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deconreconstruction - Early Access: Pgs. 2609 - 2613
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deconreconstruction - Early Access: Pgs. 2596 - 2602
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BATHKOL: I must admit, Metatron...
BATHKOL: I am moved.
BATHKOL: Doubt comes rarely to me, and I now see my brief lapse in faith was misguided.
BATHKOL: Father's puppeteering hands have always been frightening, but time and again you see just where to cut his strings.
BATHKOL: You are not growing weaker, my friend.
BATHKOL: You are tired, as anyone would be after acting as sole director for eons.
BATHOL: So, on behalf of this roundtable, allow me to ask...
BATHKOL: How can we be of service?
======>Bathkol, your words are truly appreciated.
At present, the most helpful act each of you could undertake is to give me a status report.
The key factors I need to understand in regards to our current situation are the following:
First, have any of your players been behaving in unexpected, unusual, or alarming ways?
JEGUDIEL: Why, I thought we were all in agreement not to meddle overmuch with the dear children and their bad decisions? Something something, the beauty of free will, and such.
Though it is our collective understanding that each aspect holder is beholden to their individual character flaws, that is not what I refer to.
ZEHANPURYU: it is oddities like arcjec lacking key memories of ellsee that have us concerned.
LILITH: with due respect, zehanpuryu, we can easily think of a few more-than-reasonable explanations for that
LILITH: here is one. is it not possible that the little one is experiencing some mundane form of amnesia?
LILITH: in that same vein, could it not be a trauma induced lapse in their recollection?
LILITH: we can think of one such event in their younger years that would be sufficient
Yes, I'd think his childhood hardships would be a likely culprit in any other scenario.
However, amnesia is not so selective as to erase the memory of one person and one person only. They recall events that she was present for, but to him, it is as if she was never there at all.
LILITH: ...we see your point. that is strange indeed
Then, I believe that suffices as an example of what I am looking for.
Second, have any of you been witness to unexplained oddities throughout your observations of the session thus far?
I understand this ask is broader. However, it is by our own hands that this Game was crafted. If you do not recognize your own handiwork, this is your opportunity to say so.
WORMWOOD: ALRIGHT, YOU SAY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR STRANGE HAPPENINGS WITH THE PLAYERS?
WORMWOOD: I CAN TELL YOU WITH CERTAINTY THAT SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT WITH THAT BOY, OCCEUS.
WORMWOOD: I'VE SEEN HIM COLLAPSE TO HIS KNEES TWICE, MAYBE THRICE SINCE HE LEFT HIS HOME.
WORMWOOD: NOTHING HAD BEEN ATTACKING HIM. THERE WAS NO CHALLENGE, NO OBSTACLE THAT WOULD BE CAUSE FOR A FRIGHT.
WORMWOOD: MOST TIMES, HE WILL FEARLESSLY DISPATCH ANY ENEMIES HE ENCOUNTERS. BUT AT OTHER TIMES...
WORMWOOD: HE JUST SHUTS DOWN.
WORMWOOD: AM I FUCKING MISSING SOMETHING HERE?
WORMWOOD: DID HE ALSO EXPERIENCE HEAD TRAUMA AS A KID OR IS THIS SOME SORT OF DELAYED FREEZE RESPONSE?
...!
You bring up an excellent point. I have also been witness to his freezes, but I had not given them as much thought until this point.
Lilith may have had the right idea for the wrong player. These moments could be symptomatic of Occeus's personal trauma. Maybe this is what is afflicting his dreamself...
I believe it would be pertinent to review that particular incident in his youth again once we conclude here. I will let you know of my additional findings later.
Thank you for addressing your concerns, Wormwood.
WORMWOOD: ...WHATEVER.
PROCEL: i dont believe ive seen anything out of the ordinary
PROCEL: that being said, we should discuss the voidbound boy soon
PROCEL: the road he walks is forked, on the verge of a split
PROCEL: i fear he will march onward on a path he cannot return from
I share your anxiety, Procel. If Calder continues as he has, he will never self-actualize.
