[And to absolutely nobody's surprise he's busy dumping a lot of cream and sugar into his tea...]
About what they normally are? [He shrugs, slightly awkward and more focused on stirring his tea than looking at Rei. He doesn't seem to mind admitting this to her at least.] Every couple of nights, sometimes I wake myself up before they get too bad, sometimes I don't. I couldn't sleep at all when the ghosts were around. I want to know how they were really causing all of this.
Negative energy, most likely. Particularly violent deaths or unhappy spirits can just swath themselves in a kind of bleakness, and it affects the air around them. The entire colony was thick with it. Even you should've felt it. That thick, cloying sense of dread in the air.
[Rei takes her tea with no condiments, setting the tray down and sipping the bitter liquid with an approving nod.]
Of course I did. [He didn't like it, but he certainly felt it.] That much was obvious even before the ghosts showed themselves, but at the same time it was hard to figure out what was causing it at first. [He takes a sip of tea.]
They're the same ghosts that were inside the tower when we went in there the first time, aren't they?
[Rei's not going to dwell too hard on the negative energy that's passed. That would only really serve to agitate Hiro, since it's not a thing of science, she thinks.]
They're absolutely the same ghosts. They sought me out like I said, and marked me again this time.
[He's starting to delve into the supernatural side of things, but it's still not really making sense to him.]
Right. But did they explain why? Or what they really wanted from us this time? [Everything from the last couple of days sort of blurred together. He's still sorting everything out.]
They said to me that CERES is built on top of a sacred ground, and they didn't want me to let CERES to seal them away a second time. It seemed imperative that they remain free.
[Obviously she agreed.]
They also warned me that whatever's on the other side of that wall is aberrant, unnatural, and far, far worse than their fellows. That's why I sealed it.
Like their ancient burial grounds? I mean I've heard a ton of stories back home about ghosts that haunt people because they're on their burial grounds and people get sick or tragically die or whatever, but...wonder if that's why they all didn't agree on the contract with CERES. The natives, I mean.
...wait what? [Hold that thought.] Unnatural...how? We're on an alien planet, how much more unnatural can we get?
Could be that. Or some other sacred territory. A religious site maybe?
[That would make sense. Hiro's theory seems sound.]
Us being here is unnatural to the planet, but I imagine it could be something from hell? Demons maybe. Or artificial things. I'm not exactly clear on what's considered unnatural by the undead, though.
Considering the spirits have shrines that's actually a solid theory, too. We know that the natives have gods or whatever you wanna call 'em because Caeli, Maris, Ardeo and Occidi exist. And we know that sacrifices have been made on this planet...
[Which isn't something he wants to think too much about.] Have you ever wondered how we can be code but we can still get hurt, bleed, and can die? [Way to be morbid, Hiro.] You're right, our whole existence here is unnatural. But I didn't think about that. And that's not really the kind of thing we can find out from the library so what's our next step?
Spirits. I'd hesitate to call elemental spirits true gods. They're too limited.
[Bound up in their element and all. A god can act outside that domain, as far as she's concerned. But she's with him there. This is not the best thing to talk about.]
I have wondered about that, yes. It doesn't really make a lot of sense to me but I'm not very knowledgeable about computers and code. I don't even own a television set, so I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my depth where that goes. [She understands practical applications but the minutia are hard, okay?]
Our next step is to continue what we've been doing, and that's taking opportunities as carefully as we can, learning what we can, and piecing it all together. I guarantee the ghosts will return, or plan to. Otherwise they wouldn't have marked my arm a second time. I'll try to wring more out of them, if I can.
Except for maybe the Bridge. [An off-hand comment, but he drops it after that.]
Even without being knowledgable about tech it's still something that doesn't make sense. If we were code, you'd think being out in the colony would be just like ViViD where injuries and stuff aren't carried over. I know Tellus is real and everything in the colony's real, but what does that mean for us? I don't understand it. [And it's driving him crazy.]
You might be protected by the ghosts, but what about the rest of us?
I'm working on a solution to that problem. I don't have the materials to make shrines, but I have enough to have warded this entire apartment floor. I'd like to expand it, but I need time. For right now, it's...an alright bomb shelter, at least.
[And then the ever-faithful question:] What can I do to help? What materials do you need? Is it something we can find here? [Because if it's about price he can probably help. Or fetching the items. He could do that, too.]
[Well, that's certainly helpful. And what she'd expected.] I need untreated hemp rope, rice paper, and special inks. I can afford some of them, but they aren't exactly common here. Some shops have them, most do not.
Mostly? It's just time. It takes a lot of effort to really sanctify an area, and putting down those kinds of defenses just isn't a short process. The best thing, really, would be to prepare fallout shelters rather than warding the whole colony. It's less taxing and more efficient.
