illusional | 11th l o s t s o u l ~ [Voice]

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11th l o s t s o u l ~ [Voice]

I wish to apologize to those who met with me immediately upon my return. Though I was neither myself nor in complete control of myself, I am still responsible for what transpired between us as a result. Though I can safely say none of you were harmed in a manner that could be considered permanent, I am aware that the effects of what did happen are... unpleasant. Though I cannot go to such lengths as to exile myself from the village, I will do my best to avoid you in the future, if you are so inclined.

[Well, hopefully that will settle that. Unless someone wants revenge of some sort... which she is actually anticipating more than she probably needs to be. But for now, she has other things to attend to!]

However, that is not the only thing I wished to address. For those who are not aware of who I am from my previous stay in Luceti, my name is Cheyenne. I am what is called an Illusionist. My kind is considered a monster in my world, due to what we must do to survive.

That is to say, illusionists feed on the souls of other living creatures.

To follow that, I feel I must add that the term "soul" may be different in my world as it is to your own. Illusionists see the soul in four parts, one of which naturally fluxuates throughout the day. Feeding on this section does little more than tire a creature in the same way that running a mile would tire a creature. Perhaps not even to that extent. The process is truly harmless, as I'm certain those who knew of me from my previous stay in Luceti can confirm. You see, I am unique in terms of illusionists. My sisters feel no remorse in draining the souls of innocent creatures. I, however, do not wish to do so against the wishes of a creature who would feel uncomfortable in such a situation. Nor do I wish to bring harm to those residing in the village.

And so, I am here asking if there is anyone in Luceti who would be willing to allow me to feed off of them.

Ideally, I would only be required to feed on a particular... person once every few weeks. I only need to feed once or twice a week to contain my hunger. If I were in a desperate state, once a month would be enough to keep me sane. However, given the circumstances of my return, I cannot imagine that is something anyone would wish to see repeated. Least of all, myself.

Should anyone be so willing as to aid me, I would like the chance to meet with you sometime soon so that I may be sure it would be safe to feed from you. As the Power of a soul relates directly a creature's own stamina, those who are prone to frequent illness or weakness would be best to refrain from offering. And, if you are so willing, I will also show the process by which I feed so you know what to expect in the future.

I thank you for listening to all I have to say. Should you have any comments or concerns to ask about, I am willing to answer them here.

--

[[ooc: Okay, a few things to clarify in regards to Cheyenne's feeding! First, if you haven't filled out her permissions post, please do so here! It makes threading with her much easier if I know whether or not she can see your character.

And now, the feeding itself. If your character agrees to this, Cheyenne will appear at their home once every few weeks to feed. It takes about 5 minutes and will make your character light-headed or sleepy for a few hours, or until they eat something. Most of this will likely be hand-waived in the future, seeing as Cheyenne will probably just feed-and-leave for the most part.

In this post, Cheyenne will need to meet your character in person to see if they're safe to feed on, so this will be one of the few times the feeding will be played out! Illusionists can't over-eat souls, so she will be doing multiple feedings in one day just this once. If you want, we can hand-waive this as well and you can just have your character volunteer. Also, feel free to bombard her with questions; eating souls is serious business, after all. :|b If you have questions for me, you can send me a message on AIM at Precure Black or ping me on Plurk at

randomsnarfle

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I suppose one could say that I "eat" them, but I prefer to use the term "feed". Naturally, I still require regular food to keep my body alive.

[Sounds like this'll be another case of suspension of disbelief. Well, it's not like he hasn't seen strange things happen to souls before- considering what he did to Al's soul and - in that one instance - the souls of the people of Xerxes, he really shouldn't be pointing fingers...]

Then what would you do if no one volunteered?

[That business about staying "sane"... that's worrying.

[A thoughtful pause. It's something she's considered, yes, though not quite as much this time around as when she had first offered. Her expression is unchanging as she explains.]

I suppose I would be be faced with two options. Either do as I had to in my previous world and live in seclusion, only coming out to feed against the will of those I happen to come upon, or ask those living in the village to find an appropriate way to indefinitely confine me.

Though I imagine that would be quite the unpleasant option for everyone involved.

[...Yeah, that last bit is the understatement of the century. His eyes narrow; the first option is something he can't stand behind, and the second is unfair if people do volunteer, but...

This is just one of those uncomfortable situations of "damned if you do, damned if you don't", isn't it. Need more research, then.]

Is it really harmless? It doesn't take a part of the soul away from the person?

[She could easily just be saying all of this to lull everyone to a false sense of security, but if that was the case, why even bother? If she was going to do that, she ought to just be stealing what she wants without telling everyone ahead of time what she's capable of.]

Completely harmless, provided the creature in question does not have a soul bearing special or unique qualities that I am incapable of understanding. Though in a case like that, I would likely choose not to feed on that creature, so as to avoid potentially harming their soul.

[A pause.] For the most part, the soul is capable of regenerating any of the four main sections if only less than 10% is removed. Power is unique in that it can regenerate up to 99% if it is depleted or removed without causing any damage to the soul as a whole. A regular feeding session only requires 5% of a soul's Power, if not less, depending on the stamina of that particular creature.

In the case of at least one of my former volunteers, I often required only about 1%, and they rarely felt any negative effects such as weariness or dizziness after the fact.

[Well that's... comforting, at least. Assuming she's trustworthy, though he still isn't getting any hints that she is. He hadn't expected her to be so forthcoming about it. And now, with all of that to keep in mind, he's... really not sure what to think.

Souls are important. Too important. To feed on them, to use them for anything, is...

It's frightening. He'd never say as much, but it's an undeniable truth. What if there was someone like his brother - or rather, how his brother used to be - where the only life he had was the armor-bound soul? Or souls that were connected, like theirs? How dangerous is this, exactly?]

