[She beckons Noel to sit down across from her once she scurries back to her own chair and settles in, taking a sip of her cocoa before nodding, some whipped cream on her upper lip going unnoticed.]
I have been. I've been to the library, and asked people about what they know, and I found some things out. Things about the island and what's happened in the past that I didn't even know about.
[He slips into the chair she waves him at and wraps his fingers around the hot cup of cocoa. It feels good on his palms. The cold weather doesn't bother him all that much and he dresses warm but it's nice to have something hot.
He gazes at her and his lips thin to a small neutral frown.]
Before you get into all of that I have to tell you my news first.
[He's still very interested in everything Maya has to say. But first... The reason why he'd been so invested in Maya's journey in the first place...]
[Maya's always been pretty damn good at reading people and Noel is no exception, which is why she mirrors his frown with one of her own when she sees it, but her jaw falls open at the news.]
You don't mean... the girl you asked me to channel!? That's... [She doesn't really know what it is, because was it what Noel wanted? Regardless, she opts for the more optimistic response.] That's great! I'm guessing she got here with the other new arrivals this month?
[His expression softens and he looks honestly relieved as he gives a small nod and takes a taste of his drink. It's good...]
I still don't know how to feel about it. For the last few years I thought she was dead. Gone.
[His feelings are a mixed but it's mostly relief and gratitude that this world has allowed him to see her again. The guilt is still there, probably always will be... But he has this second chance now.]
I'd like for you to meet her, sometime. If you have time. This doesn't mean I don't want to keep helping you figure out your own channeling powers. Speaking to her might even help you out with that.
[She hums to herself thoughtfully, her gaze falling to stare into her cocoa, watching as bubbles form along its foamy top. Maya can kind of relate, not in the sense that the people she's lost have come back, but she's not so sure she would know how to feel either, if Mia ever appeared.
Maya tries to maintain her smile for Noel's sake, though. She's at least glad that he got to talk to her again... and better that it wasn't through Maya.]
Yeah, you aren't getting outta that so easy! I'd love to meet her, though. I think that maybe she can help... even if it's just some more information. A lot of the people here talked a lot about what death was like here, but not really what it was like in their own worlds.
[Noel nods again, taking a quiet comfort in the way Maya seems to understand what he's feeling without having to say the words for it.]
I don't think you'd let me go even if I wanted to, Maya.
Once she has some time to settle in, I'll let you know. But for now, what was it that people said about death here? Was it anything like we read in those books?
[She nods, understanding. This world is a scary place until you start getting used to things. Well, it was in her experience, but at least she got used to it pretty quick.
Maya takes a sip of her cocoa and then folds her hands neatly on the table around the cup, and she inhales deep. There was a lot, and she doesn't really know where to begin, so she just drops it right off the bat.]
No. Nothing like we saw in the books. There's this thing... they call him the Reaper?
[She ends it like a question, waiting for Noel's reaction to it... and if a name like that means anything to him at all.]
[She tilts her head. Huh, maybe it doesn't mean anything to him, judging by his reaction to it. Guess not everyone's heard of the Reaper in their own worlds.]
From the sounds of it, a lot of things. You know how when people die here, they show up at the edge of the island alive again? Well, the couple of people who have died say that they met him there.
[She digs through her pocket and pulls out a few folded and crinkled pieces of paper with some notes scribbled on them in hasty handwriting. They're the notes she wrote down while speaking to some of the people over the network.]
But it's not just that! Do you know anyone by the name of Kylo Ren?
[She looks through her notes and stops about midway down the page.]
Well, Kylo told me that he killed someone and then he died a month later. When he did, the Reaper visited him and told him that... [she pauses to read it over, making sure she's got her facts straight.] Oh, it took the feeling in his arm.
So this thing isn't even just a shepherd for the dead, but he punishes people too...
[Noel is quiet for a moment as he contemplates what Maya tells him. There's a small black wisp of smoke that starts to form around his hands, whirling around with his fear.]
Punishes people for... Dying? Because they can come back?
[He frowns. He's still not entirely convinced that Yeul is completely safe yet so this concerns him deeply.]
