ϡ - Chapter Twenty; those who have gone missing [action/voice]

[folklorist]

[ There's a clear strained sigh coming from the opposite end of the transmission. A few moments later some shuffling as someone moves about in the background. ] Frederic's been...taken. He, um, has been for awhile. I-I wasn't supposed to make anyone worry, I'm terribly sorry for not saying so sooner. [ There's a clear tone of guilt in his voice. It goes against Frederic's wishes but he has been gone for awhile. Helios will pull out a chair and take a seat next to his journal. ]

I'm not sure when he'll back, but I thought his friends should know. I apologize for this--especially before the holiday. [ A pause accompanied by a sigh. ] I don't understand why they do such things in the first place.

[ Filtered Poorly, lol how does I technology, to Poland ]

Frederic left you a letter. He asked me to deliver it to you. Do you mind if I stop by?

Comments

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[It's okay, this is worrying behaviour for most people. With Robert, the drive to know comes before most actual logical things, hence his downright irrational behaviour.

As soon as Helios hands Robert the sheet, he takes the chalk Helios had been using earlier and begins meticulously copying the exact figure. Though Robert is no artist, when he wants to be precise, he is - and so the chalk picture on the ground looks nearly-identical to the marker drawing after some time of Robert fussing over it. ]

Hopefully that is accurate enough... N-Now, you attempt to finish it. [Robert stands up, adjusting his glasses with a determined expression.]

[Action]

[folklorist]

[ Helios' eyebrow raises in surprise. ] It's very accurate for a first time drawing. Though I shouldn't be surprised considering who it is drawing it.

[ Helios will nod taking the knife used before and cleaning it, sterilizing it and then pricking his finger. With the blood he'll finish the circle on the floor. ] There. Just repeat what you did before.

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

Alright... ostensibly the circles are nearly identical.

Now, you do what I did before - step into the circle and concentrate on an image. If I'm correct... [Robert lets his statement hang. So far, nothing's changed.]

[Action]

[folklorist]

The fountain again is it? [ Helios nods eyes closing as he steps into the circle--confident and sure that it'll work. Except it...doesn't. There's not light burning his eyelids and there's certainly no absolute silence as one travels through space to their destination. His green eyes open wide first a startled expression then just plain old confusion. ]

It--it didn't work. [ What. Wait. ] It didn't work?

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert counts the beats before he can call the results of his experiment. One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Nothing. The circle doesn't glow. It doesn't react to Helios' obvious concentration.

It's just a plain chalk circle with a bloody symbol in the centre.]

I was right.

Let me see if I can delineate my hypothesis. [He pauses, thoughtfully, studying Helios' puzzled expression.] I thought that, perhaps, our physics in Luceti are restricted to our selves, by whatever manner the Malnosso use. It certainly would explain why our bodies behave differently to the same situation...

According to this hypothesis, when you drew that first circle, it was... your own physics acting on that circle, as a consequence of you drawing it. And that was why it remained magical, even after I finished it.

[He continues after a moment.]

But when I drew it - even though it was identical - and you finished it... My physics were acting on the drawing as I made it. Meaning it is nothing more than a chalk drawing.

[He looks pointedly at Helios.] Evidence that my world has no magic.