knowinginthedark | [Journal Post] [ALSO AN EVENT POST]

[ You're in luck, Tarou - he's not exactly the man you're looking for, but he's probably the next best thing, sitting outside in the reception area with a laptop and some coffee that you can just feel has more caffeine than is decidedly wise. ]

[ He does look up when he sees you. ]

Ah! Mr. Tarou. It's been a minute, hasn't it? To what do I owe the pleasure?

Oh-- oh! Haita, yes, yes, I remember you. From the hospital and all that. Fun times.

*he's made his way inside*

I'm looking for a magical doctor that got accidentally recommended to me, actually.

...A magical doctor? May I ask what for, exactly?

I do have a sorcerer in-house, but they have... well, their own eccentricities.

[ He laughs. ] Takes one to know one, right?

Oh, of course, of course. Honestly, if I could figure out a way to help this myself, I probably would, but sometimes I need a little boost as it were. *he clears his throat a bit*

Anyway: My body's physically breaking down enough that I freaked out a fire guy a bit ago, since I almost locked up while talking to him. I was recommended to go to a magic doctor.

Hrm. Swears like a sailor? Reeks of ash and bad judgment and authority? [ This is largely rhetorical. There are only so many fire guys in this city, right? ]

Ahh. Hrm.

[ He closes the laptop, and thinks. ]

Is this something that needs a uh. 'Full replacement' or something that needs reinforcement? Like, how comprehensive is the failure, exactly.

Sounds about right, yes!

Also uh.

*he tries to think of how to word this*

I'm basically a marvel to modern medicine, and doctors who have put me through physical therapy had a betting pool on when my spine would collapse? So, honestly, a shock it hasn't happened yet, but a lot of old injuries I was able to shrug off before are... kinda catching up to me. So maybe just short of "full replacement" is my estimate.

Hhhhrm.

[ He's thinking. ]

It's it's bone structures, that is something I can help with specifically. You see, I had a... let's call it a similar problem, if you catch my meaning. And while I eventually bounced back under my own power, a friend - whose notes I have, as she's been part of OOPARTS for a bit - helped install a new ribcage.

I'm not a surgeon, per se, but I think I can possibly do something with that if it's your bone structure you're worried about. And psychically resonant materials should mean that it should allow for a replacement to any nerve damage your collapsing spine might take...

But if there are other parts failing, then my in-house sorcerer does tend to do something with, uh, 'backup bodies'.

... Both options are very interesting to me, but let's focus first on the option that might not require a full-body soul transfer, yes?

*he becomes more serious*

Do you really have something that can help to support me until I can-- well, as you put it-- "bounce back under my own power"?

[ Onni becomes more serious, in turn. ]

I can't give any guarantees until I know exactly what I'm working with, but.

If it's good enough for a quasi-immortal warrior, I can't imagine it wouldn't work for an Ex-Dark Signer, Mr. Tarou.

With some caveats, of course - the Dark Signer's power I imagine has made your situation a little complicated. But I've also had a lot of time to get familiar with my friends' notes, as she tends to only be available every third harvest moon due to a very hectic family life.

Edited 2023-07-12 06:44 (UTC)

I'll be honest, I'm willing to work with whatever I'm given.

Even if it weren't for just the fact that my body's breaking down, it's a simple point that I'm just not capable of the same things I used to be able to do, either.

This includes not being able to individually access places that, say, Chacu Challhua took advantage of my near-invulnerable state to cause problems in.

[ You hear him hrm, and then he drums his fingers on his leg, thinking carefully about his next words. ]

Is that something you're hoping this resolves? Being able to access places that required Chacu Challhua's assistance.

[ there is definitely something akin to a twinkle in his eye. Onni is, of course, also a scientist, of sorts... ]

Heh. It'd be a pretty nice bonus, but ultimately I just want to know that if I take one wrong step, the fragile infrastructure that is my body isn't going to end up falling completely apart on me.

[ He's set the laptop aside for the moment and pulled a small notebook out of his jacket pocket, scribbling and noting things down. ]

...I'd have to do some tests before I'd be one hundred percent certain this would work - I worked on D-Wheels under the woman who practically invented them, so around non-living systems I feel comfortable, but I might need to enlist some... help if I'm doing this to a living person...

Sullivan might still be the best bet for that sort of thing, if we're keeping it in-house... I guess I could ask who to work with in Black Velvet's chain, too...

A spinal column reinforced with the same psychically resonant metals currently in my ribcage is doable, I think. And said psychic resonance might make up for whatever nerve damage has occurred.

