estoria | [ OPEN ]

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[ OPEN ]

Who:

lethechained and OPEN to passersby/latte lovers/coffee buffs/just about anyone, really
When: Any day (or multiple days!) between or including IC date 6/11 to 6/16
Where: A coffee shop in the Shopping District
What: Latte foam art and coffee shop AU shenanigans, mostly. Someone’s gotta keep Naminé busy at her new job, right? Feel free to request specific subjects for said art or let her think of something on her own.
Rating/Warning: None!

[ A. ]

[The shop is cute, cozy and pleasant with the smell of coffee so thick in the air that it’s nearly enough to give one a caffeine high all on its own. The sign says there's a special on lattes with a little side note about them including custom art, whatever that means, and plenty of space to sit and wait should one decide to order said beverages – or any other, for that matter. There’s a young blonde girl who can’t be much more than five feet tall bustling around behind the counter, so surely it won’t be long before--]

[Ah, there we go, she’s turned to read off the name of the owner of the most recently made drink. Her voice might be a little quiet for it, but surely one would recognize their own name, right? (Or whichever one they happened to give.)]

[ B. ]

[It’s gotten a bit slow lately, so instead of wandering around in the other part of the work area, that same blonde girl is at the register, regarding anyone who looks even remotely likely to come and order something with a passive sort of interest, whether they’re inside the shop or outside of it.]

[At least she’s attentive? Even if she might be staring a little. (A lot.)]

[ C. ]

[Everyone’s gotta take a break, right? That’s what this young lady seems to be doing – she’s still dressed for work – while sitting at one of the tables, sketchbook laid out in front of her as she draws away with a set of colored pencils. She might, in fact, happen to be sketching several of the customers. She also appears to have an only lightly sipped at drink in front of her, and it’s… actually water, ironically enough.]

[ D. WILDCARD ]
[Choose your own (coffee-related) adventure?]

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[A bit on the back foot though she might be, Naminé isn't too perturbed - confused, mostly, and a bit uncertain, but she has no cause to think it'll not be okay. Which is why, when a smile is offered to her, she can offer a slightly larger one back.]

I'd like that.

[Sincere, and every bit as much so as it would have been before groping came up as a theoretical possibility. (Truthfully, touch of any kind has a tendency to make her nervous. It doesn't even have to be inappropriate; she's had too many bad experiences not to be a little stymied by such things.)]

I'll have to think of something nice to draw for you, too, since I'm doing something special for her.

[Surprisingly, he can handle sad. He's been getting better about navigating people and empathizing with people, to say the least.

Still, he doesn't appear too happy with the idea there isn't anything he can do to always help. It's his job to fix things and be a hero, he thinks. The idea of not being able to help always…it's strange. It's stranger that this never would have bothered him prior to the events of the last couple of months here and at home.]

If I'm going to do my best, my best is going to be what fixes everything. [There's no other option in some cases. If he can't solve things? He's not doing his best at all. Saving people like Tadashi requires more than his best, anyway.]

…but maybe you're right. [He knows she is even if he's having a hard time accepting it. After all, space and time is what did it for him. He watches the way her eyebrows knit together and it concerns him enough to continue studying her features. She's way too delicate for it to go unnoticed anyway.] Maybe I should be apologizing to you for asking the hard-hitting questions, too. [There's a huff of a laugh, though it's hardly amused.] I woke up a few days ago and the person I'd normally tell disappeared on me. I'm still kind of waiting. [But that doesn't make it fair to use her like this is really what he's getting at.]

[It's such a hero's way of thinking about things. Saving everyone, fixing every problem - a worthy goal, but an unattainable one. Futility and helplessness are things with which Naminé is uncomfortably familiar, and as someone who would never take such a title for herself, she has no hesitation about being brutally honest in her perspective; sometimes, there's truly nothing you can do.]

[And yet, for all that she disagrees, it's almost nice to hear him say that - as though it were really as simple as doing one's best. Realist or not, she can appreciate that sort of... optimism, for lack of a better word. He'll surely come to accept it one way or another, she thinks, even if he still tries to deny it now. She can only hope that it doesn't cause too much hurt along the way.]

[The suggestion that he might need to apologize to her rather effectively shakes her out of any other thoughts on that matter, her expression shifting into genuine surprise and then straight into concern of her own.] You don't have to apologize for that. I like talking to you. [Which... means accepting the questions, too, it seems. She doesn't make any distinction between normal conversation and discussing such difficult topics. (Maybe that's because all her conversations before Cerealia were like that - tied up with complications and tough questions.)] If something's on your mind, I'm happy to help you work it out. That's the least I can do.

