we have immortals, who are cultivators like me who have ascended through practicing cultivation. and generally cultivators live a long time through the act of cultivating. it's different for everyone but generally, cultivators live at least double the lifespan of non cultivators
And what, may I ask, are you cultivating? Is there a specific skill or quality you are trying to develop? Or is it different for each of you? Or am I thinking too hard and farmers of your world live much longer lives?
That is more difficult to explain than I would like, unfortunately. I only recently became aware of them myself. But yes, there is a whole, large organization of people who’s job it is to take care of the timeline ensuring there is no time war between worlds. In order to be able to do that, they must live outside of time. Literally. The people there do not age even when mortal because time does not affect them where they are. I do not know the technicalities behind exactly how it works, but it is rather impressive.
hahahaha we're nothing like farmers, i assure you! well maybe some of us. cultivators cultivate spiritual energy from the dantian, we use our golden cores to store this spiritual energy in our bodies. this is what allows us to do things that are typically considered magical and the spiritual energy is what sustains our bodies.
wow that's a wild story! i wonder... they must still be in your universe though, just outside of time in your universe. because if they were able to observe things like golden peacock, then you wouldn't have ended up here in the first place, would you?
Oh I see, this is how you harness your seiĂ°r and galdr. How you manage to keep and use your magic. Is that what you mean? I spent much of my youth learning to do such things, though it has been a little easier for me than most as I was born with magic. Some say I am actually a magical being, but I have not actually proved it that were true or not.
[In all the discussions Loki has had here with others with magical abilities, so far this has seemed like the most like his own. Something he was starting to believe was specific to his own world by this point.]
I suppose you could argue that yes, but the truth is we are still learning about the multiverse. I’m sure it seems to everyone here that it is rather old, but until quite recently, there was only one timeline, one universe. We were still trying to figure out how to maintain the new and infinite number of branches when I was taken.
i don't know what those terms mean but it might be! for us, magic is an innate part of your being but it's easier to access for some over others. i wonder if it's similar for you. maybe you're like me and innately magical too?
oh wow! okay that makes sense. i guess, as much sense as things like this can make. there are different realms where i'm from, the underworld, the heavens, the earthly realm. but without extreme magic, it's quite difficult to travel between the two. i was starting to think this might be a fourth realm, somewhere else entirely where people are pulled in from their own worlds. but i haven't given it much thought, it's still a burgeoning one
Those are simply our words for magic. They differ slightly in practice, but have similar results. They do both tend to occur naturally in a person, much like you describe. Magic is innate in me as it is in many of my people, both the Aesir and the Jotnar, but it is as you describe, easier for some to access than others.
That is true of my world as well. We refer to them as the Nine Realms. I was born on Jotunheim, but was raised on Asgard, two of those realms. But all the realms were of the same universe or timeline. My people were able to travel between the realms with the use of the Bifrost which allows such travel.
I can see why you might believe that, and it is still possible that this is simply another realm, but I also believe it could be a whole other timeline. Another place beyond time. I suppose the real problem is that we do not have enough information to know for sure. Something I am hoping to remedy.
huh, you might be the most like a cultivator i've met since getting here
nine whole realms? what do you do with so many? there must be so many people if you can travel between them so freely!
it could be both. something both outside of time and the space that we know. because how could we all be here if it's part of our respective realities?
Yes, though I don’t know that we necessarily do anything with them. Not everyone can travel between them easily, but I suppose it is much like travelling between countries within each realm. I seem to recall hearing that most humans on Midgard had not seen the whole of the Earth, forget other planets in their solar system.
I suppose that is true, though it may not be apart of our respective realities. It could lie completely outside of that and is bringing us all together, though for what purpose, I do not know.
it is! i am a cultivator, if i haven't mentioned it yet. so i mean to say you're like me.
oh, yes, i've never been to another planet before. it seems so foreign of a concept to me, so otherworldly. i wonder if that's what the future is really like though
and yeah i think this might be the most accurate assessment of this place. the purpose is still what eludes us the most
Well I appreciate that. It is nice to find things in common with the people we meet here. Wouldn’t you agree? It makes things feel less… lonely I suppose. I do not have anyone here I knew before, myself. Do you?
I would guess that depends on the world. To some it is something that is commonplace and to others it is not common at all. I think, given enough time, it will happen for all worlds at some point. Most sentient beings are far too curious for it to not happen.
And it is the thing I wish to know the most. The harder it is to find out about something, the more interesting I think it must be.
it is nice! it's comforting, in a way. to be understood. i do have someone here from home, my friend lan wangji. he just arrived with the most recent group of people.
i agree with that wholeheartedly! if we develop the technology, why wouldn't we explore the stars? it gives us so much more to learn.
hahahaha you have a point. it must be something complex to be so hidden. but then again, it might also be the simplest thing — that the house feeds off of us and we sustain it.