So what happens if we reach out to a soul who's died? Is this reaper going to show up then too?
No, it punished him for killing someone. The Reaper came to Kylo when he died, and that's when it happened.
[Talking about it makes her shiver.]
As for reaching out to someone who's died... I wonder that. I've never felt... tired before. At least, not that tired. It usually doesn't take all that much out of me, so I wonder if that has something to do with it. So... maybe. There were a couple of other people who talked about it, too. Other people who've died and come back, so it's anyone...
[His drink starts to heat and some bubbles start to pop at the surface of it. Noel winces slightly as the cup burns his palm and he lets go of it for now.]
So, anyone who's died or given death has seen a glimpse of this death spirit. What happens when you seek out the dead, Maya?
[This information is harrowing but if this spirit punishes people for things revolving around death should he really be letting Maya continue? Although...]
You never saw anything to do with this spirit when you tried channeling Yeul...
I don't know. People have never tried to [airquotes] seek out the dead before.
[Her fingers tighten around her cup when she tries to recall the time she attempted to channel Yeul, but she can't remember ever feeling anything particular, other than...]
All I felt was just... dread and sadness. A little bit cold, but there was no reaper around. I think I'd remember something like that.
[A beat.]
They were all saying that I should just leave it alone.
[She pretends to think about that for a little while, but Maya knows the answer, and she's sure that Noel does, too. She's gone too far into this now to turn back around and walk away from it. She's so close. So close to finding out why it's not working, and maybe there are ways she can figure out how to actually succeed.]
Probably not.
[She leans forward, spreading her hands out on the table.]
Noel, I'm so close. If I can just... even talk to the Reaper and ask it why... [A beat.] I know that sounds worse than it probably is.
With those arms? I'm sure you'll have no problems catching me.
[She winks over her cocoa and goes for a long, loud sip and when she's done, she slides her piece of paper across the table for him.]
Anyway, I have a list here of all the things that people talked about. It's a second copy, so take it if you want. I'm going to stop at the library on my next day off and see if I can snag some more info on some of the incidents. Maybe talk to some of the people again.
[He huffs at her jab but gets a small smirk on his face. Hey, he knows he works hard on his arms... It's nice to get a little appreciation from a girl.
He takes the paper, scanning it quickly before he nods.]
Find as much as you can on this reaper spirit. The more we know going into this, the better. Why he only shows himself to the dead or people dealing with death, what he really does with dead souls, things like that...
[Tired of failing people who count on her. Her powers make her special, and to not be able to use them? Failing any time she tries? And she's tried her best.]
Whatever this Reaper thing is, I'm going to find out exactly what it is and how to contact it. It'll be able to at least tell me everything I need to know.
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I have been. I've been to the library, and asked people about what they know, and I found some things out. Things about the island and what's happened in the past that I didn't even know about.
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He gazes at her and his lips thin to a small neutral frown.]
Before you get into all of that I have to tell you my news first.
[He's still very interested in everything Maya has to say. But first... The reason why he'd been so invested in Maya's journey in the first place...]
Yeul came back. ... She's here.
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You don't mean... the girl you asked me to channel!? That's... [She doesn't really know what it is, because was it what Noel wanted? Regardless, she opts for the more optimistic response.] That's great! I'm guessing she got here with the other new arrivals this month?
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I still don't know how to feel about it. For the last few years I thought she was dead. Gone.
[His feelings are a mixed but it's mostly relief and gratitude that this world has allowed him to see her again. The guilt is still there, probably always will be... But he has this second chance now.]
I'd like for you to meet her, sometime. If you have time. This doesn't mean I don't want to keep helping you figure out your own channeling powers. Speaking to her might even help you out with that.
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Maya tries to maintain her smile for Noel's sake, though. She's at least glad that he got to talk to her again... and better that it wasn't through Maya.]
Yeah, you aren't getting outta that so easy! I'd love to meet her, though. I think that maybe she can help... even if it's just some more information. A lot of the people here talked a lot about what death was like here, but not really what it was like in their own worlds.
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I don't think you'd let me go even if I wanted to, Maya.
