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

[10billionpercent]

[ No, Eva, he didn't. The thing was, there was a lot to process. The human brain can't handle, can't understand the scope of time he's been through. He's had moments, brief realizations here and there about just how much time has passed, how long he's been alive, but for the most part? He plays it off like it's nothing. Everything else gets compartmentalized like that. He's not someone who dwells on things - he's always in problem solving mode.

When she mentions how lonely it is, he can't help but glance away, there was something there, something about that specifically that bothers him. He swallows, his throat a little dry.]

I'm no longer alone. [ The words are true, but are they meant to convince Eva, or himself? He doesn't want to talk about almost losing it before he came on this voyage. ]

No. Emotions are an illogical waste of time, they don't help anything and I...am fine with how things are.

[ He nods at her words though, she managed to save who she could, the people she cared about and he could respect that. ]

I'm glad that they're safe.

[mtsilver_conquor]

[And that's the wrong thing to say as Eva abruptly stands and starts pacing.]

I don't just mean with people. I mean trusting them... letting them see vulnerabilities. Emotions are the most valuable thing we possess. Sure, they're inconvenient and can get in the way and can hold us back or makes us selfish. But that doesn't mean you should discard them as an illogical waste of time.

[A breath and then exhale.] I don't know what it's like in your world, yet on Arkea, we're taught to be open with them. That, just like it's ok to show positive emotion, it's ok to be afraid or upset or helpless or wish we could have changed things. It's... It's what we do with these feelings that matters. No one is invincible and no one is an island.

[A huff-scoff as she shakes her head; who she's talking to now is anyone's guess.] Think of it what you will, but we're only human and it's... it's alright to be selfish and wish things had been different.

[10billionpercent]

[ She might be right about most people, but Senku doesn't consider himself most people. He can't help himself but track her movements, watching her pace back and forth, leaning back on his hands. ]

They offer nothing of value to me. I'm no saint, I'm not a robot, I have emotions, but they are discarded because they get in the way of my goals. I don't have time to sit around and just...[ He shakes his head, glancing away. ] I don't care if people think I'm cold or whatever, there's always something more important to do.

[ He carries his burden, he buries it deep and tries to make it go away on his own. He's always been this way, though, it's nothing new. He's fine with things like elation at a success, but sadness? Anger? He didn't want them. They were officially useless in the context of getting things done. The idea of not only facing those emotions head on, but sharing them, is deeply uncomfortable. ]

Ah, I don't know, I guess most people feel the way you do about it. It's never done anything for me.

[ If she comes away thinking he's a cold asshole, he doesn't mind. ]

Yeah. I can wish things are different, but they're not, so I play with the cards I'm dealt, if you want a metaphor. Dwelling on what ifs...it's a fruitless exercise.

[mtsilver_conquor]

[There's a hum as she continues the pacing, never once coming near him.

When she speaks, there's understanding in her voice. Understanding and acceptance. There's no pity, no nothing. She understands what he's saying, even if thinks it's ultimately making it harder on himself.]

That's fair, yet no one says you can't do the important thing while taking care of yourself too. That's important too. But... I do think a day's break or rest now and again is alright.

[Is it pointed? Yes, but at the same time, it's true and it's a lesson she learned by force more than once.

That said, her voice is softer now.] ... Yeah. It's pointless, isn't it? We can't change the past and dwelling on it takes up time we can be using for other things.

[Says the one who's already going down that line: what if she'd been selfish then, what if she'd stayed with her sisters, stayed because she was scared she might not see them again.]

[10billionpercent]

[ He twitches slightly at that and blinks at her. ]

What would I do with a day of rest?

[ The thing is, most of the time, his day to day involves fiddling with things, building things, and that's one of the things he loves to do most in the world. The idea of getting him to sit around all day and just relax is foreign. They come to this nice island and all he's done is put himself to work. He may, in fact, be a workaholic. ]

Yeah. It doesn't matter what I wish would've happened. I can sit around and think about it, if I want, but there's not...much use in that. If my world hadn't ended when it did, I'm what...almost twenty then? I'd be in university somewhere. Probably America. It definitely would've been a lot easier on my body, but that's not what happened.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Relax? Sleep in? Read a book? Go for a walk in a forest? Whatever makes you feel relaxed, I guess.

