middleofsomewhere | Memory Cave

[ The description of her clothes, the weight of her belt made him realize that the reason he felt so comfortable at the moment was that he was back in his own chosen attire. That was curious, and noteworthy, and potentially useful since he had proper tools and pouches hanging from his waist.

He's walking around the space, murmuring to himself, calculating and measuring when she asks and he blinks slightly.]

Something I don't have much of a reference for explaining, actually. I'm someone perplexed by the notion of, whatever it was you were discussing.

[ He knew it was her, her voice after all. ]

There was a man there, a scientist maybe since he had a lab coat, and you discussed a lot of terms I don't have definitions for, as well as someone declaring themselves your rival. And red and white balls. You took one.

[ Mostly the vision left him confused and unable to follow the nuances of the conversation he'd seen. He didn't know about stats or victreebels. He isn't even sure he's got a good reference point to even start from. ]

[There's a blink - and then she literally lights up, smile as bright as the suns, maybe even brighter.]

When I got Tanknator- my Starter. When we get out of here, I can show you what she looked like then, along with Momo- the one Satoru chose. They were so cute back then and I'm glad I chose her. She's... everything I could have asked for and then some.

[It's clear she misses the pokemon something chronic, but at the same time, she doesn't mind talking about her, either. Or that time.]

You were yelling at the moon; trying to stop it from following you and your dad [at least she thinks it was his father] was there too and he explained why you can't hide or make the moon stop following you. Though...

[And now she pauses, because if she thinks about this, about the two memories, this is all going to be very, very personal for the boy with her.

But, she's never been one to shy from what is hard.] It seemed at odds with the first memory. Of a tree and blonde and, I quote: 'A few thousand years back...Byakuya and his astronaut pals flew down to this empty world, right here, to start over'.

Edited 2020-08-17 15:36 (UTC)

That might be helpful, because I think I'm still missing context. It's fine, considering it was an invasion of your privacy in the first place.

[ He stops tapping at the wall to look at her and listen to her relay what she'd seen, and realized at once that she was seeing his memories too. Well. That was...awkward. ]

In the first memory I didn't need context for you, you were arguing with someone over reading at breakfast, a plight I was intimately familiar with.

[ See what he did there? He sidestepped that question quite artfully, he imagines, but he comes back around to it. Both memories she described had him in something of a vulnerable position. The first was something of a moment of weakness, and the latter something fond and far away. They were personal.

But. Facts were facts. He could do those just fine.]

No, both were correct, and your deduction is also correct, that would've been my old man. My consciousness at least, has been around that long, if I spent much of it aware and in stasis. I was born nearly 3739 years ago in my world.

She's a small turtle-like monster -a zenigame- if that helps. Blueish and at the time, she stood roughly 50 centimetres when she reared up- It is, but it wasn't intended and you're not from my world and neither of us has psychic powers, so...

[There's a massive shrug; she's not even remotely upset. Was it weird as all hell? yes. Is it worth getting upset over? No. More than that, this was accidental and unintended.] Anyway, it's probably the train doing this-

[Maybe? She doesn't know- but for all she wants details about her memory, his comes first, because what even-] Wait- a-aware in stasis? That-

[Excuse her, but what the fuck?] that ... that doesn't... you can't be aware in stasis. That doesn't make sense at all!

It doesn't. Well, not entirely, I'm familiar with turtles.

[ He sighs, he doesn't have any powers at all, much less psychic ones. At the suggestion of the culprit he murmurs. ]

That's concerning.

[ Senku blinked and then he lit up a bit. ]

Ah, well stasis is just the best term I have for it because most people that have been revived have been in something of a cold sleep the whole time. Humanity was petrified for 3719 years. I remained aware, mostly through counting. Being accurate was important because if I broke free of the petrification in winter, it was game over I'd be dead in a heartbeat.

[ Yes. All he did was count and think for thousands of years. ]

Yeah, it is, yet if it is the train I doubt there's much, if anything, we can do about it.

