Wild New Years Traditions
Wild New Years Traditions
41461
THREADID
32
POSTS
11 - 20
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Occultation
He shakes his head, wary both of sympathetic connections and Shamans, a lethal mix. "No, thank you", he says.
"Shodan, we can change the past. What makes you think the Exarchs couldn't send their own back in time by a few thousand years and just make up a new tradition?"
Shodan's eyes follow the offered pommegranate and, inadvertently, land back on Winter, who refuses both the fruit and the Free Council wisdom.
"They could" He shrugs, the unconcerned look on his face a clear proof that he doesn't consider it a real prospect "They could also have worked Space, Time and Matter shenanigans so that we really are in a giant snowglobe and they laugh themselves sick right now" Paradoxically, it was really easy to ascribe whatever powers and motivations you wanted to an unknowable, almighty and alien being. Religions of the world have been doing this since dawn of time and show no signs of stopping "Seriously, though: I don't see how it'd be useful to them. Now, I'm no Exarch-expert" Exxpert? "but if they seek to reinforce the Quescence, wouldn't other things serve better instead? Hierarchical religions, nine-to-five jobs, strict social order? You know, things that promote obedience and the gospel truth that there's some god who knows better and speaks through his favored caste?"
He thinks on that for a moment. It'd be interesting to know if the pope, despite his outwardly progressive message, is actually a Seer puppet, or a Seer himself.
"If there's a belief in elves hiding in your attic, you better believe someone is going to look for them eventually, and who knows what they may find? Maybe not elves, but we know that even if the premise is false then the conclusion can still be true, if you know what I mean"
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“I’ve never met a person who was superstitious about superstition being suspicious. Holiday traditions are fun glimpses into the past. How did our ancestors think? How was this wisdom warped through the ages? All the questions, having the answers is no fun.”
With that said the Shaman takes one last look at the rejected pomegranate and then smashes it on the ground, he promptly squats down and begins counting the seeds.
Pre5 (Authority)
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Perhaps something useful would come out of it. "It's a matter of hedging your bets. It's much easier to spin a lie when you flood the ether with conflicting accounts", he shrugs, "You cover every angle, eventually some of your lies will latch upon the consensus. And even if no single message becomes dominant, in the hall of mirrors, nobody can ever be sure where the truth lies. Drown the signal amid a sea of noise, noise that you control, and you're going to fish big", they're treated with a rare glimpse of Guardians' psychology,"The art of misdirection relies on belief Gnosticism, sometimes you even have to take actions that in the short-term might run afoul of your intended goal, but everything becomes clear in the endgame. Like with chess. In our case, you see a pomegranate, I see a superstition that might have been injected in the system to lure people away from the truth and on the path of fake occultism. Look up операция Трест", he says in a perfect Russian accent, "Operation Trust when you have the time"
"I think the problem that we seem to be having" He began after listening to the Guardian's piece, weighing his words carefully, trying to find the right expressions, even though it was clear that neither of them is going to influence the other "is how we view Sleepers. You're saying that if we have the world flooded with fake magic, something that is objectively untrue, people will get all confused and, overwhelmed, will choose to do nothing rather than seek the Truth" An age-old strategy to keep the debate civil: recount how you see the opposing side's argument, so that they may correct you if you get things wrong. It shows respect, if nothing else, and Shodan still walks on thin ice with the man.
"I am more optimistic: the exact content of a myth is of secondary importance, what counts is that there are patterns to them, regardless of their origin. And through these patterns you can catch the Exarchs with their pants down, because as any con man will tell you, it gets progressively harder to lie to the same group of people. Eventually, you'll trip over your own shoelaces" Not that Shodan expects this to happen in his lifetime. Explosions are fun, but fighting the Lie is that 'little by little does the trick'.
"And that's not counting the real ace up humanity's sleeve: technology. I mean, if you can walk on the Moon, live-stream your thoughts to millions and replace your limbs with better ones, then anything is possible" In an ideal world, the next time someone sees a mage shooting fireballs from his fingers, they're just going to think it's bleeding-edge self-defence gadgetry. And, in time, they'll be shooting fireballs themselves.
Of course, in the form of a raised eyebrow hangs the unspoken question of: where did Winter learn to speak Russian? Obviously not from the latest season of Stranger Things. It's just one more mystery to a man practically built of them.
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"Repeat a lie enough times, and it becomes the truth, it's what the greatest liar of the past century would have told you", he shrugs, "Besides I fail to see how technology would make one closer to the truth. Are you closer to truth than say an indigenous Thyrsus living in full communion with nature. Usefulness isn't a guarantee of truthfulness. What is exactly the truth for you?"
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Somehow, Winter invoking the Nazi propagandist in their talk made him uneasy. Does he see the Free Council way as equally misguided? Shodan prefers not to dwell on the implications.
"The Truth is that there's more to the world than the naked eye can see, and that this world can be shaped with nothing but will. The truth is also that we are on our way to Singularity, and this is where technology comes in" He takes a deep breath in preparation "Technology is transformative. Progress introduced the notion of free time, allowed for free exchange of goods and ideas and made it possible to go where it was previously unthinkable. It broadens your horizons and gives the kind of liberating power most people associate with magic" And the border between feeling like a mage and actually being a mage can be blessedly blurry.
"You talked to me of the Great Game. That day at Curtis Park, remember?" Seems like a lifetime ago "Technology changes the rules in our favor. It makes the reality jailers run around like headless chickens, and trip over their shoelaces like it's some cheap sitcom"
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He shakes his head disapprovingly. For his apt use of metaphors and technobabble, Shodan wasn't getting the point. Or perhaps he wasn't being clear enough.
"Gimme your phone, I want to show you something", the Guardian says as he extends his hand toward the Libertine.
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Anima sighs, and scribbles a number down in his book.
"Disappointing, almost hit a 1,000. He walks away from the senior debators and retrieves some cleaning supplies, returning he begins to tidy up his mess.
"I think, the problem is there is no problem at all. I'll look like a crazy man, talking with spirits and studying chaos. You'll protect secrets and the good order and safety of the consilium and you'll continue to discover new truths from the advancement of all."
He stands, his shirt and pants now stained, his hands full of juicy paper towels.
"And one day, through the use of technology, humankind will find a way to traverse dimensions, cross interstellar space, integrate cybernetics and genetic engineering to perfect their bodies, and be able to do just about everything thing we do with magic. Rendering us obsolete, or perhaps leading to the Awakening of all."
Pre5 (Authority)"Be it ever so simple" despite the fact that Shodan didn't really believe the Libertines and the Guardians could coexist in peace - their outlooks seemed too different, opposed even, inviting strain not existing between any two other Orders of the Pentacle - the Prime Mover smiles. Anima's optimism was contagious "For what it's worth, I don't think magic will be turned obsolete by technology. It'll just be impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends" And wouldn't that be awesome?
As for Winter's strange request, Shodan looks unconvinced. He studies the dour man for a second before handing him his phone. Not because he is entirely without suspicion that the Guardian might try something dickish - but because it's important to not aggravate their relations further, at least not until the judgement is levied and the duel forgotten "Here you go. For the record, if you smash it to make a point about 'fragility of technology', I consider it ineffectual" And if that's what he wants to do, the statement might save him the cost of a replacement.
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Status (Neurosurgeon)
