would trap the target into a game in which they didn't have a choice that they were a part in. Again, something he was familiar with, but because he had allowed himself to surrender to her, even just for that moment, so she could pique his interest with a conversation, she thought he was incapable of doing so. A short giggle breathed from his nose and his smirk widened in amusement.
"In my situations, I was the one creating the rules, physical boundaries and requirements for completion. I was the Player. I created the game and the world in which it was played. But you're right in saying that once the world is built, there are rules that even the creator of the game must abide by. And the toys were as you said; without any choice of what game they played or how."
She spoke to the two men, and his attention was then on all three of them. The two close ones and the boy further away were on in mental view. He hadn't heard anything interesting from either of them. In fact, one hadn't said a word. A part of him might have liked that one if the circumstances were different. Not drawing attention to himself, minding his own business for the most part.
He exhaled quickly and sharply as he came back to his senses and his smirk faded. They were toys. Nothing more. He smiled slightly and moved his eyes from the redhead to the purple haired man. He leaned back into the chair, reaching up and adjusting his glasses than had slid down the bridge of his nose over time.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:33 pm
"You think too hard."
Plain. Simple. Biting in its own way. She would not admit it, but the game this man continued to allude too was entertaining her a great deal more than most things in the recent past. It figures that the one time she's not up to no good, she gets stuck in a room with a paranoid demon of sorts bent on outwitting her. Of course he couldn't know if she was up to anything, or what until he figured it out or she told him, but as far as she was concerned, there was nothing to tell.
"You are in significantly less control of your life than you think you are. Rather than controlling, you have actually been controlled, time and again, all the while, you haven't even been aware of it, which is probably the saddest part. However you do bring up a good side note about the Player, the Played, and whatever game they happen to be bound to. There is always a Player and a Played, but nothing says that a being is only one or the other.
"The Player and Played can be connected on several layers, games within games, similar to the traps within traps orchestrated by a literary figure of historical fantasy. At any given point, you could become Played or a Player without even realizing it, so perhaps your paranoia isn't as unwarranted as I would reason you to believe if I cared."
Much longer, and she would have to spell it out in layman's terms. His mental density was astonishing for all that he could think, and even think well. She had promised though that this topic would interest him, and so far it seemed to be doing so perfectly, so it would be a let down to simply walk away from the topic. For the time though, she decided to let the topic rest and settle in his mind.
"Do you believe in gods?"
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The Fierce Deity Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:41 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 11:45 am
"Noted." He said with a sly grin. At least she wasn't denying it. But as the words spilled from her lips, it seemed like she was talking to the Host. It seemed to fit. However, there was no way she could have been able to know about that, so it struck him as odd that her choice of wording fitted so well with the current situation. A person being both the Player and the Played. It was all too familiar. But she was talking about the Player becoming the Played. It wasn't uncommon for a Played to become a Player and vice versa. The tides can change in a matter of moments. Still, that hadn't happened to him before. He smiled and looked to the purpled haired man next to him, then back to the girl. She thought he was paranoid because he was now the Played? Before he could question her, she had moved to a different subject. Again, something he was familiar with. Gods.
"I grew up praying to a God, so I guess you could say I believe in them. However, I no longer believe that they have any influence on the outcome of my life. "
Those teachings had been left behind ages ago when he had defected. From what she had been saying about not being in control of his life, it occured to him that she could have very well been talking about his life being decided by a higher power. If that would-be God could stop him, he would have done so by now. Fact was, the Gods were the same as the Players. They created a world, a game. But there are laws within those worlds that must be upheld, which rendered the Gods as limited as the creatures it created.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:30 pm
"You are still thinking too hard. Don't harm yourself too much.
"You already seem to have determined that your relationship with any god that may or may not exist is not as strong or influential as others have taught you in your youth. This is probably a wise step to take, for we must realize that in our world, the gods have given us a huge amount of free will with which to do whatever we please. However, they only give it to us to delude us and make us think that they aren't pulling the strings as much as they truly are.
