genessia | Winter, February 13th

Text - Locked to her CR (anyone who've talked to her at least once and likes her enough)

[ Genessia had made Ayame happy and more at peace for the most part, but this night was the first in a long time that she vividly remembered dark memories she wants to stay buried. Needless to say, Ayame was woken up from her otherwise strict sleep schedule. Wearing nothing but a silken robe over her nightgown and with a cup of warm chocolate in her hand, Ayame gazes into the nighttime scenery of Genessia that helps ease her troubled mind, Ayame checked the time on her phone. It's late for early risers like her, but for many people, 10 pm isn't even late.

Even when she has Anastasia staying with her and Hibiki who is sound asleep in the living room, it didn't ease the lonesome feeling that's plaguing her at the moment. She wasn't sure if it was a distant sound of a siren, or just her own mind, but it jolted her from a lost state. Refusing to stay depressed, Ayame had an idea. ]

It's Ayame. Anyone of you still awake?

[ Phone in hand, she sent that text message to a bunch of people she had met and like enough to be considered an acquaintance. Hoping any of them would still be awake at this hour. ]

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I see. A moment.

[One minute later, Ted sends her a few images.]

Have you read any of these?

[He sent over a picture of The Canterbury Tales, Phantastes, and The Illustrated Man, respectively.]

I have seen Phantastes in the Fantasy section of the Genessia library, but I didn't give it a chance. What are these stories about?

Heh, funny you should ask. The Tales are about twenty or so stories, somewhat critical, of 14th century England, particularly the Church. It's considered to be Chaucer's magnum opus.

Likewise, The Illustrated Man is yet another collection of short stories about...heh, a lot. He's a science fiction writer so not even the sky's the limit for that subject matter.

Phantastes is a faerie romance, as the jacket said. One reader said it "baptized his imagination". Powerful stuff.

[Unless the diction is hard, he's confident Ayame, who's probably an Earthling, won't have trouble with any of the subject matter therein.]

Ah, then I shall look for them in the library tomorrow, or try it on an e-reader I got for Christmas.

[ But nothing really beats the feel of a book. The sounds of flipping pages and the new book smell is a wonder of its own ]

Your book choices do have me curious though. You've never mentioned what point in time were you from. I recognize the name of Chaucer, so you must be from Earth.

[ And she remembers him mentioning God like a Christian would, but belief in God is almost as prevalent in the multiverse as humans are from what she's seen. ]

[That deflated him. He was going to just e-gift her whichever title she liked best; he's been trying to be more generous and, by extension, less avaricious lately. But her or his avarice made a good point via the library; why waste money when the books are freely lent? All the ones she owned weren't giving her pleasure anyway. Conversation might do.[

...Oh, I am. Aren't you? You knew Dubai, didn't you? [A strange Dubai far less barbarous than the one he's familiar with, but still]

Ah, I'm contemporary. beat Pffhaha, well, suppose everyone would say that. Let's see, I think I'm from...the turn of the second millenium. 2010, or somewhere near. Yourself?

Yes, I am from an Earth a bit further into your future.

[ Not that she's willing to discuss into detail about that right now ]

I must admit that I thought you'd be from a much earlier time, based on your demeanor and interests. What country, then?

Hah, oh, well, good thing we stave off the Apocalypse that long, at least.

[Lots of people thought he was more medieval, probably due to the way he dressed, but she may be the first one to come out and say so.]

You did? Huh. Oh, America. Wonderful country; the only one ever founded on a creed. Suppose that's why things were so preternaturally charged.

[ Apocalyptic events happen a lot in her world, luckily Ayame was there to stave off multiple events like that. Peace is a fragile thing, especially in her world. But that's not something she'd rather think about. It's that very reason she's awake this night, so she wanted to talk more about Ted ]

Perhaps. I don't know how the supernatural operates in your world and how different it is from mine, but the United States in my homeworld has always been prone to supernatural phenomenon also, long before the arrival of foreigners there, otherworldy events and creatures have roamed the continent.

"I believe it. It's said that it's very formation was so unlikely as to be supernatural in and of itself. The Revolution had next to no chance of being successful. Some even believe God himself had a hand of it; it'd surprise me not at all to see the supernatural linger forever after.

But then I'm sure the numinous is everywhere. Japan--isn't that your country?--definitely seemed rife, what with youkai this and Gensokyo that."

I'm beginning to think the United States and Japan are among the supernaturally charged countries in Earth, given how many of us are here. We're going to need an embassy.

[ A soft chuckle follows Ayame's words. She only knows of battle strategies and tactics involving war when it comes to history, so she knows little about the American Revolution to tell whether the victory was caused by the help of God, or just the French ]

I've never heard of Gensokyo, but your mention of yokai has me guessing Koishi is the one who mentioned it to you?

There is a complimentary oddity in that. I even had the pleasure--or displeasure--of meeting one Izanami herself. Or a claimant thereof. She wasn't very pleasant. She's gone now, thankfully, but meeting an alleged creator goddess does leave an impression.

Still, East and West; a land that forbid Christianity until the late 19th century, and another that's been suffused with it from the very beginning. One small, one large. One half slew dragons to extinction, while the other revered them. There must be something very significant in expressing those two opposites so fiercely and frequently.

Ah, yes, you've met Moon--er, Koishi. Heh, she does seem to be a flag-bearer for them, eh? Though I could think of saner ambassadors...

[ Izanami, huh? While it's perfectly possible it was the real deal, Ayame is curious to see how meeting a kami like her in here would go down. Ayame simply gives a hum in response, focusing on the issue of Koishi instead ]

Koishi has mentioned having an older sister. One that she told me I should meet. Other than knowing she lost in the Guardian elections for Fayren, I haven't seen or heard from her in the network.

[A pause before he spoke more plaintively.]

Yes, her name is...heh, Satori. That's either too simple, like naming someone "man", or else bedrock-foundational, like naming someone "Adam." In any case I'm not surprised. She doesn't live much.

[Odd way of putting it; an emotionally compromised Ted becomes both more honest and less sensible.]

[ The pause made Ayame wonder as she listened in to Ted's words from the other side of the phone. Satori is an odd name to refer to one's self, but Ayame doesn't know her story to judge or say anything about it. Instead, her concern and curiosity gravitated to Ted's manner of speaking just now ]

I cannot help but wonder what caused you to hesitate for a moment there. Is something the matter?

"Oh, um...mm."

[He sighed. Something was very much the matter, but to say so would bring up the whole, messy, awful thing and not get an inch nearer to a solution, let alone comfort. Satori lived in a subarchway; that is, an indulgent lie, and Ted feared she might never be free of them. And Ayame, from his reading, enjoyed the wretched things without batting an eye.]

"Nothing for you to worry about, though thanks for asking."

Winter, February 13th - Sleepless Night

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