As I have just reiterated with Jegudiel, however, we must avoid direct interference with our players' individual growths.
That being said, perhaps we can sit down in the near future and devise ways to more... subtly guide him.
PROCEL: subtle, slight, gentle
PROCEL: that i can do
GUSION: eh, s'pose it's my turn, then.
GUSION: reckon i've a right interesting bit of info to share.
======>GUSION: nothin' to report as far as my kid's personal journey goes. they've got their issues, sure, classic timebound business, but if they can get that head screwed on straight i see the makings of a proper aspect holder in the future.
FORCAS: Oh, that's rich. Come on, we all know you've got a handful with that one!
BATHKOL: The Hero of Time is... peculiar, yes.
WORMWOOD: HE'S A DICK.
GUSION: well, he's likely to break his face a little in the process, piss off some mates. what can ya do, though. maybe that's what he needs.
GUSION: anyway, here's the gen...
GUSION: little while ago, i felt a strange sort of prickling on my planet.
GUSION: decided to take a closer look, and what do you know, an alien little doodad had manifested out of thin air, right under my nose.
GUSION: bizarre gizmo, at odds with the whole aesthetic i had sorted out in that ruined temple. colorful, had twelve facets, a screen on one of 'em.
GUSION: an anomaly of sorts, you could say.
ZEHANPURYU: oh dear.
AZBOGAH: You've GOT to be FUCKING joking.
JEGUDIEL: HAHAHA!
GUSION: 'fraid not, sister.
...
GUSION: they've found an in. and i can tell it's a big one, this time.
GUSION: little azazel is making a go at it again, and they're gonna use the kid.
======>It's...
They go by Mimesis now, I believe.
GUSION: right, apologies. force of habit.
JEGUDIEL: An authorial alias. They do take after you, brother dear.
LILITH: Our stray kin, at a time like this
LILITH: We should have realized their interest in those Game constructs spelled ulterior motives
SORUSH: fantastic. as if we needed more meddlesome hands to content with.
FORCAS: Oh, I don't know! I've always thought they brought some much needed zest to this stuffy congregation. No offense to all present.
FORCAS: Hehe... Maybe some offense, actually!
PROCEL: i admit it eases the soul to see their whims
PROCEL: i worry whenever they are quiet for long
WORMWOOD: PAH! TRUST ME, THE WORRY IS NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY RECIPROCATED. THAT BRAT.
ZEHANPURYU: well, they can be disruptive, yes, but perhaps...
ZEHANPURYU: perhaps this time we could come to some sort of—
AZBOGAH: ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BATHKOL: Do you hear yourself? Az— Mimesis has never been interested in aiding our cause. Not truly.
BATHKOL: We've tried to work with them, Zehanpuryu. However, the moment they are involved, our meticulous plans inevitably spiral into chaos.
BATHKOL: It is their nature.
AZBOGAH: They only care about themself.
JEGUDIEL: I would as well, had I been cast aside in such a manner. Raked through the coals and exiled.
FORCAS: This family can be quite vicious when the mood strikes!
SORUSH: so now they are a poor misunderstood soul. please.
SORUSH: need i remind you why exactly we can no longer trust them.
AZBOGAH: An entire session, ANNIHILATED. Because they had something to PROVE.
PROCEL: sometimes our choices are conscientious yet have unintended consequences all the same
PROCEL: an equal and opposite reaction
PROCEL: even ours
ZEHANPURYU: i agree, sibling.
ZEHANPURYU: and beyond that... Mimesis is so much younger than us!
ZEHANPURYU: how can we so harshly judge someone who never had the chance to learn from their mistake? to grow?
LILITH: When our mistakes result in the loss of countless innocent lives
LILITH: Beautiful, unique experiences, never allowed to flourish
LILITH: Yes, we must be harsh
WORMWOOD: FURTHERMORE, WE ARE ALL OF US ENDLESS, ENDURING, ETERNAL AND EVER EXPANDING.
WORMWOOD: THEY WERE NEVER YOUNG, ONLY FOOLISH.
