savetheearth | 9. Voice. Cellphone.

Loss of echoes is by far one of the most irksome experiences, as is the sudden recollection of them. [The timing of this one had been super bad too.] However, as of yesterday, mine have returned. Given that no odd occurrences have been in the news or in the reports I've seen, the colorful vigilantism aside, I take it nothing of notice has occurred during this time?

[Damn that vigilantism and the pain in the ass paperwork that comes with it. Nice that happens, not nice that it takes hours to write up.]

I also ought to mention, though it should be obvious due my prolonged absence, that I will no longer be undercover at Locke City High School as Richard Locke. Not only is my present workload far too large to permit for it, but my superiors deemed it no longer necessary. Under our new 'management', if you were, the department is attempting something unheard of, namely being a police force without gratuitous levels of corruption among its ranks.

[Karl sounds both amused and, though difficult to tell, hopeful while saying that last line. Will the force change? Will it just go back to what it was? Who knows. The connection is almost cut before he remembers something. Between the trial and loss of echoes, he hadn't had the time to really address this.]

One final matter, does the following have any meaning to anyone here?

[A breath gets taken before he speaks once more.]

Once upon a time, there existed a giant tree that was the source of mana.
A war, however, caused this tree to wither away, and a hero’s life was sacrificed in order to take its place.
Grieving over the loss, the goddess disappeared unto the heavens.
The goddess left the angels with this edict: “You must wake me, for if I should sleep, the world shall be destroyed.”
The angels bore the Chosen One, who headed towards the tower that reached up unto the heavens.
And that marked the beginning of the regeneration of the world.

[And, following an uncertain pause at the almost fairy tale like little story, the connection ends.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not a lot, so far. I can make rocks appear out of nowhere, and I can do this healing thing that feels like it comes out of the ground.

Healing that comes out of the ground?

[That sounds like a very strange healing method. Granted, stranger things have happened, but still.]

Yeah, little sparkles that rise up and... fix, along the way.

An original healing method. Is there any incantation or the like involved?

No, I just sort of will it to happen. There's a bit of... [How to phrase it?] ...a drain, so I can't do too much at once, but that's all.

A draining of energy following each usage to the point that using it too much leads to exhaustion?

[Does it sound like he's speaking from experience? Because he is.]

Yeah, just like that.

Do you have the same sort of thing?

I do, with certain spells having far more of a draining impact than others.

Yeah! I mean, obviously I don't have a lot to compare, but the rocks definitely take more than the healing.

Is it necessary to recite an incantation or anything of the sort for your spells to work?

No, at least not for any I've gotten so far. Do you need that kind of thing?

I do. All the spells I've acquired require it, though the incantation itself differs from spell to spell.

That makes sense. That they'd be different, I mean. Have you pulsed any incantations without getting the spells too?

No, I haven't. So long as I know the incarnation, I seem to be able to cast the spell.

That sure sounds convenient.

Convenient, though presently lacking an explanation.

Well, that's a lot of this whole situation, right?

Fair enough, though not knowing details regarding yourself is more irksome than not knowing the situation as a whole.

9. Voice. Cellphone.

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]