"Skill and survival are the only things that matter" [open]

[swordofajerk]

[There's a moment of disorientation, of feeling like he's slipping into (or out of) something, and then suddenly there is a Spectre in the middle of Limbo yelling and shoving the other Spectres nearby out of his way and reaching for something that should be on his hip but isn't and all he can thing of is he needs something.

Sword? Maybe? That feels right, he needs a sword. Where can he get one, why doesn't he have one, why does he want one, why the hell is he suddenly aware of the fact that he is dead?]

Dammit. What the hell is going on--

Comments

[schardynfreude]

It could be that you had one in your life. And it could be that you might wield one again, with the proper power.

[swordofajerk]

And I suppose this is the part where you offer me that power, isn't it?

[Does he look like someone easily fooled, sir?]

[schardynfreude]

Me? Heavens no! [He laughs, hand to his chest.] Goodness me, no.

It's a terribly small young lady who grants you the power to fix what is broken.

[swordofajerk]

[Sir, you look like the sketchiest of salespeople and gave what sounded like a sales pitch. Can you blame the poor guy?

But. Also.]

I'm not broken.

[schardynfreude]

[He may or may not be leaning into the fact that he has learned, through several of these iterations, that he sounds like he's trying to get people to join a cult.

or he's crazy but pff]

Not you. Don't you feel it? That there is something...fundamentally wrong here? Something seeping in your very bones without the faintest idea what it is?

[swordofajerk]

Other than the realization that I'm dead, you mean?

[He shrugs.]

[schardynfreude]

...Huh. [Usually they feel it when it's pointed out to them. Maybe this one isn't Executor material? Or...something...?]

In any event, this is some strange afterlife, we're told there's to be reincarnation of some sort at the end, but the mechanism by which that happens is busted, thus, a fundamental imbalance in...the universe? I'm not sure, to be fair, how that works. Surely more people are born into the world, and it doesn't need the rest of us to repopulate it, but I haven't the faintest. It's the first I recall being dead.

[swordofajerk]

[He is very good at focusing on a singular thing, okay?]

Assuming any of that is true, if there's reincarnation then the "more people" are just formerly dead people.

[Duh.]

[schardynfreude]

Everyone had to come from something, somewhere. I can't possibly imagine a world where millions or billions of people simply existed one day.

Not that I can very much imagine my world or any at this point.

But the point. The point, then, is that if we assume it's all true as much as a small young lady who has been at this longer than the rest of us and seems to have the slightest inkling of what she's doing can be sure, then the only way you're going to hold a sword again and feel any way right about it is if you help us fight our way down to these stuck gears and let reincarnation or rebirth or what have you happen.

...One of these days I'm going to get the recruitment speech right and not sound completely insane.

[swordofajerk]

At least you're aware of how insane you sound. You sound like a cultist.

[schardynfreude]

That is, shockingly, not the first time I've heard that.

[swordofajerk]

Then you might want to leave the recruitment to other people.

[schardynfreude]

And leave you to shove around and yell at poor specters who don't know any better about swords? [He sighs and summons up, with the sound and appearance of crystals, his scythe.] Would that I could give you one, but I'm burdened with this thing.

[swordofajerk]

[What the fuck.]

You can fight?

[The scythe is fine, that seems like a suitable weapon.

But this guy can fight?! What.]

[schardynfreude]

Yes? It's a near requirement, here, as an Executor. And I've some memories of fighting in my living days. [More like...kicking Phoenix a lot and sauntering off like a dickhead and occasionally throwing some magic but that's still fighting!

He looks (up) at his weapon.] Is that surprising?

[swordofajerk]

I didn't think anyone else here could fight. [A beat, and then:] And you don't give off the air of someone who can, either.

[schardynfreude]

Ah, right, I'm not bullying anyone within reach for a weapon without knowing why. [He's being a shit deliberately, and does it with a smirk.] One moment--

[He's got his weapon, but in such a moment, he suddenly is in new clothes and with slightly different hair, full Executor form.] How about now?

[swordofajerk]

[And because this guy is a little shit, he just looks Chiron up and down before shrugging.]

Fancier clothing doesn't change anything.

[Or: yes, it does change a little but this guy is cranky and you are a little grating and also this guy is cocky.]

Only skill matters.

[schardynfreude]

[Young man you are exasperating.] The question was if I gave off the air of someone who could fight, but yes, skill is something that matters.

[swordofajerk]

The answer is still no.

[Deal with it.]

Maybe if you hadn't tried to recruit me into a cult.

[schardynfreude]

It only sounds like a cult, which, I suppose, is something a cultist might say. But you can't summon a sword whenever you want with your will unless you make a pact to help us, so...

[swordofajerk]

I'll pass.

[For now.]

[schardynfreude]

Ugh, I'll just have to leave this to the others. Just, perhaps, don't bully everyone you see, hm?