[Her's had the unspecified religion with their saints/angels and at least one cult.]
A messiah with colored eggs... [Probably some chicken?] There are strange customs in every world, it seems.
Ah, y-yes. It did sound as though they expected us to find more than one. Where else might a child search?
[Instead of joining him in looking, though she looks at the hair clip in her hand again. Echo's not sure if she should try to put it in her hair or stow it in a safe place in her jacket.]
All culture is strange to those who aren't used to it.
[Though he looks about for a few seconds and considers mentioning a shed he can see a few yards away, Echo's lack of movement catches his eye and he turns back to her. After a moment:]
... There's nothing that says you can't put it on yourself, is there?
[Echo stiffens. She hadn't meant to be that obvious about how much she's still thinking about the feather.]
N-No, I suppose there isn't...
[Pointedly looking away from Altius, Echo slowly and gingerly places the clip in her hair. She's blushing, though she's really not sure why. Once it's fixed, she starts scanning the area as though this little diversion had never happened.]
[With a quiet chuckle he briefly puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder, then gestures towards the shed he saw, near a bit of old, abandoned fishing equipment. It seems like a good place for children to think secrets would be hiding.]
How about over here? I've heard people have picked up a few useful prizes out of these; tools, seeds, that sort of thing.
[If Echo wants to move on from the clip, he'll let it happen. That doesn't mean he's going to forget all this, though.]
[Of course he's not... Why does she manage to embarrass herself in front of people with good memories?
Echo nods and begins strolling in that direction.]
That would make this a less strange tradition. I cannot imagine a such a thing lasting if it involves searching for a hidden object only to receive something purely superfluous.
[Altius raises his eyebrows briefly at the sentiment, even though he himself is largely interested in the practical outcomes for the current situation.]
You'd be surprised, then. People need enjoyment and "superfluous" things in their lives, my dear. That's why festivals and holidays exist.
So I have been told, yes. I have yet to fully understand it, however. People will use such things to take advantage of others or to...engage in questionable activities. Or, perhaps someone does not know what they enjoy.
[That's a normal thing that happens, right?]
There must be something useful for anything to be sustainable.
Someone is always capable of learning. That's another part of it; you can't know what you like if you never take the opportunity to try.
[More to Echo's apparent perceptions, though...]
You might think of it as morale, if you'd find that easier to understand. When people only have hard work ahead of them and nothing nice to look forward to, it's difficult for them muster up the willpower to do more than they absolutely must, at best.
[Echo comes to a halt after he finishes his explanation. She's silent for a moment, and while her face is its more typical hard-to-read self, it's a safe bet that she's thinking about this carefully.]
That...is true. I was only meant to do what was required of me. But when I was forced into another situation, something became...different.
[She unconsciously runs her hand over the hair clip.]
[She didn't mean to be vague; she doesn't know how to explain it.]
That's right. By the end, I could act of my own free will even when it should not have been possible. I could not have done it alone, but I don't believe that changes its significance.
[There's a slight pause.]
Maybe I didn't consider it alongside unnecessary things due to its importance.
[Echo seems a bit surprised by the question, if only because she realized what she'd said to him. She still didn't always realize when she was saying something that might jump out to a person as being very strange. She closes her eyes to collect herself.]
Simply put, I was meant to be a temporary personality that acted solely according to the will of my creator. I only existed through its power, and was supposed to fade into nothingness when it was done with me.
[She takes a moment to decide what she can tell him without getting into the extremely complicated details he hadn't asked for.]
When that time came, I had support that allowed me to stand back up. And once I had destroyed it, I was able to linger in this body.
[Well, then... a mild look of surprise crosses his face, but it soon turns to something contemplative. Although "Altius" wouldn't know anything about these kinds of powers, it's not outside of the realm of possibility in his world, he would think. Either way, her explanation is reasonable enough that even the businessman alone could understand it... and its implications.
He wonders what happened to the non-temporary personality, but—that doesn't particularly matter at this point, does it? At least not in terms of what she's experiencing now.]