Much of my life I felt misunderstood so I cannot disagree. I am glad to hear you have someone here, though I am also sorry. I do not know if you feel the same way, but I both miss my friends and am glad they are not here. It is something I have been struggling with.
[Loki doesn’t actually know why he’s telling Wei Wuxian such personal things at the moment, but he suspects it is because he feels a kinship with the other man.]
Precisely. Curiosity knows no bounds. Life would be so boring without it.
That possibility has occurred to me as well. I do wonder if something has changed though that they seem to require so many people. There are new arrivals every couple of months it seems. Is there an issue? Or can it never be sated?
i get it. that was the same feeling i had before his arrival. still have after his arrival. especially since we don't know what really happens to people here, after they turn into statues. if their spirit has left and returned home or if they're just stuck.
[ the feeling is mutual, at least. wei wuxian wouldn't approach this conversation with anything less than honesty, because he likes loki a lot. ]
if you think of it as a living entity, like ourselves, then it makes a bit more sense, no? we have to eat every day. nearly three or four times a day. and we do this forever, until we die. why wouldn't the house be the same?
May I ask how you are dealing with it? I worry I have been lulled into a false sense of security after being here for so long with no arrivals of anyone I know, while at the same time knowing it could happen at any moment. Every time new arrivals appear, I find myself worried and I do not know how I will handle it if this should ever come to pass for me.
I do sincerely hope that the statues mean that their spirit has been released back home. I have seen some disappear and come back, though they are not who they were before, typically from a different timeline so I cannot say what truly happened to the person I met originally. It is disturbing to say the least.
[For some reason, that is not something Loki has considered before, but it makes an awful lot of sense.]
I think you must be correct about that. I wonder if we can find a way of discovering if its appetite has changed then. It seems possible that it is feeding more considering how many people seem to arrive periodically. That number far exceeds how many leave. So now I wonder what that reason might be. Is it simply gorging itself? Or is there something wrong that means it requires more sustenance?
poorly, if i'm honest. i can't help but spend our time together worrying about him leaving at any given time. i'm relieved when i wake up and he's still there and anxious when i go to bed and unsure if he'll be there in the morning. i think it's something i just have to learn to live with.
that does sound disturbing. if only we had more information...
i have the same questions as you! does it need a little bit more every time to be satisfied? then when will it be satisfied? if we had accurate numbers for each round of arrivals, this would likely help but the idea of gathering those numbers seems more difficult than anything else
[That is a feeling Loki can identify with. He’s lost a lot of people in his life and that’s something that never gets easier. Even if it just means that the people you miss are simply somewhere else. He’s been feeling that even more intensely lately. It’s like with every passing day, he misses people from home more and more. But he tries not to think about it since there isn’t anything more he can do about it.]
I am very sorry to hear that. I know how hard that can be. Losing people is never easy. I would like to offer some sage advice that you should live every moment you have with him to the fullest, but I know that words can be cheap.
I do keep trying to find more information, but they are rather good at hiding what is going on. I’m actually a little impressed. I thought I would’ve found out a lot more by now.
I agree. Gathering data like that seems rather tedious, but it is a good idea. Perhaps there is someone here who enjoys that sort of information collection? I might consider putting something out on the network. You never know what people like doing.
i appreciate the sentiment though. it's definitely something i've tried to remind myself and so, your advice is heeded. i enjoy the time i do spend with him, at least.
it makes me wonder sometimes if the staff even knows what's going on or if they're just living their lives, oblivious. is there anyone with answers at all?
and that's a good idea... alright, i might try that soon! maybe someone has the numbers and can advise.
That is about all we can do, really. Try to enjoy what time we have even as we try to change our circumstances. Most people, I believe, do not wish to be here. At least not in the sense of not being able to leave whenever they wish. I could see this being an interesting and fun vacation, but kidnapping is not something I think anyone truly enjoys.
But you are lucky. We are all lucky that this place isn’t worse, but to have someone you care for here is something I admit to being jealous of.
I am unsure about the staff as a whole. I know that some are former guests who did not leave for varying reasons. I assume they know more than us, but I do not believe they know enough to truly understand what is happening here. Or if they did, they do not any longer. Being here for a long time seems to affect guests response to the events that occur, if the long standing guests are anything to go by.
Please do let me know if you find anything out, and I will do the same in return.
i can agree with that. i definitely would've fancied a visit here myself if it wasn't permanent and without my consent. i like being here, but i don't like the circumstances around my being here, you know?
and yes, that i also agree with. i feel incredibly lucky to have him here. i'm sorry that you don't have anyone of your own here as well but all i can do is offer my own company if you're ever lonely, gongzi
yeah... that makes sense. so, they're useless overall. so annoying! it really is just up to us to figure things out.
