nativized | IC Contact (Folkmore)

[ Hi, Lex. Enjoy a message coming through to you around lunchtime. ]

Hi Spark! 彡☆
It's (Say)ori! I had some questions for my senior here at Folkmore whenever you're free
I'm helping a friend learn more about Thirteen and how we end up here __φ(．．) If anything mysterious has happened or what Thirteen says if you ask to go home...!!
I guess it's good to know in general too (・∀・*) Just because we voluntarily got stuck here doesn't mean we shouldn't know everything about where we are!

I hope you're having a good time, Spark!
✿

[ It is unexpected, but honestly, welcome enough. He did offer something like this to a few people, and having someone take him up on it made Lex smile. ... Certainly a distraction from another little irritant of a conversation he'd gotten in the other day and some food complications. ]

Wellllll! Mysterious sort of covers a pretty broad purview, huh? After all, right now you could go up to Never Fade and try and talk with a manifestation of the thing before going to scarf down some potatoes she made and get a doll for your trouble! But but but is that abnormal by the standards you're looking for?

Not that the conversations are long. My own [ ~~is still pending response~~ ] was pretty curt! So I'm sad to say I didn't get an answer as to the question about return!

Brighter with you in it! ☆

[ Oh there we go, he figured out how to do the star. now he's got heart and star down on this keyboard ]

[ Oh, yay, he responded! And that last line does get a smile out of her, a small giggle behind her mouth. He's so nice! ]

Everything is important! Well, I guess I should narrow down my search... but this place has been around for a while, and I know there's the trials (are eating potatoes a trial?) but, maybe there's been more than just the trials...? Strange things that stick out, don't seem like they should have happened...

She's really in detective mode, figuring out anything that might be a clue to making our lives easier! Maybe there isn't anything that sticks out, but it (hopefully!) won't hurt to look into it. I mean, I'm not very good at looking at details and getting making any sense out of them, but that's why I'm helping to get the information so the real pros can put their brains to work!

But I think I want to know about these potatoes too. [ Oh!! Oh! ] Can I see your doll? Is it cute?

And I'm sorry talking to her went so poorly!

Mmm

Well! I don't know what the "norm" here is so I think I'll just settle for "outlandish" things which I am pretty sure is caused by the powers of the Fox or its related ilk. Put into that context, I have encountered (depending on how you count it) between 1 and 6 trials. (some of these might be sub-parts of other trials). I'll just list them out and you can follow up with questions

- My star fell in Wintermute. Apparently, other people were teleported out to that area to pick up new arrivals with dogsleds. Once there, a dog running a food truck warmed up people. But once we got back to the hot springs those same robot dogs trapped people inside until you told someone else a secret*

* - it wasn't technically "a secret" but it would be more words to explain I could if needed

- Around that same time, Thoth (head of the science school, also the Fox) posted posters which let you volunteer to join experiments. I did that and went through ha dark maze. Was given one of the magic items I have back home for it. I learned that other people that some people were randomly teleported into the experiments without pulling the volunteer tab too

- A few weeks later there was a festival held up on Never Fade (that floating island on the horizon**. Some older guy I met compared it to Beltane if you know what that is. But goats were running it and birds were running barbecue there. The festival involved running long ribbons which had markings which seemed oddly familiar in places around a pole. These ribbons will come back later.

** - I was told that Never Fade had been inaccessible for several weeks prior to this festival. I was new at the time so I didn't notice.

- also at the festival were a bunch of bonfires. These bonfires were being looked after by some very anxious mice who were convinced that if the bonfires weren't fed they would spell doom for either Never Fade or Folkmore as a whole. The fires could only be realistically fed by offering confessions to other people near them. These confessions had to be something which made you feel emotional vulnerable, based on my testing. When you fed the fires I noticed you got some extra Lore in your spoon and also made you feel weirdly open.

- A few days*** after that strange weather started. It's actually still happening for me I don't know if it's happening for you. For me, whenever I'm indoors it rains. I know that happens for other people but I've also seen storm clouds and sun shining indoors too. Not sure what causes this effect. I have tried to not be indoors all this last month if I can help it

*** - based on all spirits I talked to the days May 6th to May 12th were erased due to time issues (covered below); Lavender (one of the Fox versions) also backed this up. It became on the "13th" but to me it felt like it happened only a day or two later

- Lavender's announcement was both that time had slipped but that the cause was those ribbons from the festival had flown off of Never Fade into the wider area of Folkmore. It also offered a bounty to collect them. I have encountered some odd time distortion in my own hunts of them but I haven't committed very hard to their reclamation myself. I think the hunt for them is still on technically.

- Around the same time all iterations of the Fox (aside from Thoth) began to work at the Farm to Sky restaurant on Never Fade and made a unique menu up there. All of their supplied foods (possibly minus one of them?) produce magical effects, which I could expand on

[ ... That's a lot of typing to ask them to process. So Lex leaves it at that for now and just works to try to figure out how to attach an image. He eventually manages it and attacks a picture of a little raggedy anne style doll of this woman. complete with dark blue button eyes ]

Edited 2024-06-18 19:47 (UTC)

That happened to me too! I fell from the sky and was left in Wintermute until some nice dogs helped me out. (I showed up the end of last month. Does everyone show up there?)

[ She actually has that response written out immediately, though she doesn't send it, waiting to continue reading everything that's been laid out for her. She's a quick enough reader, helped by these being in points, but Sayori has to think about this, scribbling out points given, leaving notes where her thoughts take her because of what he's given. Okay... ]

So...

Trials?
- Experiments were run in Thoth that gave you a prize
- Doggies took you to a hot spring and made you tell a secret (I know this one! I went there too)
- All versions of the Fox (except 1) made special food at Fade to Sky for people to eat (maybe it goes under Funny Effects? hmmm)

Funny effects?
- Last month the strange weather started that's affected by emotions (Someone told me about this and that's what he told me was the reason) [ And she could elaborate on her own experience, but she also doesn't want to draw attention to what she think what emotions brings rainclouds. Even if she wants to ask how he's been feeling, jump on some way of helping--she knows she needs to be more considerate than that. Sneaky. She can think about how to help cheer up this person she barely knows.

(But that really doesn't matter to her, only that it might cause some problems in helping him... ah, Sayori! You'll think of something!) ]

Maybe a trial?
- Ribbon festival. Mice [ uggghh SAYORI BETS IT WAS SO CUTE TALKING TO MICE-- ] talked about Folkmore being at risk, but maybe it was a test...?

The Fox made a new location and then time disappeared, and that was because of ribbons at a festival in a new location... so the Fox's power might not be as stable as you'd think it is when she can make somewhere like Folkmore and bring everyone here.

[ It took her some time to get through all that, but maybe that isn't a bad conclusion...?

But in that time, writing and thinking, Sayori hasn't missed the doll. And while she doesn't comment on it in the post, there's a picture attachment that comes through after her text back: it's a cute goat with a pink sticky note between its fore-legs to look like it's holding it.

It reads:
☆ Your friend is cute!
Sayori loves them! ☆ ]

My own experience in them is lacking, but I wouldn't be surprised if the ribbon situation is a trial. It basically depends on if we assume its an accident or intentional experimentation. So In my opinion that could go either way.

The mice and bonfires thing I suspect could also be a trial but you're right that it could also be a delusion in the minds of the mice, or show another weakness. In talking with people there however I did hear a claim from someone who has been here longer which influences my thinking on all of these:

- Folkmore itself is apparently powered by or at least maintained by Lore. Lore being that energy (currency in our spoons) people generate through conversations and whatnot. The bonfires also were powered by Lore supposedly. Put into that context, and paired with just how many times I ran into hidden truths* as an element of an odd effect, the generation of Lore could be at least one goal of the trials.

* - one of the funny foods also promoted deep honesty

- Emotions though huh for the weather? Interesting. Different moods producing different effects I'm sure

- Starfalling - based on a conversation I had with someone else when I arrived, I think the star falls concentrate on a different location either every month* or every few months. He framed the arrival of new people in terms of it happening "again" so I suspect it might be cyclical.

* - based on when you arrived it might well be longer than that; I arrived in late-April by this calendar

[ ... Oh cute. He wonders if that's related to the goats up on Never Fade? He doesn't really have a post it note here at his campsite, so Lex hums a little and then there's a new shot of the doll. She's propped up on a log (clearly, Lex is outside at a campsite currently) this time. Next to her are several other little trinkets the wedges gave him over time: A blue potion bottle, a little tech deck skateboard, a bouncy ball which seems to have a woman's face on it, and a little disney-style star wand ]

Thirteen made this place... the mice might be a part of her? Or controlled by her... unless they came here to prove themselves too? I don't know how long Folkmore has been around or how it functions.... (・_・ヾ
I'll ask more people about the trials and see if Folkmore was ever in trouble in the past!

But somewhere that runs on connections and makes you tell truths and be around people... do you think that's the real reason we came here? Not a test, but so Thirteen can make Folkmore exist by making it run on people sharing secrets or talking, that's...

(¯ . ¯;) Can magic really work like that?

[ Spark brought it up, but Sayori feels like she's the one being dumb here, even if the signs might point to encouraging emotional connections between people. But why? Can that really make a difference? Help a magical place or help people grow...?

She honestly prefers focusing on the image attachment more: because Sayori knows cute.

And the next photo he gets contains the same doll, but now it's sitting on the edge of a bed with two others: a pink cow, and a pig. They're sat next to each other, all to make them picture perfect. ]

Empirically, seems so.

I can't know for *certain* if the realm is fueled by it, but the Lore in our spoons does help us buy things or even summon things with the water trick (did anyone tell you about that yet?) and I can tell you that confessions made that fire bigger. I can also tell you my spoon is "more full" by chatting with people. So there is a power and that power grows through social contact.

Now, there is an open question as to if (as was claimed to me) that's naturally occurring, if that's a system set up by the Fox, or somewhere between the two.

Actually a lot of the claims I was given were in this thread (and some others in the related post). There's even a claim there to the age of Folkmore as a whole (as far as they know)

[ And he links to this old entry, and in particular his thread with username "Incendiary" ... which does begin with the claim death isn't real so uh, sorry about that ]

If you find out about more trails please tell me. I have heard about a few but the one that captures people's memories seems to be a wild hunt from a while back

[ ... Oh, cute. they really know how to pose those and he's surprised that - maybe they got them from the wedges? Or they bought them? ... None of the rest of what he has to hand is really in the same vein of endearing, though. Hmmm. He'll just praise them ]

Cute design picks there

I don't know about the water trick...! What is it?

[ She does click on the link, and, hm. The topic doesn't affect her too much, but it does lead her thoughts somewhere else. It's not unusual to think that death doesn't have to be permanent when--what is death? What are they? ]

I'll read that page when I get a chance, thank you! And I'll let you know anything I find out. Maybe my detective friend's detective friend will know more and I can get more from them. Would you like me to share your username in case you two want to chat about trials together too?

Thanks! I really like cute things. I've been trying to make my space...nicer? It feels too empty! Even if I know I should be focusing on being a better person or maybe learning new things than collecting toys...

But I heard you have to find the magic school in a swamp (￣ω￣;) and if I have to go back to school, learning magic sounds the best!

