All This Shit is Weird: The Weirdening

[neverheardofhim]

You ever think that someone is writing our lives, and we're part of some comedy shitshow that the gods are playing out? If that's the case, then I'd like to have a talk with whoever's in charge.

Shadow demons? I can name at least five Thedosian books that played it better. Caught up on feelings and regrets toward people? There are better ways to damage a person. I can think of twenty bad memories that we didn't even touch on.

That's why, if you want good plot twists and thrilling concepts, you should subscribe to Tentacles and Shields publishing. This month we'll be producing a story about last month: The Shadow and its Paramore. Stay tuned for details.

Comments

[neverheardofhim]

They were assholes.
Wanna be more specific?

[toservelife]

[A belayed reaction as she tries to figure out this holographic pane of letters once and for all. (Never mind how she knows what a hologram is but not a keyboard)]

I can;t be more specific. I don't know what you mean.

I just got here, and apparently you tell stories. so tell me one.

[...Good enough for now.]

[neverheardofhim]

I don't know what the whole truth is, only that somehow, some kid got caught up in demon summoning, or something like that. Nothing good ever comes from demon summoning, just so we're clear.

Anyway, between the damaged Ingress and the demons, we started getting shadows of ourselves popping up. They were unkillable, unless you either confessed to whatever feelings were driving the things mad, or if you gave up your memories of said thing.

It... got a little weird. A lot weird, really.

text -> audio

[toservelife]

[She can read perfectly well, but the holographic interface that taught to her to read didn't teach her to type.]

Sorry-- this is easier than writing. Ah, yeah, I'm not sure if weird covers all of that.

Where I'm from, a demon is...it's a giant machine. Or the corpse of one, from a thousand years ago. I get the feeling that's not what you're talking about.

And shadows of yourselves that had to be killed with feelings... [Beat, the sound of her taking a breath to say something, then giving up on that...then trying again.] Wait, you're not messing around with me, are you.

[neverheardofhim]

[Though he made no comment about it, Varric didn't seem to mind the switch. Rather than sounding annoyed or put off, the dwarf sounded nothing more than vaguely amused.

His default tone, really.]

No, no. Not at all what I'm talking about. Weird to even think about demons like that if I'm honest. But uh... Guess the best way to describe them is spirits, or ghosts, only angry and evil.

[When the woman paused, so too did Varric. A grin coiled over his lips as realization appeared to dawn on her, one that he figured was obvious in his tone.]

I may be a habitual liar but here and now? I'm telling the Maker's honest truth. You're welcome to ask any of the veteran residents around here, if you don't believe me.

[toservelife]

[From her perspective, talking about demons as ghosts and spirits seems like the weird thing. Even just listening to her tribe talk about spirits was exercise in keeping her mouth shut.]

Uh-huh. [OK, almost shut.

And she can hear him grinning, which makes her grin in turn even while wondering if she's the butt of the joke.]

OK, I believe you. Shadow spirits that had to be vanquished with feelings.

Is that kind of thing normal here?