[Step one of knowing what to say, right? The listening. Which means she's also caught on to something else, and now that she's said her peace on that one subject, she of course has to ask, though with a touch of caution,] But what do you mean, they... 'disappeared on you'?

Edited 2016-05-10 01:25 (UTC)

[Unfortunately, touch played a big part in any interaction with Kaoru, as Shiho would tell her. Maybe it has to do with the psychokinesis, or maybe it's just her way of telling the world that despite the fact she could lift a jet, she knew how to be very gentle.]

See? You're a charmer through and through.

[But Shiho smiles as she says it, a little teasingly but otherwise entirely content and happy.]

...but thank you. I'll look forward to seeing it, then.

[He'll never really admit it, but he's absolutely an idealist. Optimism is a little too much of a stretch, but idealism. He can do that. Still, he watches her expression flicker through a few different faces before she settles on surprise and concern, rendering another short grin.]

I'll keep that in mind. You're not so bad yourself, you know? I don't like that they keep bringing people here, but sometimes it's nice.

[And he says that solely so he can slide right into the next line of conversation.] But...like how CERES brings people in, CERES can also send people out. Sometimes they're gone for three days, sometimes they're gone for months, sometimes they're gone forever. Sometimes they return to the Nexus Code, sometimes...other things happen to them. But we haven't figured out who they choose and why it happens. The best guess we have is that their code needs tweaking, so CERES pulls them out of the colony.

[Another pause.] I've had five friends disappear out of nowhere in the last couple of days. I'm hoping they show up tomorrow, and if they don't I need to find them. They're all very important to me. [....] Okay, three of them are very important to me, one of them is a good guy, and the other is important to two of the people important to me. I've been trying to find a way to stop this from happening but I haven't figured it out yet.

[It's one of those things Naminé really just needs to get used to. So many people here have been far more touchy feely with her than she's ever experienced before - she's had her hands held and shoulders touched way more in a few days than the rest of her life so far. Maybe it's for the best if she does hang out with someone well and truly handsy. Exposure therapy, and all that.]

[For now, she smiles back, every bit as content. It's a bright smile, even as she straightens a little with some internal realization.]

Ah-- I should probably let you get back to your day...! [And the latte, if it hasn't already gotten cold by now.] Sorry, I... was having too much fun talking to you, I guess.

[Whoops!]

[For all that she's concerned about the implications of what he's so recently said, she can't help cracking a brief smile of her own. 'Not so bad' is more than she'd be willing to say of herself, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like hearing it. All she slips in on the subject is a quiet,]

I don't mind being here.

[Which feels like the natural thing to say, if only to address any aspect of that subject which might bother him. The more she thinks of it after the fact, the more she'll realize how true what she said is - but for now the next subject catches her attention and holds it.]

['Five--?' she almost echoes, her mouth shaping the word but voice never quite following up on it. Five? And all at the same time, no less. Well, it makes sense now why he might be a bit down; Naminé sort of deflates, herself, because she doesn't even have five people she could freely call friends but the idea of losing that many all at once may be all the worse for it. Horrified,] I'm so sorry...!

[-- Ah, but she can't go writing it off as a great loss that quickly, can she? After all, he did say he's still waiting, and that they might be back. Reminding herself of this, she straightens a little. Probably better not to linger on how awful this might turn out to be and focus on the facts. (That doesn't stop her from looking at him for a long moment with unmistakable sympathy, openly sad for his sake, but she tucks her chin a little and averts her eyes for the time it takes to sort her expression into something a bit less - noticeable. The frown sticks around, but it's smaller than before.)] Is it-- normal for them to take so many people at once?

[He holds up a hand like he's saying she shouldn't be sorry, brushing off the subject just a bit. If he thinks about how horrific the whole thing is, he'll actually start to lose his mind a little. Focusing on the facts and the hope that they'll be back soon is much easier. It's also easier to answer questions for her like someone had done for him once upon a time. So there's a matching expression on his face as he huffs under his breath.]

I wouldn't call it normal, no. Sometimes they take one or two people but this is the first I've heard at least of them taking a lot. Four of them are from the same world, but one isn't. That's the even weirder part. But they're all a little similar in certain ways, and the one who isn't from the same world knows at least three of the others.

But then again, they bring in a lot of you guys all at the same time and that is normal for this place. I can't figure it out.

[As much as it feels like the sort of subject that shouldn't be brushed off, she can definitely see how that might be easier. That's why she tried not to linger on it, herself. Her instinct might be to encourage him to talk it out, but she can take her own advice; sometimes it's best just to give people time. There may not even be anything to talk out, yet.]

