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estoria2016-04-02 07:13 pm
lethechained) wrote in estoria2016-04-02 07:13 pm
Entry tags:
[ 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 shopAU 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?]
lethechained and OPEN to passersby/latte lovers/coffee buffs/just about anyone, reallyWhen: 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
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?]
no subject
I didn't see him. [And he would have been hard to miss - she assumed. But her eyes lower toward the suitcase, body leaning a few degrees over the counter, and it's clear enough that she's guessed at his meaning by the time she straightens again, not long after. Well, Baymax is a robot, she supposes, but there's a questioning lilt to her words in an unspoken request for confirmation.] I had no idea he could be so... compact?
[Art is indeed important, however, which is why she's quick to nod.] I've never really thought about it as advertising, but you're right...! Mostly it's just been fun, actually getting to choose for once. [An odd thing to say, given how long she's drawn - but it's not the same as drawing memories all the time. She was forced to branch out, to start drawing things that come from her alone, and as strange as that's felt, it's been liberating, too.] I'm surprised sometimes, what I come up with.
[But she's quite polite about letting him have his time to think things over, and doesn't interrupt. A momentary surprise registers on her face at the choice, matching his, and his 'whatever' doesn't do anything to convince her that it isn't for a reason. It's not the kind of thing she would have expected him to pick, not at all, and his reaction to his own words encourages her suspicions.]
A rose, huh? [Thoughtful - though it could be because she's already contemplating the design.] I can do that. [Her smile rises again, gentle, and she doesn't ask why he picked it. She only says,] Good choice.
[Shifting, she gives him a little wave toward the other part of the counter where the drinks are usually handed out, then turns to slip over to the corresponding section of the work area, where the materials are. Clearly she means for him to follow; normally she'd be working away from the customers' side, but this time she brings what she needs over to the counter usually kept open for handing things off so that he can see without having to come around to her side.]
no subject
[It's only when he follows her to the counter and makes himself comfortable that he addresses the rest of what she's said. He's paying attention, eyes alert and following each of her movements as he nods to himself.]
Figured it might be easy enough for a demonstration. [A rose, he means. In due time he might explain why it was his first instinct but this is about Namine and her art now.] But I know what you mean. Most of the stuff Tadashi and I create has just been for fun and whatever we felt like at the time. I don't mind my job here since it means I get a workshop so I can work on my own projects, too. [He tilts his head then.] You never got a choice before now?
no subject
[In any case, it isn't long before she's properly set up at the counter, eyes on her work as she prepares the latte itself. No art just yet; gotta have the foundation in place first.]
It should be. [Not overly simple but not too hard, either. (As she works, she's mulling it over already. What sort of rose? It can't be like the ones in Castle Oblivion, cold and stone and lifeless. It can't be like Marluxia's flowers, used for wicked ends. No, she thinks - more like Beast's, something living, something cherished and beautiful. ... Sans glass jar.) Regardless of her considerations and her efforts, she listens intently, nodding along without adding anything - until that last part.]
[Her hand tips up, drawing back the cup she was pouring from, and conveniently it coincides with the correct time to stop, but her eyes flick up toward him and she pauses, head still bent to her work. There's a realization in that look, for it's then that she recognizes she's let something slip, and her eyes search him briefly. Despite it not being her intention, the more she thinks about it - it's not so bad for him to know that, is it? So she lowers her eyes again, shoulders moving in the barest suggestion of a shrug.] Not really. Before, I drew what I did because that was what was needed. [It was way of helping her focus her powers, sorting things out in her own head. It wasn't completely necessary, but it wasn't exactly the same manner of creative outlet it would be for other people, either.] But now, it's not like that at all. I have so much freedom that I'm not always sure what to do with it.
[In more aspects of her life than her job. Steady, she begins the actual art. Her touch is a delicate one, every movement careful, calculated. That doesn't seem to stop her, however, from a belated, conversational,]
Is Tadashi a friend of yours?
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[It's about then he realizes he may have overstepped and when she looks at him he keeps his gaze pretty steady. He doesn't regret any of what he's said but he's more than intrigued by the fact that he's accidentally tapped into something else. He doesn't know what she's thinking or what she's done, but he can sort of understand the concept of doing what was needed versus what was wanted. He sighs lightly, if only because he's met too many people who've had similar experiences.] There are a lot of people here that get to experience a lot of new things. Maybe that's the only good part about Cerealia but I think that's considered a win. There's a friend of mine who's never experienced a real vacation before...a few of us are going to change that. And another friend of mine? She ended up getting away from something that wasn't allowing her to be free so...[He waves his free hand.] I guess I'm just saying you're not the only one.