"In truth, the gods know and control everything about us. Our actions, our choice of words, our decisions, and the consequences they generate. Even if they choose against a proactive engagement, they know how things will play out and they allow us to form the chain of events they have already foreseen. Any time something distasteful comes about, they are more than willing to interject, and that is when most of us notice their presence, and their hand in our fates, but do not assume that they are powerless against your own will just because they aren't interested in your current actions.
"Gods are the greatest type of Players because the only beings capable of making them Played are other gods. We lesser creatures are only instruments they use to do so with. Any time you think you may have Played a god, you were merely being Played yourself by a greater Player. Either that or that being wasn't a god by right.
"Believe it or not, the choice is yours, but everything that has happened to this point has been the result of gods at play; my god and your god. They feed us information and then determined how we will respond to said information. As a matter of fact, information is one key that determines the quality of a Player, for a good Player more often than not has a stronger grip on the information provided than a Player who is merely adequate. Can you think of a recent event that might separate your Player from mine?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:55 pm
::He was waiting. Waiting for someone he needed to see. Who? He didn't know who it would be or why, he just knew that he'd need to wait. The breeze was strong but gently so, flowing like silk around the tall man's lanky frame. It carried with it the crisp, soothing scent of the lake; the cool water was nearby. Deity stood alone in the short grass, his clothes oddly not affected much by the wind; his trenchcoat covered a red tshirt, the lower hem hanging across the belt that held his jeans up. His bandana, glasses and hat were all where they should've been, his boots hidden by the grass and his hands hidden by his pockets.
His red eyes traced the outline of the lighthouse up ahead for a few moments. The light swung around through the air once. It was early in the morning, so the light was still easy to spot. It swung around again. Deity's eyes were drawn down, and finally he wasn't alone. Strolling along the grassy shore was a small boy with spiky auburn hair and big blue eyes. He was dressed for the cold, crisp weather, mostly in black - it would warm up by noon, but the morning air was chilly. He nodded as he approached, a gesture that Deity mimicked as the two met.
The boy spoke first, realizing that he was expected.::
So what exactly is it you wanted?
I can't remember...I'm sorta running late, though.
::Strangely, he had no better response prepared. The boy was already there, though, so what did it matter why he was needed? The boy shrugged.::
We're both going the same way.
::Deity wasn't sure how to respond.::
I see that...
::The two were walking now, along the edge of the lake. A glance in any direction revealed nought but grassy hills and the flat, peaceful edge of the water upon the horizon.::
But she isn't.
::Deity heard the boy's words but didn't see him speak, looking down to see him staring distantly across the water.::
What?
::The boy seemed oblivious of what Deity asked, turning to repeat his own question.::
What'd you want, again?
::There was a pause, as Deity again recalled that he didn't know what he was waiting for.::
....I don't remember.
Oh well...
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The Fierce Deity Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:42 pm
The weather outside was starting to turn crisp. It was only the very beginning of autumn, but being so far north brought the chilly weather on faster than the girl preferred. Still, she wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world right now. The young Saiya-jin had just decided to take a stroll around the woods surrounding her home.
Jade was in rare form today, not dressed in her usual worn clothing or training wear. She had on a black skirt that reached down to her knees, black stockings and heeled ankle high boots. Her shirt was black and blue striped, long sleeved with a blue sweatshirt over it. The girl's short black hair was tousled and spiky as ever, and her brown tail swayed gently behind her hips as she walked.
She'd been out for a few hours now, just wandering the old paths and relaxing, reflecting. A lot had certainly happened since she'd come to this planet. Met a lot of people, lost a few too. Loved, lost, and loved again. Feared for her life and those of others more times than she could count. And survived the wrath of a genocidal monster that she also calls her boyfriend at most times.
It certainly had been quite a trip so far. And as she had no plans to leave, there was certainly more to come.
