[ See - apparently she does know that much. Even if Ange's family has always been more into western legends, it's not like you can ever fully escape the tales of youkai either when you grow up in Japan - and particularly when Ange has always had such interest in the supernatural.
But when she thinks about what youkai that is-- well, that definitely sets off a metaphorical light bulb above the girl's head, and she lets out an almost pained groan as she says: ] Wait, were you messing with my head?
[ Maybe not consciously. Maybe it's just some effect he's naturally got. But the girl sounds kind of offended by the idea all the same, like she's taking it a touch personally. ]
[He'd half-gambled on her not knowing what particular youkai that is, or at least to brush it off as some weird quirk. Seems like he'll have to re-evaluate his first impression of her a bit more once again.
But first he'll have to address her rightful worry.]
Only a little. Here, let me-
[A whisper of a formula under his breath and a brief slice of his pointer and his middle finger through the air in a very Onmyoji way, and the power that has been tugging at her mind lessens. It's a pleasant light breeze that's just making it easy to be casual with him now, rather than a stubborn current trying to drag all too deep thoughts about him away. Once it's done, he reaches up and shifts his mask so that she'll be able to see the lower half of his face.]
I've been ramping up my youkai powers ever since I arrived at this strange place, just in case. Please forgive an old fool for wanting to be cautious.
[holding up his loot, he tilts his head and offers her a small smile]
[ It's a strange sensation. Certainly not the first time she's felt something like this, especially considering just how recently this place had put a very similar sort of strain on her mind, but it's still strange all the same to feel something so heavy lift from her own mind. Like something sneaked into her brain while she wasn't looking.
It makes the girl exhale a deep breath, a hand moving up to her head. Like she's trying to adjust to the sensation. ]
.. yeah, sure.
[ Not like she's going to miss some snacks. Ange waves a dismissive hand, preferring to think about everything else that came before it. ]
I didn't realise youkai looked so human. [ Relatively speaking, anyway. They always sounded scarier in stories. Sure, maybe his power is scary in its implications, but Ange doesn't think anything else about him seems that frightening otherwise. He just seems like some sort of bum trying to steal people's food.. ] Though I guess you're the first I've ever met.
Thanks. [Douman raises his drink to her in a small toast before he pops it open and drinks it with obvious satisfaction. Back when he'd been a child, he had hated scavenging for food. Now it's sort of a game to him - like a cat who no longer needs to hunt, yet still gets pleasure out of doing it anyway.
Once he is satisfied, he offers her a smile that leans into being a small smirk.]
Youkai and ayakashi come in all forms and shapes. Plenty of them can even transform themselves.
.. no, scratch that. It's very forward. But if she's letting him mooch from her fridge, then she might as well ask him a few questions in the meantime, right? It's only fair. And Ange is terribly curious, even if it doesn't show up too much on her face in this moment. ]
I mean, is your true form less human than this one? Or is this really just what you look like?
No. I've looked like this ever since I became a youkai.
[He shrugs his shoulders, not bothered by the forwardness of her question. If anything, it's refreshingly familiar since many of his students tend to be like that too.]
Even the back of my head is normal, see? [Douman turns in his seat to let her get a look at the back of his head - not elongated like in the legends, just slightly messy dark purple hair.] Respect the mask and I won't be scary at all.
[ Well, at least he's right about that one. Ange doesn't think he's that scary at all, especially when he looks so much like a human.
Sure, the implications of his powers are a little scary in the sense that she really hates anyone messing with her mind, the beings in charge here included, but he seems willing to at least be a little responsible with that power by dropping it when someone figures him out. ]
It depends on what you'd define by 'respect.'
[ If not just because Ange is.. really bad at that..
This is her actually behaving. Imagine. ]
Because I definitely have plenty of questions about you and your powers that I'd like to ask. It's all pretty fascinating. [ It's hard to tell with the way Ange sounds relatively emotionless when she speaks, but-- she means it. ]
Don't try to peek behind it or steal it. No nonsense like filling it with glue, either. That's pretty much it.
