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[contract_star]

[Hei appears on the Plane and promptly collapses, flopping onto his back and breathing hard. He looks exhausted, but he's also grinning. After a moment, he catches his breath.]

I did it. It finally worked.

Luxaky...and that other guy, if either of you are around. The experiment was a success.

Comments

[demonsblood.livejournal.com]

Experiment?

[contract_star]

[Looks up at her, smile fading, and is quiet for a moment.]

Your shrine should be back now.

[demonsblood.livejournal.com]

[Mion is clearly a destroyer of worlds happiness.]

The shrine? Ah, thanks, I guess.

[contract_star]

And you and your world should be safe. [Turns his head to look up at the stars and galaxies.] Our realities are separate again.

[demonsblood.livejournal.com]

[Mion is quiet for a bit, and then plops down beside Hei.] What did you do?

[contract_star]

[Smiles a little, rather mirthlessly.] I built a wall. [Looks at her.] A mental wall around the places where our realities had merged. It took a long time, and a lot of concentration, but it did the trick.

[demonsblood.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know we could do things like that. [Frowns and shifts a bit so she can rest her chin on her knees. GOOD THING SHE'S NOT WEARING HER SKIRT RIGHT NOW. :|b]

But we can still be friends? Or whatever we are? Acquaintances, allies...?

[contract_star]

I didn't either. I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not.

[Gives her a long look.] Now that I know we can affect our realities, I can try to make it so that, even if my reality merges, the Gate at least won't translate over. But even then, there's still the Contractors. Until I figure things out, we'll have to stay just acquaintances.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[have a curious!wide eyed!L biting his thumb.]

The barrier?

[contract_star]

[Peering up at him, still smiling.] Yes. I managed to completely cut off someone else's reality from my own. The barrier visualization works, but it takes a lot of concentration, and it took me awhile to figure out how to do it.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L moves to crouch next to him.]

What can you tell me about the process? I'm grateful to you for expending the energy necessary to see this through, genuinely.

[contract_star]

No problem. It had to be done; I can't have my reality blending with other peoples'.

[Looks up at the stars.] I started out just trying to envision a wall between my reality and Ms. Sonozaki's. But that didn't seem to work too well. For one thing, there aren't really edges between the realities; it's more like overlap, it seems.

The trick is...not to really think about it. It's sort of like coming to the Astral Plane; just a stray thought. Only, at the same time, you need to focus it. You hold it in the back of your mind. Sort of like meditation, I guess. It's counterintuitive, which is why it takes so long and is so difficult. The place where Ms. Sonozaki's shrine was still feels raw, so I definitely still need practice.

But, essentially, you have that focus in the back of your mind, almost unconsciously. And eventually her world started to slip out of mine. There actually literally was a wall there for a bit. I kept at it, and finally her world was gone entirely. It gets more difficult the closer they get to separating...almost like the realities don't want to separate.

And the whole thing is damn tiring. [Sighs and rubs at his forehead.] But it works.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

...this is very interesting and insightful. Though, I wonder if the Twins and Ms. Sault will appreciate our meddling into this affair. I can't say I'd be particularly heartbroken should they dislike this development, but even so, please be careful regardless. There is no telling what long-term effects this could cause to yours or Ms. Sonozaki's realities.

[contract_star]

[Gaze darkens.] I wouldn't be particularly heartbroken either. But thank you for the warning. I'll keep an eye out for any changes.

[Looks over at him.] I don't think I ever got your name. I'm Li Shengshun, by the way.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. Where are my manners? [L rubs sticky-fingers off on his pants before offering them for a handshake.]

[contract_star]

[Smirks, reaching up to shake hands.] No, no, it's my own fault. Good to properly meet you, Mr...?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[Murmuring;] Luxaky...

[Louder, for Li:] Ryuuzaki. The pleasure is mine, Mr. Shengshun.

[contract_star]

[Eyebrows quirk, but he decides not to comment.]

Mr. Ryuuzaki, then.

What do you suppose it means, that we can affect our realities this way?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

There are a variety of conclusions one could draw, but combined with the effect our deaths have on each of our realities and the fact that they differ from person to person leads me to believe that we, ourselves, have a vast majority of control of our surroundings...

When a 'subject' dies, things can become drastically altered, yet the Astral Plane always remains fixated and whole.

Perhaps... [his voice trails off.]

[contract_star]

[Sits up slowly and folds his hands beneath his chin. He's silent for awhile.]

I've noticed that as well. And the fact that mergers can happen at all.

[Looks at him sidelong.] Perhaps...?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

Perhaps we have predominant control for a reason. Perhaps, after exposure to the Plane, everything is malleable for a reason.

Once your eyes have been opened, it's very hard to close them and picture every little detail exactly as it was before, hm? Things in your mind's eye warp and are forgotten...

[contract_star]

[Eyes widen as he gets it.]

A dream. You think all of that is a dream.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

A dream, or a state of being we cannot define very similar to it. Perhaps... the Astral Plane is the only non-fluctuating existence we know because it is the only existence we know, and everything else is a fabrication.

[contract_star]

[Is trying to get his head around this.]

So our realities...everything there, the buildings, the streets, the people, are all just figments of our imagination? And this place, and the people here--those are the only things that are real?

[Fury hits him like hot wire, but the only outward sign is that his voice is suddenly low and cold.] If that's the case, then what have they done with our real realities?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

Perhaps they never existed in the first place. Perhaps we, too, are figments of another's imagination... part of another's dream. Ms. Sault... the Twins... I can't say. All of this is entirely speculative, of course... I have no real proof whatsoever.

[L bites his thumb consideringly.]

But, I would like to believe that we are more than that.