[Respect for Rei means continually offering to help her out. He's not sure what special inks entail, but the other items? Those shouldn't be too hard to find...] I know some people. I can probably find what we need even if it'll take a little bit of time, but don't worry about that.
[And please don't tell his brother that he's been dabbling in the black market. At least he's being more careful than usual.] It's not a short process and I bet it's kinda draining on you. I like the idea of fallout shelters anyway because you're right, way more efficient. A couple of bunkers popped up when the ghosts were out. We could probably follow the same pattern and spread them out enough just to be safe.
...think it's safe to head back out and check out the seal? I'd like to see it myself.
[She trusts you will, and she'll get you a list of supplies later on.]
Yes, the bunkers were my doing, and a couple of other people's. We'll get them back up again, but it's better in a disaster to stick together. At least, that's what we do in an earthquake in Japan.
[And it's the same with ghosts, right? Rei thinks of them more as a natural disaster than anything else, anyway.]
And I do. Yes, the seal's holding just fine. There's no negative energy bleeding through, or wasn't when I left. But you'll know if it is, because you'll feel sick if you get close.
Same with earthquakes in San Fransokyo, but we haven't had one in a while. [Thank god.] I hung out in Dipper's bunker for a while to regroup and it held up okay. And when the floods happened we all stuck together, too, so it makes enough sense.
[There's a thoughtful hum.] I'll let you know if that changes. I want to take some pictures and notes to add to my own files and start analyzing what we've learned in the last couple of weeks. And anyway I don't really doubt your powers, Rei. [Which is exactly why he asked if it was safe, but whatever. He's fine.]
Dipper-kun and I worked on that together, so it should have. He's pretty resourceful, you know.
[Dip's a good guy.]
And I know you don't. Really. I didn't take many notes, but I could draw out the sealing diagrams for you, if you want. They won't mean a lot to you I suspect, but for reference it can't hurt. I will want a copy though, Hiro.
[No kun this time. Which...is an oddly big deal to her, but they've been through a lot together.]
Trust me, I know. There's a reason Dipper and I are working together on some stuff.
[He's fairly fond of Dipper, too. As for what she says next, yes, okay, that would be great but he absolutely notices the lack of honorific and he pauses to stare at her. It's stupid, he thinks, to be weirdly pleased with that. But it means that they've made progress and it's another solid reminder that Rei's a friend he made on his own, and one he can't afford to let down. So instead of acknowledging it verbally there's a small grin.] Maybe not, but I'd like to take a look if you really don't mind. And I can do copies, no problem. Diagrams are kind of just a part of being an inventor anyway.
[A grin returned with one of her own as she picks up a notepad off to one side and begins sketching several diagrams. Circles laced with complex and esoteric kanji on the outside. Arranged in a mandala form, around a single character he might recognize...simply the symbol for "Closed."
It doesn't take her long, but she's silent throughout, and passes him the pad after she finishes.]
There you are. Several defensive layers, old spell-words, and the simplest thing. [She taps the central letter.] Intent. Which is how most magic works anyway.
[He's practically hovering over her shoulder watching her trace out the diagram, instantly recognizing some of the kanji (but, admittedly, not most of his. He has a decent enough grasp on the language but nothing of this complexity.) When he takes the notepad from her he squints at the lines and characters before nodding slowly.]
So...with enough intent could anybody use something like this? Magic proficiency or not?
[She rolls her shoulder in a half shrug, and gives him a serious look.]
What you write doesn't matter so much as the intent behind it. But you still have to know how to channel the will to give it energy. That takes training. At least for something this big. Something simpler? Well, anyone could manage that, for a smaller area. Say...you could probably ward your door with a little effort.
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They probably were. I haven't had any since then, myself.
How bad have they been since?
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About what they normally are? [He shrugs, slightly awkward and more focused on stirring his tea than looking at Rei. He doesn't seem to mind admitting this to her at least.] Every couple of nights, sometimes I wake myself up before they get too bad, sometimes I don't. I couldn't sleep at all when the ghosts were around. I want to know how they were really causing all of this.
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[Rei takes her tea with no condiments, setting the tray down and sipping the bitter liquid with an approving nod.]
That can affect dreams, I think.
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They're the same ghosts that were inside the tower when we went in there the first time, aren't they?
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[Rei's not going to dwell too hard on the negative energy that's passed. That would only really serve to agitate Hiro, since it's not a thing of science, she thinks.]
They're absolutely the same ghosts. They sought me out like I said, and marked me again this time.
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Right. But did they explain why? Or what they really wanted from us this time? [Everything from the last couple of days sort of blurred together. He's still sorting everything out.]
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[Obviously she agreed.]
