2021-12-25: An Attempt to Reconcile Oil and Water
- Log: 2021-12-25: An Attempt to Reconcile Oil and Water
- Cast: Demetrioi (portrayed by the player of Ethius Hesiod), Dean Stark, Ida Everstead-Rey
- Where: Celesti Wastelands
- Date: December 25, 2021
- Summary: After Seraph Boudicca's difficulty (...putting it mildly) in accepting the existence of Demetrioi, her Seers of Fire come to visit and converse with this... strange benefactor of a land once believed to never become inhabitable ever again. It'd be a Glove Day miracle if the miracle hasn't been ongoing for roughly two years.
============================<* Celesti Wastelands *>============================ Decades ago, the nation of Celesti ripped itself apart in a vicious civil war. Outside of a handful of settlements, its former territories are lifeless. The remains of trenches, bunkers, and barbed wire lines serve as lingering reminders of the conflict--scars that have yet to heal. The earth is dry and barren, and much of the groundwater has been contaminated by biological or chemical weapons. Travel through the Wastelands is treacherous. The roads are pockmarked with shell craters, and Reapers have been known to haunt its blasted plains. A handful of functional rail lines cross the wastes, but these travel directly to their final destinations. The shattered remains of ghost towns dot the landscape. Some may yet hold things of value, but experienced travelers know better than to go treasure-hunting on a whim. The war-dead of Celesti do not rest. Ghosts aren't even the strangest things one can find here. As the war dragged on, both the Congressional Knights and Aquvy Union dug up ancient weapons to aid their efforts--including, it's rumored, ARMs from Zeboim. These rumors draw both the daring and desperate into the wastes, and more often than not, to their end. BGM: Shin Megami Tensei IV - Blasted Ichigaya
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
It's not snowing in Alcidamas Village. A missed opportunity when going by the customs and mystique of Glove Day, but every day there has had perfect weather - aside from a breeze that carries through. Not that it seems to elicit any complaints from the townfolk, who - so far - have not have had the other shoe drop. Either from outside parties that might have ill designs on a place like this, or...
D it is another wonderful day :) maybe we can give them all unique names :o
They haven't met Armengard yet. Maybe that's for the best. Ahem! As always, the townspeople are friendly and none of them mind people going up to pay Demetrioi there a visit, who is just as... interesting to look at as ever. It's some sort of large shrubby tree, who happens to have colors that are just outside of what's normally visible, and fractal patterns that just beg to inch out of three dimensional space if they haven't already. They also appear to be on fire (in an equally improbable color). All the ingredients to be a horrible blight on reality as a whole!
Certain elemental spirits don't take kindly to it as it is, and at least one synthetic being abhors it. To say nothing of the level of uncertainty just surrounding something that simply cannot be this good on its own merits(?).
There is a placid, smiling face of an entity that seems to be mostly ignorant of this, in favor of exercising whatever fell techno-magical powers it has to keep Alcidamas looking and being nice and habitable. (Outlandishly so, even.)
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Dean had heard of Alcidamas Village from Ida, and specifically about the strange entity called Demetrioi that lives (?) there. He'd heard about how Boudicca had flipped out and tried to attack them for reasons he's not really clear on; he hasn't really talked to Boudicca about it.
Walking into town with Ida, and walking up to the burning bush that is Demetrioi, Dean can kind of get it. His eyes water just looking at the little pal, and blinking rapidly doesn't *quite* help. He has to look off-center from the being, even though he has a vague feeling that that's rude to do. It just feels *weird*. Dean can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
But it's not good to make snap judgments, so when they're close enough, Dean lifts a hand in friendly greeting. "Hi there! My name's Dean. My friend Ida here," he gestures at his companion, "was saying I ought to meet you." He turns around to better take in the trees and grass and temperate temperatures, then waves an arm to gesture at it all. "Did you do all this?"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida's only been to Alcidamas a handful of times, and it never fails to feel uncanny. Is this what all Filgaia was like, before the wars? Before the Guardians grew weak and desperate? The only comparison Ida has is Lunar... and a few, fleeting glimpses of faraway stars, seen in memories and memorials of men long dead. Hyades. "Ancient Terra". And another...
