Cadences: The Story of a Distance and Its Pair

Cadences: The Story of a Distance and Its Pair is an epistolary experience designed to be played by two people asynchronously. Together, participants will create the story of a relationship’s life, from the moment of its conception until the moment it ends. Maybe your Pair will be a cashier and a customer, a parent and child, two members of a five-person polycule, best friends, or even mortal enemies. In Cadences, there are two roles for the players: The Distance and The Pair. The Distance is ever-shifting and mysterious. Playing The Distance means seeking to find words and metaphors to describe something abstract and mutable. The Pair is human and flawed. Playing The Pair means playing a grounding, concrete role in contrast to the metaphorical and amorphous nature of the Distance. Using the inspiration and instructions provided in booklets, art cards, and audio files, The Distance and The Pair take turns going on guided strolls, considering the changes and phases of the relationship, and communicating the next part of the story in a way that fits their relationship. This could mean mailing each other letters, leaving each other voicemails, firing off a text message, or anything that you can imagine. The Pair describes events that happen in the relationship while the Distance describes, through metaphorical language, how those events impact its form and qualities. The physical pieces of Cadences serve as a sort of friendship necklace– two booklets that stand alone as beautiful objects but are decidedly in conversation with each other.