[network] @ADMIN; Arrival

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Comments

[0thingsonmymind]

ithink beckett @mnemosyne isbest
heis vam pire

*That was the same sort of thing, right?*

[ritu]

[Right, that person again. A shame there isn't anyone else who isn't apparently dangerous to speak to in person.]

So they really are a vampire...

[Maybe he shouldn't be so surprised. He comes from a world of psychics who try and take over the world, after all. This guy's typing style is really starting to grate on him, though. Maybe they're a kid or something. Or an old person who can't figure out how to type.]

Thank you for the info. Could I get your name, by the way?

[0thingsonmymind]

heis
but itis
dif fer ent here


youare wel come
iam called
brian

[ritu]

[Well, that sounds ominous.]

It's nice to meet you. What do you mean by "different here?"

[0thingsonmymind]

here chan ges peo ple
heis more a live here
cannot do what
could

all with pow ers cannot

[ritu]

[It takes Ritsu more than a few moments to respond.]

I see. But that person, has he retained any of the abilities he had from where he came from? And what about others who are similar?

[0thingsonmymind]

ido not know
i didnot ask

for an y

[ritu]

[Right. He should have expected as much.]

Thank you for the information. I'll see about contacting that person, then.

[...his typing, though. Maybe he's sick with "cabin fever," or whatever it was they called it? Maybe he's in pain? He really can't tell. Honestly, he's probably just some weirdo.]

Are you doing alright? Your typing is a little odd.

[0thingsonmymind]

my typ ing is
fine

[ritu]

[No it's not alright fine, fine, whatever, this dude can type as shittily as he prefers, whatever, no skin off his back.]

Right. Sorry.

[Maybe someone should put tape over his enter key or something. Damn.]

[0thingsonmymind]

so rry
?

[ritu]

I didn't mean to sound rude, if I did... Never mind.

[Didn't realize you were just some weirdo who can't type.]

[0thingsonmymind]

*Okay he gets like....none of that. This conversation doesn't seem to be useful anymore, though, so it doesn't really matter.*

o kay

@Mnemosyne; text

[bookofnope]

I see I was summoned.

By which I don't mean literally summoned. Yes, all that is nullified. My own abilities along with everyone else's. It's, how do you kids say? It's a drag.

[ritu]

[Well, isn't that convenient? Maybe this tablet isn't so bad after all. "A drag" is a heavy understatement.]

Thank you for replying. I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions.

[He has a lot, but let's not be hasty. He has to make a good impression somehow.]

When you say it's all been nullified, do you mean only your abilities, or all effects of being a vampire? [It... honestly feels silly just typing that.] And have you been able to "turn" anyone since arriving here?

[bookofnope]

Of course not. But I charge per hour. Or per instance of being accused of making it all up.

[He's had to cope with some things, okay.]

I mean almost all effects. The most surface of qualities, such as appearance, remain, but nothing under the skin so to speak. My body is effectively mortal, and most of my instincts are similarly altered.

And you may be stunned to hear this, but I haven't tried. It's not exactly something you do as a way to say hello.

[ritu]

[Note to self: do not accuse him of making shit up.]

Right. I suppose that would be pretty dangerous.

[...He still wants to know, though. But he isn't about to volunteer.]

When you say your instincts are altered, does that mean you consider death more seriously? [Can he stand to be around garlic? He's not asking that.] And you're able to, uh, stand in sunlight, I'm guessing?

[Under any other circumstance, he'd probably doubt that Beckett is a vampire at all given this information. But considering anyone could doubt himself being an esper... He shakes the thought. Glass houses.]

[bookofnope]

The Embrace does happen to involve killing the prospective vampire. You may recall, the technical term is "undead".

[Just snarking for snark's sake now. He's had to develop any number of ways to cope with the change and with the ways others' disbelief triggers the accompanying fury and frustration. This is one of the easiest, and least harmful ones.]

Death is a perfectly serious issue even for the dead. We are immortal, not indestructible. But yes, the instinctive fear of sunlight, as well as fire, is gone. Interesting, isn't it? I'm not sure whether that implies something about the nature of those instincts, or about the alteration itself.

[ritu]

[It takes Ritsu a moment to respond to that; he's trying to absorb what it means. It's a little scary to even think about. A place that can completely change your instincts and who you are and what's led you to that identity...]

Which of those do you think it implies, then?

[bookofnope]

[That is a big question, and one that Beckett isn't prepared for. He's thought about it a lot on his own, of course, turned it over and over in his head, but no one has ever asked him about the change. It isn't a comfortable topic; which doesn't stop him, but does put him on edge more than he'd like to admit.]

The change itself ought to be impossible. There are legends, naturally, but I was able to track and refute practically all of them. So the answer is: I have no idea, but I would hardly put it past whatever has done this to be able to rewrite one's mind on the most basic level.]

[ritu]

[That's not the answer he was hoping for, though if he doesn't put it past the responsible parties to be able to perform that change themselves...]

Do you think it has something to do with these nanomachines that were mentioned in the guide, then?

[bookofnope]

That seems the general consensus, and it is supported by information we have from those ostensibly in charge. But to be blunt, if this is all purely the result of technological intervention, without magickal backing, I'll eat my hat, and my ears can freeze off as they please.

[ritu]

[It would be a frustrating reveal, for sure, but...]

That would mean leaving this place wouldn't negate the effects. Only the deactivation of the nanomachines would.

[Which, needless to say, isn't good news.]

Surely there must be a way to test that.

[bookofnope]

You raise an interesting point.

[He's impressed, actually - this Ritsu has just come in, and there they are raising interesting points already. There's something to be said for fresh eyes.]

My notes are none too extensive on the point, but we did experience a brief spell of nanomachine power loss. It did not result in any ability being restored. Only in near death from radiation poisoning.

1/2

[ritu]

[There goes that idea. Although...]

You say "we," so do you mean everyone lost power to their nanomachines? [Probably.] If that power loss could be directed at one person instead of a group, completely shutting theirs down... [Since death isn't always permanent here, there might just be a...]