...I see. [そうですか. Except not really, he's a そうか too.] You don't have to apologize for something like that. It's something important to you, right? It's important to follow your instincts on when to share something precious to you, and I can hardly hold it against you that you didn't spill all your secrets after just a few polite interactions between us.
[Calmly, rationally; he takes a sip of his tea and keeps a steady, easy-going eye contact with Vangeance through the mask. As if he didn't notice the signs of Vangeance's reaction, the creases in his pants, the angle of his lips. As if he isn't deeply, instinctively, intrusively curious.]
So your companion [no hesitation, lightly repeating the word that Vangeance chose with a small smile] is more sealed away than stuck on the outside? If that's the case...
[He puts the cup down on the table, taps his thumbnail against his lips as he looks slightly up and to the left. A perfectly choreographed performance of being in thought; he is an actor.] There was something else that the Admin mentioned that struck me. Part of my contract with my shiki is that they protect me from harm. The Admin brought it up while saying that everyone 'reacts differently'-- whether to a bond like that or to the risk of the corruption of that bond. I'm wondering whether that's part of the risk-- that because my shiki will act to protect me, if one or all of us get corrupted ourselves, that task could be turned against the rest of the residents, or coopted in some way. But maybe I'm overthinking it.
[ Natori says he doesn’t need to apologize, and Vangeance gives a placid nod in response, but he doubts it’s a matter that’s so easily brushed aside. Because despite what Natori said he knows, and he suspects Natori also knows, the fact that he’d hidden anything in the first place just draws attention to it. And while he’s reluctant to go into any further detail, it also feels like outright lying might be dangerous.
Especially if the effect of the ‘curse’ on their bonds might also affect other people, not just himself.
Vangeance ends up picking up his teacup and taking a small sip, less because he’s thirsty and more to buy time while he considers his words for a moment longer. The movement is perfectly smooth and elegant, betraying none of the thoughts spinning away in his head. ]
I suspect the differences in our magical systems may also complicate matters. [ Ultimately, he ends up going for something a little oblique. Prying for information while trying to avoid the need to elaborate on himself too much. ] I’m afraid my ignorance about ‘shiki’ limits anything I might be able to suggest about your circumstances ... but my understanding of the possession is also rather limited. I’ve only read that it feeds on negative emotions and encourages aggression. Even if it were to affect the terms of your contract, how would that differ from corrupting any other single person here? Or do you feel the Admin is simply worried about a single instance of the possession affecting two people ... two consciousnesses at once?
Mm. Well, what we know about that entity isn't all that different from the sort of possession you might come across in my world. Ayakashi-- spirits-- are drawn to the weaknesses in the human heart; infecting a person and feeding off their negative emotions wouldn't be out of place at all, though it's unusual for something to pose the same threat to my shiki as it would to me. That said, someone described it in a way I thought was useful-- the rules here are written differently than they are back home, just as my 'rules' are different from your own.
[It's not a new concept to him-- the ayakashi world operates on its own rules separate from the human one, both in terms of legality and the actual laws of physics. He used to think being an exorcist meant he understood the limitations of the entities that live alongside humans, but here he's realized it just means that he has some tools to try to apply to a situation much larger than what he's used to seeing.]
With that in mind, I can really only speak to my shiki contracts, and we have to guess about the rest of it. But... forming a contract is an agreement between a human and an ayakashi that the ayakashi will fight for, protect, and obey the human. It doesn't strip my shiki of their free will-- that would only be possible if I knew their true names. But in forming the contract, I give them a name that they agree to be bound by, and that arrangement gives us both power. The longer we're connected to each other, the stronger we both become. I don't know if it's... that it's capable of tapping into the increase in power through our connection, or maybe that having control over both of us would make it stronger than having control over two unrelated people. It could also be that it could use the terms of the contract itself against the rest of the residents.
[It's all very theoretical, but it's a way of thinking out loud about what the key factor could be-- describing the contract to someone who has no concept of it could help him identify the weak points in it. For what purpose, he doesn't know-- to argue with the Admin more, maybe. To identify other potential problems before they start.]
Haha, I'm just talking your ear off, aren't I? But I wonder. My shiki are tasked with protecting me. If that "me" is also host to another spirit, my shiki might then be bound to protect that spirit as well. Fight back against other exorcists trying to remove the possession, maybe even actively work to spread it if that could be considered preemptive protection. If everyone's infected, then no one will try to stop mine, right?
