[ Up and not quite at one hundred percent yet, but she's better than she was when she first arrived back at the cottage. Better than when she first woke up at the Healer's Conclave, that's for sure. Sleep, bolstered nutrition, hydration, and rest will do that for a person. Taking the time to focus and think and sort so many things out, try to properly work through them -- she's been at it since she got up the night prior between and during items on the first list, but this matter especially has weighed heavily on her heart, questions, concerns itching increasingly.
It's somehow worse now. That Fidelio looks a little more tired than usual sparks more, enough that she has to remind herself that the tentative end of the world is enough to make anyone a little tired. Still, her heart is squeezed, lungs pressed, and, as she looks intently at Fidelio on her screen and the roundness of his question dawns, she finally asks the question that made it's home on the tip of her tongue days ago. ]
[ It's visible, the amount of tension that melts from her shoulders, and with it goes a breath Nao hadn't realized she'd been holding. She had believed Laserhawk when he told her he didn't hurt Basilio. The thing is neither of them knew what happened after he ran off, so hearing that he's physically sound is a relief. That he feels terrible about it and was worried he'd keep hurting people--she hasn't known Basilio very long, but she thinks that sounds right, correct. Like the Basilio she knows. ]
I'm sure that was the cause. He was on top of it by the time I caught up to him.
[ She should've been faster. Could've spared all of them this heartache. ]
I think Laserhawk-san figured he was under some effect, too.
[ there's a little sound of wry amusement at that. ]
Sounds like everyone figured it 'cept for him.
[ though at first, even he...
fidelio pauses, frowning to himself. he wasn't intending to get any deeper into this; he doesn't like spilling details of his and basilio's personal lives even to people he likes.
...but given that bas thinks of this girl as a friend — not to mention that he cut her bloody arm off — he supposes he ought to give her some context for everything. especially if she still wants to be his friend after this.
he sighs, rubbing the side of his neck. ]
...He weren't just overreactin', so you know. All us paripus what got experimented on — we don't know what all the lasting effects might be. Losin' control and flyin' into a violent rage like that, that's something we saw happen to some of our old friends. He thought maybe the same thing was finally happenin' to him.
Calm you down, bring you back to your senses, help you regain control.
[ She knows a little something about that, at least. ]
You probably already know this, but when Vaeros contracts someone, he takes more than that person from their world. He subjugates them. Strips 'em not only of most of the possessions on their person at the time, but anything that makes them more than your average, unwitting human or enables them to perform at a superior level. Physical ability, senses, the ability to use any sort of magic -- [ she snaps the fingers of her left hand, both in view now -- ] poof! Gone.
Until you wish for it back at the Crystal, anyway.
[ She sighs. ]
So, yeah, I'm not my proper self right now. Won't last forever, though. [ ... ] Maybe I'll show you something cool then. [ Maybe. ]
[ a trace of disgust briefly crosses his face at 'average, unwitting human'... which still initially conjures up an absurd mental image even if he understands what she means. he's not sure he's ever going to get used to hearing that.
that aside, he takes note of the fact that both of her arms appear to be accounted for. huh. he hadn't known if reattaching a severed limb was even feasible, so that's a relief. he's sure it would have made it a lot harder for basilio to look at her after this if he had to see the results of his handiwork every time. ]
I've heard, yeah. [ wasn't really relevant to him since he can't use magic on his own without an igniter anyway. ] Was askin' more in terms of exactly what you think you'd be able to do. What kind of ability it is that you've lost.
[ 'calm you down, bring you back to your senses'... hell, that could just be describing a cup of tea, vague as it is. ]
[ What they're talking about, what it could mean for Basilio and Fidelio, is important. ]
Spiritual energy, or spiritual life force energy, is the energy that permeates the universe. It exists in all natural things and is not confined to the material world. Most "special" abilities, existences, magic are deeply intertwined with this energy. The majority of [ she hesitates a second -- it isn't like she didn't catch his expression the last time she used the word, but she can't think of a better one ] humans and peoples of mixed lineage in modern times are utterly blind to it. They're referred to as Dormant. Those who possess the proper sixth sense, who sense, see, and feel spiritual energy, whether born or acquired, are referred to as Awakened.
I fall into the latter category, but I don't just sense, I do.
[ Many, many things, but Fidelio didn't ask for the write up. Now, how to explain this...? Up goes her pointer. ]
You gotta promise not to get all prickly until I'm done explaining. Got it?
[ she sure got her energy back right quick once they got onto this subject... he nods as she explains; yeah, that's pretty close to what he was imagining. so far, what he's getting is that she's sort of like a mustari who can use magic without an igniter. all right; that's understandable enough.
at that request, though, he scoffs and shakes his head. ]
Not in the habit of makin' promises I can't keep, lass.
