Cycle 010

[phantasmal_resplendent]

 Lup enters the bar, looking a little run down - this cycle's been a rough one.

"Hey, bar," she gives a small wave and plops down on a stool. "Could I get a beer?"

Sure enough, a fantasy PBR appears on the bar.

"Thanks, babe." She manages a tired smile.

Comments

[aleister_author]

"You look like you've had a hard bit of road," says Tyler, taking a stool himself.

Then to Bar, "Can I get one of those ales from that sample set that was made from mushrooms?"

The drink appears is a light grey.

"Thanks."

[phantasmal_resplendent]

"Mushrooms, huh?" Lup cocks an eyebrow playfully.

"Yeah, just...had a rough time lately. My crew and I."

[aleister_author]

"I like new things once in a while," says Tyler about the mushrooms, "'S why I get sample platters every so often."

"Is it the kind of rough time that might get better if you talk about it, or the kind where you just want to have a few drinks and maybe stare at the sky for a bit?"

Either the fake one out back or the on going explosion outside the Window.

[phantasmal_resplendent]

"Well, that depends." Lup shrugs. "It's kind of a complicated situation. How down are you for hearing something like that?"

[aleister_author]

"Passable, at least," says Tyler, "It used to be a big part of the job. Now I get to just make things up when I tell a story instead of it having to be true, so it's a lot easier to keep secrets. That's nice."

The last bit comes out kind of soft and with a hit of realization. But he tucks it away to worry over later and turns an attentive face to Lup.

[phantasmal_resplendent]

...Okay, that is a NOVEL between the lines. Lup's definitely gonna ask about that later.

"Okay, so, my crew and I travel in between planar systems - different dimensions - and no matter what happens to us in that system, when we leave it, we're always exactly the same as when we first got there, no matter what. We reset, in a way With me so far?"

[aleister_author]

Exploring strange new worlds and doing it boldly, with a save point. Beats wearing a red shirt.

"I think so. Memory gets excluded under this?"

It isn't always. Every version of dodging death seems to have a different set of exclusions and limitations.

[phantasmal_resplendent]

"Yeah, we always remember it." She takes a sip of her beer. "And even if we die on that world, we always come back once we leave it."

[aleister_author]

"It sounds pretty foolproof," agrees Tyler with a nod.

Slightly slower than the time that Tyler got involved in the wild fight with the two color coded teams, but requiring less maintenance.

[phantasmal_resplendent]

"It is. Still sucks, though. The dying, I mean." When she died, Lup just ended up kicking it in Milliways until the cycle was over, but still.

"One of our crew died this cycle. It was the first time for him."

[aleister_author]

"Ah," says Tyler in tones of understanding, "That's a pain. I don't think anyone ever has a nice first death."

Meaningful is possible, sure, but there's always something awful about it on some level.

[phantasmal_resplendent]

"You're telling me." Lup certainly didn't. And that's nothing compared to how Taako took it afterwards.

"What, do you have experience in the matter?" This guy's been saying some cryptic stuff, and Lup can't help but bite.

[aleister_author]

"There was a special occasion here one time," says Tyler, "Two groups who were fighting back home with a resurrection system both ended up recruiting help from here."

"It was a learning experience. I developed a distaste for rockets coming right at my head."

He takes a swig of his grey ale.

"It stopped working for the temporary hires when everyone got back here, of course."

[phantasmal_resplendent]

"Shit. I had no idea."

Lup takes a minute to process all that.

"How'd you guys get a resurrection system on your side of the door?"

[aleister_author]

Tyler shrugs.

"I have no idea how it works," he admits, "I write horror novels for a living. Sometimes I poke a secret societies. Teleporters that heal you are so far out of my wheelhouse they aren't even on the same ocean let alone boat."

[phantasmal_resplendent]

"Fair," Lup shrugs.

"How'd you die the first time, then?" Since he's been hinting that he has at least once.