[ He listens quietly, gaze fixed on Natori as he files all that information away in the back of his mind. Truth be told, his understanding of 'conventional' magic -- the magic used in the Clover Kingdom, the only magic he's ever known -- is so ingrained that it takes some effort to wrap his mind around these different systems. But he's no stranger to digesting lots of information at once, and ultimately gives a smile and a shake of the head. ]
No, thank you for the detailed explanation. I feel I've a slightly better understanding of the situation.
[ Vangeance sighs as he sinks back into the chair, hands laced in his lap as he thinks the matter over. ]
I've only cursory knowledge of the subject, but I do know there are types of magic that can corrupt other sources of magic. Forbidden magic -- spells that utilize mana from the underworld. Often more powerful than the same spells cast using natural mana, with fewer restrictions ... though the casters pay a price, losing a portion of their humanity. If this possession's effects are similar to that of the underworld's mana, there's a chance it will not only turn our spirits against us, but also further strengthen them. And if preventing the spread of that affliction by regular people is difficult as is, I cannot fathom the difficulty of stopping the spread by corrupted souls.
[ He sounds a little listless near the end there. Vangeance is always calm and composed because it's second nature to him, but even he isn't immune to a touch of frustration. He unlaces and relaces his fingers, staring into his hands in thought. ]
... in truth, I'd considered different methods of combatting the restrictions that have been placed on us. Attempting to reach towards and penetrate that 'barrier,' or trying to destroy the magic binding my companion. But regardless of if it would even work ... there's the worry that it may have an adverse effect.
[ His mask hides most of his expression, of course, but maybe Natori can spot the way his eyes narrow as his brow furrows, his hands lacing tighter. ]
If, by some chance, there's a good reason for what's been done to us.
Mm. So we could be feeding it instead of fighting against it, if we had access to those that we normally do.
[The fact that Vangeance has put that much thought into breaking it says a lot, Natori thinks-- that and the way he phrases it. "What's been done to us." Maybe it's because Natori is used to coming across barriers that block his shiki, whether visiting other exorcists or coming across a particularly well-warded property; it's something that irritates him, being cut off from them, but it's not something he thinks of as being done to him rather than to the island itself. What Vangeance is describing sounds a lot more like... meddling with some part of him.
(He can feel exactly where the lizard sits on his face as he takes his next sip of tea. He got rid of the note a long time ago, but he still remembers exactly what it said. If you'd like us to get rid of it, we can.)]
They have a habit of sticking their noses where they don't belong, don't they? The people in charge of this place. [It's light, almost inconsequential, except for that they're talking about their uncomfortably well-informed captors interfering in something deeply personal, and how serious his eyes look.] That said, I don't like the idea of simply taking their word for it. They say there's a good reason; they also claim that they've brought children here for their own good. It could very well be that there's something about my shiki and your companion that are dangerous to the people in charge, rather than to the other residents.
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no subject
[Calmly, rationally; he takes a sip of his tea and keeps a steady, easy-going eye contact with Vangeance through the mask. As if he didn't notice the signs of Vangeance's reaction, the creases in his pants, the angle of his lips. As if he isn't deeply, instinctively, intrusively curious.]
So your companion [no hesitation, lightly repeating the word that Vangeance chose with a small smile] is more sealed away than stuck on the outside? If that's the case...
[He puts the cup down on the table, taps his thumbnail against his lips as he looks slightly up and to the left. A perfectly choreographed performance of being in thought; he is an actor.] There was something else that the Admin mentioned that struck me. Part of my contract with my shiki is that they protect me from harm. The Admin brought it up while saying that everyone 'reacts differently'-- whether to a bond like that or to the risk of the corruption of that bond. I'm wondering whether that's part of the risk-- that because my shiki will act to protect me, if one or all of us get corrupted ourselves, that task could be turned against the rest of the residents, or coopted in some way. But maybe I'm overthinking it.
no subject
Especially if the effect of the ‘curse’ on their bonds might also affect other people, not just himself.
