{2/9} - Two of Nine: A Nine Lives Forum adventure

[King-Clod]

It should be compose, but if we can't find that then we could always ask our dad.
Try to make the letter well-written, but more importantly try to make it genuine. Tell him since interesting things that have happened with the family recently, ask how it's been at the capital. Send him a picture of one of the sea glass structures we've made.

[ಠ_ಠ]

pick up phone
dial number for operator
ask operator how to send an email

[Lilium Mortem]

Compose.
try to show off our vocabulary while writing, be as eloquent and verbose as possible to impress him (our brother).

 

It should be compose, but if we can't find that then we could always ask our dad.
Try to make the letter well-written, but more importantly try to make it genuine. Tell him since interesting things that have happened with the family recently, ask how it's been at the capital. Send him a picture of one of the sea glass structures we've made.

 

My eyes scanned over the screen again and the word ‘compose’ caught my attention. I didn’t know the meaning of the word, but it felt right, so I clicked it. A new window popped up where I could type in and there was a ‘to’ section to put in an address. I had everything I needed, I just had to impress my bro with my vocabulary and writing skills, while keeping it real, yo.

‘Dear Stratus

I write to on this dower mourn to tell you tales from our home. The reposte I have gotten for the summer is comming to a close, and it feels like only a fortnite has passed since I heard the bells of school chime in my liberty.

Father has been working dreadfully hard and I willn’t bare it much longer. The pearls you send help, however there are wispers in the street(It’s actualy just Cliff yelling gossip at his birds) that the mine is on it’s last feet. Mother has been atempting a career in writing, but can knot compete with authors with lifetimes of exerience.

How has life been in Castle Garden? I do so wish to see it one day. Your job as a Soul Technician sounds incredulisly important, and I wish to know more. I would send you photographs of my work, allas, NOTwork lives up to it’s namesake. Also we don’t have one of those fancy digital cameras.

Gracefully yours,
Your sibling,
Scud Cumulus Om-HarvestFell’

Satisfied, I clicked send. A new window popped up. ‘Error: could not send message, please check the contents of your message and try again. X-241-422AT’. I read through the message again, but nothing looked wrong to me. I was stumped.

pick up phone
dial number for operator
ask operator how to send an email

Then I got a brilliant Idea. The Information Network runs through the phones, so the phone people might know how to send an electronic mail. I walked over to the wall mounted unit and picked up the receiver, flipping the switch on the box to send the call to the operator.

“Crown Company of Telecommunications, Switchboard operator Copse speaking, how may I direct your call?” A tired voice asked from the other end of the line.

“Hi! My name is Scud and I’m trying to send my brother in Castle Garden an electronic mail. It’s telling me to check what I wrote but I did and it’s fine!” I said to the operator.

“...Kid,” The voice sighed then paused for a second. “I’m a telephone switchboard Operator. If you know your brother's name I can patch your through to him on the phone, but I’m not customer support. Do you want to talk to your brother? Or do you want me to patch you through to actual customer support for your computer?”

[King-Clod]

...Actually, I'm not sure our brother even checks his email that often. It might be for the best to just call him.
Plus we have an operator on the phone and we wouldn't want to have wasted their time oh gosh oh frick
Ask the operator to patch us through to our brother, Stratus.

[ಠ_ಠ]

can I talk to you for a while, operator? You seem to know a lot about this crazy mixed-up world we live in.

[ten11]

Patch me over, but what am i meant to do next time this error comes up? It said " X-241-422AT" if that helps.

[Lilium Mortem]

can I talk to you for a while, operator? You seem to know a lot about this crazy mixed-up world we live in.

“Can I talk to you for a while, operator?” I asked, they seemed smart.

“No.”

Patch me over, but what am i meant to do next time this error comes up? It said " X-241-422AT" if that helps.

“Can you at least tell me what the error X dash two four one da-”

“No. Do you want to be patched through to your brother, Customer service for your computer, or do I have to hang up?”

...Actually, I'm not sure our brother even checks his email that often. It might be for the best to just call him.
Plus we have an operator on the phone and we wouldn't want to have wasted their time oh gosh oh frick
Ask the operator to patch us through to our brother, Stratus.

“Wait! No, oh gosh!” I said, Scrambling. I shouldn’t have been wasting their time. I should probably just ask to be patched through. “Sorry, I’d like to be patched through to my brother, Stratus Em-HarvestFell-Gardener, living in Castle Garden.”

“Hold please.”

