kismet_loop | [Video]

[Video]

[Well. Maya had gotten settled, such as it was. She had found a place to live for the time being. But so far not really doing much of anything was driving her up one wall and back down the other. So, it was clearly time to change that.

The screen flashed on. She at least had figured out how to access the network. Though it had taken many questions (sometimes asked more than once!) of her long suffering robot buddy, Helper.]

Hi! For those of you who don't know, I am Maya! I know there are a lot of people and robots and stuff I probably haven't met yet!

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone needed a lawyer around here? Or a spirit medium/ghost talker type person? Don't think it's weird that I'm mentioning the two of those things in close proximity. You'd be surprised at how often the two intersect!

[Robots could get into trouble, right? Besides, there were human people around. Besides... Maya didn't want to know know about the existence of robot ghosts, thanks. Though she had a feeling she might find out before she got to go home.]

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Fries aren't bad, but burgers are the main attraction!

[Maya had a second stomach for burgers after all! (And a second stomach for ramen, and a second stomach for steak... the list just went on and on!) They were seated relatively quickly, at least.]

So... have you always been able to see ghosts, or did this start happening to you more recently?

Y'wanna split a side, then? I won't have room for a burger and poutine, but that doesn't stop me from wanting both.

[Yeah, the service at... well, every establishment in Haven was pretty good. For an obviously-underpopulated city on an alien planet, it was a surprisingly pleasant place to be marooned.]

To the extent that I'm able, always. Auras always, too, but I've gotten better at picking stuff out since I was a kid. What about you?

Sure! I don't think that I've ever had poutine before!

[That didn't mean that she'd turn it down! As to Sam's second question, Maya considered it, looking over the menu a little, before answering.]

Well... I'm from a town called Kurain. The women of Kurain are generally spirit channelers. The most powerful family is where the Master comes from. Technically, I'm the Master of Kurain right now, since my mother died. I've never been the best spirit medium, but I've been able to see ghosts and auras since I've been little. I've gotten better at it as I've gotten older.

If you like fries, you'll like it---unless you hate gravy. It's pretty much just fries with melty chunks of cheese mixed in, topped with gravy, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

[Arms folded on the tabletop, Sam leaned forward, absolutely fascinated.]

Wow. I---

[Wait. Priorities.]

I'm sorry about your mom.

Generally, for the entire town? Multiple families practicing? That's...

[She opens one hand beside her head; mind blown.]

I'd wondered off and on if I'd ever actually meet anyone else who saw any of this stuff, y'know? Read through so many parapsychology books growing up, trying to find something that meshed with my own experience, but never turned up much of anything.

That sounds really good.

[Depending on how awesome this poutine was, Maya might have a second stomach for poutine by the end of lunch.

She also pointedly ignored Sam's sympathy about her mom. That? Was still a topic Maya wasn't sure how she felt about it, so she just wasn't going to talk about it right now.]

From what I've been able to tell, even people from the same tradition experience things slightly differently. My cousin, Pearl, is a lot younger than I am, but she's a lot more powerful than I am too. She should probably be the Master, but she was born in the branch part of the family. Honestly, I'd give her the title if she wanted it though.

[At this, Maya shrugs.]

It's always interesting to meet other people who can see this sort of stuff. A lot of people dismiss me as crazy, because being a spirit medium isn't exactly a "normal" profession, you know? And a lot of people just find it easier to not believe in ghosts than to believe in spirit mediums.

It is really good.

[It's also quick to prepare, even with the care that the cook---whoever/whatever that is---clearly puts into it, so it'll arrive before anything else.]

[Sam nods.]

Oh, I know. Where I'm from---and where I've been!---you just don't talk about this sort of stuff unless you've got an inkling the person you're talking to has... Oh, we'll say 'a talent,' too, because if they don't? They probably won't take you seriously... and if they do, decent odds it would end worse. People can kind of freak out, and it's sort of scary.

[Food was a great distraction, so Maya dug into the poutine when it came, taking the time to consider her next response.]

This is really good!

And I've seen people freak out. I tend to get the ridicule or the sheer disbelief though. I'm not sure which is worse. Of course, then there's the fun option of when people do believe you, wanting you to use your talent all the time. Which also isn't the best option.

[Another nod; she told you so! And although seeing Maya enjoying the poutine is enough to prompt Sam to smile, she leans forward a little and speaks very seriously.]

