[003] - Voice: Excuse Me.

[mysicksadlife]

[She's been putting this off. Actually, she's managed to put it off for a very long time now. But as slow as she may be, she knows when there's something she needs to say.]

Look, this probably isn't how you're supposed to do this sort of thing, but I'd rather get it out there up front and over with. I'm sorry for any... strange things I may have said or done while I wasn't quite feeling like myself.

That goes for Valentine's Day, and more recently. Though I have to admit recently wasn't that bad. In fact, if it was always like that here, I could probably get used to it. Eventually. Enough to hold my complaining down to a dull roar, anyway.

So I was wondering, too, about these filial spirits. If magic is really something here, it probably behooves me to try to see it at work. Anyone willing to volunteer to let me? I'm not saying I'm going to try it out myself, or anything like that. I just want to see it.

Comments

[wise_maiden]

Theoretically, yes, but we haven't exactly come across that yet to know for certain. [Even in some of the identity altering shifts, the worlds themselves didn't seem to have much variance. Or it just wasn't talked about.]

[mysicksadlife]

I'm aware of the irony of applying rigorous scientific methods to testing magic, but I'm sort of glad someone's doing it and noticing it anyway.

[wise_maiden]

What can I say? It is a fascinating subject.

[mysicksadlife]

I'd like to know what percentage of those Earth worlds have magic, according to your knowledge.

[wise_maiden]

Well, you're not going to get an accurate representation of that, not with the way the population shifts around. I can say that I know of at least seven offhand, then there are others who don't necessarily consider what they can do as a magical power, and that still leaves the rest. It's probably a fairly even ratio, all things considered, mostly erring on the middle range of these concepts possibly existing, but due to the perception of it, it's hidden from view.

[mysicksadlife]

We could probably figure out a reasonable margin of error. I'm not looking for exact figures anyway; I just want a basic idea.

[wise_maiden]

Well, if you want the best results, maybe you could try polling the village at large and narrowing it down from there. Though you'd have to also take into account how many people are representing a certain Earth.

[mysicksadlife]

The world's a big place, with a lot of different eras, even before you take this place into account. I'm not sure I'd end up with enough meaningful data. You could never be sure it was accurate, and not biased by a necessarily limited perspective.

[wise_maiden]

Indeed. The Malnosso could have more accurate data from it. If you really wanted to chase down some answers, maybe one of those data-organizing missions could turn up something.

[mysicksadlife]

That's actually worth considering. Do you suppose I could finagle access to some of theirs in the process? Since I'm being a good little prisoner and all.

[wise_maiden]

It would depend on what you were looking up, I suppose. I would imagine their data would cover the worlds of everyone brought here, not just those in our enclosure.

[mysicksadlife]

Think it'd have much on how they got out? [Despite the question, she's pretty sure the answer is a no already. After all, if it were that easy, no way all these people would be here.]

[wise_maiden]

I doubt it, considering that would fall into the category of shifts and experiments.

[mysicksadlife]

Right. And conveniently, that sort of information doesn't seem to be available.

Doesn't it strike you that if these Malnosso really thought we were here by chance, they'd want us to have that information?

[wise_maiden]

They've had a long time to set up their system. From what it seems, they don't even consider having people join their ranks unless they've been stuck in the world for a long enough time.

[mysicksadlife]

And how long is 'a long enough time'? I'm not really attached to this place, but if they've got the power here, it might be worth thinking about, right?

[wise_maiden]

No one in here has been there for that long yet. It seems that being stuck in this world for at least ten years and up are what they look for before considering that route, though there's no telling what may happen.

[mysicksadlife]

Ten years. [Forgive her if she actually sounds a bit surprised at that - a remarkable feat, with her normally bland and toneless voice.]

Are you sure about that? [Wait. He'd said no one had been here that long... that was something, at least.]

How long have people been here for, then?

[wise_maiden]

It's only what I've heard offhand from less-senior Malnosso members as well as murmurs from people in other enclosures.

You should already be aware that Luceti is in it's sixth cycle year. The most anyone has been here for is just over five and a half years. And you'll find that less people have been around for that long - most here seem to average about two years. Closer to three in some cases, and even that's a more recent consideration.

[mysicksadlife]

And me here only for almost half a year so far.

[Which suggests if she's 'average', she has quite a long time ahead of her. For that matter, so does her sister.]

You sound like you keep pretty informed, though. They'd be lucky to have you if you wanted to try working for them later. [And if it could get her home sooner somehow, she'd be the first to sign up, personally, she thinks.]

[wise_maiden]

You have a lot to learn about them.

[She guesses that was meant to be a complement.]

and NOW i see my fail html. sorry about the tinyfont.

[mysicksadlife]

I have a feeling so do all of us. Even what people 'know' about them has a pretty low chance of being true. Or confirmed, whether it's true or not.

[wise_maiden]

That is correct. Everything we do know about them now is a continuous work in progress.

[mysicksadlife]

[That's a slightly more optimistic way of looking at it.]

So you think we'll buy our vowels, solve the puzzle, and go home? [Put in the effort to learn, find the truth or at least the way out, and goodbye?]

[wise_maiden]

I never said it was that simple. [Though to be fair, she doesn't quite understand the reference either.]