[Marco could explain that he meant it in a visceral sort of sense, beyond the obvious - that it felt like the environment itself wanted him out of there, not knowing or caring that he didn't very much want to be there either.
But that could get... strange, and it seems Joshua has something more insightful to share anyway, so...]
Only for a minute or two, before she flounced on me. Seems like she doesn't enjoy someone questioning her knowledge.
From the way she described it, it sounds like all past, present, and future worlds are connected via the Sea of Stars like rooms off of a corridor. I don't know if these worlds are visible in the Sea or not, but theoretically, you should be able to pass through any door both ways, right? Provided what she said is true, of course. She did say that before she got angry.
It's all a part of the integration, I assume. I understand very well.
Both of them seem to be able to access it, but even if they can control opening and closing the door between there and here, they can't seem to control what comes out. Elias also mentioned that the Sea isn't a place where gods belong, that it's a different type of force, but he also believes it could possibly be sentient. I have to admit, after everything I've heard, I'm inclined to agree.
The Fog told me that it isn't just people lost in the Sea. It's also memories and entire worlds. Now, if it was just limited to people, an argument could be made that it could be some form of afterlife, but Elias mentioned that unlike my world, there is no afterlife in the Sea, only death. Memories are prone to being lost simply due to how the human brain functions. Entire worlds being pulled in, however, seems a bit suspect.
Reira mentioned bodies being there, too, and the same type of bodies appearing later on, I assume here. Bodies of monsters that have left this place, and bodies of monsters who have died and been revived. However, they were completely lifeless, empty shells of what they used to be, as if the process of dying and reviving strips us of our damaged bodies and puts us back into a perfect copy. But they were still being manipulated by something. They were still capable of movement, and they were attacking.
Reira is right. I saw several of me in the Sea of Stars, some of them from very specific periods when I died.
[This, and the idea of a sentient force being at the heart of it... adds a troubling layer to that impression he got of the Sea itself wanting the living to leave that place.]
Memories I can understand as well I never thought until now that they could go somewhere concrete when we die, but maybe they do. Entire worlds, though?
What I'm about to say, I say because I trust in your ability to keep a secret.
Back where I'm from, I'm just like the Fog, like Elias - arguably moreso like the latter. I was human once. I've not been for quite some time.
I oversee the district of Shibuya, and more specifically, the souls of the recently deceased there. I can restore them to the plane of the living, I can send them along to the afterlife. No matter what, they all have their memories, unless the soul disperses naturally before it can be sent to one place or the other.
[It's a kind way of describing being Erased. He... will leave out taking memories as entry fees, though. That's not relevant to this conversation.]
The point here is, memories can be lost entirely, but memories typically don't go somewhere without the soul they're attached to. Likewise, a soul can go elsewhere, but it is like a ghost. The body remains in the realm of the living to decompose in an altogether different branch of the cycle of life and death. There is no tangible, physical imprint of a person left in Shibuya once that soul has gone elsewhere, and certainly not their memories.
There is, also, a power higher than me. I may appear to be the top of the food chain to those near the bottom of it, but perspective can be deceiving. Reira mentioned that something created the Day, the Night, and the Fog, and gave them their jobs. It's not dissimilar.
[Welcome to the Book of Joshua. It's a Choose Your Own Adventure style book, and the page number order is fickle.]
A perspective that most - if any - won't have, yes.
This world doesn't work exactly the same as my own, but it's close enough that I can connect the dots. I may not be on the nose about every part of what's going on, but I'd like to think I'm on the right track.
I *was* wondering if the laws would be the same here. Ah, "laws" as in the scientific sense. Even though I'm not sure if this falls within the realm of the scientific. I think I already said this, but I wasn't anybody out of the ordinary back home.
Unfortunately, I don't think it does. Welcome to the realm of the metaphysical. None of this really means much, typically, until you're living in it.
This place seems to be good at turning the ordinary into extraordinary by adding just a little extra.
[Hmm.]
Not any time soon, but in the near future, I'd like to take a trip down to see the bottom of Lake Fors. Reira has been down there, and she's agreed to come along. Would you like to go, too?
But yes, that's the plan. I have other things in the works right now, but I'd like to see if Mana might temporarily change me into something capable of breathing underwater.
Something was mentioned about particularly aggressive fish. Frankly, with what all I've seen of this place, I can't say I'm surprised.
Reira said that she was a Kelpie when she went, so that's clearly an option. One of the people here from my home world is already a Kelpie, so that's one less change needed. The only other type that I know of that can breathe underwater is a Mer, and I assume those can withstand the pressure as well?
Reira suggested stopping time, and dragging anyone that isn't aligned with Elias along with us. I have a couple of people from home that would be coming along, and while they are protected by Elias, they're remaining neutral, so they would be outside of that benefit.
It's a solution, for sure, but she said it wouldn't be a long-term one. We'd have to reserve it for emergencies.
Oh, that COULD work. I'm not very good at stopping time repeatedly, and to be frank I don't think I can sustain it for as long as Reira can either, but I should still have a minute or so in me if I'm prepared.
[Which is to say, if he feeds. Marco's hunger is as much of an obstacle as his lack of experience with magic.]
Did Reira mention how long it would take to get to the bottom?
[Honestly, Joshua agrees. Better to go in knowing what to expect.]
It sounds like it's been a while, but I wonder if she might have some idea of how long it took to reach the bottom. If we knew even a rough time frame, like half an hour, we could calculate a vague idea of the depth that way.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
<Composing>
<marco>
Mostly the former, I'll admit.
My head isn't the most reliable.
I did get the strong impression we, as living creatures, weren't meant to be there though.
<Composing>
It's just that I picked up on something interesting about it, in talking to the Fog.
<marco>
But that could get... strange, and it seems Joshua has something more insightful to share anyway, so...]