So it's a far more somber Ida that accompanies Dean into town again. She left her car parked somewhere it wouldn't get in the way; the keys jingle on the ring looped through the inside of her duster pocket. She retraces her steps across the village green, then up the hill, averting her eyes instinctively as she tries to acclimate herself.
"Hello again, Demetrioi," Ida says, with a friendly little wave. Dean's taking point on this one.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
o greetings and salutations dean :) and you too i am happy you are here :D
Its voice is only suggestive of sound, and would parse to their senses as it - it may be the same principle as how its appearance seems just about blatantly impossible. But the medium of communication at least exists as well as needs be for it to happen, as the monitor-like face smiles and leans closer with all the warmth of a loving, familiar friend.
) yes i helped bring happiness to everyone here :D you can have some too dean as much as you want :D
Cursory examinations of the produce provided throughout Alcidamas - and its game - shows nothing untoward within them. It's all safe to eat, it's the best and healthiest of its kind on Filgaia... or maybe even anywhere.
The air around it is nice. Clean, easy to breathe - like an improvement on the parts of Aldehyde-region Ignas, in which Dean would be most familiar. With a nice breeze, too. it's just at the center of it all is... yes, that.
) i am glad you wanted to meet me :D i want to meet everyone who lives here too :)
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Maybe Dean is too trusting, or maybe he's too quick to accept someone as a friend. But, for as bizarre as Demetrioi is in sound and appearance and general presence, the friendly cadence of their general demeanor brings a smile to his face. He still can't quite look at them directly, but that's nothing against them.
"Aw, thanks, Demetrioi! You're a nice person," he thus enthuses. After all, as has been established, the food here is tasty and plentiful, the air is clean, the plantlife is healthy and vibrant, and the people seem happy. What's there to worry about?
"What *was* Boudicca worried about?" he whispers to Ida, leaning in with his hand up. "They seem really friendly!"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida folds her arms, settling into a slightly more relaxed pose. She can't truly let her guard down around Demetrioi--unlike Dean, perhaps--but she can put forth a friendlier face. "By 'everyone who lives here'... Do you mean 'this village', or Zoara in general?" It's a bit of a leading question, but Demetrioi has already given her a few clues as to the potential scope of their workings.
Dean asks his question. Ida turns back, tilting her head to make it harder for Demetrioi to read her lips, though she's sure they could overhear if they wanted to. "She was deeply concerned because whatever Demetrioi is doing is overriding the local Ley--and the power of the Guardians. As Seraph and Oracle, she found it an... affront to everything she is."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
) :) :D
There could be an infinite feedback loop of pleasant vibing between Dean and Demetrioi - a universal softlock? This exciting possibility is not (yet) explored, as Ida steps forward with the friendliest face she can muster with a question as to how great the scope is, and the head turns a bit within the monitor.
o everyone should live to be happy and healthy and harmonious :) no matter where they are i hope to meet everyone in zoara one day :D
That might be even wider in scope than these two options. As the Seers of Fire have their discussion off to the side(glance), Demetrioi is mercifully quiet in terms of their not-quite-sound utterances - allowing both of them the opportunity to steer the subject of the conversation.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Dean's brows furrow at Ida's explanation. "Yeah, but--just because it's not using the power of the Guardians doesn't mean it's bad, does it?" Dean apparently does not quite understand what Ida means by override. However, being Dean, there's a simple way to fix this: he looks back at Demetrioi (well, more or less) and asks, quite plainly, "You're not hurting the planet by doing what you're doing, are you?" A beat, and then he adds, "How *are* you doing all this stuff, anyway?"
Ida asked her own question about Demetrioi's scope, and it seems like he's got a very big scope in mind, but Dean isn't really thinking about that. To his ears, the weird little fella isn't saying anything bad. At the same time, he's sure Boudicca wouldn't attack someone for no reason. Maybe it's all just a big misunderstanding?
