3127/Konoe's Language 101

Konoe's Language 101
Date of Scene:	30 September 2015
Location:	A Quiet World
Synopsis:	Never let Mizuki teach an actual college class on this, really, it would be horrifying
Cast of Characters:	183, Ayako Hasekawa, 847

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Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Out of an infinity of strange worlds, this one may still somehow leave Konoe with a distinct sense of strangeness. This is chiefly because it is not lain out as would be a sensible world, rational world: there is a massive buffer of unoccupied land between the Clock Tower and any other visible settlements. Moreover, this land has not been left wild, but would appear carefully crafted and tamed -- as though it had been tended mere moments ago by a landscaping crew. Even more impractical is the sheer space between settlements. Cities seem to occur in several distinct 'poles', but there are almost no homes in-between them, and the only road linking them is an infinitely stretching cobblestone path. All this is to say nothing of the two massive, flying continent-castles that dominate the area to the immediate right of the Clock Tower and then the nearly the entire Northwestern horizon.

    It is immediately evident that this is and only could be a world of fantasy. Thankfully, though, Konoe is a denizen of Gensokyo, and Gensokyo is much the same in some respects. This likely does something to mitigate the shock value of its appearance, and just as prominently it guarantees her another mercy: flight. It is immediately evident from the sheer size and impractical spacing of things in this universe that it would quite literally be hell to field the distance without some more expedient - and less strenuous - mode of travel. And in earnest, one can only truly see the more elegant facets of this world from the sky. Whether it be the Sea of Leviathan sparkling to the West or the vast Monochrome Desert in the South, none of these things are quite so beautiful, quite so impactful when one cannot comprehend their entirety at once. Flight allows one to do just that.

    Another oddity of the trip, however, is the fact that night seems to come far too quickly. As soon as Ayako and Konoe make their way toward what Ayako may introduce as the 'Silent City', the stars and the moon seem to emerge nigh instantaneously. It is a bizarre and unnatural phenomenon that Konoe could only liken to the Imperishable Night crisis if she was present for it. Thankfully, though, this does not tell of some more dangerous cosmological phenomena; it is but another facet of the strange lay of the land, and the way each of the distinct cities are segregated from one another. Among the defining features of these settlements is their time of day. Konoe may notice, looking now, that the sky above the sea seems to shine with the light of morning whilst another area further East is cloaked in a veil of twilight.

    Beyond even that, though, is the fact that all sound becomes muted in this region. Though gentle raindrops begin to fall as they advance further into the city, no wind can be heard. Though cars scoot by across the roads below and people walk by, their faces buried in newspapers, there is not a sound. And speaking of, how have things suddenly become so modern when they seemed so fantastical before? ... best not to ask questions at this point. It has already been established that this world adheres to only the principles of nonsense.

    Though they'll need to suffer no more of this land's strangeness once they reach the doors of Silent Night. Mizuki is there, her hands balanced on the pommel of an ornate sword as though it were some sort of cane, her body in perfect symmetry with the door's frame. She bids both of her visitors welcome with a small but lasting bow before fixing her eyes on Konoe.

    "Welcome, Konoe. Please, come inside. Ah, and don't worry if your clothes are wet at all -- that will clear up the moment you enter." With that she turns toward the entrance again, gradually making her way toward the fountain in the heart of the building.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Speaking of flight, Ayako is riding on her usual broomstick, sitting side-saddle on it as she flies up up up! As she does so, she glances fondly towards the Sea of Leviathan to the West. Such a nice ocean. She should go back there sometime. But no, right now she has Konoe to escort up to Mizuki!

    As they continue upwards, Ayako smiles softly as the stars and the moon seem to suddenly emerge out of the sky. Ah... she should stargaze up here sometime too! Oh, but onwards! Konoe has someplace to go! "This way, this way!" Ayako calls out cheerfully towards Konoe as they draw closer and closer to Silent Night.

    Once Mizuki is spotted, Ayako waves hello cheerfully to her as she flies towards her. With a hop off her broom, and a quick swipe to grab it on the way down, the Water Spirit lands lightly on her feet, into a curtsey towards Mizuki to return her small bow.

    "Hello Mizuki!" Ayako smiles brightly at the greeting and follows after her into the building, collapsing her broom as she does so.

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Upon arriving at this strange, new world, Konoe was met with an overwhelming feeling of something just...not being right. Sure, she came from Gensokyo, which was definitely strange in it's own right, but this was...a unique brand of strange that filled her with more questions than usual. Questions that she wasn't sure were pertinent enough to ask.

     Ever since stepping outside of her world, the Miko had come to realize that her breadth of knowledge was truly, truly narrow. Almost everything seemed new to her. Anywhere she looked, a new question popped into her mind. At times, it was embarrassing. At other times, being able to learn was exciting.