How do you know when a soul is "safe"? I mean, what wouldn't be safe?

A soul that would not be safe to feed on... I suppose any soul which I am incapable to seeing the four distinct parts of would be unsafe. Though I only feed on the Power of a soul, there is also Length, Strength, and Potency.

[A pause.] Furthermore, a soul with very limited Power would not be an ideal volunteer. Though it would not put that creature in any danger should I feed off of them, they might be more tired after a regular feeding than someone with a more Powerful soul.

There are other cases, of course, which would vary by the individual. A soul with too much strength will generally hold together too tightly for Power to be drawn out alone. And individuals with more than one soul would be far too risky to feed on, as generally situations such as that require a delicate balance between each soul.

Most illusionists do not care about such things, but then, I am not like most illusionists.

[...Well, there's that. At least that means Al could never be at risk. And as long as his brother is safe, that removes about 80% of his concerns right there. And someone with more than one soul- that means she'd stay out of the way of any homunculus or Philosopher's Stone that comes along. So Hohenheim's alright too.

...Not... that he cares.

He might not be done harassing her for a while, though. This is a sort of soul theory that has never come up in Amestris, so it's definitely worth looking into.]

Why aren't you like the others? What's so different about you?

[If he wants soul theory, he's certainly come to the right place. And Cheyenne doesn't mind the questioning at all.]

Most illusionists are incapable of communicating with other creatures. They cannot understand anything other than the hunger that drives them to feed. However, I am capable of understanding and feeling emotions, albeit in a manner that is far more limited than, say, the average human.

As such, were I to feed upon another creature without permission, I would feel quite guilty about it. My sisters do not understand the emotion "guilt" and would have no reason to seek permission when feeding. Nor would they care about the well-being of the creature they are feeding upon.

[...Huh.

This is... making him kind of curious more than wary, now. If she's so willing to share, he'll just keep asking.]

How much can you tell about a soul when you see it? ...Or... whatever you see, or sense, or whatever.

That tends to vary by the creature. I suppose the easiest way would be to explain the four parts of a soul.

The Power of a soul tells me how much stamina a given creature has. It depletes throughout the day and regenerates when a creatures eats or sleeps. The Length of a soul reveals how much a given creature clings to life. A longer soul means a greater desire to continue to live, therefore the soul itself takes longer to separate. Strength defines a creature's will. One with a timid disposition would have lower Strength than those who carry a stronger presence.

The last part, Potency, is the center of the feelings and emotions of a creature. As such, it is often considered the very essence of what defines one creature from another.

However, although Potency is the part capable of telling me the most about a given creature, I am rather incapable of understanding it myself.

[Power, length, potency, huh... well, he can only guess at what all of that really means to someone like her, since the soul is still such an alien concept to him. He doesn't know much more about them than what he learned about the Philosopher's Stone.

Ingredients... is using them for a meal, however willing, any better? It's hard to say.

Still, there's at least one more question before he really gives her an answer.]

If a soul is linked to another... not that they're sharing a body, but that they're connected somehow- could you tell if that was the case?

Connected? [Tiilting her head at that one.] I cannot say that I have ever seen such a thing. Though it is possible for two souls to be connected, I have only ever seen cases in which those souls also share a body.

[A thoughtful pause.]

I suppose... if there was a connection, no matter how negligible, there is no reason why I wouldn't be able to see it.

Got it.

[....

Well. It's a risk, but... what is the search for valuable knowledge without a little bit of that? His life has certainly been a testament to that fact.

Here goes.]

Have you ever heard of the philosophy of Equivalent Exchange?

No, I can't say that I have.

It's a rule of alchemy, the major science ruling my world. To acquire something, you must give up something of equal value. As an alchemist, I try to let this philosophy guide all aspects of my life.

[Hint hint.]

I'll let you try my soul, to see if I qualify for this thing, if you'll tell me everything you can about it. That sound fair?

I believe it does. However, should I explain everything and you wish to decline, I would hope that you would do so regardless. I do not wish to feed on a creature who does not truly wish to offer.

...I don't want to commit to anything that might do more damage than either of us can guess. I'll make my decision based on the information you give me.

[Better to be up-front about the conditions beforehand- and he'll have to figure out whether or not she's telling the truth from there.]

That is fine. Though if it would help to set your mind at some ease, I am capable of seeing whether or not a soul is safe to feed on without needing to feed on it at all.

The only way I am capable of seeing at all is by sensing the souls of the creatures around me. Otherwise I am more or less blind.

Like I said, equivalent exchange. If I'm free to change my mind afterwards, I'll decide then how I feel about it then.

[He's not about to take information for nothing when he's already made the offer, even if it's freely given. To be perfectly honest, he's pretty curious about it now.]

Very well. In that case, would you like to meet in person so that I may better explain the process? It would also allow me a chance to see your soul.

[As well as place a "face" to the voice.]

Yeah, fine by me. Got a meeting place?

[His tone is pretty telling- he's got no real preference about where this happens.]

The fountain in the plaza is fine. It is, after all, an easy place to find.

Likewise, I should be rather easy to spot. I should be the only one there wearing a blindfold.

I'll be there, then.

[Inwardly he's glad she chose a neutral meeting place; it's the safest thing to do, really. That's why he doesn't hesitate to head out there to meet her or, if he arrives early, wait for her with a book.]

[It just so happened to be the place she always chose to meet new volunteers, perhaps out of habit from last time, but either way, she's been in the area nearly all day as it is.]

[Of course, she's not going to be the one to recognize him first. Thankfully, the blindfold helps her to stand out quite a bit.]