Sessions Worlds and Stuff

[:]) *reaches their arms towards Valdis*

*Sophie picks them up and over onto Valdis's back. ...all these full days and dozing off after dinner, it's keeping her from having to make any decisions about important bedtime stories*

@/ *passes the ball to Sophie, miffed but accepting that playtime is done*

Thank you, Factor.

^u^ comfortable?

|/=@] *makes sure they have a good hold on you, supporting your body so you can relax*
*... things have been a little hard for you... Valdis don't want you to feel bitter about anything after the events with Hamnet & everyone, so...* |/=^] Maybe I could show you a game on our way home Factor.

= hope you have a good night!

][(] night'!

[!u!] hope you sleep well to... *Dots gets in her PAL, ready to see if it can autopilot its way home by following others*

=[|:|33] *that's an idea... maybe even a good one. the cockpit is a comfortable and safe place. Marlow considers sleeping in their own PAL*

7B3 "z."

( | w | ) >:Night; *starts trying to figure what to do tonight, while Jubila watches, awaiting new behavior*

|/=^] goodnight. *Valdis starts headed for the exit*

[:]) Yep. [)])

@D whatgame?

Goodnight, everyone. *follows the others out*

0u0 good... *it ought to be a nice trip home...*

|/=^] It's called a Gordian Knot. I can give it to you if you'll connect for me.

*a tiny 'magical' construct; loops upon loops of curious and excitable energy; changing 'shape & colour' as one 'pulls' at it. For you to get to explore an outlet for magical manipulation that doesn't involve dominating the feelings of others/possession*

|/=^] just, |/=@] let me know if you somehow end up breaking it.

*If you have enough finesse & strength to Break it down, then you may also have the strength to cause some lasting harm to a soul if you are not careful. Valdis doubts you are anywhere near strong enough to start doing things like that, but... better safe than sorry*

[!~!] [!u!] *would possibly be a bit more concerned about Valdis wanting to give you a little magical thing, but you're both Darkmatter in a way. They trust that Valdis knows what they are doing*

@o *definitely don't want to break something their daddy gave them! But they want it, and reach out for it*

[)])

*she's interested to see what kind of game this will turn out to be like. And has similar trusting thoughts to Dots's*

|/=^] *Valdis Connects, giving you a little thingy that seems to only exist is the same kind of ?place? that you can think to Hamnet in.(and the same 'place' that you could make Hamnet feel happy, but people don't seem to want to focus on that)*

*a weird, stretchy loopy thing, that is just waiting to be pulled & poked & de/re-tangled*

*I can take it back if you ever tire of playing with it & want to put it away. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy.*

|/=^] *Valdis disconnects just as quick as they connected, hoping you like it*

How's that?

0~0 *hmm. definitely magic; Ribbon didn't see anything being handed over... But if it means you will have something other than Hamnet to 'play' with... Ribbon is all for not having Hamnet have to go through the kind of thing Ribbon has experienced any more than they already have* ... *the whole thing still makes her feel uncomfortable though...*

[!u!] *wonders how you'll react to your new toy, while also looking ahead into the forest... mmh. yea, they think they can see the house*

@o oooh... *they start to pull at the thingy. It's nice to have something in this space that the grown-ups don't mind them messing with*

[]? *Hamnet is aware of the thingy, too, sort of sleepily watching from a distance, not inclined at the moment to see if they can do anything with it but they can tell that Factor has it*

*...yeah, she can't see that anything was handed over, but she assumes it was* And what do you say to Daddy for the new - er, toy - Factor?

@) thankyoudaddy.

*Pulling only makes the rest of the non-pulled part coil up more; how could one ever untie The Gordian Knot? its twists & loops should be able to serve as a distraction for a long time to come*

|/=^] You're welcome

[!~!] *hmm. seems like it'd be a little tricky to get her PAL through the door... She'll have to leave it outside for now*

-~- *magic apprehension aside, it's great to be home. Ribbon is feeling tired...*
-u- Just make sure to get some sleep. It wouldn't do for you to play all night.

@D yesmommy. *but right now sleep is far from their mind...*

*she's looking at the PAL and thinking that a garage or something might be a good addition to the house if it's gonna stick around*

[)]) *getting sleep, great idea*

|/=^] I'll tuck you in. |/=U] *Valdis heads on in, ready to get you to your bed*

[!u!] goodnight.

-u- mh... night. *Ribbon is going to be walking the rest of the way. there has been enough hovering today*

Goodnight, loves. *she walks along next to Ribbon, putting an arm around her*

@) goodnight.

[]) night...

-u- mh... *thankful, Ribbon makes it to her room with Sophie before going out cold in her hammock*

*With you getting tucked in, Valdis also makes their way to their room*

*quiet... A time for many to rest... But also a time for some to worry what, or who, will await them in their sleep*
...
*Av doesn't seem to be there... yet... But, they are likely listening as always*

@) *considers staying up and playing with the knot... but they were warned not to, so they head for sleep too*

[]) zz...

---

*she stands there for some moments, in this place of her dreams, thinking. And then focusing her thought on someone. And he hears, and when she turns, he's stepped up behind her - Santek, Lord of Hope*

I've been thinking about you.

>All good things, I hope.

Sort of. Does considering using you as a cautionary tale bedtime story count as a good thing?

>You want to tell your children about me?

I might not have a choice. No, that's wrong. Of course I have a choice. But it's the best choice. I think. If I want them to be ready.

>You think they'll need to know.

I don't want them to end up like me. Or like you. No offense. It's just, stumbling into the game out of ignorance, and rushing into it because you think it'll solve everything, it's just... they're both bad.