     This was one such time. While admitting to being illiterate was something that Konoe felt shame in, finding those who were so readily willing to assist her in overcoming that deficiency made her happier than she could have hoped for.

     The journey to this 'Silent City' gave the youkai brief pause. "...It got dark so fast." She spared a moment to looked about, as if to check and see if a darkness manipulating creature were lurking about. But she found no such thing. How silly, this wasn't Gensokyo in the first place.

     At Ayako's urging, she hastened her steps, following after the energetic water spirit. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" She answered quickly, trotting after. Her gaze directed above as she moved, taking note of the sky. "......" Truly odd. She wondered just what the method to the madness was. Should she ask? Maybe sometime down the line. But not now.

     That was rude.

     Through the rain, they go, passing through the city. The surroundings were devoid of the din of wind. But more importantly...did the era suddenly change? "..." No nevermind. Konoe focused her attention ahead as they finally arrived. The Miko took one long moment to observe the girl, their eyes locking. And then a small smile formed. "Mizuki-san. Thank you for having me." Konoe returned the bow respectfully.

     And then with a quiet 'excuse me', she let herself inside, following after their host.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki turns back to face Ayako in her walk, repeating her small bow from earlier. "Ayako." Her smile is all the welcome she feels she needs to give her, really. Konoe, though, gets a more substantive welcome as... as her clothes seem to magically dry upon entry. Ayako's clothes would presumably dry as well were they not literally constructed of liquid in the first place. "If permeating this realm has caused you any feelings of nausea, fatigue, vertigo, or perhaps some deeper feelings of psychological unrest, then I would have you know that is not unusual. If I understand things correctly, Gensokyo is a very spiritual realm, yes? ... I do not profess to understand how that spirituality incarnates, however, but," She pauses a moment, holding a hand to her chin.

    "You see," She eventually continues, "I have a friend. This friend of mine is a high ranking member of the clergy in the world he originates from, and he has a very close connection with his God. Unfortunately, this world by its nature can muddy one's connection to their spiritual roots. If your existence is mired in mysticism somehow, then this is likely why you are feeling this way. I can assure you, though, that being here is perfectly safe. Perhaps it would not be so if you were to linger for a more lengthy stint, but in this case you should be fine." After a few more moments of pause, she adds, "Though this is only a general statement. There are many reasons why people feel uneasy here, including but not limited to the simple fact that this realm simply has nothing physical to substantiate it. Whilst you remain here, your body is essentially floating in a void while your mind conjures this plane as an 'illusion'. Should you seek more specifics on the subject, I would gladly divulge them, though the majority of them I shall withhold in case. They tend to make people more uneasy if I become too... explicit."

    Those statements finished, she finally takes a seat on the edge of the fountain. She gestures to a pair of carefully carved, maple wood chairs with crimson cushions sewn on to them as her left hand seems to conjure a small, azure sphere. The sphere slowly grows over time, resolving into two dimensional figures that Ayako would recognize to be letters; specifically, the letters of the English alphabet. When her right hand is free, she does the same with that hand, generating a second alphabet: the Hiragana of Japanese.

    Mizuki gives a soft smile whilst these letters hang in front of her like some sort of flickering holograms. "Shall we begin, then? I will be covering some basic abstractions and concepts before I delve into teaching the languages themselves. I do not wish to rush you, though! Successful teaching in a setting like this hinges on the comfort of the learner, so please, stop me if you have other queries you would like for me to clarify first."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako returns the smile as she quietly follows after Mizuki and Konoe. Of course, the rain on the way didn't bother her at all. In fact, the water would have simply absorbed into her body and clothing without getting her wet. After all, Ayako is about as watery as it gets!

    She raises her hand cheerfully. "I happen to like this world!" Ayako giggles softly. "Then again, Water Spirit and all." She continues to follow the two of them and when they make it to the fountain she... does something unexpected. Instead of going towards one of the chairs, she walks towards the edge of the fountain and climbs into it. Aahh... water.

    Ayako sits down comfortably in the fountain's water, her legs seeming to melt away and merge with the water inside. Of course, she's still watching Mizuki and Konoe. She inclines her head to the side as she looks at the azure sphere and the letters that form. "Eh heh... letters and words... learning about them, what they are, that they even exist. That... was quite the experience!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki turns back to face Ayako a moment, but no sooner has she done so than have Ayako's legs begun to quite literally melt into the fountain. Mizuki bats her eyelashes and half opens her mouth to say something, but in the end she can only manage a small sweatdrop before she closes her mouth again. She gingerly reaches over and gives Ayako a small pat on the head before taking a deep, deep breath and saying, "You are quite possibly the only guest I have ever known to prefer to sit on the inside of the fountain. That does add to your list of endearing qualities, though, I suppose." She quietly mumbles in supplement, "Now I wonder if you would simply have merged with Leviathan had I not established a barrier for us as we navigated the seafloor... though I'm sure that's quite silly, and that you are more capable of defining your own being than that." Surely!

