first puzzle | voice

[recinerate]

[beyond was dead, and now he's not.

it's a perplexing position for anyone to find themselves in, of course, but even more so when there's something fundamental about that person that's gone missing - something that should be there, but isn't. beyond has found he is missing such a thing, and has decided to take advantage of the technology of this new place in order to work out his thoughts regarding this dilemma.]

"In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity."

[his voice is quiet, raspy, almost unnaturally even in tone. he pauses, then picks up with one of many questions currently on his mind, addressing anyone within earshot.]

What shapes your sense of identity?

Comments

[thelastbullet]

Under the law of the United States in 1921, sure. [Under any kind of law, really, but they were only talking about the bootlegging for now.]

[recinerate]

That law was eventually repealed. I would think that should have been taken into consideration for your sentence here.

[thelastbullet]

I'm pretty sure the US constitution doesn't mean shit to the Admiral.

[recinerate]

[beyond laughs at that, quiet and rasping and darkly unfunny. the admiral is a person of incredible ego, he has decided, and beyond is intensely angry at the injustice he believes he has come under due to the admiral's influence.]

I believe your assessment is correct, Jimmy.

[thelastbullet]

Exactly. Whatever it was that got me sent here after I died, it probably transcends any of that.

[recinerate]

Do you have an idea of what that might be?

[thelastbullet]

Yeah, I got some ideas. [Nowadays, he does. When he came here he thought the same: bootlegger, liar, killer. Now, though, he thinks it might be something else. That doesn't give him the power to change it, but he's closer to understanding.]

[recinerate]

And you've accepted your sentence?

[thelastbullet]

It's this or being dead. [And honestly, at first he would have preferred death-- but he's come around on that, too.]

[recinerate]

Some might prefer the alternative. Why do you find this more appealing?

[thelastbullet]

I didn't, before.

I got people I need to take care of, back home.

[recinerate]

I see.

[beyond ponders, for a moment, what it would be like to have something, someone in his previous life that was worth going back to.]

I believe it's your turn, Jimmy.

[thelastbullet]

What are you going to do here, now that you don't have your detective work?

[recinerate]

Other than acting as a warden? I haven't given it much thought. Do you have any suggestions?

[thelastbullet]

I'm not a warden, am I?

How do you think you're going to do your job?

[recinerate]

To the best of my abilities, of course.

[thelastbullet]

Sure. And apart from being a private eye, those are?

[recinerate]

[deadpan:] I'm an aggressive top.

[why not. it worked with misora.]

[thelastbullet]

Yeah, that sounds like a foolproof method.

[recinerate]

It's worked well enough in the past.

[he lies.]

[thelastbullet]

Then I guess I'm glad I'm already paired.

[recinerate]

I may yet find detective work in addition to my duties as a warden. It's too early to speculate.

[thelastbullet]

Sure, who knows what you're gonna end up doing. You might become a busy fella yet.

[recinerate]

What sort of work have you found to occupy yourself with, Jimmy?

[thelastbullet]

I make breakfast. [Flat, dull. He likes the work more than he'd admit to.]