Closed A Whole New World Pt II [Moritz]

[Alric Lysane]

“I thought you meant something similar when you spoke about lying for lying’s sake,” he responded jovially, “but it doesn’t really matter. And you never know I suppose, it is a small world in many ways. Especially with places like this. I may meet someone from where you are one day. In which case I am sure it will be an interesting conversation should my name ever come up” Truthfully he thought Moritz was likely to be correct, he didn’t imagine anyone would have much interest in him. Still, it was always best to assume the worst and act accordingly in his book. As such beyond Moritz’s own deductions he felt sure that he hadn’t said anything that might be an issue. It mattered not though, he was half a world away from where the lad lived. He considered the words spoken after and turned them around in his head. It was somewhat difficult to follow, it seemed more a series of statements of assumption. Mostly it was just a curiosity to him in learning little by little how the lad thought. “Perhaps. Focus has its place though. You could turn it around and say that by keeping our mind so open you may learn a little about a lot of things but not truly master one thing?” he suggested, leaving it there for future consideration. He didn’t expect the lad to agree, he seemed to have a sense of intransigence when it came to world view. Alric admitted to his own prejudices easily enough, he had no reason to hide them when they were pretty much universal in Sunberth. It was nothing new and so not worth being secretive over – his views on magic were an example, though they had not been fully discussed and he had more learned some covers for his own ignorance. Moritz, however, seemed to believe he was correct about what he said. Speaking of having an open mind and being open to new experiences made Alric smile little as he wondered if he was open to being wrong about everything. He shrugged it off and absorbed what Moritz continued to speak about. The acrobatics lesson seemed to have reached a point where he had learned as much as he could without really going off to practise somewhere else. Or repeat the same techniques, which would be difficult considering he could already feel his back start aching. He settled for having learned what he had already and being thankful for it as he stopped his practising eventually and simply listened, sat upon the floor and taking a break. “Hmm, glass that comes from the sky,” he said after a while, scratching his chin thoughtfully, “ wonder then how that came to be part of an…Okomo then? If it comes from the sky it stands to reason Okomo’s didn’t used to have horns made of it?” he mused aloud, wondering if Moritz knew or would offer a correction that would provide the answer. He had to chuckle at the talk about being limited. Coming from a city where theft and murder were a casual stroll out of your door some days, he could see a strong argument for humans being limited. Not by shape but by nature. They never could seem to get along all nice like…at least not for long at any rate. He did, however, learn something about Moritz in his last few sentences. Though masked as pity the word was clear – limited. Humans were just not as capable, as understanding, as special. He was not sure the lad realised it but to Alric’s mind it seemed that way at least. Not that it bothered him much, he knew people with worse vices. Still, he laughed. “Yes, I can imagine we seem that way. How could we ever understand the world as well as one who is not so…limited,” he said in an amused tone, pushing himself up to his feet now, “well…seeing as I am already doomed to a life so limited, why not do something foolish?” he asked rhetorically. He suited his words with trying for a less strong version of what Moritz had shown him – a handstand. He was cautious with it, hands placed flat and shoulder-width and only lightly pushing off with his feet. It started with only a little off the ground but with each push of his feet he went harder until eventually he was almost vertical, but not quite. He wasn’t seeking to hold it but see how it felt and what sort of force was required. He did this a couple of dozen times before he felt happy that he had reached the point where any harder and he’d either go vertical or over. He landed his feet the last time and then stood up, face a bit redder, sweating and breathing deeply. “Well…not too…bad” he breathed, reasonably happy with what he had experimented. He’d not pushed too hard but he’d have something to work on over the season.

[Moritz Craven]

Moritz shrugged, not really in agreement or disagreement with what the man had said, but still finding it unlikely. Which, Moritz reminded himself, had been his entire point earlier. Not that such a thing could never or would never happen, but that is was unlikely to happen. And if it did happen, then it would be further unlikely said specific topics would come up and be asked.

"The difference between possibility though, and likely, are quite vast at times. You should plan for both, but expect only one. Its likely I'll die if I stop breathing or eating. Its likely if I trip into a fountain I will get wet. Its unlikely that an unrelated person for an unrelated reason will know to ask a specific question of another specific person, or to know that said person might have been told of that. Possible, but unlikely, unless say someone was listening to the entire conversation we had and already knew it, or there is some other thing that makes it a certainty instead of a chance. Chance seems a odd thing to depend on. And yet I find most people act with the assumption that said chance will occur. That is something that does not make sense to me."

