/takes the huntress out back and buries it (jan mingle pt. II)

[scrubscrub]

Who: Anyone on the SS Huntress! Crew and visitors.
Broadcast: N/A
Action: SS Huntress
When: More of January! We got three new crew mates and it will be messy.

IT'S ANOTHER MINGLE FOR OUR EVER-EXPANDING SHIP.

Also, we need an update on how well Koala is doing at pinball.

God, help this ship.

Comments

[nerdeology]

I wouldn't call it a problem.

[Let's not be insulting here.]

My kind live outside of normal human existence. They call us seraphim- that which cannot be seen or explained.

[beardstrokes]

Well, I can't imagine it's easy on ships full of humans.

[ Seraphim . . . like angels, he imagines. He strokes his beard lightly. ]

So what kind of existences can perceive you?

[nerdeology]

[Should he just start saying angel, since people end up assuming it anyway?]

Only those with sufficient resonance. Occasionally humans. Many generations ago, humans and seraphim lived side by side, but these days it's mostly hellions- monsters- that can see us.

[beardstrokes]

[ He parses this in quiet thought. ]

What exactly is resonance?

[nerdeology]

Hmm... how to explain.

[IT'S COMPLICATED.]

I suppose it's a certain level of spiritual connection- in part based on one's belief, but a human must have a natural affinity for it to begin with.

[beardstrokes]

[ He nods. ]

That does line up with what I am, a Jedi with an affinity for the Force, the lifeflow of the universe.

[nerdeology]

The... Force?

[There's one he's never heard before.]

[beardstrokes]

That is what we call it. The power that unifies destiny and life together in its inescapable flow.

[ He tilts his head. He doesn't really expect anyone to know or believe in the Force but it is his duty to explain it when he can. ]

Perhaps you know it by a different name?

[nerdeology]

...No. Life is life- there's no singular power connecting it all together. At least, not that I'm aware of.

[beardstrokes]

It is simply the philosophy I follow.

[ He doesn't expect any kind of acknowledgement from it. ]

[nerdeology]

Well.

[Not like he's going to argue about someone else's religion or whatever. With how he was raised, it's never really mattered to him.]

Either way, it looks like it does grant you limited resonance, so it must be useful. This ship is full of surprises.

[beardstrokes]

[ Who else would be able to see him? . . . Greed, perhaps. Undyne for sure. ]

Yes. I'm sure there are many more with the ability to perceive you with no difficulty.

[nerdeology]

[No, and yes.]

Just enough. Though the communication device is capable of conveying my voice to everyone, ignoring resonance entirely.

[It's still very weird.]

[beardstrokes]

Technology. It has its uses. Communicators can be extremely useful that way.

[ He's not surprised, though it is new. ]

[nerdeology]

We don't have anything like it where I'm from. If bridging the gap between humans and seraphim is this simple, I know a lot of people who'd be pretty angry to hear it.

[beardstrokes]

It must be quite a wide gap then, if people aren't interested in bridging it.

[nerdeology]

Humans can be fickle. Years ago, seraphim would grant their blessing to the land in exchange for the thanks and good will of the people who lived there. But over time the people forget, taking that gift for granted, and the blessing is weakened. Eventually the seraphim are forced away, or they'll be corrupted by the malevolence that humans create.

When there's no interaction between our kind and theirs, resonance is impossible.

[It's a sad fact that history has repeated those mistakes over and over again.]

[beardstrokes]

[ He can understand that point of view. It's hard to reestablish a bond that has degraded over the years. ]

A lot of things are fickle, I'm afraid. But what is forgotten isn't necessarily lost and can be found again.

[nerdeology]

That's true. There are still those who remember us, and how important it is to bring back the connection we used to have. Some humans are alright.

[He has a certain bias, mind you.]

[beardstrokes]

Well, if some of them can be, perhaps there is hope after all.

[nerdeology]

There's definitely hope. It's just going to take a lot of work. But we have a way to accomplish it now, so I'm certain that it'll be fine.

[beardstrokes]

Excellent. I look forward to the fruits of your hard work.

[ He doesn't have to know or understand a different world to wish it a better outcome. ]

[nerdeology]

[This guy is kind of absurdly nice.]

You'll have to meet Sorey, then. I have a feeling you two would get along.

[beardstrokes]

Sorey? One of your friends from your world?

[ Huh, maybe they came together. How interesting. ]

[nerdeology]

Yes. He's also the Shepherd- the one who's going to bring seraphim and humans together. Singlehandedly, if that's what it takes.

[Remember that slight bias? Yeah.]