PUBLIC CHANNEL - DAY 157

[whattaprick]

Nightrider Lambert here. In case you haven't heard by now: the things on Kerner Island eat settled daemons. So find somewhere else to take a daytrip. If you go anyway, do me a favor and keep your radio on you. That way we can all hear what it sounds like when a soul gets eaten.

[ He's about to leave it on that cheerfully sarcastic note, but then the faint sound of a female voice chimes in, scolding. For those who've met her, they'll recognize it as Lambert's daemon, the golden-eyed polecat that wears a hawk's shape outside the carnival. ]

Lambert! You didn't have to say it like that!

[ It doesn't seem to shame him one bit, though, since Lambert's going to keep right on talking: ]

For those of you whose daemon hasn't settled yet, that doesn't mean you get to be an idiot about going out there. Slipping and breaking your neck would be a stupid way to die. That said, if you're interested in doing some nightrunner work--

Come find us! [ The daemon interrupts again, louder this time, and there's a brief sound of a scuffle before her voice finally comes through loud and clear. Now it's Lambert who sounds more distant (and distinctly annoyed), though she talks right over him. ] We've got a map and other things you can use!

[ ooc: Lambert and his daemon will both be replying to his post (and probably fighting over the radio button, honestly). For ease of clarity, her responses will be in italics! ]

Comments

[whattaprick]

Guess that's them, then.

[ Ugh, creepy. But more importantly -- ]

You can feel when they're around?

[soft_focus]

I guess?

[Like she said.] ...It's just weird that there's no feelings there at all...

[whattaprick]

What feelings would you expect to be there?

[soft_focus]

Any feeling.

No one just feels nothing unless something is really really wrong.

[whattaprick]

These aren't really 'someones,' though. And there's definitely something wrong with them.

[soft_focus]

[She'll put it this way-]

Neither are plants but those still have a feeling around them.

It's a really easy one, but it's a feeling.

They can be wrong while being weird at the same time...

[whattaprick]

But plants are living things aren't they? [ It's Lambert's daemon that chimes in. ] Even the dead used to be alive. If they don't feel like anything, maybe ...

determining how empathy and spectres worked was a wild ride tho wow

[soft_focus]

Dead things don't feel like nothing while being invisible though.

The nothing doesn't move, either.

[This kid SURE CAN straight up pin point spectres-]

....even then though, other feelings from other things go through, normally.

But it feels more like the empty nothing is...taking up the spot.

Even though it's empty.

I BET IT WAS

[whattaprick]

We could see them. [ His daemon is very definitive about that. There's a shiver to her voice at the memory of it, reflecting the deep uneasiness that comes with the experience.

And they could see us, probably can go unsaid. However, dwelling on that is going to have to wait, because Lambert is much more interested in another question: ]

How close have you been to the island?

[soft_focus]

Oh....I guess that's why adults can't go?

I found someone who would row to the shallow spots where I could think if flying things and fly there.

No one feels feelings like I can I guess though, because everyone just walked through empty places all the time...

....I don't think the empty things see me. They never moved close anyway...

[whattaprick]

[ It was a pretty different story when he tried to get near, so ... ]

Yeah, the locals say they don't care about kids. That's why they're the only ones over there. As long as your daemon can still change its shape, you're safe.

[soft_focus]

What!

But mine is almost always changing and it still took me a long time to find someone..
everyone kept saying it changed too much!

[Technically, it was a combo of that and all forms visibly being young animals. Which is still bull, in her eyes, as giant baby monsters are still giant monsters.]

[whattaprick]

Huh. [ He didn't know such a thing as 'too much' was possible, but-- ]

They probably think it makes you unreliable.

[soft_focus]

They're not though. [Insisting!!!]

They just can't find something that fits yet, so we decided to use what we used to do, and make sure we can do what we have to do no matter what.

[These are perhaps worrying words from someone who sounds a good ways under ten. Or maybe not, who knows.]

[whattaprick]

[ That's a very spirited ramble there and it's pretty much how he thinks of things, but-- ]

What's the longest it's ever held one form?

[soft_focus]

One minute.

[She says it quite calmly.] They still had to get me to the island though, and they did that really easy.

Becoming different 'big things' is even easier.

[whattaprick]

Is that how long they can, or want to?

[soft_focus]

I don't know. It just happens.

[It's a bit of a mix. After all, once they're sleeping...one form and only one is being used, and that's definitely more than sixty seconds. Slows down around then too. It's just...]

...None of the shapes fit, is all. They don't feel right.

[...Uncomfortable, when you don't feel like 'yourself' yet.]

[whattaprick]

[ Hm. Interesting, but ultimately pretty irrelevant to Lambert right now. What some kid's daemon changes into and how often isn't really any concern of his. He's about to leave it at that, but his daemon chimes in: ]

If they won't try it for more than one minute at a time, how will they know?

[soft_focus]

[The voice that answers is difficult to describe. Almost ethereal, neither male nor female, yet significantly older than Reira's own voice. It is one that, most certainly, defies any form it takes no matter the state.]

We know what is not ourselves the instant we have taken that form. We wait in order to see what is familiar, and follow.

[whattaprick]

So you've never tried the same form more than once?

[soft_focus]

They've taken it if they think it's good for what we need, but normally it's different.

[There is a pause.]

...They don't like talking a lot.

[whattaprick]

Lucky you. Mine likes talking too much.

[ Even weirder is how the demon sounds compared to its human, in Lambert's opinion, but everything about daemons is weird anyway. ]

It's nice to have a shape, no matter what it is. What's important is that you're together.

[soft_focus]

Yeah.

[...Yeah what? Nothing, just Yeah. That said-]

Ummmm....

...I guess if you can't go there though, I can tell you what's there? ...I used to have to do that for other people, but...

...It's okay if I'm doing it because I want to I think.

[whattaprick]

[ That's the most ... unsure volunteer he's ever heard. Not that Lambert's much experienced in getting volunteers for anything, admittedly. ]

You've done scouting before?