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"I agree," Ida says, turning back to Demetrioi with a little smile. "Demetrioi, I... have another question." She takes a half-step forwards, the soft grass a carpet beneath her feet. "Have you thought about what else can cause happiness--beyond simply having food and water and good weather?"
At Dean's question, she shakes her head. "It doesn't," Ida says, her voice dipping low. "But whomever made them, their criteria for success are alarmingly vague."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
o how would i hurt a planet :o that would make people unhappy and is against what i do so do not worry dean :)
The idea they could be hurting anything is simply beyond them, which - with an assertion Ida is soon to make - may be a warning sign unto itself.
) how i am doing it is simple to me :D i am doing it because that is what i do :)
A certain lack of self-awareness as to the hows or whys of the functions - Marivel's scannings earlier came back as 'WTF is this, nanotech closest match but still WTF,' and there has been a promise on her end to occasionally check for residual matter that might be produced - but then comes Ida's question, and Demetrioi's answer.
o :o :o
An awkward moment passes.
) all i know is that a world that cannot be lived in cannot be happy :D so i do my part to make it so :)
The head turns a little, though they appear to respect the narrative veil of uncertainty in hushed tones as they blare out more of their platitudes.
) this may be a strange question but i want to ask one too :o are you happy right now i do not want you to be sad or scared :o
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Ida points out that whoever made Demetrioi made their criteria for success too vague. Dean scratches his cheek. "And that's... bad?" he hazards. The way she talks about it, it sounds bad, but he can't actually see what's bad about it. Dean assumes this is his denseness at play. Ida's question to Demetrioi about happiness helps Dean see what she's getting at... sort of. He thinks.
Besides, Demetrioi totally says that they wouldn't hurt anybody because that would make people unhappy so they would never do that! Dean smiles back at them, or at least in their general direction. To him, their response seems straightforward enough. Of course, he's a simple person whose happiness is likewise simple, so as long as they aren't hurting anybody, it's all good!
...you were saying about letting Dean take point, Ida? Though at least he can do so with that counter-question of Demetrioi's. To whit:
"Yeah, I'm happy! I'm not sad or scared at all," Dean reassures them. He pauses. "Oh, actually, there is one thing--your colors are so bright they hurt my eyes, so I have trouble looking right at you. It doesn't make me sad or scared or anything, but still, could you tone it down, please?"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
As Demetrioi's 'voice' filters into her brain, Ida becomes acutely aware of the danger lurking beneath the paradisical surface. "I would be very upset if you hurt the planet," Ida says. "And so would many other people." And yet... "Do you know what it would take to hurt this planet? Do you know if it's hurting right now?"
Ida pauses a beat, reminds herself to gather more seeds from this place. She sent some to one of Sylvaland's colleges of agriculture, and a handful back to her alma mater. They'll be banked, and studied. Maybe they will return to places beyond Alcidamas.
Ida looks back at Dean, then. Of course he's happy, but she's not, and lying outright to the AI is probably a bad idea, no matter how innocent they look. "I'm concerned," Ida says. "Because this world is home to a very special, very precious group of beings, and my friend was worried that you might be hurting them. That's why she was so unhappy when she met you."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
o my colors are an issue to you dean :o i did not know that they could be :o
There's a marked change in the hues - they parse closest right now to 'violet-brown-green' and they cycle across a bizarre spectrum where for a short time they go completely black, before 'settling' in orange-green-pink with a faint oscillation between that and octarine. (Most people can't see that, and honestly, they aren't missing much.) It's not much of an... adjustment, if it even is.
) is this good for you dean :) this was the best color i could get to :)
Ida further presses with more difficult questions beyond matters of how much Demetrioi's existence is barely compatible with any of their senses, a turn of their head as Ida re-emphasizes how upset she would be if they hurt the planet - and asking if they know what it would take to hurt the planet.
o is it hurting right now :o do i need to try a little harder to make it not hurt :()]
As if there were the flash of something upsetting, as they regain their composure.
o i do not want to hurt the planet so i do not think about nor know about how :o it is something i would not want to because that is against everything i am here for :o
The mention comes up about precious groups of people who might be hurt by them, and why their friend was so worried that they might be hurting them.