    Still, though...

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     "It was...very strange." Konoe did feel uncomfortable, but she couldn't place it. But after Mizuki's explanation, it all made a little more sense. She was definitely not the least bit human. And given her even more spiritually inclined nature...well, it made sense.

     She noticed that her clothes did indeed dry off as soon as they were inside. Convenient. Strange, but convenient. She wouldn't complain. And so she had a seat, watching as Ayako helped herself into the fountain with an amused smile. Konoe remembered back at Psyber's barbeque when she was sitting in a cooler. ...That was something.

     But that side...

     ...The alphabets.

     Konoe squinted faintly. "Um...I recognize these. I've seen them on papers and in books, but..." Her gaze swept left and right, up and down as she studied both alphabets. "...I-I don't understand." The cat sighed after that and lowered her head. It all just looked like chicken scratch to her. How the heck did people actually put this all together to form things to be read!?

     "I don't have any questions. Scarlet-san answered a few on the radio some time back, so I have a basic idea. Just...not enough to actually go anywhere myself." A tinge of red appeared on Konoe's cheeks at that. "Um...so how do these work?"

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako eh heh hehs softly when she's pat on the head gingerly. "But fountains are wonderful~. They make light of the cradle and source of life, reducing water to a mere decoration!" Wait... how is that supposed to be wonderful? And she said that so cheerfully too! Well, nevermind that.

    Her head inclines to the side gently as she taps her cheek with a pointer finger. "Hmm... yes, I have merged with Leviathan. Not all of it, mind you." Ayako smiles brightly. "I was simply a very large ball of water with my human appearance inside of it." Her head inclines to the other side. "That's... not really all that far from what I am right now, really. Except with water vapor-and fountain water right now!"

    Her amber eyes turn back to Konoe... and she smiles fondly. Reminiscing maybe? Most likely about learning about words and writing herself.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki gives a small nod. "As someone who never learned to write or read at a younger, more impressionable age, we must take a different approach from rote learning. You do have a very keen advantage over some, though: you are capable of speech. As such, we will begin with something called 'phonetics'." She gives a small smile before closing her right hand, collapsing the hiragana alphabet for the time being. This allows her to place the list of English letters more directly, centrally in front of herself, and to space each letter -- to make each of them more distinct and clear. "This, what you see here, is what is commonly referred to as an 'alphabet'. An alphabet is a genome -- or group -- from which all, or some, words in a language can be formed."

    "These two languages that I've shown you have something in common: they are both 'phonetic'. The word 'phonetic' means 'sound', essentially, so a 'phonetic alphabet' is one whose letters are designed to look how they sound. For example --" She dilates a lowercase 'a', making all the other letters in the collection shrink as a focusing aid. "The shape of all letters does not always make this obvious to onlookers, though the letter 'a' is a very good example. Though for this demonstration to work, I need to be sure that we are both hearing the same language. Do I have your permission to make you hear in English briefly?" Assuming Konoe gives this consent, Mizuki swirls her right finger. Nothing seems to happen at first, but when Mizuki speaks again, her words would sound... strange. It's eerie -- she can tell that she's hearing something entirely different, but her level of comprehension is identical.

    "So now you are hearing English. This likely feels quite foreign and disorienting, but it will not last too terribly long. That aside, the letter 'a'. Notice how when I say 'a'," Pronounced like 'ah', "It begins with a more prominent noise at the beginning before it tapers off in the line at the end. The shape of 'a' is open like my mouth is when I form the sounds that the letter represents. Does that make sense? Phonetic letters, therefore, are like waves: they open, move, and close in the same pattern as the spoken word. In a similar vein, words meant to read as 'louder' are often expressed through capital letters. This, for example," She draws a capital 'A' beside the lowercase iteration, "is an uppercase - or capital - a. You see here that the lines are more rigid, and the word itself is larger. Therefore, it is enunciated - stated - as such: with more power and volume." She looks to Konoe briefly to be sure that she doesn't look terribly confused.

    "I used English in this demonstration because all of its words are comprised of these phonetic letters. As you might recall from what I said before, however, not all languages operate in this fashion -- not all letters are phonetic. Some letters are instead symbolic, meaning they are drawn to look like the physical objects that they represent. Many Japanese letters are this way, but we will advance to this later, when you have a better foundation in these principal concepts. That said, I will now be bringing you back to Japanese, if it pleases. In all likelihood it will be easier to learn if you are not struggling with a profound mental disconnect such as the one I must have created here." That said, she swivels her right finger again. The letter 'a' falls back into the catalogue of letters from before as something in Konoe's head would metaphorically snap back into place.

