001 ☼ video; un: ginko

[tenthousandmiles]

[So he's been given to understand this "network" is something like a bulletin board, except people can contact each other in real time, a bit like sending letters through the uro passageways but even faster. Honestly, he's kind of fascinated by the whole thing, but it's still a bit overwhelming, even if the notion of different worlds and planes of existence isn't entirely foreign to him. Hence ... why the video feed is a bit overly zoomed in, and starts out upside down before he realizes his mistake and rights it.]

Ah, it seems some of the creatures from my world followed me through the portal. If you're capable of seeing them, you might have noticed what seem to be ghosts or phantasms floating around--they're called mushi.

They're not sapient, and most are harmless, but some can cause trouble, so if you feel suddenly unwell or notice anyone exhibiting unusual behavior, don't hesitate to contact me. My name is Ginko. I am a mushi-shi, which means handling such incidents was my livelihood before now.

[There's a brief pause. He's not really great at this whole "meet and greet" thing, considering he never really stays in one place long enough for that to be necessary, but...now that he's gotten the business part of this out of the way there are a few things he's curious about.]

Has anyone seen the portal that brings us here? I've heard myths and legends about portals to alternate worlds, but I've never actually seen one.

I'd also like to learn more about these devices, and how they work. Where I’m from, we still communicate through letters, so this is truly astonishing to me. I could tell you some stories about my home, in exchange.

[ooc: Canon never really specifies what makes some people able to see mushi and others not. Believing in or being aware of spirits etc or having a connection to nature in some way probably helps, but honestly feel free to assume your character is able to see them, if that's something you're interested in! They look vaguely like this]

Comments

[video | un: edward.elric]

[alchemyfreak]

The portal sometimes does that, brings things in with us.

[Like Pokemon, for instance.]

I knew someone that used to go to the portal, she's not here anymore but I don't think there's anything stopping us from getting close if you really want to.

[Ed doesn't, clearly.]

You got phones where you're from, or just letters? I'm afraid I can't be much help on the communicator thing, some of them are a little advanced for my knowledge.

[tenthousandmiles]

Hmm, is that so...

[Someone's gonna go Exploring later, then. He shakes his head at the question.]

Only letters. There was a mushi that could allow for those letters to be sent across large distances without having to be taken there physically, but that was about it.

[And it was something only mushi-shi really used, since they were the only ones that tended to move around as much.]

[alchemyfreak]

[Someone from a world with less technological advances than his? Odd.]

Huh. So these ... ghosts or whatever, they can help with that sort of thing?

[tenthousandmiles]

Aa, not actively. It's more that we mushi-shi found a way to take advantage of its natural behavior.

[Do you want the long explanation, Ed. He'll give it if u ask, be Prepared.]

[alchemyfreak]

Sounds complicated.

[He would outright ask, but he's not prone to demanding explanations from strangers. The guy had said he was one though, right?]

Is that something you can do, then? Can just anyone do it, or just- select people in that group?

video; un: ghostking

[deathkid]

[ here's a seventeen year old ( who's actually like eighty-seven ) necromancer who is clearly intrigued by this post. he's seen the mushi, but hadn't known what they were until now, sorta thanks to "ginko"'s explanation. ]

So they're not like... spirits, then? I tried to put one to rest, but it didn't really work like I'm used to.

[tenthousandmiles]

["put one to rest", huh. That's interesting.]

Mm, that's because they're alive.

[He takes a drag from his cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke that doesn't move quite with the wind; the smoke itself contains a mushi, though it'll dissipate in a few moments.]

The easiest way to explain it is that they don't fully exist in our reality, though they are capable of influencing it. And because they're so close to the source of life itself...their forms are ambiguous, incorporeal.

[A pause.]

Are you some manner of shinigami, then?

[deathkid]

I don't know what a shinigami is, so I couldn't tell you.

[ a pause as he watches the smoke, brows furrowing. ]

So they're actual creatures then, alive and can be killed? I'm a little confused. I didn't sense real... life from them. Then again, they're completely weird to me.

[tenthousandmiles]

It's a term for the idea of a god or spirit of death, where I'm from.

[The cigarette is replaced in his mouth, and he rests his chin against his palm.]

Mushi do live and die. Not in the same way as humans, though.

[His word choice is very deliberate, there. This kid has already implied he isn't one, so he's careful not to put himself in the same category as him by saying "us"]

They don't have souls, for one thing.

@ciscodelamancha | video

[franciscoramon]

What's it mean, if someone's capable of seeing them - like is it a genetic thing? And when you say 'unusual behavior', what are we talking, here? These things gonna make people go on murderous rampages, or just, like, suddenly have an intense craving for coconut cookies for a few hours? How many of them got through?

