Magic? Youkai? Talking about these things during a festival about squid people? That's a lot for her to take in right now, but Mikasa's keeping a straight face through the confusion.
"I don't know. This isn't the world I know, so maybe everyone else can fly and they're choosing not to. No one can do that where I'm from."
A slight frown. "So you're not from here, either."
"Nope! I'm from a very different place. A place called Gensokyo. Creatures like me all decided to move there since humans took over everywhere else and we couldn't survive. So, instead, we have our own little peaceful bit of land. I live underground!"
She drifted over, very much in Mikasa's space. "What was your home like?"
Gensokyo...Mikasa's never heard that name back home, but the description hints at another world entirely. There's no way this place could exist where she's from. Especially since...
"...The last of mankind resides behind three walls intended to protect us from titans. They prey off of humans despite no need for sustenance. The world outside those walls remains a complete mystery after taking sanctuary there for over a century. Titans broke through the outermost wall years ago and the second wall not long before I arrived here. Even without the threat of titans, the people are a threat to themselves and those around them. It's a cruel, unforgiving world that would allow even the kindest of souls to die cold and alone..."
Mikasa catches herself partway through her explanation. Maybe that's a bit much to dump on a child as wide-eyed as this one.
"...But there are soldiers like me who fight to protect innocent people. We were in the middle of a battle before I awoke here, so I'm still adjusting to the shift in tone."
Koishi just sort of blinked, tilting her head as Mikasa explained the world she was from. Her frown gradually deepened. That did not...
"What a cruel and wicked world. You did well for living so long in it. I would die in a world like that. Not just me, but all youkai. We depend on humanity to survive." She drifted closer, nudging her shoulder. "It's safe here though, okay? You don't have to be scared."
Her third eye drifted over, nudging Mikasa's shoulder gently. "You're very brave for protecting people though. And every place has people worth protecting too."
Now she's ducking her head down a bit. Mikasa's kicking herself for spouting all of that on Koishi, especially since she didn't mean it to fish for sympathy. She'll offer her a smile, at least, no less appreciative for her kind words.
"If I'm all that's from my world, then you won't have to worry. I'll make sure of it."
Mikasa's shoving her own doubts and concerns aside to offer reassurance instead. Koishi could probably tell that with ease, that third eye of hers closing in and warranting an uncertain glance from the soldier. She's still not sure what a youkai is, so flying kids with weird attached eyes like that? Probably not the strangest thing she's seen so far, considering the Prismals themselves.
"Maybe other people would come. And not the scary monsters. Then you'll be safe and you'll have friends."
So long as it wasn't a select few individuals...
Koishi blinked at the question though. "Oh. My third eye?" She looked down at it, reaching out and taking it, pulling it away from Mikasa. "No. I mean, technically it doesn't 'see' the way the eyes in my head do. But it doesn't see at all anymore. It's blind." She used a finger to gently lift the eyelid, revealing the milky white surface.
"It's how we satori youkai read people's thoughts. But I can't read people's thoughts anymore. Instead I can manipulate the subconscious. I like that power better. I can sort of 'feel' the shape of your mind though. It's strong and nice and full of geometric shapes and angles. I like it a lot."
It's...not exactly like mind reading and to Mikasa, that's probably for the best. As invasive as either power is, at least she isn't picking up the images of what titans look like and what they did. She'd rather not inflict that on anyone.
"I imagine you have control over who you can read; standing in the middle of a festival with that kind of power would be overwhelming, I assume."
"Ohhh nono. Hehe. My power doesn't turn off. And it's kind of indiscriminate." She tugged the edges of her hat down a little. "It's a whole bunch of noise to me. Rolling as excitement rises and falls. Just like normal sound. It's just how we satori see the world."
A pause.
"Or, rather, how I see the world. Since most satori aren't blind. Actually reading thoughts is a little different. It's much louder." A pause. "Well, it's why sis doesn't like big crowds. But she doesn't like a lot of noise regardless of if its in her head or not."
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timeasmymeasure
Koishi
Date: 2019-03-30 11:56 pm (UTC)Magic? Youkai? Talking about these things during a festival about squid people? That's a lot for her to take in right now, but Mikasa's keeping a straight face through the confusion.
"I don't know. This isn't the world I know, so maybe everyone else can fly and they're choosing not to. No one can do that where I'm from."
A slight frown. "So you're not from here, either."
no subject
Date: 2019-03-31 10:50 am (UTC)She drifted over, very much in Mikasa's space. "What was your home like?"
no subject
Date: 2019-04-05 01:23 am (UTC)"...The last of mankind resides behind three walls intended to protect us from titans. They prey off of humans despite no need for sustenance. The world outside those walls remains a complete mystery after taking sanctuary there for over a century. Titans broke through the outermost wall years ago and the second wall not long before I arrived here. Even without the threat of titans, the people are a threat to themselves and those around them. It's a cruel, unforgiving world that would allow even the kindest of souls to die cold and alone..."
Mikasa catches herself partway through her explanation. Maybe that's a bit much to dump on a child as wide-eyed as this one.
"...But there are soldiers like me who fight to protect innocent people. We were in the middle of a battle before I awoke here, so I'm still adjusting to the shift in tone."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-05 02:21 am (UTC)"What a cruel and wicked world. You did well for living so long in it. I would die in a world like that. Not just me, but all youkai. We depend on humanity to survive." She drifted closer, nudging her shoulder. "It's safe here though, okay? You don't have to be scared."
Her third eye drifted over, nudging Mikasa's shoulder gently. "You're very brave for protecting people though. And every place has people worth protecting too."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-07 09:27 am (UTC)"If I'm all that's from my world, then you won't have to worry. I'll make sure of it."
Mikasa's shoving her own doubts and concerns aside to offer reassurance instead. Koishi could probably tell that with ease, that third eye of hers closing in and warranting an uncertain glance from the soldier. She's still not sure what a youkai is, so flying kids with weird attached eyes like that? Probably not the strangest thing she's seen so far, considering the Prismals themselves.
"...Can you see through that?"
It's an obvious question, but she has to ask.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-07 12:03 pm (UTC)So long as it wasn't a select few individuals...
Koishi blinked at the question though. "Oh. My third eye?" She looked down at it, reaching out and taking it, pulling it away from Mikasa. "No. I mean, technically it doesn't 'see' the way the eyes in my head do. But it doesn't see at all anymore. It's blind." She used a finger to gently lift the eyelid, revealing the milky white surface.
"It's how we satori youkai read people's thoughts. But I can't read people's thoughts anymore. Instead I can manipulate the subconscious. I like that power better. I can sort of 'feel' the shape of your mind though. It's strong and nice and full of geometric shapes and angles. I like it a lot."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-17 11:38 pm (UTC)It's...not exactly like mind reading and to Mikasa, that's probably for the best. As invasive as either power is, at least she isn't picking up the images of what titans look like and what they did. She'd rather not inflict that on anyone.
"I imagine you have control over who you can read; standing in the middle of a festival with that kind of power would be overwhelming, I assume."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-17 11:54 pm (UTC)A pause.
"Or, rather, how I see the world. Since most satori aren't blind. Actually reading thoughts is a little different. It's much louder." A pause. "Well, it's why sis doesn't like big crowds. But she doesn't like a lot of noise regardless of if its in her head or not."