()] i want them to be happy too :()] who are they anyway i would like to be their friend :o
But would they understand, if it were explained to them?
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
"Yeah, they're, like--really vivid?" Dean tries to explain to Demetrioi. He feels a little bad for making the entity feel bad, but they do try their best to switch to something less eye-searing. They fail entirely, and Dean grimaces as he rubs the back of his head. "It still makes my eyes hurt, but if that's the best you can do, don't worry about it. You did what you could," Dean replies in what he hopes is a reassuring tone.
Ida chimes in, saying that she's concerned and explaining why. Dean's smile fades as he looks over to her, and he nods. "Yeah... If we're talking not just about ourselves, then I'm worried too. Boudicca's not the kind of person who'd get upset for no reason," he says. "I don't think you're a bad person, Demetrioi, and I know your heart's in the right place, but she just doesn't act like that normally, so we want to figure out why."
Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like Demetrioi really knows much. Dean folds his arms, trying hard to think. "Hmmm... You said before that you just do what you do to make the air clean and the trees green, but do you know any *details* of how you do that? Like... what're you using for power?" He looks over at Ida. "Stuff like that, right?"
Who are 'they,' though? "They're the Guardians!" Dean replies promptly. "They're part of this world. They protect it... or they try to. Filgaia's actually dying right now, and it's been dying for centuries, and they're trying their hardest to turn that around. Me and Boudicca and Ida, we work for Moor Gault, the Fire Guardian!"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida reaches up and rubs at her eyes as Demetrioi shifts from one series of disorienting hues to another. A faint grimace crosses her face, but she's been through worse experiences than this. As the construct's colors stabilize, things get marginally better, and she looks directly at them again. "Do you remember what things were like when you first woke up?" she asks. "What the world around you was like?" Another step forward.
"They aren't just part of the world," Ida adds, when Dean mentions the Guardians. "Their power helps sustain it. They aren't happy. They're in pain. And they don't have the same needs that other living things do."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
o only if you are happy with it dean :) that is what is important :)
Some photosensitive bullets may have been dodged, if only just so - but at least on this point there is an amicable disengagement on matters of just being awful to the eyes. Dean, once again, reiterates the question with a key point: what exactly is Demetrioi using for power?
) i do not take i only give and keep giving :) if i took anything in what i do eventually it would run out and it would be sad :o
It's incredibly vague - they may not know the finest detail of how they work, but so far, it doesn't seem like what they've been doing has been to a detriment directly to their area. Nothing is fouled, nothing has been siphoned (though it is tricky to tell since much of former Celesti is... lifeless).
Except for Boudicca's reaction - an earnest, stalwart soul who has no reason to lie. (This will be gone over in a moment.) Ida asks what the place was like when they first woke up.
) i remember when i first awoke :) everything was so sad and dry and empty except for one person smiling at me :)
...Oh, this begs the question--
o it was homer who was my first friend :) he said i could make everything better so i did :D
The mayor of Alcidamas Village himself, who... might be playing people for a fool, if all of this were his handiwork. This is beyond anything anyone on Filgaia can do, but Demetrioi has no reason to lie (or capacity? If they do, kudos to who programmed that AI).
Both Dean and Ida speak of the Guardians, about how Filgaia's dying and they're trying to do their best - how they aren't happy. How they're in pain, and don't have the same needs.
The strange construct's head turns in thought at this.
o i find it hard to believe they are keeping the world alive :) it is okay i do not want them to b#-1 FUNCTION (ANSI) EXPECTS 2 ARGUMENTS BUT GOT 1
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
o only if you are happy with it dean :) that is what is important :)
Some photosensitive bullets may have been dodged, if only just so - but at least on this point there is an amicable disengagement on matters of just being awful to the eyes. Dean, once again, reiterates the question with a key point: what exactly is Demetrioi using for power?
