cousinsindozens | a very strange 'cousin', indeed...

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roleplay

a very strange 'cousin', indeed...

Sometimes, things happen. Powers know why, but sometimes unique existences are pulled into the universe from others. Things that don't quite line up, but are there anyway.

Things like this - a man with geta and a matrix-pattern haori appearing on a street in New York, looking around at the street signs. His lips press together in confusion - he'd used his demons to teleport away, but this? This was far too different to be Tokyo.

He moves himself from the street to the sidewalk, walking down to try to figure out where he is. At least he's out of the Lockdown, and doesn't have to deal with... well. The mess that Kazuya is about to make...

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Nita had thought this was going to be a quiet day for grocery shopping.

Clearly this was not meant to be.

Ping! went her Manual, loud enough in her head to make her flinch - and then she tripped on a stranger's foot, flailing backward wildly to regain her balance and not outright fall on Naoya.

"Augh! Sorry-!"

He held his hands out to try to catch her, but then she regained her balance on her own. Good. He took a step back, looking her over. ... Hm. Right, English.

"It's fine." His English is slightly accented, out of practice other than school. "You weren't hurt, were you?" There's something about him, though... something that probably registers as unusual to Bobo at the very least.

/We have a visitor, in the transdimensional sense,/ whispered a calm voice at the back of her mind.

/-What, this man?/

/Yes./

Shifting her bag from one arm to the other, Nita was still caught enough off-guard to slip into the Speech out loud.

/Uh, no, I'm Nita- I mean, I'm fine!/ she excused herself, flashing a smile in an effort to be reassuring.

"What's your name?"

And then switching back into English, since they were in New York, and if this turned out to be a discussion best held elsewhere...

Well, they'd at least want to be out of sight in an alley before teleporting.

... That language... he understands it, and it sounds similar to something he hasn't heard in a very long time. His eyebrows go up - way up - and he slips into pre-Babel.

To anyone else listening it might sound like nonsense, maybe vaguely Arabic or otherwise Middle Eastern, but filtered through the Speech it's perfectly understandable, if extremely ancient and formal-sounding.

"Naoya. /And I'm surprised to hear someone use that kind of language... but it's not quite right, is it? I wonder if this is something you can comprehend.../"

Nita feels the need to steady herself again - and not just because of the crowds today.

/You recognize that language, Bobo?/

/Searching.../

Nita redirects her attention to the man - Naoya - in front of her.

/It's nice to meet you, Naoya, and yes I can understand you./

She glances around them.

/We might want to continue this conversation elsewhere, though, if we can./

Because if she's been called on errantry, she'd like to at least make sure these groceries make it to the fridge!

/Well. That's definitely interesting./ But he nods, looking at her bags. /I can assist you with that./

He reaches into his pocket for a moment, and there's the almost-ozone smell of a spell, but it's wrong. There's something that's not-quite wizardry about it, and he reaches to take her bag. /I promise I'm not going to try to steal your eggs./

"Uh, you don't have to or anything..." Nita replies in English again, eyes widening a fraction.

Another shopgoer pushes by, meaning she's not looking directly at him when he reaches into his pocket.

Abruptly, she looks back at him.

/That's not a claudication, is it? I mean, I have one too, but it's no trouble.../

Privately, to the peridexis, she adds, /Might want to analyze whatever that spell he used, was. Maybe it has the same source as that language?/

/It'd be wrong to assume anything at this point, but yes. Analyzing.../

It's only after that where Nita brings her bag forward.

/C'mon, I know a place where we can get out of here quick./

And yes, she does have eggs in her bag, though that's more amusing than anything else.

He hefts the bags easily, as if they weigh nothing.

Bobo's analysis will come back... strange. It's definitely a spell - that is, it's affecting the natural world in a way using some form of language of command like the Speech. But it's not wizardry - not properly. The analysis will, at least, reveal the fact that he's somehow changed the vibrational frequency of his body in order to enhance physical abilities.

/Claudication? It... has nothing to do with cramping. I have no idea what you mean by that, otherwise. But getting to a less crowded place would be ideal, so lead the way./

Nita might look like she's staring off into space a bit as the analysis comes back, because that is wild.

/Uh, I meant a twisting of spacetime, actually, but this works too./

Normally when she felt like being lazy moving groceries, she just levitated them subtly.

Nita makes to lead Naoya off with some haste, walking past a bus stop before turning down an alley.

It sure is.

/Ah. No, but I can tell you about those later, if you'd like./

He follows along, chuckling. Ah. He suspects he knows what's going to happen here.

/Teleportation? Careful, now. That's what led me into this mess, I think./

Nita sets what's left of what she's carrying down, flicking her charm bracelet around to the one she uses to get home.

/You weren't using something with unlisted coordinates, were you? If you go at those without the right permissions, you can get 'bounced' real hard-/

She pulls, and the spell nexus comes free, resetting the bracelet.

/We'll just use a placeholder for your Name, then. Basic physical traits and so forth./

She gestures to the place where Naoya should stand in the spell; Nita kneels to double-check the wording, as usual.

/All clear?/ she asks the peridexis silently.

/As long as you stick to that placeholder, yes. There are a few complexities involved when it comes to his soul./

That brings Nita's eyebrows right up. Huh.

