Purifying a Miasma... Maybe.

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

It was a long, thoughtful walk to the Shrine. The odd, high-pitched whine of something Wrong had faded just as soon as she'd entered Religion Row, and Miku spent the rest of her time rubbing her ears to remove the tickle. It was hard to explain to other people the exact feelings that came with her ability.

But Cargn... understood. To a point, she supposed (considering, of course, that he didn't have eyes and hers were still very much attached). But even that point was much more than someone who had never experienced that plummet of heart and stomach, the loss of color from the world, or the shrill, lingering whine of getting closer and closer to something that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Miku sighed as she entered the Shrine of the Aquila and started looking for her sensei, and his little, strange helper.

"Viginti-san? Cargn-sensei? I'm here," Miku called, and her voice echoed oddly in the Shrine. No, she was never going to get used to how creepy that was.

Comments

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

++Greetings,++ Sigmund called as he hovered over to Miku when she entered. ++The Master is this way.++

The little drone scooted along, guiding her to one of the Shrine's back rooms. There she would find Cargn, hard at work. He was currently drawing strange patterns on the ground in red chalk. The walls were covered in similar patterns.

Something seemed a little off about Cargn, though. His bionic arm, which was normally in pristine condition, seemed somewhat scuffed now. His flesh-and-blood arm was wrapped up tightly with bandages. Most notably, however, he was even more pale than he usually was.

Still, he smiled when he looked up at Miku.

"Ah, greetings, my dear."

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She followed Sigmund quietly, wondering why Cargn hadn't appeared himself when they entered the back room. Miku's eyebrows drew together in concern, "Hello, sensei... what in the world has happened to you?" Usually, he was well put together, so this...

Miku gave Sigmund a quick glance as if hoping maybe the Unit would start talking. If Cargn was anything like Steve, she knew he was going to deflect the line of questioning.

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"My current work is a bit taxing, that's all," he says simply. "I'm currently taking a break from it, so there's no need for concern, my dear."

He stands up, dusting himself off after putting the final touches on the designs on the floor.

++The Master's vital signs have remained within acceptable parameters,++ Sigmund added.

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Miku took a deep breath and tried to keep from murmuring something less than polite. "Whatever it is you're working on, I hope that you remember to be a bit easier on your body." Cargn was certainly long, long past the "spring chicken" era, after all.

She cleared her throat quietly and motioned to all the red marks in the room. "Getting past that... what are all these marks for?"

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

He chuckles at her first comment. "Like I said, child, nothing to worry about."

He motions to the designs covering the room.

"Foci. They will help focus your energy for today's lesson."

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"There are a lot of them..." Miku murmured. Just how focused did she need to be today, anyway?

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"The techniques I'm going to show you are rather advanced. You'll need to be particularly focused for it to stick the first time around."

He motions to an open circle drawn on the ground, at the center of which was a small mat for her to sit down on.

"Whenever you're ready, child."

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Well, it was what she'd asked for. Sparing another brief look at Sigmund, Miku nodded and entered the circle, smoothing a hand under her knees as she sat down in seiza position.

A little part of her was proud that she'd be learning something advanced, but the more logical part noted that she would probably struggle up hill for even the barest understanding. At least Cargn was a patient man, Miku thought to herself. "I... I'm ready!"

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

Cargn knelt down in a similar circle across from her.

"Very well," he said. "Take the time to clear your mind. When you've accomplish that, picture a vast, empty space, like a field or plain."

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Miku did as she was told, dutifully emptying her mind of thoughts of Steve, or what she needed to do after this, and other little, unimportant things. It didn't take very long, luckily, and soon she felt the tension seep from her shoulders as she started to picture what Cargn had described.

The first thing that came to mind were the grassfields near her home, just... on a much bigger scale. When that was finished she very, very gently reached out with her mind to poke at Cargn.

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

In Miku's newly imagined landscape, Cargn's psychic projection appeared next to her.

"This field is much as you yourself are now. Open. Vulnerable. But look around you. There is space to create."

"Now," he added. "Picture a box, here."

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She nodded and soon after a small box, big enough for Miku to lift comfortably sat in the field. Apparently, even in her mind, Miku remembered the limits of her strength. "Like so?"

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

"Yes, perfect," he said. "Now, imagine the box is secure, like a safe or a chest, that only you have the key to."

"Once you have done that, fill the box with representations of what makes you you. Life defining moments, cherished memories, your strongest emotions. Create something to represent these, like books on your life, or old photographs, and place them inside the box. I myself use scrolls in my own mind."

[downloadtruth.livejournal.com]

Faintly, ever so faintly, there was the sound of someone screaming. It was a familiar sound, at least to those who had witnessed Punishment.

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It woke her up from a dreamless sleep. Miku had fallen asleep in Steve's room again, and had tensed up the noise. At first, she planned to ignore it, but it tugged at her.

Someone was screaming and needed help. Even if it was just hers. Miku extracted herself from Steve's arms slowly and sneakily, and started to follow the voice.

[downloadtruth.livejournal.com]

The screaming got louder and not just because Miku was coming closer.

"No! No, please!"

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It was a shame that Miku's sense of right and wrong often overrode her sense of self-preservation. She picked her way through the City, following the voice. "Where are you?"

She started to run for the voice. A woman? A woman whose voice was too terribly familiar until she blocked it out. Miku hesitated before a building, and worried her lip.

The woman needed help. Miku would have to help her.

So why did her heart start to speed up in fear?

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Another scream, this time so high it could split your ears. "OH GOD, STOP!"

[rope-victim.livejournal.com]

Miku ran into the building, her hands over her ears to protect them from the scream. It took her a moment to realize there was no color in the room. That her ears rang not only from the woman's scream, but also from the high pitched whine that twisted her heart into little knots.

"Oh... oh no..."

[downloadtruth.livejournal.com]

"PLEASE STOP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" The screams continued.

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Where were they? Where? Up? Down? The scream jarred her and made it hard to think.

Down, they were definitely down (why was it always down?). The little medium hurried down to the source of the screaming, and held her breath.

[downloadtruth.livejournal.com]

The scream took her deeper into the city. With each step she took the sense of dread, fear, and pain increased.

"I don't want to die! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

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It was like running in a nightmare, where no matter how far she went, Miku didn't ever seem to get any closer. "Where are you!" More importantly, who was killing her?

[downloadtruth.livejournal.com]

There was one long, drawn out cry.

"HEEEEERE!"

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Miku could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she drew closer to the voice. A trickle of cold sweat trailed down her back, and half of her senses were telling her to just walk away and cover her ears. Those were the rational, normal senses that a normal, rational person should listen to.

The other half argued that no one dead talked back. This person needed help! Following the growing fear in her gut, Miku felt the minor resistance of something giving way to her as she passed through.

She's found you, Big Zero.