Once she has some time to settle in, I'll let you know. But for now, what was it that people said about death here? Was it anything like we read in those books?
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Maya takes a sip of her cocoa and then folds her hands neatly on the table around the cup, and she inhales deep. There was a lot, and she doesn't really know where to begin, so she just drops it right off the bat.]
No. Nothing like we saw in the books. There's this thing... they call him the Reaper?
[She ends it like a question, waiting for Noel's reaction to it... and if a name like that means anything to him at all.]
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[Noel looks slightly puzzled. It sounds like an ominous word but he's never heard of it before...]
What is he?
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From the sounds of it, a lot of things. You know how when people die here, they show up at the edge of the island alive again? Well, the couple of people who have died say that they met him there.
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Met him there...? At the time of their death. So you're saying he's some sort of death spirit?
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[She digs through her pocket and pulls out a few folded and crinkled pieces of paper with some notes scribbled on them in hasty handwriting. They're the notes she wrote down while speaking to some of the people over the network.]
But it's not just that! Do you know anyone by the name of Kylo Ren?
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No, I don't.
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Well, Kylo told me that he killed someone and then he died a month later. When he did, the Reaper visited him and told him that... [she pauses to read it over, making sure she's got her facts straight.] Oh, it took the feeling in his arm.
So this thing isn't even just a shepherd for the dead, but he punishes people too...
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Punishes people for... Dying? Because they can come back?
[He frowns. He's still not entirely convinced that Yeul is completely safe yet so this concerns him deeply.]
So what happens if we reach out to a soul who's died? Is this reaper going to show up then too?
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No, it punished him for killing someone. The Reaper came to Kylo when he died, and that's when it happened.
[Talking about it makes her shiver.]
As for reaching out to someone who's died... I wonder that. I've never felt... tired before. At least, not that tired. It usually doesn't take all that much out of me, so I wonder if that has something to do with it. So... maybe. There were a couple of other people who talked about it, too. Other people who've died and come back, so it's anyone...
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So, anyone who's died or given death has seen a glimpse of this death spirit. What happens when you seek out the dead, Maya?
[This information is harrowing but if this spirit punishes people for things revolving around death should he really be letting Maya continue? Although...]
You never saw anything to do with this spirit when you tried channeling Yeul...
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[Her fingers tighten around her cup when she tries to recall the time she attempted to channel Yeul, but she can't remember ever feeling anything particular, other than...]
All I felt was just... dread and sadness. A little bit cold, but there was no reaper around. I think I'd remember something like that.
[A beat.]
They were all saying that I should just leave it alone.
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He watches her expression carefully as he asks,] What do you want to do, Maya?
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Would you stop me if I said I wanted to keep trying...?
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Probably not.
[She leans forward, spreading her hands out on the table.]
Noel, I'm so close. If I can just... even talk to the Reaper and ask it why... [A beat.] I know that sounds worse than it probably is.
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I know this is something you want to do. I just don't want to see you get hurt for it.
[He struggles with this because he wouldn't forgive himself if she ever got hurt by this reaper. He's lost and failed too many people in his life...]
... If you think it's the way you'll find the answers you're looking for who am I to stop you? [Another worried sigh.]
As long as you let me catch you if you fall into too much trouble.
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[She winks over her cocoa and goes for a long, loud sip and when she's done, she slides her piece of paper across the table for him.]
Anyway, I have a list here of all the things that people talked about. It's a second copy, so take it if you want. I'm going to stop at the library on my next day off and see if I can snag some more info on some of the incidents. Maybe talk to some of the people again.
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He takes the paper, scanning it quickly before he nods.]
Find as much as you can on this reaper spirit. The more we know going into this, the better. Why he only shows himself to the dead or people dealing with death, what he really does with dead souls, things like that...
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I'm going to. I'm tired of being useless here.
[Tired of failing people who count on her. Her powers make her special, and to not be able to use them? Failing any time she tries? And she's tried her best.]
Whatever this Reaper thing is, I'm going to find out exactly what it is and how to contact it. It'll be able to at least tell me everything I need to know.
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