[The glue thing gets an honorary mention because some delinquent kids tried that one before. It resulted in them finding out the hard way that Hyakki Academy has no rule that prohibits teachers from dealing with unruly kids by ~any means neccessary.~ (He gave those wannabe gangsters a trashing that made them never want to mess with him ever again.)
Looking at Ange, Douman doubts that she's the type to pull practical pranks like that, though.]
Ask away. Answering questions is what teachers are there for, isn't it? But I won't answer any that I don't like, and some will cost you a little extra. [He spreads his arms in a way that lets the smirk on his lips shine through.]
[ The girl shrugs a little bit as he lays out the rules - like she's thinking that's easy enough. It's not even like she really was thinking of touching his mask or anything like that in the first place. Why would she mess with other people's belongings? That's so immature.
Besides, asking him questions is way more interesting. Ange seems utterly focused on everything he's saying here. ]
You're a teacher?
[ It sounds weird, but he hasn't been lying to her so far since he dropped his initial act, so.. ]
How does a youkai become a teacher? Or do you teach at some school for youkai?
[Satisfied with her seeming acceptance of his rule, Douman smiles. A lot of his students (and some teachers) would have taken 'don't touch or mess with the mask' as a direct challenge to do just that. He is glad that he estimated her right - sometimes honesty is just the way to go with a certain kind of people.]
You become a teacher by teaching others, of course. I happen to hold a rather high position at Hyakki Academy, a school for ayakashi and youkai. Although we also teach fallen gods and other special cases.
[ Maybe not in her world. It's likely that he comes from a different world than her own entirely - especially since Ange has seen so many supernatural things back home, yet not a single youkai. Surely she would have come across them if they existed in her world, especially after she started diving headfirst into all the supernatural weirdness back where she comes from..
And hey, if this school for youkai is real, then she's willing to believe he's a teacher. Why not, after all. ]
And what do they learn there? Tell me you don't teach something boring that humans are also forced to learn, like algebra.
[ A school for youkai has to at least be cooler than that, right? Otherwise Ange would be so disappointed. ]
There is. [One that he has created, specifically to give what was once just a bunch of disorganized monsters and absurdities enough of a common scope of knowledge that communication and a sort of shared culture and sense of values could be established.]
The supernatural has always existed alongside the world you humans are familiar with. It would have been weirder if we'd stayed a bunch of uncivilized monsters who can't even read and write while humans have compulsory education and modern schooling systems.
[They even have higher job-specific educations, standards and things like driver's licenses for youkai nowadays.]
Math is among the subjects taught, sorry to let you down. We cover a whole range of the more 'classic' general disciplines like Japanese, Science, History and PE, but there are also more youkai-specific classes like Spookology.
[ Ange just lets out a groan the moment he's listing out actual regular school subjects that apparently even supernatural beings have to deal with. Then what's the point in being a supernatural being when you still have to deal with something as annoying as human school? ]
And here I thought being a youkai was cool.
[ Apparently the youkai existence is, in some ways, just as mundane as the human one, huh.. ]
I thought they'd learn more about their powers or something. Where else are you supposed to learn that?
[Wow. Insult him all you want, but don't crit on his life's work, okay? Douman clears his throat behind his mask and unconsciously crosses his arms only to catch himself and lean on the table instead.]
Sorry that our life is more than just your horror tales. People nowadays want more than to just fly or lurk around and eat the occasional human.
[That had been fine when the majority of youkai had been not much more than basic, uneducated beasts. But nowadays things like a comfy home, health services, easily accessed recreational options, a reliable income to buy whatever one desires with and a stable internet access are far higher on the general priority list than the brief satisfaction of carnage.]
That's what Spookology and Youkai Studies are for. I assure you that we take our responsibilities toward our students seriously and tailor our lessons to each one's unique needs. Even the exams consider what type of youkai you are. If we didn't none of our animal students would ever manage to graduate.
