what does ^_^ mean? [complete]
Characters: Aziraphale and Jack Skellington.
Content: Aziraphale resolves to consult Jack (who, despite being an animated skeleton, seemed the most sane of all the people who spammed his journal) about what Paixao is, how they must've gotten there, etc.
Setting: Over the journals. (It's the PIMP!)
Time: Evening; after Aziraphale meets with Ulquiorra, and during Jack's thread.
Warnings: None!
gavotte on a pin: Begging your pardon, sir (or ma'am; these things are awfully impersonal), but I'm looking for a Mr. Jack Skellington, and I was directed "here"...
gavotte on a pin: Might this be him?
A Good Scare: That's correct! And you would be?
gavotte on a pin: Oh, wonderful! I believe we met over the journals, yes? I would be Mr. Fell.
A Good Scare: Of course, of course. A pleasure to meet you again.
gavotte on a pin: Yes, yes. Likewise.
gavotte on a pin: I was wondering if, perhaps, you could tell me more about this... Paixao? You've been here a bit longer than I have.
A Good Scare: Not too much longer, I'm afraid, but.... well, any experience is better than none, I imagine. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?
gavotte on a pin: Er. Yes, well, you see... what I mean to say is, where exactly are we?
gavotte on a pin: Or rather, where is Paixao physically located?
A Good Scare: Oh, dear.... the hard questions always come first, don't they?
A Good Scare: From what I've gathered, nobody knows where exactly Paixao is located, except that it's another world, or perhaps another dimension, from any of the ones we're from. Nobody ventures far beyond the city limits because of ill-defined dangers the locals refer to, and we're physically located on an isolated island, which doesn't help matters any.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, but that's a silly idea, isn't it? If this were an island, where would these people get their food? Where would they get any imports and with whom would they trade? Everything here is fake; surely, they must be getting their resources from somewhere.
gavotte on a pin: And if this world is so far from our own, how did we get here?
A Good Scare: Well, the city is fake, of course. If you recall outside the gates, however, the plants are real enough.
A Good Scare: I'm not sure where they get anything, myself--the book didn't mention that in the slightest, I'm afraid. But as for getting here, Paixao has been described as having a "vacuum-like nature" and pulls people into it.
gavotte on a pin: "The book?" What book?
A Good Scare: Oh, I'm sorry.... I was at the library just recently, and found a book on Paixao. It's the only one that even touches the subject, from what I've seen. It's titled What Is the Domed City?, by Ranolf Gallian Esq. III.
A Good Scare: It's pretty much the only source of information available, other than first-hand observation, written by a local who tried to take an outsider's view on things.
gavotte on a pin: I see...
gavotte on a pin: And where did you find this book, may I ask?
A Good Scare: Os Dias Sao a Noite, the library here. It's quite difficult to read until you familiarize yourself with the language--it's written in Old English, I believe.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, there's a library?
gavotte on a pin: I will have to keep my eye out for it, then! Especially if it houses books such as the one you mentioned.
A Good Scare: Not a very useful one, I admit, but it is there.
gavotte on a pin: Oh? Why not?
A Good Scare: Oh, a--ah, a word of warning.... look at the titles before you open the books. The book I mentioned was the only one I found that relates even slightly to Paixao, aside from perhaps one Bakura found, which was some kind of spiritual text.
A Good Scare: Other than those, though,the books don't seem to be well-ordered or very relevant. Half the ones I looked at ended up being pornographic material of some sort.
gavotte on a pin: ... I see.
A Good Scare: Also, quite a few on gardening and hunting, I noticed..... strange, considering the plants are all fake, and Lumens are the only things even close to wildlife here.
gavotte on a pin: I beg your pardon? "Lumens?"
A Good Scare: I haven't seen any yet, but they're the only sort of animals around here. Glowing creatures that apparently are neither alive nor dead.
gavotte on a pin: And... these lumens, what do they do, exactly?
