Memory Cave

[voidtreckermods]

After the passengers see a glimpse of a life that is not their own they appear in a cave. It is light, a strange moss glowing on the walls and ceiling illuminates the cave nicely and it is large enough for them to pace around in without trouble.

They are not alone. In the cave with them is another voidtrecker. Maybe someone they know well, maybe someone they have only seen in the aisles of the train. But they are together in this cave together.

The cave has no exit, at least not yet. They know that it will, eventually. When the time is right.

But for that time to come, they first must talk...

(OOC: For reference: memories!)

Comments

M2

[kumoko]

[In theory, the spider knows of snowball fights. In her imagination, they were just like the one she'd seen the day before. All big ice castles and gingerbread houses and...

Like hell! What had she eaten last night, to get such a weird image? What was this, a crossover between two beloved powerhouse franchises? Were they about to descend into Christmas Town?

Well, if there's one thing she's good at, it's compartmentalising. The vision goes firmly in the 'dealing with it later' box, and she goes back to her day job as a friendly neighbourhood clothes sales-spider. Her first day's pretty good. Lots of people, lots of food. Sun, sea, sky... she's living the dream!



OH, NEVER MIND, SHE'S TRIPPING OUT AGAIN.

WHAT'S HAPPENING.

A really cool fight is what's happening. She follows the hero's thoughts with breathless excitement, nodding along or wincing internally at each development. By the time the creature - something big and metal? She caught flashes of memories of a huge, armoured thing - falls, she's firmly on Team Iris. That was great. Could she do the same, without her sight? She wants to try it, now. Surely her spider body would stand her in good stead, her omnidirectional hearing, the air currents, her webs? But this guy had taken it on with memory alone.

And then she's in a cave, and she's crouched, instantly wary. Is she back? Is this-- no, it's not the labyrinth. And in front of her, a human guy. She squints. A human guy who... could be the hero from her vision? He's got something going on with his eyes.]

Hey. [She starts to think of what she's going to type, when, 1. she realises her tablet isn't in here with her, and 2. her thought bounces between them like a voice.

Oh?

Ohhhhh?

Telepathy? Are they on a vision quest? She skitters closer, legs scratching quietly over the rock.]

Are you Noct?

[waywardking]

[Noctis has had some pretty weird dreams in the past. In all of them, though, he'd been himself--with an exception or two, but they're not important--but this...whatever it is seems different.

The first time, he'd been fighting a dragon, an honest-to-gods dragon. By himself, which was odd enough, and without any apparent weapons or backup of any kind. Even stranger was the fact that he could see, and not only did he have two working eyes, but he suspected he actually had many more than that.

It looked like something from a video game. Maybe he missed video games that much.

The second one is longer. He's drifted off while listening to birds and now he's back in the game helping out some people. He doesn't know them, nor does he particularly care about them, but they need help, so he provides it. Some sort of dried fruit is his reward.

'Krikta fruit'. Whatever that is. He remembers that it's tasty and restores MP. Huh.

He's not at the lagoon when this daydream ends. Wherever he is, it's cool and dimly-lit.

Wait.

It is lit somehow, he can tell that much, but whatever's providing the light is a mystery. He can actually see that the walls are glowing faintly, and raising a hand experimentally to his face shows him that he can see his hand--sort of. In front of him is a hand-shaped object that's out of focus like he's looking at it through frosted glass. Weird. Whatever happened at the snowy planet had restored his vision completely--or else simply changed his body to a time before he'd lost it--but here, it was only partly restored.

Did he die somehow?

Hey.

A voice calls out and he nearly jumps out of his skin. It's a girl's voice, and he glances around for the source. There aren't any human shapes that he can make out, and his eyes pass over the vague spider-blob in the near distance. Suddenly, there's skittering, followed by the voice again, saying his name.]

I might be--who's asking?

[kumoko]

Me, your friendly neighbourhood spider, the magical Kumoko-chan.

[Wait.

Oh crap, did that just slip out? Wow, he must think she's a total weirdo. She backpedals, waving two arms.] A-anyway, did you just see something weird? Like... 'Whoa, suddenly I'm a spider!' weird?

[waywardking]

'Magical Kumoko-chan'...sounds like a knockoff superhero.

There's movement nearby, and he's turning in that direction, squinting. It doesn't help in the slightest and actually makes the spider blob that's Kumoko even blurrier. Awesome.]

Uh yeah...something like that. Just a...really bizarre dream. [Wait. She introduced herself as a spider and then asked if he was a spider. Hmm.] There was this group of people and then something about a fruit...does that have anything to do with you?

[And why is this happening?]

[kumoko]

[Vision quest, tick. Look, she's only ever eaten one fruit. Apart from, you know, on the train, where they can pry fruit from her cold, dead claws... but he'd have said something, if they were on the train, right? So. That one time.