[ Don't worry, Douman. It doesn't even really have anything to do with the specific style this school is going for - it's much more a problem of Ange's own mindset. Which might become a little more obvious when she asks: ]
Is it that appealing to you guys? A human life?
[ She doesn't even really sound as judgmental as a moment ago. Instead it sounds like that is genuine difficult for Ange to comprehend, despite the fact that the girl is clearly human. ]
If I was given the choice, I'd rather have been a youkai. I don't see why anyone would want to live as a human if they don't have to be one.
A human life? Gods beware, no, most of our students even think that humans are creepy nowadays. No way that any of us would want to become human.
[He falls silent for a moment, lips pressing into a thin line as he thinks of the Minister's half-human son. He'd had an inkling that the kid might have wished to be taking after his human mother's side rather than his youkai father's, especially with the difficult home situation he's been in, but with his appearance being clearly inhuman that had never been an option for him.
That one had been a tragedy that had been narrowly avoided. But it also hadn't been about being human directly. So did he just accidentally lie or not? Eh, whatever.]
What's appealing to us is civilization. You know, like why insist on bathing in a freezing river in winter when you could also have a warm bathtub with a jacuzzi or maybe even an all-inclusive stay at an Onsen? It's that kind of thing.
[ More than wanting to be human, anyway. Being human sucks. There's a reason Ange had been trying so desperately to flee that existence before giving up, knowing that she'd never be able to. That her attempts were just pathetic and useless. ]
Sucks that you need math in order to have a society with a Jacuzzi. [ Apparently that part of life is cruel even when you're a youkai. ] But I can't blame anyone for wanting a little bit more comfort in their life too.
[ There's a slight pause, like the girl is thinking, and then she speaks up with: ]
Do you guys teach any kind of magic at school too? Is that what Spookology is about?
Close, but not quite. Spookology is about how to haunt. That means to know yourself and the innate abilities you possess. What you can do with them, how to best use them, what to look out for, where there is still place for growth, maybe even some advices for synergy with other ayakashi... Stuff like that.
I invented the subject because everybody has their own skills and needs. Giving them a relatively safe way to try it out themselves seemed like the best bet. [Translation: having to be responsible for a bunch of teenagers with supernatural powers is a goddamn hassle, so he found a way to make it somebody else's problem. There'll always be an inevitable lot of accidents, bad ideas being tried out and so on, but now there's a teacher just for that. Spookology teachers need to be competent and tough for a good reason.]
But we're not Hogwarts, if that's what you're wondering. I might teach a student magic if I feel like there's a damn good reason for it, but that's a pretty hard exception.
Right now I only have one where I'm even considering doing it.
[ There's definitely a very slight moment where Ange is trying to process that 'Hogwarts' reference, but alas, she's far too much of a shut in to know about it.. She figures it's probably just some other school from his world, maybe? A more magic-related one? ]
I was wondering that because I know finding magic teachers is a pain in the ass. [ She explains.
And apparently she's even comfortable enough around him already to use casual terms like 'pain in the ass'.. without even seeming to think about it.. ]
I've been in this place for about a year already, and the only person who ever was able to teach me anything disappeared about a month later. I was wondering if it was the same where you come from, or if I'm just particularly unlucky both here and back in my own world.
[The moment when a mythical monster of folklore out-popcultures you.
Douman gives her a queer look for a moment -- he'd expected some sort of quip back over the H.P. thing -- but maybe she's just not the type for that kind of media. Surprising, considering that she seems interested in learning magic. (In comparison, the 'pain in the ass' doesn't faze him. His students are pretty notorious with speaking their minds a little too bluntly sometimes.)]
It was the other way round back when I learned it. Dozens of wanna-be practitioners trying to sell you their services, but barely anybody who was worth learning from.
[it hadn't helped that he'd been a precocious kid with a lot of magical talent]
I'm sorry to hear that your teacher went missing. Do you know what happened to them? [since she said 'disappeared' rather than 'ran off']
No one in this place knows for sure what happens to the people who disappear, but it happens all the time.