A Good Scare: Well, the only other information it gave were a few accounts of first-hand encounters. They seem to be intelligent enough, all told, and have either some sort of magic or venom--several of the people mentioned were bitten or scratched, and came away feeling euphoric for a time, but with no lasting effects.
gavotte on a pin: Odd...
gavotte on a pin: And this venom of theirs... that would have caused this "euphoria?"
A Good Scare: Quite. A friend of mine wants to hunt them; I'm not sure whether it's even possible, much less a good idea.
A Good Scare: I imagine so. What else could have?
gavotte on a pin: Mm. Yes... but then, what do you suppose would happen if they bit someone often? As they say, you can have too much of a good thing.
A Good Scare: Haha, right you are..... I haven't a clue, myself. I imagine getting bitten frequently enough might cause lasting damage, if not to your body, then to your thoughts or emotions.
gavotte on a pin: Precisely.
gavotte on a pin: Does anybody know who they target? Or do they attack indiscriminately?
A Good Scare: There didn't seem to be any pattern, from what I've seen. Bakura has actually encountered one, but it was friendly towards him, so I doubt they attack without some sort of pattern or reason.
gavotte on a pin: I see...
A Good Scare: I'm sure it could be figured out, with enough testing, but.... well, I don't know anyone who would volunteer to subject themselves to being attacked by wild animals, do you?
gavotte on a pin: Thankfully, no. What a bizarre thing to want to do.
A Good Scare: Well, I suppose it could make sense if they only paid attention to the fact that they would feel good afterwards. Still, it would be a dangerous pastime.
gavotte on a pin: Yes. Quite.
gavotte on a pin: Thankfully, these lumens tend to stay outside the city.
A Good Scare: Do they? Bakura encountered his inside the city, and Gaston and I saw one from the train window yesterday.... I didn't notice any outside the gates, though.
gavotte on a pin: ... oh, dear.
A Good Scare: I imagine they're like other wild animals in a few respects, at least--the chances of getting attacked are probably reduced by a fair amount if you don't provoke them.
gavotte on a pin: I certainly hope so.
A Good Scare: I have the feeling that I'll be learning more about the after-effects of those bites if that hunt really does get carried out.... I'll let you know if anything interesting turns up.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, thank you. I would like to know, myself... although I certainly hope it isn't anything bad.
A Good Scare: No trouble at all. ^_^ You and I both; Gaston is a good man, after all, but a little too..... brash, at times.
gavotte on a pin: ... er.
gavotte on a pin: Mr. Skellington.
A Good Scare: Yes?
gavotte on a pin: Ah, by any chance. That... symbol.
A Good Scare: What about it?
gavotte on a pin: Well, correct me if I'm wrong, and I do so hope I am...
gavotte on a pin: Oh, no. Let me phrase it this way: what does that symbol mean?
A Good Scare: .....Well, as far as I understand, it's just one more flavor of emoticon. Why do you ask?
gavotte on a pin: An emoticon? You mean, that... that thing, is merely a face?
A Good Scare: That's the way I've seen it used, yes, as a happy face variant where you're not supposed to turn your head to see it.
gavotte on a pin: ...
gavotte on a pin: And you can confirm that it serves no other purpose than to convey emotion? It is only a face?
A Good Scare: I.... well, I don't know that I can confirm it, per se--that sort of thing doesn't lend itself to absolute certainty, with so many people using it. But that's the only widespread use I've seen it put to.
A Good Scare: Is something wrong? I hope I didn't upset you.
gavotte on a pin: ... oh, no. Not at all, Mr. Skellington.
gavotte on a pin: Thank you for clearing that up.
A Good Scare: Good!
A Good Scare: Might I ask what you thought it meant?
gavotte on a pin: ... er. Yes. Well, you see, it appears I've been had.
A Good Scare: Oh, goodness.... Hopefully not too badly.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, no. Not at all. Someone had managed to convince me it was a "demonic mark" of sorts.
A Good Scare: Demonic mark?
A Good Scare: Well! I know some like to call me a demon of light, but.... Heavens, if that were the case, thousands of perfectly normal humans would be demonically branded, or however you were told it was used.
A Good Scare: Besides, none of the demons I know attach any particular significance to it.
gavotte on a pin: ... yes. Well.
