text. username: @blackwater

[ex_sink985]

Is anybody else here older than 100?

Comments

un: eudaimonikos

[eudaimonikos]

Yeah, I'm a couple billion.

[Once you get up that high it's not even that useful to specify!]

[ex_sink985]

Congratulations on your longevity, if you're being serious.

[ Xuan was deeply skeptical about jinx's comment so it's primed him to view numbers that insanely high with suspicion that he's being, for lack of a better word, trolled, not that he understands what an internet troll even is. ]

[eudaimonikos]

Nah.
I mean, I am being serious, but it's nothing I really did. My whole species is that age.

Except maybe the ones who got retired, but technically they're still sort of alive.

[ex_sink985]

Interesting. Your species has no children?

[eudaimonikos]

No.
We never were children either.

Not that we were all totally mature adults right away - a lot of us aren't now.
But a lot of grown humans aren't too mature either.

We didn’t go through any physical growth or development, is what I mean.

[ex_sink985]

I understand.

These past few weeks have been an exercise in new experiences, but this is the newest.

Has being a Sleeper been an adjustment? Are there others like you here?

[eudaimonikos]

Yeah. Usually I've got a lot more power over everything than I do here.
But I was in the dream before this, so I've had time to get used to it. It makes sense by the rules of my world anyway - this is the Pthumerian's turf, only makes sense they'd be in charge.

No one from my world, but there's other immortals around.

[ex_sink985]

It has been gratifying to receive so many responses from others of great longevity.

I have also found my capabilities significantly reduced. There was a time when I could make myself a palace from nothing. For that reason alone I have had cause to accept the Pthumerians as venerable and light a polite incense stick.

[eudaimonikos]

Oh, is that what you do?

[Michael hasn't done shit! It ain't like that at home!]

I get along fine with the ones I know. I mean, it's like anyone else really.

[ex_sink985]

Ah, no incense? I would have thought you would still have merits. The more you know.

[eudaimonikos]

What is that, something humans would do?
They don't really know we exist, before they die.
I mean, of course they have stories. Every so often one of them has a near-death experience or a wild trip and catches little glimpses of the afterlife.
But it's definitely not something where they could pick out individuals among us to...burn incense for or whatever. And even if they did, it doesn't actually affect anything.

[ex_sink985]

Interesting.

Our Heavenly Court counts each incense stick as one merit. The gods use them shamelessly like currency - helps keep the Divine Emperor in the seat of power and the rest of the bureaucrats working, I suppose.

But I was only ever visiting. I think it would be better if they were never seen by mortals at all.

Are you a god?

[eudaimonikos]

Money! That's wild.

[Sounds terrible, actually! But whatever!]

If you ask me, "god" is just an immortal who's decided to start a cult or some bullshit like that.
I'm a demon. I run the pleasant half of the afterlife - where people go to chill out together for however long.

text | un: duty

[martyrofduty]

What is your experience of time like?

[eudaimonikos]

It feels different depending who I'm with.
Like, before, when I was only really around other immortals, a year was absolutely nothing. Could've spent that long chatting at the water cooler.
But things feel faster and slower all at once when I'm with humans. Or other mortals, here. They'll get so much done in that same amount of time, I feel like I end up slowing down with them to get through it all. So I haven't just blinked and everything's suddenly different.

[martyrofduty]

I'm notably younger but agreed. Twenty years is often nothing. In Trench, a day can seem twenty years.

Like the post's host, I'd enjoy knowing other 'olds'.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael doesn't super relate; he's spent most of his life around others his age, so it's not that special to him. Also he hated pretty much all of them? But, still.]

Well, my name's Michael.
I run the tailor's shop near Willful Machine. It's got a big cactus outside. Drop in whenever, I keep food here.
I don't need to eat, but people like it.

[martyrofduty]

Duty.
I'll do that. How durable of clothes can you make?

Food's sentimental.

[eudaimonikos]

I can make whatever. I've kept enough of my powers for that - just nothing too big or very complex, like a machine.
It's just easier to specialize than to have a store where you just make whatever.

[Also he likes clothes!]

I like some of it fine.
Don't need to eat myself, but I usually do it when I'm with other people who are.

[martyrofduty]

You may be my new best friend.
Fair.

I work construction. If you need something bigger or very complex, like a building.

Some of it's hardly food.
Noted.

[eudaimonikos]

Oh, yeah? I was an architect before this!
That means something a little different where I'm from, but I know how to do the human kind too.

[He probably could've made more money going into architecture here, but frankly, he's having fun with what he's doing and it's never more work than he wants it to be. It would be annoying to see buildings he designed get destroyed every month or so anyway.]

We used to eat stuff like the concept of envy or anti-matter. Can't really get that here though.

[martyrofduty]

I'd like to see your portfolio.

[ Duty's held many careers and positions, but construction is one of the most... constructive. ]

I wouldn't rule out the first. We eat plenty of emotions.

[eudaimonikos]

I could put something together.

[Not like any of his files came here with him, of course.]

What, here?

[martyrofduty]

I'd appreciate that.

Drinking grief. The concept of farewell. Adrenaline. Wafting regret.

[eudaimonikos]

Huh.
Well, plenty of those going around.