[ To a point where Ange can speak of it like it's just a totally normal thing. Though there is a very slight start to a frown in her eyebrows, betraying that she might care more than she's trying to make it seem like over here. ]
I doubt they go home though. It's probably whoever is in charge of this place disposing of people. I've found gravestones before that belonged to people who were here before us.
[That's bad. That's all sorts of bad! So far Douman had only thought of this being an ordinary trap realm, but if there's both randomly people vanishing and graves... !
He needs to check if there are any mortal remains.]
Can you lead me to where you've found those graves?
Which is a good thing, as far as Ange figures. Way too many people are just far too chill about this place, despite the horrifying implications here. At least he seems to be aware that this is something you ought to be worried about, no matter whether you're a human or a youkai. ]
Unfortunately not. [ Or else she would have. It doesn't matter that she doesn't know him well yet - she would have shown anyone those if they seemed interested, if not just to hammer in the fact that they're in a really screwed up situation. ]
I saw them a long time ago. The town radically changed a little while back. I could lead you to the spot where they used to be, but there's nothing to be seen there anymore. [ She pauses, thinking about why he might want to see them. He didn't seem to disbelieve her, so maybe it's not just for confirmation in general. Instead--
Ange raises an eyebrow as she looks at him. ] What, did you want to dig them up?
[ What else would one do with a grave, after all? ]
Maybe. I definitely want to check if there are any remains, or if those graves are something symbolic instead. Am I right to assume that whoever made them is unknown or not around anymore?
[That's how it usually goes with such things. Curses, trap realms, whatever other creepy or divine stuff... They try to mess with your head while you're having to figure out the rules and beat them at their own game.
It's annoying that he can't just use his exorcism powers and bust out of this shitty cage. But unfortunately Byakko was right when they pointed out that his human magics have lost a lot of their strength ever since he became a youkai. Busting something that's capable of simulating a whole city plus it's citizens and hold a whole string of captives at the same time goes beyond his capacities.]
How did the city change? You make it sound like it literally shuffled around like the pieces of some board game.
[ There's a slight nod in response to his initial question. Yup, they sure had been mysterious graves that had appeared out of nowhere - much like everything else in this place. If there was any sign of who made them, Ange didn't see it.
Which means there's so little to the answer that she doesn't further go into it other than that nod. Instead she just shifts and focuses on his other question, where there's a little more to explain. ]
It literally was like that.
[ To her, anyway. It doesn't help that Ange has learned how to think in board game metaphors for a long while now, considering everything back home. Maybe that's why she can speak about this so calmly, without her facial expression shifting at all - like talk like this is just normal to her. ]
One moment the city looked like some old medieval town. The next moment we all woke up in a city that was much more modern. We're just dolls in some sort of giant crazy doll house. [ Not exactly a fun idea!!
Yet Ange has been in that position for so long now that she speaks of it as easily as anyone would talk about the weather. Even if it might make her sound like a weird teenage girl. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
expiationlogs2024-06-10 07:58 am
no subject
At least that does seem to register with her. ]
Like the youkai?
[ See - apparently she does know that much. Even if Ange's family has always been more into western legends, it's not like you can ever fully escape the tales of youkai either when you grow up in Japan - and particularly when Ange has always had such interest in the supernatural.
But when she thinks about what youkai that is-- well, that definitely sets off a metaphorical light bulb above the girl's head, and she lets out an almost pained groan as she says: ] Wait, were you messing with my head?
[ Maybe not consciously. Maybe it's just some effect he's naturally got. But the girl sounds kind of offended by the idea all the same, like she's taking it a touch personally. ]
no subject
[He'd half-gambled on her not knowing what particular youkai that is, or at least to brush it off as some weird quirk. Seems like he'll have to re-evaluate his first impression of her a bit more once again.
But first he'll have to address her rightful worry.]