A Good Scare: Hm?
gavotte on a pin: Perhaps I should have noticed that. The demon I know has never used it before, either.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, dear. I ought to be more careful about this sort of thing.
A Good Scare: It does pay to take things with a grain of salt, occasionally. Who is your demon friend?
gavotte on a pin: Well, I suppose it's alright to tell you. You're... not exactly human.
gavotte on a pin: Although you may not know of him. And he doesn't seem to be here.
A Good Scare: Not anymore, I'm afraid. Though whether that's a good thing or not, I can't judge.
A Good Scare: Ahhh, that is unfortunate; I haven't gotten around to asking if any of my friends are here yet, myself. I was working on a way of getting back home instead--this place hasn't any graveyards! I couldn't have been more surprised.
gavotte on a pin: A graveyard? Why on earth would you need a graveyard to get home?
A Good Scare: That's the only way to get to Halloweentown, you know. Besides dying, of course, but that's a considerably more permanent route.
gavotte on a pin: I see...
gavotte on a pin: It does strike me as rather odd that this place has no cemetary, you know. Now that you mention it.
gavotte on a pin: Surely people here have died before.
A Good Scare: Isn't it? I'm at a hospital, currently, as I figured it would be the best place to ask after one. The only thing they could tell me is that some people come and take the bodies away early in the morning, but they haven't the slightest idea where.
A Good Scare: It seems to be rather hopeless to try and follow them; I don't even know when they come. I would try to make a tombstone myself, but I rather doubt it would work without a proper burial, if even then--and I certainly don't intend to kill anyone just to leave!
gavotte on a pin: I should hope not, Mr. Skellington!
gavotte on a pin: Although I do wonder where they take these bodies, if and when people die.
A Good Scare: I suppose it's one more mystery about this place--my best guess would be beyond the domes, somewhere outside. For all we know, they could give them a burial at sea, since this is an island.
gavotte on a pin: But don't you think that seems like quite a bit of trouble to go through? To give everyone a burial at sea?
A Good Scare: It's just a guess, on my part, but it does seem to be quite troublesome.
A Good Scare: Perhaps they have some kind of burial plot outside the domes, though I haven't seen it. Though admittedly, I haven't been outside since I came here.
gavotte on a pin: Nor have I.
gavotte on a pin: Perhaps I ought to take a look, myself. There may be something out there.
A Good Scare: They made it very, very explicit in the books that it's not a good idea to go outside the city in that book, though they didn't say why..... All the author did is refer to it as being dangerous.
A Good Scare: So while I suppose it's a fine idea, I would suggest you be careful, just in case. There is a weapon store here, if you think you might need to be armed for the excursion.
gavotte on a pin: ... er. Right.
gavotte on a pin: Well, perhaps some other time.
A Good Scare: It's a shame there isn't anything resembling a boat here; I would be interested in seeing just where we are, in relation to everything else. But as they say, if wishes were nightmares, then beggars would fly.
gavotte on a pin: ... they say that, really?
A Good Scare: Well, at home, they do. I imagine it might be different wherever you normally live.
gavotte on a pin: Yes, it would seem so.
gavotte on a pin: Well, first thing's first. I suppose I'll have to pay a visit to the library.
A Good Scare: I hope you'll have better luck than I do finding anything else useful.
gavotte on a pin: Well, I'll keep you informed, then. After all, you've been extremely helpful.
A Good Scare: Thank you very much. I'm sure if enough of us compare notes, we'll have to figure out something eventually.
gavotte on a pin: Of course, my dear boy, of course. As the saying goes, "two heads are better than one."
gavotte on a pin: And I'm sure three are certainly better than two.
A Good Scare: Ahaha, that's right! Though I can't say it does the mayor any good..... but then, that's a special case.
gavotte on a pin: ... er. Yes. A very special case indeed.
gavotte on a pin: Well, I ought to get a move on. Thank you so much for all your help, Mr. Skellington.
A Good Scare: Oh, no trouble at all. Good luck!
gavotte on a pin: Oh thank you, my dear! The same goes for you as well.
