UN: Presage : Audio - Musings

[albatrossomen]

I have been feeling philosophical of late and would like to pose a question to you all:

Tell me, what does the concept of purpose mean to you?

[It's a simple question with a lot of meaning. Someone's been ruminating, but he's not about to come out and admit that's what this is actually about. Instead he'll hide it in philosophical discussions for fun, which he does find quite a bit of fun. Mortal perception has always been fascinating to him.]

Comments

video; un: lux

[dealwiththe]

[ He's doing video just for the eyeroll factor. ]

Ugh, you are so much like Amenadiel sometimes it's sickening. Purpose is and should be self-defined. Your purpose is whatever you want it to be. Even if that means brooding and pondering and generally wasting everybody's time.

Okay fine, video

[albatrossomen]

[He's going to ignore the faint insults and focus on the more useful part.]

So to you, purpose is self-defined. With that in mind, how do you go about defining said purpose?

Can one waste a construct?

audio; un: justnick

[metamorphotic]

Always sounded like a lotta horseshit to me.

[nick rivenna, eloquent as always.]

[albatrossomen]

If not for a sense of purpose, what motivates you?

[Indeed. He did ask vaguely to try to get as wide an array of opinions on the matter as he could.]

[dealwiththe]

You have to ask yourself one simple question, my many-eyed, icicle-wielding brother-from-another-mother: what do you truly desire?

Once you figure that out, you'll have a purpose.

And of course time can be wasted. Wait too long, and opportunities will pass you by, moments are missed, and then you have regrets.

[metamorphotic]

I dunno. [she shrugs, even though this isn’t video.] When you’re a kid, you do stuff ‘cause it’s what your parents tell you to do. When you get older, you do stuff ‘cause it’s what ya gotta do, y’know? Get a job so you can pay the bills. Keep working so y’don’t end up homeless and starving. Some people think they gotta get married and have babies, so maybe that’s their purpose, but I would’ve died before I ended up like that.

[indeed, nick imagined she’d be dead well before her current age. maybe that has something to do with her lacking a sense of purpose.]

You’re not talkin’ ‘bout destiny or some shit like that, are ya?

[albatrossomen]

[Hah! He likes that, and offers a faintly amused look. Going to take that description as complimentary.]

That is the question of the hour, isn't it? Unfortunately the answer yet eludes me.

Speaking from experience?

[albatrossomen]

Surely there must be more than base survival and continuation of the species, no? What good is a mind that thinks and feels and learns if those capacities are left to stagnate? There is nothing wrong with choosing not to have children.

[He knows that feeling.]

In the way it is commonly defined, no. There is no such thing as a singular predetermined path. There are only choices, and the potential pathways both created and left behind by those choices.

[dealwiththe]

A bit.

[ He’s not elaborating on that. ]

Anyway, good luck figuring it out. I can’t mojo you so you’ll have to do it the hard way.

[ He’s so helpful. ]

[metamorphotic]

Pft. Maybe if you’re rich.

[what good indeed. nick isn’t terribly politically-minded, but even she would agree that capitalism is bad.]

I’ve been a bartender for most of the time I’ve been old enough to work. My purpose there was gettin’ people drinks, sometimes breakin’ up fights. Back in Dualis? I got roped into workin’ with a buncha shitheads tryin’ to overthrow Big Brother. My purpose then was gettin’ a feel for people they wanted to recruit, talk to ‘em an’ try to sense if they’d join the cause. I even did some of the heavy lifting for ‘em - before your time, I think, I shut down the entire city power grid.

[ah, memories. nick goes quiet for a moment, shoving down an internal wave of guilt reaching for the surface. she was supposed to protect the heart, and she failed at that purpose. vergil, mello, marie - everyone had been captured and executed, except for her.]

Is any of that stuff I was born to do? Hell if I know. Way I see it, purpose is just something you tell yourself you got so you keep goin’. Could be anything.

[albatrossomen]

[He won't pry. this time.]

Your insight is appreciated nonetheless. Before you go, any suggestions on where to begin such a journey?

[He's lost at sea and space here, entirely out of his element.]

[dealwiththe]

[ Lucifer actually has to think about that for a moment. How did he begin figuring it out? The easy answer would be when he met the Detective but while that was part of it, and changed a lot of things for him, there's no saying if he'd ever have been in a position to acknowledge it, let alone embark on an actual relationship with her, if not for - ]

Well, I got therapy.

[albatrossomen]

[Murmur was actually rather surprised the answer wasn't 'The Detective.' Despite it being something of a noncommittal answer, it wasn't necessarily a bad suggestion. Just one that was, at the moment, rather unobtainable.

However, current existential crisis aside, it wasn't as though Murmur was strapped for time. It was something to consider at the very least.]

I recall your Detective mentioning something along the same lines. I will take this counsel into consideration.

