retrospec | (no subject)

Happy New Years, users.

I'll cut to the chase; the barrier we instilled a few months ago is decaying quickly and we're sorting through the new data as fast as we can. This barrier was originally designed to contain a rogue error. There are several of you who have taken care of this issue and from here we will handle the rest...thank you. The influx of data will help us decode our next steps.

As mentioned, we've spent December tracing several magical sources that are coming up in our readings. We're doing the best we can to trace Clarence--Mr. Vanderweele, and corral the effects he's altering in the city. I believe we're ready to tear down the firewall and begin exploring further. If our information is correct, we're really breaking the boundaries of the layers we've discovered lately! It's exciting, don't you think?

The only information I can offer is that we will need you to be strong no matter what happens. We believe things have changed outside of security measures we've set in place, though we will need more data to understand the best way to stabilize the city from his control. We understand if you cannot and do not wish to help, but please know we're doing everything we can.

Please take care.

Joanne Wiseman
Technician 2nd class
Retr

spec Incorporated

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I... don't... know...

[Derek wasn't expecting a spiritual lesson here.]

I mean... I will acknowledge ghosts exists. I just haven't had the desire to walk into one of those tents/trailers to pay the fee and find out... about... that sort of thing.

[Derek quite accidentally brushed into a topic that Togusa has had to explain to people in America a lot, but absolutely doesn't mind explaining again if someone doesn't know. Talking about it given him practice in really thinking about what he believes.]

Hitori Togusa Don't feel pressured into it if you're not comfortable. If there's tension, you wouldn't get as much out of it.
Hitori Togusa Honestly, not everyone gets these, even at the festivals. I could have just gone and paid respects to the ancestors and left.

Meaning... you have to be mentally open to it for it to work?

And how does that fortune you have work? Does some person look at you and then write it on the paper or... pull it out of a hat?

[Derek is trying to wrap his brain around how this would actually work. How accurate could these things even be?]

Hitori Togusa Kind of like any other advice, really. If somebody comes up and tells you what to do about a situation when you didn't ask them? I wouldn't listen.

Hitori Togusa Either the slips are tumbled in a jar or, sometimes they have a whole stack of sticks and shake the container until the first one falls out. That's fun, but they don't have time to do that every time on New Year's.

Until one falls out? So it's really a mix of chance and probability. I mean, what if all the "good ones" fall out first. Then everyone else will get "bad ones." I'm not trying to discredit it, it's just mathematically questionable.

Hitori Togusa Oh no no! They do replace the sticks each time, so that every person drawing has a full set. They'll give you your fortune on a paper just like this afterwards.
Hitori Togusa You can't tie a stick to the gates. Well. Okay you could, but the papers are prettier.

Huh... I guess that is a bit more fair and keeps probability consistent. Tie the paper to the gates? Why?

[Derek has literally never stepped food at a Shinto shrine.]

Hitori Togusa Hmm. Think of it like.. binding it? So that no more misfortune will spiral out from it. The warning has been given, it's still up to me to do something about it. But to not leave it looming over my head, I leave it where it was given.
Hitori Togusa Take action where you can, accept where you can't take action, but do not shoulder it as a burden. Does that make sense?

Like, trying to leave some of the burden at the temple so it doesn't follow you home?

[Togusa's explanation kinda confused Derek.]