[Fingers curling against her mouth, she rests her opposite hand lightly against her forearm. Theories - theories are more palatable.] That's odd. Although I suppose - if it really is something in their code that needs to be changed, it makes sense. Maybe they share that part of it, if they're from the same world, or it's connected to one of the other things they have in common...? [Really, she's just kind of looking at it the same way she would memories, despite not knowing too much about traditional coding. If several people had a memory in common, it wouldn't do to change one version and not the others. Which means of course she has to start wondering about the implications of this on those involved - not that she didn't already.]

Do they actually come back different? The people who show up again, I mean.

You don't have to apologize.

[Because despite the fact that her latte was now cold, she doesn't seem to have minded at all.]

I had a lot of fun too. [And all she has to get back to is her detective work (which only takes her seconds thanks to psychometry). But she supposes that Kaoru shouldn't be left alone for too long. The girl clung like an octopus.

With a little laugh at the thought, she gives the other girl a nod.]

But I'll let you get back to your latte art, and maybe I'll see you around, Naminé.

[There's a flicker of something like relief in her expression. Telling her not to apologize is probably a futile effort, but she appreciates it all the same. It's only after that that she thinks to glance toward where the orders are placed - as she's only presently begun to expect, there are a few waiting for her attention. Whoops.]

Yes, I should-- probably get back to work.

[But it's hard to feel properly guilty about it, despite how her cheeks color with belated embarrassment, and she lets out a breathy laugh of her own. Offering an only half shy smile,]

Until later, then...! I hope you and your friend both have wonderful days.

[She even lifts a hand to give a little wave.]

[it's true that the set for today definitely did help in bringing them together. well, the need for some caffeine to keep his attention while waiting around for his part did. waiting around during takes and re-takes gets real dull real fast. no worrying about what ifs come from his end. if not one thing then another probably would've brought them together. this big city really isn't all that big.]

I never thought picking up a caffeine habit [just a habit, it's not an addiction. yet.] could be called lucky.

[a comment said with a joking tone to it. speaking of the caffeine... he takes another sip of his drink before speaking again.]

Good job with this, too, it tastes great.

[her working at a coffee shop... fits. a nice, if lively job where she doesn't have to be cooped up alone. namine, of all people, deserves it. similarly, she deserves no one else having to know the details of her past. unless she opts to share it herself, no one'll know since riku plans on keeping that little secret to himself.]

It's all solid theorizing but...[He shrugs. He can understand why everyone from Remnant would disappear, but why Yu?] I'll have to ask when they come back. See what happens. When two other friends of mine, Sorey and Mikleo, disappeared, they both came back with more memories than they'd left with. They're from the same world, they've known each other for forever.

I guess you could say everybody comes back differently either by remembering more things from home, or not remembering this place at all. People say I've been here before, too, and I don't remember any of it.

[The city feels a lot bigger to her than it probably actually is. Perspective makes it so, because her world, despite how many memories of other lives she had access to, has always been so small. At its largest, it may as well have been only a few rooms put together and a handful of people, and the rest of the universe, though she recognized its vastness and the responsibilities she had to it, may as well have existed only in theory. It really is good for her to work somewhere that she can see more new and familiar faces every day, somewhere she can meet people without pressure or undue stress.]

[That, and she does make a darn good latte. To be told as much, though, seems to catch her pleasantly off-guard, and she tucks her chin slightly, smiling.]

Does it? I'm glad. I don't drink them, myself.

[No caffeine addiction for her - unless it gets absorbed through her skin. (She's going to smell like coffee for a while now, she suspects.) And truthfully, she trusts him to keep mum about her... situation. Enough so that she doesn't naturally think to ask him to, because she's sufficiently comfortable in her assessment of him to presume that they've something of an understanding; she'll not go telling on him, either.]

But I guess it is lucky, this time. [Or she feels awfully lucky, anyway, and that's not a common experience for her.] I was afraid I was the only one here who came from our worlds and still-- [Now she sobers a little further.] -- still remembered everything.

[For a given value of 'everything'. The more she learns, the more she begins to wonder.]

[There's a little tip of her head in response to his shrug, as if to concur. Theories are theories, after all - and awfully hard ones to prove, in this case. And she means to nod, to agree that it's word investigating, but then the subject of memories themselves comes up and that rather effectively stops her in her tracks.]

More memories--?

[For some reason, this in particular seems to bother her. It also causes her to come to a realization, if the sudden look of epiphany that flits briefly over her face is any indication. (Privately, she thinks it quite unfortunate that he has supposedly forgotten so much, and even more so that anyone could lose that many memories because the very thought turns her stomach, but that's another of those things she's not sure it's wise to linger on.)]

