[closed]

[protectthecastle]

Who: mitochondrialeve & protectthecastle
When: 8/13 (IC)
Where: The park
What: A princess takes one of her customary walks with her cat and bumps into someone whom she still suspects has a twin
Rating/Warning: None

---

[It was incredibly normal to Veronica to take her daily walks, wandering wherever she wanted, exploring all she could of the colony, picnicking in the park, and simply poking her nose into every shop that looked interesting whether it was a coffee shop or one of the incredibly seedy ones that most people didn't think princesses belonged in. Still, she takes each and every experience as a learning opportunity, observing the way people talked to one another, listening to them, fascinated by the wonderful variety of life that she saw all around her.

She's just heading into the park, Rahzel the CYBuddy cat tucked against her shoulder when she catches sight of a very familiar head of hair. Is it Lucy? Or is it the girl with the garden? She hesitates for only a moment before making her way over.

Figuring out who it actually was would be the work of a moment. Having her walk off and potentially missing her was something she didn't want to take a chance on.]

Comments

[saudadist]

[ Really, there's naturally very little to no difference between Lucy and Nyuu, but the easiest giveaway is their expressions and posture. Whereas Nyuu would be upright with her back straight, head up high, and her eyes bright, Lucy's posture is relaxed but with a hint of tenseness, and her gaze is impassive as she tilts her head down to the rose bush she's walking next to. She does pick her head up some, however, as she realizes someone's coming closer. She stiffens for a moment, but instead takes to looking puzzled as she recognizes Veronica. ]

You're... [ To make things more awkward, she blanks on her name entirely. ]

[protectthecastle]

[The puzzled look makes Veronica pause, her tone quieter and softer even as she smiles, examining the girl's face and trying to figure out who this was.]

My name is Veronica.

[saudadist]

[ She nods slowly, putting a name to a face and a face to an event. She has the faintest feeling she saw her in between then and now, but that was probably Nyuu's doing. She can only imagine how well that went, but it's best not to dwell on such things, she supposes. ]

I remember you. The carnival.

[protectthecastle]

[So this is the girl that she met at the carnival. Veronica's smile brightens on realizing this.]

Yes. I had wanted to thank you for the dragon plush but I had not gotten the chance.

[And to talk to her as well about the fact that she has a face twin here apparently.]

[saudadist]

[ Lucy nods, but her cheeks turn the faintest shade of pink in doing so. She'd only meant to lighten her load of plush dolls, so being thanked for it feels a little weird. ]

You're welcome.

[protectthecastle]

[She has the plushie on her bed and occasionally takes picture of her CYbuddy cat playing with it.]

And may I speak to you of something?

[saudadist]

[ Right away she feels a slight inkling of dread, as others wanting to talk to her tends to take bad turns. But, she tells herself, there's very little Veronica could do or say to actually threaten her, so why not just let her ask? ]

Oh...yeah, I guess. What is it?

[protectthecastle]

There is a girl I have met here. She....looks very much like you. Do you know of her?

[saudadist]

[ To actually be confronted about her and Nyuu's simultaneous existences is far out of her comfort zone. Just what's she supposed to say? "Yes, I'm the other half of that goody two-shoes you know"? Yeah, that might not fly over so well. Thus, she figures she should stay at least mum about some things and just be evasive in general. ]

The one called Nyuu...yeah. [ Her gaze slides away to the side. ] I know her.

[protectthecastle]

So she is Nyuu.

But if you know her...then how is it that she does not know you?

[And that she seemed to outright deny her existence? Especially when Lucy has been nothing but kind.]

[saudadist]

It's better she doesn't know about me.

[ She's not particularly keen on getting into specifics, but there were marks on her once upon a time that could've only been placed there by Nyuu. Marks that came after a confrontation where she remembers waking up with that family Nyuu gained, and she pieced together that perhaps they told her what happened. In particular, that other horned girl might've said who she really was, who the real her truly was, and after that...well, Lucy doesn't want to risk Nyuu reacting badly to her existence again. One attempt on her own life is one too much. ]

That's all there is to it.

[protectthecastle]

Why...do you think so?

[That can't be all there is and Veronica has never been someone who leaves things as they are.]

[saudadist]

I know her better than anyone.

[ She doesn't, really. The most she knows of Nyuu is how different she is from herself. Her antithesis, made to be a shield, a buffer, between her and those she loved. ]

She's fragile.

[protectthecastle]

But then why can she not know you? Surely being fragile has nothing to do with it?

[This is a very confusing conversation for this princess, it seems.]

[saudadist]

She'd probably kill herself if she knew. [ She pauses, and her voice carries a touch more of an irritated tone. ] Is that a good enough reason?

[protectthecastle]

But...why?

[What is it about Lucy's presence that would drive Nyuu to do something like that? As a protected, pampered princess whose first instinct is to trust and to throw herself recklessly into everything without even a hint of fear, she isn't able to understand it beyond to frown.]