Only a little. Here, let me-
[A whisper of a formula under his breath and a brief slice of his pointer and his middle finger through the air in a very Onmyoji way, and the power that has been tugging at her mind lessens. It's a pleasant light breeze that's just making it easy to be casual with him now, rather than a stubborn current trying to drag all too deep thoughts about him away. Once it's done, he reaches up and shifts his mask so that she'll be able to see the lower half of his face.]
I've been ramping up my youkai powers ever since I arrived at this strange place, just in case. Please forgive an old fool for wanting to be cautious.
[holding up his loot, he tilts his head and offers her a small smile]
Do you mind if I do... ?
[help himself, that is]
no subject
It makes the girl exhale a deep breath, a hand moving up to her head. Like she's trying to adjust to the sensation. ]
.. yeah, sure.
[ Not like she's going to miss some snacks. Ange waves a dismissive hand, preferring to think about everything else that came before it. ]
I didn't realise youkai looked so human. [ Relatively speaking, anyway. They always sounded scarier in stories. Sure, maybe his power is scary in its implications, but Ange doesn't think anything else about him seems that frightening otherwise. He just seems like some sort of bum trying to steal people's food.. ] Though I guess you're the first I've ever met.
no subject
Once he is satisfied, he offers her a smile that leans into being a small smirk.]
Youkai and ayakashi come in all forms and shapes. Plenty of them can even transform themselves.
no subject
[ Maybe it's a bit of a forward question.
.. no, scratch that. It's very forward. But if she's letting him mooch from her fridge, then she might as well ask him a few questions in the meantime, right? It's only fair. And Ange is terribly curious, even if it doesn't show up too much on her face in this moment. ]
I mean, is your true form less human than this one? Or is this really just what you look like?
[ The mask doesn't count, okay! ]
no subject
[He shrugs his shoulders, not bothered by the forwardness of her question. If anything, it's refreshingly familiar since many of his students tend to be like that too.]
Even the back of my head is normal, see? [Douman turns in his seat to let her get a look at the back of his head - not elongated like in the legends, just slightly messy dark purple hair.] Respect the mask and I won't be scary at all.
no subject
Sure, the implications of his powers are a little scary in the sense that she really hates anyone messing with her mind, the beings in charge here included, but he seems willing to at least be a little responsible with that power by dropping it when someone figures him out. ]
It depends on what you'd define by 'respect.'
[ If not just because Ange is.. really bad at that..
This is her actually behaving. Imagine. ]
Because I definitely have plenty of questions about you and your powers that I'd like to ask. It's all pretty fascinating. [ It's hard to tell with the way Ange sounds relatively emotionless when she speaks, but-- she means it. ]
no subject
[The glue thing gets an honorary mention because some delinquent kids tried that one before. It resulted in them finding out the hard way that Hyakki Academy has no rule that prohibits teachers from dealing with unruly kids by ~any means neccessary.~ (He gave those wannabe gangsters a trashing that made them never want to mess with him ever again.)
Looking at Ange, Douman doubts that she's the type to pull practical pranks like that, though.]
Ask away. Answering questions is what teachers are there for, isn't it? But I won't answer any that I don't like, and some will cost you a little extra. [He spreads his arms in a way that lets the smirk on his lips shine through.]
no subject
Besides, asking him questions is way more interesting. Ange seems utterly focused on everything he's saying here. ]
You're a teacher?
[ It sounds weird, but he hasn't been lying to her so far since he dropped his initial act, so.. ]
How does a youkai become a teacher? Or do you teach at some school for youkai?
no subject
You become a teacher by teaching others, of course. I happen to hold a rather high position at Hyakki Academy, a school for ayakashi and youkai. Although we also teach fallen gods and other special cases.
no subject
[ Maybe not in her world. It's likely that he comes from a different world than her own entirely - especially since Ange has seen so many supernatural things back home, yet not a single youkai. Surely she would have come across them if they existed in her world, especially after she started diving headfirst into all the supernatural weirdness back where she comes from..