Be careful about that magic school. I have yet to get there myself because the path through that swamp is very confusing and dangerous. Fog's everywhere, there's dangerous beasts around, and it kind of feels like the land itself moves to prevent people from going in

[ ... Or just him because he doesn't meet the criteria of "was exiled before and/or is being punished" so Exile rejects him. But that said, he hums to himself and with that vital topic out of the way first he moves on to the rest of it: ]

You can forward my username to anyone I think there's some trust between us! ♥ (but more seriously I want to understand more things too)

Okay so the spoon you arrived with, right? You can use it to purchase things by tapping spoons with the sprit-folk you're buying from. Probably how you got the decor, right? But you can also drop that spoon into a vessel of water, think about something you want, and in exchange for Lore you can make it appear. Normal things and also things from your home (or replicas therefore of not sure which). In general I feel like they cost a little more than store stuff, but its a very important thing to know

[ Referring, of course, to this system. He's a little resentful he didn't get it explained by the Fox immediately or anything either so he tries to tell people if they don't know. ]

In terms of "being better" though, we don't even know if this *is* a goal here! Not sure decorating a space is mutually exclusive either

Edited 2024-06-25 15:04 (UTC)

[ ...o-oh, okay, so maybe magic learning is a bust, and the wonderful Ghibli dream that Sayori barely had (really, she had no idea what she wanted to learn magic-wise, but it just sounded cool??) has been burst... Oh no, she's got to contact the firefighter about it...!! ]

Oh no, I've never met a monster before... okay, maybe magic learning isn't for me? Hmmm....

[ Ho huuumm.... ]

But I promise my friend is trustworthy! We hang out and talk about being here all the time. And I would give you a sparkling recommendation too~ (｡•́‿•̀｡)

[ Which, sure, she's only talked to him twice, but she doesn't really think she has anything to worry about with Spark! ]

And wow, now I need to try that soon, the water trick...! Something from home... I'll have to think hard about what I want. It would be nice to have a few things. [ Maybe some clothes...? ...her big cow plush... ] I'll tell my friends about it too!

And I know that the reason we're here is... well, the Fox doesn't seem like someone we can trust. I don't know if people get to go home when they've proved themselves, or what proving themselves would mean to the Fox.

[ But there's more to it for her than just the Fox. Does she need to prove herself? No, the moment Sayori thinks about it, the fear grips her heart instantly.

I don't want to disappear. I don't want anyone hurting me again.

She hovers on what to say, if anything. Nothing that might burden Spark, she can't do that--but she's so inadequate, isn't she? In every way, compared to the other people around her, there's plenty lacking in her.

So, what does she want? ]

I want to be able to help the people around me, especially since this place is so tough on everyone. Asking them to give up their secrets and taking them so far away from home... if I play along with the idea a little, maybe I can help the people around me by being more confident. Or being stronger in scary situations.
I'd like to be a better person in that way!

[ There's not much else she can give when there's so many amazing people all around her. She needs to catch up. ]

[ He wants to assure her that there is a good chance she could still get there, could still learn magic... but it would be empty platitudes. He's yet to get there. he has no idea how dangerous it is once there, or even once near there. So he leaves it be... or at least intends to. As he reads more, he wonders, ]

To fight a monster is entirely different than fighting men, if you've ever done that.

[ He tests the waters of who or what, precisely, (Say)Ori is. ]

But yeah, I'd agree those are good places to start. Honestly, asking these questions at all and having an awareness of goals I think shows you have a decent head on your shoulders!

the matter of "Potential" has me curious as a whole. I have heard from one person that they went back home and returned here, remembering events. Someone else posted on the network the other day saying they went back and hacve returned, not remembering events.

I don't know if either met their potential.

I haven't fought anyone! I'm no good at fighting... I don't even like getting into verbal fights with my friends.

So I wouldn't get very far with a monster...! Unless it felt so bad for me, it let me leave, ehehe...

[ If only......... ]

But hmm, so finding your potential could really just be an excuse for the Fox? But I wonder why they pick the people they do? Or sending them back where they came from and bringing them back.. did the person who remembered being here say anything about what happened when they left?

It could be an excuse, it could be we don't understand the criteria. It could be there's a whole other missing variable. There's also the open question as to why we're here from its point of view. What's the benefit for it (unless the theory of Lore generation is true)

The guy didn't say. I only met him the once, and it was pretty early on for me

Not wanting to fight with friends is usually a good thing

We should learn more first, I guess... but...

Do you fight people? Or monsters? Is it normal?

[ Sorry, Spark, but she wants to know more...!

But she does think to quickly send separately: ]

If it's okay to ask!

Both at different times! Though 'monster' isn't always my first word of choice.

It's more normal than it probably should be. At least in the realms I'm familiar with

I see... when I'm from, well, people only fight in wars or if there's a crime. Or for sports!

But if there's monsters or something of the kind where you're from... do you come from a world where people use swords? And staffs? You did say you used magic before!

Yes and yes! For the word I came from.

[ He'll even take a picture of it- it's a shot of his shortsword in its scabbard. A dark grey metal with some stylish designs on the pommel and crossguard. It's propped up against a log ]

Staffs I don't have a good photo evidence for

Σ(°ロ°) wwww a real life swordsman! People haven't used swords where I come from in a really long time! And we never had magic. It's only in story books and games that magic comes up!

You're so cool~~ (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) You're even out in the woods too?

[ Or someone outdoorsy....just like a fantasy character! ]

My current campsites near Lapine. I've been trying to follow the rivers for a while, determine when the seals start appearing in them (seems to be once you get into the desert btw)

[ Being praised for it, being something like a fantasy character... it's the second time in as few days. Her and Makoto. It's... nice, but it's also a little unsettling. It gives him flashbacks of when he was younger, first exposed to that world. It isn't the best of memories, if he's honest. But he can't help but also feel amused. ]

Wait, seals... not seal animals? A magical seal?

[ Or maybe the animal seal? ...but why would they be in the water near the desert...! ]

Oh!

Okay so there's a river that flows down from the the mountains north of Epiphany* down through the desert of Cruel Summer and ends somewhere in the swamps of Exile** where it sort of intersects with another river. Locals and maps call it the Selkie. During the desert potion, there's a breed of mild tempered seals (the animal) which seem to thrive in the potion that flows through the desert.

* - I think, I've found the sources of tributaries but not the main river
** - Again, I think. I've never made it far into Exile

Ooooo wow, so real seals! That's so amazing! And you're looking for them? Why?

Curiosity, mostly

The river flows through a lot of this realm and I've been told the Salkie name comes from a story about seals, but the seals are only in that one region. The river also is pretty calm, doesn't seem to ebb or flood all that much.

If I'm being honest its mostly a task to keep me busy and traveling though

I thought it was because you really liked seals, but even for curiosity...! I don't even travel around to different places in Folkmore by the bus, so being able to go so far by your own... I couldn't do it!

I hope you don't get lonely out there. Or that you have friends you can talk to! Unless it doesn't bother you?

Well I'm talking to you, aren't I? ♥

But no seriously I'm just here with me out here. But I usually stick close to the towns and cities, sleep in them by night. See people there! That and studying things on the Relic here when I'm camping

You're a regular passenger on that Cat Bus?

Serious or not serious, you can always talk to me when you need a friend! ♥

I saw the cat bus once, but I never went on it. Actually, I've only been on the train twice to go between Wintermute and Epiphany. This is the first time I've been able to leave or go anywhere I want, but... there's so much choice, I don't really know what I would do if I would go to the other places? Maybe that sounds strange, but...

Where I'm from, people never traveled! We all stayed in a city, and I never thought about anywhere outside there as somewhere I would go.

Hehe, I'm not very adventurous~

A small world huh?

[ So young, something like a peasant, impoverished, or all of the above. She says a city, so it could also be that the city fulfilled all their needs? Depends on the sort of world they're from. Lex runs through several things in his mind's eye, but ultimately it's not going to come to much. So instead, ]

Take the train and see some other places, now you have the chance. Even if you're furnishing an apartment, seeing new things'll expand your horizons.

Elder Mother station in Willow will get you right in the heart of the town there, and it's within a mile or two of the Amrita (the school). Then Obamabo station is pretty near both Puca Park and Talaria, in the desert's edge and south end of the lakes respectively. There's actually two stations in Epiphany, both with stuff to see. Luan station has a shopping district full of birdsong around it, leads right up to the school and the main city. Jami Station lets out pretty near the neighborhood of Satori Hills, and there's a bunch of places there including a high fashion business I'd recommend run by a person I know named Rue. The station up by Wintermute is pretty near the science school up there too.

All of those are pretty safely and easily navigated. Even if you don't know what to do, just wander around and see and hear what you can feel around you.

[ And via horse or cat bus there's even more places. But they said they didn't travel much. So Lex starts (by his logic at least) small. ]

[ Really, really small. ]

Traveling advice by the expert...! Maybe I should try something new, too. I'm not ready for going out into the wild like you, but a town sounds cozy~ I'll take pictures when I go! Epiphany's been really beautiful in places.

I'll visit your friend's store, too! Going to stores where people make the clothes themselves is really high class where I'm from. Even just seeing the sights though... that sounds nice.

I should spread my wings a little~ (even if I don't have any!)

I know I recommend it, for sure The train line makes it a lot easier to see a lot more variety. Hell, even just riding on it through the windows you'll see Cruel Summer, maybe even see Never Fade in the distance. Probably plenty of pictures to see

And yeah Rue's a real talent. A little scary looking but that's only for the first few seconds

The world's only as big or as small as what you see and let in

[ He said, even though he himself... uh. Well, he's been feeling restless for both the size of the "world" and how small "this world" seems to be sometimes. ]

[ The world is only as big or as small as what you see and let in...

He's probably right. No, he likely is. There's so many places she could be going, but it feels too large to even begin--where when she's left to her own devices, she doesn't know what to do. To be off script--to have no script.

Is this what living life is really like...? ]

Then, can I ask a favor? Um, only if it isn't any trouble...! But I'd like to see pictures of the places you visit. Even if there isn't much, or it doesn't seem so... it'll be the first time I've seen more than my own city, or outside Epiphany.

Call it a way of distracting yourself more! ♪ But it's okay if you don't want to do it.

[ ... Mmm

Okay, he can do that. He'll curate them too be sure, no need to have someone know where he is at all times or know all he is doing, but a basic picture exchange? He can do that. ]

Alright I don't mind doing that sometimes. Not the best at photographs myself but! if that'll motivate you further, no issues with that from me

Thank you! You've been nothing but nice to me. You have to let me repay the favor sometime, okay??

Whenever you're in Epiphany, a game or cake is on me!

A game? Like at that arcade?

Exactly! Have you been? I figured if you hadn't, I could show you the kind of stuff I know! We have those where I'm from.

I heard about it, have been to the outside of it, never really went in.

I know there's one in Epiphany and apparently one in Never Fade too.

It's the fun way to fight friends and to take them out! ...or you can work together in some games.

But I think an adventurer like you deserves a challenge ( • ̀ω•́ )✧

Ooooh!!!

I take it if you're offering, you're a pretty talent games player, yeah? Will beat the snot out of me?

Uhuhuhuhu, that's what you think....!

In reality, I've lost all the games I played! But this might just be my chance to beat the snot out of someone: You!!

I feel as if I'm being accused of being *very* weak right now . . .

But true, you just might on experience! That counts for a lot

Exactly! And if you turn out to be a genius at video games when you're already so cool at traveling, I'll cry!! I need the advantage!

Lex, by the way

Thats the name people usually call me face to face

[ Oh! ]

Lex~ I like it! Do I get to call you that over the relic too?

If you do I won't necessarily hold it against you

but I have sort of avoided using it there out of habit

Really? Why? Is someone looking for you??

My picture is in the profile, so it's not foolproof, but I sort of like the relative anonymity

Oh... they do say you should be careful about what you share online...

Okay! If we ever talk on the network again or when I tell my friends about you, I'll call you Spark. 彡☆

[ Oh, geez...maybe she should change her username in case Monika's seen her...

Should she ask him if he knows her? ...no, no, she can't. ]

Appreciated!