>No offense taken. Not anymore.

And if I can't stop the game from coming to them - which, of course I'll do what I can, god knows what that might be - at least I can warn them.

*Sweet Dreams...*

---

*Annnnd, here's Av*

Hello. Santek, nice to see you here. This may concern you to...

Stop The Game? Right now, you and your children are inside a Frog that is the exact Center of The Game. Wherever you try to go within it, you'll always be right beside it, where Inter-Game beings will always have the chance to interfere in any version of events they so choose.
I know that there are reasons why you Dislike and Distrust me, but My Goal is not to be liked. My goal is to make the World a better place; Or rather, to make a better place.

Soon, very soon, in a circumstantially simultaneous way, a powerful Evil called Lord English will be defeated.
And in their Defeat, The Bubbles will be of no use to The Horror Terrors, And The Game will spread like wildfire.
Even now, there is a loose loose situation brewing around someone you may know... Mack. The two sides of themselves that they have let take off and run rampant are naturally contradictory. When they hear of eachother... Well...
People who have ~Scratched others are naturally inclined to become ~Scratched themselves.
And Mack has done many things, such as foil the plot of The Grand Doomer...
With their effect on the timeline diminished, well...
I wouldn't be surprised if The Grand Doomer came back for Jofie and the others after having processed all of the information within ShieldSprite. And if they don't, then all of the information they have rampantly left behind will result in people from the system Mack is in to learn of The Game... Ribbon's Homeworld being one of them...

That is only one such example of how events will conspire in favor of The Game, so long as Reality continues to work like this.

I wanted to offer you and anyone you might know a chance to go to Yggdrasil.
A new World that Values Life over Doom; Over Fate & Law.
I

~ATH!(Av's rant); execute(Av's rant) execute program(get in and shut up)

*The 'Other guy' Has Arrived, here to try and shut Av up a moment*

'You always try and make it sound like your way is the only and best way. I won't let you be the only one here to try and explain things.'

...they're right, there is something keeping people from interrupting each other these days. Thanks for the break. *to Santek* You heard anything about this?

>The dreambubbles are not a very safe place to be right now. That much is true. I haven't been inclined to go running off with any "armies of souls" to fight this English, though some have tried to recruit me.

And if something happens to the bubbles, what happens to you?

>...I suppose I find out which if any of your human religions are accurate. I'm not worried, so don't let that weigh on you. You know I've made my peace with death.

*she nods, and looks towards Av and the Other Guy again* Nice doomsday pitch. So you want us to run off and buy your real estate?

}|{ It's not real estate for sale. It's all free, and available to conform to nearly any demand. It will not demand that Children sacrifice themselves for 'a greater good'. It completely lacks that particular 'feature'.
If I really am giving you a pitch, then why not tell me what possible advantages This old world has?


... *other guy is trying to figure out what to say. They had only really figured out what they wanted to say to Stop Av from going on and on*
*But, when they try to weigh the advantages and disadvantages... Well, they obviously believe that The World they've helped to make is superior to the Cycle of The Game*
*Hard for them to say that without seeming to want to support Av*

*Sophie doesn't know what to say, either. She feels there must be a catch somewhere, and the idea of a world "available to conform to nearly any demand" is... strange... to her, but when asked directly about the advantages that this world has, this world that has put her through so much...*

*finally, Santek points at Sophie*

>It gives birth to people like her.

}|{ To people that are given full access to 'the bomb factory' while not understanding what it is they are handling?

I do not wish to belittle you or your efforts... But wouldn't it have been better if such forces had to be understood before they could be meddled with?
How much do you understand, even now, about the full scope of the Realm you have the potential to permanently Change. How much do you know about the Absolutes of Heart?

by the way, it may be a good idea to cancel the order for Hamnet & Factor's Syladex. The Syladex is a natural byproduct of The Game, and helps to streamline its introduction.


That wasn't necessary. If you're going to be saying anything, then keep to a subject. Otherwise, you should just leave and let us try to figure out our futures regarding staying or going. I Know you don't plan on keeping yours for much longer after all.
Heck, it isn't even limited to dealing with the result of LE's Death or going to The Tree of Life. We found all kinds of different places while making it.
An option that doesn't need Your world OR The Game Exists.

*'other guy' is pretty mad. sick of Av's manipulations. Sick of Av wanting to offer The 'Best Choice', and usually seeming to maybe have been right in some twisted way* *They just want Av to keep out of this*

*she puts her hands to her temples* You always - ugh - Santek, I'm not sure where you were going with that, but I think it was a compliment, but this guy - it's a marathon to keep up, and every time you say something he doesn't like he pulls out some detail he knows will rattle you so you'll just fall into whatever he thinks is right, and giving out the information so sparingly, it's like he's trying to raise the price on diamonds...

>Well, he is a Lord. You know very well I wasn't much better than that before y...
>...Av. What happened to your Muse?

}|{ ... Well... I guess I never got the chance to know my Mother, now did I?


'Don't look at me. It wasn't my fault. It was the other me who did that.'


}|{ Other versions... One may wonder if their Debt should be counted towards the total value contrib-


'Shut it Av; I'm long past thinking that getting raised properly would have done you any good. So you can drop bringing up your whole spheel about being 'born' as nothing but a Derse Dreamer in an empty session because your Parents messed with something they shouldn't have ever even been able to find.'

'I'm through with being served the blame for that. You've taken part in your own Ruination; What With over-writing your session to include The Heir of Heart, Mage of Space, and The Bard of Time. to avoid mentioning myself, even just what trouble you caused them was enough to establish you as a manipulative arse.'

'Do you really think that you'd let something as simple as parents stop you from becoming that?'