    Speaking in Japanese again, Mizuki asks, "Am I making sense so far? In short, there are different ways in which letters can represent the words they come together to make, but -all- letters must have some connection to that which they represent, or at the least follow consistent patterns. Noting these similarities, or recognizing these patterns, is the key to understanding them."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    In the conversational lull, Mizuki looks over to Ayako again. When she says that she /has/ merged with Leviathan, and that she was quite literally all around them that time when they visited, her eyes go wide. "... absolutely fascinating. As a living concept, this is similar to what I do: I am a large, swirling amalgamation of concepts that implicitly influences its surroundings just so, congealing in a more easily perceptible form in a human frame. Still, I can't help being taken aback knowing that you have shared such an intimate connection with a portion of my world. Pray, are any of your constituent parts still in Leviathan? That would certainly do much to explain your attachment to it... and why you've felt so inclined to help me since then."

    Mizuki is all smiles as she says this. Seems Ayako happened upon something Mizuki finds very interesting!

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     "Ah...Scarlet-san mentioned this 'phonetics' before too!" Looking happy at finally knowing something Konoe smiled a bit more openly and nodded. "When something sounds the way it looks!" Pause. "...Or was it looks the way it sounds?" Crap, now she was confusing herself again. Okay, time to shut up and let the expert talk.

     The change in language is utterly disorienting. Konoe was used to speaking the equivilant of Japanese in Gensokyo. Hearing a foreign language for the first time, no longer blurred by whatever phenomenon the Multiverse tended to apply, her eyes went wide in confusion. ...It was strange. She could 'understand' it somehow, but it was definitely not her normal language. Unable to do much more than nod along to show that she understood, Konoe listened. Her confusion lessened at Mizuki's explanation progressed.

     "I...think I get it." The Miko finally said after a while. "...'A'. ....Ah....Ahhhh....'A'..." Was that right? Regardless, she repeated it to herself a few times before letting the teacher of the moment continue. Konoe tilted her head slightly upon the next round of explanations. "So...not all languages make 'symbols' out of sounds? But instead 'symbols' out of...things?" Was that it? Did she get that right?

     ...That was confusing.

     And then suddenly everything was normal again. Thank the gods.

     "I...I think I follow so far, Mizuki-sensei."

     ...Welp, Mizuki was sensei now. Good job.

     "I was told that it would be easier to learn how to read a 'phonetic' language, rather than a...um...Symbolic one?"

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako nods her head quickly. "You have an advantage over me on what I started with." She giggles brightly. "When I started off, I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, and I couldn't feel." She shakes her head slowly. "I was just like... well... this." And she instantly melts into colorless water that is indistinguishable from the water in the fountain. "I couldn't talk either!" The water talked! Wait, that's pretty normal, considering it's Ayako.

    The water rises up and reforms back into Ayako. She notes the wavering gaze, the lowering of her head, the sigh, and the blushing from Konoe. "You have other ways of communicating too, which helps a lot!" She notes the frustration and smiles softly. "So don't lose heart just yet! You're just starting!"

    Ayako switches languages when Mizuki does as well! It's not very noticable thanks to the translation effect, though. "<English might be a bit much to start with, though. Japanese seems to be your normal language.>" And then Ayako goes back into her usual Japanese.

    When Mizuki looks back over to her, she smiles cheerfully. And her amber eyes practically glow golden in excitement when Mizuki asks her a question. "I am water. However, my attention is pretty limited." She smiles sheepishly. "And so, I'm not all water." Her hands gesture to herself. "This human body... making it takes a great deal of concentration and a... great variety of water techniques." She smiles cheerfully. "I'm very attached to it, really. Not to mention proud of how well I imitate a human!"

    Ayako inclines her head as she glances over to the far West. "Yes and no. There is water there in Leviathan, but it's not me." She nods her head once. "But I'm quite familiar with it's water, and so I could divert my attention from here to there to go there instantly." She giggles brightly. "Although I wouldn't be here anymore." She nods her head once. "I could do such with any real water that I keep in mind muchly. Like... the aquarium in Riva's apartment!" Ayako giggles softly. "I'm attached to Leviathan because it's such a nice ocean!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki holds a hand to her cheek a moment when Konoe says that not all languages make 'symbols out of sounds'. After a moment's consideration, she nods her head. "Yes, I would say that you have at least a basic grasp of the idea. B-Being called 'sensei' does catch her off guard a bit, though. In a 'rare' moment of vulnerability, a faint redness may appear on her cheeks. She's careful not to avert her eyes, though -- she wants to make out that the blush is just Konoe's imagination, if she can.