Sorry you had to be a spider, my guy! It sucks, right?]

Depends. Was the fruit super delicious? A little sour, but still refreshing and sweet?

[She moves closer again, now that she's thinking hard.] Eh, never mind. I know the answer. Looks like we've activated a special event, or something. You saw my past, and I saw yours..! Isn't that a little too creepy?

[waywardking]

Sounds about right.

[That describes the fruit as he 'remembers' it exactly, so that confirms at least that that was a memory of hers.]

Super creepy. What did you see of my past...?

[Aka how embarrassed should he be about this.]

[kumoko]

Eh? Oh, uh.

[Telepathic stammering, apparently, sounds just as awkward as the real thing. Also, she's even closer now.]

Technically I didn't see anything, you know? I was you, and your eyes are kinda... Oh, unless that snowball fight was you? Pretty cute! But just now, it was... let's see, you and your party arguing. They didn't want you to fight, which, stupid, right? You took that big armour out like it was easy. You're pretty quick with your teleports!

[Well, not easy, but the spider had rarely had an easy fight, so her standards are maybe a little warped? Eh, it's probably fine.]

[waywardking]

[Okay, that gets a smile out of him. He remembers that fight; he's particularly proud of that victory, and glad in retrospect that he decided to try that.

The snowball fight...was weird.]

That was me, yeah. Something happened on that planet that turned me into a kid again. And about my eyes...I'm blind. One of my family is a giant dick with a horrible sense of humor.

[By the time he's done talking, he's moved to crouch down, since Kumoko's voice is coming from closer to the floor and it's easier to talk to her when he's not talking over her.]

[kumoko]

What else is family for, right? Haha... ha...

[She sounds resignedly cheerful for someone going SAME HAT about murderous family members, but.]

... Anyway. Yeah, I figured that was a recent thing, since everyone was being really weird about it. So, what, you were too powerful, so this family jerk had to nerf you? Seems like a cowardly move, if you ask me. And stupid, since you could still take out the big guy. Hope you kicked his ass later.

[Why not just kill Noctis, if he was a threat? Seems kinda shitty. Like, what is he, some evil villain?

Oh, right.

Probably, huh?

Hey, he's joined her on the floor. She waggles an arm before she realises he's probably not gonna be able to see it.]

[waywardking]

[He does see something moving, but he can't tell if she's waving or suddenly brandishing something. Can spiders pick things up?]

Not too powerful--I wish--I think he just did it because he could. Because the opportunity presented itself and he wanted to make some sort of point. I don't really care. I'll kick his ass eventually, once I get back home.

[kumoko]

[For sure, but she's unarmed! Waggle waggle.]

Hell yeah! You show him. [Oops.

Maybe it's a good thing she never bought Telepathy, huh? Embarrassed, she peers at his face, now they're close enough for it, and blinks. Several times. Wow, that's messed up. Preoccupied in examining him, she starts to mutter to herself.]

I bet I could heal that. Maybe? Ehhhhh. How hard can human eyes be, really.

[waywardking]

[Human eyes can be very hard to heal, especially when you factor in magic and how it might interact with attempts to heal said eyes by magical or mechanical means.

He blinks as well at how close she is, reaching tentatively out to try to feel one of her closest legs, one of the one's she's been waving.]

Think you could? I don't think you could make things any worse, so you're welcome to try.

[Well, she could always accidentally remove his eyes entirely, but that wouldn't necessarily be that much worse.]

[kumoko]

Don't say that, I could always disintegrate them accidentally, you know? And you only have two, so it's not like you have a bunch of spares like me.

[ ... ]

A-anyway--!

[ She realises he's reaching out for her a little too late to do anything about it, and freezes as his hand brushes her fluffy leg. Hey, hey! What's with this bonding? Is this when the blind beauty tells the monster they love their inner self? Well, she's got some bad news for you, cute guy, she's a pain inside, too! ]

[waywardking]

[More like the part where the blind guy confirms that yes, she is indeed a spider, because that sure is fluff his fingers have touched, and he pulls his hand back out of shock. He's really not an insect person, but most spiders he's encountered don't sound like they could've been in school with him.]

...Don't try if you don't know what you're doing.

[kumoko]

[ RUDE. ]

Hey! I've healed plenty of eyes, they've just been mine. Spider eyes are different, okay?!

[ Just wait until they get out of this weird dream world and she can scan you!! Maybe she'll even hunt down that other version of you and just replicate his eyes, huh?

Eh, probably can't do that without Appraisal. Man, she misses that skill so much. ]

Don't jinx it, is what I'm saying. Anyway, are you some kind of Hero?

[ The capitalisation is apparent. ]