[Kurt's a bit shaken by what happened, so he just shuffles along as Ryoji drags him along, and he softly nods.]
Y-yeah... I remembered some of the stuff that I, um, remembered already. [His memories feel mundane compared to all of the others that he's heard about, so he feels a little weird putting them on the same level.]
It was like a whole rush! But, the ones I've had so far... They're kinda plain stuff, really. [He looks towards where he images Ryoji's head should be in the darkness.]
...Sorry that you got a bad one. Are you alright, man?
[ He doesn't quite sound like it, but appreciates the concern and will be alright, with time. Honestly, he would much rather prefer the mundane instead of being woken from what feel like nightmares several times a month, and that has him smiling just a little. ]
The others I've had were also plain, but nice. Going to school, eating out, talking to girls. What about yours?
[ Lighter subjects like this make him better better; it might have been better if they did this from the start, chatting about whatever instead of walking in silence. ]
I haven't had so many yet. [He says with a light smile.] One was running late to a high school I never heard of... another was diving into a swimming pool with some people I don't know. [...He'll omit that the second memory involved teleporation.]
I don't know what to make of anything, but if this will keep on happening, I hope it stays on cruise control with hallucinomemories like those.
They sound like nice hallucinomemories to keep having. I can't claim to know that they're important, in the long run, but for the Ryoji in my memories... they were important to him. Even the mundane ones.
[ Turning where he stands, Ryoji faces the darkness where he'd drawn them back from, frown on his face. ]
This place has something to do with the memories, though? If we go through it, do you think we'll receive them all at once? Get it over with instead of waiting and wondering?
I... I've got no clue... [He tries to shift himself to look back the way that they had been going in.]
But if that does happen, would it really be a good thing? What if this is like... some kinda brainwashing? If we get too many, we might forget who we really are!
[ He'd never thought about that before, and the consideration gives him pause, however momentarily. ]
...I can't say it won't happen, but the memories have just been in addition, not replacing the past, hasn't it? I know who I am. [ His voice raises slightly, trying to reaffirm to himself just as much as to Kurt. ] My name is Ryoji Mochizuki, born December 2nd, 1997, at the Recollé General Hospital. I like honeydew bubble tea, and the golden hour before sunset. I won't lose who I am.
Yeah, I guess nothing's been replaced for me, either... [Unless he forgot the fact that he forgot something, but that's a confusing train of thought.]
But who knows how it'll be if you get zapped with a mega-buttload of the memories at the same time?
[He runs a hand through his hair uncertainly.]
...I believe you, though. You can hold onto who you are as long as you believe! I just... wanna make sure you know what kinda risks you could be taking...
[ With a small smile, Ryoji taps the knuckles of one hand to his chest, once, before it slides off, the smile falling with it. ]
When you put it like that, though... We don't really know what kind of risks there are, do we? Even though we're so close, that it feels like the key to figuring everything out it right here and now... I don't really know what I'm doing, in the end.
[Except now Kurt's hesitant, and he doesn't know which to choose.]
But I guess that's a point that goes both ways. On one hand, better to stay safe then sorry. On the other hand, if we can get real answers from these risks... Maybe that'll be worth it, right? The yolo!
It's true we only live once, it would be nice if this life could last a little longer than today... It's 50-50, right? Then, we'll leave it to fate, or chance.
[ Ryoji digs around his pocket for a quarter... He has no quarter, because who carries around loose change anymore... But he does have his wallet, and in that wallet, his ID, which he hands to Kurt. ]
Give it a toss. Heads, we continue. Tails, we go back.
[ Ryoji takes the ID back before he loses it forever in the darkness, relinks his arm with Kurt so he doesn't lose him in the darkness, and squares off facing the dense black fog of memories. ]
We'll run until we come out the other side, or... collide with a wall, I suppose. But as long as we can, back on our feet to keep going, alright? Are you ready?
Nah, it's not so bad being small. It's almost like there's not even a hare out of place! [He makes sure to emphasize the pun to make sure that it's not missed.
...Yeah they're probably not safe from the bunny's silent judgement.]
[If he wanted to be sassy, he'd reply that people change all the time. ...But this doesn't feel like the time for sass.]
Like... like this? [He gestures all around them.] Yeah, it's definitely a first. Our heads have all changed at the same time, but not our entire selves!
[Right now he doesn't believe it will, perhaps because it's so new he doesn't want to believe that will be the case. Surprisingly, it's easier to cope with when you assume it's just a temporary weirdness, even if the other visions are so far proving otherwise.]