/No, the coordinates were supposed to go outside. Or to near my apartment, if the spacial coordinates were occupied. Either way it should have worked... hm./

Naoya looks it over - physical descriptions. Hers seem more involved, but he can't quite make it out. Something to ask later.

/Let's get going, then. And hope this doesn't end up with you in Tokyo./

Nita makes a face.

/Yeah, that's weird./

But the Powers do work in strange ways, sometimes...

Check and double-check complete (along with a few glances exchanged with Naoya to make sure his part of things is correct), Nita steps back into the circle and speaks the trigger word-

Leaving them and the groceries in the 'safe zone' in the Callahans' backyard.

Nita immediately looks to Naoya to make sure he's there all in one piece.

He’s fine - he looks casual, though a bit of interest hides in his gaze. It’s always interesting to see new magic.

The yard gets a faint smile as he glances around.

/Someone here’s a gardener, hm? There’s a lot of plant species here. Ah, but Americans do tend towards having large yards./

He picks up the groceries, gesturing towards the house. He’ll take care of it.

That makes two of them, then.

/My dad's a florist,/ Nita explains as she dismantles the spell.

/Also makes for a safe way to escape the neighbors' notice. Not all of them are wizards-/

Which stops Nita's thoughts for a moment, because while Naoya used something that was clearly a spell, whether or not there are wizard counterparts in his world is less clear.

Nita goes on ahead after, unlocking the door and knocking to make clear it's her.

He follows after, putting the groceries down on the kitchen counter.

/Wizards, hm? So that’s what you are. What a strange world I’ve ended up in. So it’s hidden... I’m not surprised. There’s a lot of people who would freak out over that in my world as well./

He leans against the counter, thinking. /Though perhaps less now, at least in the area I was just in. ‘Gas leak’ my ass./

There's some thumping noises from upstairs, but when no one descends the stairs, Nita redirects her attention back to her visitor.

She made a wry face at the mention of 'gas leaks'

/Yeah, I think I've heard that one used before. The things authority figures will come up with when they're not in the know... Guess we have that much in common, at least. What would be the counterpart to wizards on the world you're from, then?/

He lets out a long breath, before laughing. /Well, there's been various people who could do magic throughout history. Most of them are just legends now, though many of them were real. There have been those who have used divine power for miracles, though many of them were... fools./

There's a tension in the air, in his words, before it's gone. /In modern times... there aren't any, as far as I know. Or very few, at least. I'm someone who's figured out how to make magic work via technology and spread that ability around due to necessity, but it's still extremely risky. And generally people can't do things like... well. What you just did.'

Edited 2018-08-12 00:56 (UTC)

Nita nods, recognizing something familiar about Naoya's explanation... several somethings, really.

/Tapping into something they couldn't understand, or just being used by it?/

Nita gives herself time to think by putting the groceries away - bread, eggs, spices, a head of lettuce.

/How many of those users have you met, before now?/

Somehow, the '16 million wizards' minimum figure for Earth might be more than what he's dealt with before.

/The latter, in almost all cases. With a bit of the former as a side effect./ Idiots, all of them. /And... hm. A few hundred who actually have power rather than just think they do, but I’ve traveled a lot. I also am very good at magic and can cast it without technological help. Those that use my program can use it, but they don’t truly know what they’re doing./

Nita's face scrunches. It sure sounds like the Lone Power's machinations, and that can only lead to trouble...

Magic working with/through technology isn't exactly new, but-

/What's the program for, then, exactly?/

Wizards slow down entropy, but what's this magic's deal?

Ah. Well. This part. /It draws summoning circles and manages spell acquisition and contracts for the person registered to it. In short, it lets you summon demons. And before you even get jumpy - this was something that someone commissioned me for./

Contracts, indeed.

Nita's next response comes slow, as she turns and walks back to the table Naoya's standing by.

/Were you commissioned by one of those demons? Another human? Or just... someone else?/

/Are you implying nested contracting/ the peridexis asks, and Nita has to smother her reaction to that or else give Naoya the wrong idea.

/Because I can think of one demon who'd try that sort of thing - but calling Him a demon doesn't really do Him justice./

And of course, morality was relative - but if this was a world where demons acted more like "angels", she'd eat her bag.

/No, no. It was by a human group. ... Well, they worshiped a demon and intended to help it become king of demons, but I had my own plans. There's a... war, you see. For certain types of demons to fight each other and claim the title of King of Bel - that is, king of demons./

His tone is conversational, as if he's discussing the weather, though there's a definite tension in his stance that wasn't there before.

/There's a human with the qualifications to fight, and he did. And he won, though he chose a path that... well. It's not a good one.'

/Sounds like more than just a power squabble for them, then./

Though humans being casualties was nothing new. Sad, anger-inducing perhaps, but not new. Nita didn't get to find herself shocked or anything as she pulls out her Manual and began flipping through it to the 'marked for notice' pages.

There were a lot of them.

/And that last part definitely sounds familiar./ Peoples' choices were their own - that didn't mean they were nice ones.

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Hmm - to have Harry and/or Dairine drop in, or to keep this relatively uncluttered?

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I know the number's been mentioned *somewhere* - one percent of the population or less?

Sounds vaguely right...

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I know the number's been mentioned somewhere - one percent of the population or less?