silentscout | private psl

[Maybe Lalli is spending too much time sleeping. Quarantine is long and boring, and he's not really interested in talking to people he can barely understand. It's hard to have a thoughtful conversation with someone when you only get maybe 1 or 2 words out of everything they say.

Maybe he should have tried to study another language, back before all of this. Even talking to Reynir right now would be better than a month of what sounds like buzzing bees. bouncing around him everywhere.

That's why he sleeps. At least in the dream world everyone can understand each other, and he can tell Reynir exactly how stupid his hair looks. Even Emil's blabbering is better when Lalli can understand what nonsense he's saying.

...he needs to find Onni too. Onni would know they're okay by now, the message about their (relatively) successful recovery was sent by short-wave radio as soon as they were all on board. But he wants to actually talk to Onni too.

That's why he follows the winding stone path sticking out of the waters during one dream of many in a month-long quarantine on a large boat. Normally stone paths like that lead to Onni's dream. But as Lalli follows it the stones start to change shape, gradually shifting from irregularly shaped stepping stones to something much more uniform and cut. It's more like what he would expect from a path in a city, and something Lalli doesn't associate with Onni at all.

Curious, Lalli continues down the path, using the strangely-cut stones to keep himself out of the waters. He's getting closer to someone else's dream, and he is alert, looking for any sign of who this might be or where they might be from. Maybe it's one of the Icelandic mages on the boat? He won't know until he gets into the dream and sees just who it is, though.]

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From:

piercesshadows

[All things told, Doumeki doesn't usually dream.

He blinks slowly as he comes to - or, rather, realize that he's lucid within a dream he's having without the Shop's influence, nor is its contents situated in it. Around him, more vivid than it should be compared to the waking world, is his family temple: not the one he fell asleep at, but the one he grew up in, dressed in a girl's kimono and listening to his grandfather's stories and warm laughter.]

Grandfather?

[Somehow, he doubts Doumeki Haruka would show himself. While there will always be a part of Doumeki that misses his grandfather, there technically isn't a need for them to see each other: all the advice Haruka's given him still lives on in Shizuka's memories, and now his grandfather has one person to attend to.

...and that person will not be here, either.

Exhaling softly, Doumeki steps onto the porch. The house sounds as empty as it looks as he makes his way down the paneled floors and turns at a corner to the front of the house. From here, he will cross an open hallway bridging his childhood home to the temple proper, where they often receive parishioners.

It's here that he notices his own attire: instead of his usual suit, he now dons the garb of a temple priest - not his own set either, but his grandfather's.

A ring of wood, as always these days, sits on his left index finger, waiting to be used.

Hmm.

He doesn't know if he will See anything within a dream. Neither does the miasma that used to plague Watanuki enter the temple grounds, given how strong the wards are. He frowns as he approaches the main gates of the property and opens it only to find... water and the night sky?

It's significant, although he doesn't know how or why.

Doumeki crosses tucks his hands in his sleeves and decides to wait, peering out into what should be a suburban street in Tokyo, but isn't. If he doesn't see anything after a time and the dream doesn't shift, he figures he'll have to walk.]

From:

silentscout

[Slowly the watery landscape between the dreams is replaced by a strange stone road and a pair of walls taller than Lalli. His first instinct is to climb a wall to get in, but there must be a dreamer here, and dreamers do not take to other dreamers invading without permission. But the gate is open, there is nothing blocking Lalli's way into the dream. So, after taking a moment to steel himself, Lalli steps into the dream.

His feet land on the path into the shrine, the stones feeling even and well-kept under his boots. The building's design is odd, he's never seen anything like it before. And it takes him a moment to notice the person standing there on the porch, watching over the area. But soon grey eyes look up, and Doumeki will be able to get a good look at the young man who has just stepped into his dreams.

Pale hair, European features, an outfit that looks more appropriate for a survival movie than modern Tokyo. He looks more like a boy than a 20-year-old man, honestly. His magic is strong, but it's of a positive energy like Doumeki's is, so it's possible for their powers to exist in the same space without clashing.

Lalli is quietly watching Doumeki, taking in the sight of him. But after a while, he speaks:]

Who are you?

[He's speaking Finnish, but there aren't language barriers in the dreams. Even if they're speaking different languages, they will still understand each other.]

From:

piercesshadows

[Doumeki's brow furrows slightly as a pale youth, relatively the same age as his students, emerges from the night. He notices two things:

First, the syllables he hears don't match the words he's listening to.

Second, there's no way that his subconscious can cook up something like an armed (?) European cosplayer radiating that kind of energy - as real as the wards of the shrine.]