Precisely. If I saw this place advertised, I am sure I would consider vacationing here, but not only did I not get that choice, but they really chose a very inopportune moment to take me. I was in the middle of some very important work.
Thank you for your concern. I miss some people quite a lot, even more than I thought I might, but part of me is also glad they are not here. I have done some things here that I worry would change how they see me in a way I do not want.
[The idea of Mobius knowing what he gets up to in bed is both titillating and surprisingly embarrassing and he doesn’t know what he’d do if his best friend were ever to arrive here.]
I will be sure to take you up on your offer though, whenever I find myself feeling lonely.
That does seem to be the case. Somehow I suspect that they are as lost as we are, though I have been wrong before.
oh, that's unfortunate. yeah, i think if this place took me a few weeks before they did, i would be in your same position. instead, it's after some big events happened to me and so i'm at peace.
really? that's unfortunate. do you have a different reputation back home than what you appear to be here?
I am glad to hear you are at peace with your life before being taken. That is a true gift.
To most, yes. Specifically to my family and those with whom I spent most of my life. In more recent times, I have made friends with people who have allowed me to change for the better and I am eternally grateful to them. I only wish my family could see how I have changed.
[ that... oddly resonates with him. he thinks of his brother, of how fractured their relationship has become, and he wishes so much that jiang cheng would be able to see things the way wei wuxian does. ]
i understand that. to be seen by your family as a whole person is a desire that i think anyone can relate to. i hope you're able to see them again.
[Brothers at odds? These two should be best friends. Loki doesn’t know anything about Wei Wuxian’s relationship with his brother, or even that he has one (at least not yet) but he would hope they can see a way through, like he can with Thor. His brother might annoy him with his overly optimistic ways, but Loki does love him.]
Especially when you have done wrong in their eyes and you wish for them to see how much more there can be. And thank you. It is rather unlikely with how things were when I came here, but I have not lost all hope.
[ Oh, they'll have to bond over their brothers soon. They most certainly will.
But ah... that sentence is like it was aimed for Wei Wuxian's heart as a target with how hard it hits. Family that sees you as having done wrong... ha. Hahahaha. ]
we might be more similar than i realized, gongzi. my family... doesn't exactly see me in the best light either. it's been a long time since i've been welcomed home.
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an... organization out of time? what do you mean?
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That is more difficult to explain than I would like, unfortunately. I only recently became aware of them myself. But yes, there is a whole, large organization of people who’s job it is to take care of the timeline ensuring there is no time war between worlds. In order to be able to do that, they must live outside of time. Literally. The people there do not age even when mortal because time does not affect them where they are. I do not know the technicalities behind exactly how it works, but it is rather impressive.
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wow that's a wild story! i wonder... they must still be in your universe though, just outside of time in your universe. because if they were able to observe things like golden peacock, then you wouldn't have ended up here in the first place, would you?
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[In all the discussions Loki has had here with others with magical abilities, so far this has seemed like the most like his own. Something he was starting to believe was specific to his own world by this point.]
I suppose you could argue that yes, but the truth is we are still learning about the multiverse. I’m sure it seems to everyone here that it is rather old, but until quite recently, there was only one timeline, one universe. We were still trying to figure out how to maintain the new and infinite number of branches when I was taken.
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oh wow! okay that makes sense. i guess, as much sense as things like this can make. there are different realms where i'm from, the underworld, the heavens, the earthly realm. but without extreme magic, it's quite difficult to travel between the two. i was starting to think this might be a fourth realm, somewhere else entirely where people are pulled in from their own worlds. but i haven't given it much thought, it's still a burgeoning one
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That is true of my world as well. We refer to them as the Nine Realms. I was born on Jotunheim, but was raised on Asgard, two of those realms. But all the realms were of the same universe or timeline. My people were able to travel between the realms with the use of the Bifrost which allows such travel.
I can see why you might believe that, and it is still possible that this is simply another realm, but I also believe it could be a whole other timeline. Another place beyond time. I suppose the real problem is that we do not have enough information to know for sure. Something I am hoping to remedy.
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nine whole realms? what do you do with so many? there must be so many people if you can travel between them so freely!
it could be both. something both outside of time and the space that we know. because how could we all be here if it's part of our respective realities?
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Yes, though I don’t know that we necessarily do anything with them. Not everyone can travel between them easily, but I suppose it is much like travelling between countries within each realm. I seem to recall hearing that most humans on Midgard had not seen the whole of the Earth, forget other planets in their solar system.
I suppose that is true, though it may not be apart of our respective realities. It could lie completely outside of that and is bringing us all together, though for what purpose, I do not know.
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oh, yes, i've never been to another planet before. it seems so foreign of a concept to me, so otherworldly. i wonder if that's what the future is really like though
and yeah i think this might be the most accurate assessment of this place. the purpose is still what eludes us the most
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I would guess that depends on the world. To some it is something that is commonplace and to others it is not common at all. I think, given enough time, it will happen for all worlds at some point. Most sentient beings are far too curious for it to not happen.
