01 ♫ voice | un: warmsunlight

[heartandsol]

Hi. Sorry, this is my first time using this... [Her voice is intially a little quiet, but it strengthens once she starts in on her actual content. It's cheery enough, if with a nervous tint.] Anyway. I'm Miku Kohinata, a recent arrival. I've got a few questions, so I figured asking in a larger place would work better at first. To start with, I think I need to find a job. I need more time before I'm comfortable with my magic- that still feels really weird to say- so I'm not sure I should jump into anything dangerous yet, but I don't want to rest on my laurels, either. I'm just not sure what the best thing to do is, so... [A soft breath.] I'm asking advice. I don't even know if a job is the right answer, either, so...

Besides, I need money anyway, for that masquerade that's coming up - or more likely for something after it, because there's no way I'll be able to come up with enough for anything meaningful by then. I know it's supposed to be casual, but I'm still not sure I have anything I'd really prefer to wear to something like that, and dressy clothes aren't cheap, so I have to admit I'm a little worried. Do things like this happen often? Should I keep a cute outfit in my dresser because I'm going to need it often, or will I be okay with things I'm comfortable running around in?

[A more deflated sigh, and a bit more neutral a tone.] I just feel a little out of my depth. I'll be okay, I just need to ground myself a little. That's really what this is for. I'd appreciate any help anyone can offer me, even if it's just pointing me in the direction of someone or something that can assist me. With magic, with employment, with advice on how to move forward, really anything. Someone to talk to. That's all I need. Thank you.

Comments

video | un: lookingforaliens

[uncommonsense]

[ It's probably a bit weird for her to be looking at... well nothing, but it's a lot better for Haruhi here to show her face! Just to know she's actually there. ]

If you need help with magic, I can pitch in a little! I'm new here too though, so I'm still figuring out the whole work thing.

Oh, actually, have you figured out what you can do yet?

-> video;

[heartandsol]

[Admittedly seeing someone roughly her own age is reassuring, and she pops her own camera on to reply.]

I'm glad it's not just me muddling through all this. I didn't dig that deep through the network before I posted this, though.

I haven't practiced much yet, but I'm fairly sure it's light magic? I would definitely take some help, though. The only thing I've seen like this before now, doesn't work anything like this.

[uncommonsense]

That's fine, I've barely looked at it myself. It's kinda weird, but it's convenient.

Light magic, huh? That sounds pretty good. That kinda makes you sound heroic, like you've got one of the toughest skills.

[heartandsol]

I'm certainly not complaining. Could you imagine trying to organize or plan in person? I'm sure we could, but it'd be difficult.

I'd... like that. I'm not sure if that's how it'll end up, but I want to work hard to make that a reality, if I can. That's part of why I want help.

voice | un: coolguykeigo

[asano_san]

Are you young enough to be in school?

[With just a voice to go by, he can't be sure.]

They pay us to go and learn magic!

[heartandsol]

Really? Ah, I'm in high school, even if Lydian wasn't exactly a normal academy. That's kind of crazy to think about! I'm kind of curious what magic class looks like.

[asano_san]

I couldn't believe it, either! It almost makes it worth going to school.

It's really boring when the teachers lecture about the theory behind magic and magic-using rules and stuff like that, but we get lots of time to practice.

There are regular subjects, too, but even those bring in magic all the time, like they try to teach us words from the language some magical creature speaks instead of a language from another country.

[heartandsol]

That stuff might be important, though, right? If you don't know why it works, or what people have tried before, you might be doing something that's already proven not to work. That'd just waste your energy.

I'm glad that there's some kind of school here, at least. I was worried this place would be too worried about... well, everything else going on to worry about that.

[asano_san]

I guess, but it's still boring!

They really want us to get better at using our magic.

It's really weird to me, too, to talk about "my" magic! I come from a place where some crazy spirit world stuff happens if you're unlucky enough to know about it, but I never saw any magic like this with potions and spells and trying to project your thoughts into someone else's head.

[heartandsol]

I think it's like classes back at our homes - what you get out of it depends on what you put in, right? You don't necessarily need to know all that stuff, but if you want to, it's there and it might help in some way.

