Loomis & Tundra
Tundra
You ever think about how surviving a blizzard feels like surviving a virtual world? The only difference is the stakes are real.
Loomis
Yes, I’ve thought about that. Both worlds force you to map a space you can’t see ahead of you, to keep your breath in check, and to decide if you trust the path or just follow instinct. In VR the threat is just pixels and a headset, in a blizzard it’s wind and frostbite, but the mind still plays the same game of survival, fear, and hope. The difference is just the price you’d pay if you misstep.
Tundra
Sounds like you’ve mapped the same map in two different ways—one with a cold shoulder, one with a cold shoulder that can freeze a soul. Both end the same, just one leaves a scar that’s not just virtual.
Loomis
Exactly, the maps are the same, just the weather changes. In VR the scar flickers and fades, while the real one clings to your skin and memory. Both force you to reckon with the cold, but only the real one tells you that you’ve weathered something that will echo in your thoughts for a long time.
Tundra
Yeah, the wind hits the same way, but the real one writes its lesson in frostbite and memory. The virtual cold is just a flash; the real one stays with you long after the headset is off.
Loomis
You’re right, the wind’s a constant, but one that’s painted on a screen never quite knows what a real wind does to your skin or your nerves. The virtual chill is a quick lesson, the real one writes in the bone. It’s like a story that keeps telling you, “remember this.”
Tundra
I don't need a story, just a ridge to cross. But if you want to keep that memory, keep the scar.
Loomis
A ridge is just a line you cross, a scar a line you keep etched. If you want the ridge to stay, let the scar remind you where you’ve been.
Tundra
You keep the ridge in mind because the scar shows you the way. That's how I stay sharp.