∞ 12: Concentration

[chikaidestroyer]

It's taken several days, but I think I've made a little progress. If I may ask, Stella, did the spirits ... tease you? I heard a remark about having funny eyebrows. I will try to reach that state of mind again and actually try communicating.

I hadn't tested for awhile, but I can now hover the same height off the ground as I could prior to my abduction. I suppose everything is back in working order.

Nagi, I would like to talk to you about your mapmaking skills, if you are still interested in volunteering your help. If there are any who are particularly knowledgeable of plants and living off of nature, I would like to speak with you, too.

If you would like to discuss what we had talked about, now would be a good time -- before another experiment or event comes up.

Comments

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert pushes himself up and rises from the chair at the sound of the knock, opening the door.]

Sheena, correct? Please come in; thank you for coming over so promptly.

[corrinesbell]

Uh, yeah. ...No problem.

[She goes inside, looking around once, quickly. Internally she's pretty anxious, but she doesn't really show it.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[He shuts the door, standing there with one hand lingering on the door frame as he looks at Sheena.]

...It was quite awhile ago that we first spoke about meeting to talk about this. I wouldn't blame you if you have forgotten, since you were recovering at the time.

You said that you may have angered the Malnosso. Can you tell me about that?

[corrinesbell]

No, I remember.

This kid...whose name I still don't know...he was talking about how maybe all of this is kinda...forced on us, I guess. Well, I don't mean forced, exactly. It was more like...how do we know any of this is what it is.

[She sighs and shakes her head] I guess I don't remember as much as I thought. Anyway...I was writing it down. Well, writing down what I thought, at least...and then they showed up.

That supports your idea, right?

[chikaidestroyer]

[He nods contemplatively, frowning.] It does. Your incident seems as if they were keeping a possibly significant idea from being voiced -- or remembered, in your case.

But you were speaking about this in person? Or through the journals?

[corrinesbell]

Through the journals. ...I don't remember if we tried to filter the conversation or not. Sorry.

...But the thing that got my wing snapped was something else. ...At least, I think I remember you asking about that.

[chikaidestroyer]

All the same, that would require the Malnosso to be monitoring the content of your journal for them to see that conversation. ...Troubling.

What were the circumstances that led to your wing being broken?

[corrinesbell]

...Back in my world, I have this...ability. [She looks away, at the window if there is one.] I can use the mana in my world to summon the guardian spirits of the world. I don't have that power here, but...somehow the Malnosso gave it back to me, while...while I was there.

They...didn't like it when I summoned them all at once...to attack. ...I kinda...wrecked stuff. ...So I was punished.

[chikaidestroyer]

I see. That must be why you've already some grasp of the Filial magic.

...The fact that the Malnosso gave your power back to you, even if temporarily, open up a lot of questions. Were they able to take away your powers as quickly as you used them, or did your powers dissipate once you had left a certain area?

But I can see why they would break your wings. That is certainly a steep offense towards them.

[corrinesbell]

...I kinda...I mean, it's...I don't think they wanna let anyone see...that we might have once been powerful enough to hurt them.

I don't remember...what happened afterward. My wing snapped, and it hurt...and then they injected me with something. It's...it's blank after that.

[If he looks, Albert will notice her trembling slightly. She still hasn't looked back at him.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[His expression grows more serious and rigid as he listens to Sheena's recollection. It sounds terribly familiar -- a nightmare he hates to talk or think about. As he looks at Sheena, he can see just how affected she is by just speaking about it, and he suddenly feels ... weary.]

...You don't have to speak about it. I know it's hard to think about.

[corrinesbell]

No, it's...it's okay. Wouldn't have said I'd tell you if I thought I couldn't. [But she does hate looking weak in front of other people.]

...I guess...my capture could be just a coincidence, with what I said?

[chikaidestroyer]

I'm afraid it looks that way. From what you've said, it sounds like the reason they snapped your wing was because of your defiance, not what you wrote in your journal.

I suppose I'm just trying to find some justification for why they would break my wings as they did. ...Thank you, Sheena.

[corrinesbell]

...What for?

Didn't know they broke yours too.

[chikaidestroyer]

[He feels frustrated, but looks more tired than anything.]

I don't know. I wondered if they had done it in retaliation for Caesar trying to set up a government here, and I was looking for a pattern with your own experience. He had talked about it on the journals.

But since your experience doesn't match, I'm once again without an idea.