( video | un: revanche )

[nilhilistic]

Greetings, people of Aldrip.

I am a new arrival to this place. My name is Rafal. I am a dragon from another world. As familiar as I am with the mechanics of multiple worlds and travel between then, I am afraid the technology gap here is rather large. I would like to request the aid of a master, someone who is proficient in it and is willing to teach me.

Of course, this does not need to be for free. You are welcome to request a boon or a favor. I lack money at this juncture but I will see to it soon enough. I am no longer in the business of resurrecting the dead and I do not kill for others . . . but I am open-minded in other requests.

Thank you.

— Ah, yes, a picture of my true form since that seems to be a sticking point among skeptics.

Comments

[nilhilistic]

[ what is this fascination with games? the mind boggles. ]

What games?

[entreats]

I don't know, these things apparently have all sorts of games on them.

[ It does make it sound like the concept is still relatively new to Ange too. But she likes to think she probably knows more than Rafal does, considering he has to even ask. ]

I think Tetris is pretty fun.

[nilhilistic]

Do these games have any beneficial advantages?

[ will it add to his strength? his intelligence? ]

[entreats]

They pass the time. [ Which is - to Ange - a very beneficial advantage.

You can only be stuck in this place for so long until it feels like it's starting to drive you crazy. ]

I think some also test stuff like reflexes. Or logical thinking. I think the latter is something some people here are pretty lacking in, so I don't think these games could hurt.

[ Dang, Ange.. A little too direct..

At least she's not saying that 'some people' at Rafal. Her tone isn't snippy enough for it. It's more just a general statement about her experiences with other people here. ]

[nilhilistic]

I suppose it is worth trying if it provides such benefits.

[ "fun" isn't something he ever considers. ]

Do you find it useful?

[entreats]

[ Useful is such a big word! As much as Ange genuinely does like the games, it's not like she wants to pretend they're anything bigger than they really are.. Especially to someone who seems relatively serious the way Rafal does. Ange doesn't like people wasting her time, and she imagines the same must count for any other serious person out there. ]

Honestly, it's mostly just that sometimes I feel so bored here. [ A little more honest than she'd usually be. ] There's only so much investigating you can do here after you've been stuck in this place for as long as I have. So in that sense I find it useful. Playing these things keeps me from getting bored. Does that make sense?

[nilhilistic]

[ he nods slowly. it makes sense. he's not sure how time would flow here. he is a dragon. years mean nothing. centuries mean nothing. ]

It does. Thank you for your candor.

[entreats]

No problem. If you want, I could show you some of the games sometimes. I didn't know how to get them on the tablet or how to play all of them either, but some of the people more used to it taught me about it.

[ A very important skill here, clearly. ]

Do you play chess? [ That's definitely the game she's heard some people from times older than hers mention.. ] There's chess on here too.

[nilhilistic]

[ huh. ]

There is chess on this tiny device? Who do you play against?

[entreats]

Against the device.

[ .. there's a slight pause, but it's exactly during that pause that Ange likely realises what that sounds like.. ]

It can think for itself. I don't know if that sounds strange to you. [ Even if she isn't really used to these levels of technology either, it's still hard to put her into the shoes of someone who outright isn't used to technology as a whole.. Not this modern variation of it, anyway. ]

[nilhilistic]

[ think for itself? ]

How far does this thinking go?

[entreats]

I mean.. [ Her voice trails off a little, like even Ange - whose wit is usually rather quick - isn't immediately sure of how to answer a question like that. ]

It depends on what you are thinking of. I wouldn't say it's as intelligent as a regular person is. After you have played enough chess matches against this thing, you can kind of figure out what sort of moves it's going to make based on what it has done during past games. [ ... ] Or maybe it's just not that good at chess.

[nilhilistic]

[ that is interesting. he notes it down. especially in light of what happened a few days ago. ]

I am rather good at chess. I have played against kings and queens.

