estoria | [open] And as you know I have a gigantic heart

Entry tags:

[open] And as you know I have a gigantic heart

Who: Rise Kujikawa and OPEN!
When: 7/19-7/23 (IC) aka event-time!
Where: Various prompts
What: It started with a goat. Then it all just went downhill from there. AKA Rise Kujikawa and the mysterious memories event.
Rating/Warning: N/A for now, will update if needed

[It started with a goat. Honestly, at first she thought that she'd dreamed it, that maybe it was just an extension of the white feathers she saw in her dreams recently but no. She wakes up and there sure is a wispy little goat at the foot of her bed. She stares…and the goat bleats flatly at her. It's a sad-looking thing, but as she tries to get closer it seems to disappear immediately.

Wow. That's weird.]

A.) is for Academy

[It's a normal school day. With everyone back from the dead and her worries a little more at ease, she can concentrate a little easier. It's quiet in the Study Hall period of the day and she's working on some homework when she spots the goat out of the corner of her eye…approaching a wastebasket. She hasn't realized it can't change much of the world around them, but she'll get that memo as soon as she gets up and stealthily tries to approach the animal.

Of course, the goat suddenly moves and it startles her and her arms suddenly pinwheel as she yells, trying to balance on her high heels so she doesn't bite the dust. Are you going to catch her? Let her fall? Fall with her? Sorry about all of that.]

B.) is for Bad Places Rise Shouldn't Wander

[This goat is seriously way more trouble than it's worth. She's not sure where it came from or why it's in such poor condition, but she's taken to following it around the colony to make sure it doesn't get too far out of her sight. It's for that reason she doesn't even realize she winds up right in the middle of the Pleasure District. The goat's paused, and if it's possible it gives her a knowing look despite its lack of real expression.

(Is it possible that this goat knows about her dungeon?)

She ends up in a staring contest with the goat, narrowing her eyes when she realizes she's standing in front of a love hotel.]

Don't even think about it. [She sure was talking to the goat, but it's not that hard to overhear her.]

C.) is for Cafe

[Everything is exhausting. She's sprawled over a chair almost ungracefully and that goat hovers around near her feet, but at least its not moving. On occasion, she'll be writing neat lines in a notebook and sipping her tea, though she frowning in concentration. There's an extra chair at her table though. Feel free to ask if you can join her or even be nosy about what she's doing, she won't mind.

On the other hand, if you're a friend or even someone she recognizes, she'll look up and smile brightly before pushing the chair out with her foot.]

Hey, over here!

D.) is for Dancing Games

[Sometimes Rise likes to play games. Sometimes Rise likes to use the game station to practice and when she gets bored of dancing in her room this is the next best thing. However, she's found at the game center today in front of one of the dancing games, and as she watches the colorful arrows fall across the screen she's continually missing and whines in frustration.]

Ugh, come on! This should be really easy! [And it would be…if she actually remembered how to dance. It's like all memories and coordination have left her and she's left trying really hard to fix that. Help her? Challenge her? Question her?]

E.) is for Everything Else!

[If you want to run into her while she's out shopping, at work as a model/karaoke star/tofu connoisseur, or if housemates want to do apartment shenanigans here you go!]

[ooc: ALSO if you have a preference on your type of memory please let me know! Otherwise I will be randomizing. Thank you!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[he doesn't really seem to notice, even if his fox seems to be edging warily towards where the goat is; it's slowly inching its way to that space, though stahn thinks little of it at this point.]

Strawberry cake pops... I've never had those; maybe I'll bring some home too to try later. [he's made chocolate ones with kashuu before, so it's not an unfamiliar concept.

but as rise shifts the topic, he'll tilt his head a bit.] ...You too? Aha... I was starting to wonder if it was just me.

[The goat's not moving. This is its space, fox. Back off. If it gets too close though it'll end up moving closer to Stahn. The trouble with Stahn and Rise is that neither are likely to notice what the animals are doing while they're busy talking to each other.]

I think they taste a little better than the chocolate ones, but there are other really good flavors. [It's what she says even if she's looking around to make sure no one's listening.] I was thinking it was just me, too. It happened when you woke up this morning?

[it's true, stahn really isn't paying all that much attention to the fox, who is slowly inching its way towards the goat. shyly, as if it wants to try and do the right things but it's far too nervous.]