Though like I said, it's hardly anything too serious. More a force of habit and caution which might not even be necessary than anything.

I realized the other day you can even change your username, so I could and perhaps should just play around with that more

Ehehe, are you going to have a new username each week? As long as I can save your contact and still find you!

[ Which likely defeats the purpose of changing his username, but... ]

Maybe not *that* often . . .

Booo, that's not taking your secret identity very seriously!

But I guess it would be a lot of effort... (ˇヘˇ)

On the contrary, if it's used for specific purposes, like posting to one or another thing anonymously, then it's more ambiguous than switching regularly

Hmm, so actually anonymous, or like a back up account? The second way is easier for keeping track of comments you make, I bet!

Oooo I wonder if you can do two accounts

I don't know what it's like here, but people take you seriously if you use a real account! Anons are known for being mean and leaving cruel comments on the internet where I'm from.

And even a fake face is better than none!

But is being an anon and therefore maybe a hater actually less weird than if you wear a fake face mask all the time?

I never used the internet much, but... I don't know that I think hard about who the person is behind a username (except a lot of people do show their face on the network)

But it's nice to recognize a name... and if they're ever mean to you, you know to keep away from that person online.

The idea of a faked face is a little unsettling to think about though

Mmmaybe saying a fake face was a bad thing, ehehe...

I just mean a name! You don't have to act any differently, right?

Well you also probably would want a different profile picture, yeah?

Sure, but you can pick anything for a picture!

Like a seal!

Still would sort of be a fake seal face mask...

But no no you're right! Something to think about really. Like I said I don't think it matters *too* much but the relative anonymity feels safer

anyway! Darling invitations aside do you think your detective buddies need any more insigts?

Hmm, I'll pass along the info and see! But thank you again. You've given me that and more to think about!

Okay good

So where in Epiphany, or should I just contact you should it come to that (as I'll be contacting you with photos anyway)

Where to find me? If you contact me, we can find a place to meet up! Are you coming back this way soon?

Well, where I am now really is not that far outside the city. I was only there the other day. So really, it depends if I backtrack there or not anytime soon

Then let me know what you do! And if you come back, we'll pick a time and place to meet. But I can wait if you want to travel around more, Mr Adventurer~

My offer isn't going anywhere (´｡• ◡ •｡`)

Sometime soon, then. I suspect you might know one or three little treats I've never heard of

I'll find as many as I can to make it a good day out!

Stay safe out there, okay~

[ Surprise, Sparky, it's a message from Sayori--two photos, specifically.

One shows ahead across a spacious yet wooded area, the hint of a stream in view, but falling away into the trees. Flowers are in bloom where they're scattered about, and despite the nice weather visible, it has Epiphany's signature nostalgic tint in the photo.

The second one is shot lower, revealing a picnic blanket (chequered, red and white) and the very edge of smooth knees. But what's actually the focal point is a cross-stitch of a flower taking place. There's a notebook to the side, and her goat plush leaning against a small basket, next to a thermos. ]

This is my adventure for today! I went out farther than I ever have around this part... the mood here is like an old friend~ It really makes me think.

Edited (dang i got the day AND month wrong!!! i'm good at this. 💪) 2024-07-03 15:28 (UTC)

[ Ah, so they really are both pushing this exchange through. He grins seeing this, even if it did still feel... well, he's not sure how it feels yet. It's a warm thing, he supposes. ]

Oh! Out for a picnic huh!

Mhm! I thought it would be good to do before going all the way to Willow. I've never taken a walk out into a forest on my own before... so I wanted to make it fun!

[ So she didn't feel lost. ]

Well! Strong first step! And it seems you're not quite alone

[ ... Man, did she grow up sheltered or really urban. both? ]

Nope! And I got you to spend a moment with me too 🌟

Underselling your goat friend, I think ♥

I have plenty of heart to appreciate you both equally! (•̀ᴗ•́ )و

Well then! My pleasure to pep up your day as a guest of honor! ✩

[ It's nighttime when this photo comes in, and it shows a view of Epiphany's night life from Satori Hills, though the apartments aren't in view. Only the dazzling lights from different sources can be seen, as well as a glittering of stars above. ]

Just like a painting, even things that aren't real can make us feel things. I hope you don't feel sad tonight, Spark.
Tomorrow's a new day!

Edited (DATES!!!!!!!!!!) 2024-07-03 16:44 (UTC)

Is your place in Satori Hills, or you just visiting?

Aren't we all visiting?

Ehehe, sorry
Yup, I live here!

Well damn!

You find Hoot Couture yet?

Se~cret~
You'll have to find out another day!

Edited 2024-07-03 17:55 (UTC)

Oh, now I'm more excited...!

(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
Night night!

Night!

[Lex's memory continued to nag Altair. He usually wasn't too bothered about keeping the memories he saw to himself. This time was different though. Unlike the memories of dead Lex was still alive. It felt wrong to keep it from him so eventually he gave in and contacted him.]

I think I saw your memory. If you want to pretend nothing happened that's fine but if you want to talk about it I'll listen. It's your choice.

Damn, my man

make that sound more like a threat

I didn't mean it like that.

I saw the mission where Choum and Rupert died. I'm sorry.

Oh wow, that was a *while* back now

The whole mission, huh? Not the most fancy one or anything, but it felt like it back then

Yeah I know. I felt everything you felt then.

[ Fuck, yeah. If it's like that thing he experienced with Gojo- ]

Most of the rest of them survived the rest of the war.

[Most. That one word made his soul ache with a familiar pain.]

That's good to hear.

[He hesitated before adding,]

What about you? What happened after the war?

Ah well, I lived too

Left the country behind

Did you enjoy traveling?

[There were other questions he could ask. Was Lex ever able to return to his world was at the front of his mind given how it reminded him of his own past, but he had trespassed enough with the memory he saw.]

I always have, once I realized the beauty in it

Yeah, I suppose you're right. I've always wanted to travel. I just didn't think it would happen like this.

[Or how much it would cost him. The beauty Lex mentioned was hard to see sometimes and he needed that reminder.]

Peering into dreams or following a Fox?

[There was a long pause from Altair's end before he hesitantly answered.]

Both, although it's not the first time I've peered into someone's memory. Shadow mages can travel into the memories of the dead. I can't see the memories of the living though.

[He didn't know if he told Lex because he wanted to share something personal with him to make up for the memory he saw, or if he was just tired of keeping that secret to himself.]

[ . . . Huh.

Well, then. Lex hums a little bit at his relic before he then taps on it twice and types out his response, ]

Ah, well, then to end up in a deathless realm...

Yeah, it's...quiet.

[His feelings beyond that were complicated. It was nice being able to sleep at night again without his soul being plunged into the sea of souls, but he also felt like he was missing an important part of himself so he couldn't say that he was glad the connection was gone.]

Edited (sorry, I changed the wording a little orz) 2024-11-08 10:12 (UTC)

I have to assume that's a good relief, yeah?

[ But, maybe not. It's possible it's being severed from something he's used to. ]

Yeah, mostly. It's not a fun experience.

[ Huh. ... He had no knowledge of Altair's experiences, be it in the past or the ones he had in his own memories of that time. It's curious he should see that mission. He wonders if the guy has some connection to it... It feels so - on fear of insulting the dead, it's small as compared to some memories of his past. But it was the first time he saw someone important enough to him die in front of him (he thinks). Maybe it's that. ]

I'd bet, I'd bet

In any case, I made it through it all. Journeyed around. So no need to get too stuck on my own experiences, especially when they weren't yours, yeah?

[Lex had sharp intuition. Seeing someone important to them die while they were powerless to stop it was something they had in common, and it was the main thing that lingered in his mind after seeing the memory. Was it really that small a memory? That wasn't the impression he got from Lex's emotions. Still, it felt wrong to say anything about it. He chose a safer option instead.]

Easier said than done. I know what it's like to be torn from your world and be stranded somewhere else. Except it was the opposite for me. I ended up on Earth after my world was destroyed.

[ . . . That memory wasn't even that related to it. He's deduced it from that, huh. He supposes- no, about half of them back then were from other worlds. Him, Aurelio. Noi. Some of the others too. If he felt what he felt back then, understood the logic like he understood Gojo's high... it makes sense he would know thaT. And knowing that is a whole other thing entirely. ]

Destroyed in its entirety?

Earth takes in people that way?

[ Did Earth ever come up on that mission? It must've, at least in context enough. Or is this a coincidence? ]

[Lex thought about highschool. He had never gone to school himself but Earth was the only place he heard it called that. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything. He hoped to let Lex know he wasn't alone, but maybe he was projecting his own loneliness onto him.]

Yes. It's hard to describe how I know it's gone, but it is.

Not normally no. Earth's connection to my world is complicated. In the past people from Earth were banished there but that truth was buried. Any connection to Earth that carried over was cleverly hidden as stories about the ancient gods. Me and my friends happened to find an ancient portal in time.

[ ... Sheesh, what an amazing story. It's hard to describe how he knows it's gone? A portal that connects Earth and there? There's so many ways that can play out and this guy happened to be at the center of all of it? Lex was unsettled enough to have the experiences he'd had back with switching with Mitsuko, experiencing Gojo's memories... to have this guy know so much and have some inverted tale. ... Mmm ]

Ah well.

I'm sorry for you have experienced some stuff like that then

[For better or worse Altair was used to having glimpses of other lives in his head. Lex's memory had been more intense though which is why it was harder to move past it.]

Thanks, it was wasn't all bad. I met one of my best friends on Earth.

Well, one would hope you met at least someone nice there. I'd feel more bad if you didn't.

I could say the same about you.

[ . . . ]

There were and are some precious things for me there

I'm glad. I found some precious things along the way as well. I guess this place isn't bad either. Well, most of the time.

Well, I'm still getting used to it.

[ After all, it's barely been two full months as of this thread. ... Maybe threeish? I forget if the may trial ended at the end of may or beginning of June. Either way TI M E ]

Yeah I don't blame you. I still don't trust the relative peace here but I'm glad I was able to meet some of the people here.

[Lex included. Thinking about it that way made it easier to quiet the fears he had about this place. He had been here longer than Lex though, so he has had more time to adjust.]

Heeeh. Is that just in your head, or do you think there's some specific reason to be wary?

Mostly a past experience with a 'helpful' god who I thought I could trust, but she had her own agenda. It's why my world was destroyed.

I doubt the fox wants us to reach our potential solely for our sake. Some of the trials are also proof that she doesn't care about what she puts us through to reach that goal. Take this one for instance, sure sharing memories could bring us closer together but at an unfair price to you.

[ Well.

He doesn't disagree with that. But at the same time, hey, he... yeah. ]

Oh I don't think it's for our sake, I agree. Still working out all the details here for myself. I don't have an idea for its agenda, just sort of the idea of it being a Conceptual being.

Yeah that's the problem. There is too much we don't know about Thirteen or this place.

[Which is what worried him the most. Ignorance cost him too much in the past and he didn't want anyone here to have their world shattered by the truth like he did.]

Edited 2024-12-10 10:43 (UTC)

Well, you'd know better

I'll see where I end up in a while

[ After all this thread is in the ancient times ]

I wish I could tell you more. If I find out anything I promise I'll tell you.

Yeah! I'll be counting on you

Where are you?

[ Straight to the point, as usual. ]

Oh no, has it finally happened...?

What the hell are you talking about?

First some sort of familiar-other people dating app and now this?! The fabled time of the booty call has come for me in this realm?!

[ He is absolutely, absolutely not being serious right now. Lex has seen that in his inbox, clicked it, and then decided that, if that guy was going to give him a weird voice recording in his inbox, he'd respond with some strange. At least at first. For a joke. ]

Excuse me?

[ What the hell, Lex. ]

Did you hit your head?