And hey, if this school for youkai is real, then she's willing to believe he's a teacher. Why not, after all. ]
And what do they learn there? Tell me you don't teach something boring that humans are also forced to learn, like algebra.
[ A school for youkai has to at least be cooler than that, right? Otherwise Ange would be so disappointed. ]
no subject
The supernatural has always existed alongside the world you humans are familiar with. It would have been weirder if we'd stayed a bunch of uncivilized monsters who can't even read and write while humans have compulsory education and modern schooling systems.
[They even have higher job-specific educations, standards and things like driver's licenses for youkai nowadays.]
Math is among the subjects taught, sorry to let you down. We cover a whole range of the more 'classic' general disciplines like Japanese, Science, History and PE, but there are also more youkai-specific classes like Spookology.
no subject
And here I thought being a youkai was cool.
[ Apparently the youkai existence is, in some ways, just as mundane as the human one, huh.. ]
I thought they'd learn more about their powers or something. Where else are you supposed to learn that?
no subject
Sorry that our life is more than just your horror tales. People nowadays want more than to just fly or lurk around and eat the occasional human.
[That had been fine when the majority of youkai had been not much more than basic, uneducated beasts. But nowadays things like a comfy home, health services, easily accessed recreational options, a reliable income to buy whatever one desires with and a stable internet access are far higher on the general priority list than the brief satisfaction of carnage.]
That's what Spookology and Youkai Studies are for. I assure you that we take our responsibilities toward our students seriously and tailor our lessons to each one's unique needs. Even the exams consider what type of youkai you are. If we didn't none of our animal students would ever manage to graduate.
no subject
Is it that appealing to you guys? A human life?
[ She doesn't even really sound as judgmental as a moment ago. Instead it sounds like that is genuine difficult for Ange to comprehend, despite the fact that the girl is clearly human. ]
If I was given the choice, I'd rather have been a youkai. I don't see why anyone would want to live as a human if they don't have to be one.
no subject
A human life? Gods beware, no, most of our students even think that humans are creepy nowadays. No way that any of us would want to become human.
[He falls silent for a moment, lips pressing into a thin line as he thinks of the Minister's half-human son. He'd had an inkling that the kid might have wished to be taking after his human mother's side rather than his youkai father's, especially with the difficult home situation he's been in, but with his appearance being clearly inhuman that had never been an option for him.
That one had been a tragedy that had been narrowly avoided. But it also hadn't been about being human directly. So did he just accidentally lie or not? Eh, whatever.]
What's appealing to us is civilization. You know, like why insist on bathing in a freezing river in winter when you could also have a warm bathtub with a jacuzzi or maybe even an all-inclusive stay at an Onsen? It's that kind of thing.
no subject
[ More than wanting to be human, anyway. Being human sucks. There's a reason Ange had been trying so desperately to flee that existence before giving up, knowing that she'd never be able to. That her attempts were just pathetic and useless. ]
Sucks that you need math in order to have a society with a Jacuzzi. [ Apparently that part of life is cruel even when you're a youkai. ] But I can't blame anyone for wanting a little bit more comfort in their life too.
[ There's a slight pause, like the girl is thinking, and then she speaks up with: ]
Do you guys teach any kind of magic at school too? Is that what Spookology is about?
no subject
I invented the subject because everybody has their own skills and needs. Giving them a relatively safe way to try it out themselves seemed like the best bet. [Translation: having to be responsible for a bunch of teenagers with supernatural powers is a goddamn hassle, so he found a way to make it somebody else's problem. There'll always be an inevitable lot of accidents, bad ideas being tried out and so on, but now there's a teacher just for that. Spookology teachers need to be competent and tough for a good reason.]
But we're not Hogwarts, if that's what you're wondering. I might teach a student magic if I feel like there's a damn good reason for it, but that's a pretty hard exception.
Right now I only have one where I'm even considering doing it.
no subject
I was wondering that because I know finding magic teachers is a pain in the ass. [ She explains.
