arc_wrench
in
damned
Day 43: Sun Room, Second Shift
When the shift changed, HK stayed put. Even after a long night of zombie killing, he had no interest in meatbag fuel, especially after all the discussion of chocolate with that rather strange meatbag. It was just making him crave the stuff even more than he had previously, if that was possible
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"Well, I can't say that I have the same problem as you with regards to the ruins!" Porky said, giving a small chuckle, "The ruins near my town are right outside the village gates! It's a positively massive castle! In fact, it's so big that we haven't been able to fully explore it during a four year investigation! Not only that, but it's teeming with all sorts of evidence of past civilizations! There are hundreds of suits of armor, paintings galore, and even some primitive indoor plumbing! We don't know much about Osohe Castle yet, but when we find out about its past, it's sure to be groundbreaking!"
"As for PSI," Porky began, leaning back a little, "Well, that's quite different from ruins. I suppose you could say that it's a form of magical powers. The major difference between PSI and the stuff you see in movies or read about in books, though, is that PSI is actually a manifestation of psychic energies. You know about stuff like telekinesis and pyrokinesis, right? PSI is stuff like that. You can do a lot of stuff like magic spells, like conjure ice and thunder and heal wounds, but it's all caused by the mind. Another thing that differentiates it from magic is that you can't learn it. Because it's related to the brain, it's passed down genetically. Only certain people can use it."
"So, what about the ruins in your village?" Porky asked, grinning, "And is there any magic in your world?"
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Porky didn't seem like a very enthusiastic archeologist, but if he was interested enough to bring it up, that was good enough for her. The idea that he might not have done much investigating himself didn't cross her mind.
PSI also sounded worth discussing, but he'd already explained enough of the basics so that it was the castle he'd mentioned that really had her attention. She would be perfectly happy to hear about it all day.
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"It seems to be mainly Medieval era art," Porky said, leaning back, trying to remember what was in Osohe exactly, "In the entrance, there's a massive symbol that appears to be a family crest engraved on the floor and there are quite a few portraits and tapestries around the castle as a whole. There's some classical art, such as statues, in some places...what else, what else...Ah! One of the main findings was a nearly intact dining hall! There was a perfectly preserved grand piano and a completely functional kitchen!"
Porky rested his head on his fist and furrowed his brow.
"Come to think of it, Osohe castle was strangely...modern..." Porky said, "They had a wine cellar and even an oven and a stove..."
Suddenly, Porky remembered Lord Passion and the rest of the ghosts.
"Ah!" Porky said, rather suddenly, "That wasn't the strangest part! Believe it or not, the castle had ghosts in it! They were mainly formless specters and whatnot. You know, the sort of ghosts that just look like shapes? Anyway, there were also more advanced ghosts, like haunted suits of armor and ghost knights. Then...there was a ghost we decided to call Lord Passion. He was something else. He must have been a composer during his life, because every time we saw him, he had a conductor's baton in his hand and music seemed to follow him. He must have also been a noble in the castle, because he also was dressed in the most elegant clothes and was even wearing a powdered wig..."
"So," Porky said, a little winded from talking so much, "What are your ruins like?"
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The ghosts he was telling her about were certainly worth hearing about, as well. "Did you ever manage to communicate with these spirits? If they're willing to share their stories, what they have to say could be invaluable, especially if what they experienced firsthand is beyond living memory."
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"As for the ghosts," Porky said, frowning a little, "Well, they were a bit...belligerent. I'm afraid they weren't much for talking. They were more inclined to attack us. Understandable, though, considering they must have thought we were 'invading' their home. Ir was purely archeological, of course, but I take it you've heard of poltergeists that think people are 'stealing' their homes, right? I'm sure it was something like that. Either way, we couldn't really communicate with them. Even Lord Passion, who seemed to be the most intelligent ghost, would rather fight."
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"I'm more familiar with actual immortals than types of undead, in general."
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Hmmm...Perhaps Raine would actually believe Porky if he told her he was...10,000 years old...
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She was curious why he wanted to know; well, this conversation should be worth remembering!
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"What I mean to say, is that we also have immortals," Porky said after finally managing to calm down, "They're called Magypsies, and they..."
Oh, God. Porky shouldn't have had such a big breakfast, because just thinking of Magypsies made him nearly gag. Those skimpy outfits they wore...their hairy legs...and...all that makeup...
"Ah, pardon me," Porky finally gasped after nearly vomiting, "As I was saying, they don't technically live forever, but they'll only die after the needle they guard is pulled, which means that they live for millenia at a time. Although..."
Porky looked around and then leaned in a little.
"Truth be told..." he whispered, "I am immortal."
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The revelation itself was nothing major, in her eyes; her only companion from home here was another type of immortal, and she'd met more than her share of them, by now.
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After ranting and raving for a few more minutes, Porky suddenly went absolutely silent mid-sentence. After that, his face went beet red and he bowed his head in repentance.
"Ah...I...beg your pardon," Porky said sheepishly, "I forgot you had no idea what a Magypsy is. While it's true that they're immortal, it's also true that they're...transvestites. Actually, I was gagging earlier at the mere thought of them...I know you didn't mean to insult me, but...they're just so...so...hairy...and they wear all this makeup and wear these bizarre outfits..."
"As for the needles, I have no idea how they cause the Magypsies to live so long," Porky said, grinning weakly, "And, again, I apologize for shouting. If you knew what Magyspies were like, I'm sure you'd understand."
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Had he ever studied cultures beyond earlier versions of his own? Honestly...
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"Ah, I'm afraid you don't understand..." Porky said, sheepishly, "It had nothing to do with culture or race or anything like that...anthropologically, they were exactly the same as me. Let me explain in simpler terms...the Magypsies were essentially a race of dumpy, middle-aged men, complete with five-o-clock shadow and male pattern baldness that insisted on wearing lipstick, mascara, and stuff like that. On top of that, they wore the most garish outfits, like...bright pink leotards and feather boas..."
Porky turned to the side and coughed.
"It really has to be seen to be understood completely, I suppose," Porky said, "Again, though, I apologize."
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She was curious why he called them a race, though--if he really meant that, she was especially curious how that worked.
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"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that, I suppose..." Porky sighed, "The Magypsies technically don't really have genders, per se, but their forms are about the same as a full-grown male's. To be honest, I'm not really too sure how they work myself...they say that they're women, but they're obviously men...and they live for centuries at a time. They were also most likely the first beings in existence. All that I really know is that they are the...ah, is 'sacred' the right word? Whatever. They are the sacred guardians of the seven needles of Tazmily Island."
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"Do you know anything more about the needles they guard?"
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