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

cw: child death, suicide mentions

[magicurls]

Mami nodded grimly. "He was. And when his mother realized he was never coming home...she was devastated. She wanted to die too, and let the witch catch her...and when I saved her she was unhappy."

She scrubbed at her cheek. "Kyubey gave me a hint in the right direction. Back then, I could only use my powers to make ribbons, and they weren't strong enough. I had to learn how to mold them into rifles, and only then could I truly fight. I haven't lost anyone since."

cw: child death, suicide mentions

[knifewithnoname]

She nodded, only sort of understanding. She had been so sad, she had wanted to die. She hadn't wanted to even live anymore. That was pretty stupid, but she knows of it, she has overheard such talk before. Back at the inn, of people who just... stopped. Because of loss often.

One more reason why caring about people wasn't worth the hassle.

"So now you can be shooting the witches." She nods, with a nose wrinkle. "That do no be being true though, you did be losing your own life. And that did be being what you did be wishing for in the first place."

[magicurls]

"It's...not much of a life I have left here," Mami agrees sadly, "but it's mine. Even if I'm still fighting here, I can at least help a few more people survive longer."

It's still a wait for the end...but she's going to do her best until then.

"But...even though we're on the run here, and we don't know what we're fighting for...I think we can try to make the best of this time. Right?"

[knifewithnoname]

"Yes." She nodded, "You should be making the most of it. It do be being a second, third chance."

Since she had wished to survive in the first place. She tilted her head at Mami, she was such a strange girl. All she wanted to help people survive? It was such a light addled goal and yet, she hadn't attacked her. Not even before they had made the pact she hadn't gotten angry.

It was strange. If she had been in her own world, if this was a light god Priestess she would have been dead already, but Mami hadn't hurt her.

And even here, after she had died, she still fought for what she believed in. So it wasn't that she lacked principles. Maybe that was why she hadn't killed her, because her goal was to help others survive.

"You do be believing in that strongly... helping others survive."

[magicurls]

"...yes. Because we only get one chance to live, and I'd never want to see that wasted."

Mami folds her hands in front of her. She knows what Buttercup has done, that knowledge weighs heavily on her, and yet...

"No matter what happened before...the way I see it, here and now, we can make new choices. I know what I want to be, and that means continuing to help."

[knifewithnoname]

One chance to live, even if Mami seemed to have had... three. Three chances and she was determined to not let it be wasted.

She keeps her face carefully blank. Does she want to make new choices? She has no problem with her choices, there is honour and pride in serving the dark god. But... She hasn't really been serving the dark god since she came here. She's been too busy surviving, keeping quiet, keeping hidden and when she has acted... It has been to help and save people and other things that were completely against everything she is supposed to be.

Mami's lucky. Knowing what she wants to be. She has no idea. She doesn't know what she wants to be, she's never had to make that choice before. She's only ever had to do what she was told and now she is on her own... It is hard.

True she knows how to serve her god, even without orders. But it's hard to do that on a train, where if she is found her life would become a nightmare. It is easier to pretend, but when does pretending just mean... betraying her god and her upbringing?

"Do you be thinking it do be being that easy? To just be... making new choices?"

[magicurls]

"...maybe not easy," she amends. "If you've prepared for one thing your whole life, and the consequences of leaving that path were fatal."

But she's determined. She looks up and smiles.

"But we're meeting people we never would have met, in a situation we couldn't have prepared for. That's going to change you in some way, whether you choose to change or not. Whether you embrace it or fight it is up to you, but...for me, I'm happy with what I'm learning."

[knifewithnoname]

Yes. Not easy at all. If she betrayed her god she would die. If she let anyone from outside know which god she served, she would die. The fact she hadn't died today... Said a lot about Mami and was very confusing.

"People here do be being very different then they do be being in my world." She said quietly, "If you did be being a priestess... magic user from my world. You would no have been making that pact with me. But you do be... You do be being wanting to save people yet you do no be punishing me for taking a life."

At least. Not so far. Just as... everything that happened after what had happened with Xue Yang had been confused.

[magicurls]

Mami shakes her head. "That was then. This is now. If you killed someone in front of me right now, and it wasn't obvious why...I would try to hold you back. But you won't do that without a reason, and I believe you."

It's a strange feeling to name, but...the cave has that effect.

"Is that going to be okay?"

[knifewithnoname]

"Yes." She nodded, that was more than okay. That was... She had no idea how to react to any of this. Mami wasn't threatening her, wasn't demanding anything of her.

I would try to hold you back. Is such a... It's not what she is expecting at all.

Mami believing her is... It's strange. Lucky but strange. "It do be being very okay."

[magicurls]

"All right."

And as Mami agrees quietly, a single door appears beside them. She startles a little, but recovers and stands up.

"Mm. I think it's time to go."

[knifewithnoname]

She looked around when Mami startled and blinked when she saw the door. Only one door this time. But she nodded at Mami.

"Yes, it do be letting us out."

She stepped towards it, though she did wait for Mami. It was a worrying thing going back out there, but she had no choice but trust that Mami would not attack her or get others to attack her. Trust that Mami would keep her word.

She took a breath, and stepped through.