[ Ah, Zhongli can related to that, at least. He's quite fortunate that Liyue has enjoyed a period of relative peace for some time now. So when it comes to missing it... ]
Tremendously, but I'm fortunate enough that I had just put many of my affairs in order before being drawn here. So I can at least be confident that those left behind won't be hurt by my absence.
[ Considering Sylvain’s never really had an occupation, he doesn’t actually find the words all that strange. Maybe it was the same as changing jobs? Or just taking a break for a while. The details don’t really seem that important, and it’s really not going to impact anything here, other than Zhongli’s mind might be more at ease than most here. At least when it comes to affairs back home. ]
So what are your impressions of this place so far, then?
[ Not that any of them have had much time to adjust yet, but Sylvain was still curious about the other wildcards’ thoughts on all of it. ]
[ His impressions, huh? Zhongli lapses into a moment of thoughtful silence. ]
We're expected to use the casino currency in exchange for the goods and services within the hotel, but ultimately we're still receiving those goods and services free of charge. And it seems clear to me that it's not being offered as an act of charity, either.
[ The strange class stratification he's seen among the other guests is enough evidence of that for him. ]
I can only assume that, one way or another, our presence here in the hotel is generating more than enough value to offset the cost of keeping us fed, clothed, and housed—and I find it rather suspicious that the exact nature of that value has been obscured.
[ It’s something he’d been thinking about earlier in the day himself, but to hear it stated like that has him humming and leaning back in his chair with a slight frown. ]
Places like this are typically all about their profits. Which is clearly not about gold and the like, in this particular place, for all that they have a currency of chips to spread around in the appearance of wealth. So what are they actually getting from all their guests and their participation in this game of theirs? So much so that they’d bring so many of us here from faraway places.
[ Zhongli starts off listening patiently as Sylvain explains his thoughts, but by the end he's nodding in approval. ]
Precisely the question. If the kidnapping methods were mundane, I would assume they were simply charging outside observers a fee to witness the events within the casino. But since the methods aren't mundane, I suspect there may be exploiting us some other way.
[ As for what that other way may be? He has no idea. ]
[ Fortunately, he doesn't have to worry about trying to be undeniably human here, so he doesn't hesitate before he elaborates. ]
A god, for example, draws their power from the belief of their worshipers, but there are many ways to express ones belief. Prayer, the creation of art, sacrifices, monetary donations... It could be that our engagement with Game 52 is simply a form of expressing a similar belief.
[ A pause, and then he adds: ]
Of course, that's assuming that this is thanks to a god of some sort. It may be something else entirely.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Don’t worry about it. The past several years have all been uncomfortable territory. This is still refreshing, trust me.
What about you? You said this cuisine was familiar, right? Something similar to what they serve where you’re from? Do you miss it yet?
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Tremendously, but I'm fortunate enough that I had just put many of my affairs in order before being drawn here. So I can at least be confident that those left behind won't be hurt by my absence.
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Were you already planning on leaving?
[ That doesn’t seem like something one does out of the blue. Plus the way he’d phrased that had such a definitive feel to it.
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[ 'Retired', he says, like it isn't an odd thing to hear from someone that looks they're maybe all of 30 years old. ]
I had to make considerable preparations prior to doing so, of course, so the end result isn't too dissimilar to planning an extended leave of absence.
[ Especially because he doesn't do leaves of absence. ]
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So what are your impressions of this place so far, then?
[ Not that any of them have had much time to adjust yet, but Sylvain was still curious about the other wildcards’ thoughts on all of it. ]
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We're expected to use the casino currency in exchange for the goods and services within the hotel, but ultimately we're still receiving those goods and services free of charge. And it seems clear to me that it's not being offered as an act of charity, either.
[ The strange class stratification he's seen among the other guests is enough evidence of that for him. ]
I can only assume that, one way or another, our presence here in the hotel is generating more than enough value to offset the cost of keeping us fed, clothed, and housed—and I find it rather suspicious that the exact nature of that value has been obscured.
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Places like this are typically all about their profits. Which is clearly not about gold and the like, in this particular place, for all that they have a currency of chips to spread around in the appearance of wealth. So what are they actually getting from all their guests and their participation in this game of theirs? So much so that they’d bring so many of us here from faraway places.
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Precisely the question. If the kidnapping methods were mundane, I would assume they were simply charging outside observers a fee to witness the events within the casino. But since the methods aren't mundane, I suspect there may be exploiting us some other way.
[ As for what that other way may be? He has no idea. ]
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Feeding off our magic maybe? But that doesn’t explain the sex. Unless they feed off that as a sort of energy. Is something like that even possible?
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[ Fortunately, he doesn't have to worry about trying to be undeniably human here, so he doesn't hesitate before he elaborates. ]
A god, for example, draws their power from the belief of their worshipers, but there are many ways to express ones belief. Prayer, the creation of art, sacrifices, monetary donations... It could be that our engagement with Game 52 is simply a form of expressing a similar belief.
[ A pause, and then he adds: ]
Of course, that's assuming that this is thanks to a god of some sort. It may be something else entirely.