Merriment 18 | Video

[mynameisallen]

[Allen had just finished training for the day. It wasn't like his usual workout as he was slowly working his way back to to that. He was still honestly tired after what happened even if he didn't do an awful lot beyond talking.

But to him talking can be just as exhausting and yet here he was with a smile on his face.]

Hello... So I don't normally talk on here much but I'm trying this new thing called... being open and it's been going well. Sort of.

[He has his moments.]

So I decided why don't we all try giving a fact or two about ourselves. They don't have to be super serious or anything. Just anything will do and we can talk.

I will go first with some facts:

One: Back home we had a situation where people became zombie like and so to deal with something... I hit on a male robot to get him to do it. It worked.
Two: I have a bone to pick with Cupid. They're an asshole and I don't like them.
Three: I've cheated pirates out of money. Like a lot of money.
And finally Four: I once stabbed myself with my own sword. I thought it wouldn't do anything... I was very very wrong.

[All rather odd facts about himself that he was comfortable with sharing. The smile till on his face.]

So whose going to be next if anyone.

Comments

[so_dark_a_road]

What is Akuma?

[mynameisallen]

Akuma is a soul trapped in a mechanical body being controlled by the Earl. They are literally made to be killing machines.

[so_dark_a_road]

You mean a person's soul can be stolen from them and put in a robot body, and forced to be a murderer? Disgusting! Who's this Earl?

And what did you just say about your innocence? It could somehow cause your death?

[mynameisallen]

The souls are of people who were already dead, but called back by someone who cared for them. Be it a family member, lover or very close friend.

But yes they are still forced to kill. More so to kill the one that brought them back, so they can take their physical body. It's why you can never tell who is human and whose an Akuma in my world unless you are me, the earl or the Noah. It;s why I choose to willing risk my life. I want to save the trapped souls and let them and the other find peace.

The earl is someone who basically wants to bring about the end of the world.

As for my innocence, it shortens my life span because of the type it is because I draw on it a different way than say someone who has a sword for a weapon.

[so_dark_a_road]

Well, I came back after I was dead and remained in Middle-earth for centuries. But it wasn't because I was called by a living person, it was because I refused to go when called by the Elves' Death God. But had it been otherwise, I'd never have harmed anyone who loved me, much less taken their body. Although I can see how it might happen that a soul could be under the control of some powerful living person or entity and forced to do their bidding.

I admire you for your courage in taking on this mission. Saving the trapped souls sounds really, really important.

This Earl sounds really nefarious and destructive.

You use methods that don't involve physical weapons? Good for you. You have powers that make it possible to free the enslaved souls, but the use of those powers shortens you life? Is that what you meant?

[mynameisallen]

They have no control unfortunately or else I don't think they would want to do that. But grief is also a really hard thing to deal with so I do understand if someone dangles that in front of you it's hard to resist.

[Considering he himself went for it but survived. All he ended up getting was a scar over his left eye and white hair from the shock of what happened.]

For me it is because I see how they are feeling and depending on level they are always crying.

But yes the use of my powers does because... I guess I will say it like this. It puts more pressure or strain on those who have the innocence infused with their body and thats why they have shortened life spans. Weapon types don't have that issue and thus they would if they aren't killed in the fight typically would live longer.

[so_dark_a_road]

I'd guess that a spirit looking for someone to possess would use that person's grief or other feelings to ensnare them. What an awful situation!

[ Lucky Allen survived! ]

That's sad, if they are always crying.

Innocence versus the uncaring weapons types. Whoa. [ Shaking his head. ] And the use of your powers shortens your life because you are innocent?

[mynameisallen]

It's more they are forced to possess them. It's why their souks are crying when I see them. They are sad at what has happened. They were forced to become an Akuma and then force to serve someone and kill the person they love.

It's the strain of housing an innocence within myself that shortens it. Has nothing to do with being innocent because I am far from that myself.

[so_dark_a_road]

What a terrible situation. The possessors have not chosen to do such things, they are forced to do it, and the result is that they murder someone they love. No wonder they cry!

How do you house this innocence within yourself, if it isn't your own? Is it the innocence of those sad souls?