Shrugging Moritz tried to meet the mans eyes, gauging something though he was not quite sure what, inspecting his brow and mouth and eyes and even nose. Was he supposed to see something in those? He was unsure.

"The more you know, the more you know how little you know. My personal preference is to learn a bit about a lot of things, kind of like... Planting a seed. I plant many seeds right now, instead of focusing fully on one plant I don't know will bear fruit. Its easier to grow a seed later once planted than to newly grow something suddenly in a rush when its needed. The reason I try to do that is because there is so much I don't know, or understand, so many things beyond me. I can look at them, try to be objective, but at the end of the day I know I will always be learning. Passing on things I knew as fact today as false, questioning the things people told me, and trying to expand what I know as true."

As Moritz finished talking he wondered how much of what the other person said he truly understood, and how much of what he said the other person understood. A fraction? Anything. He was unsure, but was sure it was not all.

At the question on Okomo Moritz shrugged, trying to follow the mans reasoning as best he could. As he often did Moritz spoke his reasoning out loud, verbally working through it.

"Well, since the skyglass comes from a goddess, I would assume it follows to reason she or another divine had a hand in making Okomo. I don't know how long Okomo have existed. So either Okomo existed in another form, and then were altered to include the skyglass, or... Or they were made new with it included. Or perhaps some other thing happened from the various magical dooms that have existed. I cannot say. Perhaps none of those, or several. Perhaps someone in Lhavit from back then knows. Honestly I've never thought to ask, but it is an interesting premise."

The Okomo kelvic as usual seemed unphased outwardly at the question, happy enough to just reason it out, but he had tucked it away in his mind to consider later. Though perhaps not in the fore, since he was unsure knowing how Okomo were made would affect anything now.

At the mans note on Kelvics Moritz frowned, once more not understanding.

"What does the world have to do with that, or understanding it. I'm talking about literal physical limits. Like a man born with no fingers, or such. Like I said, its not easy to put into words, since each of us were born one way. I can't imagine being born any other way, I am what I am now. Once you have something though, losing it seems like a strong limitation. If you were suddenly to lose your teeth, or hands, wouldn't you feel limited? Kelvic on the other hand, born of two bodies, would feel limited experiencing only one or the other. And so comparing myself to one, it feels limiting. Why would that have anything to do with mental limitings in understandings? Actually if anything, with some kelvic, its quite the opposite, and they are quite mentally limited... Not quite sure why that is. I'm sure someone who understand kelvics better wold be able to explain it."

Thinking back on some Kelvic Moritz had met, namely his father, he knew how limited some of his kind could be... Though why that was, he did not know.

"If you want to get better, you should practice. Though like I said, in a better place than this. If you fail hear on this hard ground, your liable to get hurt. Which is why I said to avoid anything to intense or new here."

WC: 855

[Alric Lysane]

Alric tilted his head as he thought, wondering whether Moritz actually knew what he believed or knew, or not. Alric would be the first to admit that he was hardly educated, he had grown up on the streets after all. Most of what he knew was due to life experience and long evenings spent sat at the hearth with little to do but watch the flames and think about whatever had come to his mind in the moment. He was hardly consistent of thought by design, more by accident and environment in many ways. Moritz seemed to have a similar hodgepodge of thinking, though he suspected he would not see it that way. Then again he is only three years of age he reminded himself. It was strange though to hear such certainty about uncertainty. Or to hear the reverse. At least that was how it seemed to Alric. Perhaps there were just so few similar frames of reference that they shared it was difficult for him to relate to the lad. Perhaps he was still seeking something concrete to believe in and build his world view around. Alric could relate to that, he had few strong things in his life to anchor him. He was fairly certain if he hadn’t had his ring he’d likely have drifted even more than he already did. “Do you not measure probability with gut instinct then? Not look at something, weigh it up inside and know that however improbable on the surface it is still likely to be true?” he asked with a small measure of curiosity. Surely he couldn’t weigh everything up mentally and check off the balances? If he did then he’d be thinking all of the time. Was that why he skimmed things in terms of knowledge, perhaps? He wondered whether he should talk about the difference between fact and truth. Or even whether it would be helpful. They were separate things to Alric and in many ways the line was drawn between one’s eyes and went straight through the head. Life had taught him that quite neatly. What was true in the moment of perception at a brothel was not usually factual. The lover didn’t actually love you, though you might fool yourself into believing it. What was true depended wholly upon what you made it. Then again it was possible it was just a turn of phrase and so on balance he decided not to try to agitate the lad – he saw little point in it given they may never meet again anyway. “I am surprised that you never tried to find out given that you are one and talk about seeds of knowledge,” he scratched his chin further and sighed, “though I suppose one’s origins is not always the easiest thing to discover” he said, standing and knowing it all too well. “But I have never been able to change and so I wouldn’t say I was limited. At least not in that way. Limitation is what you define it I suppose. You are only as limited as you believe yourself to be perhaps. I know a few people who’ve lost an eye, or hand, or other things…some were broken…others became stronger” “Oftentimes it seems that strongest are actually weakest in that regard. But I suppose it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. All that matters is what you limit yourself with. Then again, I have never been wise and neither would it seem wise to listen to a street ruffian” He shrugged and wondered whether the lad would understand the mild humour, he suspected he might take it seriously and launch into a discussion of wisdom and how Alric was now limiting himself by his own logic. Alric wouldn’t disagree but either way their acrobatic lesson was done and he doubted Moritz drank ale at a tavern – he didn’t seem the sort to from his experience so far. “If you feel that way then perhaps you could devote your time to learning about it and seeing if you could…help them?” he suggested gently, “either way I think that after this exertion it is time to rummage up some food and drink. You may join me if you wish” he offered on the off chance he would accept.