Content: Aziraphale resolves to consult Jack (who, despite being an animated skeleton, seemed the most sane of all the people who spammed his journal) about what Paixao is, how they must've gotten there, etc.
Setting: Over the journals. (It's the PIMP!)
Time: Evening; after Aziraphale meets with Ulquiorra, and during Jack's thread.
Warnings: None!
gavotte on a pin: Begging your pardon, sir (or ma'am; these things are awfully impersonal), but I'm looking for a Mr. Jack Skellington, and I was directed "here"...
gavotte on a pin: Might this be him?
A Good Scare: That's correct! And you would be?
gavotte on a pin: Oh, wonderful! I believe we met over the journals, yes? I would be Mr. Fell.
A Good Scare: Of course, of course. A pleasure to meet you again.
gavotte on a pin: Yes, yes. Likewise.
gavotte on a pin: I was wondering if, perhaps, you could tell me more about this... Paixao? You've been here a bit longer than I have.
A Good Scare: Not too much longer, I'm afraid, but.... well, any experience is better than none, I imagine. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?
gavotte on a pin: Er. Yes, well, you see... what I mean to say is, where exactly are we?
gavotte on a pin: Or rather, where is Paixao physically located?
A Good Scare: Oh, dear.... the hard questions always come first, don't they?
A Good Scare: From what I've gathered, nobody knows where exactly Paixao is located, except that it's another world, or perhaps another dimension, from any of the ones we're from. Nobody ventures far beyond the city limits because of ill-defined dangers the locals refer to, and we're physically located on an isolated island, which doesn't help matters any.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, but that's a silly idea, isn't it? If this were an island, where would these people get their food? Where would they get any imports and with whom would they trade? Everything here is fake; surely, they must be getting their resources from somewhere.
gavotte on a pin: And if this world is so far from our own, how did we get here?
A Good Scare: Well, the city is fake, of course. If you recall outside the gates, however, the plants are real enough.
A Good Scare: I'm not sure where they get anything, myself--the book didn't mention that in the slightest, I'm afraid. But as for getting here, Paixao has been described as having a "vacuum-like nature" and pulls people into it.
gavotte on a pin: "The book?" What book?
A Good Scare: Oh, I'm sorry.... I was at the library just recently, and found a book on Paixao. It's the only one that even touches the subject, from what I've seen. It's titled What Is the Domed City?, by Ranolf Gallian Esq. III.
A Good Scare: It's pretty much the only source of information available, other than first-hand observation, written by a local who tried to take an outsider's view on things.
gavotte on a pin: I see...
gavotte on a pin: And where did you find this book, may I ask?
A Good Scare: Os Dias Sao a Noite, the library here. It's quite difficult to read until you familiarize yourself with the language--it's written in Old English, I believe.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, there's a library?
gavotte on a pin: I will have to keep my eye out for it, then! Especially if it houses books such as the one you mentioned.
A Good Scare: Not a very useful one, I admit, but it is there.
gavotte on a pin: Oh? Why not?
A Good Scare: Oh, a--ah, a word of warning.... look at the titles before you open the books. The book I mentioned was the only one I found that relates even slightly to Paixao, aside from perhaps one Bakura found, which was some kind of spiritual text.
A Good Scare: Other than those, though,the books don't seem to be well-ordered or very relevant. Half the ones I looked at ended up being pornographic material of some sort.
gavotte on a pin: ... I see.
A Good Scare: Also, quite a few on gardening and hunting, I noticed..... strange, considering the plants are all fake, and Lumens are the only things even close to wildlife here.
gavotte on a pin: I beg your pardon? "Lumens?"
A Good Scare: I haven't seen any yet, but they're the only sort of animals around here. Glowing creatures that apparently are neither alive nor dead.
gavotte on a pin: And... these lumens, what do they do, exactly?
A Good Scare: Well, the only other information it gave were a few accounts of first-hand encounters. They seem to be intelligent enough, all told, and have either some sort of magic or venom--several of the people mentioned were bitten or scratched, and came away feeling euphoric for a time, but with no lasting effects.
gavotte on a pin: Odd...
gavotte on a pin: And this venom of theirs... that would have caused this "euphoria?"