[ He has approximately a hundred more questions but realizes that he should probably give the guy a break to answer a few before he barrels on. And, after a moment's thought, he adds: ]

I don't know a whole lot about the portal, yet, but I can help out with any other questions you have about technology here. I'm a mechanical engineer, which basically means I'm a guy that designs machines, so I can tell you about how stuff works and how to use it. No quid pro quo necessary, though I do love a good story.

[tenthousandmiles]

"Genetic"?

[yeah he ... doesn't know what that means .... oops.]

Most of those who can see mushi were born able to, though sometimes a person who becomes influenced by a mushi or has a near-death experience finds they can see them afterward when they couldn't before. I also once met a man who accidentally brewed his sake with a mushi, and it allowed him to see them as long as the alcohol was in his system.

...As for unusual behavior, there's honestly too large of a spectrum of possibilities to give you specifics. It can be as simple as someone who seems to walk around in a daze or has gone nonresponsive...or feeling the urge to work constantly without sleep, or a desire to spend a lot of time somewhere you didn't before. Essentially, if something seems off to you, it's worth asking about it.

[An exhale of smoke from his cigarette.]

I have plenty of stories, so we can definitely talk about both machines and mushi, if you like.

[franciscoramon]

Oh! Right, sorry. [ Cisco tries to remember not to use too much scientific terminology with new people before he knows if they will understand it, but he slips up sometimes. Ginko had already pretty much answered his question, but it would be rude not to explain, now that he's confused the guy. ] Genetic means passed down from parent to child, in the genes. Like hair color or height. I meant does it run in families.

[ But it sounds from what Ginko said like environmental factors are just as important as anything else. The sake story is amusing, but it's the mention of a near-death experience that answers the question Cisco had really been asking, which was why can I see them. If a near death experience could do it, dying in another timeline and then remembering it evidently could, too. Or maybe it's just his metahuman powers - seeing things he's not supposed to be able to see is kind of his m.o. ]

And you can do something to help? If people get affected by these things and start wandering around like zombies or suddenly getting the urge to collect baseball cards or whatever?

[ That's probably not a joke that's going to translate, but Cisco cracks jokes when he's nervous and honestly, the idea of these weird floating creatures influencing people's behaviors that broadly? It's pretty damn terrifying. ]

How would I know if one of them was influencing me? Is there some kind of- of test?

[ He wants to know more - fairly urgently - but he also takes the time to text the address of his workshop to Ginko, so that he can come by whenever he'd like and Cisco can teach him about cell phones and the internet. ]

[tenthousandmiles]

Aaah, I see.

[He gets the general gist, at any rate, though he's not entirely sure what genes are.]

To answer your question, then--sometimes. It's rare for multiple people in the same family to be able to see them, though, or even immediately succeeding generations.

But yes, I can usually help when trouble arises.

[His eyes widen when the message pops up on his screen, though, his mouth making a perfect 'o' of surprise--enough so that he almost forgets to answer the last part.]

Unfortunately, there isn't any kind of catch-all test I could offer you, but if you notice anything off about yourself at any time, I'll come take a look.

[He offers the young man a reassuring smile, then:]

There's no need to be afraid of them. Much of the time, they just coexist harmlessly with humans, and can even be beneficial. In my world, places barren of mushi were often also devoid of most life.

video; un: blacklion

[lionunchained]

So... since you mentioned that these creatures can cause strange things to happen, what exactly is the strange behavior someone should be looking for or what should we worry about for ourselves?

[ooc: also headcanon for Shiro is that he speaks Japanese fluently (partially based on his traditional Japanese name) but never uses it]

[tenthousandmiles]

[ooc: noted!]

The important thing to consider is if it's strange in context. Say a person who loved to spend time outside suddenly won't leave their room, or someone afraid of heights who keeps climbing to the tops of trees. Or maybe a person suddenly stops speaking outright, or they seem to go into unresponsive states or trances.

[He shakes his head, blowing out an exhale of smoke from his cigarette.]

The kinds of mushi I know are too vast and varied to recount every possible effect I've ever even personally encountered, much less the archives of records left by past mushi-shi.

[Still, his expression softens, and he offers a reassuring smile.]

But as I said, most of them are harmless. Be cautious, and keep a close eye on your friends and loved ones, and you should be fine.

[lionunchained]

I see. So strange for that person. So my teammate who is always hungry and wanting to cook would have no interest in food? Not that this has happened; he's not here.

