Nexus I

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[Sonnie Wu]

Continued in (Nexus I) Sonnie, Emily, and the Crew...

[Avis]

"It's not what I was expecting, either," Avis agreed, turning to look back at the other little pockets of socialization that had formed on the rooftop. It wasn't actually necessary to turn her head, though she assumed Guru would benefit from the cue the movement gave.

"I was assuming this would be a gathering of the most interesting, read dangerous, people in the city. Looks like they're definitely still dangerous, but not for interesting reasons."

She turned her attention back to the two men she was talking to, and though she was only looking at Star out of the corner of her eye, the brief, flickering grin was for him.

"The reason why I asked about death is because death is a transition from one state to the next. Sounds to me like you're currently living as a ghost: crossed over, but still clinging to the person you were before."

Guru

[Guru]

His pupils were wide, taking in every flash of light, every change in the LEDs, his body could almost feel the pulse and pull of the crowd as each pump of his heart pushed the chemicals within him. He returned Star’s smile though Guru’s was most assuredly genuine, it seemed it was harder to get him to stop smiling, at least in the state he was in.

There was a lot he’d mentioned that Guru simply hadn’t picked up on, thinking they were more words meant for his partner, than him, or self-musings. His lips curling up to a half smile as he mentioned the cartel. “Definitely, they put me in wit-sec and all I got was to sign on the dotted line. But right on all counts, names Guru.”

He stretched out a hand to shake, the offer of a hug being tabled for the number of denials he’d gotten.

“Shit. Most of the dangerous people I know are dangerous for short tempers and bigger arsenals, this is a nice change of pace.”

She hit him with her thoughts and he nodded the nodding started turning into a head bob as he could feel the pull of the music, of the crowd. Then he’d started thinking, gears working through his brain as he thought on her question his head suddenly growing still as he was pulled back in to focus.

“I try to be like water, ebbing and flowing as I go the direction of the current.”

Life to Death, Asleep to Awake. You awake and find yourself in a new life but that dream, that dream had felt so real, in that moment do we know which state is which or if we’re just still dreaming?

“I don’t think I’m clinging to that person, I’m existing how I know how given new information. I just don’t know what to do with that information yet, yea? I’ve settled here for now, that’s the first change. The second is making real connections with the community.

“Most transitions usually aren’t seamless or instant. On and off is an easy binary but having that soul be reborn as something new took time, no? I’ll get there eventually."

[Star]

"What were you expecting?"

Sure, the question is more directed at Avis , but that's got to be expected. It's still for both of them. Maybe unexpected? The wide-eyed curiosity that's impossible to mistake for anything like sarcasm. Horns? Giant bat wings? ...Stone golems? Sure. Little tame. But, hey, over there. Pretty sure that big dog was the blue-haired chick he put Camper on. Werewolf, yo!

...all but wagging her tail. Okay. Point taken.

"Oh. That. That... wasn't... a metaphor. I was actually asking if you were on the run from the cartel."

Hasn't everyone been?

It's a curious topic. Death. Rebirth. Moving forward. These aether eye see what Avis sees. Or at least his ears hear. Living in the now? That's like Emma Watson 'self-partnering'. Sometimes you're waiting for someone to show you the way -- or just a glimmer of light -- and it's the wrong person. But this isn't some tag-team Jehovah's Witness come a'callin' setup. No need to muddy the waters with a full court press.

...hopefully Campanella isn't going to track hair into the theatre.

[Avis]

"I was expecting some people like Guru," Avis explained, nodding at Mr. Better-Living-Through-Chemistry, "but more people like them," she finished, gesturing towards the couple that seemed to draw the eye like a black hole drew in light.

"The kind of people that you described, I find interesting," the Warlock added, looking to Guru.

"More than that, they can be understood by a certain pattern of behaviour. But these...they might as well be as high as you. They're dangerous because they will act in ways that are outside of their best interest, and that sort of self destructive behaviour, especially when it's due to ignorance, is beyond dangerous."

Avis shrugged. What had she been expecting.

"Shouldn't have been surprised though. Stupidity is contagious."

[Guru]

He was wondering the same thing Star had asked about but he’d not vocalized, her response hadn’t helped the confusion at all until she pointed out the gorgeous couple that seemed to draw other gorgeous people to them like moths.

He’d personally been more surprised at the ease and fluidity that the other shapeshifter exhibited, wondered if it was a different kind of magic all together. He’d get there eventually, but until then he’d practice with what he had, without blowing himself up preferably. No need to recreate scanners.