I listened as an ad played for the Call-or X. I asked my parents for one of them for my birthday, but they said it was too expensive. Only Dad had one, and it’s a worker model he mainly used for radio calls on the job. It’s so unfair. Why do we have to be poor?

I was brought out of my thoughts by the phone clicking and a tired voice answering.

“Hello?”

“Stratus!” I said, full of excitable energy. “I tried sending you an electronic mail but the computer gave me an error. But that’s ok! I wanted to talk to you. Oh this is Scud by the way.”

“Scud… It’s [6AM]. On a work day. I need to be at the clinic in an hour.” Stratus said, sighing. “I can make a bit of time to talk to you, but promise me not to call before [5PM] unless it’s [Sunday] or [Friday].”

“Oh! Sorry. I forgot. I promise not to call you before then.”

“I’ll hold you to that. So, what’s up?

[1011686]

Well, that explains why the switchboard operator was so tired.
Let's talk to him about school for half a minute until that gets boring, then talk to him about something that's actually interesting. like his job as a soul technician, or our most recent artistic creation.

[ಠ_ಠ]

read him the letter you wrote, out loud

[King-Clod]

Tell him we've been having weird dreams, which is why were up so early. Maybe ask him what it was like when he got his memories back?

[Lilium Mortem]

[note: when scud says someting in <> they're speaking english and not the Kaz Common language.]
 

read him the letter you wrote, out loud

“Oh I just had a great idea! I’ll read you the letter I was planning to send! I worked really hard on it.” I said, smiling.

“Go for it.” Status said, chuckling.

“Ahem. Dear Stratus, I write to you on this dower mourn to tell you tales fro-”

“Dower morn?” Stratus asked, holding back a fit of giggles.

“Hey! Don’t laugh! It’s raining over here. So: dower mourn.”

“Ok, ok, I’ll wait until you finish. Then I’ll laugh.”

“Don’t! I’ll tell dad you’re picking on me!”

“Sorry little bud, I promise not to laugh.”

I read the entirety of the letter. I heard Stratus snicker once and awhile, but I ignored it, voicing my letter elegantly. Once I had finished I took a bow before I realized that we were talking on the phone. Good thing Dad was in the other room.

“You’re worried about our money situation?” Status asked. “Little bud, It’ll be fine. You’re a kid, just worry about homework and having fun. You only really get to be a kid once.”

“But like, what if dad loses his job? Mom isn’t a good writer. Would we have to move?”

“Scud my little bud, I don’t know. Stuff like this is really complicated. But I will share a little secret with you: I’m up for promotion soon. I can take care of all of you until mom can find a job, and if dad gets laid off. So don’t worry.”

“Ok.”

Well, that explains why the switchboard operator was so tired.
Let's talk to him about school for half a minute until that gets boring, then talk to him about something that's actually interesting. like his job as a soul technician, or our most recent artistic creation.

“You ok little bud?”

“Yeah. Now that you mention it, what is your job? I know you do something like reading souls with one of those Soul detectors but what does that mean?”

“First of all, they aren’t ‘Soul Detectors’. It’s called a Sigma Radiation Information Manual Parser. The SRIMP. While computers have gotten good at parsing patterns in Sigma radiation, You still need someone who can regulate their own Sigma Radiation to operate one, or else there’s interference. A side effect of training to regulate a soul’s Sigma output is a sort of instinctive understanding of the patterns in data related to Sigma radiation. I currently work at a maternity clinic, reading the souls of newborns and passing that data to the government.”

“Huh? All I got from that was <Shrimp>, and now I’m hungry for seafood.”

“What does the SRIMP have to do with seafood? Never mind. To put it simply, I’ve trained to control my own soul’s energy, and to read other people’s. Not quite a medium, but there’s some overlap. I use that ability to match the soul patterns of babies against the reincarnation database.”

“Oh. Souls are what let us think right? Cliff told me that’s where dreams come from too.”

“No Scud, that’s not how it works. Our brains let us think. The soul… it’s more like our core. It’s everything we are physically, but invisible and untouchable. Hmm… It’s like… A save file. Everything is important, but you still need a game to use it. When we die, our soul gets transferred to a new copy of the ‘game’, a new system. As for dreams… there’s some evidence for the soul influencing them. Reincarnates who haven't awoken sometimes dream of their previous lives.”

Tell him we've been having weird dreams, which is why were up so early. Maybe ask him what it was like when he got his memories back?

“Well, I’ve been having weird dreams. That’s why I’m up so early. I don’t know… how was it for you when you awoke?”