    So rather than letting any attention linger on that, she presses onward! To the statement that 'phonetic languages are easier to learn than 'symbolic' ones, Mizuki again holds her chin in her hand. "... I don't believe that can be stated as a general rule, earnestly. If I may be frank, English and Japanese are notoriously two of the most difficult languages for non-native speakers to learn, but for radically differing reasons. English is a superficially very simple language that is plagued constantly by exceptions to the rules. Rather than learning a group of overarching concepts and sticking to them like you can with many other languages, much of your education in English will entail learning rules... and then beating them mercilessly until they are barely recognizable any longer."

    "In contrast," She continues, "Japanese is a language that seems as though it should be very complex when in reality it is not... or at least, not any more so than others. Japanese combines phonetic systems -and- Symbolic systems which may /sound/ a fairly painful practice, but truthfully, that isn't what makes it difficult. What makes it difficult is the massive number of letters there are to learn. In Japanese there are things called 'kanji' - symbolic characters - that comprise some 70% of all written words. In order to be fluent in Japanese, one needs to know at least 2000 of these, though preferably closer to 2500 or even 3000. So really, you're choosing what you would like to be difficult. Do you want to try your hand at a language that has many exceptions and inconsistent rules? Or do you prefer a language with streamlined, consistent rules that employs literally tens of thousands of different letters?"

    At this point, Mizuki gives something of a sympathetic look. "I realize that this must all sound very intimidating, but I don't mean to dissuade you from your endeavor; quite the opposite really. Though in your case I would recommend this: start with the basics of Japanese. Hiragana will be a natural extension of the words you already use, and it is an extremely simplified phonetic alphabet. You can form quite literally any word in hiragana, actually, though they lack the specificity of kanji. In short, you will be able to at least practice writing the sounds that you already speak with, which should give you a foundation for further development. Afterward, you can begin learning a few kanji a day until, one day, you will earnestly surprise yourself with how many you know. This whole process is much simpler if you look at it in a long-term perspective. Many of your friends in Gensokyo would likely be capable of providing you with individual kanji to practice should you ask for them."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "Anyway!" Mizuki closes her left hand this time, highlighting the Hiragana alphabet. "Moving on from what we already know, it may be more encouraging for me to emphasize that language is a thing that was developed with the spoken word in mind -- that is, speech came first, then writing. Once upon a time, people had to work just as you are having to work to fathom an effectual system of communicating their words symbolically. Words are just a means of communicating what you already do out loud in writing. So you are never working with something entirely foreign, even if it should ever begin to feel that you are. Back to the lesson proper, though." Mizuki again dilates a few characters, four this time, spacing them well and floating them in front of Konoe. "Here is a word you will recognize. This first letter is prounced as 'yo'. The second letter would make an 'uu' sound, but in this case let's just think of it as making the 'o' sound longer. So when we bring these two together," She floats them beside one another, "we get yoo. And these next two letters are 'ka' and 'i'. Together, those make 'kai'. So." Mizuki pauses a moment, here. "I believe you can tell me what I get when I bring all of these letters together, can't you?" She floats all of the letters next to one another before saying, slowly and clearly, "Youkai." After a pause, "Sound familiar?"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    With Ayako's reply, Mizuki folds her hands together, bringing her clasped fingers to her mouth in thought. "So if I am understanding you correctly, you are physically only water -- that is, you don't have any particular molecules of water associated with you. More, you're a mystical presence that exerts a certain influence over any water it comes into contact with. Is this a reasonable interpretation?" After a moment's pause, she continues, "And if so, you didn't 'leave behind' any pieces of you in Leviathan even if you might have controlled some molecules of water that had been gathered in Leviathan before. Rather, your contact with the waters in Leviathan helped you to better understand its nature, holistically, which still left you, personally, with a closer connection to that body of water." Mizuki nods to herself.

    "Interesting," She echoes. "You are a fairly complex being. I suppose it might interest you to know in kind that I, like you, am a spirit. I exert influence over specific constituents of the 'natural world' as well, but it so happens that my concept is inextricably linked to humanity. This made it quite a lot easier for me to behave and appear as they do." Her expression straightens faintly as she adds, "This is because I am a concept that, for lack of better words, governs other concepts. I 'control' language insofar as I am myself a collected essence of human thoughts, and I am therefore able to exert influence over others thoughts, feelings, emotions, and dreams. I am able to maintain my existence as I do because I impress my concept upon others' minds directly. So I suppose while you have sway over certain physical laws, I instead have wield over more nuanced, abstract, immaterial ones."