And it is the thing I wish to know the most. The harder it is to find out about something, the more interesting I think it must be.
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i agree with that wholeheartedly! if we develop the technology, why wouldn't we explore the stars? it gives us so much more to learn.
hahahaha you have a point. it must be something complex to be so hidden. but then again, it might also be the simplest thing — that the house feeds off of us and we sustain it.
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[Loki doesn’t actually know why he’s telling Wei Wuxian such personal things at the moment, but he suspects it is because he feels a kinship with the other man.]
Precisely. Curiosity knows no bounds. Life would be so boring without it.
That possibility has occurred to me as well. I do wonder if something has changed though that they seem to require so many people. There are new arrivals every couple of months it seems. Is there an issue? Or can it never be sated?
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[ the feeling is mutual, at least. wei wuxian wouldn't approach this conversation with anything less than honesty, because he likes loki a lot. ]
if you think of it as a living entity, like ourselves, then it makes a bit more sense, no? we have to eat every day. nearly three or four times a day. and we do this forever, until we die. why wouldn't the house be the same?
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I do sincerely hope that the statues mean that their spirit has been released back home. I have seen some disappear and come back, though they are not who they were before, typically from a different timeline so I cannot say what truly happened to the person I met originally. It is disturbing to say the least.
[For some reason, that is not something Loki has considered before, but it makes an awful lot of sense.]
I think you must be correct about that. I wonder if we can find a way of discovering if its appetite has changed then. It seems possible that it is feeding more considering how many people seem to arrive periodically. That number far exceeds how many leave. So now I wonder what that reason might be. Is it simply gorging itself? Or is there something wrong that means it requires more sustenance?
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that does sound disturbing. if only we had more information...
i have the same questions as you! does it need a little bit more every time to be satisfied? then when will it be satisfied? if we had accurate numbers for each round of arrivals, this would likely help but the idea of gathering those numbers seems more difficult than anything else
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I am very sorry to hear that. I know how hard that can be. Losing people is never easy. I would like to offer some sage advice that you should live every moment you have with him to the fullest, but I know that words can be cheap.
I do keep trying to find more information, but they are rather good at hiding what is going on. I’m actually a little impressed. I thought I would’ve found out a lot more by now.
I agree. Gathering data like that seems rather tedious, but it is a good idea. Perhaps there is someone here who enjoys that sort of information collection? I might consider putting something out on the network. You never know what people like doing.
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it makes me wonder sometimes if the staff even knows what's going on or if they're just living their lives, oblivious. is there anyone with answers at all?
and that's a good idea... alright, i might try that soon! maybe someone has the numbers and can advise.
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But you are lucky. We are all lucky that this place isn’t worse, but to have someone you care for here is something I admit to being jealous of.
I am unsure about the staff as a whole. I know that some are former guests who did not leave for varying reasons. I assume they know more than us, but I do not believe they know enough to truly understand what is happening here. Or if they did, they do not any longer. Being here for a long time seems to affect guests response to the events that occur, if the long standing guests are anything to go by.
Please do let me know if you find anything out, and I will do the same in return.
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and yes, that i also agree with. i feel incredibly lucky to have him here. i'm sorry that you don't have anyone of your own here as well but all i can do is offer my own company if you're ever lonely, gongzi
yeah... that makes sense. so, they're useless overall. so annoying! it really is just up to us to figure things out.
of course! happy to share, always.
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Thank you for your concern. I miss some people quite a lot, even more than I thought I might, but part of me is also glad they are not here. I have done some things here that I worry would change how they see me in a way I do not want.
[The idea of Mobius knowing what he gets up to in bed is both titillating and surprisingly embarrassing and he doesn’t know what he’d do if his best friend were ever to arrive here.]
I will be sure to take you up on your offer though, whenever I find myself feeling lonely.
That does seem to be the case. Somehow I suspect that they are as lost as we are, though I have been wrong before.
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really? that's unfortunate. do you have a different reputation back home than what you appear to be here?
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To most, yes. Specifically to my family and those with whom I spent most of my life. In more recent times, I have made friends with people who have allowed me to change for the better and I am eternally grateful to them. I only wish my family could see how I have changed.
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i understand that. to be seen by your family as a whole person is a desire that i think anyone can relate to. i hope you're able to see them again.
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Especially when you have done wrong in their eyes and you wish for them to see how much more there can be. And thank you. It is rather unlikely with how things were when I came here, but I have not lost all hope.
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But ah... that sentence is like it was aimed for Wei Wuxian's heart as a target with how hard it hits. Family that sees you as having done wrong... ha. Hahahaha. ]
we might be more similar than i realized, gongzi. my family... doesn't exactly see me in the best light either. it's been a long time since i've been welcomed home.
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