I know what you mean about it being strange to call magic mine, though. My world has something a little more technological, that's very dangerous to civilians. Very dangerous to everyone. Your spirit world things sound like they're isolated, at least?

[asano_san]

I don't wanna be a nerd who learns things just because I want to. But I guess it is important to get better at magic.

That's right. Most people never know anything at all about it. It's all my friend's fault I found out. But yours sounds worse if it's out there for everyone to mess around with!

[heartandsol]

That's fair, and I respect that. I just... if I can't do anything else to help, I'd like to be able to use this new thing I have, right? So I'm going to work hard on that, and if it means I have to be a good student to get there, that's fine.

It's... pretty bad. I kind of envy you having something less involved. It's a real worry to be walking down the street and then, oops, suddenly there are weird colorful things there that touch you and then you're- [She cuts herself off with a grimace and some apprehension in her tone.] Mm, no, that's a little too morbid. Sorry.

[asano_san]

You can't just stop talking and say it's morbid! Now I have to know!

[heartandsol]

[Oh boy, here we go... Her voice shrinks a little more.] Well... people touched by the Noise carbonize. They turn to dust, and blow away in the breeze. Or just end up in small piles, that Section 2 comes by and vacuums up for secure disposal.

[asano_san]

They vacuum you up?! [Somehow worse than turning to dust in the first place.]

[heartandsol]

That's what you take offense to? [She sighs and shakes her head.]

That... stuff isn't good for you, if a child ate it, or a pet. Plus I guess it's a national security thing? It's kind of rough all around.

[asano_san]

I'll take monsters eating my soul over your world. At least when it's done, it's done, and a dog isn't going to sniff me up after!

[heartandsol]

[Miku audibly sucks in a breath. One Kirika is enough trouble, now there's a whole classification of enemy that can do it?]

I don't know, that's a pretty serious thing too. Souls are... important. Can you even fight those? If they eat your soul?

[asano_san]

Not someone like me! But you can if you're a high-powered weirdo.

[heartandsol]

Do you have any, ah, high-powered weirdos to spare? We could use a few extra, truth be told. Things get a little tight for comfort sometimes.

[asano_san]

You could borrow my friend Ichigo. That's the kind of world hopping saving the day he does.

[heartandsol]

On a scale of "holds his own but is relatively reasonably-powered" to "attacks once and levels half the prefecture", how powerful are we talking? And is he willing to deal with strange things that have very long explanations?

[This is probably not a serious offer.]

[asano_san]

What number is "could probably level half the prefecture but is too nice of a guy to do it even if he looks grumpy all the time"?

He's your guy for that, too. I think I only ever heard a tenth of what Ichigo went through and it was still plenty strange and needed a lot of explaining!

[heartandsol]

Well... that's kind of the problem. On that scale, probably about an eight or a nine, out of ten. But compared to everyone else we've got, about a fourteen. Fighters on our world can go to about a twelve for very short periods! And, um, tend to die as a result. [Climax Songs are no joke; Miku shivers thinking about it. Without Hibiki she'd be too scared to ever sing her own.]

[asano_san]

What's the point of using that much power if you're just going to die!

[heartandsol]

If the civilians behind you - or, say, your friend you're protecting - are going to die if you don't, and you're a certain kind of person, it's... [Inevitable. Predictable. Appreciated in the moment but horribly regretted after. Miku has feelings on this topic and they're probably audible.] That power isn't always lethal but it's no joke. I had a friend in the hospital for weeks after... something happened. The really bad one I know about, I don't talk about anymore. [Kanade... Even seeing her again on a regular basis (thanks, dimensional travel) didn't entirely dull that pain.]

[asano_san]

Scary!

You told me about the people being vacuumed up, so if it's so bad you won't even talk about it, I don't want to know!

If Ichigo ever shows up, I can still send him your way. It sounds like the kind of impossible odds he's used to.

[heartandsol]

It's probably better that way. There's a reason it's a national security issue.

I'd... appreciate the referral, even if we can't really do anything until we've taken care of business here in Avalon. Maybe I can find a way to ask for his help after that point. I don't know how we'd pay him, but it'd be nice to have the option open.