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:

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.]

From:

silentscout

...reincarnation?

[The way he says that is the first hint that he's never heard of it before.]

We just...guide them. Watch over them, until the swan comes to claim them and take them to the icy waters to rest eternally. I've never heard of 'reincarnation' before.

From:

piercesshadows

[Swans? First time he's heard of those birds playing psychopomp, and he makes a thoughtful sound.]

Why swans?

[Tied to a god? The underworld? A nature spirit? A ritual? The only swan-related stories Doumeki's aware of are the Ugly Duckling, Swan Lake, and the Swan Princess.]

Reincarnation is when a soul is sent to be reborn on earth.

From:

silentscout

...the swan of Tuonela?

[Reincarnation sounds much better than sleeping in icy water for an eternity, though. Living again is nice.]

Does reincarnation happen to damaged souls too? Or are those souls culled while the pristine ones are reborn?

From:

piercesshadows

[Here's a Look in lieu of asking the obvious question. What - or where - on earth is Tuonela?

That bit on damaged souls, though - Doumeki's mild grimace reveals just how distasteful he finds the concept. Is actual fragmentation involved?]

Even spirits who get sent to hell can have the chance to reincarnate after going through punishment and passing certain trials.

From:

silentscout

[He sees that look, but the lack of an answer makes Lalli frown.]

It's not about 'hell', it's about those damaged by the Rash and the failed vaccine.

[Normally Lalli's expressions can be difficult to read, beyond 'vaguely annoyed', but Doumeki might be able to see that Lalli's true intent is to gather information and find out more. They're one in the same with how expressive they can be, so Doumeki has an edge in understanding him at least.]

From:

piercesshadows

[Yep, he gets it. And as far as Doumeki can tell, any annoyance here has more to do with the two of them grappling with obviously disparate sets of information rather than anything personal.

...

Can he serve tea in a dream? He gestures to a side door at the far end of the hall: a staff room, so to speak, where they keep tea and snacks. Time to find out, because it looks like they're in for a long talk.]

In my world [is that accurate?] there is still a divide between physical and spiritual diseases. While factors like stress and grief affect human physiology, there is no record of a plague that can cause actual damage to the soul.

[Is this what his guest's referring to?]

...is that what happened with the Rash? Sounds like you also know people who can see spirits.

[If they're able to make that diagnosis at all.]

From:

silentscout

[Tea should be possible, manifesting items in a dream is easy. In fact, the tea and snacks should be on the table already as soon as Doumeki opens the door and the two of them enter the room. Dream magic!

And what Doumeki is talking about is close enough to what Lalli means, so he'll nod as he listens to the answer.]

I can see spirits. I've seen them damaged. It's not the Rash that hurts them, but being forced to linger in this world for years and years while they wait for a mage to help them pass on.

[So stress and grief, albeit gained largely post-death.]

From:

piercesshadows

[Dreams are ridiculous.

Doumeki looks at the set table in suspicion. He doesn't think his own subconscious will poison him, but isn't that too convenient? Anyway, he gestures for his guest to have a seat across him and pours for the both of them.]

That's not too different from what I exorcise.

[Fragments of resentment. Darkness. Mindless things driven by instinct.]

I don't see them often. When I do, they're amorphous.

[Doumeki plants the cup before the other guy... hn. They haven't introduced themselves. He's not in the habit of giving his name, but it's clear that the person he's talking to isn't a spirit. Knowing that he's talking to someone else with the Sight is probably what tips the scales for this decision.]

Doumeki.

From:

silentscout

[Lalli sits down and accepts the drink. He doesn't often visit other people's dreams, but he knows enough about dream visits to know that a nonhostile dreamer offering a drink is fine. He'll hold the cup for a moment as he considers what he should answer.]

Being able to exorcise them without seeing them is unusual. Usually both go hand in hand. Maybe it's something special about your magic.

...Lalli.

[He doesn't give his last name, because he thinks Doumeki just gave his first name too. Then he lifts to cup to his mouth and takes a sip, and he stops mid-sip as he scrunches his eyebrows in a frown. It's not poison, but it's Different, and he says as much as soon as he swallows that sip.]

What is this? It tastes like leaf water.