“If you’re worried about secretly being reincarnated, don’t. Stuff like that doesn’t happen outside B-movie plots and romance novels. As for my Awakening… I guess I haven't told you huh? I’ll give you the full story when I’m home for your birthday, but...” Stratus paused for a second, I heard the sound of cars from outside his apartment. “It was like my whole life was a dream. I woke up one morning and everything was clear. I didn’t stop being who I was before I remembered, but I gained something. I felt whole, and that things were just starting. I remember looking at your big bright eyes and thinking: This is my family, just as much as my last one. I love you, despite your horrible letters.”

“Huh. Ok. I guess I’m not sure about whether or not I think I’m Reincarnated. The dreams feel so familiar and when I wake up, I feel like I’ve lost something, like there’s something I should remember.”

“That’s just how dreams are, Scud.” there was a ringing from Stratus’ end “Oh SH---oot. Shoot. I have to go. See you next week, bye!”

“Goodbye!”

The line went dead with a click as soon as I finished my goodbye. I didn’t think I was reincarnated, that would be stupid. My brother does the tests that tell you if that’s what’s going on. But why did I think to ask him about his awakening? Was there anything to these dreams or was I just being stupid?

I sighed as I walked back into the Kitchen. Mom was there sipping a cup of Tea while jotting something down in a notepad. Dad finished rinsing off his dishes and went to give Mom a peck on the cheek. He waved goodbye as he opened an umbrella and walked out into the dark of a rainy morning. I waved back.

There was a knot in my stomach. Things didn’t feel right. I told my mom I was going for a walk and grabbed an umbrella from the closet along with my windbreaker. I stepped out into the streets of a sleepy village, listening to the steady pitter patter of rain on my umbrella and the occasional strikes of lightning in the distance as I wandered, not knowing where to go.

[1011686]

Go to the playground and spend some time on the swing. It's early enough we might have it to ourself.

[ಠ_ಠ]

oh, what if you're the first baby born with no soul! that must be it. scud the soulless.

[King-Clod]

Go to the seaside to watch the waves. Maybe find some cool shells, or a message in a bottle if we're lucky. Though... maybe that's wishful thinking.

[Lilium Mortem]

oh, what if you're the first baby born with no soul! that must be it. scud the soulless.

I shook my head, I had a stupid thought that I had no soul. I picked up my pace. I’ll be fine. I just need to clear my head. Think on stuff. I’m normal. I’m me. I’m Scud.

Go to the seaside to watch the waves. Maybe find some cool shells, or a message in a bottle if we're lucky. Though... maybe that's wishful thinking.

I can’t go to the beach, it’s raining, waves are going to be big. It’s a good idea, if the weather was better I’d go down there. Come on Scud, Think! I need to go somewhere, I can’t just walk around in circles with my own thoughts, It’s scaring me.

Go to the playground and spend some time on the swing. It's early enough we might have it to ourself.

Maybe I could go to the pl- There’s no playground in Blackwater. That’s a weird thought. I need to think through this, not just entertain every thought that comes into my head. This walk is a categorical failure in making me feel better, so what else can I do? Stratus would know. Mom and Dad would be dismissive. I need a friend right now.

I walked down to the barber shop on main street, shops weren’t open, it was nearly [7AM] but they didn’t open until [8AM]. I walked around to the back and found a pebble to chuck at the second story window. This went on for about a minute before I saw Wuther looking out the window still groggy. He held out a paw with all digits extended, saying he’d be down in five. Or at least that’s how I saw it.

About that time later he snuck out the back door with an umbrella. He looked really worried. I had just woken him up, so that wasn’t surprising. Still, he was too good to me. Wouldn’t even be mad that I got him up early.

“Scud, What’s wrong?” He asked, inching closer.

“I’m sorry, Wuther.” I said, looking away. “I’m feeling weird this morning. I’ve been having these weird dreams. All I remember from them is that I’ve forgotten something important. I called Stratus, and he brought up the idea I might be a Reincarnate. Well he thought I thought that.

“Thing is, that makes a weird kind of sense. I’ve always been weird. What if I’m just some weirdo? What if I’m not really a kid?”

“Scud...” Wuther walked closer but had to back off as our umbrellas bumped into each other. “You’re you. We’re friends with Reincarnates right? They’re kids too, even if they Awaken. Remember Pyrite? Before he moved away he made homemade fireworks for us. He didn’t suddenly think he was better than us, but when he remembered he used those memories to make rad explosions for his friends.

“No matter what, you’re who you are. I’ll always be your friend.”

“Thanks.”