    "Still," She forms a checkmark under her chin, "that put me at something of a disadvantage in trying to comprehend what it means to 'be a force of nature'. I am far closer to humans in that regard. And compared to you..." She shakes her head faintly. "I have only just begun to learn the details of the 'other side'. This is why, when I came to this realization, I became temporarily so reverent of you."

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     "Ehh.....Ehhhhh....?" Ayako earned an odd look for her whole melting into water stunt. That was interesting. She'd seen youkai who could manipulate water, but not actually /be/ water. Huh. If she were her old self, she'd have probably pulled out the ofuda immediately.

     Thankfully she wasn't.

     "Um, thanks...I'll keep trying." Konoe smiled at Ayako's encouragement and looked back towards Mizuki. "........" And she tilted her head. ".....Eh?" So they're both difficult? Konoe could feel her heart sink. If it weren't for the fact that she could have sworn she saw Mizuki blush, she would have dwelled on the fact that this wasn't going to be easy whatsoever.

     Not losing heart completely though, Konoe listened, brows furrowing in thought. What to do...what to do...inconsistent rules, or a ridiculous amount of letters and symbols? ...Well, Mizuki had a point. She already spoke Japanese. Learning to read it seemed like the best path to take. "Um...I think I'll go with Japanese first then. English sounds....um...difficult." Very difficult. And scary.

     Putting that aside, the Miko listened attentively as Mizuki arrayed various characters before her. "Yo...You...kai?" Ah. Youkai! That's what she was! Along with a huge chunk of Gensokyo. Konoe nodded, feeling a bit less intimidated at hearing a word she recognized.

     "Ohhhh! So...you take these characters and...put them together to form different words? Right?"

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako nods her head once to Mizuki's thoughts. "That is a reaonable interpretation, yes." Her fingers clasp together in front of herself as she smiles brightly. "Yes, that's correct! How nice to be properly understood!" She giggles brightly.

    She leans forwards slightly from her seat in the fountain. "I think you're pretty interesting as well, Mizuki!" Ayako smiles brightly. "Oh oh? You're a spirit linked to humanity?" The water spirit's eyes practically sparkle gold. "Aren't humans wonderful? Their thoughts, their feelings, their actions. Both positive and negative, how they so vehementally attempt to change the world for their own comfort. They're just so interesting!"

    "Ah, but you have an advantage over me of being able to comprehend humans." Ayako sighs softly. "There is still so much I don't understand-and from long observance, I have little to no chance of being able to understand any of it." Ayako then sticks her tongue out playfully. "Being a... 'force of nature' isn't always so great. You indiscriminately help and hurt those around you." She nods her head once and smiles brightly. "Being able to choose your actions. That." A pause for a moment. "Is something that..." She shakes her head quickly. "I don't know the right words to describe it."

    And then Ayako bursts into giggles when Konoe reacted to her melting into water. "Was that neat?" She winks slowly. "As I tell everyone I meet, I'm a Water Spirit. Don't think of me as a girl who can turn into water and manipulate water! It's the other way around. Think of me as water that can turn itself into a girl."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki nods, a small smile forming. "Yes, exactly. In fact, even symbolic speech systems sometimes work this way, albeit not as obviously in many cases. Rather than combining different letters in lines like this, they just 'stack' them; say, if the symbol for human is this," She draws something that looks like an upside down Y with more gentle lines, "then the symbol for dog is this:" She draws the same symbol, but this time she draws a line through the tip of the shape, adding a small line in its upper right corner. "This is because, in the elden times when these symbols were first created, dogs were perceived as 'friends of man'. As such, the symbol for dog is taken from the symbol for man. Many other symbols follow similar patterns. The symbol for 'dawn', for example, incorporates a small 'moon' figure and a larger 'sun' figure to denote a shift in which is having the most influence on the Earth."

    "So," She continues, "all symbols relate in some at least semi-consistent manner. You already understand most of these nuances in Japanese if only because you can speak that language, so now we need only focus on demonstrating how those nuances translate into drawn figures." After a moment of pause wherein she taps her head, Mizuki concludes, "Though there is one, last preliminary note I should include in this demonstration before we allow our thoughts to meander to other things. As I said before, all Japanese words can be said in Hiragana. Take, for example, the character I showed you before." She highlights the upside-down 'Y' symbol again. "This is pronounced as 'hito', and it uses two of the basic hiragana consonant sounds in its construction. Specifically," She pulls aside two more letters, one that looks like a 'U' with lines at its tips followed by a 'C' with a line coming out of its top left corner. "these. The first of these is pronounced 'hi', and the second 'to'. So when one puts them together," The 'holograms' combine, "'hito'. Though most people do not write the word this way, many would likely ascertain your meaning if you were to do so. So you see, all possible sounds that can be made by symbolic kanji can also be expressed in hiragana. So if you are ever in doubt, just write the word in hiragana. People will likely know what you mean by context."