You talked to her?
<Composing>
From the way she described it, it sounds like all past, present, and future worlds are connected via the Sea of Stars like rooms off of a corridor. I don't know if these worlds are visible in the Sea or not, but theoretically, you should be able to pass through any door both ways, right? Provided what she said is true, of course. She did say that before she got angry.
<marco>
Interesting.
Does that mean the portal has been using the Sea to establish a connection with other worlds? Or is this a different route?
Ah you don't have to answer that
Thinking out loud.
In text.
<Composing>
Both of them seem to be able to access it, but even if they can control opening and closing the door between there and here, they can't seem to control what comes out. Elias also mentioned that the Sea isn't a place where gods belong, that it's a different type of force, but he also believes it could possibly be sentient. I have to admit, after everything I've heard, I'm inclined to agree.
<marco>
Still embarrassing, even if it's not the most revealing slip-up he's had on the network.]Sentient?
What do you mean?
no subject
The Fog told me that it isn't just people lost in the Sea. It's also memories and entire worlds. Now, if it was just limited to people, an argument could be made that it could be some form of afterlife, but Elias mentioned that unlike my world, there is no afterlife in the Sea, only death. Memories are prone to being lost simply due to how the human brain functions. Entire worlds being pulled in, however, seems a bit suspect.
Reira mentioned bodies being there, too, and the same type of bodies appearing later on, I assume here. Bodies of monsters that have left this place, and bodies of monsters who have died and been revived. However, they were completely lifeless, empty shells of what they used to be, as if the process of dying and reviving strips us of our damaged bodies and puts us back into a perfect copy. But they were still being manipulated by something. They were still capable of movement, and they were attacking.
The shell of a cicada doesn't move on its own.
no subject
Reira is right.
I saw several of me in the Sea of Stars, some of them from very specific periods when I died.
[This, and the idea of a sentient force being at the heart of it... adds a troubling layer to that impression he got of the Sea itself wanting the living to leave that place.]
Memories I can understand as well
I never thought until now that they could go somewhere concrete when we die, but maybe they do.
Entire worlds, though?
no subject
What I'm about to say, I say because I trust in your ability to keep a secret.
Back where I'm from, I'm just like the Fog, like Elias - arguably moreso like the latter. I was human once. I've not been for quite some time.
I oversee the district of Shibuya, and more specifically, the souls of the recently deceased there. I can restore them to the plane of the living, I can send them along to the afterlife. No matter what, they all have their memories, unless the soul disperses naturally before it can be sent to one place or the other.
[It's a kind way of describing being Erased. He... will leave out taking memories as entry fees, though. That's not relevant to this conversation.]
The point here is, memories can be lost entirely, but memories typically don't go somewhere without the soul they're attached to. Likewise, a soul can go elsewhere, but it is like a ghost. The body remains in the realm of the living to decompose in an altogether different branch of the cycle of life and death. There is no tangible, physical imprint of a person left in Shibuya once that soul has gone elsewhere, and certainly not their memories.
There is, also, a power higher than me. I may appear to be the top of the food chain to those near the bottom of it, but perspective can be deceiving. Reira mentioned that something created the Day, the Night, and the Fog, and gave them their jobs. It's not dissimilar.
no subject
I
see.
[Barely.]
It's an honor.
I won't speak a word of this to anybody.
Are you trying to say that you have unique insight into... all of this, then?
The link between our bodies, our souls and our memories?
no subject
A perspective that most - if any - won't have, yes.
This world doesn't work exactly the same as my own, but it's close enough that I can connect the dots. I may not be on the nose about every part of what's going on, but I'd like to think I'm on the right track.
no subject
Ah, "laws" as in
the scientific sense.
Even though I'm not sure if this falls within the realm of the scientific.
I think I already said this, but I wasn't anybody out of the ordinary back home.
[At least when it comes to magical abilities.]
no subject
This place seems to be good at turning the ordinary into extraordinary by adding just a little extra.
[Hmm.]
Not any time soon, but in the near future, I'd like to take a trip down to see the bottom of Lake Fors. Reira has been down there, and she's agreed to come along. Would you like to go, too?
no subject
I hear it's very deep.
I'll gladly help, of course, but how are you and Reira planning to go there?
With help from Mana?
no subject
But yes, that's the plan. I have other things in the works right now, but I'd like to see if Mana might temporarily change me into something capable of breathing underwater.
no subject
I admit I'm not clear on the details.
Ah, a change of species is probably the best idea, yes.
Breathing underwater isn't the only factor. You have to withstand the water pressure as well.
no subject
Reira said that she was a Kelpie when she went, so that's clearly an option. One of the people here from my home world is already a Kelpie, so that's one less change needed. The only other type that I know of that can breathe underwater is a Mer, and I assume those can withstand the pressure as well?
no subject
Admittedly the aggressive fish are something I'm not sure I know how to deal with.
no subject
It's a solution, for sure, but she said it wouldn't be a long-term one. We'd have to reserve it for emergencies.
no subject
I'm not very good at stopping time repeatedly, and to be frank I don't think I can sustain it for as long as Reira can either, but I should still have a minute or so in me if I'm prepared.
[Which is to say, if he feeds. Marco's hunger is as much of an obstacle as his lack of experience with magic.]
Did Reira mention how long it would take to get to the bottom?
no subject
[Maybe someday... if he needs to be that high in the ranks for what he wants to accomplish.]
She didn't, just that it takes a while.
no subject
[Sure, that could be far too much preparation. But if this is a dangerous expedition, he'd rather be over- than under-prepared.]
no subject
It sounds like it's been a while, but I wonder if she might have some idea of how long it took to reach the bottom. If we knew even a rough time frame, like half an hour, we could calculate a vague idea of the depth that way.
(no subject)