[ 'prickly' is basically his default. but he doesn't intend to interrupt her before she's finished her explanation... though he is curious now why she felt the need to preface it like this. ]
[ She quirks her lips, eyes dropping to half-lidded as she regards him a brief moment. ]
At least you're honest.
[ And she drops the expression quickly enough. How to...? She's used to explaining it as a showman with a little personal flair, but that's not what this is. ]
What do you think of when you hear the term "illusionist"?
[ She nods. There might be the tiniest smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Yes, it's a serious matter, but Nao enjoys her craft. To know it exists in some form in another world is an odd, tiny joy in the midst of this. ]
Correct. That's what most people think. Most novices start and stop with optical illusions and tout it as the tops, but there's way more to the craft.
An illusion isn't just a distortion of the optical sense to make people see things that aren't really there. To begin with, an illusion is the product of the manipulation of a sense or senses. An illusionist manipulates reality, be it a person's reality or the environment itself, and in affecting the senses and the mind, affects the body, heart, and soul.
Optical illusions are simple, child's play. They're easily overcome. A fully versed illusionist could have a person thinking they're living in another world, stripped of their powers, subject to physical consequences, even, and should you believe it, you are.
[ hm... well, that makes enough sense as a concept. skills where a person makes temporary copies of themselves that are capable of dealing damage aren't unheard of, even if he doesn't know how the hell they actually work. ]
One of them, but it's important. I can keep the affected party secure and locked down so they don't hurt themselves or anyone else. I can move and restrain them if need be. Knock 'em out? Yeah, but that's not ideal.
The key would be to disrupt the rage on as many levels as possible. Illusions do just that mentally and physically and, with my sight, I can see what's going on with your spirit, your soul, the energies flowing through you. I can disrupt what needs to be disrupted when and where directly, and if it tries to clap back? It's just a matter of figuring out what adjustments need to be made to help you come back and I'm hella persistent.
[ on one hand, fidelio absolutely hates the idea of someone being able to look into his soul and see what a proper fucking mess he is on the inside. it was bad enough having saint rella comment on what she was picking up from his magla flow before he came here. and allowing someone to potentially manipulate it — through lies, no less — sounds even worse.
on the other... it actually does sound like this could work. while they'd suffered straightforward physical injuries during the experiments too, most of the worst effects like this were all about what the igniters did to their magla. being able to visualise and change its flow might at least be enough to keep them from spiralling out of control if things go south, even if there's no actual fix for the damage.
after a silence, he nods. ]
...Yeah, all right. Sounds like that might be able to manage it, if I'm understandin' it right.
Good to know, though I hope like hell we'll never actually have to try it and find out.
[ he doesn't return the smile; he just bristles and looks away. a better one would've been able to keep all of this from happening in the first place. ]
Should do him some good to see you're not too much worse for wear.
[ he thinks about giving basilio a heads up about what's coming... but maybe it's better if he doesn't know to expect it. won't spend his time stewing in anxiety until then that way. ]
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[ Up and not quite at one hundred percent yet, but she's better than she was when she first arrived back at the cottage. Better than when she first woke up at the Healer's Conclave, that's for sure. Sleep, bolstered nutrition, hydration, and rest will do that for a person. Taking the time to focus and think and sort so many things out, try to properly work through them -- she's been at it since she got up the night prior between and during items on the first list, but this matter especially has weighed heavily on her heart, questions, concerns itching increasingly.
It's somehow worse now. That Fidelio looks a little more tired than usual sparks more, enough that she has to remind herself that the tentative end of the world is enough to make anyone a little tired. Still, her heart is squeezed, lungs pressed, and, as she looks intently at Fidelio on her screen and the roundness of his question dawns, she finally asks the question that made it's home on the tip of her tongue days ago. ]
How is he?
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[ though that's not so much what she's asking, he assumes. ]
Feels like shite about it, of course. Was real worried he'd keep hurtin' people, too.
[ he isn't going to get into just how worried basilio had been about that. seeing him in that state, fidelio had been pretty shaken himself. ]
But he hasn't. Reckon keepin' away from them big cracks in the ground helped with that.
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I'm sure that was the cause. He was on top of it by the time I caught up to him.
[ She should've been faster. Could've spared all of them this heartache. ]
I think Laserhawk-san figured he was under some effect, too.
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Sounds like everyone figured it 'cept for him.
[ though at first, even he...
fidelio pauses, frowning to himself. he wasn't intending to get any deeper into this; he doesn't like spilling details of his and basilio's personal lives even to people he likes.
...but given that bas thinks of this girl as a friend — not to mention that he cut her bloody arm off — he supposes he ought to give her some context for everything. especially if she still wants to be his friend after this.
he sighs, rubbing the side of his neck. ]
...He weren't just overreactin', so you know. All us paripus what got experimented on — we don't know what all the lasting effects might be. Losin' control and flyin' into a violent rage like that, that's something we saw happen to some of our old friends. He thought maybe the same thing was finally happenin' to him.