[He stands on his toes a little to watch her work. Yeah, he definitely couldn't do this. There's a light huff of laughter at the question.] I mean yeah there's that, too, but he's also my older brother. He's been here a little longer than I have. [A pause.] He's getting to experience a lot of new things here, too.
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[Oh, he's definitely found something - and maybe it shows in the way that, once she turns her eyes back to her work, they stay stubbornly there, at first, but inevitably her pace slows until she's pausing to study him again, attention much too intent on the words to for her to keep up both at once. There's a subtle, thoughtful sort of downturn to her mouth, eyebrows drawn together, and once he finishes, she doesn't answer right away. Her head tips very slightly, eyes drifting down to her work. Then she says, as though having considered it thoroughly beforehand,] No... I guess I'm not.
[Back to her task, she doesn't look up again as she sorts out a few more petals, but she says,] I forget sometimes how many people there are, out in all those worlds. How-- there must be people somewhere who I would have a lot in common with. [One of the friends he's mentioned, for instance, but she doesn't specify which, or clarify anything beyond the implication.] That's how it is for me, too - I've done so many things here already that I never could have before. Not just with drawing, but-- [Ah, there's really no overstating it, is there?] ... with everything. I'd say that I'm glad I'm not the only one, but I'm not sure that I can.
[Because that means there are other people who have been through something similar, and she wouldn't wish it on anyone, no matter how comforting the thought of not being alone is. The other topic, however, is a much lighter one, and when she gets to that - she brightens visibly, stealing another look up his way.] You have a big brother--? [Her delight at this prospect, peculiar though it might be, is unmistakable.] That's lucky, both of you being here together...! Do you see each other a lot?
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It's…definitely lucky, yeah. [He attempts to smile at that but there's something else that says the circumstances surrounding it are a little tricky, despite the fact he's grateful for it every day.] We shared a bedroom together at home in the attic so we have an apartment here together, too. I see him all the time. We also kinda work in the same place. [Hiro is constantly in Tadashi's shadow some days. That ties into her questions about Baymax though and he doesn't even seem to mind admitting the truth.] Tadashi's actually the one who originally created Baymax. He was a project for school and he sort of bonded with me instead so I guess he's mine now. He doesn't seem to mind or find it uncomfortable due to his design. He's a lot more flexible and malleable than you'd think.
But then again…people are kinda like that too here. [Flexible, he means. People who've experienced new things and are finding their way. He watches her work to make the petals and there's a weird twitch in his chest as it starts to really look like a rose.] I don't see why you can't say it if it's the truth. I don't know about you but I'm from a place where there's really only one world in our solar system that people can live on. Coming here and knowing there are a ton of other worlds out there and that I want to see a bunch of them? It's kind of intense. Besides between you and me? I think it's a little easier to be here if you know other people kinda get it.
[That's why he's grown. That's why he chooses to fight. He's met people who understand him and people he wants to save.]
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[Like after that first portion of his answer, when she glances up at him naturally in tandem with her own smile, only for it to waver, because even in as short a look as that she can see that there's something amiss with him. What it could be she isn't certain, but it's easy enough to guess that there are complications of some indeterminate nature with his brother. It doesn't sound like a failing in their relationship, exactly, but she hasn't got enough information to make an assumption one way or another, and her familiarity with siblings is sketchy at best. Instead, she listens as she always does, brows raising at the mention of who really made Baymax and lowering again, deeper than before, toward the end.]
It sounds like you and your brother are both very talented. [There's a soft sort of thoughtfulness to it; that's the part she responds to first because the rest is still percolating, still simmering under the surface.] There are a lot of people where I come from who can do some pretty amazing things, but I've never known anyone who could create someone like Baymax, or any other sort of robot. [She's primarily had to learn about that type of entity since coming to Cerealia, in fact.] If I ever meet Tadashi, I'll have to tell him so, too. [There goes the stem, cleanly, delicately curving.] I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of the two of you.
[But there's no malice in it; it's said so placidly that despite the lack of any explanation as to why, her tone makes it fairly obvious that it's more a token jealousy than the actual emotion. It isn't for their technological skill - no, it's the first part she covets, that togetherness and the comfort of having a family, having someone with whom there is the unbreakable bond of blood. As a Nobody, she can claim no such relation... not even to parents.]
[Exhaling, she shapes a leaf. Midway through it, she seems to come to a conclusion about how to address the rest of his words, and begins,] Where I'm from, there are several worlds close together. Not very many people ever have the chance to see more than one of them - but most people never know that the others exist to begin with, either. So I would say... [The end of that leaf takes form. She begins another.] ... you're halfway there. [It's not so simple as that, is never so simple - but he's already proven himself capable enough in the realm of technology. It's not hard for her to imagine him finding some way to manage it, if he's truly dedicated to it.]