I hope nobody's tried to twist your arm...?

[Maya blinked, looking up at Sam's serious tone. That... was a little scary.]

Um... not really. My friend is a lawyer. He worked in my sister's law office, before she was killed. The first year or so he was practicing law, he'd ask me to channel my sister a lot to help him with cases. By the end, I got kind of burned out on channelling.

[She shakes her head a little then.]

I wanted to help him though. And he's gotten better as a lawyer, and I've ended up channeling my sister less over the last few years. But... he never really forced me to do it, or twisted my arm or anything.

[The older girl settled back at that answer, looking a little relieved (even in spite of swallowing whatever she would've said about Maya's sister; since 'sorry about your mom' had gone unremarked on, it seemed to be best).]

Oh, that's good to hear. Being taken seriously shouldn't really go wrong here, since occult-y abilities aren't unheard of---in addition to fairies, dragons, and all sorts of stuff---but at home? Someone being believed-in by the wrong people and subsequently strong-armed: kind of a concern.

[Death wasn't really the end for Feys. You could channel people, talk to their spirits. And Maya's relationship with her sister was a lot less complicated than the one with her mother was. So an offer of sympathy there might have been better received.]

I've met a little fairy dragon. That was actually pretty neat. Not to mention the robots. This place is kind of amazing. At home... yeah, at home can be kind of challenging.

[Hindsight: 20/20. But if it comes up again, after they're better-acquainted... well.]

Not only 'kind of,' in my own opinion... and the robots, yeah. They're pretty great. Good people. With, well... one exception I've seen so far.

Most of the robots I've met are pretty great. There was one... he was pretty weird. He was asking me about how to get rid of evil spirits and ghosts and stuff.

[Maya shook her head. That had been a weird conversation.]

Weird guy. Didn't even tell me his name. Asked me about hexes too. I didn't want any part of what he was potentially getting into. I told him that too.

[Sam scowls, although it's with no ill will to Maya---no, the robot in question is quite clearly---]

That ass.

[---the source of her ire.]

That would be Dirge, and I would be why he's asking about that sort of stuff. That said, I should thank you for telling him what you did, and also explain.

First things first: Dirge is a very large potential threat, and you're going to have to watch yourself around him, especially if you ever cross paths in person.

Sounds like you two have something of a history. What happened between the two of you that you were threatening him with ghosts and hexes and haunting?

[Maya shakes her head.]

He was interrogating me to see if I was worthy to be his friend. Ugh, no thanks. I could go forever without running into him again.

It's actually a pretty short story. Talking to Dirge, I learned that he's an extreme omnivore... who sees no reason eating other people should be, on principle, ruled right out. We... discussed it for a while, but when I was working on all the ethical arguments against murdering people for food, he got this attitude and declared he would eat whatever he wanted. In turn, I told him that if he ate or otherwise did in anyone, I'd witch his sense of taste away.

[She offers Mia a crooked little smile.]

Not everything I can do is as benign as seeing stuff.

[She shrugs one shoulder, before lifting her elbows to the table.]

I also told him he didn't have an easy out in offing me, because if he did, I'd haunt the hell out of him.

[Maya made a face at the story. A rather creeped out face.]

So... wait. He would eat people? Why? Why would he want to eat people? And just because he can is a bad reason! I'm glad that you said that you would hex him or haunt the crap out of him.

[Maya scowled thunderously.]

Not everything I can do is super-benign either. I mean, I can channel spirits, which can be really messy if it goes poorly. I can also do exorcisms and such. Or I can just leave creepy robots who eat people hexed and haunted.

[Eat people. Really? Maya was more and more glad that she had told Dirge to shove off.]

He would! And from what I could gather, it's a combination of things. Because it allows him a kind of uncounterable "ownership," because he can use organic matter as fuel, and arguably because it gives him more to gain than just... stepping on someone or someshit.

It came up while I was trying to convince him farming humans was a friggin' awful idea, after he'd heard how we adapt to a lot of environments. [Sam's shoulders set, and there's a flicker of the anger that had been behind her threat] It was like... 'There are so many reasons this won't pan out, and one of 'em will be me.'

[She huffs and sits back, listening to Maya with interest... and approval. Once the other girl finishs speaking, that crooked little smile surfaces once more, and Sam holds up a fist for bumping.]

Good on you.

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