[mynameisallen]

Then they go on to murder many people in order to grow and with each transformation to the next level the more thier soul seems to get warped and slowly becomes nothing. It's really awful to see... Even though I am the only one who can see it.

I really don't know. There is so much about innocence itself that I don't know or understand. I just know I've had it for as long as I can remember.

[so_dark_a_road]

That sounds really hateful. What a misuse of souls! You're the only one who can see it happening? Why is that? What is the ability that allows you to see it?

Maybe it's a good thing you have this innocence, wherever it comes from? It's almost as though you are sheltering it.

[mynameisallen]

Because of my left eye. It's never been a subject simply because it has literally no use outside of my world.

[It is at least very specific anyway. But hey he can see him being asked about it and does one really want to unlock a tragic back story that involves dead father figures and making stupid choices?]

What do you mean by sheltering it?

[so_dark_a_road]

Your left eye can see the souls getting warped and becoming nothing? Like an eye with spiritual sight. But you say it doesn't work outside your world?

[ Curufin will listen to any back story, however tragic. But that depends on whether Allen is interested in telling it. If he's not, then that's fine too. ]

The way you describe innocence, it is almost as though it is an entity in its own right. If it is drawn to you, then maybe that's because it can find refuge with you.

[mynameisallen]

So far I've not had it activate anywhere else anyway. I could be wrong and it could be for very specific things, but I don't know.

[He paused for a moment.]

I never considered it that way. Like I know that it can cause odd occurrences around it and that it only works with certain people... which there isn't a common theme as to who gets chosen.

[Really saying the innocence chooses who is allowed to wield it might make one thing that yes it might be a certain way. Though when one really looks at it closer there is kind of a theme running through who is able to wield them and who isn't.]

[so_dark_a_road]

So, your left eye's powers are somewhat unknown to you? Maybe on some future mission you'll get to experiment with it.

As for innocence, I've often thought that in all the worlds, there may be qualities or entities that people don't recognize as entities with a sort of consciousness or intelligence of their own. I've run into a few in my world.

[ And if innocence in Allen's world is one of these, then it would make sense that it might have some criteria for who it will trust. ]

[mynameisallen]

Unless there are souls connected to stuff, I doubt it.

[Innocence is something they know only so much about and considering Allen's innocence was classed as an oddity in some ways, mostly in reacting on it's own in order to keep him alive while having been destroyed... Yeah he could understand that as a theory at least and one that could hold merit.]

So would that mean it's like a separate being of it's own but needs someone to help it? That kind of thing?

[so_dark_a_road]

Hard to say, whether there are souls connected to such qualities or entities. Souls are elusive things, and they may not want to be recognized for what they are.

If Innocence is one of those beings, I would expect it would need help from a human, as it would not be able to act freely in the world without such a helper. That's my take on it, anyway.

[mynameisallen]

And there is no way of proving it one way or another either. We only knew so much ourselves back home.

[so_dark_a_road]

I guess when we're being open, we can only be open to the degree that we have real knowledge of our situation. But the attempt is everything. We tell the part of our stories that we feel is important, even without all the facts. Our experience matters, and revealing it to others can help us deal with it.

[mynameisallen]

I guess. I'm usually one who prefers to keep things to myself though. Trying to change that to a certain extent, but it's not an easy thing to do either.

[so_dark_a_road]

I see. And that's the purpose of this network post, then? To help you and others get used to being open about our experiences and our feelings about those experiences. How are you doing with that attempt to change? I know it's not easy.

[mynameisallen]

In a sense, yes that is the reason. As for how I'm doing. As I mentioned it's not easy and I am prone to slipping back into old habits a little too easily.

[so_dark_a_road]

I don't think it's just you who are prone to slipping back into old habits. I think that's a very human thing to do. But today in this post, you've made an attempt to be open, and you've helped other people be more open. If this level of openness becomes a new habit, I think you'll not only help yourself, but others as well.

[ Taking his best shot at being encouraging. ]

[mynameisallen]

Who knows really.

[He's trying but he at least is realistic in knowing he couldn't b sure if thats actually the case or not.]

WOuld be nice, but we will see what the future holds.

[so_dark_a_road]

Nobody knows, really. [ Smile. ]. Does anybody know anything, really?

[ Realism can be useful! ]

Yes, we will all try our best, and we will see what the future brings.