Nope! But I also didn't leave a message in someone's Personal Messages box asking where they are with no context.

Who needs context? It was a simple question.

Is it? Seems to me a little bit eerie, as questions go.

[ Doot, doot... but then Lex exhales a little (even allowing it to be recorded) and, ]

South end of Epiphany.

It's a normal question to ask when someone's been on a mission.

[ He scoffs. ]

Meet me at the canteen.

I assume you mean the one in the center of Epiphany. There's actually one in each region as near as I can tell.

Tsk. [ He clicks his tongue. ] I'm not such a bastard that I would make you go all the way to another region for a meal.

Good to check; you didn't say where you were.

[ A meal, huh. ]

Going to another region would require effort.

[ The 'and I hate things that require effort' is implied, though whether or not that is believable is up for debate.

...Especially since he did visit Cruel Summer the other day and is still pretty tired from it. ]

I will be there whenever you decide to show up.

Hey, hey, for all I know, you had made some special home out in Tides.

[ But okay... the canteen, huh? From where he's at, shouldn't be too much more than about na hour. Maybe a little less. ]

Aight, then.

[ He scoffs at that. ]

Alright, I'm going to take a nap. Bye.

[ And Cale will indeed pass the time by taking a nap in the canteen with all the purring Catfé cats. ]

[ Lex rolls his eyes.

He rolls his eyes and tries - fails - to not think of Naram. He doesn't want to conflate Cale with Naram. For the most part, he doesn't, but there are some similarities which are hard to ignore and bother the mercenary just a little bit. Bothers him, but he realizes that might well be why he was quick to joke with the guy, despite the Duke's son thing. Despite the magic, the rudeness...

He hates that feeling even as he loves it.

His eyes have turned green, though he doesn't know it. They will, at least, be back to hazel by the time he arrives at the canteen. He's been here several times by now, so he just asks the spirits who are doing the lion's share of organization where the redhead was. And once so directed, he shifts off his pack, puts it to a storage space, and he comes to see the guy armed only with his new wand and his sword on his belt.

... Let's go find our man. ]

Edited 2024-10-26 07:40 (UTC)

[ Were there more comfortable places in the hospitality centre to nap than the canteen? Yes. But did those places have cats? No.

Cale would say that wasn't the reason he found an out-of-the-way corner of the canteen, pulled some blankets from his spatial bag, and curled up for a nap on the makeshift bed. He had spent time cooking a large meal made of a variety of dishes and was waiting for Lex to arrive so they could eat. Staying in the canteen required less effort.

But the way Cale has curled himself protectively around the cats napping with him against his chest, the way he seems perfectly at home with even more cats curled up against — and sometimes on — the rest of his body, and the way his sleeping expression is peaceful and content for the first time anyone would have seen...

Well, it says a lot about the deeper reason behind Cale's choice.

Unfortunately, with his eyes closed and body relaxed, the man no longer just appears thin, pale, and weak but more like someone who is frail and sickly. Cale never had a chance to properly recover from the recent war, leaving him far too skinny and far too pale — something usually masked by the sharpness of his gaze, strength of his presence, and steady voice. ]

[ Exposed like this, it really is noticeable. This guy hasn't had enough to eat or enough sleep or both for an extended period. Probably other complications besides. Lex puts a hand over his left flank briefly, but then shakes his head as he steps over the other.

... Huh.

Hazel eyes turning a shade of orange, the man crouches down next ot the cat collection, half expecting them to mouth off at him as he nears, the man just sort of watches the guy sleep for a moment here. Before he reaches out to poke his face, unless some cat's stepping off on him. ]

[ However deeply asleep he may have been, Cale wakes up almost instantly at the touch. Even before his mind has processed the situation his arms have tightened protectively around the cats by his chest, and he's maneuvered his body to shield any other cats near him.

He blinks once. Twice. Then the tenseness in his shoulders eases and he sighs. How embarrassing. Cale assumed the cats would have woken him up, or at least tried warning him of the man's approach.

Traitors, he thinks.

Cale brushes his face with his hands, mind now awake but body still feeling a bit lethargic. ]

Hi.

Do you need some more nappy time?

[ His tone is airy, as usual, and perhaps a little mocking by implication. But he's also being sincere - the guy's body can't possibly feel good, the way it looks, especially just coming do like this. the mercenary wonders if the guy had set up something a little elaborate to call him like this. Was it some new mission? Or was it a follow up on the semi-joke of a meal or drinks?

Both? ]

[ Cale can't tell if this guy is mocking him or asking an honest question. Either way it's annoying, so he dismisses the question with a grumbling expression and a wave of his hand. ]

Meals are best when they're still warm.

[ He begins freeing himself from the cats, taking the time to carefully pick each of them up and move them away himself rather than just shooing them off. It takes longer than Cale would like but he gets to his feet sooner rather than later. ]

[ ... They're cats, cats can survive a little fall and will be fine to be shooed. Lex doesn't knock the guy's movements or anything, but he does offer a (gloved, with fingerless gloves) hand for the guy as he's getting up.

... A meal, huh? Interesting. ]

Suppose that makes sense.

[ When two of your children are kittens you tend to be overly careful with cats — especially sleepy ones. Especially purring ones.

Cale isn't so prideful that he would refuse a helping hand, so he accepts Lex's offer without an ounce of shame. ]

Obviously. The weather is getting cold, so you need a warm meal.

I hope that's 'you,' generic plural. After all, you look in rougher shape than me, my man.

[ Ooop, let's get the guy up. Lex is, for all his many faults, actually a relatively physically strong guy. It's not superhuman or anything (though the Legend buff helped with that) but he's well able to do an oop up. ]

I'm not the one roaming around helping with restorations. [ A scoff. ] I look handsome, even like this.

[ He actually isn't joking about that at all — if there is one thing Cale is confident about it's his face. Even without any muscles, the body of Cale Henituse can make any clothes look good. ]

I don't know what you like, so I made a bunch of things.

Oh, we're not denying that.

[ He's thin. Malnourished? The face is handsome and the eyes are piercing, but there's signs of chronic ... tiredness? Overwork? Both? It's possible he's reading more into several things, because the overall appearance of the man isn't gaunt or anything, but it doesn't look like a noble "ought to" in Lex's opinion. Nor really what anyone ought to in a realm where food and leisure time are as abundant as they are in folkmore.

... He's one to talk, though. He's clearly not slept in a "proper" bed in a day or two, on top of how none of them had over the time in Amrita. ]

You cook?

[ Honestly, that if anything surprises him, as he motions for the other to lead on to whatever set up he probably had prepared. ]

[ Cale isn't blind to Lex's current condition despite making no comment about it. Instead he focuses on leading the man to a large table he had preemptively claimed by setting it with cutlery and dishware. ]

It's not like my personal chef is here to do it for me.

[ A memory of when he was nineteen and working hard at a restaurant flashes in Cale's mind as he begins carefully pulling out the various sealed cookware he safely stored away in his spatial bag.

First is a generous amount of marinated, stir-fried sirloin strips (bulgolgi) set in a dish alongside the lettuce and other sides needed for proper Korean BBQ (samgyeopsal).

Then is the tteokbokki — spicy, stir-fried rice cakes. Then comes the savoury pancakes (jeon), a large number of seaweed-wrapped rice rolls (kimbap), and sticky fried chicken (yangnyeom tongdak).

He also pulls out a teapot of boiled water, two teacups, and a few boxes of teas Lex can choose from, along with packets of sugar and little disposable cups of creamer.

And a six pack of beer. ]

[ Another bunch of things he doesn't recognize , with spices and scents to them which are unfamiliar to him. Of course, all food's only as alien as what you try. But it did bring to mind when Makie showed a whole alien platter of food for him. These look different, of course, but...

Huh.

He takes up a seat, reaching out to take one of the cans of beer and looking at the rest of it with some curiosity, taking it all in. ]

I still don't think I'd trust most scions to know their way around cooking.

[ He prepares a sweet tea for himself and eats a couple of kimbap while he waits for it to steep.

Cale shrugs at the comment. ]

Most scions don't know what it takes to survive.

Isn't it more like their survival is a whole different set of skills?

[ ... Well, he'll copy the other to take some of those. Sure. And then he'll just slowly take samples from each of these so he can poke at an examination of the flavor one by one. ]

Most of them lack those skills, too.

[ He doesn't think very highly of a majority of the nobility he's had the misfortune of dealing with. Luckily he found some noble and royalty he doesn't mind working with, and who keep most of the annoying things away from him.

Reminded of Alver, a small frown crosses his face. He decides to ignore the unwanted feelings by stuffing a tteokbokki elegantly into his mouth.

It's not like his sworn brother could just show up here even if he did notice Cale was missing. ]

People who don't have skills can't survive but for luck or the skills of other people. And usually the unskilled one don't gravitate talent around them. Or... so's the theory, anyway.

[ He doesn't even know if he's arguing for any real reason, more just feeling out the other's opinions by doing it. As he tries all of these things in turn to see how he likes or dislikes the flavors here. ]

They will attach themselves to those they perceive have power or strength in order to survive, and seek every opportunity to gain more political power at the expense of innocent people if necessary.

[ Sure, Cale had expected it during the battles in the northeast, but it doesn't make him any less disgusted with those pathetic nobles during the very rare moments he gives them any thought. ]

The world of nobility is mostly bullshit. The good ones are almost always suppressed before they have a chance to make real change.

[ Fortunately Cale solved that issue in the Rowoon Kingdom. And in the Mogoru Empire (by throwing the entire empire over and picking people to put in power). And in the Whipper Kingdom. And in the Molden Kingdom... And the Endable Kingdom...

...

He decides not to think about it anymore and just stuffs some more kimbap in his mouth. ]

Oh, it definitely operates by its own logic, and its not my place to say if it's bullshit or not. But I don't think anything you've said necessarily shows them incapable of survival. If anything, manipulation, exploitation, and appealing to those who can defend them precisely are their survival means, yeah? At least a lot of the time.

Rare is the thinking being that doesn't seek its own survival.

[ Lex says all this while mostly scooting some of the more interesting dishes closer to himself. Or at least a little bit of them. Let's go for the sticky chicken next, actually. And maybe the... Barbecue? He doesn't quite get what's up with the lettuce yet so he waits to see how the other is handling it. ]

You would assume so. But many nobles are so focused on their power games that they forget their factions won't matter if the kingdom falls in war.

[ Cale eventually clues in and — wanting some anyway — deftly fills a piece of lettuce with the grilled, marinated pork belly, julienned carrot, some rice, and red chili paste. He rolls it up and eats it like one would a soft-shelled taco. ]

Hm. You've been here longer than me, Lex.

What do you know about Familiar bonds?

[ ... Oh huh. That's actually a pretty fun use for the lettuce. the man follows suit. He was going to continue the argument by habit until that came and- oh yeah, the Pandora's Fox thing the other day. ]

Basically nothing but what I've seen on the network or on that matchmaking game the other day. It's something they can do with Legends or Myths and produces some metaphysical connection between them. But I don't know any of the real details on it - didn't ask the Fox when I was coming here and I was only became it existed a month or two into being here, because it just didn't come up much.

Hmm.

[ Cale weighs the possible pros and cons. The cons currently outweigh the pros.

But he can't help but be curious. ]

I am willing to try it.

[ The 'with you' goes unsaid. Lex should know him well enough by now despite the short time they've actually known each other. If Cale thinks about it it's strange that he gets along so well with this guy already.

Cale chooses not to think about it. ]

Oh yeah?