Yeah, I didn't notice it before today at all, so I guess this is the first time. I'm... not sure what it is, though.

[Nope. The goat's skittish and not having it and it's slowly turning in a circle to try and keep some distance between it. It's not angry or running away, but it's cautious enough.]

What does it look like? It has a shape, right?

[meanwhile, the fox stops while the goat is moving, nervous beyond belief at the motions. but still, it's curiously hobbling forward.]

It's... a fox, I think. Is yours the same? [he knows that at least one other person had a fox, leon's is a cat—he's wondering just what it's like for other people he knows too.]

[Animal-chicken. That's fine. She shakes her head no and she looks down briefly to watch her goat move forward. It looks like it wants to touch its face to the foxes in some kind of headbutt.]

Mine's a goat. You're not the only one I've met who has a fox though. A girl I met at school has a bird, too. [A pause.] Stahn, you've been here longer than me. Has anything like this happened before?

Not like this... I know a lot of weird stuff happens, but...

[stahn scrunches his nose a bit, shaking his head. if anything similar has happened, it was before he arrived.

either way? bad news for the animals. the goat's movement startles the skittish fox, sending the poor thing careening backwards into rise's foot. oops.]

Nobody else seems to know either. [The poor skittish fox stumbles right into Rise's foot and she doesn't quite know what's happening at first, but she feels a shift and there's a startled "hey!" from her. That's about the time the goat side-steps. It doesn't clomp over to Stahn just yet, but it's getting closer.

But nothing weird will happen because the fox has touched her...right? She's almost sure of it.]

[nothing weird at all. you know, if you ignore the fact that this is a memory sharing situation and that leads directly into... a memory being shared.

which is why a scene begins to play out. it's one of the first conscious conversations between stahn and dymlos, and the first time he's properly having the situation explained to him. it's hardly a bad situation—one that's just alarming and surprising.

stahn has grown a lot since this conversation—he understands much more about the world around, about different kinds of people and situations, and just how bad things can really get when there are threats. but here, he's still a bit more innocent and sheltered; he's never experienced hardship and the events that led into this memory were the first ones where he'd actually felt fear for his life. so while so much is alarming, there's also a sense of warmth and relief that accompanies it.

when woodrow, the third party, enters the room and interrupts their conversation, the memory will fade out.]

[What a coincidence! But in all seriousness she's paying rapt attention to what she's seeing and it's...sweet, almost, the way Stahn seems almost clueless and cute. Then again she'd be a little freaked out if some sword started talking to her, too. She'd be more confused as well if Leon hadn't told her about the Swordians. She's "met" Chaltier, but this is the first time she's really experiencing who Dymlos is. When the memory fades it's...hard not to smile at Stahn even if she's closely monitoring him. She knows how it feels when people see other memories, so before she asks pretty much all of the questions she has, she has other priorities.]

Are you okay, Stahn? [The goat's returned to Rise's side for the time being to give the fox space. She won't ask questions yet. She needs to be sure Stahn will be all right.]

[stahn could probably be better, but only because the sharing of that memory sends a wash of nausea and vertigo over him—which means he's definitely looking a little tense and very pale.

but stahn will be stahn, so after a moment, he'll give rise a weak smile and just nod his head.]

Mm... I'm a little dizzy but... it'll pass. [it should, at least. it did with when he went through this with leon earlier, after all.]

[Stahn please be okay...she's going to turn and catch the attention of one of the robot waiters, grabbing a glass of water and setting it in front of her friend. Even if he insists he's okay, she wants to help.]

So it's happened to you, too. I wasn't sure if all animals caused that or not. [It's a mild sense of disbelief, but after a moment for Stahn to rest she tilts her head.]

If Leon's the Swordian Master of Earth, what are you the master of?

...Thanks. [stahn remains quiet for a minute after the water is in front of him. he wanted to properly answer rise, but getting his bearings first seems a bit more important here.

he draws in a few slow, deep breaths before sipping the water.

it's fine, he'll be fine.

at least after a couple of minutes, he'll be able to answer her question... albeit a bit weakly.]

...I never told you? [well, color stahn surprised. he figured he did.] It's fire. Dymlos, he's the Swordian of Fire.