[Is that pragmatic as pit? Yes. Does she care? No. No she doesn't and it's better to move on than be caught in a loop of planning that will more than likely get them nowhere.]

I... I see- and true. Winter is harsh no matter what. [And his world didn't even have pokemon to contend with- and Eva snaps her mouth shut before she can ask 'how did you remain sane'.

That is easily the most tasteless and tactless question she's ever thought of.]

Regardless of any measurements, I don't see any actual way of getting out.

[ He frowns a bit, pressing at the wall and then he turned around and leaned against it with a sigh. ]

I can only hypothesize we're here for a reason. I can't guess at why.

[ He hummed a bit at what she said. ] In a civilized, modern society, winter wasn't much of a big deal. Technological advancements made it possible essentially for most humans to remain comfortable year-round. Remove the advancements and suddenly something as benign as the seasons will have an effect.

[ He's mostly overambitious but the people around him question his sanity all the time, it's overrated. She could ask though, he's not very easy to offend. ]

It could have to do with the memories?

[It's as good a guess as any given they've both seen two from each other now- and then her thoughts derail with the mention that winter isn't a big deal to modern society.

Her laugh is, perhaps, a bit broken.]

When we get out of here, remind me to show you some of the nastier ice-type pokemon as well. But I do agree; remove technology and winter becomes far less survivable. Though, that depends on if it snows, how deep it is, how cold etc. Did it snow where you were?

That would only stand to reason, since that's what we appear to be doing in here.

[ He sighs a little but wonder what it is they're supposed to sort out about the memories. ]

Analyzing the memory you saw, it was merely just an ordinary day with my old man. There's nothing special about it. I remember, that's when he told me he'd failed JAXA's open recruitment. He got in the next time.

[ He tilts his head. ]

I'd like to see your pokemon. [ He sounds very interested, in fact, because they don't have them and learning something new is part of why it's so great to be alive. ]

Yeah, it snows. Not a ton, it's a mild enough climate, but without adequate heating being out in those kinds of temperatures over time you can die from exposure, especially if your body's already fighting something else.

I needed a lot of coal, so all of the villagers homes have be fitted with stoves now.

[ He glances away, yep, that was the motivation, not at all because he didn't want people to freeze to death. He just needed the by-product. ]

Because you helped him get there, right?

[Or so the memory implied and Eva knew how strong a child's will could be.] Though, I'd say telling the moon off qualifies as extraordinary. Unless you did that all the time?

[There's a nod of agreement; he'll get to see them once they get out of the cave and she has her 'dex on her again.]

True. What do you mean by fighting something else?

Yeah. I tried anyway. He was really determined to overcome his shortfall.

[ He was a motivator for Byakuya if nothing else, even though his invention wasn't particularly helpful. He snorted, slight amusement at the accusation. ]

No, I didn't regularly make a habit of telling off the moon. I did ask a million questions and blasted past his knowledge pretty fast. He was a really great dad.

[ And he misses him, keenly, but that he will leave unsaid. Like the first memory, the loss is still there, it still hurts, but he chooses not to focus on that. ]

Ah, I just mean that illness can run rampant in a society without medicine, so while exposure may be what ultimately kills you, if you're not healthy to begin with, the risks are much higher.

[ He shakes his head slightly. ]

What about your memories make them unique enough to get us locked in a cave?

That you tried is the main thing, and I think all kids are obligated to ask a million questions.

[The Four only know how many she's helped field over the years from baby sisters. So many 'Why's. So many.]

True, that. It must have been a hard adjustment... [Never mind she has so many questions about that anyway, but now's not the time to ask them. Not when they really should be figuring out a way out of here.]

As for my memory... I'm not sure. I know I was pleased to have pulled the rug out from under Satoru; no-one expected me to take the water-type and I'd do it again, too. The day was, everything considered, a good one. A happy one.

[ He let out a little wry chuckle at that, he definitely was the type to ask a million questions. He now had the pleasure of answering them, so things really did come full circle sometimes. ]

Yeah, I'd classify that memory as a happy one too. I always liked hanging out with my dad...when he wasn't being embarrassing.

