Chapter 6
The Spirits in the Human World
"All living creatures are born with a spirit. When the spirit dies, the host usually loses the will to live and death soon follows," started guest speaker Yukiko Natori. Mrs Natori, and expert in native religions, was an adjunct professor emeritus at Tsukuba University, an excellent technical university northeast of Tokyo. The 85-year old professor rarely lectured anywhere, but Nakaoka Josei High School received an unsolicited offer to host one of her lectures. The school, as prestigious as it was, took the offer as a rare honor. The entire student body, including Sophomore Chihiro Ogino, attended in the ample and comfortable auditorium.
"I understand there are six hundred students and forty five faculty in this room right now. Before I came up here, you were likely talking to the person next to you. This auditorium was abuzz with hundreds of conversations going on at the same time. At that same time, your spirits were similarly interacting. Indeed, your spirits are interacting as I speak. Spirits enjoy and thrive on interaction." The old professor's words were true, though most in the room didn't consider her topic as factual. While Chihiro sat in attentive silence, Sen was busy interacting with Ayumi, the spirit of a girl two rows back whom Chihiro didn't even know. "Proximity is most important. A spirit can communicate with another only if they are within ten to twenty meters of each other. [SEN!!] Spirits have no intelligence, only intensity and quality. It's likely one of you is communicating with this potted plant right now," she paused for the expected--and received--laughter. "Probably Miss Ohno, your calculus teacher." The laughter came more loudly. Mrs Natori continued to a more captive audience. "Am I stating fact? [SEN!!] Most people would say I'm not--and I'm not saying I am." Sen gently departed Ayumi's spirit and gravitated toward the spirit of the speaker at the podium. "Many tribal civilizations in the world, including those in Japan and North America, believed there were spirits [HE'S HERE!!] in many things. In this slide..." Mrs Natori's lecture continued on a more scientific level. In the background, Sen was riveted on the odd spirit, trying to absorb the concept and meaning of [HE'S HERE].
The message finally sunk into Sen's ethereal fabric. [Haku!! Haku Here!! Haku Here!!], she radiated intensely. Chihiro felt a sudden and inexplicable sense of cheer and exhilaration. "Professor Natori sure knows how to give an exciting lecture," she thought. While the professor continued her lecture on a less scientific level, including how intertwined spirits need to be near each other or they will wither, Sen was floating around Chihiro talking to Mika, Youko, and any other spirit who would gather with intense excitement [HAKU HERE!! HAKU HERE!!]. Soon, all the spirits in the room radiated [HAKU HERE!! HAKU HERE!!] The entire audience seemed excited and happy. Even the potted plant looked a little more colorful. At the human conscience level, the only thing all that spirit activity produced was a general good mood.
At the conclusion of the professor's lecture and riotous applause, the students returned to their normal classes. Professor Natori, after a brief reception and interview with local news media, left the school to return to her very secluded life...
The Spirits in the Human World
"All living creatures are born with a spirit. When the spirit dies, the host usually loses the will to live and death soon follows," started guest speaker Yukiko Natori. Mrs Natori, and expert in native religions, was an adjunct professor emeritus at Tsukuba University, an excellent technical university northeast of Tokyo. The 85-year old professor rarely lectured anywhere, but Nakaoka Josei High School received an unsolicited offer to host one of her lectures. The school, as prestigious as it was, took the offer as a rare honor. The entire student body, including Sophomore Chihiro Ogino, attended in the ample and comfortable auditorium.
"I understand there are six hundred students and forty five faculty in this room right now. Before I came up here, you were likely talking to the person next to you. This auditorium was abuzz with hundreds of conversations going on at the same time. At that same time, your spirits were similarly interacting. Indeed, your spirits are interacting as I speak. Spirits enjoy and thrive on interaction." The old professor's words were true, though most in the room didn't consider her topic as factual. While Chihiro sat in attentive silence, Sen was busy interacting with Ayumi, the spirit of a girl two rows back whom Chihiro didn't even know. "Proximity is most important. A spirit can communicate with another only if they are within ten to twenty meters of each other. [SEN!!] Spirits have no intelligence, only intensity and quality. It's likely one of you is communicating with this potted plant right now," she paused for the expected--and received--laughter. "Probably Miss Ohno, your calculus teacher." The laughter came more loudly. Mrs Natori continued to a more captive audience. "Am I stating fact? [SEN!!] Most people would say I'm not--and I'm not saying I am." Sen gently departed Ayumi's spirit and gravitated toward the spirit of the speaker at the podium. "Many tribal civilizations in the world, including those in Japan and North America, believed there were spirits [HE'S HERE!!] in many things. In this slide..." Mrs Natori's lecture continued on a more scientific level. In the background, Sen was riveted on the odd spirit, trying to absorb the concept and meaning of [HE'S HERE].
The message finally sunk into Sen's ethereal fabric. [Haku!! Haku Here!! Haku Here!!], she radiated intensely. Chihiro felt a sudden and inexplicable sense of cheer and exhilaration. "Professor Natori sure knows how to give an exciting lecture," she thought. While the professor continued her lecture on a less scientific level, including how intertwined spirits need to be near each other or they will wither, Sen was floating around Chihiro talking to Mika, Youko, and any other spirit who would gather with intense excitement [HAKU HERE!! HAKU HERE!!]. Soon, all the spirits in the room radiated [HAKU HERE!! HAKU HERE!!] The entire audience seemed excited and happy. Even the potted plant looked a little more colorful. At the human conscience level, the only thing all that spirit activity produced was a general good mood.
At the conclusion of the professor's lecture and riotous applause, the students returned to their normal classes. Professor Natori, after a brief reception and interview with local news media, left the school to return to her very secluded life...