And apparently she's even comfortable enough around him already to use casual terms like 'pain in the ass'.. without even seeming to think about it.. ]
I've been in this place for about a year already, and the only person who ever was able to teach me anything disappeared about a month later. I was wondering if it was the same where you come from, or if I'm just particularly unlucky both here and back in my own world.
no subject
The moment when a mythical monster of folklore out-popcultures you.Douman gives her a queer look for a moment -- he'd expected some sort of quip back over the H.P. thing -- but maybe she's just not the type for that kind of media. Surprising, considering that she seems interested in learning magic. (In comparison, the 'pain in the ass' doesn't faze him. His students are pretty notorious with speaking their minds a little too bluntly sometimes.)]
It was the other way round back when I learned it. Dozens of wanna-be practitioners trying to sell you their services, but barely anybody who was worth learning from.
[it hadn't helped that he'd been a precocious kid with a lot of magical talent]
I'm sorry to hear that your teacher went missing. Do you know what happened to them? [since she said 'disappeared' rather than 'ran off']
no subject
No one in this place knows for sure what happens to the people who disappear, but it happens all the time.
[ To a point where Ange can speak of it like it's just a totally normal thing. Though there is a very slight start to a frown in her eyebrows, betraying that she might care more than she's trying to make it seem like over here. ]
I doubt they go home though. It's probably whoever is in charge of this place disposing of people. I've found gravestones before that belonged to people who were here before us.
no subject
[That's bad. That's all sorts of bad! So far Douman had only thought of this being an ordinary trap realm, but if there's both randomly people vanishing and graves... !
He needs to check if there are any mortal remains.]
Can you lead me to where you've found those graves?
no subject
Which is a good thing, as far as Ange figures. Way too many people are just far too chill about this place, despite the horrifying implications here. At least he seems to be aware that this is something you ought to be worried about, no matter whether you're a human or a youkai. ]
Unfortunately not. [ Or else she would have. It doesn't matter that she doesn't know him well yet - she would have shown anyone those if they seemed interested, if not just to hammer in the fact that they're in a really screwed up situation. ]
I saw them a long time ago. The town radically changed a little while back. I could lead you to the spot where they used to be, but there's nothing to be seen there anymore. [ She pauses, thinking about why he might want to see them. He didn't seem to disbelieve her, so maybe it's not just for confirmation in general. Instead--
Ange raises an eyebrow as she looks at him. ] What, did you want to dig them up?
[ What else would one do with a grave, after all? ]
no subject
Maybe. I definitely want to check if there are any remains, or if those graves are something symbolic instead. Am I right to assume that whoever made them is unknown or not around anymore?
[That's how it usually goes with such things. Curses, trap realms, whatever other creepy or divine stuff... They try to mess with your head while you're having to figure out the rules and beat them at their own game.
It's annoying that he can't just use his exorcism powers and bust out of this shitty cage. But unfortunately Byakko was right when they pointed out that his human magics have lost a lot of their strength ever since he became a youkai. Busting something that's capable of simulating a whole city plus it's citizens and hold a whole string of captives at the same time goes beyond his capacities.]
How did the city change? You make it sound like it literally shuffled around like the pieces of some board game.
no subject
Which means there's so little to the answer that she doesn't further go into it other than that nod. Instead she just shifts and focuses on his other question, where there's a little more to explain. ]
It literally was like that.
[ To her, anyway. It doesn't help that Ange has learned how to think in board game metaphors for a long while now, considering everything back home. Maybe that's why she can speak about this so calmly, without her facial expression shifting at all - like talk like this is just normal to her. ]
One moment the city looked like some old medieval town. The next moment we all woke up in a city that was much more modern. We're just dolls in some sort of giant crazy doll house. [ Not exactly a fun idea!!
Yet Ange has been in that position for so long now that she speaks of it as easily as anyone would talk about the weather. Even if it might make her sound like a weird teenage girl. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)