JEGUDIEL: Tch, Wormwood... must you reduce the complexity of their existence in this manner?
JEDUDIAL: That is not very fair to them, I don't think. Though I suppose it's your prerogative if you are content in forever being stuck in your curmudgeonly ways.
WORMWOOD: NOW I HAVE TO BE FAIR TO THEM?
WORMWOOD: IT WAS MIMESIS THAT BURNED THIS BRIDGE. THEY FAILED US, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
JEGUDIEL: I beg to differ! You speak as if they tried to sabotage our plans with malice in their heart.
FORCAS: And I suppose you've never had a single lapse in judgement before, O Noble Aspect of Blood?
HANIEL: Not this argument again
HANIEL: It was not a choice made lightly and we all know this
My family, please!
Please.
======>Let us not lose our focus and forget the reason why I called you all in the first place.
To that end, I shall take the lead in this discussion once more.
I deeply appreciate the thoughts, observations and assessments of our current situation you have shared.
That being said, I believe I have come to a conclusion as to what our path forward should look like.
The reality is as follows: we have been blindsided by the Naught Father, all of us.
And, whether we'd like for that to be the case or not, our estranged kin has shown themself capable of exerting their will over The Game, in a far more direct fashion than before.
These are the facts.
Though it pains me to admit, it is also a fact that not much can be done about our main adversary other than us remaining ever vigilant, now aware of this area of weakness.
The other antagonistic party, however... that is someone I can easily reach.
GUSION: oh hoh!
LILITH: What are you saying, Metatron
I am saying that Mimesis has gone far too long being left to their own devices. They forget their place, and in their reckless tampering, our tapestry grows ever more fragile. They are straining the seams of our reality, further opening us to external influences.
Thus, they need a reminder of the order of things. A reminder that while we might operate under the guise of a whimsical adventure for our players' sakes, the fate of this world and all others is not something to be toyed with at their leisure!
BATHKOL: Well said, eldest!
JEGUDIEL: Hmm...
It's high time I check myself into the HOTEL CALIFORNIA.
I have a manager to speak with... and a guest to pay a visit to.
BATHKOL: I must admit, Metatron...
BATHKOL: I am moved.
BATHKOL: Doubt comes rarely to me, and I now see my brief lapse in faith was misguided.
BATHKOL: Father's puppeteering hands have always been frightening, but time and again you see just where to cut his strings.
BATHKOL: You are not growing weaker, my friend.
BATHKOL: You are tired, as anyone would be after acting as sole director for eons.
BATHOL: So, on behalf of this roundtable, allow me to ask...
BATHKOL: How can we be of service?
======>Bathkol, your words are truly appreciated.
At present, the most helpful act each of you could undertake is to give me a status report.
The key factors I need to understand in regards to our current situation are the following:
First, have any of your players been behaving in unexpected, unusual, or alarming ways?
JEGUDIEL: Why, I thought we were all in agreement not to meddle overmuch with the dear children and their bad decisions? Something something, the beauty of free will, and such.
Though it is our collective understanding that each aspect holder is beholden to their individual character flaws, that is not what I refer to.
ZEHANPURYU: it is oddities like arcjec lacking key memories of ellsee that have us concerned.
LILITH: with due respect, zehanpuryu, we can easily think of a few more-than-reasonable explanations for that
LILITH: here is one. is it not possible that the little one is experiencing some mundane form of amnesia?
LILITH: in that same vein, could it not be a trauma induced lapse in their recollection?
LILITH: we can think of one such event in their younger years that would be sufficient
Yes, I'd think his childhood hardships would be a likely culprit in any other scenario.
However, amnesia is not so selective as to erase the memory of one person and one person only. They recall events that she was present for, but to him, it is as if she was never there at all.
LILITH: ...we see your point. that is strange indeed
Then, I believe that suffices as an example of what I am looking for.
Second, have any of you been witness to unexplained oddities throughout your observations of the session thus far?
I understand this ask is broader. However, it is by our own hands that this Game was crafted. If you do not recognize your own handiwork, this is your opportunity to say so.