The cool air was starting to get cooler now, and the urge for the first hot cocoa of the season was very tempting right now. It didn't take long for her feet to carry her home, but as she approached the large double doors, Jade realized that the Club wasn't as empty as she had left it. Upon entering, she saw a decent crowd, three whom she knew, and one she was pretty sure she knew.
She smiled and gave a soft greeting to them as she walked past the bar and headed towards the kitchen, in order to satisfy her hot cocoa craving. It was strange to head conversation in the building these days, considering it had once been a hot spot of activity. But people come and go, she supposed. She would remain, however.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:25 pm
A disembodied voice that of which the red haired Kitsunes was likely well versed with chimed in on the conversation. He had been listening intently to the song and dance that was played out before him Though his code rarely allowed him to permanently choose sides for any predicament, it didn't out right crush his ability to form his own opinion.
"What an interesting conversation you two seem to be having. Control is a very subjective thing. It does not dictate whether you are the player or the individual being played. In any respect saddling yourself with such titles leaves you rather restricted in the long run.
In no situation does anyone ever truly relinquish all their control or completely gains control. Is not a God at the beck in call of their believers? With no one to believe in them a god them self is but a forgotten concept. A broken instrument of sorts.
Always a balance must be withheld or there is no "game" as you both have so aptly called it."
Bleeding out of the shadows cast behind the bar counter the visage associated with the voice made their presence known. Clad in his normal accoutrement of mana treated leather and cloth his lower jaw was obscured from view by the myriad of scarves he wore. His snow white tresses hung messily over his yellow tinted spectacles as the gray orbs bounced from individual to individual.
Though considerably young in appearance that stature in which he stood belied the many years he had existed on this plane. Procuring a bottle from a small satchel that hung from his belt his belt he bowed his head in greeting to all those present.
"A lively meeting we have here. Its nice to see this place living up to its heavenly name."
Twisting off the drinks cap a pungent herbal scent filled the air. Taking a swig of the mystery liquid he offered the bottle to those present.
"Dirt root supplement with a touch of aster oil and mint. Fantastic restorative capabilities and a fine burn as it goes down. Reminiscent of Absinthe without all the detrimental associations."
Vaulting the counter with one hand the fox sage settled atop a bar stool a short distance from the others. The melodic jingle of his many spell component pouches and assorted armament cut through the air.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:41 pm
"And you've still got a dull dagger for a tongue."
"Free will. There is no control over something that's your own. A god can't sit out and blueprint for how everything is supposed to run. And if you're under the belief that you're nothing more than a puppet in your 'God's scheme, I feel bad for you. Living with no real choice. Walking a set path."
"Not a single God has ever interfered. And with all of the destruction I've seen in my day, that leads me to believe that they are absolutely powerless. Going by your logic, should something disastrous happen, they should stop it, which has never been proven to happen."
At least not on this planet.
"But where is the proof that some gods even exist?"
"The fact of the matter is; even if they do exist, they're completely powerless to have any influence on the world they watch over. They can create game, but they're nothing more than a spectator."
"I do as I tell myself to do. Not some god. My mind, my choice. I'm here because I chose to be here, not because a God wanted me to be."
"If you're saying that a better Player has to have the information from a God to be a good player, I'd have to disagree. And if you're suggesting that your Playing skills are above mine, you should wake yourself up."
As the door opened, whispering voices rang around in his mind. Gibberish if anyone else would be able to his, but he could keep up with the voices. They were all snickering and talking about the new toy. Four.
However, she simply passed by, smiling to greet everybody, continuing her way. One toy that got away...For now.
But another who emerged from the shadows of the bar area was speaking.
Five!
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:20 pm
Though she did not show it, she exhibited a greater deal of respect for the newcomer than she had for any of the other boys present. Sagacious as always, Kendo was unmissed, but bitterly so. How he called himself a teacher in any respect still evaded her, but it was the role she recognized in him. Rather than making a remark against him, or even thinking of some way to contradict him, she merely welcomed him with her calm indifference and the same cold tone she gifted everyone with.