And they believe that they're... genuine? [Which is an odd thing to ask, perhaps, but it's very seriously spoken.] That the new memories are of things that really happened?

Uh huh. [He didn't seem to understand why it was such a big deal, but it's here he finally, finally takes a sip of his coffee, still being careful not to totally destroy the rose.] They said that they matched up with what they both knew and they both claimed to go home for months. Either it's genuinely true that CERES recovered more data for them, or they're fabricating it and it isn't real.

But people can't easily create new memories like that, can they?

[He may not understand, but she's entirely too busy being thoroughly offended by even the possibility of memory alteration for reasons she's not entirely sure she wants to explore to fret over that. The very idea makes her skin crawl, and not just because that's a domain she's never known anyone else to intrude upon before. It's bad enough that she was able to do that kind of thing - but a thousand times worse that someone else, someone with almost certainly nefarious ends, could possibly do it unchecked-- she's practically muttering to herself.]

But if they were gone at the same time....

[Her head jerks back up at his question, a pair of quick blinks signaling her return from her own considerations. Her eyes move away again almost immediately, her expression drawing into something that only manages not to be a grimace because her lips press too tightly together.]

Not easily. [She looks awfully grim about it. Oh, she has no intention of going into the details,] ... But it's not impossible. [If you happen to be, say, a witch with power over memories. Still - she knows she hasn't been doing it, so either that means there might be someone else who can do the same (worst possible outcome) or... come to think of it,] Although I suppose - if they really can just change code, that might make the process much simpler. Besides, they fabricate all kinds of things, don't they? That ViViD level looked pretty real.

[... Which seems to ease some of the tension out of her shoulders, even though she's. You know. Not happy about the possibility that they can just change code instead of using unique magic, either. (Is that worse? It's probably worse, even though it doesn't feel worse.) Ah, but it's all conjecture to begin with - perhaps the memories really are genuine. It's just that her instinct, unfortunately, is to think along the lines that she's used to, and those are the sort that involve memory manipulation more commonly than time travel or the recovery of data from some point in the distant past. She'll get there eventually, but her first thoughts on the matter are quite unpleasant ones. ]

Edited (GOSH DANG IT) 2016-05-13 02:56 (UTC)

[It's not exactly something he wants to think about either or believe is true, but no matter how you look at it the answer isn't a pretty one.]

It's hard to say what the real difference between this place and ViViD is, other than we're being even further digitized inside the game itself while being code in this place. It's true they can fabricate stuff, but...I mean for example, you can't really take anything outside of ViViD that they don't allow which is usually nothing. They're pretty strict about that kind of thing. The only thing I can think is maybe they're doing this because they think people need certain memories.

[Pretty answers are a sort she's never really had the opportunity to get used to. It's a bit sad, but that probably makes things easier to deal with now.]

[In any case, the 'why' of it is sufficient distraction from the 'how', and - now that she's had a moment to parse it, actually, she does remind herself that she oughtn't be jumping to conclusions. Just because reshaping people with false memories is how she'd do it, were she prone to megalomania, doesn't mean that's what's happening now. Maybe it really is more like what they've claimed. (If she deflates a little, that's probably a good sign. She seems less troubled thinking about other things, at least.)]

It seems kind of fishy to me, but I can't say I know that much about how it might work. [Aside from having hijacked data for her own purposes and manipulated and or created theoretically sentient data-based life inside a journal that was able to transcend its initial limitations, but details. Magic doesn't count.] But... yes, that would make sense. Even seemingly insignificant experiences can change the way people do things, and if they were trying to make them stronger-- or weaker, that's one good way to do it.

[And, you know, again, it's how she'd go about it. That's why she dislikes the prospect so much.]

The memories that your friends had when they came back - were they mostly good ones, or were they bad?

Edited 2016-05-16 04:36 (UTC)

[smelling like coffee isn't the worst thing ever. it beats smelling like garbage, something which riku had to deal with on his first day here.

the mention of remembering gets riku to glance over at her. ah, sounds like she met up with roxas. as lucky as one of them remembering her is, having yet another person not remember can't be fun. well, it's not that roxas doesn't remember, but more that he doesn't actively know her yet. a mental note gets made to explain this. it might not make things any better, but not knowing beats having yet another person not recall her.]

My memory isn't half as bad as Sora's.

[riku says as much jokingly. though it's also true. unlike the lazy bum, he doesn't take needless long naps or forget things or all the other stuff that sora does. his expression sobers up a bit after taking another sip.]

But I'm guessing you bumped into Roxas?