[She's watching with wide eyes just to make sure he actually will be okay, seemingly pleased that he's taking the water and giving himself a moment to collect himself. She's patiently waiting in her chair, thinking back to what she saw. She knew Stahn was a Swordian, but no. Never.]

Fire and earth. [She muses to herself. Somehow that seems to suit both of them and she can't help but laugh lightly.] He seemed a little impatient with you when you first met. But you're right. Swords usually aren't alive. How do you guys even become masters anyway?

It was kind of complicated... what happened before that. I understand why he was kind of mad then, but he's still kind of grumpy and bossy a lot of the time anyway.

[though it's obvious that even as stahn says that, he's very fond of dymlos. they're partners and friends, so even when they bicker, it doesn't change the strong connection they share.]

I don't really know... I just know he chose me, and I could hear him. [especially because dymlos himself has conflicting stories. but!] I'm the first person in a thousand years who was able to, so...

I think that's pretty special anyway.

That's a really long time. [A thousand years?? How can that even be possible? Well it makes sense in theory, okay, but that's still pretty intense.] I guess it's kind of like our Personas in a way. Not everybody has the power that we do either...I think you're right though. Being a Swordian master sounds pretty special to me.

Does that mean you guys are pretty much bound forever?

Kind of...

[which sounds, weird, but he'll explain it. it's definitely more complicated than this, and there are definitely things not spoken because stahn himself has no idea about them. but whatever.]

We're partners, but he's not really my sword. He belongs to the Kingdom of Seinegald, so when I finish this mission, I have to return him unless I become a soldier.

[the king had already promised him that, he had a spot in their military if he wanted to take it, and dymlos would be given to him to use in that case. but he can't just finish the journey and keep dymlos, and stahn knows that.] I had to do that once before, so I know already that's how it is.

A soldier like...a knight? Like Leon? [Leon's told her he's a knight but he's never mentioned Seinegald to her.] It seems pretty strange that a sentient sword belongs to a whole kingdom instead of just one person. Would you ever want to become a soldier though to keep him?

Mm! [leon's definitely the knight he looks up to most, despite the fact that there are definitely stronger and more reputable ones in seinegald's army.]

The Swordians are special, so... I think I get it. Igtenos was passed on through Phandaria's royal family too... I think that's just the way it worked out, because they're so special. [that's simplifying it a lot. there was a very specific reason dymlos ended up in seinegald's possession, though stahn doesn't yet know the whole of that story.]

When I met Dymlos, it was because I left home to become a soldier, just like my Gramps was! But... I'm not sure I'll become one. I want to see a lot of the world for myself before I make that kind of choice now. I know I can, the King promised me that there was a place for me if I decide to... but I can't decide that until I do more for myself first.

[Careful Stahn, your bias is showing.]

I don't think there's anything wrong with that, you know? I had to take a break for myself, too, when I was deciding if I wanted to continue being an idol. I don't know if I would have gone back without taking the time for myself and without the help from the friends I've made. If you want to do more for yourself before becoming a soldier, then you should. But just how long is your current mission anyway?

[his bias is always showing??? he's not subtle ever.

either way, stahn listens to what rise is saying, nodding his head and humming in understanding. it sounds to him like she went through something similar to what he feels like he needs to do first—he probably should have started in that three-month gap between missions, but being at home with his family had taken precedence, and now...]

Until we're done. If we fail... there won't be anything to return to. [he's literally fighting to save the world from being completely destroyed at this point.]

[...yeah, she feels that, too. They couldn't just leave the murders unsolved. If they'd given up after hearing what Mitsuo had to say, they wouldn't have caught the real culprits and the world would have been destroyed.]

Just don't push yourself too hard and let your friends help you. I know you don't need me to tell you that, but...[She smiles lightly.] At least you have Leon and Dymlos.

[ah.

her words give him real pause—sometimes he forgets that not everyone knows his current situation. a lot of people have learned about what happened to leon. but in the end, he has leon here and that's the only place where it's possible. it's a thought that stings, remembering that he won't have leon there to see the end of the mission when he gets back.]

Ye, yeah. It'll be okay... it has to be okay.

[...hm.]

...are you scared that it won't be in the end?

Eh? No, it's not anything like that. I'm not going to give up until it is.

[open] And as you know I have a gigantic heart

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