Vangeance ends up picking up his teacup and taking a small sip, less because he’s thirsty and more to buy time while he considers his words for a moment longer. The movement is perfectly smooth and elegant, betraying none of the thoughts spinning away in his head. ]
I suspect the differences in our magical systems may also complicate matters. [ Ultimately, he ends up going for something a little oblique. Prying for information while trying to avoid the need to elaborate on himself too much. ] I’m afraid my ignorance about ‘shiki’ limits anything I might be able to suggest about your circumstances ... but my understanding of the possession is also rather limited. I’ve only read that it feeds on negative emotions and encourages aggression. Even if it were to affect the terms of your contract, how would that differ from corrupting any other single person here? Or do you feel the Admin is simply worried about a single instance of the possession affecting two people ... two consciousnesses at once?
no subject
[It's not a new concept to him-- the ayakashi world operates on its own rules separate from the human one, both in terms of legality and the actual laws of physics. He used to think being an exorcist meant he understood the limitations of the entities that live alongside humans, but here he's realized it just means that he has some tools to try to apply to a situation much larger than what he's used to seeing.]
With that in mind, I can really only speak to my shiki contracts, and we have to guess about the rest of it. But... forming a contract is an agreement between a human and an ayakashi that the ayakashi will fight for, protect, and obey the human. It doesn't strip my shiki of their free will-- that would only be possible if I knew their true names. But in forming the contract, I give them a name that they agree to be bound by, and that arrangement gives us both power. The longer we're connected to each other, the stronger we both become. I don't know if it's... that it's capable of tapping into the increase in power through our connection, or maybe that having control over both of us would make it stronger than having control over two unrelated people. It could also be that it could use the terms of the contract itself against the rest of the residents.
[It's all very theoretical, but it's a way of thinking out loud about what the key factor could be-- describing the contract to someone who has no concept of it could help him identify the weak points in it. For what purpose, he doesn't know-- to argue with the Admin more, maybe. To identify other potential problems before they start.]
Haha, I'm just talking your ear off, aren't I? But I wonder. My shiki are tasked with protecting me. If that "me" is also host to another spirit, my shiki might then be bound to protect that spirit as well. Fight back against other exorcists trying to remove the possession, maybe even actively work to spread it if that could be considered preemptive protection. If everyone's infected, then no one will try to stop mine, right?
no subject
No, thank you for the detailed explanation. I feel I've a slightly better understanding of the situation.
[ Vangeance sighs as he sinks back into the chair, hands laced in his lap as he thinks the matter over. ]
I've only cursory knowledge of the subject, but I do know there are types of magic that can corrupt other sources of magic. Forbidden magic -- spells that utilize mana from the underworld. Often more powerful than the same spells cast using natural mana, with fewer restrictions ... though the casters pay a price, losing a portion of their humanity. If this possession's effects are similar to that of the underworld's mana, there's a chance it will not only turn our spirits against us, but also further strengthen them. And if preventing the spread of that affliction by regular people is difficult as is, I cannot fathom the difficulty of stopping the spread by corrupted souls.
[ He sounds a little listless near the end there. Vangeance is always calm and composed because it's second nature to him, but even he isn't immune to a touch of frustration. He unlaces and relaces his fingers, staring into his hands in thought. ]
... in truth, I'd considered different methods of combatting the restrictions that have been placed on us. Attempting to reach towards and penetrate that 'barrier,' or trying to destroy the magic binding my companion. But regardless of if it would even work ... there's the worry that it may have an adverse effect.
[ His mask hides most of his expression, of course, but maybe Natori can spot the way his eyes narrow as his brow furrows, his hands lacing tighter. ]
If, by some chance, there's a good reason for what's been done to us.
no subject
[The fact that Vangeance has put that much thought into breaking it says a lot, Natori thinks-- that and the way he phrases it. "What's been done to us." Maybe it's because Natori is used to coming across barriers that block his shiki, whether visiting other exorcists or coming across a particularly well-warded property; it's something that irritates him, being cut off from them, but it's not something he thinks of as being done to him rather than to the island itself. What Vangeance is describing sounds a lot more like... meddling with some part of him.
(He can feel exactly where the lizard sits on his face as he takes his next sip of tea. He got rid of the note a long time ago, but he still remembers exactly what it said. If you'd like us to get rid of it, we can.)]
They have a habit of sticking their noses where they don't belong, don't they? The people in charge of this place. [It's light, almost inconsequential, except for that they're talking about their uncomfortably well-informed captors interfering in something deeply personal, and how serious his eyes look.] That said, I don't like the idea of simply taking their word for it. They say there's a good reason; they also claim that they've brought children here for their own good. It could very well be that there's something about my shiki and your companion that are dangerous to the people in charge, rather than to the other residents.