WORMWOOD: ALRIGHT, YOU SAY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR STRANGE HAPPENINGS WITH THE PLAYERS?
WORMWOOD: I CAN TELL YOU WITH CERTAINTY THAT SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT WITH THAT BOY, OCCEUS.
WORMWOOD: I'VE SEEN HIM COLLAPSE TO HIS KNEES TWICE, MAYBE THRICE SINCE HE LEFT HIS HOME.
WORMWOOD: NOTHING HAD BEEN ATTACKING HIM. THERE WAS NO CHALLENGE, NO OBSTACLE THAT WOULD BE CAUSE FOR A FRIGHT.
WORMWOOD: MOST TIMES, HE WILL FEARLESSLY DISPATCH ANY ENEMIES HE ENCOUNTERS. BUT AT OTHER TIMES...
WORMWOOD: HE JUST SHUTS DOWN.
WORMWOOD: AM I FUCKING MISSING SOMETHING HERE?
WORMWOOD: DID HE ALSO EXPERIENCE HEAD TRAUMA AS A KID OR IS THIS SOME SORT OF DELAYED FREEZE RESPONSE?
...!
You bring up an excellent point. I have also been witness to his freezes, but I had not given them as much thought until this point.
Lilith may have had the right idea for the wrong player. These moments could be symptomatic of Occeus's personal trauma. Maybe this is what is afflicting his dreamself...
I believe it would be pertinent to review that particular incident in his youth again once we conclude here. I will let you know of my additional findings later.
Thank you for addressing your concerns, Wormwood.
WORMWOOD: ...WHATEVER.
PROCEL: i dont believe ive seen anything out of the ordinary
PROCEL: that being said, we should discuss the voidbound boy soon
PROCEL: the road he walks is forked, on the verge of a split
PROCEL: i fear he will march onward on a path he cannot return from
I share your anxiety, Procel. If Calder continues as he has, he will never self-actualize.
As I have just reiterated with Jegudiel, however, we must avoid direct interference with our players' individual growths.
That being said, perhaps we can sit down in the near future and devise ways to more... subtly guide him.
PROCEL: subtle, slight, gentle
PROCEL: that i can do
GUSION: eh, s'pose it's my turn, then.
GUSION: reckon i've a right interesting bit of info to share.
======>GUSION: nothin' to report as far as my kid's personal journey goes. they've got their issues, sure, classic timebound business, but if they can get that head screwed on straight i see the makings of a proper aspect holder in the future.
FORCAS: Oh, that's rich. Come on, we all know you've got a handful with that one!
BATHKOL: The Hero of Time is... peculiar, yes.
WORMWOOD: HE'S A DICK.
GUSION: well, he's likely to break his face a little in the process, piss off some mates. what can ya do, though. maybe that's what he needs.
GUSION: anyway, here's the gen...
GUSION: little while ago, i felt a strange sort of prickling on my planet.
GUSION: decided to take a closer look, and what do you know, an alien little doodad had manifested out of thin air, right under my nose.
GUSION: bizarre gizmo, at odds with the whole aesthetic i had sorted out in that ruined temple. colorful, had twelve facets, a screen on one of 'em.
GUSION: an anomaly of sorts, you could say.
ZEHANPURYU: oh dear.
AZBOGAH: You've GOT to be FUCKING joking.
JEGUDIEL: HAHAHA!
GUSION: 'fraid not, sister.
...
GUSION: they've found an in. and i can tell it's a big one, this time.
GUSION: little azazel is making a go at it again, and they're gonna use the kid.
======>It's...
They go by Mimesis now, I believe.
GUSION: right, apologies. force of habit.
JEGUDIEL: An authorial alias. They do take after you, brother dear.
LILITH: Our stray kin, at a time like this
LILITH: We should have realized their interest in those Game constructs spelled ulterior motives
SORUSH: fantastic. as if we needed more meddlesome hands to content with.
FORCAS: Oh, I don't know! I've always thought they brought some much needed zest to this stuffy congregation. No offense to all present.