[That's something for another time, though, and she sets it aside.] I think it's easier, too - when other people understand. No matter what the situation. But... [And here she pauses. The art is nearing its completion, though deciding what other touches to add isn't why she stops, the corners of her mouth turning down.] ... there are some things that shouldn't be shared. [Except that doesn't sound right at all, does it? And so she clarifies.] There are some things-- that I would never wish on anybody.
[Frowning, she begins to move again. A little adjustment here, a little addition there.] So if more than one person has had those kind of experiences, or suffered through the same things - it's hard to be glad about that, even if it does make it seem less lonely.
no subject
I guess you could say that we're both talented. [Let's start there. But there's an encouraging smile that says yes, Namine, please go meet his dumb nerd brother someday.] He made Baymax and I made his armor and upgraded him. It's one of those things that took both of us to create something really, really good. It's sort of the same way things only work here if people are working together no matter how talented they are. There's a ton of people here I wish I were as good as in other places.
[Stronger. Better.] Some people get that way due to bad circumstance. Some people get that way because they choose to take the bad route in things. Where do you draw the line in commiserating and feeling sorry for someone? I think that's the real question here. Trust me...there're things I'd never wish on anybody else either.
[He wants to ask her about the other worlds and if she's seen them and about where she's from, but again...one thing at a time.]
no subject
[The frown from before eases away as a glance up catches his smile and her mouth softens into one, too. To her own surprise, there’s a sassy, ‘I think I just did,’ that threatens to escape her lips, but she refrains from interjecting with it. There’s only so much teasing that the poor girl can manage before her fear of overstepping begins to outweigh the perceived benefits of remaining jovial. Observationally, she offers instead,] They do say two heads are better than one. [And she’s more than able to recognize the value of cooperation. All the clearer, maybe, for having seen what the lack of it can cause.] I suppose everyone has things they wish they were better at.
[Which is actually a subject that’s been on her own mind, lately – the desire to be stronger. Not for her own sake, exactly, but for others. This has proven a dangerous place already, and the idea of being a burden on those around her does not sit well with her.]
[Her solemnity returns as she finishes adding the last touches – the barest suggestion of thorns and a little darkening round the edges of the cup, as though the rose is glowing – and she says,] I’m sure there are. [It’s a quiet thing, but her eyes flick up toward him again just for a moment, and if one didn’t know better, one might call it an almost knowing sort of look. She clarifies:] I think most people can say that, one way or another. [And she’s never been one to draw the line he mentioned; she’s never felt bad for feeling bad for someone, no matter what form it took. Some people might take offense, but to her, it’s all the same thing – sympathy, pure and simple, and the desire to make life a little easier for the other person.] But you’re right. Hurt teaches in ways nothing else can. I’ve… seen mistakes change people for the better more times than I can count. [And that concept was fundamental to her handling of the incidents with the journal, in truth. Data Roxas didn’t get it from nowhere.] … And for worse, too. It’s amazing, how delicate the balance is. Too much, and it can break you. Too little, and you never learn anything at all.
[It sounds suspiciously like she’s given this more thought than the average person might see fit to, based on her tone, but she chooses that moment to nod subtly to herself, final inspection of her work complete. With great care, she nudges it closer to his side of the counter so gently that the art doesn’t so much as visibly shift, then raises her head to give him a proper smile.]
There. All done.
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So he remains quiet, though his expression says enough. He agrees enough, and though he appears to be more focused on the rose he’s nodding along.]
Maybe someday it’ll be a lot easier to figure out how to keep that balance, huh? [It’s all he says on the matter even if he seems to want to ask more. But instead, he smiles briefly as he examines the rose, standing on his toes to see a little better.]
The fact that you did all of that while talking is really what impresses me. Thanks a lot. [He pauses for a moment, fishing his CereVice out of his pocket and turning on the camera to take a picture of it.] Kinda seems like a shame to drink it now.
[That, and he wants to show Ruby when she comes back. (If she comes back.)]
Maybe you should start giving advice as a side-business, too.
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[As bittersweet an idea it is to put into practice. She's had more experience with the application of that theory of hurt versus learning than she'd care to admit, and so she keeps mum on the subject, content enough to let it pass. Another person would probably lean on the counter, but she only rests her hands lightly on it, back remaining upright as she considers the rose from her position, which makes it appear upside-down.]
You learn to multitask in a place like this. There's always something going on. [Except she learned to multitask before, when her mind was busy prying into the depths of hearts while her hands occupied themselves with drawing what she saw there. It wasn't a conscious thing, not at all, and thus she seeks some more recent explanation for it.] It's never as quiet as I'm used to. [Although it actually is at the moment, which she realizes a moment late. Casting a glance around, she takes note that it is awfully calm, for once. There's still no one clamoring for a drink.] Or it... isn't, most of the time.