They also warned me that whatever's on the other side of that wall is aberrant, unnatural, and far, far worse than their fellows. That's why I sealed it.
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...wait what? [Hold that thought.] Unnatural...how? We're on an alien planet, how much more unnatural can we get?
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[That would make sense. Hiro's theory seems sound.]
Us being here is unnatural to the planet, but I imagine it could be something from hell? Demons maybe. Or artificial things. I'm not exactly clear on what's considered unnatural by the undead, though.
[Ain't that the truth?]
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[Which isn't something he wants to think too much about.] Have you ever wondered how we can be code but we can still get hurt, bleed, and can die? [Way to be morbid, Hiro.] You're right, our whole existence here is unnatural. But I didn't think about that. And that's not really the kind of thing we can find out from the library so what's our next step?
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[Bound up in their element and all. A god can act outside that domain, as far as she's concerned. But she's with him there. This is not the best thing to talk about.]
I have wondered about that, yes. It doesn't really make a lot of sense to me but I'm not very knowledgeable about computers and code. I don't even own a television set, so I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my depth where that goes. [She understands practical applications but the minutia are hard, okay?]
Our next step is to continue what we've been doing, and that's taking opportunities as carefully as we can, learning what we can, and piecing it all together. I guarantee the ghosts will return, or plan to. Otherwise they wouldn't have marked my arm a second time. I'll try to wring more out of them, if I can.
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Even without being knowledgable about tech it's still something that doesn't make sense. If we were code, you'd think being out in the colony would be just like ViViD where injuries and stuff aren't carried over. I know Tellus is real and everything in the colony's real, but what does that mean for us? I don't understand it. [And it's driving him crazy.]
You might be protected by the ghosts, but what about the rest of us?
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[And the best she can do for the moment.]
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Mostly? It's just time. It takes a lot of effort to really sanctify an area, and putting down those kinds of defenses just isn't a short process. The best thing, really, would be to prepare fallout shelters rather than warding the whole colony. It's less taxing and more efficient.
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[And please don't tell his brother that he's been dabbling in the black market. At least he's being more careful than usual.] It's not a short process and I bet it's kinda draining on you. I like the idea of fallout shelters anyway because you're right, way more efficient. A couple of bunkers popped up when the ghosts were out. We could probably follow the same pattern and spread them out enough just to be safe.
...think it's safe to head back out and check out the seal? I'd like to see it myself.
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Yes, the bunkers were my doing, and a couple of other people's. We'll get them back up again, but it's better in a disaster to stick together. At least, that's what we do in an earthquake in Japan.
[And it's the same with ghosts, right? Rei thinks of them more as a natural disaster than anything else, anyway.]
And I do. Yes, the seal's holding just fine. There's no negative energy bleeding through, or wasn't when I left. But you'll know if it is, because you'll feel sick if you get close.
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[There's a thoughtful hum.] I'll let you know if that changes. I want to take some pictures and notes to add to my own files and start analyzing what we've learned in the last couple of weeks. And anyway I don't really doubt your powers, Rei. [Which is exactly why he asked if it was safe, but whatever. He's fine.]
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[Dip's a good guy.]
And I know you don't. Really. I didn't take many notes, but I could draw out the sealing diagrams for you, if you want. They won't mean a lot to you I suspect, but for reference it can't hurt. I will want a copy though, Hiro.
[No kun this time. Which...is an oddly big deal to her, but they've been through a lot together.]
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[He's fairly fond of Dipper, too. As for what she says next, yes, okay, that would be great but he absolutely notices the lack of honorific and he pauses to stare at her. It's stupid, he thinks, to be weirdly pleased with that. But it means that they've made progress and it's another solid reminder that Rei's a friend he made on his own, and one he can't afford to let down. So instead of acknowledging it verbally there's a small grin.] Maybe not, but I'd like to take a look if you really don't mind. And I can do copies, no problem. Diagrams are kind of just a part of being an inventor anyway.
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It doesn't take her long, but she's silent throughout, and passes him the pad after she finishes.]
There you are. Several defensive layers, old spell-words, and the simplest thing. [She taps the central letter.] Intent. Which is how most magic works anyway.
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So...with enough intent could anybody use something like this? Magic proficiency or not?
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[She rolls her shoulder in a half shrug, and gives him a serious look.]
What you write doesn't matter so much as the intent behind it. But you still have to know how to channel the will to give it energy. That takes training. At least for something this big. Something simpler? Well, anyone could manage that, for a smaller area. Say...you could probably ward your door with a little effort.
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...think you could train me to maybe do the same? Nothing big! Just small, something I can manage and just an extra assurance.
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Of course I can. But you're going to have to take it slow, and have faith. Faith...is the key to making any of this work.
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Ty get out, I caught those lyrics.
I'm helpful.
you are
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