Editing Innocence (section)

== Childhood Innocence and such==
The ability of young children to see through certain magical illusions is also sometimes referred to as "innocence".<ref>“Careful, my lad,” the bogeyman said, clapping a hand on the boy’s shoulder.<br><br>“I’m sorry, sir,” the boy said.<br><br>Then the boy looked ''up'', and his eyes widened in fear.<br><br>The boy was still young enough to be ''innocent'', it seemed.<br><br>No matter.  The boy was already running away, releasing only a small, incoherent, frightened noise before he was gone from view. - [https://pactwebserial.wordpress.com/2014/04/26 Excerpt] from [[5.x (Histories)]]</ref><ref>Roxanne raised her eyes.  I might have thought she was young enough to be innocent, but she looked right past me.  At most, I might’ve been an odd shadow she wouldn’t notice unless she was looking for it.<br><br>James, at fourteen, was two years Roxanne’s senior. ''He'' saw me.<br><br>Why the difference?  Was it that James was quieter, more studious, less exposed to the ugliness of the world?  Or was it that James had never truly grown up or defined himself outside of the shadow of his parents and their desires? - [https://pactwebserial.wordpress.com/2014/09/20 Excerpt] from [[Malfeasance 11.6]]</ref> Innocent children are sometimes attractive to [[Demons]], and so useful in summoning them.<ref>Should another practitioner need to bait him again, know that this author used [...] an innocent and a virgin in the form of a one year old innocent, placed at the height of the pile.    For more on the reasoning behind this methodology, please see my other work, ''Dark Contracts,'' chapter four.<br><br>This author cannot say whether he was attracted to the virgin aspect or the innocent, but this author was nonetheless happy to have an option at hand to serve both purposes.  The child was unharmed and largely unaware of what occurred. - [https://pactwebserial.wordpress.com/2014/01/11 Excerpt] from [[Bonds 1.7]]</ref>

It's unclear if this type of innocence has any connection to the "innocence" of uninitiated humans. But may instead be related to people who are near major events such as the beginning or end of life as in age or when one is really sick.<ref>“The very young, the very old, and the infirm, can sometimes see what others are blind to.  This can be very unlucky or very lucky, depending.  The kind of luck that changes the direction of lives, or the unluck that ends them.” - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2020/05/05 Excerpt] from [[Blood Run Cold 0.0]]</ref>