[ though. they didn't know they were engaging in chess with them. ]

[entreats]

Then you might have a few initial good games until you start figuring it out.

[ Especially since Ange knows she could figure it out, and if he was playing chess with important people high up-- well, then it's likely he's better than her. She can easily concede that. ]

But if you get bored playing against the device itself, you can also play with other people here in town who have the game installed on their tablet. So you don't need to actually go to see them to play chess together. You can do it whenever. [ ... ] Even on the toilet.

[ Thanks, Ange. Truly the pro tip he needs. ]

[nilhilistic]

I rather not get obsessed with it to the point of playing everywhere.

[ that seems unhealthy, even to rafal. the most unhealthy. ]

But I appreciate your input.

[entreats]

[ Dang, Rafal. Some of us are actively trying to escape reality at all times! ]

I wouldn't call it obsession.

[ Ange has to say that much though in defence of herself. Not that it's really full of passion, but hey. At least she said it. ]

Is there really anything else important to do here? Other than find a way home, but-- if you're really as used to travelling across worlds like you said you are, then you've already found that it's not really an easy thing to do here.

[nilhilistic]

Helping a world can be time-consuming.

[ and that's what he wants. he wants his time eaten and used, he wants to be used and used until there is no more stretches of time that go on until eternity. thousands of years and he has nothing to show for it. ]

I imagine it will keep me busy.

[entreats]

[ ... ]

You want to help that badly?

[ Apparently it's surprising enough to have made her pause for a moment before speaking up. ]

Is that just something dragons do where you come from? [ Maybe that thought makes more sense to her than the idea of a person just being kind enough to dedicate themselves to such a purpose. ]

[nilhilistic]

[ a brief hesitation. ]

Not that kind of dragon I am. But yes. There are divine dragons who support humanity throughout the ages.

[entreats]

[ So that didn't really answer her question, huh. Or rather, it skipped right past her assumption. If it's not that he wants to help because it's what dragons do, then why does he?

.. Ange is still curious, but she recognizes something that might be just a little bit too direct or personal when she sees it, so she skips over it. For now. ]

I didn't know there were different kinds of dragons. I mean, if you're one that can turn into a human..

[ Since Rafal is clearly looking pretty human right now! ]

Then I figured you had to be a pretty powerful dragon. [ Especially since she's never heard of transforming dragons before in stories. ]

[nilhilistic]

[ his chest puffs out a little because he is! powerful! after so long and all that suffering, he can finally claim that. even if it tastes bittersweet. ]

There are many kinds of dragons. Manaketes, Earth dragons, dragons of silence, mage dragons. Fell dragons and divine dragons. We all vary in power.

[entreats]

So where would you say you fall on that scale?

[ A slight pause, and then she adds: ]

I guess it kind of potentially nefarious. [ Like she's trying to see if she could take him. She knows some people here would intend it that way. ] I'm just curious about other kinds of beings. It's interesting.

[nilhilistic]

[ hm. rafal weighs his response. he is proud, but boasting is another thing altogether. and centuries of hiding haven't crippled his good sense completely. ]

I am a Fell Dragon. A dragon of the underworld. I can raise the dead.

[entreats]

Raise the dead?

[ Any last remaining hints of deadpan or a flat tone fade out of her voice entirely.

Ange sounds interested, still, but now she sounds surprised on top of it. Like something about that statement absolutely hooked her. ]

To what extent? I imagine a power like that isn't unlimited. [ Even Beatrice's hadn't been, after all.

Besides-- That's the power Ange always wanted. Of course she's immediately going to cling on to even the slightest mention of it like this. ]

[nilhilistic]

[ he cocks his head at her. everyone jumps at the mention of this power, so the reaction isn't surprising. he just wouldn't have attributed it to ange though. ]

That depends on what you consider limitations. I brought an entire world to life with my own power.

[ "life" within his . . . restrictions, but life all the same. ]