    Finally, Mizuki takes a deep, deep breath before exhaling. "And that, I believe, summarizes all the information I can attempt to force into your mind in one sitting. I beg your pardon if that was a bit droll, or if I went too quickly; I am not, as one might say, a 'natural teacher'. Though that said, I would still prescribe 'homework' for you, or at the least recommend something to study once you leave. If I may beg your pardon a moment." With a small bow, Mizuki stands, cupping a hand around her mouth. "Fenestra!" She calls, "Would you kindly fetch my friend a hiragana study chart, please? Preferably one that won't evaporate the moment she leaves the confines of this world, if you would!" For a long, long time there is no response, but after some time a bespectacled girl with long, creamy brown hair comes rushing over, a piece of paper in hand. She hands this paper to Mizuki with a deep bow before rushing back, busily and wordlessly, to whatever task she was attending before. Moments later, Mizuki offers this same piece of paper to Konoe.

    "This piece of paper is enchanted," She says. "If you touch one of the characters on the paper, the corresponding sound for it will echo in your mind. It is my hope that you may use this to learn to associate sounds with letters. If you are able to do this, then no feat of learning language will be impossible for you." With that, Mizuki gives another small bow. "I hope it will be of use to you, and if my prattling was indeed beneficial to you in some way, then I am glad of it.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako claps her hands together softly. "Oh, very nice, Konoe!" Konoe caught on quickly! It took Ayako herself a long time before she realized that you could put letters together to form words. Let alone what letters or writing even was. So many things, not even given a second look, simply because she didn't know of their significance.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    And again Mizuki's eyes wander to Ayako. This time, though, her expression is actually quite a lot more serious than it has been previously. It's subtle, but there's a distinct sense of conflict when one looks into her eyes. "... I know not whether what humans possess is true 'choice' as it is romanticized as being, nor do I know if human thoughts are truly so different from the physical laws that inspire them. After all, the main goal of interpersonal relationships is to find personalities that pose the least danger to you -- ones that require the smallest expenditure of energy on your part while offering the most in return. This is the same principle that all biological functions adhere to: how to expend the least energy for the greatest reward. Is human thought not just a mass extrapolation of that? ... if it is, should I fixate on that as I do? I do not know. There is so much that I do not know."

    "But," She continues, "I do agree wholeheartedly: certain portions of humans are beautiful, yes. Their emotions, their sheer zeal for life, their curiosity... all of these things I hold in the highest reverence. But is knowing how to deliberately hurt some thing or some one any better than doing so by random chance? Is it in fact worse because it is thought out?" She shakes her head. "It is my inability to answer these questions, and indeed my belief that they cannot be answered conclusively, that makes me more of a skeptic than a moralist."

    Mizuki inclines her head, rubbing her temples. "Though if it helps to put things into perspective, I..." She squeezes her eyes shut a moment in contemplation of her word choice. "Imagine, if you will, that there was a force of nature that hated its own machinations. Imagine if there was a force of nature that governed a pattern that it had some how, some way begun to wish to destroy. In that parable, I am that force of nature. I am, in a sense, an embodiment of the concept of change. Natural change is something that is meant to preserve, but to make those things that it does preserve incarnate in new forms. However, I am a concept of change that seeks to change itself constantly despite being locked into a certain subset of behaviors. My vexation, then, is in finding a way to break out of that box. But how does one do that when all the concepts with which they think and feel were conceived within that box to begin with?"

    Again, she shakes her head. "... it's maddening, at times. But if you have ever once stopped to think how dangerous it would be if a human were to truly become a force of nature, if a creature with the 'choice' you so laud had perfect wield over something like 'water', or 'lightning', or something more abstract like 'time' or 'space..." She looks to Ayako meaningfully. "... then you know why I am such a dangerous creature. And you know why I must always be tempered by friends like you, and Arthur, and Psyber. Failing your mediation, I... do not wish to fathom the depths I would fall to."

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Mizuki was right on one thing; There was only so much her mind could take in a single sitting. Though she valiantly managed to process what was explained and come to a decent conclusion, any further and information would likely begin to leak out of her ears. Still though, this was a good accomplishment. She couldn't resist smiling more openly.

     Ayako's praise roused a sheepish giggle out of her. "Ehehe...t-thanks..." She rubbed the back of her head, looking towards the water spirit. "....." So she wasn't a /person that turned into water/, she was /water that turned into a person/. Konoe inwardly classified Ayako as a youkai with that and nodded in understanding.

