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

[recinerate]

Yes, that's right. It's extremely common.

[lies. beyond birthday is a name he gave himself, because he sees all the death in the world, and he always has, since birth.

until he woke up here on the barge, that is.]

[tucky]

I think on my world it'd be, like, a hippy name.

[recinerate]

I suppose it's a good thing I'm not on your world, then.

[tucky]

You don't wanna be a hippie?

[recinerate]

What would the advantage be?

[tucky]

I don't know, I don't know a lot of hippies.

... Iris might be a hippie.

[recinerate]

You should ask her.

[tucky]

You meet her yet?

[recinerate]

Not yet. But we've spoken.

[tucky]

That ain't meeting her?

[recinerate]

Not in the sense of being in someone's physical presence, no.

[tucky]

You can meet someone over something like this. Ain't you ever heard of online dating?

[recinerate]

... That's a thing people actually do? How does that work?

[there's an actual note of surprise in his voice. good job, tiffany.]

[tucky]

I don't know, I never done it. You sign up for a site and find people you wanna date, I guess.

[recinerate]

I was under the impression that dating involved interacting with another person in the same location.

[come on, does he really seem like the type to have ever had a date in his life?]

[tucky]

I think that's, like, the goal? Maybe. All I know is, one of my friends has an aunt who met her husband online. On Match.com.

[recinerate]

So the web site is merely a tool to facilitate the in-person meetings?

[tucky]

Yeah, but for some people, it takes a long time. I don't know, I wouldn't be able to stand it.

[recinerate]

It sounds like an awful waste of time.

[tucky]

For me too, but there's people that say it works. All them commercials.

[recinerate]

You can't trust commercials. They exist to convince you to buy whatever they're selling.

[tucky]

I can trust my friend's aunt.

Or her cousin. I forget which one it was. Maybe it was both of 'em.

[recinerate]

How can you trust someone's experience if you can't even remember exactly who it was?

[tucky]

'Cause I remember her telling me how it happened.

[recinerate]

Human memory is notoriously faulty, Tiffany.