FORCAS: Hehe... Maybe some offense, actually!
PROCEL: i admit it eases the soul to see their whims
PROCEL: i worry whenever they are quiet for long
WORMWOOD: PAH! TRUST ME, THE WORRY IS NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY RECIPROCATED. THAT BRAT.
ZEHANPURYU: well, they can be disruptive, yes, but perhaps...
ZEHANPURYU: perhaps this time we could come to some sort of—
AZBOGAH: ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BATHKOL: Do you hear yourself? Az— Mimesis has never been interested in aiding our cause. Not truly.
BATHKOL: We've tried to work with them, Zehanpuryu. However, the moment they are involved, our meticulous plans inevitably spiral into chaos.
BATHKOL: It is their nature.
AZBOGAH: They only care about themself.
JEGUDIEL: I would as well, had I been cast aside in such a manner. Raked through the coals and exiled.
FORCAS: This family can be quite vicious when the mood strikes!
SORUSH: so now they are a poor misunderstood soul. please.
SORUSH: need i remind you why exactly we can no longer trust them.
AZBOGAH: An entire session, ANNIHILATED. Because they had something to PROVE.
PROCEL: sometimes our choices are conscientious yet have unintended consequences all the same
PROCEL: an equal and opposite reaction
PROCEL: even ours
ZEHANPURYU: i agree, sibling.
ZEHANPURYU: and beyond that... Mimesis is so much younger than us!
ZEHANPURYU: how can we so harshly judge someone who never had the chance to learn from their mistake? to grow?
LILITH: When our mistakes result in the loss of countless innocent lives
LILITH: Beautiful, unique experiences, never allowed to flourish
LILITH: Yes, we must be harsh
WORMWOOD: FURTHERMORE, WE ARE ALL OF US ENDLESS, ENDURING, ETERNAL AND EVER EXPANDING.
WORMWOOD: THEY WERE NEVER YOUNG, ONLY FOOLISH.
JEGUDIEL: Tch, Wormwood... must you reduce the complexity of their existence in this manner?
JEDUDIAL: That is not very fair to them, I don't think. Though I suppose it's your prerogative if you are content in forever being stuck in your curmudgeonly ways.
WORMWOOD: NOW I HAVE TO BE FAIR TO THEM?
WORMWOOD: IT WAS MIMESIS THAT BURNED THIS BRIDGE. THEY FAILED US, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
JEGUDIEL: I beg to differ! You speak as if they tried to sabotage our plans with malice in their heart.
FORCAS: And I suppose you've never had a single lapse in judgement before, O Noble Aspect of Blood?
HANIEL: Not this argument again
HANIEL: It was not a choice made lightly and we all know this
My family, please!
Please.
======>Let us not lose our focus and forget the reason why I called you all in the first place.
To that end, I shall take the lead in this discussion once more.
I deeply appreciate the thoughts, observations and assessments of our current situation you have shared.
That being said, I believe I have come to a conclusion as to what our path forward should look like.
The reality is as follows: we have been blindsided by the Naught Father, all of us.
And, whether we'd like for that to be the case or not, our estranged kin has shown themself capable of exerting their will over The Game, in a far more direct fashion than before.
These are the facts.
Though it pains me to admit, it is also a fact that not much can be done about our main adversary other than us remaining ever vigilant, now aware of this area of weakness.
The other antagonistic party, however... that is someone I can easily reach.
GUSION: oh hoh!
LILITH: What are you saying, Metatron
I am saying that Mimesis has gone far too long being left to their own devices. They forget their place, and in their reckless tampering, our tapestry grows ever more fragile. They are straining the seams of our reality, further opening us to external influences.
Thus, they need a reminder of the order of things. A reminder that while we might operate under the guise of a whimsical adventure for our players' sakes, the fate of this world and all others is not something to be toyed with at their leisure!
BATHKOL: Well said, eldest!
JEGUDIEL: Hmm...
It's high time I check myself into the HOTEL CALIFORNIA.
I have a manager to speak with... and a guest to pay a visit to.
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