[ He hums a bit, and glances to the side, something about the rock looked different, didn't it? ]

Fair. Adults can seem embarrassing to a kid. The Four only know I still think my dad's embarrassing. What did yours do that embarrassed you?

[At the same time she's talking, Eva does notice the oddity and heads over to peer at it with a thoughtful frown.]

All kinds of embarrassing stuff, like giving interviews and talking about me.

[ He rolls his eyes, but his expression is fond. ]

Sometimes he got sappy, which is just...ugh. Usually when he was messing with me.

[There's small laugh, even as she grins.] But, he obviously loved you, so even if it was embrassing, it was worth it, right?

[A pause, then, with a wry grin:] Just like it was worth it when mum didn't tell me I was getting a Program Starter... Huh.

Yeah, I guess so. I'd be kinda screwed without him now, with everything he left for me. He did a good job.

[ He hums a little bit. ]

Program Starter...that was what I saw right?

I think that's true for most dads. They do a lot and it's often thankless.

[Does she miss her own?? Yes. But moving on-]

Yeah. It's a big thing to get one of them back home. The spots are limited and while he did abuse the system... I'm still happy I got one. It's... It's one of my more treasured memories.

[The rocks definitely look Different now. Like enough at that it's noticeable in two places.]

I don't really know anyone else's parents, in that context, so I don't actually know. [ He nods, he didn't thank his dad for much of anything, and he has some regrets. Then again, the last time you see someone it's rarely knowing it's the last time you'll see them. ]

I didn't exactly grow up with a lot of friends or anything, and Taiju's parents were already dead.

[ He tilts his head a little bit. ]

I suppose it's something similar like any other milestone we would've had at home. I can't think of a comparison, but I think I get it.

[Eva feels him on that so hard and there's a brief flicker of an empathic smile at the fact one of his friends had a dead parent.] Well, take it from me: most dads are awesome, and all mums are epic.

[There's a fond smile at the end, and then she grins.] Yeah. It's on the level of learning to talk, walk, starting school, first child... That kind of thing.

[ He shrugs a bit. ]

I'll take your word on that, haven't got a mom. I mean, I'm sure biologically I had one, just like I had a father there too, but I never asked Byakuya about them.

[ He's adopted. He never cared about his birth parents and knows next to nothing about them. Byakuya was all he ever needed. ]

Alright, I get the significance.

[There's a few seconds of disbelief before Eva shoves it firmly out of her head. Maybe not having a mum wasn't as much of a tragedy in his world as it was on hers.]

If we ever get out of here - the cave and the train, you can meet mine. She'd love you.

[Eva, your mum loves everyone.

There's a grin - and then a blink]. Ok. Tell me you see that too.

[She points to where the rocks seem to be in the process of making two doors.] Rocks don't change like that! Well, unless they're ishitsubute, but I'd have noticed if they were...

[ It never seemed practical or important to ask about people who didn't want him, or maybe they died or something. He doesn't remember them. The only person who'd ever been in his life when they discussed this was Byakuya, so why search for something else? ]

Uh, sure, I guess if you think so.

[ He nods, going over to her side to have a look. ]

I definitely see it, and I know, I know rocks very well.

Mum loves everyone, so yeah.

[There's a contented yet wry sigh/grin at that before she yanks her mind around to more important thing: the weird rocks before her.]

All we did was talk about how the memories made us feel... and we were both happy... or at least content, right?

[A glance at him. If this is the way out, she's willing to talk a bit more.]

[ He hums a moment and nods. ]

Yeah, I guess I was happy then.

[ It wasn't even that hard an admission, when it came down to it and ultimately, the rocks glowed brighter, revealing what looked like an exit. ]

Huh. That just leads to so many questions, but I don't care, let's get out of here.

Memory Cave

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Wrap this one soon maybe?

Yeah they did so good in THIS one

Wrap? and YEAH! They did.

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Wrap~?