[ The man says, as his first response as he's working out this lettuce taco. It's said without thinking, just sort of humming it before taking his bite. ]

[ But then, as he's chewing, Lex processes more what's being said while being unsaid there. They've really only talked a handful of times so far. He's seen him around the camp and such back during the Amrita stuff, but they haven't really hung out or anything. It's not a deeply interpersonal relationship or anything just yet, just... talking.

But he's been listening to the guy and opted into his own sense of familiarity very quickly with him as well. The very fact he does understand that really is... something he recognizes himself and doesn't like. It wasn't like Lex was technically closest to Cale or anything. He'd outed more of himself to that Gojo guy (even if he's gone), freely said some deep things to Betsy and on that drunken night to that other woman. Hell, even Mitsuko was in his body.

... Being connected like that instinctually makes him feel like the telepathic connections Betsy could do. Those are scary. ]

[ Swallowing, ]

-Insofar as proposals go, I've actually had better ones directed at me.

[ He said, with a smirk. Because of course as he took the spare few seconds to process things he opted to deflect off to some comedy. ]

[ It's neither a 'yes' or a 'no', though Cale hadn't really expected an answer immediately anyway. ]

And yet still no fabled booty calls.

[ Shit.

Wait.

Knowing this guy— ]

Shut up.

Eh? You're assuming a lot about me there, my man.

[ Arching his brows and his eyes turning bright pink. ]

[ Cale doesn't look at him, instead choosing to drink his cup of ~~(warm water because he forgot to finish preparing it)~~ tea. ]

[ And then he ... laughs a little, before going for his next bite, chew, swallow combo. ]

[ ...He puts down the empty teacup and grabs a can of beer.

If both Lex and his ancient powers are all going to laugh, Cale decides he needs some alcohol even if it's nowhere near enough to get him the least bit tipsy.

Now he can blame any flushing on the alcohol. ]

[ Oh fine though, if the man won't argue back... Lex swallows and, while opening his own beer, ]

To be honest, I've not given it a lot of thought. Not sure if it's just the one person, what it fully entails - you've got some clout with locals, it's entirely possible you've learned more, yeah?

Just that Familiar bonds are considered to be the most important ritual here by the spirits. It forms a psychic bond between a Familiar and a Myth or Legend which can manifest in various ways?

I've been looking for information on if these bonds can be broken later on, but apparently that's a taboo thing to discuss.

[ He sighs. ]

With such an emphasis on the significance of these bonds there must be an important purpose to them beyond what's obvious.

And how they're formed? Is it a matter of the spoon trick and willing it, or is it something else, centered in the Roles themselves?

[ As Lex says this, he's actually reaching into his back pocket to reach for his own Spoon. After all, if they're going to talk about this, then he's got something he might as well show Cale. Reveal one little secret. ]

I believe it is a simple matter of acknowledging your mutual consent of the bond to each other. Beyond that I'm not sure.

[ He frowns slightly. ]

What are you doing?

[ He pulls the spoon out, thumbing it between his fingers on his left hand a moment before looking over at Cale. He's not actually done this yet, but when it forced, he did learn the information of how and the basic mechanics of it intuitively.

So he asks the relatively absurd question- ]

Will you accept my invitation to go somewhere with me? Just for a spell.

[ Cale scrutizes the man for a long moment.

Then he sighs and shrugs, consciously deciding to trust Lex. ]

...Sure? Why not.

[ Holding out his right hand- ]

Alright then, take my hand here.

[ As he holds up his spoon in front of him ~~as if he were a Kadabra~~ with his left hand. ]

[ ...

Cale arches an eyebrow at him but, again, decides to go along with whatever bullshit Lex is pulling and takes his hand. ]

[ And with that Lex closes his eyes...

And then as he opens them again, both her and Cale and - he hopes - the table they were touching (he sees no reason this shouldn't be the case, he could take his own gear into here before even if it couldn't remain when he wasn't here) into his Safe Space.

The room is on the small side. Basically it's a living room with the sort of furniture one might expect in a middle class American household in the early 2000s. There's a faint sea breeze coming in from a window of the room which is lightly ajar and faces out into a view of a beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. A sea breeze comes in from it, for all the sounds and smells that implies. ... And heat, really.

Naturally, that view is just that, a view - it isn't actually there. The only things real here are them and maybe by implication anything they brought into this relatively small room. And, of course, the door which they can leave out of.

As usual, Lex feels the inherent relaxation of this space wash over him. Honestly, it's more than he would like to show other people normally, the way his shoulders un-tense, the way that his body language doesn't hint at his willingness to spring at any moment. Even so- ]

Tadah.

Edited 2024-10-30 04:16 (UTC)

[ It takes a second for Cale to process what just happened, and another to register what he's seeing. It's shocking enough that he hasn't yet let go of Lex's hand. ]

This is—

[ — Aww! Is this a date?
— Kehehe! Our kid is on a date?
— Should we fuck this guy up?
— Guys... Be quiet...

At his ancient powers' teasing Cale quickly recovers from his shock and retracts his hand. He looks away from Lex and analyzes his surroundings in more detail.

Technology Cale, Kim Rok Soo, remembers from when he was small. A style he remembers seeing in American television dramas. Scenery out the window that seems familiar but he doesn't recognize.

It can't be anything else but some version of Earth. ]

...A pocket dimension?

Yeah-huh!

[ Ugh, Lex sort of hates the exuberance he feels right now. This space is so relaxing it makes him light up a little bit more and laugh some as he's shown off the display before him, even if he was doing so for purely practical purposes. Or well, he would hate it if he could feel that self-loathing, but within this space, free from emotional trauma in addition to physical, he can't quite bring himself there emotionally.

He waves the hand holding the spoon around the room. ]

I wished on the spoon trick with the water for a more secure place a while back in my travels. I ended up able to conjure up this space, even if the Lore absolutely cheated me on that one. This space kicks me out if I linger in here more than about twelve hours and nothing I leave in here can remain when I leave.

It's—

[ Comfortable, he thinks, letting the atmosphere wash over him.

Logically Cale knows it is some kind of illusion. Just a skin decorating a spatial dimension. It is real-but-not. It shouldn't feel this... nice? And he knows it shouldn't. Knows he should probably be scared that he feels safe here, because safe isn't something Cale can feel so easily. So obviously his feelings are being manipulated somehow. But—

There's no war. No Hunters. No worlds calling for his help.

It makes Cale feel light in a way he can't identify, easing some tension in his body and leaving him pleasantly relaxed. ]

...pretty nice, for a dimension in a spoon. How much did it cost you?

About as much as a magic weapon did.

[ In Cale's defense, this Safe Space is designed for Lex. He might feel some of it by proxy, but he isn't the designed target of the dimension's peace. Lex hums a little as he stands, letting go of Cale's hand to walk towards the door.

After all, he did just intend to demonstrate it, not linger here. Even if, as always, he sort of wants to. ]

So these spoon tricks can get pretty esoteric. I've got this, some other guy I met made a tree which grows pastries.

And how much was that?

[ This would be a pretty good place for a nap, but not as good as home. Even if he bought a spoon dimension of his own, it would be lacking in the three most important things.

Cale follows Lex to the door, feeling an odd mixture of both eager and reluctant to leave. ]

A tree that grows pastries?

[ Cale preemptively ignores the Glutton's begging. ]

That's what I was told. It really opened my eyes to the idea these spoons and make some weird things. I kind of want to try it out; maybe make a tea which produces tea or monster energy.

[ As he puts his hand on the door handle, Lex hums again and ... how to explain... ah, well, let's go with ]

A little more than six times as much as getting some tools... so somewhere around fifteen to twenty times as much as a lot of food charges you?

Huh. Makes sense.

[ Spatial magic is no joke, so the price seems fair enough. ]

It's a good place for a nap. I assume they're modeled after a place the owner is familiar with and feels secure in?

I couldn't say. Mine was just like this.

[ Said as he turns the handle to open up to leave - and because he is leaving his Safe Space, as he does - the both of them just appear back in Folkmore, back in or near their chairs in the canteen.

Of course, by showing that at all, he was sort of revealing something of himself. But he did do this in order to make a point of sorts. The point being, ]

So, using the spoons like that, one can really produce some esoteric powers, even if my accident. Makes me wonder by the limits of Lore might even be.

[ The return is a bit disorienting, especially compared to teleportation magic. Cale nearly trips over his seat but pretends that he didn't. ]

...That is a good question. Thirteen doesn't seem to care about balance, so who knows?

Balance, huh?

[ A little laugh, as he pulls back into the chair and leans back a little ]

So that's why I wondered if it might be the Familiar bonds were made through them. Perhaps there's even other links made that way.

Yeah. It's an important thing.

[ Important and annoying. Though it makes him wonder how Thirteen is handling all the accumulated karma, or if karma even exists in this realm.

And, if it doesn't, how he could use that to his advantage in avoiding more threats of godhood. ]

What you showed me makes it seem like these spoons are more like wands than wallets. With that in mind it wouldn't be surprising if they were used as catalysts for other connections.

Ironically, I actually generated another wand with them yesterday.

[ This is... not that relevant, but the connection amused him. ]

... You're an Elementalist and a magic swordsman?

[ Wow. This guy is more of a munchkin than Cale expected. ]

Oh please, I don't have the mana for that. [ Understatement. As far as he knew, he didn't have any actionable mana as that other world understood it. ] It's just a magic tool that a Magister made for me once upon an adventure in a desert.

Uh-huh. [ Even if Lex doesn't have mana, Cale is still a bit skeptical. ] But you're at least an elemental swordsman, right?

I mean, that'd be your term. I'd certainly never use it.

[ That's ... it's technically a deflection, he supposed, but at the same time he also just has never heard that term before, so. While he can infer its meaning, he doesn't really think it applies, necessarily. ]

Your spirit friends don't add elemental aspects to your sword? [ The elementals of the Elves and Dark Elves all seems delighted to lend their powers to arrows and blades so he thought the spirits would be similar, but maybe not. ]

[ Oh. Huh. Honestly, the term made that sound much more... theatrical, in his head. Lex brushes his hand on the hilt of the thing on huis belt before settling in and finding his way to making another one of those lettuce taco things. ]

Ah, well, if you're asking that - the metal this thing's made up is very electrically conductive. Using them to make it spark's a trick I've used before.

[ Huh. Neat. Cale wouldn't have pegged this guy as someone who favoured lightning. ]

Have you tried creating a blade of wind around your sword? You can use wind to increase the speed of your swings.

I've thought about it, but to maintain that for more than a strike or two I'd either need more spirits contracted or more complex ones. [ At least, in his own experience, from his own tests of it. ]

It's more efficient usually to have them work around on my lungs or ankles or parts of my body to increase the speed there. Wind's more sympathetic to flesh than it is to most metals.

[ At least within the Logic he knows. ]

It would be interesting to see your world's spirits and my world's elementals interact.

[ There seem to be both a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. ]

Yeah, well, maybe you can try calling some of 'em here through the spoon. Or maybe the Fox'll see some 'potential' in them and we'll get the chance.

[ Or... well, anything more than that's far, far too ahead of things. ]

I have no ability to contract with elementals, so I don't know if it would work. It would be nice to have some here... [ The three that usually follow him around — the Thief's old friends — especially, even if they were a bit...odd. ]

But elementals should be able to live freely. They wouldn't have that option in this place.

What of this place renders it impossible for them to live freely?

[ He muses this out - his tone deliberately a little floaty, implying that he isn't really committing to one opinion or the other. He's curious why Cale is saying that while trying to reserve whatever opinion he himself has as he puts meat and tries other fillings in this lettuce. ]

Thirteen's involvement.

[ Cale saw those Foxboxes and, while elementals are certainly not pets, what happened sets precedence for the captivity of sentient beings. ]

I wouldn't trust her to always let my elemental allies live with the freedoms they're accustomed to.