A Good Scare: Quite. A friend of mine wants to hunt them; I'm not sure whether it's even possible, much less a good idea.
A Good Scare: I imagine so. What else could have?
gavotte on a pin: Mm. Yes... but then, what do you suppose would happen if they bit someone often? As they say, you can have too much of a good thing.
A Good Scare: Haha, right you are..... I haven't a clue, myself. I imagine getting bitten frequently enough might cause lasting damage, if not to your body, then to your thoughts or emotions.
gavotte on a pin: Precisely.
gavotte on a pin: Does anybody know who they target? Or do they attack indiscriminately?
A Good Scare: There didn't seem to be any pattern, from what I've seen. Bakura has actually encountered one, but it was friendly towards him, so I doubt they attack without some sort of pattern or reason.
gavotte on a pin: I see...
A Good Scare: I'm sure it could be figured out, with enough testing, but.... well, I don't know anyone who would volunteer to subject themselves to being attacked by wild animals, do you?
gavotte on a pin: Thankfully, no. What a bizarre thing to want to do.
A Good Scare: Well, I suppose it could make sense if they only paid attention to the fact that they would feel good afterwards. Still, it would be a dangerous pastime.
gavotte on a pin: Yes. Quite.
gavotte on a pin: Thankfully, these lumens tend to stay outside the city.
A Good Scare: Do they? Bakura encountered his inside the city, and Gaston and I saw one from the train window yesterday.... I didn't notice any outside the gates, though.
gavotte on a pin: ... oh, dear.
A Good Scare: I imagine they're like other wild animals in a few respects, at least--the chances of getting attacked are probably reduced by a fair amount if you don't provoke them.
gavotte on a pin: I certainly hope so.
A Good Scare: I have the feeling that I'll be learning more about the after-effects of those bites if that hunt really does get carried out.... I'll let you know if anything interesting turns up.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, thank you. I would like to know, myself... although I certainly hope it isn't anything bad.
A Good Scare: No trouble at all. ^_^ You and I both; Gaston is a good man, after all, but a little too..... brash, at times.
gavotte on a pin: ... er.
gavotte on a pin: Mr. Skellington.
A Good Scare: Yes?
gavotte on a pin: Ah, by any chance. That... symbol.
A Good Scare: What about it?
gavotte on a pin: Well, correct me if I'm wrong, and I do so hope I am...
gavotte on a pin: Oh, no. Let me phrase it this way: what does that symbol mean?
A Good Scare: .....Well, as far as I understand, it's just one more flavor of emoticon. Why do you ask?
gavotte on a pin: An emoticon? You mean, that... that thing, is merely a face?
A Good Scare: That's the way I've seen it used, yes, as a happy face variant where you're not supposed to turn your head to see it.
gavotte on a pin: ...
gavotte on a pin: And you can confirm that it serves no other purpose than to convey emotion? It is only a face?
A Good Scare: I.... well, I don't know that I can confirm it, per se--that sort of thing doesn't lend itself to absolute certainty, with so many people using it. But that's the only widespread use I've seen it put to.
A Good Scare: Is something wrong? I hope I didn't upset you.
gavotte on a pin: ... oh, no. Not at all, Mr. Skellington.
gavotte on a pin: Thank you for clearing that up.
A Good Scare: Good!
A Good Scare: Might I ask what you thought it meant?
gavotte on a pin: ... er. Yes. Well, you see, it appears I've been had.
A Good Scare: Oh, goodness.... Hopefully not too badly.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, no. Not at all. Someone had managed to convince me it was a "demonic mark" of sorts.
A Good Scare: Demonic mark?
A Good Scare: Well! I know some like to call me a demon of light, but.... Heavens, if that were the case, thousands of perfectly normal humans would be demonically branded, or however you were told it was used.
A Good Scare: Besides, none of the demons I know attach any particular significance to it.
gavotte on a pin: ... yes. Well.
