godbent | 37th: The Losses of Haruhi Suzumiya

[Voice]

For everyone who knew the idol and the Deputy-Vice Chief of the Brigade, Azusa Miura, I can say confidently that she'd been sent home. I didn't check her apartment yet, but there's a lot of stuff in her Brigade locker here at the HQ. The typical letters Jeez, when did she write all these... for a few people are here for one. [For the people listed here. She expects those who know her to ask or just stop by] You can stop by to pick them up. She's left some other things too, but those are mostly Brigade property.

[And she flips through the items some more before... you know there's no "FOR X" on here, but there are some bookmarks in some of them which say her name on them so.]

...Except these things. Buffy, are you a woman yet? [She doesn't get a filter. The next guy does]

[Filtered to Sanji // 85% Unhackable]

I've got something in particular for you.

[Action]

[So for the last few days, Haruhi was Shiki. That... Was weird. She has decided to make herself as Haruhi as possible. So she's actually going to ignore that aside from maybe her housemates and Minato and sit inside the Brigade HQ all day at the front desk. That event had to be traumatizing for some people, maybe they'll get some clients looking for counseling! ...Finally!

The spelunking trip is in a few days anyway so.

Come on in, step in! Be therapy'd! PS: Brigade To Do List]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And again, to clarify, if I were to throw one at your head, it wouldn't work because you're not evil.

[She says this as she idly takes a piece of paper and takes the cap off her marker]

That's right. You can try, if you like.

Nah, if it's not going to work that's pointless. [...]

What if I wrote "aku" in here? Is that cheating?

Unfortunately, that isn't specific enough. Unless the think in question was named "aku"

That actually happened once, here in Luceti.

[Seriously, a shapeshifting lord of evil named "aku"

She still thinks it's funny.

But he motions for Rei to hand over the original one with the archaic symbols. She can't do that from memory.

Huh. How odd.

[Rei passes over the paper to Haruhi]

Using a paintbrush is the more traditional way, if you're able to. The paper can be crafted beforehand.

So you're telling me I shouldn't use this marker?

[...Also now she's feeling the paper. Is this special paper?]

It'd be better if you didn't, yes.

[Rei slides over the second calligraphy kit. As for the paper, its just regular calligraphy paper, untreated rice-paper like Japanese kids learn kanji on all through school.]

You can have this, if you don't have one already.

No, no, I have one. It's just this would be a hassle to carry around.

[but fine, she'll get it out and get to work copying that first one. It won't take her long and honestly, she'll get it about 95% correct on her first try. Prodigal and all]

That's why you keep pre-made scrolls with you. They're fine unless you allow them to get soaked and make the ink run.

[Rei watches, nodding and pointing out a couple of tiny errors. Minor strokes out of order, that kind of stuff]

That's really good.

Yea, yeah, I was in a calligraphy club once. [...For like one and a half hours. But she looks it over and nods. Okay, she's pleased enough with it. Now to stand and try the focusing part. As she does, she explains-]

I actually tried to learn some principles of this sort of magic a while ago, but I was focusing on shikigami at the time. Which... doesn't work well here, because there's not exactly spirits abound to use.

Ah, that's very true. This is a little different than shikigami, yes.

[Rei watched, wondering if Haruhi would manage it]

[Okay, so this is about her will, right? Because she believes this is simple, she has an intuitive sense for it. Okay. She tries to mimic the hand motions an then the incantation and--]

Akuryo-Taisan!

[And then comes to toss at the wall. It actually stiffens and sticks.

She herself is mildly surprised she did it on the first go]

[When she gets it right, Rei smiles and walks over to take the two scrolls from the wall]

Very good. It's something that requires a lot of willpower and faith, so...that means quite a lot.

[She offers them back to Haruhi]

As long as they aren't damaged, they'll work a second time.

Faith? How's faith get into that?

[With a little blink Still, she'll take those two]

Well, you have to have faith in something, even if its just yourself, or you'll have no willpower, right?

[Rei shakes her head, like its the most obvious thing in the world]

And with no willpower, how could you expect to exert your will over the paper, or the thing you want to seal?

Oh... Oh, I see what you're getting at, yeah. That's just a weird way to think about it.

Maybe. It's how I was taught to see it when I learned this sort of thing.

[Rei shrugs casually]

Everyone's perception is different though.

Well, faith by that definition is something I've got a lot of, I guess.

[A hand through her hair, good.] So I'll make more of these, and work with it.

It can't hurt to try. Those are the simpler kinds of wards. I've made larger ones for the temple, to reinforce Dresden-san and Helio-san's work. They aren't something I could show you in an afternoon though. But another time perhaps. The working there is significantly more complex.

[Rei brushes a stray bit of hair behind her ear. Honestly she hadn't really known what to expect from Haruhi, but with this little thing she felt like she could at least think of the other girl with a bit more kindness. She wasn't the sort to open up easily, but there was enough common interest in magic and disliking Tokyo stereotypes that she was willing to try.]

Yeah, maybe... Again, I'm not sure how redundant this is with stuff I've been learning elsewhere but it's certainly interesting... not to mention more traditional to my heritage. [And what she tried to learn first.

...But that goes unsaid]

Well, yes. It may be redundant, with the spells that I've learned from Sabriel and the Charter, but it's comforting and it's culturally my own. And it's familiar.

[Rei smiles gently, brushing more of her lengthy hair away from her face, not bothering to hide the Charter Mark anymore.]

I'm happy to share it with you, or more Shinto rituals in the future if you're interested. I'm at the shrine most days, and not many people come by for flame readings so unless Tsuzuki-san is there helping me with things, I'll likely be free.

[Charter, huh. She notes that to ask about... when she feels less like she would be nosy for doing so. Instead she just notes, collecting what Rei has offered of the ofuda and other items here to her own bag]

I'll be sure to consider it, anyway.

[Rei stands and bows politely]

Then I'll see you later, Haruhi-san.

[She collects her calligraphy supplies and takes her leave.]