Doesn't that apply to all of us too?

[ His eyes turn a light green color, a smirk on his lips. Again, curious. ]

[ He looks away with a small scoff. ]

Obviously.

But we're not embodiments of nature. They are meant to be among the freest of beings.

So we're damned to these bodies, bound to some destiny of the flesh?

What the hell are you talking about? Maybe you don't like yours but I like this body of mine.

And 'destiny' is bullshit. Do what you want without worrying about that nonsense.

Oh please, I like myself plenty! But you just said that elementals are free for what they are! Thus, by implication, we who are bound to flesh are doomed to that flesh - and lack of freedom.

[ He says this with a little smirk growing even bigger on his face. He's just playing with his words. ]

...Not really? There are ways around it, though I would consider all of them unpleasant.

--It was a figure of speech, my man.

[ But now he's both curious a little put out at his guy just talking about out of body experiences. Huff. ]

...

[ Ahem. Well then.

Maybe he's gotten too used to beings questioning his status as a mortal human, so his new default is to assume literal instead of figurative...

Cale elegantly stuffs a tteokbokki into his mouth and looks away. ]

[ ... Heeeeh.

Lex's face is really smug for a moment there. ]

[ But then his expression relaxes and he goes for another thing on the table he didn't actually try yet. He shifts it on his plate and takes another strong little gulp of the beer. His eyes shift a little bit to become a more turquoise color ]

So, so. Seems you communed with all the cats here. Or are they extorting you?

[ Cale shrugs and decides to grab another can of beer. He has the fleeting thought that it has been years since he sat down drinking beer with anyone. ]

...My two oldest are Cat Tribe children.

[ He refuses to directly admit — even to himself — just how much he misses those children of his. ]

So you're a servant to all cats?!

[ In a pantomime of surprise, Lex's eyes widen (though the color doesn't change) and he brings up one hand over his mouth!! ]

[ Cale finally looks back at Lex, but only to make him aware just how unimpressed he is with his bullshit. ]

I'm not really a cat person, but the ones here are kind of cute.

That sounds pretty "cat person."

[ just saying. He doesn't even think about cats much of the time. ]

No? The cats here are objectively cute. To say otherwise would be denying facts.

[ Cale gestures toward a few of them, which earns him a lap full of cats that he pats before he's consciously aware of it. ]

Though they are not as cute as Ohn and Hong.

...Wow.

[ Objectively cute? Lex's eyes shift to a blue color and he arches his brow a little. Opinions can't be objective. That just sounds silly. Gosh. ]

[ Cale lets one of the cats climb onto his shoulder, where it begins giving his face affectionate head-bonks. ]

Are you denying reality?

[ Dude.

Lex gives him a somewhat disappointed look, though again one framed via being comical. But even as he does it, his spirits he can feel responding in sympathy. They always seem to be more active around Cale. Some of the wind spirits start flying around towards the guy's hair and the cats and such. But for his part the earth spirits are making him feel somewhat heavier. ]

[ Seeing that look, Cale arches a disbelieving brow at him. He also takes the cat's face gently between his hands and squishes it.

Like, this is an objectively cute creature? How can you deny it?

He (and the cats) briefly startled at the movement of the wind. ]

Oh. I did promise, didn't I? [ That if the wind spirits did a good job of clearing the tracks he would let them play with his hair. ] Did you all do good work?

[ Lex exhales and shakes his head, downing what's left of that beer and leaning back a little. He doesn't really dislike cats or anything, but the whole objective thing is weird. He mutters to try to have the earth spirits loosen up their grip on him, and then looks to see the wind spirits going about around the guy, tugging on hair.

they shine, at least to Lex's eyes. ]

That other guy's telekinesis was more useful, but yeah.

[ At Lex's confirmation Cale sighs and finishes off his beer, then gently shakes the cat back down from his shoulder. ]

Don't blow it into my face or tangle it too much.

[ That's all he says before pulling his hair free of its ribbon and letting it fall over his shoulders. He crinkles his nose for a moment, expression undeniably grumpy as he notices just how much longer it's gotten. Without anyone to attend to his hair it's become such a hassle.

Should I cut it? ]

How is the food?

Interesting. The flavor profiles there aren't the sort I'm too familiar with.

[ He'll try anything, of course, and he does like it. But... well, perhaps it's just not what he expected out of Cale? That's probably the truth of it.

But then, he's not been to every realm ever.

The spirits will ... not obey that. They will tug and move it around and wave it however they want. ]

It's South Korean food.

[ Cale frowns as the spirits don't listen to his request. ]

Hmm? If it gets all tangled I won't be able to untangle it. Should I cut off all my hair then?

[ ... Snort. Lex waves a hand and then mutters an order for them to back off a little. The spirits comply, but having been so invited to linger there, they keep blowing that hair, including some of the tangles, in the wind.

... Korean? ]

Eeeeh, is that so. Never had it, I suppose.

[ Did they get introduced to it here? Had he misjudged the situation and this guy was from some Earth which also had elementals and spirits and such? ]

[ Deciding he really doesn't want to (or know how to) deal with excessive tangles, Cale ties his hair back up but in a way that just keeps it from being blown around too crazily.

And, at this point, Cale really can't help but ask— ]

So, which country did you live in on Earth? America?

[ —the clues keep pointing toward Lex being another possible transmigrator from a version of Earth. ]

[ Well that confirms ... something. Honestly, it could confirm a number of things, given how confidently this guy spouted off facts the first time they met. Lex still can't help but feel his heart rate go up a little, as if called out by something. His eyes shift a little to a more red-orange shade and he answers, ]

Yeah, the United States therefore of.

[ Cale appears very pleased with himself for guessing correctly. ]

Reincarnation, hero summoning, transmigation, or something else?

[ . . . What the hell? He's knocked into a surprised state so much that his eyes shift to a red color as they narrow and he leans forward. ]

This is a common enough thing for you there's terminology for it?

[ What the fuck even is a transmigration ]

It's not common. I'm familiar with the terminology from fantasy novels, and the research Cale Henituse's biological mother left behind for me.

[ Yes, he did refer to 'himself' in the third person purposefully. Cale figures since he's asking all of these questions he may as well leave some hints of his own. ]

[ What the hell? why is he ... referring to himself like that? Lex has a lot of questions and frankly terrors flooding his mind all at once. Fantasy novels? What, there's some sort of genre fro all this stuff? More than just like ... his eyes take on a more distinct red shade, and he sets his hand down to his side on the one side. His left side specifically - he can feel is hurting down there, a little.

Typical. ]

I don't know what 'transmigrate' even means.

[ He kind of wants to leave it at just that. Reincarnation? How would that even work? Does that even work for humans? What the hell? Hero summoning?

Honestly, it makes him feel sick. He feels sick. Lex taps his fingers twice on the table and, ]

I was summoned in, but it's not some hero thing. It was a desperate, random chance.

...Transmigration is the exchanging of souls between two bodies in separate worlds. There is one who initiates the process and one who is a victim to it.

It can also just mean someone being taken from one world and put into another.

[ It doesn't escape Cale's keen eyes that Lex seems to be experiencing some level of distress. He frowns faintly. ]

...Hey. You've done a good job of surviving, Lex.

Don't patronize me.

[ It comes out quickly and darker than he'd expect or even want, really. To have those words said to him by some guy who is around his age (possibly a littler younger, really) and a noble disgusts him. Who cares if this guy is nice and demonstrably dramatically more powerful to him? What does he even know about what he's gone through? Lex hasn't said any of it. Lex's eyes practically glow red, and the halo appears above his head. Not so much for Cale or anyone else's pain, but for Lex's own. His body language is much, much too tense for a moment- ]

[ - And furthermore, he's not necessarily suffered the most. There was that one woman who went between four worlds. There was Maul and Sharon and all the others. It's not just him and the other wayward soldiers of Vanengardt. Hell, the memories of that one Toge man were just as horrific as anything he'd experienced, and in some similar context. He looks down at the Korean food for a moment.

South Korea.

The mother of Cale?

Transmigration is the exchange of people...?

His brain works through all of that in a second or two as he tries to calm himself down at all, feels his old wound hurt again, fails, and then just-- opts to roll with it, ]

[ this place is about emotional openness, right? And he had said more to that one woman on the drunk night, said more to Betsy on their first meeting. Sure he doesn't know this guy all that well, but putting it together, the reason this guy asked is because he must've been in some similar situation. His mouth dry, he can't really bring himself to apologize just yet, even though perhaps he ought to, so he just keeps talking- ]

None of that. Or at least -- no, the whole point is that they didn't have people to spare. They desperately 'needed' [ the word is venom in his mouth ] their reinforcements. And so all sorts of people were pulled in from all sorts of places.

[ Ah. Cale can hazard a guess about the circumstances and it pisses him off to think of what Lex likely had to go through. ]

And you were still just a kid, not given the proper care and consideration you needed to adjust properly, and expected to fight to the death for the governing body that kidnapped you?

You make it sound so clinical.

[ He responses by way of confirmation, attempting a joke even as he still feels sick. How could this guy know it was when he was young? Maybe - no, he must've dropped hints at various points. This guy was smart, methodical in his observations. ]

It's just how bastards like that work.

[ Cale could say something about how kidnapping children makes the most sense because they're more vulnerable and easier to manipulate, and that taking them from other worlds adds an even greater level of power imbalance, forcing them to be entirely dependent on their kidnapper.

But he won't, because Lex has lived through whatever happened to him. Survived. It was fucked up and traumatizing and Cale feels a flash of anger at the thought of his friend being abused like that. Wishes he could visit that world and bash the person responsible's head in with a rock.

But instead Cale transforms into an elegant red cat, with fur like silk and a too-sharp gaze. He slinks across the table and sits down in front of Lex.

Then, on reflex, his feline body decides to try purring—

—and does an awful, awkward job of it since Cale hasn't vocalized much as a cat, but. Hey. An attempt was made. ]

I meant what I said before. You've done a good job surviving what you went through.

[ The image surprises him. Not so much because he didn't think Cale could do it. By physical traits, the man was most probably a Familiar just due to a lack of anything else even before he got it confirmed on Pandora's Fox. No, it's more that the guy does take up the form, does come over the table at him.

He's got a load of questions, and several defenses ready besides. How familiar is the guy with situations like that. It's not common, but it must be common enough if his mom (Cale's mom?) can so research. He's not even explained what all he went through, so this guy shouldn't mouth off about it. They all really die in his throat, mostly because- ]

... Objectively, sheesh.

[ He works out some other thing to mutter out as he looks down at the cat before him, one hand still holding his left side and the other now reaching out to bop the top of the other's head. ]

[ Cale — 'Rok Soo', in this form — blinks at Lex, tilting his head to the side curiously. Was that pain psychosomatic or had the man been injured? He flicks his tail, irritated by the thought.

Being touched as a cat is... new. And for a moment Rok Soo can only flinch in instinctive fear before his mind quickly kicks back in, reminding him he's safe and it's just Lex.

He doesn't lean into the touch, but neither does he make any move to pull away after his initial flinch.

His clumsy purring also gets a bit louder. ]

[ Another little bop. It's not really a pet, not ... at all, actually. More just a little touch because if someone or something is going to play at being a purring cat and get the fur on the food like that, he might as well show it the affectionate touch that implies. And to be fair, it is warm.

... He's not explained anything of it. His survival, all that hard work to get to the points he did... he doesn't dismiss it, no but nor is it really all his own power or anything. What's more- ]

Just so you're not assuming through things, [ Even if he was correct, ] the basic version is that I was pulled into their war a little over ten years ago, was in it for five, left after the capital fell [ there's a lot, lot more to that, but he did say cliffnotes and he's driving to another point, ], and I've been journeying since.