That explains a few things, [he eventually replies.] I'm glad you had that support. No one deserves to be used and discarded like that, regardless of origin.
[He's a hypocrite for saying so, but he nevertheless believes it.]
[She feels guilty about where the original personality is, probably a good idea to mind when that topic comes up.
His initial response doesn't really surprise Echo. Even in her own world, it's pretty wild. Finally, she nods in agreement.]
I agree. The ones who came before me were not so lucky. In the eyes of those who knew what I was, I was merely a tool. I've realized that how they perceived me affected how I saw myself. I did not consider myself to be an actual existence until I was treated as one.
[That there were others like her shouldn't come as a shock, really. How many of her like were thrown away before she managed to take control of her own decisions...? Another piece of cruelty from a different world—but it's really no different from any other, in the end. Magic and the supernatural didn't have to be involved for people to be treated as tools.]
The same can be said for most people. Until we come across new perspectives, we tend to assume there are no other paths to take but the ones we're first given. That tendency can certainly be used as a form of control.
[And in Echo's case he has no doubt that was intentional, even if they never once believed her to be capable of personhood. Why risk giving her the chance?]
It's when we're able to ask questions that we can start to truly understand ourselves, I think.
Yes. Control was the point. That was the power my creator possessed.
[It wasn't just Echoes; there were temporary personalities placed into a variety of people when Noise wanted to manipulate them. She doesn't know anything about what happened to those.]
And I agree about questions. I ask them often because I want to understand more things. It makes sense that it extends to ourselves.
[Speaking of understanding things, they had been doing something before this turned into a philosophical journey, right?]
[Altius hardly cares about this apparent holiday and its potential trinkets; he's not getting his hopes up on what they'll find. This has been more of a way to take some time to rest between errands, anyway, and learning more about this girl seems the more useful result.
He can still circle around and pretend well enough, at least.]
Perhaps you'll find the right questions to ask to help you understand how to enjoy occasions like this festival, hm? Instead of only thinking of it as superfluous.
[There's a knowing look in his eye. Sentimental trinkets aren't something he's focused on for himself in a long, long time, but he knows very well the effect they have on people in general—even if they happen to be artificial, he doubts that's any different.]
It's still important, [he finishes for her with a smile, despite her quick attempt to move on. But to be merciful, he does turn his attention to the surroundings.]
There should be, certainly. We might look over behind those flower beds, hm?
[And they don't have to speak about foolish feelings any further. He'll probably return to new errands for the locals soon enough, himself.]
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expiationlogs2025-04-13 10:48 pm
no subject
A messiah with colored eggs... [Probably some chicken?] There are strange customs in every world, it seems.
Ah, y-yes. It did sound as though they expected us to find more than one. Where else might a child search?
[Instead of joining him in looking, though she looks at the hair clip in her hand again. Echo's not sure if she should try to put it in her hair or stow it in a safe place in her jacket.]
no subject
[Though he looks about for a few seconds and considers mentioning a shed he can see a few yards away, Echo's lack of movement catches his eye and he turns back to her. After a moment:]
... There's nothing that says you can't put it on yourself, is there?
no subject
N-No, I suppose there isn't...
[Pointedly looking away from Altius, Echo slowly and gingerly places the clip in her hair. She's blushing, though she's really not sure why. Once it's fixed, she starts scanning the area as though this little diversion had never happened.]
no subject
How about over here? I've heard people have picked up a few useful prizes out of these; tools, seeds, that sort of thing.
[If Echo wants to move on from the clip, he'll let it happen. That doesn't mean he's going to forget all this, though.]
no subject
Echo nods and begins strolling in that direction.]
That would make this a less strange tradition. I cannot imagine a such a thing lasting if it involves searching for a hidden object only to receive something purely superfluous.
no subject
You'd be surprised, then. People need enjoyment and "superfluous" things in their lives, my dear. That's why festivals and holidays exist.
no subject
So I have been told, yes. I have yet to fully understand it, however. People will use such things to take advantage of others or to...engage in questionable activities. Or, perhaps someone does not know what they enjoy.