“It wasn’t? Nah. Not on the run, I’d be a lot more low profile if I were. Trick is to not move enough weight to be indispensable and work through intermediaries where you can. They get rich and you get pennies but fuck it, then your ass isn’t in the fire when you pull a Houdini.”

Fuckin' gotta watch out for Keyser Soze and shit, no one wants to be indebted to that man.

He looked to Avis, the size of his eyes moving to match his pupils now when she said she found organized criminals with explosive tempers interesting.

“You deal with a meth head biker or a coked out gang banger they definitely exhibit those behaviors. I think I understand what you’re saying, a predator has patterns they follow, ways they hunt, but the former can explode over something you can’t predict and then suddenly you’re on the wrong end of a gun. That shit ain’t fun.

“Shit. I just came cause worst case I can have my own good time. And look, I already have good company, I’d call that a win.”

And who knows who’s looking to buy.

He didn’t know if her last statement was to him, to Star, or even about him but he didn’t really seem to pay it much mind. The words rolled over him as he kept eyes on them as they spoke and they kept flicking out over the crowd, over the railing and into the city, taking in all they could and more absorbing all the input because at the moment it was all so fascinating.

[Star]

This is what it looks like when a celestial body dies. The light fades and surface hardens until it's just tumbling through the void.

"Oh."

Color this an epiphany. Is it coincidence that it's timed with Camper's wine running out?

"Your... Bill & Ted's Bogus Bong thing... isn't a metaphor, either," he says with a tip of the wineglass and slow blink. "Is it?"


Avis gets a shrug. Is she listening in? Because he can have this conversation at Sac U any time he wants. Yeah, okay. Awakened, greater responsibility, blah blah. Horse. Water. Something about teaching fishes. And if she's not? Well these baby blues stuck staring at her for a few moments are nothing new.

Okay.

...and then he's gone, just walking off.

Yeah, time to find 'more people like them'.

Continued in (Nexus I) Over by the Bar......

[Avis]

Well, Avis couldn't entirely blame Star for leaving, though she was hesitant to do the same. Maybe it was because she'd been gone from Sacramento for so long, but she felt like she had a responsibility not to walk away, not when there was the potential to do something meaningful. Service, and all that.

"Don't worry, he has a short attention span," Avis lied, watching her husband walk off before turning back to Guru.

"You know there's a difference between being and behaviour, don't you? Except, ya know, behaviour affects being. So while you have limitless potential, that won't be true forever. You say you're proceeding with what you know, but what you know is the Lie. The drugs in your system is the Lie. If you continue to embrace the Lie, eventually your Soul will stop recognizing the truth. The choice is yours. It's always there, in front of you. But will you take it?"
Guru

[Guru]

"Namaste bro."


He smirked when she made excuses. Normally he'd have reached over and gave a consoling pat, he'd caught his hand as it had made the movements to do that before resting it back on the railing with a shrug. Turning to stop facing the city and instead face the crowd.


"Not much of a people person is he? Hey man, it takes all kinds."


He couldn't help but laugh when she went into her talk about the Lie, it wasn't a deep, belly laugh just a short one that made his smile widen as he brought his hand up to his face.


"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be rude. It's just funny. Being and behavior, yea? People assume a lot about you based on behavior, I know it. I know how I come off. I don't remember if I said it or if I thought it at this point. But I seek enlightenment, REAL enlightenment. I don't know if Magus' of old seeded thought into philosophy to break us from the Lie but I find some of the teachings I find hold true." A slight shrug of his shoulder.


"From what I understand we're basically awash in it, everything is made up by it. The bonds that hold my atoms together, the distance between us, the time we're passing, all Lie. I do wish to know the truth, the absolute truth. I wish to see it, to experience it. But is it even possible? It's said we reached for the heavens once, no?


"The drugs are part of the lie and remain such because it's unwise to needlessly pull at strings, to tamper with the fabric unless we unravel the whole sweater no? We can keep talking philosophy if you want. Like Obi-Wan telling Anakin to beware the Dark side of the Force right? Cause it definitely feels like a come to Jesus talk. Let me ask you a question, an honest question, what's your goal? What do you want to accomplish with your life? If you tell me to get fucked that is totally a fair response, I won't be offended."

Like water in the river man, just have it roll over and through you. Shit, no, that was fear yea? The little, brings destruction, yep, that's fear. Fuck.