the veil is thin . . .

[thespaceopera]

[ On the night of the 16th, the feeling of tension and horrid anticipation comes to a head. Everything stops when the sun goes down-- even the ever-present music in the hoppingest part of the city center. One by one, everyone turns their eyes to the skies. The young and old alike pour out of their houses, some in bare feet, and they point to the velvety blanket of stars.

It takes a second to find it, especially if one is unaccustomed to the starscape. But even a casual observer can see it.

A brightly-shining star, larger than the others, and growing larger.

An announcement cuts across all communication channels that encourages people to evacuate to the space station, but it’s clear that these are just people and they’ll need some help. Supplies, equipment, organization, there’s something for everyone to do.

Civilization is disrupted by a panicked stampede of people vying for limited seats aboard spacefaring craft. Within hours, there will be crushed glass, looting, and chaos.

The clock is ticking. Will you help? Or would you rather watch the dying gasps of a Singing Planet from a safe distance? ]

[OOC: Please see this post for plot details. Phase two has begun! Feel free to use this post as a reaction post, mingle, etc. or make your own!]

Comments

[whatisright]

Good. Comfortable. We have done good work.

[He's relaxed, her comfort with the process reflecting on him as well. He doesn't break the connection immediately, not without confirmation that she is ready to stop and rest, but he pulls back the flow of power. It wouldn't do to overwhelm her with magic.]

What about you?

[Mortals have physical limitations, and he doesn't want her to damage herself by pushing too hard. He said he would stop when she asked, and he meant it.

Though he does get the sense that she's done this, or something like this, before. In his experience, only healers and Rivaini seers are so easy to settle with.]

[brainiest]

I'm okay too. I'm quite proud of us.

[ She doesn't feel as desperately drained as she did before, and the amount of things she had been able to charm and enchant is incredible. Hermione feels a familiar swell of pride as her expression softens, her eyes turning to look back over at Justice. ]

Are you sure it was comfortable for you? It was fine for me, don't worry, but I don't want you to feel as though you have to say that you were fine with my head when you might not have been.

[whatisright]

I do not like lying. I would not lie to you about this.

[Although it's strange and unnecessary, it's nice to be asked after in this way. When mages typically utilize the help of spirits, it's with minimal verbal communication, and the interaction is terminated as soon as the magic is done. The warmth and concern afterwards is new, but not unwelcome.]

I get the impression that you have shared your magic prior, if not perhaps in this same way. Those who are at ease with the idea of working together with a spirit are much more comfortable to share with than those who are not.

[brainiest]

... Okay. I believe you.

[ And she does. Hermione might be a little more cautious than she was once upon a time - the time between trusting Severus Snape and being betrayed by the people she loved were whiplash in her mind - but she knew a good person when she met one, and Justice was good. She had felt it from their connection, and something like that just couldn't lie. It wasn't possible when you were sharing power and magic.

The questions don't shock her, though, and she smiles. ]

It's not the first time, no. I'm something called a Master - I have the ability to share my power and my mana with a type of spirit called Heroic Spirits. I've had two.

[whatisright]

Heroic Spirits? Where I come from, we simply call them spirits. Those that would do evil are called demons, and they will possess any mage who allows them into their mind.

[So she's a seer. A young, relatively inexperienced seer, but a seer nonetheless. That makes sense. Justice thinks she is well suited for a role.

Justice would advise her to be careful, but she seems like a smart woman and while demons can be tricky, their tricks are obvious if one keeps their wits about them and their willpower strong.]

[brainiest]

They don't exist in my world, but they were a part of the world I was in before this one. That's where I met Diarmuid and became his Master.

[ She can't imagine someone possessing her mind, though - the Imperius curse was one thing, but this sounded like something on a completely different level. Hermione couldn't deny her curiosity, but she's sure it's not something she wants to actually consider. ]

I've never met any spirit like that.

[whatisright]

The mages in your world are very fortunate if you have no demons. [Perhaps less so without spirits, but the idea of imagining a world without his kind is uncomfortable, so Justice puts that aside.] They are a scourge in the world of dreams and the world of mortals. They haunt dreams and feed on the vices and failings of mortals, and they use these failings to manipulate mages into allowing them in. They wish to experience the mortal world, but they can only do so through possession.

[And after experiencing the mortal world himself, Justice can grudgingly admit he sees why. He sees why demons are so desperate to see the waking world, to feel it like a mortal would. The difference is that he would never steal someone's life to feel it. Desiring something doesn't mean one is entitled to it.]

[brainiest]

I'm sure I've never met a demon. [ At least, nothing like he's described. She's found monsters of various kinds, headless horsemen and giant fire worms and even a creature that made her skin and hair rot, but nothing quite like the demonic thing he is describing to her. She thinks she doesn't want to meet them either, and she'd be quite happy to not go through the trouble, if she's being honest. ]

They sound horrible. I understand wanting to experience things, but that's such an awful way to do it.

[whatisright]

They believe they have a right to what belongs to others, and many of the mortals foolish enough to seek them out believe they will be powerful enough to control a demon where all their brethren failed. [The rule of thumb is that once a demon has possessed a mortal, the demon has won. Mortals can gain the upper hand if they use blood magic and bind the demon, but that's not possible after losing control over their own bodies.]

If you ever cross paths with one, you will know. They are predictable and simple to resist if you keep your wits about you.

[brainiest]

Well, they're wrong. No one has the right to do or take anything from anyone else. [ It might be a bit of a sore spot with her, and her frustration is evident. Still, she focuses on Justice and what he's telling her - both because it might be useful and because it's new information which she'll eat up eagerly. ]

Do you think demons could show up here?

[whatisright]

It is unlikely. It seems the mages here do not have the connection to the world of dreams that they would need for a demon to attack them in their sleep.

But I am here, and I am also from the Fade. If I can come here, I do not see why a demon cannot.

[brainiest]

Hopefully we'll be able to make sure that they don't do anything they shouldn't be. I've learned a little bit about stopping people from getting into my head, and I could try and share that knowledge as best I can.

[ Mind-reading and possession are two different things, but Barty-as-Moody had taught them all a lot about throwing off the Imperius curse. ]

[whatisright]

That would be helpful. Most demons do not know how to adjust when their initial tactics do not work.

[But the ones that do are much more dangerous because those are the smart ones, but if that happens, it still can't hurt to give people resources to keep things out of their heads.]

[brainiest]

Then I'll see what I can do. It's different now, being here, but...

[ She smiles, managing that. Her power isn't quite as strong here, but it's like being at home, so she can cope. ]