So what's your story?

[ Unwilling to speak of his circumstances too loudly, lest someone overhear it, he jumps onto Lex's shoulder, sprawls across his neck like a shawl and makes himself comfortable. Finally he speaks quietly beside Lex's ear. ]

A reincarnator cursed by the God of Death pushed my soul out of my body before I was born on Nameless 1. Then I was born on Earth 1 as Kim Rok Soo, and because I was touched by that curse everyone I held affection for would leave and everyone I loved would die.

When I was twenty monsters from the Demon World suddenly appeared and brought the apocalypse.

[ He swishes his tail back and forth, releasing nervous energy. ]

One day I fell asleep reading a fantasy novel and then woke up in the body of the minor villain, Cale Henituse.

I wanted to avoid the upcoming war against that reincarnator bastard, but somehow ended up as the commander and eventually killing him myself.

The original Cale Henituse is not a bad guy. He exchanged identities with me to save his family, who are now my family.

...And although I am now Cale Henituse, in this form I'm "Rok Soo", got it?

[ Nameless 1? Earth 1? what the hell does any of that mean. Also apparently gods are real and directly worked through this guy's life - or at least cursed his enemy. Again, reincarnation as a key term. And this guy's been through an apocalypse from demons, and then on top of that swapped into some fantasy novel which is, apparently, real.

Lex supposes all stories end up sounding a little incoherent when you just get facts and not the relevant connective parts. As is, despite clearly detecting this is a key confession for the other man, it's hard to actually understand much of any of it as one story.

Other than a few key beats, the obvious ones. The guy suffered his own blows as bad or worse. The whole curse thing is whack. And then he managed to defeat that guy already? And the commander of what? The war? The guy reincarnated sure but that means that guy reincarnated also into the same fictional but not world... maybe? Maybe that was Nameless 1?

His halo begins to fade, mostly because while he still feels tense, he's using more of his brain for the simple act of comprehension now. ]

Rak Soo, yeah?

[ ... Why? Just honoring himself, maybe?

Also wow he better not feel any claws up on his shoulder. ]

[ There's only so much coherency he can manage when there's just so much to what he's been through as both Kim Rok Soo and Cale Henituse. But it's something that can always be brought up again at a later date, with more privacy and comfort than a canteen. ]

Rok Soo.

[ No claws! Just some absentminded purrs, because laying over someone's shoulders is surprisingly comfortable as a cat. And warm. ]

And if anyone else sees me I'm just a regular cat who is kind of cowardly but loves free food.

... A regular talking cat with a set name.

[ Rok. Rok Soo.

He would nod to himself, but he's got the guy on his shoulders now, so. Lex opts to keep the one hand over his left side and just exhale with the other one goes to brush his brow. Yeah, he's got some sweat there, ugh. ]

I don't speak in this form.

[ Meaning Lex is the first to bear witness to this elegant, fluffy, talking cat. ]

Do you need medical attention?

[ He'll press his cheek more firmly against Lex's skin and increase the intensity of his purring. It's what his kids always did to soothe him if they noticed he was troubled, so he figures it can't hurt in this situation. ]

Or your spoon dimension?

[ He hopes this doesn't make him sneeze...

He does get that the guy is helping though. What would help? ... The spoon dimension would help, but he feels like he would hate it helping like that. This should hurt, just a little.

Medical attention, though? ]

Nah, it's an old wound.

[ He sighs and stands up, balancing carefully on Lex's shoulders. ]

Try holding me against it. The frequency of cat purrs is supposed to help with this type of thing.

That is definitely not true.

It is. It's some therapeutic shit.

No, it absolutely is not! That's silly!

[ He purrs even more loudly and goes back to rubbing his cheeks against Lex, putting on his 'look at me I am such a cute cat' act in retaliation. ]

... What're you even doing.

[ It does look cute, it does feel... not bad? But it's not on the spot and it's also just! Weird! ]

[ Sensing his plan is working, Cale begins making little biscuits in addition to the purring. ]

This is hot on a man's neck, you know! You aren't exactly the tiniest cat ever.

[ Though he was small. ]

[ Is that a laugh or a scoff? Either way, it's an odd noise to come from a cat. ]

Well, I'm not going to do this on your lap.

That's where we draw the line?

[ Lex was still seated - he'd hesitated to stand with the other on him like this and... also hesitated to go for more food or beer or anything. For better or worse, "Rok Soo" had all his attention. ]

I guess so? I'll purr on your lap if you want me to, but I won't make biscuits on it.

... Biscuits?

[ Where are the biscuits... ]

...

[ He pointedly kneads Lex's shoulder again. ]

[ . . . ]

Why is that called biscuits?

[ It feels like a pawing motion so... some sort of cuddle-coaxing.

... His wasn't a cat house growing up ]

...

[ Huh. That's actually a good question. ]

...I think because the motion is like kneading bread? The children often do it when they're feeling sleepy, and they always called it that.

Oh... Huh, I could see that, actually, the bread thing.

[ Sort of. ]

It might be why the Catfé is a café with baked goods.

[ ...He can understand why Ohn and Hong like doing this though — the repetitive motion is oddly relaxing. ]

Oh wow, we're answering all sorts of mysteries now, aren't we?

And how about the mystery of if your side is still hurting you?

[ Ugh. ]

... It'll always hurt, just a little. Mostly when it rains or I get myself worked up. But it's back to pretty much fine now.

Uh-huh.

[ Well, he supposes it won't hurt if he hops back onto the table and then gently onto Lex's lap instead, where he promptly begins purring as loudly (and obnoxiously) as he can manage. ]

[ Weirdo.

Rok Soo, huh. Korean, and with a totally crazy story he's looking to clarify a few things about, eventually. Probably. Yet another one technically rougher than his own, but also dramatically more successful.

Lex's hand which was on his left side rises up to experimentally pet the guy. ]

So what's with the whole ambush about bonds?

[ Now that he's properly warmed up his role as 'Rok Soo the cat', the pet is something he leans into after the briefest of pauses rather than being startled by. ]

I was curious about them after seeing a post on the network.

So not that whole Pandora thing a while back? ... Oh, that Scarab woman the other day?

[ He thinks he remembers that one. He suspects her own thoughts were triggered by the Pandora's thing though, so it's all just a trailing off thing. Playing to the design of some element of the Fox either way, probably. ]

[ His attempt to hum in the affirmative doesn't quite work and instead just increases the volume of his purr briefly. It surprises him enough that he practically chokes on his own breath for a moment, temporarily shutting down the purr-motor.

He pretends he totally didn't just startle himself with his own physiology and presses a paw firmly-but-gently against Lex's abdomen. ]

Yes, the Scarab woman's post.

[ ... that was a weird sound. Maybe that's just a cat thing? They do cough up their own hair from time to time, after all. And then the big ones roar and the small ones purr... can the big and small ones do the opposite? He finds he doesn't know.

Ah well. ]

Did that also inspire you to cat antics?

[ 'Rok Soo' makes himself comfortable on Lex's lap, swishing his tail absentmindedly and resuming his purring. No biscuit making in this position though, as promised. ]

You saw my Pandora post. [ Despite a fox and fox-features being his 'default' Familiar form, Cale's favoured form is a cat. ] This form is good for napping, but vulnerable.

[ His ancient powers' voices are significantly quieter when he transforms, and the powers themselves are sealed. Despite being average-size (disregarding his weight) for a cat, 'Rok Soo' is still very frail, and lacks any real defenses.

Which implies that the only reason he's comfortably transformed now is because he trusts Lex won't let something happen to him. ]

Ah yeah, I did, I did.

[ Vulnerable... huh. He can't really question the level of danger in this world, not really. Not after the last two months? After all, before then there had been threats, but most of them were things he heard about in the past. Or those you volunteered for by going to certain regions. Day to day there isn't any real issue.

If anything, it's made him all the more wary.

Lex tilts his head, and pulled his hand back from the other. He couldn't help it, he sniffs it on the tail end and - yeah, that's sure a cat scent, isn't it? Ah well, ]

If the whole cat form has a specific name, and you don't want more questions, isn't openly bringing up Korea or cats on there an issue in and of itself?

[ He continues with his purring, though it's quieter now. He hadn't realized before that purring didn't just make the target feel relaxed but the one doing the purring as well.

It's cozy, and warm, and... it makes him happy to know he helped provide his kids with this feeling. ]

It wouldn't let me lie, so I shared the minimum amount I could get away with.

Huh. I suppose that would explain a thing or three.

[ He just said his usual bullshit, the only things which were perhaps coerced was his name being there, but... he thinks back on his own profile. No, nothing comes to mind. Couldn't this guy have just censored the Korea thing to like "the days of my youth" or something? It's a counterfactual though, no point arguing over it. ]

Yeah. It was better to have control over what was listed than let the Fox have full control.

[ Everything he listed was something he had an excuse for — even Korea, thanks to the God of Despair's test. ]

What do you think of all this Familiar bond stuff?

[ He leans back a little in the chair - Lex hooks his feet around the lower part of the table and pushes the chair back on two of the legs rather than four. It's dangerous and bad for the chair, but sue him. He wanted to look more clearly up at the ceiling as his eyes shifted to blue. ]

I don't know. Mostly because I just don't understand the full mechanics of the thing, even if I can see the obvious benefits of the thing. It gives sensory info and telepathic connection or something, yeah? So that's helpful.

[ And familiar. ]

If you tip us over my claws are coming out.

[ He warns, but doesn't do anything other than shift to make himself more comfortable in this new position. ]

As long as the connection can be controlled by will it would be something useful. The problem is the variations in bonds and lack of comprehensive information.

For real. Or even if it's limited to one person or not. That's a whole other thing, in my mind.

[ He laughs it off, the idea that they might tip over. There's no reason to be concerned! He's got great spacial awareness and sense of balance! ]

It's not limited.

As a Familiar I can bond with both a Legend and a Myth simultaneously. Presumably the limit is just one's mental strength to tolerate all of the information coming from a bond.

[ In theory Cale would be suited to having a large number of bonds, thanks to Record. There is no human better able to absorb and store data than him. ]

[ ... Interesting. ]

One and one, or as many as you want of both? What of the two other groups?

[ He didn't know any of this, but to be fair he'd never really ... looked too closely at it. ]

I don't know? It's not like I've bonded with anyone before to try it.

Legends can't bond with other Legends. Same for Myths with Myths. The bonds seem to be about balanced support?

Then how do you know it's one and one? You hear that somewhere or is it an intuitive knowledge? Because who knows, maybe I've got an attractive Familiar woman in mind to share thoughts with!

[ He's joking, of course he's joking. Even if he does float his mind towards Betsy in a way he wonders if she can remotely sense. ... Probably only if she was focusing on him, but that would be. Silly. Unlikely. ]

...I don't? I never said it was. You can probably have as many Familiars or Myths bonded to you as you can mentally handle?

[ Or so he assumes. ]

The local spirits have some information, but none of them have had roles before so it's obviously limited.

-- Ah, yeah, my bad. Sorry.

[ Huh... he hums a little, rocking the chair a little on the spot. ]

... If we're going to be cards on the table about apocalypses and reincarnations and what not, there's some part of me which thinks someone important to me would scold me for cheating.

[ That confused tilt of his head definitely looks a million times cuter when he does it as a cat. ]

Cheating? What cheating? You're just my fr— [ oh. wait, no. that's. embarrassing.

His ears airplane sideways and he looks away, purring loudly as a distraction. ]

My mercenary knight. Until my swordsmaster or hyung-nim shows up.

I am in no way qualified for knighthood, my man.