[It's tossed out there if only because that's all things she'd do and while she can say an awful lot to that what if, the thing that catches her is-]

Why America?

[Is she avoiding poking too hard at things? Yes! Mostly because the last time they were in this cave, talking about something that made them happy made the way out appear.]

[10billionpercent]

[ He gives Eva the blandest look at that. ]

I like to work, that's what makes me feel relaxed.

[ He may have a problem, there. At the question he hums a bit and shrugs, glad enough for the distraction. ]

The best schools in the world for astrophysics were in America. Todai's okay, but it's ranked tenth. It wouldn't have been a problem, I was already being headhunted and I was two years from graduating.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Is it something that can be taken to one of those locations at least?

[She's unphased, though the 'I am a workaholic' vibe is noted.

And that namedrop means nothing to her. Yay. But she can gather the context.]

By companies looking to snatch you up before anyone else, I assume?

[10billionpercent]

[ He snorts, chuckling lightly. ]

Not typically. These days my work is almost always around the forge, or the lab, it's not exactly something you take out on an excursion unless you have to. I have a mobile lab at home but...

[ He hummed and shook his head. ]

I mean, if it were now and everything hadn't happened, then yes, I'd be dealing with companies. Back then, it was universities. The companies probably still have their eyes on me, but I still would've needed a degree.

You get headhunted when you're shooting rockets into airspace as a kid, because I can tell you, no government agency likes you just shooting things into airspace.

[mtsilver_conquor]

True, but if you work with blueprints or design them, you can do that at the locations. Same with taking the mobile lab to them. It's still working, but it's in a change of scenery at least.

[A working holiday is still a holiday, right?]

No kidding. Even back home, that held true. [Just the idea of someone shooting a rocket up into the sky and hitting a pidgeot or altaria or worse, one of the sky-gods like rayquaza was enough to send a shiver down her spine.] So, basically, once you left high school you'd have your choice of universities? Impressive.

[10billionpercent]

Yeah, that's the kind of thing I do, anyway. We were traveling when I joined the train so it's not like I was in the village anymore.

[ Was it just him, or did something seem a little more uncomfortable? Like maybe it was a degree too warm, or....

Senku dismissed it offhand. ]

Yeah, probably, but I was a couple of years away from that, then the world ended so all of my future plans kinda got mixed up in a blender. [ He makes the observation wryly with a humorous tone. ]

I don't know about impressive. I wouldn't say I'm smart, so much as I can't help myself when I need to know something, I look into it, which just leads to more questions.

late with tea.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Could be worth aiming for an easel and blueprint case then.

[It's not just him, but Eva also dismisses it. It's likely nothing.]

True, but that doesn't mean you can't salvage some of them, if possible- and honestly, that is Impressive. Say you did that back in my world, you'd have had the attention of the Yamatan Empresses alongside governments.

[Eva grins.] Which is a good thing.

Have a cookie!

[10billionpercent]

Blueprints, traditionally were just designed on graph paper, because it's easier to plot space and keep measurements that way, but honestly, plain paper is just fine for that kind of thing.

[ He has a lot more experience doing things freehand now, whenever the mood strikes him. ]

By the time we get around to things like universities again, I probably won't need to go. [ He chuckles. ] Life experience rebooting civilization has to count for something right?

Yeah, I had a lot of attention, Japanese government too. Like I said, shooting things into space isn't something you can just do without causing a lot of problems, and the equipment I was building could be so easily co-opted for nefarious purposes, so I was definitely being monitored in some way.

[ He doesn't sound like he cares much about that. He blinks a few times. Is the space around them getting smaller, or is he just seeing things? ]

But all that means is that when I was done with school I'd have a ton of options, if I wanted them, course I just wanted to work for JAXA like Byakuya, so...