[saudadist]

How should I know? [ Despite her usual stony facade, she lets a bit more attitude slip out than she means. Thinking about it, Nyuu's behavior both worries her and makes her feel more ashamed. She knew the things she did were bad, however necessary she often felt them to be, and the guilt was suffocating, but to think her other self hated who and what she was so badly that she'd try to end her own life? It's like the cherry on the proverbial fucked up sundae. ] I just know she tried it.

[protectthecastle]

...I see.

[She tried it. That Nyuu tried to kill herself, all for knowing that Lucy existed...

Veronica knows that she must be missing something here. Because why would simply knowing someone existed be enough of a reason for Nyuu to do that? She can't comprehend it.]

You are...from the same world? I do not...understand why she feels as if your existence means that she should not exist. Surely...surely all life is precious. Her life is precious.

[saudadist]

Clearly she just finds the idea of me that abhorrent.

[ She makes a face of displeasure and shifts uncomfortably on her feet. Morose talk isn't exactly a taboo for her, but being reminded so much of Nyuu despising her, in a sense, on the basic level is pretty depressing. ]

Was that all you wanted to ask?

[protectthecastle]

But there is nothing abhorrent about you.

[Her own expression falls into a frown, and for a moment, she almost wants to reach out.]

There is nothing abhorrent about you. What do you mean? I do not understand.

[saudadist]

[ If only she knew. Lucy wonders what exactly she'd do if she knew just how wrong she is. "Nothing abhorrent," huh? But that's easy to say when you don't know a thing about a person. Her tune would probably change really quickly, Lucy thinks, if it didn't change right away. The blood on her hands, the hundreds if not thousands of people she's killed... ]

You don't know anything.

[protectthecastle]

I do not.

[That was true, and she isn't going to deny it. It wasn't just about Lucy, but about the world at large. She knows so very little and it frustrates her.]

But I am willing to learn. I am willing to know you so that I may decide for myself.

[saudadist]

[ She makes a noise, an amused little chuckle deep in her throat. ]

What if you don't like the person you come to know?

[protectthecastle]

I do not believe that I will.

[saudadist]

[ She waits before saying anything in reply, instead just watching Veronica for a moment. Finally, she sighs and her shoulders visibly droop. ]

That's a lot to say you'll do, you know. Just saying...

[protectthecastle]

[Did she say something wrong.....?]

I am willing to try it. [Even if it was a lot. She has never been one to give up and she doesn't intend to start now.]

[saudadist]

How can you be so...nice? How is it so easy for you?

[ Because humans have a tendency to lack that niceness, at least from what she's seen. It's still strange to be here in a place where there are people who look past appearances to see how good a person is on the inside. Not that Lucy thinks of herself as a particularly good person anymore. ]

[protectthecastle]

[What Veronica doesn't understand as she tilts her head at Lucy is how anyone could find it difficult.]

I was once told as a child that if you would like others to treat you with respect, then you must first give them your respect and your kindness. It is not difficult at all. Besides, if I were to treat them with incivility, I would lose my chance to speak with them. And by losing that, I would lose the chance to learn from them, to learn of them.

[saudadist]

[ She sighs, a soft, barely audible sound, and jams her hands into her pockets. Humans who are kind seem to come from different worlds, and it makes her wonder what Veronica's world must be like if people there teach their children to be so nice. ]

Shame not everyone can be that kind. It's...admirable.

[protectthecastle]

It is a shame. [Even now she had difficulty wrapping her head around the fact that there were people who thought the circumstances of their birth gave them the power to decide the fate of others. But this was back home and she had yet to find anyone like that here.]

But someone must do it. If it will be me, then so be it.

[saudadist]

I'm gonna say...I don't know how to talk to you that much. Or...anyone else here. Humans usually don't give me the time of day, so it's weird.

[ She crosses her arms as she tilts her head back to stare upward at the sky. ]

Feels like anything I could say would be wrong or upset someone.

[protectthecastle]

You may talk to me as you like. [So little offends her, after all.

Well, unless they were talking of hurting others intentionally or anything Veronica perceived as an injustice to someone else.]

If you are wrong or they are upset, then you can apologize. It is fine to be wrong, to not be aware. What is important is what you do after you are aware of what you have done. When you make a mistake, you admit it and you do as best as you can the next time. That is what I was taught.

[saudadist]

[ The idea of having to apologize brings up an instant feeling of revulsion, but Veronica's right and she knows it. It's just admitting to it that would be more than three kinds of difficult. ]

I guess so... [ She's at a loss for words, so she shifts on her feet again as she searches for something else to say that isn't the same as dismal topics she's brought up thus far. ]

[protectthecastle]

[Lucy doesn't sound convinced, but Veronica doesn't push either. She couldn't make a decision of what to believe in her stead.

Instead, she smiles quietly and takes a step over to the rosebush Lucy had been looking at earlier, lightly touching one of the flowers with her fingers.]

Do you like them? Roses.