Heaven's BBS | Text

[reformedsinner]

Posted: July 18
From: Li Tieguai

Good afternoon, everyone. Please excuse my change of name: this is Cho Hakkai.

I appear to have reappeared. Although I don't want to give undue hope to anyone who's recently lost a god or shinki, I'd like to announce that my classes will be continuing as usual.

To those who were living upstairs at the school the past few days, I expect you to help me clean up the mess. You know who you are.

[There are animal cracker crumbs everywhere.

And apart from that he's just not going to mention the events of last few days. At least he wasn't an actual child, but....]

Does anyone have an idea what might have caused it? I'm certain I felt something in the air for a few hours before it happened.

Comments

[reformedsinner]

I can't disagree. At least I was old enough to look after some of them, but they were quite a handful.

It's a shame there's no clear explanation. I'm not very well acquainted with that sort of magic, though.

[reformedsinner]

[Threatening violence is a form of dealing with him that he's entirely familiar and comfortable with, Shizuo! Don't worry.

(It's also not very effective, but that's part of why he's so comfortable with it.)]

What makes you think it was a person instead of a random occurrence?

I don't necessarily disagree, but I'm curious about your reasoning.

[kokuyoyo]

I guess....

[With the chicken finally prepared, he puts it on a place and sets it out for Axel.]

Do you want anything to drink?

[kagenonadeshiko]

not just yet
im out getting some fresh air at the moment
it is such a beautiful day

[reformedsinner]

It is very nice, isn't it?

I notice you're doing well with your phone already.

[Oh dear, what is she outside wearing....]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Don't worry, Hakkai-sama. Your shinki was resourceful enough to find something to wear before going out.]

i think so too
been practicing a lot today
phones borderlines
i think i'm getting the hang of it now

[reformedsinner]

Let me know if you'd like any borderline advice?

I'm afraid I can't cast them anymore, but I flatter myself that I was well practiced as a shinki.

[kagenonadeshiko]

of course
i can use all the help i can get right now
by the way are you free tomorrow

[reformedsinner]

Yes, in the morning.

[kagenonadeshiko]

perfect
we could really stand to do some shopping
your shirts are comfy and all
but i can't go on wearing only them forever hakkaisama

[reformedsinner]

Of course. I apologize; I should have taken you today.

I wasn't paying proper attention this morning.

[Not after waking up with so many memories of Kanan fresh and raw in his mind. Ayumu is not much like her, except perhaps in her cheerful steel and her height, and her death. It's enough.

He'd barely greeted her when he'd gotten back to the temple from the school, swept up Jeep, and hidden in the garden until it was time for class. He probably, in retrospect, deserves this.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

its fine
its been a weird few days
just so long as we get it done tomorrow

[The past few days were probably rough on him, too. For all she knows, he could have been a lost child on his own, too. It's almost enough to make her feel remorse but not really. After prioritizing basic survival for the past couple of days, it's a little hard to shake that mindset.

That and she's really tired of being half-naked.]

[misterfrumpyface]

If it was magic at all, I'd certainly like to meet whoever cast it. The sheer amount of energy and focus it would require to alter so many people so drastically, and for such a length of time... it's incomprehensible.

[reformedsinner]

Yes, of course. First thing in the morning.

[reformedsinner]

From what you know about magic, could it be possible to "balance" making some of us a decade or so younger with others many decades older?

In order to make it easier to cast such a spell?

[He thinks that might be where Gojyo's thoughts had been running -- he'd jumped to the idea of just one person doing it as soon as Hakkai mentioned the aging of the library goblins, and it's not a bad idea. It's just that Hakkai has no idea whether it's plausible.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

thank you hakkaisama
ill go get started on dinner now

[misterfrumpyface]

[It takes him a while to respond--he has to try to work out the necessary formulas and other complex scholarly mage junk.]

I'm afraid this is well outside my area of expertise; power of this nature, if it is a form of magic, would fall under the category of dark magic or, more specifically, curses.

If I assume that it conforms to the rules and constraints of magic that I'm familiar with, then stealing years from some of us and giving those years to others would 'condense' the spell, in a sense. It would still be utterly impossible for any mortal to cast it.

...Of course, I suppose the heavens are rather lacking in mortals.

video;

[mermaiding]

Stupid. [That's not a good enough reason!! She huffs again, but her gaze is more serious and analyzing than one might think her capable of. She eyes the monocle, then leans forward as she props the video up so she can rest her elbows on the table and her chin in hand.]

Giving classes? You are still teacher as 'Hakkai'?

[bartenderizing]

it feels like a random thing through other means would have more of a trend. too random you know? like whoever did it either didnt or couldnt try to push things a certain way.

if that doesnt make sense then i dunno. call it a gut feeling.

[ Then again, for as quick tempered and quick to act as he is, Shizuo's instincts haven't really steered him too far off so far. ]

[reformedsinner]

Ha ha, they are indeed. Thank you, though, I'm afraid any of these sorts of spells are outside my area of expertise!

[And knowing that it would make it easier does make him wonder if that's what happened, and if -- for instance -- shinki were constrained to growing younger by the fact that many of them did truly die. Maybe not all... but many. And the extra years, needing to go somewhere, were cast into the library goblins....]

If a curse like that were cast, would it require any kind of physical marks or objects to carry the magic? That you know of?

video;

[reformedsinner]

[He smiles at her complaint, looking into the video and considering that sharp, thoughtful gaze.]

Yes, I'm still a teacher.

Have you found yourself a mate yet?

[reformedsinner]

In other words, "they're trying too hard to make it look random"?

Hm. That's an interesting idea!

It would take a lot of power for someone to do something like that deliberately, though, don't you think?

[bartenderizing]

not exactly

i dont think they tried to make it look random. i think they pushed for it to be random instead of something specific. like they didnt care as long as most peoples ages were messed with. however it turned out would do.

[ Honestly, for all that it was, it felt like there was probably something else going on that no one noticed. ]

[reformedsinner]

Then there would have to be a motive, don't you think?

That's a great deal of effort and power to use just for a distraction.

[bartenderizing]

maybe it was worth it for them. its not like im the smart or detective type you know.

its just my gut that says this is someones work

i cant give reliable reasons or clues that point to it being that way.

[ He did admit to probably not being the 'book type' when they had first met. Somehow Shizuo demoted himself even further. ]