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

[eyeslikeblood]

"It isn't something that would have occurred to me to ask," he admits. "I'm not one to let things sorts themselves out, but I have only lived in the one world..."

He pauses, then remembers his rather embarrassing time on the ICPs trying to understand reproduction as others saw it. Inigo saw that, he recalls. "Living up to a parent's expectations is a rather foreign concept, if I'm honest. But if you would like to talk about it, I would like to listen."

[flatteries]

For a moment Inigo doesn't seem to get it. He gives Gyousou a bit of an odd look. How could the other not understand living up to your parents' expectations? Even though it doesn't seem like the role of king is passed down in quite the same way in Tai as it is in Inigo's world, he knows that it's not like only princes have expectations forced upon them. Isn't everyone trying to live up to their parents to some extent..?

.. But then he remembers the message over the ICPs too. By Naga.. Of course Gyousou wouldn't know if he was also a tree baby.

"It's.." He's still a little unsure of whether to talk about it, even as he starts. But Gyousou said he would like to listen. So it should be alright, shouldn't it..? "It's.. really hard. I imagine it's that way for most people-- in my world, at least." Since Gyousou's world has tree babies.

"But I do think it was even harder in my case, considering everyone knew who I was. Everyone knew who my father was. I didn't only have his expectations to live up to, but also everyone else's. Everyone compared me to him, expected me to be as great as him. Wise, calm, capable.. a leader."

He shakes his head, looking at the ground.

"And I was well aware of it, even as young as I was. And I knew that I couldn't live up to any of it. I wasn't someone who could be the next Exalt if something were to happen to my father and older sister.. I was just me."

[eyeslikeblood]

The understanding that crosses Inigo's face is a relief, and so Gyousou settles in to listen, as promised. Until the natural pause, where he hums a moment and offers,

"One of the greatest mistakes a king can make is to try and emulate another king. The heavens chose them for their own qualities, rather than their resemblance to another... and, often, those qualities are not all good. But they are necessary. From our time together, I think 'just Inigo' is a force to be reckoned with... for what that may be worth."

[flatteries]

At least Inigo sees nothing wrong with Gyousou refering to kings as being chosen by the heavens. Sure, there's a little more royal bloodline succession involved in it in Inigo's world than there is in Gyousou's own, but in the end Naga does have a hand in deciding who is worthy of the title and role and who isn't.

No, it's those latter words that may be wrong. Inigo doesn't think they can be right, no matter how much he hates to ever doubt Gyousou in the slightest.

Then again, that's the good thing about it. Inigo has a much harder time discarding compliments coming from the other, since it's just so darn hard to ever doubt him.

"T-.. Thank you for your kind words, milord." He bows his head for a moment before moving it back up. "I don't feel that I have any kingly qualities in general though, even when the comparison to my father is left aside." Or the comparison to Gyousou. He often feels like night and day when standing in front of him.

[eyeslikeblood]

"You misunderstand. There are no inherently kingly qualities," he corrects. Perhaps the misunderstanding is deliberate, but after feeling Inigo's emotions twice over, he's unsure. "What is most important is your will, and your faith that you are here because you are necessary. That is true whether you are a farmer, a scholar, a soldier or a king. What your world needs may simply be 'Inigo'."