024

[jammingwith]

[Ed's sitting up in bed now, she's feeling better after sleeping 12 hours straight, but there's an itchy spot on her back in the middle of her shoulderblades that just won't go away... and that headache probably won't go away any time soon aaaargh but she's projecting onto the second level just the same. When she starts speaking, she's very quiet, and grows louder out of her frustration.]

There was no one there.

There was no one there.

Nobody.

Just a stupid room with a stupid altar and stupid ghosts that weren't real.

[Yeaaaaah, she's pissed. Suddenly she grabs one of her pillows and throws it VIOLENTLY across the room with a strangled scream. Oh dear, Edward. That little stunt got her standing on the bed now. It also quite possibly broke a lamp.]

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS CITY?

[After a moment she collapses back down into a sitting position. Then, after another moment, she lets out a frustrated groan and flops back onto the bed lying down again. Rawrg. Frustrated angry Edward is frustrated and angry. Approach at your own risk.]

Comments

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

Still. For every answer there's five hundred GAZILLION more questions.

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

[He looks thoughtful for a moment.] What is Buddha nature?

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

[Kind of does an automatic response. It's just one of the many random things she knows.]

The potential all sentient beings have deep inside themselves to be enlightened and become a buddha.

Why? What's that got to do with anything?

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

[Shakes his head.] I don't mean tathagata-garbha. You're thinking too literally. What exactly is the Buddha? If you understand what I mean, then perhaps you'll see where I'm going with this line of questioning.

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

What, you mean the "knowing everything" part?

...answering the impossible question and finding the answer to everything.

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

You're being too dualistic. Then again, the answer is rather old... even for people from my world, not many would get it. [Smiles ruefully.]

It's not so much an impossible question, as one that you need to use what you have to come up with an answer. It's not necessarily knowing everything about what's around you, it's careful application of what you do know. We can scream about not knowing till we're blue in the face, but the thing is, we have many of the answers already and just don't realize it. It's very much like a koan in that way - it only doesn't make any sense if you don't know the subject matter. And we're all rathe well-versed in the basics of the city... at least I'd imagine so.

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

[Hey, it's not like she's the expert in world religions, here. So she listens and nods. Seems to make sense. Still. She's an impatient little Edward.]

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

[Kaz spends the time he should be spending being social reading up on useless things. King of nerds clearly needs to get out more >:|] But, I think the main concern is why people keep saying they think they've found people. There hasn't been any sort of mass burst of second level activity, which one would expect from returners.

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

[Ed doesn't read. She runs into random information while she's exploring the net and just... kind of absorbs it.]

The data trails haven't come back, either. They still just... end.

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

[Kaz likes knowing things, but too bad they're not stuff anyone else cares about XD]

Perhaps this is another distraction, like the maze. A means of satiating the masses so they stop questioning... hm.

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

Or maybe punishment of some kind? For going in at all?

...or a reward for finishing?

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

I think we've had enough punishment for going inside... [rubs his temples carefully.] As for a reward... then what is the criteria for receiving it? Why did that one fellow who was with you have someone returned while others had no one?

Has anyone actually seen one of these "returned" people? I know a couple people who claim to have found them, but I haven't seen any myself.

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

[Shrugs and shakes her head.]

No, haven't seen any. Plan to go look though, when headache is gone. Or better.

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

[WORK THROUGH ADVERSITY, ED.] Make sure to drink a lot of water, and take some headache medicine. I'll take a look around while you rest, then. Please, feel better soon.

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

[YOU SHOULD BE RESTING, TOO. But whatever. She nods.]

Good luck!

[surpraizepitaph.livejournal.com]

[his bed was destroyed in a freak accident involving armguns and aidatentacles. Now he has an excuse to stay up for a few days in a row. Hesitates for a moment before patting her on the head. Then drops.]

[timeforjam.livejournal.com]

[Wide eyes. Did he just... I think he did. What the hell.]