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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/I see. So you were moved into position because you had more power to back up for your lack of experience./

It makes sense, even if it's cruel.

/What is the Lone Power?/

And because she didn't read the fine print, but she's not admitting that to a stranger...

Nita sighs, since this is probably the start of a very long series of difficult questions.

/The creator of entropy, death. And a rather spiteful Power, given how It handled rejection to Its 'gift'./

When you bind painful endings into the very nature of the universe, you don't exactly make friends.

~~That happens a lot.~~

He's quiet for a few moments. Well, then. /People don't like death. People don't like entropy. And yet... death is a necessary process, as part of life./

He runs a hand through his hair, sighing. /As awful as it might seem, humans aren't meant to live forever./

Nita nods, after a poignant pause. To mention her mother, and her choice, or not...

/The Lone Power's still fond of playing with people's selfish natures, though. To use that want to keep on living, to hurt other people./

/People hurt each other plenty without that kind of help./

To let her know, or not...

He reaches over and taps at her book, shaking his head.

/The 'curse' chapter is relevant. I... can't die. Not permanently. Physically, I can, but my soul is reborn in a new body with all of my memories./

Nita gives a rueful smile; she's been on that sort of receiving end as well.

Nita expects Naoya's touch to do something, but it doesn't; her Manual continues looking like a book.

/Eternal reincarnation?/

That sounded... both new and familiar, strangely. Like a Power's Avatar, but the memories were just your own.

Nita looks at him, searching.

/No one's tried experimenting on you to see how far it goes, have they?/

Despite how the conversation's been going, she actually does sound worried for him.

/Experimenting? No. This was a curse from God Himself./

He'll just... let that sit in the air for a moment.

/Though I suppose it could be considered an experiment for Him./

Nita goes very, very still.

A version of the One that would do THAT? No afterlife was one thing, but not ever getting to Timeheart?

/That's... not the Powers' shtick. Not based on how I've seen Them. They value free will and consent from Life too much to just- impinge like that. Or trap./

Separate universes - no, MULTIverses - indeed.

/You haven't been holding out on any of that analysis, have you Bobo?/ Nita asked in the back of her mind.

Bobo's analysis will come back with... just... question marks, essentially. This isn't something from this multiverse, so it's not in Bobo's bank of knowledge.

/... Interesting. Because the God I know is set to prop up a Messiah to keep humanity in line, and if they sway from what He wants, He'll take away their free will./

He steps away, giving her space to process. /Though... well. I'm a little surprised you haven't figured it out, but the language I'm speaking is... quite old. From before the Tower of Babel fell. ... And I don't know what sort of things the Bible says here, but if it does and you know who was cursed before that incident.../

Don'tcha hate it when multiverses are closed off from each other? ~~Someone said before getting eaten by a rogue worldage. Probably.~~

Nita snorts.

/Yeah, not something that'd fly here. Free will's been declared 'worth it', even with what choices we end up making sometimes./

As uncomfortable as the notion was, she'd had a conversation of this kind before, analyzing her own motives behind using a psychotropic spell...

That wry grin comes back as Nita places things together.

/I didn't bring you here for a fight, if that's what you're thinking. So, you don't know of the Speech, then? Since we're mutually intelligible, but the languages are still... distinct./

/I'm not here to fight, either. This is a rather nice kitchen, I'd hate to explode it./ He grins back at her.

Still... hm. /I know of magical languages that when combined with technology can enhance a human's abilities, or other magical languages used for summoning or other magical purposes. But not something simply called 'the Speech', no./

/My dad's going to appreciate that, for one,/ Nita says, matching the grin.

/And the Speech was used to make the worlds. All types of beings - Life, whether it looks it or not - are able to understand it./

A 'bone deep' recognition, for those beings that have bones.

/So if all languages are related, I guess we could call ours 'cousins'./

/Something like that. The root of all languages... well, it can't do much on its own, and most people can't understand it. Actually, you're the first once since... well, since Babel./

There's a tiredness to his words, a bone-deep exhaustion. He rubs at his sleeve, and as it shifts a long burn becomes visible on his arm. He's tired. He's been through a lot today, even before showing up in another world.

Some of the cheer edges out of Nita's smile again.

And then she sees the burn, and her eyes widen.

/How old is- did you get that coming here?/

Nita Callahan, showing sympathy for the Devil. ~~Again.~~

/Oh./

He pulls his sleeve up, revealing a nasty burn. Analysis will show that it's from some kind of magic, but it isn't a direct burn from fire - though there's definitely some bits of that in there. Instead it's more of a burn from some kind of nuclear-based magic.

/I had a fight with my brother, that's where I teleported from. I would have healed it, but I'm out of magic right now. I need time to recover./

And Bobo sets about analyzing it almost before Nita can ask; she actually looks like she's listening to a silent voice this time as she looks at the burn.

/Not surprised THAT sort of fight involved nuclears... Not sure if I'll be able to heal you, but I CAN give you time./

Hopefully without Naoya being put in a position to complain about either Callahan sister's bedspread.

/Time would be... fine. I should be able to heal myself, provided my magic isn't going all strange here. Who knows?/

He's not willing to make any guarantees on this, given alternate universes.

Nita sucked on her teeth, one hand moving from her Manual to the table.

/Well, I'd hate for a wizardry to make things worse./

Nita's not quite willing to hazard a bet like that, either.

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a very strange 'cousin', indeed...

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Should Dairine barge in next tag or something? I don't mind waiting.