[That's a normal thing that happens, right?]
There must be something useful for anything to be sustainable.
no subject
He shakes his head at her conclusion.]
Someone is always capable of learning. That's another part of it; you can't know what you like if you never take the opportunity to try.
[More to Echo's apparent perceptions, though...]
You might think of it as morale, if you'd find that easier to understand. When people only have hard work ahead of them and nothing nice to look forward to, it's difficult for them muster up the willpower to do more than they absolutely must, at best.
no subject
That...is true. I was only meant to do what was required of me. But when I was forced into another situation, something became...different.
[She unconsciously runs her hand over the hair clip.]
no subject
A good different, hm?
[How poorly was this girl treated...? Oh, if only he could reach into other worlds.]
A different where you get to decide what you're "meant" to do. With the occasional advice, perhaps.
no subject
That's right. By the end, I could act of my own free will even when it should not have been possible. I could not have done it alone, but I don't believe that changes its significance.
[There's a slight pause.]
Maybe I didn't consider it alongside unnecessary things due to its importance.
no subject
If you don't mind my asking... what do you mean by shouldn't have been possible?
no subject
Simply put, I was meant to be a temporary personality that acted solely according to the will of my creator. I only existed through its power, and was supposed to fade into nothingness when it was done with me.
[She takes a moment to decide what she can tell him without getting into the extremely complicated details he hadn't asked for.]
When that time came, I had support that allowed me to stand back up. And once I had destroyed it, I was able to linger in this body.
no subject
He wonders what happened to the non-temporary personality, but—that doesn't particularly matter at this point, does it? At least not in terms of what she's experiencing now.]
That explains a few things, [he eventually replies.] I'm glad you had that support. No one deserves to be used and discarded like that, regardless of origin.
[He's a hypocrite for saying so, but he nevertheless believes it.]
no subject
His initial response doesn't really surprise Echo. Even in her own world, it's pretty wild. Finally, she nods in agreement.]
I agree. The ones who came before me were not so lucky. In the eyes of those who knew what I was, I was merely a tool. I've realized that how they perceived me affected how I saw myself. I did not consider myself to be an actual existence until I was treated as one.
no subject
The same can be said for most people. Until we come across new perspectives, we tend to assume there are no other paths to take but the ones we're first given. That tendency can certainly be used as a form of control.
[And in Echo's case he has no doubt that was intentional, even if they never once believed her to be capable of personhood. Why risk giving her the chance?]
It's when we're able to ask questions that we can start to truly understand ourselves, I think.
no subject
[It wasn't just Echoes; there were temporary personalities placed into a variety of people when Noise wanted to manipulate them. She doesn't know anything about what happened to those.]
And I agree about questions. I ask them often because I want to understand more things. It makes sense that it extends to ourselves.
[Speaking of understanding things, they had been doing something before this turned into a philosophical journey, right?]
no subject
He can still circle around and pretend well enough, at least.]
Perhaps you'll find the right questions to ask to help you understand how to enjoy occasions like this festival, hm? Instead of only thinking of it as superfluous.
no subject
Yes, perhaps.
[Her hand drifts to the hair clip.]
There was no need for this, either, but it still—
[She's just...gonna shut up right there. Her cheeks are starting to feel a little warm again and she doesn't like it.]
Y-You thought there might be another egg hidden here, correct?
no subject
It's still important, [he finishes for her with a smile, despite her quick attempt to move on. But to be merciful, he does turn his attention to the surroundings.]
There should be, certainly. We might look over behind those flower beds, hm?
[And they don't have to speak about foolish feelings any further. He'll probably return to new errands for the locals soon enough, himself.]
no subject
[It's not exactly what she was going to say, but close enough without inexplicably embarrassing herself.]
That sounds reasonable.
[Echo's just gonna go look around them right now. Maybe that can help change the topic or something.]