... But you're welcome. [Settling again, she blinks at the appearance of his CereVice, at first not realizing his intention. Once she does, it brings a smile to her face, one that blossoms quickly and lingers.] Oh, it's alright. I can always make you another.
[Even though truthfully, that's always been something of a sticking point for her, too. It's a bit sad, seeing something created only to disappear so quickly. (Reminds her too much of herself.) Part of her's always wanted to be remembered, and creating something that will outlive her, something that's real, has always been one of the things that actually did appeal to her emotionally about drawing. It's surprisingly comforting to think that there'll be a picture of that rose, now, rather than this one being destroyed and forgotten like the other artwork that makes its way onto peoples lattes.]
[Her shoulders jump with her surprised laugh at his suggestion, incredulous but delighted.] Advice? [Ironically, for all that she tries her best to guide others, it's always been a component of her nature or else a matter of necessity. No one's called attention to it before, and so she's hardly ever had cause to think of herself as an advisor. So she can ask with sincerity,] What would I give advice about?
I'm so sorry I thought I answered this...
[Having too much quiet gives him too much time to think and that leaves room to think about scary things. Even with the picture he doesn't quite move to take a drink, pocketing the device to wrap his hands around the cup instead.]
But yeah, advice. And…I don't know. I guess about whatever makes the most sense. You've given me stuff to think about at least. That's something don't you think? [He looks down at the rose again.] It kinda takes talent to know what to say without trying too hard. That's all.
Shhhhh, no worries! /o/ It happens!
[And she's more than familiar with how much the quiet can cause one's mind to drift in directions one would rather it not. She had a year of near silence, after all, and plenty on her conscience to keep her thoughts busy the whole time. It's a wonder she didn't go insane. Idle, her eyes linger on the cup for a moment before moving back up toward his face as he speaks.]
I suppose it is. [Giving him something else to think about is... good, she imagines, if her earlier assessment counted for anything. Her thoughts catch on that subject in particular, focus moving back to the rose a moment or two after his does in a silent gesture of consideration. While she isn't quite so quick to accept the idea that that 'talent' is one she possesses, it does provide her with an opportunity.]
Can I tell you a secret? [There's a note of humor to it, but it's barely there in comparison to the joking of before. The secret, such as it is, is obviously not actually one at all, and that much can probably be deduced from the way she says it. Her voice is gentle more than anything else, and her shoulders move in a muted approximation of a shrug.] Knowing what to say is all about knowing how to listen. [Or when to, which is always, as far as she's concerned.] If you listen carefully, people can tell you how to help them without even realizing they've done it. And... sometimes what helps them the most is just giving them the chance to say what they need to say.
[Like, for instance, if something is clearly weighing on them but they appear to be reticent to talk about it. Just as an example.]
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Maybe someday he'll understand why she understands so well. What a day that'll be. Still, he can't help but smirk lightly when he picks up on the joking tone and he sighs through his nose, unable to help rolling his eyes a little.]
And I'll tell you a secret that I'm not always the best listener. But I'm trying. [There is that. But Hiro's still brash and Hiro still plans to do as he pleases even if his motivations and goals have changed.] …that's the thing about this place. You start meeting people or seeing people again that need your help and sometimes you've gotta wonder if you really can. [It's similar to a conversation he'd had with Mary about Roxas, and he thinks back to his conversation with Tadashi.] And if they don't know what to say or how to say it? How do you do it then?
[…perhaps…he's speaking a little more from experience than he'd like to let on.]
no subject
Well, as long as you're giving it your best. [Said with open amusement and a laugh threatened below her voice. Along a slow, inaudible exhale, she thereafter sobers back into thoughtful attention as he continues. She seems to give her answer thorough consideration before speaking it, a soft hum under her breath.]
Sometimes... there isn't anything you can do to help. [And it's Roxas she thinks of, too. Of how she always wished she could do more for him, could make things easier, could make it so he didn't have to suffer, didn't have to sacrifice. She tried her best, but she knew that in the end there really was no getting around what had to happen, no matter how unpleasant it might be for all parties involved.] At least, nothing that can fix what's really wrong.
[Her fingers curl together, lips pursing slightly in thought. There's a hint of a downturn at the corners of them.] But-- when that happens, all you can do is try your hardest to be there for them anyway. There may not be a right thing to say. Sometimes the answer is just to give them time, or space, or.... [Her thoughts have begun to stray in a direction she doesn't care for; her brows draw together just for a moment and then she's forcing them apart again, urging neutrality back into her expression and thought processes both.] ... help take their mind off of what's bothering them. Words aren't always the best choice.
[And certainly not the only choice. (Listening, however, she would still maintain as not being optional.)]
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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.]
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[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'?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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[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.
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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.
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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?
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But people can't easily create new memories like that, can they?
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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. ]
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