     The appearance of someone other than Mizuki in this strange place drew the girl's attention and she watched as the other came in quickly, handing off the paper before rushing off just as quickly as she'd come. "....?" Fenestra was her name? She looked busy. Better not ask. Instead, Konoe took the offered paper, listening to Mizuki's explanation. "Oh...I see. So then..." She touched various symbols tentatively, finding herself surprised when she could hear their sounds in her head. "....!" This was useful!

     ...She'd better take care not to accidentally punch through the sheet with a claw. Holding things was such a precarious situation. "Thank you, Mizuki-sensei. I really appreciate all the help you've given me tonight." Konoe spoke gratefully, a short bow following.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki-sensei again. The girl's countenance would betray but a faint twitch in response to that echoed title, though it seems it isn't powerful enough to garner a blush the second time around. So with naught but a tiny sigh and a small smile, Mizuki gives Konoe another tiny bow of her head in kind. "You're welcome, Miss Kanno. If anything, it's a relief and a privilege to be allowed to teach something so mundane as language in a world so fraught with conflict otherwise. Thank you very much for the opportunity. Ah, and if you should ever need to reach me privately..." Mizuki closes her eyes a moment, telepathically sending her personal frequency to Konoe - and Ayako while she's at it - assuming they're receptive to the information. "Please use that to contact me if you would like me to field any questions you may have."

    "Ah, and if you have anything else you would like to peruse here before you go, do not hesitate to say so... or to venture around on your own initiative. My world is open to all those who do not harbor ill-intent which, I should think, certainly includes you. This place may not be as, shall we say, 'populated' as Gensokyo, but I can assure you that it is every bit as novel and magical. In its own ways."

    With that, Mizuki finally begins to fall silent. She rubs the left side of her head as though she were actually tired. Phew! Sitting and doing nothing for several eternities sure is exhausting sometimes.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako smiles brightly. "Does it really matter? After all, humans don't always do what is sensible nor what would give them the most for the least effort. They're foolish, they're sensible." She spreads her arms out. "I have no idea what you should do! But if you want to know what I'm doing?" She folds her hands behind herself. "I watch them. I get to know them. Because how else are we going to get closer to understanding them other than to interact with them?"

    Ayako balls her hands up into fists and beams! "Oh oh yes! I agree! Also, I find their entertainment is particularly good! They definitely know how to occupy your attention with wonderfully pointless things!" She then shakes her head slowly. "I don't know you'll ever find the solution to those questions, but... don't let it eat you up, Mizuki." She smiles softly.

    When Mizuki tries to put things into perspective, Ayako quiets down and listens. "I think... you've already begun to break out of that box, Mizuki. You already have friends, know how dangerous you are and..." She pauses... for perhaps a moment too much. "You're aware of your own thoughts enough to contemplate them. That... that may keep you safe." She smiles softly.

    And... it may be odd to Mizuki, but Ayako is completely unreceptive towards telepathic comminucation. It's like there's nothing there.

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Konoe tilted her head at Ayako. She sure was energetic. The whole subject of humans gave her pause. ...She didn't hate humans, but she didn't feel like she could get close with many. Factional Elites nonwithstanding, she mostly maintained her distance from common people and helped from afar. People's reactions to her back in the Human Village in Gensokyo were enough for her to determine how she should approach things.

     Maybe.

     Probably.

     Ugh, too complicated.

     Konoe's attention returns to Mizuki and she nods. "I...do find this world kind of strange." She admitted openly while standing up. "...I want to see more of it." The enchanted paper was tucked away safely in the meantime.

     "If you don't mind, I think I'll explore a bit before I head for the gate." Unline Ayako, Konoe received the telepathic communication. ...Except she was horrid with technology. And also couldn't read. There was that. The magic type communicator Reiji had gotten her relied on other methods than reading and screens and such.

     ...She'd figure something out.

     Smiling as she straightened up, Konoe waved and then moved for the front door. "I'll be on my way now. Thank you again! I really appreciate it!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki smiles a final time, seeing Konoe off with a wave. "Blessings go with you," She mutters, though apparently she's fighting to keep her eyes open at the moment.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako notes Mizuki looking drowsy and blinks her eyes quickly. "Ah. Sleepy, Mizuki? I'll leave you so you can get some rest, then." She slowly gets up and reforms the legs, feet, and shoes that melted into water in the fountain. Once that's done, she climbs out of the fountain and back onto the dry side. "Sleep well, Mizuki!" She smiles gently at Mizuki.

    "Ah. I'll go with you so you don't get lost, Konoe!" And the Water Spirit trails after her quickly!