[ He says this with a little laugh before pulling his legs on the table, tipping the chair forward, and after grounding the chair he reaches to pick up Cale bodily in his hands. ... He doesn't know how to hold a cat, it might not be perfect.

heheh, cheating.

... He should probably explain. ]

If I say you're a knight you're a knight.

[ Benefits of being the sworn brother to the crown prince, and friends with a member of almost every royal family/ruling body or major organization across multiple worlds.

If he says someone is a knight or a hero, then they are a knight or a hero.

It's the least he deserves for all the effort he's put into achieving his slacker life. ]

Unless you don't want to be one. It's your choice — you can be whatever you want.

... Sheesh, and who just was saying the other week that a noble without rank doesn't have power? you're just going on clout now.

[ EH's being playful in the argument... and definitely lifting Cale cat up bodily unless it's resisted. He's doing the totally not great for cats under the armpit thing though oops ]

My hyung-nim is the crown prince of the Rowoon Kingdom. [ And, okay, yes, there is absolutely no hiding the pride he has in his sworn brother's status and achievements. ] So if I say you're a knight of our kingdom then you can be a knight of our kingdom.

Or you can say you're a Henituse knight. My father wouldn't say no to that, either. [ In fact, Duke Deruth would be more likely to agree and offer Lex all the financial and material support he needed just as thanks for being a friend to Cale. ]

...

[ He doesn't struggle or resist in any way. He just allows Lex to manhandle him as he stares at him with unimpressed silence... though eventually does add: ]

Hey. Don't ever pick up another cat under the arms.

... Okay, forgive me stereotyping, but is Hyung-nim a man from Korea or wherever you ended up?

[ Because by context that sounds like a guy from the fantasy world, but that name(?) sounds like it doesn't mesh with "Cale" and the rest of the names he's heard from the guy.

His eyes shift to green and- uh ]

Oh, this isn't a secure position?

[ Uh.

He'll set him on the table, then. ]

He's from Nameless 1.

Some of the honorifics and familial titles from Korea translate into the languages there. There was a Korean transmigrator in their world around ten thousand years ago, so Korean is technically an ancient, dead language there.

[ And since Earth 3 is a mixture of Nameless 1 and Earth 1, Cale can only assume that has something to do with the language thing? Maybe? ]

'Hyung' is Korean for 'older brother' when spoken by males, and '-nim' is a respectful suffix.

[ He swishes his tail. ]

It's painful to be held like that, and can cause severe injuries. You need to support the legs.

[ Since the Vitality of the Heart is mostly sealed right now he just has to deal with the lingering discomfort in his muscles, but it isn't a big deal. Lex wasn't familiar with cats so he wouldn't have known, and now he does.

'Rok Soo' casually washes his face like a proper cat. ]

Pat my head and scratch behind my ears.

Demanding much?

[ But he sighs and rolls his eyes before reaching out and going to follow the demand to scratch behind the ears. Honestly, this strikes him as a little weird still but he will perform the duty. Why not? Thus... he performs the action.

That said, ]

... Nameless 1 is quite the name.

[ Oh.

Cale definitely can understand why his kids are so eager to demand headpats and ear scritches from him now. He starts purring again without even noticing. ]

Right?

Why is that the name?

[ Like... who the hell names a realm? world? Nameless... ]

Why would I know? It just is. And it's not like I was going to ask that bastard God of Death about it.

... But like. Normal people just call it that?

[ Or - why would you need to ask the God of Death? God this is complicated. And weird. And showed how connected Cale was to all this?

... They totally derailed off the topic again oops ]

No? Nobody ever really calls it anything, which might be why it was classified as Nameless 1 by the Hunters.

[ . . .

Why the hell is there so much jargon that this guy is just expecting him to handle at face value? Or to intuitively understand? Lex looks at him with skeptical and exasperated eyes, which have shifted to a grayish color. ]

I'll tell you about them someday. The short version is that they travel between worlds to sacrifice them, and they want to kill me because I'm both Cale Henituse and a Thames.

[ He decides to lay down in an elegant sprawl, crossing his front paws over each other neatly. His tail flicks a bit; slightly anxious. ]

...There is a chance they could try hunting me here.

[ ... What in the fuck is a Thames? Why is there so much jargon. There's so much jargon. Lex frowns a little. Maybe it would sound just as whacky if he explained about them outside of the context of the realms he knows? He can't imagine it would, or if it would he would take knowledge for granted. Probably?

But he nods all the same.

Even if he privately doubts that's possible. The likes of Betsy and her insane worldview are here. ]

...Thames is my biological mother's maiden name.

[ He raises a paw and waves it dismissively which, while awkward as a cat, gets the point across. ]

But that's not important.

[ At least not right now, when nobody has tried to target him despite him advertising who he was in a way Hunters would find irresistible. ]

What's important is why you thought a Familiar bond would make someone think you were cheating.

--That's changing the subject again! [ Like he hasn't been this whole time. Okay so they didn't like... his mom? Probably not his Korean mom? Probably Cale's mom? ... But he's from like. A book? So why did someone write a that into-

Oh who cares. ]

[ Lex exhales and then runs a hand through his bangs. The man leans back a little before he just stands to stretch himself a little. Cheating, huh... ]

Well, it's one of the things Linda would probably take issue with - it's similar enough to our thing.

Like you haven't been?

[ He decides to stretch as well because, firstly, why not? And secondly (more importantly), a cat doing a big stretch is hard to ignore and he's petty that way. ]

Linda being... your most powerful of spirit companions?

[ From all that Lex has told him about the elemental spirits of his world, Cale thinks that's most likely where this is going. ]

She didn't have to be the most powerful, you know.

[ But he laughs a little and waves a hand in such a way as to imply yeah! Guessed right on that. He looks up at the ceiling a moment before then looking over back at the cat and - eyes turning to a somewhat sparking blue color ]

But yeah, you're right, you're right. That's the one, in all of her glory.

If she has enough of a personality to be upset over this type of thing wouldn't that imply that she's very powerful, and wouldn't want to share you with another powerful spirit?

[ It only makes sense that she would be Lex's most powerful spirit companion. ]

Would she really be upset with you sharing a Familiar bond with someone like me? I can't compare to a great spirit like her, so there is no reason for jealousy. It would be like being jealous of an ant.

Man if you say that she'll squash you like an ant. And then you'd have to show if you are or aren't and ant and I'm willing to bet that you aren't, really.

[ He says this with a soft roll of his eyes, flat and mildly irritated in tone. It's masking, of course, a painful, horrible familiarity. He's not seen her in months and it's killing him. ]

I am weaker than an ant.

[ He lays back down, though this time makes sure he's in proper loaf form. ]

Pat me more.

[ He'll continue to act cute and demanding for as long as he thinks Lex needs it, because as much as Cale is an asshole he's not such a complete bastard that he would leave a companion alone like this. ]

[ Why??? He doesn't ... ugh. There's no real need to pet this guy, right? He's being demanding at this point. But it's a dull realization he has as he's thinking that, that Lex connects an oddity here, that he's both tolerating this and being actually annoyed. It's... hmm. It's not to say he's felt nothing this whole time here, but something about the character of this is a little different. He doesn't (yet) feel the need to just stand up and walk away but he's also not really focused on the moment.

Still doesn't mean he's going to pet the guy. ]

Your story just there involved death gods and you've been making storms show up. If that's an ant I shudder to think what a "human" is to you.

The God of Death is the bastard responsible for my transmigration. [ He flicks his tail. At this point he is honestly very grateful to have switched places with the original Cale Henituse, but he will never let Death know it. ] If I use these powers too much I will die an agonizing death from recoil, because I am a weak and frail human.

Well yeah, I could have told you that you need to eat more. Probably sleep too.

[ Just given how thin he was. ]

[ There is a lot he could say to that, but instead he just purrs obnoxiously loud. ]

More seriously though, it's precisely because it is a pacted bond like that. That's a different matter than just a relationship, at least to someone like that.

[ A beat, and... ]

... Or I'm just projecting, who knows.

[ The purring quiets down at that. ]

Projecting or not, your feelings about it matter too.

[ His feelings, huh? Lex's eyes shift to a more green color, closer to but lighter than his normal hazel. ]

As if I could forget that. We are ever trapped by who we are, my man.

You're as trapped as you let yourself be.

[ that's not true. And his eyes turn gold to reflect that, as he shakes his head and sighs. ]

Hmm? I didn't expect you to be a pessimist.

[ Sigh. ]

If you want to talk more about her I would like to hear it. If you don't want to right now, that's also fine.

That's not pessimism. [ A beat, ] ... Like, perhaps you've had some many identities this argument seems a little silly, but that's just the truth of it. People can only ever be who they are.

Whether Kim Rok Soo or Cale Henituse, I'm the same person. That person has just changed on the inside over the years because—

[ Because I'm not alone anymore, he realizes. ]

...Haaah.

Because people naturally change over time. The 'you' of now is different than the 'you' from when you were a little kid. And the future 'you' will be different than the current 'you'.

You do realize you just contradicted yourself, right?

[ He shakes his head ]

Of course people change, the whole point is that people are doomed to be themselves, though. It's more scary if people can just be other people.

[ He thinks about what he said, then realizes that it doesn't work in most cases because he was using 'soul' as 'person', and most souls end up being reborn with no memories. ]

'Doomed' is pretty pessimistic language. Also, for most people it is possible to become someone else. Rather, it is inevitable for most people.

[ To grow and change maybe, but to become someone else? Leave that to spirits or demons, as far as he's concerned. Lex shakes his head at the cat and then reaches around him to get another beer. ]

Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, do I even come off as negative?

[ He moves his head to rub his cheek on Lex's arm as the man reaches around him.

Then pulls back looking as baffled as a cat possibly can, wondering why the heck he just did that.

He decides to just ignore it and pretend he didn't do that. ]

I mean, yeah? 'Doomed' is a pretty negative word.

What, you don't like yourself?

[ Said with an impish grin, one which doesn't totally match his own now-dark green eyes. It doesn't seem totally out of step with it, but it's something he says with a laugh ]

Like I said, it's a turn of phrase. I can only be me, and I'm stuck with all that hang ups that implies.

I didn't use to, but I guess I do now.

[ Cale watches him closely, sensing something slightly off and taking note of it, but choosing not to mention it. ]

You seem like an alright person, even with all the hang ups.

Why thank you! I do try to impress.

[ He even winks for it. Lex had been thrown really quite off base from the earlier talk. Right now, he's back to doing a little silly mode. ]

...Try less hard.

[ But at least the guy seems to be getting back to his more annoying self. ]

Nah, that's a good way to get yourself killed.

[ Beer chug chug. Hehe. ]

[ ...? ]

Huh? What nonsense are you spewing?

Bravado. Looking impressive. Appealing to people. All of those are vital skills in my line of work.

[ But the way he's saying it, beer in hand, he's ... joking around. ]

[On Valentine's Day there would be a box waiting at Lex's apartment containing homemade chocolates and a small letter from Makoto. After the last trial she hadn't been sure about doing this, but she'd managed to work up the courage.]

Happy Valentine's Day,

I really enjoy talking and training with you. I appreciate that you support and encourage me and aren't afraid to speak up. I hope you enjoy the chocolates!

-Makoto Kino

[ The gift at his door is a ... surprise. It's... hmm. He didn't grow up with these traditions. Was this her- saying she was attracted to him? She's much too young? Maybe it's another cultural thing. Either way, Lex grins to get it, and he will, indeed, gratefully eat them.

-- So as to not be awkward he'll thank her for it next time he sees her or, next time they train together. ]

IC Contact (Folkmore)

3rd June, text, un: say.hi.ori

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7th June

dates are fake anyway especially when we're this far back in time

time IS a lie and always trips me up

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7th June

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