gogglesyndrome | Twelfth Flame-[Accidental Voice/Action]

Maybe in the middle of the week. It's just like normal school right?

Yes, with some differences, due to limited materials and not being from the same worlds... if you have any questions, you're welcome to ask them.

I can't really think right now actually. If I eventually think of any, I'll ask.

... All right. Take your time.

[She takes a small bite of her sandwich.]

[still eating his, though he pauses for a minute to think] ...Raine were you and Genis ever separated?

[She's been waiting for the topic to shift to more serious discussion, though she's quiet for a moment before responding.]

... yes, we have been.

[well hopefully she doesn't mind because he'll probably ask her a lot of questions since she's the only one he really knows that can relate] What happened?

Lets see... well, the most recent situation would be what happened here in Luceti. When I was first brought here, Genis was already here, and had been for a few months. In that time he was kidnapped, and then one day, simply vanished ...

...that's almost exactly like what happened with me and Hikari the first time! But then he came back?

Yes.

They didn't bring him back until nearly nine months later. He didn't have any memory of the previous time here... and is two years older than what he should have been, on top of it.

...so Genis is really supposed to be twelve? Nine months is a really long time though...Hikari was only gone for a few weeks but she didn't remember either. [And...I think Raine said he was fourteen?]

That's correct. [She did.]

Yes, it's... a very long time.

...so what'd you do while he was gone?

... Mmm. [She's quiet for a few moments again, before speaking, her gaze a bit distant again.]

I ... began working, all the time. Overworking. There are limits that people should have, but I pushed on in spite of them. Paperwork, busywork, research, healing... just anything, really.

...anything to block out having to think about it. I get it. It's not healthy, but I know what you mean.

Indeed.

What are your plans?

While I wait to see if she's going to come back?

I want to make sure you're doing ... healthy things, whether she's returned or isn't. As painful and difficult as it is... you can't let that control you.

I know...even before Luceti I was separated from her for a really long time. She was supposed to come to camp with me but she was sick so Mom and Dad made her stay home. But then we realized she was the last chosen child and we needed to get her so she came with us.

I think...I'll just do what I've been doing. Go to school, hang out in the tree house...I told Aegis I'd teach her how to play soccer. 'Kari would be mad at me if she knew I was sulking about it in the first place.

I see...

I'm sure she'd just want to make sure you were taking care of yourself, Taichi. And hm, have you ever given thought to learning any of the magic here? We teach about it in school, of course, but focusing on contacting the spirits is mostly done on your own time.

Yeah...

Yeah, she would. She's always worried more about me and the others than herself. ...magic? I never really thought about it, no. Is contacting the spirits hard?

I suppose that depends on who you ask.

It's true that some spirits like to make themselves more unavailable than others, but if you're persistent enough, and they come to trust you, it's not that difficult in the long run.

How do I find them? Just wander around until I see them?

Well... they aren't exactly visible. Since they are elemental spirits, they become attracted to you when you go to certain areas, or immerse yourself with certain elements. It's a matter of listening for their voices, though the lesser spirits sometimes serve as a help or a hindrance to that breakthrough.

So how do you know when you hear their voices versus you just hearing voices in your head?

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