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Did your friends ever come out of it?
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If that were to happen to Bas or to you, I might be able to do something about it if I'm my proper self.
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What's that mean?
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[ She knows a little something about that, at least. ]
You probably already know this, but when Vaeros contracts someone, he takes more than that person from their world. He subjugates them. Strips 'em not only of most of the possessions on their person at the time, but anything that makes them more than your average, unwitting human or enables them to perform at a superior level. Physical ability, senses, the ability to use any sort of magic -- [ she snaps the fingers of her left hand, both in view now -- ] poof! Gone.
Until you wish for it back at the Crystal, anyway.
[ She sighs. ]
So, yeah, I'm not my proper self right now. Won't last forever, though. [ ... ] Maybe I'll show you something cool then. [ Maybe. ]
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that aside, he takes note of the fact that both of her arms appear to be accounted for. huh. he hadn't known if reattaching a severed limb was even feasible, so that's a relief. he's sure it would have made it a lot harder for basilio to look at her after this if he had to see the results of his handiwork every time. ]
I've heard, yeah. [ wasn't really relevant to him since he can't use magic on his own without an igniter anyway. ] Was askin' more in terms of exactly what you think you'd be able to do. What kind of ability it is that you've lost.
[ 'calm you down, bring you back to your senses'... hell, that could just be describing a cup of tea, vague as it is. ]
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Not by that name, exactly, but I've got somethin' of an idea.
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[ What they're talking about, what it could mean for Basilio and Fidelio, is important. ]
Spiritual energy, or spiritual life force energy, is the energy that permeates the universe. It exists in all natural things and is not confined to the material world. Most "special" abilities, existences, magic are deeply intertwined with this energy. The majority of [ she hesitates a second -- it isn't like she didn't catch his expression the last time she used the word, but she can't think of a better one ] humans and peoples of mixed lineage in modern times are utterly blind to it. They're referred to as Dormant. Those who possess the proper sixth sense, who sense, see, and feel spiritual energy, whether born or acquired, are referred to as Awakened.
I fall into the latter category, but I don't just sense, I do.
[ Many, many things, but Fidelio didn't ask for the write up. Now, how to explain this...? Up goes her pointer. ]
You gotta promise not to get all prickly until I'm done explaining. Got it?
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at that request, though, he scoffs and shakes his head. ]
Not in the habit of makin' promises I can't keep, lass.
[ 'prickly' is basically his default. but he doesn't intend to interrupt her before she's finished her explanation... though he is curious now why she felt the need to preface it like this. ]
Go on.
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At least you're honest.
[ And she drops the expression quickly enough. How to...? She's used to explaining it as a showman with a little personal flair, but that's not what this is. ]
What do you think of when you hear the term "illusionist"?
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Correct. That's what most people think. Most novices start and stop with optical illusions and tout it as the tops, but there's way more to the craft.
An illusion isn't just a distortion of the optical sense to make people see things that aren't really there. To begin with, an illusion is the product of the manipulation of a sense or senses. An illusionist manipulates reality, be it a person's reality or the environment itself, and in affecting the senses and the mind, affects the body, heart, and soul.
Optical illusions are simple, child's play. They're easily overcome. A fully versed illusionist could have a person thinking they're living in another world, stripped of their powers, subject to physical consequences, even, and should you believe it, you are.
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...All right. And that's what your thing is?
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The key would be to disrupt the rage on as many levels as possible. Illusions do just that mentally and physically and, with my sight, I can see what's going on with your spirit, your soul, the energies flowing through you. I can disrupt what needs to be disrupted when and where directly, and if it tries to clap back? It's just a matter of figuring out what adjustments need to be made to help you come back and I'm hella persistent.
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on the other... it actually does sound like this could work. while they'd suffered straightforward physical injuries during the experiments too, most of the worst effects like this were all about what the igniters did to their magla. being able to visualise and change its flow might at least be enough to keep them from spiralling out of control if things go south, even if there's no actual fix for the damage.
after a silence, he nods. ]
...Yeah, all right. Sounds like that might be able to manage it, if I'm understandin' it right.
Good to know, though I hope like hell we'll never actually have to try it and find out.
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[ She exhales gently with that -- ]
You're a good brother, Fidelio. [ -- and smiles. ]
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Ugh. Whatever, don't lay it on too thick.
You were just checkin' in on him, then?
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Yeah. I'm gonna reach out to him today.
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Should do him some good to see you're not too much worse for wear.
[ he thinks about giving basilio a heads up about what's coming... but maybe it's better if he doesn't know to expect it. won't spend his time stewing in anxiety until then that way. ]
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[ ... ]
You guys are keeping warm, yeah?
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