On a Certain Game

[controledfreak]

I am neither a squid now nor a kid now.

I would rather you no longer speak or even imagine such a thought in reference to me. Lest you forget, I predate them by millenia.

On another point, when will you provide me with the next place to explore? My examination of these mortals have yet to reach a worthwhile conclusion.

Do not disappoint me--and stop chanting that!!

Comments

[crapfully]

[He's a jerk and curious.]

Chanting what?

[controledfreak]

[Sup jerk.]

Never. You. Mind.

[She made the sound as heavy as leaded pillows. It's a good thing she likes you, or she'd make it hurt, too.]

[crapfully]

That bad, huh?

[Fine, fine, he'll let it go. He's more interested in other things anyway, like...]

So how's the home life treating you?

[controledfreak]

Transient. Neither here nor there. I find myself adrift within the nether. It is not unwelcome, nor is it very stimulating. I do not find myself minding. I have been in this state before.

[She's bored, in other words.]

I understand you have made a move yourself, hm?

[If nothing else, this was a good diversion from the bland nothingness.]

[crapfully]

Man, that sucks.

[Sorry, Yggs. But he'll take this opportunity to yip-yap, yup...]
Now I'm part of a secret-rock-society-super-friends group. Some of the guys you'd know are there too, so it's not as terrible as it could be.

It's just that...this alternate-dimension-converging business is one major freakin' headache. When you see a guy who's just like your best friend but he doesn't know you from any old Steve...

[He scoffs.]

Sometimes I think my initial 'don't make friends' plan was the right one. But...not so much, anymore.

[controledfreak]

It does suck in the figurative.

[She's grateful that it doesn't in the literal.]

I have no doubt you will make do. [But more importantly...] You have a rock? Let me see. What is special about it?

[crapfully]

It's like the same one I've always had, except...it's me. It's what I am.

[He points at his forehead, where that blue gem still sits in the same shape as before. But she might notice it's changed a bit---it's a deeper blue, and it seems to have a brilliant shine.]

And it means I can do this.

[He takes a pen and scribbles on the nearest available surface, drawing a traffic cone. His gem glows white and he concentrates, and...a traffic cone pops up in front of them, the same size as his drawing.]

[controledfreak]

I see.

[She's actually a bit unnerved by this... a bit.]

You were not always able to do that? It was not an ability that was taken away from you in the world we were a part of?

[crapfully]

I'm almost entirely sure it's new. Before all this thing could do was open bottles, though there was this one time with a pizza...

And the weirdest thing? If we get stabbed or something, we just go back in the rock for like a week. You have to crack the rock to kill us, and even that might not work.

[controledfreak]

[She's starting to think that these worlds are actually eldritch beings that may actually have more powerful then her, especially if they are able to freely grant mundanes like Strong the ability to recreate his own mortality and cheat death.]

I see.

[Which is really short for "oh fucking hell, I need to give this matter more thought because it's weirding me out to think about.]

Have you faced encounters that threatened you physically?

[foolish_seal]

Huh. Didn't know elder things could get impatient.

[controledfreak]

And why not? We are not constrained in the way as mortals are. Do you think your actions or emotional states would be foreign to us?

[Well... some more than others...]

[foolish_seal]

...Yes?

[That's usually exactly how it works.]

[Or he's been reading the wrong books.]

[controledfreak]

Most choose not to cultivate them because they serve little purpose and may more often then not prove exploitative.

Anger and fear are useful, however. And so basic that even you would possess them.

[Somebody's feeling a little prickly today.]

[foolish_seal]

[You're speaking to the wrong guy for those emotions.]

I get fear, but anger's overrated.

[controledfreak]

To constantly seek avoidance of threats is to miss opportunities when they present themselves.

Safe, perhaps, but doomed to a thousand deaths until the time comes when that one predator that could not be avoided comes to claim its due.

[notjustinthemirror]

You were a squid?

[controledfreak]

No. [She says flatly.]

But apparently that is the closest approximation to my kind in most terrestrial ecosystems, so the comparison is no doubt made from the ignorance.

Or perhaps squids are merely the dredges of our passing of which all other forms of mortal life can be attributed. If that is so, then you owe us a debt of gratitude.

[notjustinthemirror]

I don't owe you anything.

I don't suppose you're going to mention what your mun is chanting at you?

[controledfreak]

Your lack of gratitude is contemptible but expected.

I see no reason why I should. I owe you nothing as well, nor should you have any reason to expect my consideration.

[notjustinthemirror]

[Shrug.]

I expected nothing else really, though you're the one telling the world about it.

[controledfreak]

I was attempting to have a conversation with my manipulator. That you were able to hear it is entirely incidental.

And also very rude.

[She's pretty sure that will also be shrugged off, but it was definitely worth commenting on.]

[notjustinthemirror]

What can I say, this place is boring. I have nothing better to do than listen to people whine.

Never know when someone might say something interesting.

[controledfreak]

And what would you find interesting?

[As though that was really worthy of her consideration. Please.]

[notjustinthemirror]

People have all kinds of vices that can be exploited for my amusement.

Though I keep ending up talking to robots, gods, the undead and things without emotions, so it hasn't been working out in my favor.

[He's not sure which one of those you are yet.]