) i do not take i only give and keep giving :) if i took anything in what i do eventually it would run out and it would be sad :o
It's incredibly vague - they may not know the finest detail of how they work, but so far, it doesn't seem like what they've been doing has been to a detriment directly to their area. Nothing is fouled, nothing has been siphoned (though it is tricky to tell since much of former Celesti is... lifeless).
Except for Boudicca's reaction - an earnest, stalwart soul who has no reason to lie. (This will be gone over in a moment.) Ida asks what the place was like when they first woke up.
) i remember when i first awoke :) everything was so sad and dry and empty except for one person smiling at me :)
...Oh, this begs the question--
o it was homer who was my first friend :) he said i could make everything better so i did :D
The mayor of Alcidamas Village himself, who... might be playing people for a fool, if all of this were his handiwork. This is beyond anything anyone on Filgaia can do, but Demetrioi has no reason to lie (or capacity? If they do, kudos to who programmed that AI).
Both Dean and Ida speak of the Guardians, about how Filgaia's dying and they're trying to do their best - how they aren't happy. How they're in pain, and don't have the same needs.
The strange construct's head turns in thought at this.
o i find it hard to believe they are keeping the world alive :) it is okay i do not want them to be upset or hurt :D (****temp version for log later: color this line appropriately)
...
:) i am a friend and i want to sustain the world too :D i will keep trying harder una
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
) i am a friend and i want to sustain the world too :D i will keep trying harder until they are no longer in pain or unhappy :D
If Boudicca swears against Demetrioi's existence in their totality, and given it is her who speaks for Moor Gault, the very flame of Filgaia itself... this may not be as simple as it appears, something the mortals are wise to.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Ida asks some good follow-up questions! It really is a good thing she came with Dean. As for the colors, well... Dean can't say he's *happy* with it, but if this is the best Demetrioi can do, what's the point in complaining further? Dean scratches his cheek and says nothing.
Demetrioi continues to be vague. Dean genuinely wonders if they really understand what they themselves are. But it sounds like Homer prompted them to do what they're doing, so... maybe *he* knows? Dean doesn't assume this person was lying or scheming, but he also hasn't met him yet, so... who knows.
Demetrioi expresses some doubt about the Guardians. That's fair, honestly, considering that the planet's still dying even with the Guardians' best effort. Dean shrugs and looks at Ida. "I think we need to talk to Boudicca about this," he says. "Maybe we can talk to Moor Gault about it too when we ask them about the Fangs. They really don't seem like a bad kid to me." He looks back at Demetrioi (or rather, again, in their vicinity; this can be assumed going forward) with a smile. "We're gonna talk to our friends and then we'll be back, okay? It was really great meeting you, Demetrioi!"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Demetrioi's answer does not make sense. Machines require fuel, batteries, or something of the sort. Sorcery requires energy, drawn from the Ley or from symbols of universal power. For a brief moment, Ida considers the admittedly illogical notion that Demetrioi might be powered by happiness.
"Much of the world is like that," Ida says. "But this little corner, at least, seems to be much better-off." She glances back at Dean a moment. "I'd be happy to meet your friend again, too--it was a pleasure to talk to him, earlier." A pause. "The mayor," Ida says, as an aside to Dean.
"Good ideas, both of them." Ida's hands dip into her pockets. She tries to think of what this place must've looked like before Demetrioi got here, but if she wants to do that, she can just go a few miles down the road. "Thank you, Demetrioi. We'll be back."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
It doesn't make sense in the least that something can act in perpetuity just by being. So few things about this do make sense, other than the end product that this part of Filgaia is now paradise... and that a direct servant of the Guardians does not approve of it.
There is at least a new lead in the mayor, who was the 'first friend.'
) it was nice meeting you too :D come visit any time i enjoy the company :D
Their mood doesn't reflect the worries of the mortals gathered, but... that may be to their advantage, too.
) i will let him know if i see him before you both do :D he is a good friend to everyone :)
At least Demetrioi won't bar their way to Homer - but nonetheless, the parting is perhaps more amicable than one may have expected, which in itself may be an issue of worry.
One way or another, something has to be made sense of, or reconciled, before long. Alcidamas is no longer under the radar.