-{ {} }-

I spend the morning at Wuther’s house, playing the new Fantasy Forever with him. It was the first one in 3D! The attacks looked so cool and we had a blast. I called home to let my mom know where I’d ended up. After hanging out with Wuther for a while I felt better.

I didn’t really believe I was Reincarnated. That would be crazy. But the Dreams I’d been having still weighed on me. I realized I needed to talk to someone about this. Wuther wasn’t enough, and I couldn’t wait until Stratus got off of work.

That left me with three options off the top of my head. One would be going to the temple and talking to Medium Em-Burn, But that risked a religious lecture. Second option was Ser Ka-Silversong, an eighth life and our resident knight. Going to her risked a lecture about respecting the law, and ‘not building toy swords out of scrap metal yes even if they’re ‘sculptures’’. The last option was The Witch. They moved in a few years ago and Run the pharmacy with their partner, but have their own shop on the second floor. I’ve heard they know a lot about the supernatural, and tell fortunes. I’d be risking my parents finding out for this one, they told me to stay away from The Witch.

[King-Clod]

The Knight. She's gone through reincarnation a bunch, right? She'd know what's up with you.

[1011686]

i agree with going to the knight. if she brings up the sword thing just say they're not swords, they're really long thin pryamids.

[Lilium Mortem]

The Knight. She's gone through reincarnation a bunch, right? She'd know what's up with you.

 

i agree with going to the knight. if she brings up the sword thing just say they're not swords, they're really long thin pryamids.

I decided on Ser Silversong. I had a couple of good excuses if she brought up the scrap metal swords, plus she’s on her eighth life. The decision seemed easy in retrospect. I’d get in so much trouble if I went to The Witch, and I don’t want to spend any more time in that stuffy temple than I have to for services. 

I walked down main street towards the small police station, and the attached watchtower. I heard when she first came to town, She built the watchtower as an addition to the police station by herself. It’s also her house, which, of course you’d want to live in a tower.
 
With a bit of apprehension I entered the station. There were only three desks, a holding cell, and a few back rooms. Not even a receptionist. Officer Em-Mason looked up from a magazine she was reading and sighed when she saw me.

“Scud, did you break something?” She asked.
 
“Not today.” I replied.
 
“For my own sanity I’ll ignore the implications of that.” She said, rubbing her temples.
 
“I want to see Ser Ka-Silversong. I need some advice.”
 
“That’s a first,” Officer Mason chuckled. “If you’re taking the initiative on getting scolded I’m not going to stop you. The good Ser is where she always is this time of day, top of the tower. You know the way.”
 
That I did. I made my way to the stairway that led up into the tower and walked up four stories to the top. The top floor of the watchtower was a large square room with huge windows covering the entire perimeter. Ser Silversong was walking in circles around the room, scanning the view of the town.

In addition to a radio, a computer, and a table, the one thing that stood out about the room was the weapons wrack. There was an old wooden re-curve bow, unstrung, up on a plaque above the windows, and below that, a rack containing several different weapons. The base of the rack was attached to a gun safe, and held a spear, some daggers, Throwing knives, and a modern crossbow and five bolts displayed prominently.
 
I took a moment to look at the Knight herself. She was a [Maine coone] Like me, with a serious expression on her face and the silver fur of her family. She wore a regal red uniform, a compromise between mobility and regal flair. On her left hip she had a sword with a silver hilt and a ruby set into the crest engraved into the hilt. On her right hip was holstered a standard issue police Taser. Then she turned to look at me.

“Hello Mx. Harvestfell. It’s awfully early for you to be getting into trouble.” She said, giving me a playful smile. “Though it’s plain to see on your face that’s not what you’re here about. Take a seat, I’ll get you a juice-box and you can tell me what’s on your mind.”
 
“Thanks.” I said.
 
I took a seat. I tried to collect my thoughts. What should I tell her? There’s the weird dreams, the strange thoughts I’ve been having, the crazy Idea I could be reincarnated… I think that covers it, right? Maybe I should ask her some easier stuff, break the ice. Or I could just be direct. What should I do, Oh Spirits she’s coming back with the juice-box. Come on Scud, Decide!

[1011686]

firstly, thank her for the juice-box. it never hurts to be polite.
to begin with, just ask her about what reincarnating and regaining memories is like, without mentioning your own experiences. you can bring those up if she says something that seems relevant to what you're going through.

[King-Clod]

^ Ditto to that.
If she asks why you think you could be reincarnated though, describe the weird dreams. Be sure to bring up some of the stuff that you've been remembering in the dream and throughout the day that just doesn't make sense, like the Shrimp.