"I am almost done, and probably just so. Rare is the occasion that I might consider my time here 'fun' and you would be just the one to ruin it for me."
A slight bow of her head was offered, but only slight. Returning her gaze to space, she resumed with the demon beside her once more.
"My dagger may be dull, but so are your wits. I'm not trying to sting you, merely relax you of whatever juvenile worries are plaguing you right now. I am not playing you like some cheap toy, nor am I trying to get in your head. There is not much I can offer you, and less still that would give willingly, so accept the knowledge or not, for it may be your last and only opportunity to obtain it.
"The fundamental problem with your free will is that your god has chosen to keep your eyes clouded rather than exposing you to the greater truth. I do not believe I am a puppet, but I can accept openly that I am being played to serve a purpose and regardless of anyone else's will, my purpose shall be exacted before I am terminated.
"You are so quick to claim your god is powerless and yet you overlook the fact that he kept you alive. Do you not think it is interesting? Easily he could have chosen someone else, but he chose you and orchestrates your movements, thoughts, and desires so acutely that, try as you might, you will never be aware of it until such a time arises that he chooses to grant you that knowledge.
"The proof lies in a simple network that permits various beings to interact across great spans of space. By utilizing it, our gods become simultaneously oblivious and aware of one another. They are the better Players, not I and not you, because they have the power to make use of the information provided by one another to guide us. For example, Yo-ko's Player made a simple mistake and informed the boy that there was a booth somewhere in the club. Consequently, your Player took this information and just as carelessly fed it to you, and then caused you to look over at this anomaly and perceive it as truth. Indirectly, you fell into an illusion, hopeless and unable to escape save for the fact that I now assure you that, in my few visits to this place, my Player has determined that there is not a single booth in Orion. Your Player will now determine, after reading this, whether or not you will believe he exists or not.
"In that manner, should I have so desired, I could have proven to be a much better Player than you because you would have been operating on corrupt data, and I, knowing this, could have easily continued to feed you more untruths until you were so entangled in a fabricated reality, that the only way to escape it would have been to beg me for mercy."
She fell silent as her eyes dilated and turned onto him, her eyes unreadable, her face not showing favor or distaste with him. It was her intention to let him figure it out, but Kendo, just by being present had forced her hand; directly or indirectly playing her, which she did not greatly mind at all. Her purpose was served and she was honestly rather bored with Soneko.
"For a moment, I thought you were on the right track, but you are very narrow minded. You tried so hard to outwit me that my simple code passed right under your nose unnoticed. Your life is nothing more than a screen in a room before which sits your Player. Nothing in your entire life has been determined by you, so all your great talk of free will should just stop until you reassess your situation."
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:55 pm
The old fox winced at the steady repartee going between the two and decided to remain silent. Snow white ears twitching uncomfortably a smile creased beneath his man scarves. Viewing battles of wit could be just as fulfilling as the fiercest of physical combat. Truthfully the kitsune held those who were capable of dealing damage with their words in higher regard than those who wielded swords.
Anyone could draw blood, but few could wield there words as such. He was undoubtedly pleased as much as he could be as if he had done anything to coerce the situation.
Draining more of his odd solution he awaited a period of rest between their verbal bout. She brought about a interesting query of what one could perceive their reality to be. Is one's will but the will of another being or is there a every growing series of beings that have brought about one existence in the first place. In turn it begs the question of whether if one was but the pipe dream of another, what of the one that does the dreaming. Are they not dream in it of them self.
Laughing heartily at his own inner query his smiled remained broad.
"A wonderful time to be alive I would say. To have the freedom to even argue our fates and experiences against that of others. A beautiful and frightening notion."
