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 Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:35 pm
"But," Zero protested, "Who is to say what is right and what is wrong?" An idea struck him, and he reached out to grab it. "If, for instance, I get dirty. No harm, no harm, but I am grabbed and made clean. To those that made me clean, I did harm. But I see no harm in getting dirty -- what is right? Who is right and who has say in that? But," he said quickly, then paused. But... what?
The Tabula looked down at himself, then at his shard. It was so... So pale, so hard to see! "So confused, so lost," he whined, looking up at Poena. "Everything -- whole world seems so... broken. This and that not make sense, but would justice and punishment fix? Or would shatter and scatter chaos-pieces further?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:33 pm
It was probably because he was such a new being that he had asked that question. He was standing in front of the Goddess of Punishment, and she was as surprised as someone as utterly emotionless as Poena could be.
"Is it not obvious that it is the Gods who decide this? Whether one gets dirty or not is a trivial matter. It is not one we worry about."
Poena shook her head at the Tabula's comments; but it was a slow motion, not an attempt to refute what he had said. "Not much does make sense in this world. All we can hope for is through trying to make sense of it, we are able to gain a greater understanding." They seemed strange words for a Goddess to utter. For Poena had unwittingly drawn a parallel between the revered Pantheon and the lowly Tabula; neither truly understood this world in its entirety.
"It is possible that punishment may result in more chaos. Or it may result in more order."
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Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:01 pm
The tension in Zero's body slowly released itself. He was surprised to be... well, enjoying this. It was like chasing after something that you could just see, just get a faint whiff of, and then it was gone again only to reappear a heartbeat later.
"But if it is the Gods who decide," he protested, "How do we know? Do only certain ones know then tell others?" He pointed at Shakuni, or at least where he thought she was. That would make sense, in a way. It would be quite annoying to wake up in the middle of the night by a God only to learn that blue was the new "in" color and everyone caught wearing brown would break out in a case of the boils.
At this, the Tabula tilted his head to one side. "So... Everything is a risk? Maybe turn out good, maybe not so good -- and it is justice and revenge's job to fix it?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:17 pm
Poena remained as blank as ever.
"The Gods are beyond your understanding, Tabula." This was certainly true for the regular denizens of the planes, however, Poena was not quite sure this was true of the Tabula, even as she uttered the words. "The Gods make certain that their word is clear, whether it is spoken through vessels or directly." Vessels, in the form of priestesses of the Divine Order, were no uncommon. Shakuni was an anomaly, having such extended contact with the Gods, however, other priestesses were also utilized when necessary. Pity they tended to die often. Direct contact with a God, however, was so rare it was almost unheard of.
"You, with your human philosophical tendencies, must make of the world what you will-- yourself. Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice. It is the Gods that provide your humanity with the peace it so craves; or attempt to."
(( Poena's own philosophy on justice bolstered with quotes from Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Martin Luther King, Jr. ))
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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:32 pm
"Oh." Zero replied, nodding to show that he understood. If the Gods were beyond him, that was fine! Well, he decided, as long as they didn't decide to drop a fireball on him or anything of that sort. Then he probably would mind. Moreso if the fireball managed to set his clothes on fire.
He was lucky Poena was neutral with him. He started to wonder if she was one of these "Gods" herself. The doors were, after all, big enough to tolerate her height, right? But she wasn't there earlier -- did she sneak in when the lights went out? Zero took a slow, deep breath and tried to catch her scent, if she even had one.
And then she was speaking again. Zero resisted the urge to glance at the door to compare heights (did she have to duck to come in? Did she even come in at all?) and focused his attention on her. "Peace..." He mused, pausing as something flitted across his mind. Peace was... nice. It meant one could relax, no need to hurry and dash here and there. He... didn't he have that, once? He closed his eyes, trying to chase down that thought. There was a time that was... well, interesting was one way to put it. Then peace... He was sure of it! Positive! But --
He couldn't remember one bit. Just the sensation of on-off-on, awake-asleep-awake. He slowly opened his eyes, and admitted rather shyly, "I think I should like justice-peace. It is... nice. Peaceful," he added, somewhat wistfully.
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:33 pm
"Peace." She approved of his choice; particularly the adjoining of justice onto it. He would walk the path of Bhibasta almost singularly; she was certain that the rest would not look quite so approvingly on this one.
"You have made your choice. Now it is time for you to take this."
Something small dropped from Poena's cupped palms, down the massive length of her draped figure, and hit the floor with a sweet-sounding clink. It was a key, curiously rounded on all its edges and polished to a blinding white. The handle curved delicately into a pattern of shallow curls.
Key of the Peacekeeper
You wish to keep peace through upholding justice— by any means necessary.
Gain 1 XP: when someone is brought to justice for the intent of keeping the peace.
Gain 3 XP: when someone is brought to justice for the intent of keeping the peace even though it results in undesirable consequences.
Buyoff: Do not pursue justice or keep peace in a situation.
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:56 pm
Zero blinked in surprised, startled. He was about to ask exactly what choice was made when the key slid to the floor. The tabula did not move until the echos of the clink ended, seemingly mesmerized by the sound. Cautiously he approached it on his hands and knees, studying the key with gray eyes. He picked it up and ran his fingers along it, torn. What was he supposed to do with it now? As much as "bury it in a safe place" appealed to him, there was something about it that would make it seem like a bad idea.
A very bad idea.
Besides, it was his. He felt as possessive as a dog with a bone, but... He tilted his head to one side and closed his eyes. He didn't feel... angry or aggravated over it. He knew it was his, and that was that.
He looked up from his seated position at the Goddess, and gave her a big grin. "Thank you," he said simply. "I like it! Very, very much." If he had a tail, it'd probably be wagging.
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:10 pm
Poena did not smile, instead opting to shrink down to normal proportions before fading from view entirely. The light returned to the room, and Shakuni swayed slightly from side to side in her premature attempts to stand up. Steadying herself, she opened her mouth to speak. "Mmmmm." Maybe that had also been a bit premature. She shook her head as if to rid herself of the grogginess, and tried again. "So you have received your key. That is a good result." He looked happy with it, at least.
She moved to shoo him out of the room so she could collapse on a soft pile of pillows somewhere. There was only so much Tabula exposure one could take at one time.
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:11 pm
RP COMPLETE KeysKey of the Peacekeeper Experience10 XP Rasa Points10 RSP Statistic Points50 SP Paise 500 Pse (( Please see the Getting Started thread for information on how to use these rewards. ))
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