Knock Knock, who's there? [Rick|closed}

"Well, these blocks are here for a reason, it's supposed to protect us from basically going insane. I mean, that's why human beings have our vices, right? If it's not sex, it's alcohol or even drugs. It's not a statement of our imperfections of using these things, simply getting through the day knowing that there are spiritual beings that want to kill you, all while feeling that you may have to carry the burden of who you truly are alone. You know you don't have to do that. I fell in love once maybe, haven't dated since my last years in high school, I always felt a little too busy for it. Knowing that someone loves you, cares about you, and is waiting for you to come home if you ever went out, those simple things are what could bring you out of the darkness. You have been through a lot, and irresponsibility, I haven't even talked to your partner about what occurred. Things like these involving the children could lead to divorce, but I really do hope that none of you blame each other."

Listening to what Frey had to say about her own lessons she learned with a run in by the man named Aitrus, Rick didn't have much to say. He didn't believe that Quincy only cared about their own growth or promotion, he knew in his heart that the Quincy were regular people who took it upon themselves to fight against the hollow menace. That's what it was about to Rick, ordinary people taking a stand when they couldn't wait to be saved. Judging everything he was from that principle alone showed that the Quincy was built on more than just hate.

"The crown is a representation of the will of the people. As the servant of the people, you do your duty to make sure that the Quincy has a future in all of this mess. Once the call to lead the race has been answered in such a way, even after it's all over, you'll never feel the same again. No Quincy in this world should feel like they should be ashamed of their pride, the pride of a Quincy is not a weakness. I'm not so rigid in my thinking, I can see how it could be narrowed down to how self-centered we can become. However, I still have hope for the future that things will change. "

Even more good news, Freyleif agreed to teach Rick a little bit in the way that she utilizes her Reishi. In all honesty, the style of animating her reishi was something that Rick hasn't really thought about. Synthesizing reishi into their soul synthesized counterparts was more his thing, but looking back at her puppetry trick, true manipulation could also add to the fact that she brought a motion to what she created. However, was it her will that allowed the creation to move in such a way? Or did the creation have a will of its own?

"Hmmm..."

Rick decided to think things through as he started to formulate his reishi into taking the form of something that was alive or used to be alive. At the very least, the most of what he thought of was a cricket. The cricket itself was a chrome color, but Rick got the form of the creature perfectly, However, it didn't move.

"There is a reason why I chose this sort of creature, just roll with it for the time being. "

Moving his finger, he made the creature jump up and down, one of the capabilities of a real cricket. However, one of the things that he didn't know how to do was make the creation produce the same kind of sound that crickets do. At the same time, he was unable to make the creature move on its own without much of the thought process involved.

"I'm good, but I'm not that good...... this might take a while. However, I think this hint is enough of a forward push in the right direction of an answer of my own. The animation of the constructs that I created, I simply don't have that kind of information or have been sitting in front of a national geographic television program for long. However, I have an idea."

---

A few days with training with Frey has passed, and there were still some key elements that Rick didn't understand fully as of yet. He appreciated the ex-queens patience with him, but it didn't change the fact that Rick was rather impatient with himself.

"Great..."

Taking a break for the night after seeing Frey off with a great appreciation of her time, the nightly stroll for hollow hunting was interrupted by the sound of a cricket. Located deep within the field of greenery, Rick felt out the scarce spiritual energy that remained in the raw lifeforce of the creature, constructing a soul synthesized elastic net in order to ensnare the creature and retract it to his hand with a silver string, It struggled, but it didn't die.

"Sorry little guy..."

---

Taking it back home, Rick would sit down and think about what he wanted to do with the cricket that he captured. It was currently in a sol synthesized glass jaw, with no real hope of escape. Some would find it odd that Rick did this, but Rick was prepared to try something risky, something that might even prove forbidden.

"Alright... I've done this before... I can do it again.."

Holding the glass jar in his hand Rick started the decomposing process. Reversing a soul synthesized construct and returning it to the raw reishi that he used in the first place was the easy part. However, Rick was attempting to convert a Kishi originated being into Reishi while it was still alive. It was small enough, so Rick thought it would be ok, but converting living things that were made of Kishi into Reishi had a lot more challenges that Rick was man enough to admit. The molecular biostructure ruptured from within the creature, causing it to explode in the middle of the conversion and burn Rick's hand a bit.

"Oww! What the?!"

He jerked away, nothing like this has ever happened before. However, this didn't discourage Rick, it only made him want to try again.

---

A few more days of capturing crickets and trying to convert them, each and every time, Rick got used to how the molecular biostructure of living being made of Kishi reacted to the conversion process, as well as small pieces of information that each close conversion contained. With every attempt, the construct started to become sharper, more detailed.

With some luck and persistence, Rick finally succeeded in converting one cricket from it's Kishi from into Reishi, absorbing the spiritual energy and feeding it into his being. By absorbing it this way, and continuing to absorb it this way, it was possible for Rick to create a perfect imitation.

"A Spiritual imitation that transcends death, look at me, am I trying to play god now?"

Rick couldn't help but feel disgusted with himself. He strived to achieve more, he wanted to evolve his skills in a way to better serve the Quincy. But was this truly the only way?

"It's not, but a way that I chose."

Focusing once more, Rick constructed a soul synthesized cricket. This time, instead of being a chrome color, it was a shiny dark green instead. With the endless amounts of Reishi that Rick absorbed from the beings before it, its creation alone came with its mannerisms, it's movements, the phantom presence of being alive. It could easily fool anyone, anyone but Rick.

Was this something to celebrate? The Kishi conversion of something that was actually alive, was this something truly worth celebrating? Rick was sure that this wasn't what Freyleif intended, no, this was something much greater. He mastered it, first, it was the Kishi conversion of inanimate objects, and he just converted something that was alive. With the strange combination of pride and hatred of what he just did, Rick continued to practice this "Phantom Imitation" technique.

"All for the sake of being a weapon of good, once again, I chipped off another piece of my soul. "


WC 1375
Total WC 4760

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