I live here. [It feels right to put it that way. Moreover, between spending time with his father and the Shop, he's not inclined to start with his name, of all things. But, as far as introductions go, and if he must use a title that goes with the garb...] As the present chief priest.

["Juusou" (住僧) is the actual term he uses. As he says it, however, there's a prickle of discomfort that weighs on his shoulders - while he has been referred to as such by the parishioners and he doesn't compare himself with his grandfather, there's a part of him that still associates that title with Haruka. Doumeki acknowledges this particular truth, for all that he hasn't had to actually act on the more esoteric rituals that could be available to him when, after all this time, he's come to think of them as Watanuki's domain: in terms of ability and practice for those particular aspects, he's still leagues below his grandfather's level of expertise.]

And you?

From:

silentscout

[He is not armed in the dream, weapons have to stay behind with his body unfortunately. Until he calls for them, at least, but manifesting them in a dream takes effort and he doesn't want to do that right now. Not with a new person right there.

A new person speaking a language he's never heard before, too. Even if the dreamworld makes it so he can understand this man, he can still tell that the language is different. Not Finnish, not Swedish, not anything he knows.

Juusou, huh? That word invokes a feeling that he associates with his grandmother. One of the first mages of the new world, and one who looked over their homeland in Finland. Even though she's long dead now, he still remembers her teaching as if she had been here just yesterday.]

A scout. A mage. A 'future chief priest' to a home that no longer exists.

[He pauses.]

You're a mage too, but your magic is different. Why?

From:

piercesshadows

[The question catches him by surprise, more than the apparently-not-a-cosplayer's claim that he's a scout and a mage. Is he like Fai, then? Travelling between worlds? And the man carries the look of an seasoned dream walker, if he's more interested in his surroundings rather than being surprised that he's here at all.]

I'm not a mage.

[Not compared to the ones he knows anyway, and the desire to clarify that does lead him to reveal this about himself:] However, I can exorcise spirits.

Are you a dimension traveler?

From:

silentscout

[A dimension traveler? Is that what they call it here? Because the dream world is definitely separate from the waking world, and this man doesn't even look like he's from any of the Scandinavian countries.

...is he from somewhere else? Did other people survive the end of the Old World?]

I think so, yes.

[He sounds a little unsure about that point, though. Mostly because he doesn't know what Doumeki is looking for in 'dimension traveler'.]

I followed the stone path to your dream. I haven't seen it before. ...I haven't seen people that look like you before.

Where are you?

From:

piercesshadows

[. . .

Not a cosplayer. Maybe a LARPer who lives under a rock in this day and age? Who just happens to have a talent in dream walking or dimension travel.

Of course, he could be more charitable and write this off as a difference between worlds, but he isn't Watanuki.]

Japan. Previously known as Yamato, Ouyashima, Shikishima, Akitsukuni, and Fusou, among others.

[Doumeki watches the visitor's expression. Those names should mean nothing if he isn't tied to Earth.]

From:

silentscout

[Those names do mean nothing to him, but it's not because he isn't tied to Earth. It's because he's unaware of that part of the world entirely. Who knows if Japan survived the rash or not, Lalli certainly doesn't. It's not like he's ever communicated with someone outside of Scandinavia.]

Never heard of them.

[He pauses for a moment, considering. Even if he hasn't heard of this man's homeland, maybe the reverse is possible?]

Saimaa, Finland, Scandinavia.

From:

piercesshadows

[...wait.]

Yes to the last two.

For me, it's 2013 in the Common Era. [To establish - for himself, at least - the underlying logic for his next questions.] Does the internet not exist in your world? Or are you from before the Roman Empire?

[Because, to him, that's a reasonable estimate for what counts as globalization before the West's Age of Exploration. Not that he's overly familiar with more specific details outside of what he studied for his old history classes.]

From:

silentscout

[2013? That year isn't familiar to him. Is that what year it would be if they hadn't restarted the calendar when the Silent World appeared? Lalli really should have paid attention in school.]

I don't know what any of those things are. Is the internet like a radio?

[They have computers and short-wave radios and such, at least?]

It's 91. I don't know what 'Common Era' means.

From:

piercesshadows

[Here's the thing: it would've been easy to dismiss his visitor as someone from 91 CE.
But. Christianity should have already reached Europe by that time - not to mention, radios.]

The internet's more advanced and far-reaching. Think of it as an information archive and communication device rolled into one. Text, sound, image and video can all be transmitted through computers and mobile phones. I can send a message to someone from Finland, and they'll get it in seconds. [A pause.] Japan is east of Europe, past Russia.

[...is video even a thing for this guy? What kind of calendar - what kind of shift in the world, even - does he know of?]