[Of the two, coffee is definitely what she'd prefer. She doesn't mind the smell, really. It has some good associations for her already.]

[It clearly weighs on her, however, to have been forgotten even one more time. Perhaps understandably, there are parts of her psyche very ill-served by such a turn of events and more than one insecurity made all the worse. There's some added offense that it's Roxas, who to her knowledge would have no reason to forget, and there's at least some small portion of the back of her mind that fears, no matter how irrationally, that it's because she is just that forgettable.]

[She's dangerously close to wilting from this line of thinking when he speaks so jokingly. It shakes her out of her thoughts, her eyes raising again, and despite herself she finds the edges of her mouth are curling.]

Well, somebody's got to make sure things get done when he's too busy snoozing.

[Her answer is softer than it should be, the attempt at humor there but a little halfhearted. It ebbs away at his question, the troubled look returning to her expression. Her hands unconsciously curl together.]

... Yes. When I first came in. I tried to talk to him, but he didn't recognize me at all. [But if Riku put it that way - she turns her frown up toward him, gaze searching.] You've seen him, too?

[He's nodding along because yes, it seems fishy to him, too, even without magical witch powers like she has that he's unaware of.] I've never really thought about it before coming here really. It's the kind of thing you hear about in movies and video games, not really in real life. There's that thing called the Butterfly Effect where even the smallest ripple can change an entire universe. It's a little freaky to think about.

...in a way? They were good and bad memories, I think. They accomplished what they needed to do, but some other things happened to them that weren't much better until they actually came back to this place. It was all kind of a mix. But they both seemed okay if that's what you mean.

I don't think I've heard that name before, but - it is... 'freaky', isn't it? [She's very familiar with the delicacy of that kind of thing. Usually she just had to work through it and hope to high heaven everything fit together correctly. Actively thinking about it, though, it is pretty disconcerting.] If one little thing were changed, either of us could have been completely different people. We might never have met, or had this conversation, or even wound up in the colony at all.

[... Okay, yeah, maybe that's not a good topic to linger on. Too weird. Anyway, that answer's informative enough. It indicates that, if there is some kind of memory alteration going on, they're at least not terrible enough at it to go too far one way or the other. She nods, still thoughtful but considerably less bothered than before.]

Well... I'm glad. It sounds like it could have been a lot worse for them. [But ah, come to think of it, that's probably not a great topic, either. She belatedly grows slightly sheepish.] -- Sorry. I probably shouldn't ask so many questions about that while... [His other friends are still missing. Way to go, Naminé.] ... You know.

It's sort of morbid but it's also kind of interesting to read about. I could probably find you a book on the theory if you were ever interested. [It's just enough in the realm of science that he finds it interesting.] But that's exactly it. It's why CERES says they're really particular about the data they recover to make sure it matches exactly the way it should. That's the thing about coding and even genetics. One slip and you end up with a different hair color or missing a limb or something. Not good.

[But he sighs lightly when she apologies, giving her another reassuring smile.] I'd be a little more upset about it if I didn't know they'd all come back and at least remember me. Or come back at all. [A pause.] They're all really strong, but I know for sure at least one of them wouldn't leave me behind if she could help it. If she comes back, three of the others are bound to come back, and the last one...he's got a lot left to do here. I don't think he'd accept not coming back either. I'll just have to be prepared for whatever they come back with.

A book? [She perks at that. Now that she thinks of it - there are books on a lot of things, aren't there? It's not as though she's had much opportunity to read any before now, but the prospect is actually one she's quiet amenable to. The rest takes precedent, however, and she settles again until an opportunity presents itself to speak.] ... I can't say that they're wrong about that. I'm just - not sure whether to be happy about their attention to detail or disturbed by it. [Since, after all, if they're really careful about every bit of data, couldn't that also theoretically mean personally inspecting it? All one's personal information and best kept secrets included? The idea's enough to make her skin crawl.] But - if you find any good books about that, I'd be happy to hear about them. Don't go to any trouble for me.

[And she doesn't have the heart to disagree with him about the rest of it. That really is an idealistic way to look at things, because even as little as she knows about the process, she's not convinced strength and determination to return have anything to do with it. Ah, but what does she know? Maybe it's more complicated than it seems like it would be, and maybe it's better to look at it his way. So he gets a smile back, a gentle thing that's only slightly hesitant, half to accept his reassurance and half to offer the same thing back.] Well, you know them better than I do. [Which is to say she doesn't. At all.] You must really think highly of them, to have so much faith. I hope it all works out like you think it will. [A beat. There's a little laugh somewhere under her breath, mouth quirking slightly higher.] If they're as stubborn as you say, I'd be curious to meet them for myself.

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