CONTACT | Call me, maybe

[intercalaryninja]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, HAZYREFLECTION FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 011.04.151.01 *** HAZYREFLECTION has joined 011.04.151.01 <HAZYREFLECTION> Only contact me if it is necessary. <HAZYREFLECTION> Report to me immediately if it's regarding Reira-dono. <HAZYREFLECTION> I will be checking this nightly when possible.

Comments

[intercalaryninja]

...

I see.

... To tell you the truth, my avoidance of my birthday is for similar reasons. Yes, the Fuuma Clan do not like us celebrating things that could reveal us but my twin always made a point of doing something together. Back in my world, my twin was... turned into an inanimate card. I don't like celebrating my birthday without him. It feels... too lonely.

[justbeingknife]

I'm sorry. I wouldn't much feel like celebratin', either.

If you get back, is there any chance you could reverse the process?

[intercalaryninja]

Reira-dono is apparently further along in the timeline than I am.

Once she resets the universe and seals a demon in herself, losing her memories and turning into an infant in the process, everyone who got turned into a card returns to normal.

And yet, somehow I do not feel comforted by that at all.

[justbeingknife]

Okay, ya lost me somewhere back there. But that wouldn't leave me feelin' great, either.

I mean, she'd be alive, which is good, but all those memories ya made together'd be gone, I assume.

[intercalaryninja]

To be fair, it's the abridged version. It's the sort of thing that's easier to explain in person rather than text.

But, to summarise, there is a way to turn people back. I just don't know if there's a way to do it without losing Reira-dono

[justbeingknife]

So your choice is between that, and stayin' here?

[intercalaryninja]

There's no choice. My orders are to care for Reira-dono. Even if I had the option to go home, I'd not consider it. I'm not leaving the young master's side.

[justbeingknife]

Glad she's got someone like you in her corner.

[ After all, loyalty was something he could appreciate. ]

Pretty sure my former employers think I'm dead.

[intercalaryninja]

I hope she's glad too.

I assume you are not actually dead?

[justbeingknife]

You'd be right in that. Though I probably should be, come to think of it.

[ He led......... a life....... ]

'fact, a guy just warned me the other day about being more careful.

[intercalaryninja]

Understandable. Many people who should be dead are just not.

[How and why that idiot Sawatari alive in a Dimensional war?]

Here? What happened?

[justbeingknife]

Meh, I don't recall all the details. [ Majima..... ]

I think he went through some shit on his own back home, and wanted to make sure other people didn't make the same mistake. Thing is, I don't think I'm the guy everyone needs to worry about. There's plenty other monsters with worse manners than me.

[intercalaryninja]

Ah. I see.

You're actually one of the more reasonable people here. Better than any of the cultists :/

[justbeingknife]

That's kind of ya to say. Actually, this ain't my first run-in with a bunch of cult nutjobs.



Although the last one was practically a pajama party in comparison.

[intercalaryninja]

You've lead an interesting life.

What were the big differences between cults?

[justbeingknife]

That's one way to put it! I suppose the biggest one is that the one back home never killed anyone.

To my knowledge, anyway. I didn't particularly want to get involved, only they kinda kidnapped a girl.

[intercalaryninja]

That's understandable. It's best to stay away from those sort of things, even if they do terrible things like that.

I wish we had that option with the cultists here. Even if you try to avoid them, they end up worming their way into your life, one way or another.

[justbeingknife]

Vexin', ain't it?

But I suppose if this is some sick way of punishin' the locals, it makes sense that we can't ship 'em off somewhere.

[intercalaryninja]

Indeed.

In the end, finding a way to deal with the Fog and Fourth would be much better than trying to shoo off cultists. Deal with the root of the problem.

[He's sorry he's hard veered away from birthdays to cultists.]

[justbeingknife]

[ Birthdays: way better. ]

Yeah. Then maybe this place could move on. By the way, what'd you make of that little play?

[intercalaryninja]

Which one? I've been sort of out of it.

[Because... you know... the whole birthday and depression thing.]

[justbeingknife]

Ah -- the one the locals put up, what with the Fog god being a 'peacemaker' until she starts resentin' her siblings. And drumming up a war to boot.

[ Sorry man... ]

It was... an interestin' watch.

[intercalaryninja]

Oh yes. That's an old Ryslig fairytale.

When the Freedom Fellowship visited Haftesal, we found an old storybook with the same story. I actually have the original book in my room.

Did it include her heart?

[justbeingknife]

No, actually. Would it be possible to take a look at the original?

Dunno why they'd leave that part out, but there wasn't a single peep about any hearts.

time to find that old thread *rolls up sleeves*

[intercalaryninja]

Of course. Do you mind if you came over to look at it? The book survived a fire and had been trapped under Vandare for years. It's in delicate condition.

The book never explains about what the Fog's heart is but the annotations suggest it may have been a real thing, rather than just a metaphor.