Part 152: 10/23/09

10/23/09

Today was a pretty good day, even though it started out with Edogawa.



We’ve covered the times of magical growth, and now we’ve just about reached the modern age.
Every art or science branches off into sub-studies as it progresses…
Magic, too, was subdivided around the 18th century.
Some people preached about morals, some focused on communicating with spirits, and so on.
There was even a man who founded modern psychology through his research on hypnosis.
This, too, is magic: the ability to see into the human mind.
As a result of the flourishing magical research, witch hunts became more common…
To avoid this, magic began to progress in “secret societies.”
I’m sure many of you have heard the names of these organizations…
The Rosicrucian Order, the Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Golden Dawn…
Many of these societies are still with us today.
The forefathers of modern magic are too numerous to count.
For instance, there’s Eliphas Levi, the man who attempted to combine modern and ancient systems of magic.
His literature, which took a scientific approach, is still published today.
Madam Blavatsky was the biggest magician of the 19th century, and a renowned Theosophist.
Many magical societies have stemmed from the Theosophical Society that she founded.
Mesmer opened the path to psychology in his studies on life energy.
Rudolf Steiner helped spread the knowledge of anthroposophy.

I wouldn’t be so annoyed if he didn’t always pick on me every single class.



And Gurdjieff, a mystic who taught his many students the Fourth Way.
All of them had incredible stores of knowledge.
…Are you all listening? You’re not frozen with fear, I trust? Eeeheehee.
I’ll test you, to see how well you’ve been paying attention.
Get it wrong, and your zodiac sign will change. Ahah Adonai Tetragrammaton…
Who to choose…? Ah, Aelita, I ask thee…
Who was the founder of Theosophy, which gave rise to many magical societies?
Madam Blavatsky.
Very good. Remember to be purified on your unlucky years…
Now then, the magical arts progressed even further with practical use.
With the knowledge spread by the people we’ve discussed today…

Things got better when I ran into Akihiko at lunch.



Oh, nothing…
Haha, I see.
Just don’t wander off and get hurt. …I’ll see ya later.
> What will you do after school…?

I asked him out, but… well I definitely didn’t expect what came next.



> You wandered here with Akihiko, who seems rather quiet today…
Thanks for coming out today…
I’m happy to be with you.
I-I see…
Why’re you so…?
……
> Akihiko seems to be at a loss…
……
> Akihiko looks down at the ground…
If you don’t mind, can I talk to you about something?
Yes, of course.
I haven’t been able to get it all arranged in my own head, though…
> Akihiko slowly begins speaking…
I’ve told you a little before about… Miki.
My younger sister, who I couldn’t save…
……

I don’t know that he’s ever had anyone he could talk about this with before.



There weren’t any kids around her age at the orphanage, so she didn’t have any friends.
She’d always tag along after me, and call me “big bro” all the time…
……
> Akihiko bites down on his lip…
Why… did she have to die?
She was so small… She never knew her parents’ faces, or had good food to eat, or got to have any toys…
She had nothing…
……

I mean I almost had to slap the hell out of him for how dumb he was being but that’s not a surprise.



> Akihiko’s lips are trembling…
That’s not true!
Aelita…
> Akihiko’s voice is trembling…
She’s dead and gone… I understand that, and I’ve accepted it.
But… I can’t do anything about the anger and sadness that I feel…
I have to live with that for the rest of my life…
……
Here’s what I wanted to tell you…
I thought… I wanted you to help me bear that burden. I know that it’s terrible of me to ask this of you…
…I’m sorry.
> Akihiko hides his face from you in his pain…
> Why did he tell you about this…?
> You sense Akihiko’s faint affection towards you…

I mean as long as he’s still alive there’s still a part of his sister left.



I… might be seeing Miki in you.
But if that’s not what it is, then these feelings I have…
……
Why don’t we start heading back home?
……
…We should get back.
> You and Akihiko returned to the dorm together.

Of course the real world is always waiting for you, and the Lost are a constant reminder that we’ve got a job to do.



The Lost are increasing, huh…
That makes me think that a Shadow is coming…
But this will be the last one, right?
…So let’s do our best!

It’s funny to see what some of the others see in each other sometimes.



…or is Akihiko-san different now?
I agree.
Instead of getting all depressed when Shinjiro was in critical condition, Akihiko-senpai got stronger.
Shinjiro-san was amazing… but so is Akihiko-san now!
I can’t wait until I can see them fight together again.

You know, the kind of funny that isn’t funny at all.