Drawing his chin into his hand his tail swayed lightly behind him as he reveled in his thought. His words spoken for no one in particular.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:20 pm
::The boy muttered something to himself with a sigh as the two continued walking. The both of them turned and moved down the embankment, taking turns stepping into the water, being sure to keep their balance. Their soles touched solid ground, not muddy earth. The sturdy wooden benches to either side of the aisle made it easier to keep from tripping. A few of them had been flipped, damaged. The abbey was run down - broken windows, sections of the roof missing - and it was half drowned, filled with water. Deity stepped further through the row of seats, the dark and dank interior a little easier to view without his hat and bandana in the way. The place looked like it was deliberately avoiding the daylight.::
Are you sure it's still there?
::The boy spoke up randomly, his soft voice bouncing off of the tattered walls. Deity wasn't sure to make of the question.::
Is...what still where?
Where are we going?
::The boy asked with a huff, seemingly irritated that Deity wasn't in the loop. The taller boy looked up toward the front of the church, where things looked a little worse for wear.::
...it's up ahead...I guess.
::The boy asked again, pushing for a real answer.::
So is it there?
::Deity shrugged, not really having one.::
I guess.
You can't expect someone else to build it for you.
::He bowed his head and frowned; Deity looked like he was being scolded by his mother for being irresponsible.::
I know...
Then stop sitting around? Get busy, already.
::The two figures stepped out of the church and onto the street. The area outside was dull and grey. A thick veil of clouds blocked any sunlight. The cold breeze felt more like a knife across the face than a comforting blanket. Why'd they have to leave in this weather? Deity and the boy stood and faced the lone structure, the taller of the two looking down to the boy to continue their conversation.::
Who are you anyway?
::There was no response from the boy. The building fell first. It began with one wall, then the roof. The abbey collapsed noisily into itself in a big dusty heap. Bricks, stones, tiles, wood, glass. It was all over the place and none of it made sense anymore. Just useless rubble, now. Deity merely watched, his eyes revealing he really wasn't sure what to make of all this.::
...I already made your choice. You shouldn't make mine again.
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The Fierce Deity Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:46 pm
Why was it that a person could feel so strongly against something, and yet be compelled to migrate toward that which they wished to avoid? As the young kitsune boy mulled over this thought, his feet carried him mechanically up the many steps toward the club Orion. Irritation, hopelessness, and confusion mingled within him, a single, complex formula of an emotion spawned from the negligence of his father, his inability to pinpoint or pin down the creature, and his uncertainty with having dawned upon this of all times as the appropriate chronological point in which to discover that which he did not understand.
No one who could answer his questions was ever present. It made him wonder if his questions truly could be answered, but he'd not hadn't asked them near often enough to form any sort of conclusions regarding the matter. As long as he was gone, he had spent a great deal of time trying to work out exactly how he could go about all of this, and yet he realized he had been far too hasty to make his plans work in any consistent, coherent sort of way. Perhaps had he waited, the opportunity he was so desperately seeking would not be so hard to fall upon.
It did not register to him that he had even entered the club until he heard the voices of others echo throughout the main room. Next he noticed their energy signatures, something that he should have been able to identify long before he reached the stairs, and his eyes darted upward to catch the vision of four creatures, three of them fellow kitsune. Kenta could not be sure, but he found it difficult to recall a single time in his entire life when that many kitsune were simultaneously in one another's company. Were there not a more familiar, warming presence deeper within, he might have considered joining them to learn what he might about whatever topic had drawn them all so closely.
As it was, he quickly bypassed the bar, walked by the tables, including theirs with nothing more than a quick nod, and made his way for the kitchen. Later on in life, she would probably have been waiting for him, or at least expecting him, but he had sort of crashed in on her life, and everyone else's for that matter, so he could never tell just how welcome or expected he was at any given point. Nevertheless, his face was nothing but a wide grin, eyes shimmering as he left the club proper to enter the company of his aunt. Having failed to think of something to say, he merely walked in and stood, respectfully, awaiting some form of greeting or acknowledgment, all the while trying not get his hopes up despite his wagging tail.
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