[Despite sounding like weird robot he wasn't actually kidding about that, he did value Lucifer's insight oddly enough. He seemed to be on a better track than Murmur was at the moment, at any rate.]

[dealwiththe]

If Doctor Linda was here I'd already have introduced you - she's quite good!

[ Lucifer never misses an opportunity to praise the amazing and talented humans in his life! ]

I mean, obviously. She's managed to course-correct the Devil himself.

[albatrossomen]

Ah, yes, the unfortunate side-effects of greed.

[He had to be careful not to be extra weirdo alien in how he worded that, it was almost 'your mortal societies are ruled by' and stopped himself. He's grown too comfortable with most on the ship already knowing what he is.]

From these descriptions I take it you perceive purpose as somewhat synonymous with 'job' or 'duty.' As something that is done out of necessity, rather than desire. Would I be correct in that assessment?

[Not to say that her definition was inaccurate in any way, in truth it fell in line with how he'd long perceived it. Now that things were shifting he was interested to hear the perspective of others.]

Yes, I'm afraid I missed much of the excitement. The city was almost entirely emptied by the time I arrived. Of course, now we have Mindseye's attention to contend with out here, but that is a problem we cannot yet address until it makes its presence known once again.

[Oops, did no one tell her? Well she's hearing it now.]

I suppose that is one way to look at it.

[He was Created for his, so not unlike being born to it only maybe more extreme.]

[metamorphotic]

[during her time kicking around the multiverse, nick has lived with gods and monsters, mutants and metahumans, and she’s not entirely human herself, so. she wouldn’t find the fact that murmur is a celestial even a little bit strange.]

Yeah, I guess so? I don’t really know what I’d be doin’ with my life if I wasn’t workin’. Singin’ and playin’ a guitar ain’t really a purpose either - not for me, anyway. That’s just somethin’ I got into on accident.

[mmmm let’s go with no, she hasn’t been told.]

Wait, what? Are you fuckin’ kidding me?

[albatrossomen]

[Probably not, most have taken the news very well here. The problem, of course, is that old habits die hard and he's still not entirely sure what rulebook he's playing by anymore. Dear old Dad has, of course, continued to remain silent on the subject.

He'd continue on with their line of conversation regarding purpose, but it would seem he derailed into a different topic entirely. Whoops.]

You'll find that I am not particularly adept at humor.

[So, no, he isn't kidding.]

[albatrossomen]

She must be something truly special to pull off such a feat.

[It's endearing how much he obviously adores them. Who would have ever imagined?]

Of course, if she were here I do not think it would be appropriate to impose. Not with how disruptive this particular situation is for all swept up in its wake.

[dealwiththe]

And I'd be quick to point out that it is literally her job to help others process traumatic events. Besides, she's been through much worse.

[albatrossomen]

An astute point, but only on the grounds it was her will. After all, why not take the opportunity for a vacation? Have you been solving any murders of late?

[Granted Murmur's a workaholic and has been doing his own work, even if that sometimes means outing creeps to Lucifer so he'll do the heavy lifting.]

[dealwiththe]

It's not the specific venue I would've chosen for a vacation, and frankly if a murder happened I have no doubt the Detective - and by extension myself - would be on the case.

Besides, if Doctor Linda needed a vacation I'd give her one. Send her anywhere she wanted to go.

[albatrossomen]

...

I think I would like to witness that process.

[Not get involved, necessarily, just watch. And no he's not going to murder anyone for the chance. Probably. Most likely not.]

Very considerate of you. Regardless of whether or not it was to be in a professional context I would have enjoyed the opportunity to meet her. If she is half the soul you've described her as she must be incredibly remarkable.

[dealwiththe]

Obviously. We make a fantastic team, the banter, the red herrings, the chases, the puns! It's been ages since I've solved a murder with the Detective, maybe we'll have one soon.

[ He's not wishing death on anyone in particular, of course! Just... nostalgia. Sigh. ]

[metamorphotic]

[it takes nick a few seconds to translate that what he means by that is no, he isn’t joking. equal parts anger and fear pulse through her; she just can’t catch a break.]

That artificial fuckin’ shithead that I spent years dodging so it wouldn’t fuckin’ kill me is here? [she huffs a flat almost-laugh.] Y’know, I can’t even pretend to be fuckin’ surprised at this point.

[there’s a loud bang as nick’s boot makes impact with something solid nearby.]

Fuck.

[albatrossomen]

[He gives her that time without interruption, having faith she'd understand in due time exactly what he meant. At times he could be awkward to speak with, she'll get used to it.]

The very same. [That probably isn't the most reassuring. Hm.

Ah, the human is angry.]

For what it's worth, we have only encountered its presence faintly within this universe. It is near but it has not infiltrated Navi. Speaking of, Navi should now be more difficult to track.