Common Era - CE - is also known as Anno Domini - AD. Of the Julian Calendar.

[If that's helpful at all.]

What happened in year 1 where you're from?

From:

silentscout

[The fuck is a Russia?

Thankfully though, 'East' is enough context for Lalli to start to understand a little bit. Because Finland is the farthest eastern part of the Known World, and he hasn't heard of Russia or Japan. 'Europe' is at least vaguely familiar, in the 'back in the Old World, Scandinavia was part of Europe' way. Lalli really should have paid more attention in school.

But he can still kind of piece it together, and his look changes from one of caution to one of surprise and curiosity.]

You're from the Silent World? But how? People go on short trips into the Silent World, but even people who are Immune can't live there forever. There's too many Trolls.

[A place like Iceland, maybe? An island that was very careful to not let anyone in, and that survived with very strict quarantining rules? If they sectioned off early and were diligent about keeping Trolls and Beasts away, then maybe they could survive.]

Year 1 is when the Old World died. Now all that remains are the Known World and the Silent World.

From:

piercesshadows

[Spending a lot of time with Watanuki clearly has affected his brain if he can just already hear that incoming snippy joke about Doumeki Shizuka hailing from a Silent World.

He exhales through his nose and can't believe he's telling himself to focus on trolls and how their existence makes sense if the whole host of hyakki yakou do.

Trolls.]

We have a lot of ayakashi, but not trolls. I don't know what immunity you're talking about: my city's heavily populated.

[...but. His eyes narrow at the mention of an Old World. Tucked away in his sleeve, his fingers curl on his elbow.]

...there isn't a Known or Silent World, either. It's just the World. [He grimaces as uncomfortable foreboding runs up his spine. Is this what he thinks it is? If they're from the same dimension and all.] Was there a plague in your Old one?

From:

silentscout

[That last question definitely gets a nod. Though he's a bit surprised that Doumeki wouldn't have heard of it, surely everyone would have heard of it right? After all, it was still very dangerous, even ninety years after the initial outbreak. No cure, no vaccine, and highly infectious. Only safe zones and immunity keep humanity going.]

The Rash. It spread like a wildfire through the Old World. Most of the world died from it, or at least that's what they tell us.

There's less than three hundred thousand people left alive in the Known World, and that's covering all of the Scandinavian countries.

[...]

Do you really not know about it? Are you that sheltered from the outside world?

From:

piercesshadows

["Rash" makes him think of allergies and he just. Stares. If it wasn't for this guy's expression, the increasingly heavy sensation in his gut, and the information that less than three thousand live in a Scandinavia that sounds cut off from the rest of the planet, he would've wondered if his leg was being pulled. Doesn't sound like any other plague human civilization's been hit with before, either: those had far more evocative names.]

Haven't heard of it.

[A beat. Doumeki can tell his visitor isn't lying, but where does he even start?]

I don't think I'm sheltered, either. Japan's population is in the millions. The same goes for the Finland that I know of.

What are the symptoms apart from a rash? [At least, he assumes rashes are actually involved.] The most infamous pandemics I know of have to do with either swollen lymph nodes or the flu. There's no news of any major outbreak for more than fifty years now.

From:

silentscout

But...how? Even if your country wasn't touched by the Rash, you should have heard about Finland.

[There's only about 10,000 Finnish people left now, and 300,000 people total in the Known World. It's a mess.

And much like Doumeki, Lalli can tell that the person he's speaking to honestly thinks they're telling the truth. After all, there's no reason to lie in a space like this. So what is going on?]

...

Let me look around your dream space here?

[Maybe he can see something that will give him a clue as to what's going on.]

From:

piercesshadows

[Doumeki's naturally a private person, and he doesn't think even Watanuki's seen all his dreams.

(Haruka's intervention, on the other hand, is something he remains unaware of, and no matter how ordered Doumeki's mind is, that nightmare involving the shop and shadowy hands was something buried deep in his subconscious. But that's gone now.)

The look he fixes on the stranger is one of silent warning - no funny business - and he steps aside, a clear if not begrudging welcome.]

This is based on my family's temple.

[To give context. If the guy hasn't heard of Japan, the architecture's probably alien to him.]

From:

silentscout

[Don't worry Doumeki, Lalli doesn't do funny business. He understands the look though, and after hearing the explanation he nods. A temple he can understand, temples exist in his time too. They just look way different.]

Who is the god of this temple?

[Lalli is careful to stick to paths and stay close to Doumeki, even as he enters the temple's grounds. He's not going to be purposefully disrespectful here, not when he has so many questions and Doumeki could kick him out any moment anyway. The architecture is quite interesting too, it's so unfamiliar and yet it does feel like a temple to him.]