[He wanted to make sure he added that so he didn't think there was already a problem]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the warning. I'll let my teammate who is here know about them so he can keep an eye out as well for anything out of the ordinary.

[Shiro was contemplative for a moment]

Is there something that makes a person capable of seeing the mushi?

[tenthousandmiles]

That could be a possibility, yes.

[He shakes his head, then]

But there's no need to thank me. It's my job as a mushi-shi to inform people of such things.

[As for the question...]

Anyway, people who have the ability are generally born with it, though there have been circumstances in which those who ordinarily cannot are able to. I met a sake brewer once who was able to see them while drunk on the sake he had accidentally brewed with a mushi, and a woman who became able to see them after nearly dying delivering her child.

There's no permanent way to induce it, however.

[As evidenced by the Minai clan and its unfortunate members like Kumado, who had their souls replaced with that artificial kouki-made mushi just to give them that ability....]

video; username; GraveMistake

[hellshot]

Have noticed them. Just put them in the category of 'weird shit that regulars this place'.

[The man on this video certainly does look like something that's a little like Mushi--out of this world and strange. He's taken to keeping his mask off since a... 'friend' of his has proved capable of healing the worst parts of his rotted-away face. So Ginko will merely see a greying-skinned man with haunted, black and red eyes staring at him from under a dark hood.]

Make a habit of keeping away from the portal, too. After the last mishap it caused with putting everyone in the past.
These machines are easy enough to use. Learning their inner workings isn't that important so long as you just figure out how to use them for messaging and speaking with others.

sorry for the delay!! vacation kicked my ass lol

[tenthousandmiles]

[He's definitely looking at that gray skin and those red-black eyes with interest. The man looks overall like a human, but the coloring is wrong. Is he something else, then, or is it simply a matter of different species on different worlds?

A question for another time, maybe. The matter of the portal is one that catches his attention, first.]

Putting everyone in the past?

[aaah...that could be troublesome, depending on how far in his past. Preferably, it'd be sometime in his career as a mushi-shi, but if it were back much farther, into his childhood before Suguro,it could pose problems for those here.]

So the portal can reach through time as well as worlds...

[This only makes him more interested in it tbh. But maybe he'll wait on his spelunking until he has more information.]

Are there precautions that can be taken to see the portal without falling under its influence?

[He takes in a drag through his mushi-cigarette, then exhales out a puff of smoke.]

All the same, I would be interested in learning more about them if anyone has the time to spare...or can point me toward archives where I could read about them myself. [''''archives'''' he Old]

ITS OK

[hellshot]

Don't think it's much of an issue anymore. At least for now. Who knows if it'll happen again in the future. [Vague.]

Don't know if there's any precautions you can take against the thing, either. It brings everyone and everything into this world after all. 'Avoiding' influence with it probably isn't something you can do without vast knowledge of how the damn thing even works.

[He raises his arms up in a wide shrug, dark eyes rolling up with a noncommital 'who knows' kind of expression.]

If it's 'archives' you want--[Old fashioned way of saying it.]--There is a library in town.

[tenthousandmiles]

I see.

[That makes visiting it perhaps a bit more complicated, but that doesn't mean he won't take a calculated risk or two when he knows more about the portal.]

Thank you. Can you give me directions, then?

[ voice : @redpaladin ]

[tempredmental]

What would they even look like? And how do we know if we can see them?

video! be...cause he doesn't really know how to switch yet

[tenthousandmiles]

If you haven't seen anything you'd classify as unusual, then it's possible you're unable to see them.

[He tilts his head, voice mild. It's not that he's being intentionally difficult, but there's so many types of mushi that it would be impossible to describe them all individually.]

Few will resemble any other kind of animal you're familiar with, at least.

switches to video to match

[tempredmental]

[Keith looked thoughtful.]

My bar for unusual is actually pretty low. It takes a lot to think of something as weird nowadays.

[It really did.]

But, I'm guessing that means they come in different appearances, then. Is there any kind of common thing about them that would make them identifiable? You know, other than weird.

[Because, while Keith probably wasn't aware, he might actually be able to see them? Or at least pick up on their presence somehow. He had a knack for picking up on weird energy that he didn't know how to control or use constructively, yet, but it was there as sort of a passive extra sense that he wasn't really aware of being something unusual about himself. At least, not yet.]

[tenthousandmiles]

Maaa...that's something we have in common, I suppose.

[He can't help a vaguely amused sound. There's been no shortage of strange things in his life either, just based on his line of work. As for commonalities...]

Well--many of them give off light. The more light it gives off, the weaker it is. That doesn't cover all of them, of course, but if you spot something you don't recognize, you're free to ask me about it at any time.