[Moritz Craven]

Moritz shrugged at Alric's question, unsure what exactly the man meant.

"I measure probability... By probability. How likely it is. But also on what is going on. If someone is running at me with a knife, I'm liable to predict he's trying to stab me and react that way. But if I'm sitting quietly out of danger, and see someone do something aggressive, I'm more likely to take the time and try to figure things out. Gut... I guess that is what you meant... Immediate reaction... But I only really use that when something is also an immediate threat, not on other things when no one is trying to stab me. Thinking and reasoning takes time. Sounds like your saying you only use that one immediate instinct, even if you have time to reason and think. Which is fine when someone is trying to stab you, but not so much when no one is."

If what Moritz understood from the mans words was true... Then the Kelvic reasoned, it explained quite a few things on what the man did and thought. If he only used that immediate reaction and never thought further on anything...

"I can only reason out the things that occur to me, or once someone brings it up. And it never occurred to me before to dig deeper about it. If you woke up with two ears, and someone suddenly asked why, would you have considered before then or investigated why you have two ears?"

Once more shrugging Moritz considered the mans words, wondering on them. What he said seemed to be based on experience but... It did not really make a logical sense to him. Perhaps the action of losing an eye then was not the important thing, the physical loss, but how they reacted to it?

"I guess the question then is, if you could lose an eye or a foot without losing an eye or a foot, or if you could get it back after experiencing losing it... Would it change the experience of losing it? Is it the experience, or the physical loss? That would be the question. Though that might be... Ah whats the word... Philosophy. If you believe you lost a foot, but haven't, does it make a difference from losing it?"

While Moritz mind buzzed about from once thing to another, it as usual failed to focus on any one thing for good or ill. While he avoided over focusing or spreading himself too far out, their discussions so far had been quite far ranging.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not sure our palates would overlap. I don't eat meat or such things, being an Okomo. And I'm not even three so I'm probably too young to drink. Perhaps we will meet again. Our talks were... Interesting, to say the least. And I hope you'll think about what I said, or at least keep an open mind. Regarding magic or other things."

WC: 493

[Alric Lysane]

Your Grades Alric Lysane Skills Acrobatics - 5 Interrogation – 3 Observation – 3 Rhetoric - 3 Socialization - 5 Lores Acrobatics: Best Practised Somewhere Soft Acrobatics: Don’t Over-Extend Stretches Acrobatics: Larceny Applications Acrobatics: Strangely Useful Combat Skill Acrobatics: Stretching Techniques Acrobatics: Tuck & Roll Kelvics: Transform At Will Lhavit: Far West City Moritz: Kelvic Okomo Moritz: Sykan Resident Skyglass: Divine Material Sunberth: Enslaves Kelvics Moritz Craven Skills Acrobatics – 5 Endurance – 1 Interrogation - 4 Logic - 5 Observation – 4 Rhetoric - 2 Socialization - 5 Teaching - 5 Lores Acrobatics: Best Practised Somewhere Soft Acrobatics: Don’t Over-Extend Stretches Acrobatics: Hand Stand Acrobatics: Stand Alone & Combat Skill Acrobatics: Stretching Techniques Acrobatics: Tuck & Roll Alric: Odd Jobs Man Alric: Thief Skyglass: Divine Material Skyglass: Lhavit Specialty Sunberth: As Far East As Can Be Sunberth: Enslaves Kelvics Teaching: Acrobatics Basics