+2 nerdchildren

[nerdeology]

Who: Sorey & Mikleo / OPEN
Broadcast: Fleet-wide
Action: Marsiva
When: Now!!

[ACTION]

[It's probably not normal for a lack of something to be the first thing one notices upon waking up, but Mikleo opens his eyes to the realization that there's a serious lack of... weight on his chest, one he'd become resigned to feeling ever since leaving Elysia. Malevolence was everywhere in the world, and only his contract with Sorey and Lailah had kept him from growing sick because of it, or worse.

Here, though, he feels not even an ounce of it. Which immediately brings to mind the question- where...?

Once he's up and on his feet and staring out the nearest window - witnessing the state of the sky, what in the world - it takes him a while to shake off the shock. He feels like his head's been invaded- thoughts, understanding forced into it, making his head hurt. This is space. He doesn't know why he knows this, but he does. Space, a fleet of ships traveling the universe like a fleet of whales in the ocean, prisoners for entertainment...

What does it even mean?

Sorey. I need to find him. Forcing himself away from the glass, he wanders the hallways, drawn to his Shepherd like a lost sheep. He has to be here. This feeling is unmistakable.]


[BROADCAST: VIDEO]

-ink this is how it works? Where’s the part I talk into? Try the top corner, it's flashing. Do you know why? -well because it’s communicating, isn’t it? Don't look at me. Oh! No no, it’s working now. ...yup. Okay! Geez…

Wow, this is so cool! Can everybody really hear me? -oh man, we can make recordings with this! You know, instead of having to lug around parchment all the time? We absolutely have to bring this back home.

Like people need more reasons to fear the Shepherd.

-ah, right! Introductions! I’m Sorey. I’m supposed to be an Engineer? I’m not totally clear on everything involved in that, so please be patient with me! Um, and since it sounds like we’re all in the same boat- I mean, this might’ve been asked before but does anybody know who we can talk to if we really, really need to get back? It’s kind of an emergency. This seems like a kidnapping but we’re not in a cell or anything, so it’s not as bad as it could’ve been, I suppose.

But definitely! Any clarification on how to get back would be really, really helpful.

You should probably stop talking like you're with someone, Sorey. People will think you're more weird than you already are.

Sorry, you’re right. It’s just really hard to pretend you’re not here when you look right at me like that...

[ACTION PART 2]

[Sorey and Mikleo can be found exploring the Marsiva. To those who can see Mikleo (have a look at his permission post please!), they'll both be there, talking animatedly. To those who can't, feel free to call Sorey out on, you know, talking animatedly to himself.]

Comments

video

[monolike]

You can hear him! Oh wow, maybe this- No, you've probably got a decent amount of resonance.

Sorry, we're being rude. We're pretty used to people not being able to see or hear him at all. [Sorey gestures to the thin air next to him.] This is Mikleo! Righhhht about here. [pokes said thin air]

video

[nerdeology]

[And that hand is deftly, invisibly, shoved off.]

Stop that.

[experiencepoints]

What's 'resonance' mean in this case?

... So, uh... Why can't people see or hear you?

[monolike]

...Mikleo I'm pretty sure she's asking you.

[nerdeology]

...What?

[But that's- impossible.]

You're serious. You're not just humouring him.

[experiencepoints]

I do not humor people. I'm kind of an asshole, in fact. Is the fact that I'm not deaf really this shocking?

[monolike]

[oops] No, no, it's not that. See, usually people can't even hear him, or see him or...anything. It's actually really unusual.

And if they can it's because they have really high resonance. Just means they can hear and sometimes even see seraphim without someone else acting as a conductor.

[nerdeology]

...Yeah. [What he said. He's kind of still in shock, here.] Although we've never had the opportunity to communicate in this manner... is technology really what we've been missing...?

[experiencepoints]

... I have some ideas, but can you explain what 'resonance' and 'seraphim' are? I'm not from your world, I have no idea what you're talking about.

[monolike]

Seraphim are spirits of the land! I mean, that's the most common word for Mikleo's people anyway. As for what resonance is...

Actually, I have no idea how to explain that further. It's a sense? Or a skill, since it can be honed... Um, maybe it's more like a feeling, that as it gets stronger helps you to see more of the world around you. I heard that being devout and grateful can help with that, but that's probably just because seraphim are more likely to hang around if people appreciate them.

[nerdeology]

[Mikleo just shrugs. It's like asking someone to explain what a human is. They just sort of are. And resonance isn't something he's ever had to learn, since seraphim can see others of their kind.]

Some develop resonance simply by mooching off of the charity of the seraphim who raise them.

[monolike]

That's definitely my endorsed method.

[experiencepoints]

... Well, if "seraphim" are constructed from mana, that might be it. I'm a mage, after all. I've been able to see the flow of mana, and things made from it, ever since I was small.

[She lifts a hand, and a small green-tinged whirlwind appears in it, before dissipating.]

If that's the case, I probably just can't see you over the video.

[nerdeology]

[That's... jarring. He's only ever seen wind seraphim do that.]

I'm not familiar with the word, but if it's "magic", then perhaps it's similar enough. Humans are incapable of using powers that could be described as magic without a seraph's aid.

[experiencepoints]

In your world. In mine, everyone can do it except the merfolk.

[monolike]

So maybe that is it! A lot more of your people can use what sounds like our seraphic artes, so they're used to that sort of thing. Maybe your people are just born with a certain level of resonance?

Wow, that's interesting. What's your cultural history like? Have you always been able to use elemental artes? Have you ever had any religions structured around people who were more or less adept at it?

[experiencepoints]

... Uh.

[okay, deep breath.]

In order: Everyone can use magic, but not everyone learns how, so it's not an everyone thing. Ignoring the cultural history question. I first learned magic when I was little, but not 'always'. Our religions tend to end with our people killing the gods, so no, magic was never really a part of it, and we haven't had a big religion in about five hundred years, to what I remember.

[nerdeology]

[...Killing the gods...]

That's quite a while. We've studied religions that have died and been revived over the centuries, but never for that span of time.

[It's sort of the trend of humanity back home- sooner or later, the people turn back to the seraphim.]

[experiencepoints]

[She shrugs.]

When a god demands a couple centuries of war, people don't tend to jump at the chance to make a different one.

[monolike]

Of course, that's perfectly reasonable. I mean, with a relationship like that it's less like a religion and more like a corrupt dynasty anyway.

You wouldn't happen to have any literature on the topic on hand, would you? [Sorey has his Celestial Record, after all. Maybe she's got something! He wants to read up on this now.]

[experiencepoints]

I... I mean, I do have a children's book about the first god, but why is this conversation happening before introductions?

[nerdeology]

[SIGH.]

Like he said, I'm Mikleo. This one's Sorey.

[monolike]

Do you wanna trade books?! I'll let you see my Celestial Record! I have a lot of supplemental material in it so please don't move things around, but it's okay if it happens. I've memorized the placement anyway.

[experiencepoints]

[She may not be able to see Mikleo, but she can definitely guess what kind of face he's making.]

Nightingale. Gray Nightingale, from Takshaka, if that means anything.

... Is he always like this, Mikleo?

[nerdeology]

Nearly always. There are the occasional exceptions.

[He'd apologize, but Sorey is Sorey.]