A Good Scare: Hm?
gavotte on a pin: Perhaps I should have noticed that. The demon I know has never used it before, either.
gavotte on a pin: Oh, dear. I ought to be more careful about this sort of thing.
A Good Scare: It does pay to take things with a grain of salt, occasionally. Who is your demon friend?
gavotte on a pin: Well, I suppose it's alright to tell you. You're... not exactly human.
gavotte on a pin: Although you may not know of him. And he doesn't seem to be here.
A Good Scare: Not anymore, I'm afraid. Though whether that's a good thing or not, I can't judge.
A Good Scare: Ahhh, that is unfortunate; I haven't gotten around to asking if any of my friends are here yet, myself. I was working on a way of getting back home instead--this place hasn't any graveyards! I couldn't have been more surprised.
gavotte on a pin: A graveyard? Why on earth would you need a graveyard to get home?
A Good Scare: That's the only way to get to Halloweentown, you know. Besides dying, of course, but that's a considerably more permanent route.
gavotte on a pin: I see...
gavotte on a pin: It does strike me as rather odd that this place has no cemetary, you know. Now that you mention it.
gavotte on a pin: Surely people here have died before.
A Good Scare: Isn't it? I'm at a hospital, currently, as I figured it would be the best place to ask after one. The only thing they could tell me is that some people come and take the bodies away early in the morning, but they haven't the slightest idea where.
A Good Scare: It seems to be rather hopeless to try and follow them; I don't even know when they come. I would try to make a tombstone myself, but I rather doubt it would work without a proper burial, if even then--and I certainly don't intend to kill anyone just to leave!
gavotte on a pin: I should hope not, Mr. Skellington!
gavotte on a pin: Although I do wonder where they take these bodies, if and when people die.
A Good Scare: I suppose it's one more mystery about this place--my best guess would be beyond the domes, somewhere outside. For all we know, they could give them a burial at sea, since this is an island.
gavotte on a pin: But don't you think that seems like quite a bit of trouble to go through? To give everyone a burial at sea?
A Good Scare: It's just a guess, on my part, but it does seem to be quite troublesome.
A Good Scare: Perhaps they have some kind of burial plot outside the domes, though I haven't seen it. Though admittedly, I haven't been outside since I came here.
gavotte on a pin: Nor have I.
gavotte on a pin: Perhaps I ought to take a look, myself. There may be something out there.
A Good Scare: They made it very, very explicit in the books that it's not a good idea to go outside the city in that book, though they didn't say why..... All the author did is refer to it as being dangerous.
A Good Scare: So while I suppose it's a fine idea, I would suggest you be careful, just in case. There is a weapon store here, if you think you might need to be armed for the excursion.
gavotte on a pin: ... er. Right.
gavotte on a pin: Well, perhaps some other time.
A Good Scare: It's a shame there isn't anything resembling a boat here; I would be interested in seeing just where we are, in relation to everything else. But as they say, if wishes were nightmares, then beggars would fly.
gavotte on a pin: ... they say that, really?
A Good Scare: Well, at home, they do. I imagine it might be different wherever you normally live.
gavotte on a pin: Yes, it would seem so.
gavotte on a pin: Well, first thing's first. I suppose I'll have to pay a visit to the library.
A Good Scare: I hope you'll have better luck than I do finding anything else useful.
gavotte on a pin: Well, I'll keep you informed, then. After all, you've been extremely helpful.
A Good Scare: Thank you very much. I'm sure if enough of us compare notes, we'll have to figure out something eventually.
gavotte on a pin: Of course, my dear boy, of course. As the saying goes, "two heads are better than one."
gavotte on a pin: And I'm sure three are certainly better than two.
A Good Scare: Ahaha, that's right! Though I can't say it does the mayor any good..... but then, that's a special case.
gavotte on a pin: ... er. Yes. A very special case indeed.
gavotte on a pin: Well, I ought to get a move on. Thank you so much for all your help, Mr. Skellington.
A Good Scare: Oh, no trouble at all. Good luck!
gavotte on a pin: Oh thank you, my dear! The same goes for you as well.