From:

piercesshadows

This temple isn't dedicated to a specific deity. What we offer, instead, are religious services.

[Down the paved path they go, lined with stone lanterns a few meters apart from each other, and to the main entrance. Instead of proceeding straightaway, however, Doumeki deviates to the right, waiting until his guest catches up before demonstrating the ritual purification of hands and mouths at the temizuya. Just because they're in a dream doesn't mean this is a step he will forego, unless there are signs that he mustn't follow the custom.]

If you wish to find a temple devoted to or enshrining a specific kami, you'll need to find one of the bigger shrines.

From:

silentscout

Ah.

[So a small temple then, one probably further away from main cities. That made sense. Such temples exist in his world too. It would also explain why Doumeki might not be aware of the Rash, if he's far away from large populations. Lalli imagines that children deep within Iceland don't know much about the Rash either.

Then again, Doumeki is an adult. How ignorant must these people be?

Lalli does not mimic Doumeki's actions, but he does wait patiently for Doumeki to finish. Different religious practices, different purposes. He can understand that much. But when Doumeki is done, Lalli speaks once more.]

Funerals?

From:

piercesshadows

You don't have those?

[Weird, to say the least. Birth and death, two of the most significant events within a person's lifespan, are often mysticized for a reason: only those with certain talents can say for sure if souls even exist. From a more practical standpoint, commemorating the existence and memories of a loved one bears emotional importance.

All that aside, his guest (a tourist, essentially) not following suit isn't unusual, and he does appreciate the mindful pause in conversation. From here, Doumeki leads him up the temple steps and into the main hall: there is a statue of the Buddha inside and a miniature altar of sorts at the far end. The middle is empty, and there's a stack of zabuton neatly placed to one side.]

The religion practiced by the Buddha [he gestures at the statue] - Buddhism - was incorporated into our local customs from an earlier period: Shinto.

The Buddha isn't a god, but a human who's attained enlightenment. [Just to clear up his earlier point on this temple not being dedicated to one deity.] It's believed that all humans can attain Buddhahood.

From:

silentscout

We have funerals. Just not like this.

[Finnish funerals are rites of fire and ash, not prayers in a temple.

But Lalli follows along, and he's actually pretty interested in the Buddha statue and Doumeki's story about it. A human who's attained enlightenment...so a human became a god? Or is it something else? Lalli hums thoughtfully, considering that prospect.]

Is enlightenment like godhood? Because the gods of my land would be offended by a human pretending to be one of them.

[Or so google tells me.]

From:

piercesshadows

[Other gods are probably not the only ones offended by that thought. Doumeki's aware that people from other traditions will find the concept uncomfortable.]

It's effectively a god-like state, but the Buddha is not a god, nor is he worshipped as one. Rather, the prayers sent his way are meant to honor his spiritual accomplishments and to request for guidance.

On the other hand, there are other bodhisattvas - those who've attained enlightenment - who are worshipped as gods thanks to Buddhism mixing in with other polytheistic traditions. Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, is the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. India, the country where this religion came from, has an earlier tradition wherein their gods can show up as different aspects of themselves that are worshipped separately.

[A beat. He knows it sounds complicated, and that's without the snake circling around to bite its own tail.]

As you can imagine, they ended up with plenty of deities to worship. To further underscore this influence on Buddhism, it's said that Guanyin herself has thirty-three manifestations.

From:

silentscout

That sounds complicated.

[Yep. Definitely saying what they're both thinking. It doesn't help that it's not a topic Lalli is too interested in, which further limits how much he can listen to before it becomes a mess of nonsense in his head. Different religions, Buddhism is kind of okay with the others. Sure. That's enough for him to kind of get it.

He tempers his normally-rude tongue, though. Being disrespectful in someone else's dream is a quick way to get kicked out of said dream, and he'd rather not have to make the journey back to his own dream tonight.]

Do you guide the souls of the dead during your funerals?

From:

piercesshadows

[Mmn, right. He isn't in class, for all that his guest is asking questions. Doumeki's certainty of himself typically extends to his sleep, so to dream of having to answer questions concerning practices he's more or less wrapped his life around of is... an adjustment.

Slowly, he exhales.]

Kind of.

[He completes the rites as his duty requires, but knows that there are other ways to guide souls across bridges.]

In a way, the deceased are initiated on their journey to the afterlife and the cycle of reincarnation. The priest's role is to invite the soul, if it chooses, to repent and purify themselves from any harm committed during life.

[There's more, of course, including the rite doubling as a post-mortem ordination to receive a Buddhist name, but that's beside the main point.]