But there are some complications - I think we would have to build-in a limiter system. Psychically resonant metals, or so I'm told, are very sensitive, and might, uh, overcompensate in some directions, if built into something as central for functioning as your spine. That could cause your body to burn out faster if not properly mitigated...

Edited 2023-07-12 18:44 (UTC)

So this is effectively adjacent then to cybernetics, correct?

What exactly are "psychically resonant metals", in this case? What are examples of what may happen if I overcompensate without a limiter present?

That's correct.

I mean, quite literally, the metal that the Mental Sphere uses for things like Psi Reflector and Hyper Psychic Blaster. I don't know the actual name of the metal offhand, but my connection has deep inroads with the Mental Sphere. Sorry, I should have been more clear.

Overcompensation without a limiter is... well, you'd probably be stronger, faster, literally pushing your body far beyond its theoretical limits. Think of how adrenal responses allows you to push yourself beyond physical limitations - this is that but with your mind.

Most likely scenario... you probably die of caloric deficit? Assuming you don't accidentally fling yourself into a building and break what's left of your normal body.

Your mind could also burn out from the overload, I suppose. That's always a factor.

Edited 2023-07-13 00:15 (UTC)

Oh, metal from the Mental Sphere... that's fascinating in itself.

Do you know if it would have any resonating effect with someone who is a Psychic Duelist? Maybe some forms of this is what was made to make Limiters, in the first place..? *he's pondering a little to himself-- he can't stop himself from figuring things out, even with how serious he's being.*

Hrmmmm. My assumption is it would? Again, I would have to look a bit deeper into my friends' notes, but it would make some sense it could resonate with Psychic Duelists...

Ideally the limiter has the ability to be disengaged if you absolutely need it to be, but is on most times as a precaution. I think I can sketch out some prototypes today, if you don't mind.

Though... I suppose I should warn you, a lot of my... self-devised constructions tend to veer a little more on the... 'influenced by pop culture' side.

Edited 2023-07-17 05:39 (UTC)

*he thinks about that last sentence for a few seconds*

...

You should stop me before I say exactly what I'm imagining.

Oh, no, please, go on, I insist.

This is your body we're talking about, Mr. Tarou, if the image in your head is anywhere close to what I think it is, I think we're both on the same page.

*... he takes a deep breath.*

It's going to make me look like one of those tokusatsu heroes from TV, isn't it.

Edited 2023-07-17 05:57 (UTC)

[ He leans forward. Honestly if he wore glasses they would catch in the light right about here. ]

Well. It doesn't have to, but if we go down this path, I need to hear a clear objection for that to not be the case.

Now that's a very silly thing to say.

I think it'd be quite appropriate, and if we do go ahead and lean in such a direction, I can be assured I'll be well-armored as a result.

You'd be surprised the number of people who, when faced with the idea of looking like a tokusatsu hero, flinch back, Mr. Tarou.

[ Oh he is all in, now. You have given him permission. You can easily see the familiar glint of Mad Science in his eyes. He's switched back to the laptop and is bringing up various files, practically starting to create in real-time. ]

An armored outer shell that only manifests when the limiter is disengaged would be fairly trivial for me to construct as part of this - I've worked in hardlight technologies before, so I would just need some time to get the tuning on psychic field to hardlight projection right. And would likely be the safest option to keep you from hurting yourself with your body's increased power.

Of course, we can make it hazard-proof as well, that gives you some limited ability to operate in theaters that your... previous patron protected you from, though I would need to know exactly what parameters you need before I start active development.

Edited 2023-07-17 06:08 (UTC)

Of course. Far as I can tell in terms of places that Chacu Challhua likely entered to place marks--

I need to at least be capable of maneuvering underwater to manually locate and remove any markings I may find, but also to go down into deeper depths on land than would generally be recommended. I've at least half-certain that he also used me to climb the volcano that's on the Duel Academy island, in order to place at least one or two markings there, as well.

Or at least that's what I've been able to piece together from the rare times that Tezaki is talkative, towards me.

So it needs to be an airtight, pressure-neutral suit that can withstand extreme temperatures as well provide a steady stream of oxygen. The oxygen is going to be the tricky part...

Maybe if the key to disengage the limiter can convert something to air as part as of the suit's transformation process... I can probably borrow some of how the Duel Guards do that if I need to, some of the OOPARTS versions are rated for environments without oxygen, but...

[ He's muttering to himself now, fully engrossed. ]

This will be a little more comprehensive than what I've had to personally develop in the past, Mr. Tarou, so I may reach out to some of my connections in Black Velvet to help realize this. I assume that's not a problem?

Re: [Event]

knowinginthedark - 2023-07-17 06:24 (UTC) - Expand