[...Thankfully, his grandparents are so sweet, they bought it immediately. He doesn't really go out of his way to take advantage of that kindness, but just this once, he thinks it's preferable to trying to get anywhere when he's like this.]
[The bun flicks its ears, almost like it's insulted at the name - except not really, because that would require a bun that understands human language.]
Later.
[And off he goes, loyal bun hop hop hopping along after him.]
[Kurt's been impatiently taking some steps forward while waiting for his new companion. But he's still close enough that he can hear the other boy's call and spot his phone's light in the darkness when he turns around.
Despite the urgency of the moment, he still calls back:]
Yo! [At Kurt's voice, he points his phone on the ground to make his way over to him, coming to a stop once he's caught up only so he can glance around their surroundings.]
[This place is so unnerving, he speeds up as best he can, trying in vain to keep Kurt in his light which is an impossibility once they plunge further into the darkness.]
So uh, Kurt. This is weird for you too, right? I mean, you've got the app or whatever? [Because he'd tried talking to his agent about things and the guy'd acted like he was totally crazy for thinking they weren't always like five inches tall.]
These days, everything's weird for me! [He says as an attempt at humor as he strides forward.] You mean Retrospec, right? Of course... We wouldn't both be in this weird situation if we didn't both have it!
[At this point, he's resigned to it.
But as they move forward, the voices keep on multiplying.]
[ It's probably not that surprising that he knows about the bingo. In fact, if he has the same task that she does, that'd probably explain why he was carrying around all these buckets and toy shovels in the first place. ]
...Yes, you're correct. One of the challenges on my bingo card is to build a sand castle as tall as I am.
[Indeed. And it wasn't hard for him to guess that she was at, too. She seemed to not be completely down with sand castles and yet was specifically trying to make a tall one...
He smirks and nods along with her.]
I knew it! Same here. So we're both helping each other, really!
Hey, but at least now that you know the way, it won't be impossible. It'll just take some time. But when it's done, it'll be a real masterpiece!
[He continues to build it up carefully as they speak. At least through their efforts they're clearing the first foot so far.]
You're not wrong. It's not what I expected from a random new app, but... then the last few months happened. I'm sorry to say that you're in for a lot of weirdness to come.
There's no point in denying it if it's true, depressing or not. I'd rather not dwell on the possibilities, but there's no use in keeping my head in the sand, either.
[ She's continuing along with the wet packing like he'd shown her earlier, figuring that she might as well stick with that until he says it's time to swap methods. ]
I suppose so. It's been very educational, which is worth a little hard work.
You got it! [He acknowledges with a snap of a finger.] You need just the right balance to complete this tall order.
...And there's other tricks for making walls, moats and towers and all... but I guess we could skip over those for now. It'll take enough effort just to make this baby tall enough! I guess it doesn't have to look too pretty as long as it gets the job done.
[With that, they continue building up the sand castle, with Kurt giving more tips here and there, until finally it managed to manages to surpass both of their heights.
Kurt immediately begins cheering.]
Alright!! We totally rocked it. We are the masters of the sand, man!
[With that, he eagerly holds out his hand for a high five!]
[ That's true... teamwork certainly did save them both a fair amount of time, in the end. She's in a good enough mood about finishing this task that she doesn't even pay his strange dancing any mind. ]
You're welcome, then. And thank you for all your help as well, Kurt.
[His parents and grandparents are both on the plainer side when it comes to their kitchen appliances, that's for sure. Still, he'll follow, trashcan still in hand!]
because it seemed like a good idea at the time? look last month a bunch of us got whisked away on an unbelievable journey my group ended up in a castle in the sky me and this other kid found a stable full of unicorns and they seemed to want to be ridden! so, we did that.
[He snaps his fingers and points finger-guns at the boy, who is not a beast. Not yet.]
Now that sounds like a plan, shorter man! [He then remembers that only his other identity is supposed to know where he lives.] Um, just let me know where that's at.
Okay. Um... Here we go! [He then grabs onto Gar's arm, and with a bamf, they're teleported right to the top of the a one-story building, with a puff of smoke and the smell of brimstone.]
You can't be that good a climber. [He responds flatly and then shakes his head.]
Hang on, man! This is... just act 1! [There's a two story building next to them with a billboard on top. Kurt then does two jumps... one to the top of that other building, and then right on top of that billboard! ...Where he quickly tries to maintain balance.]
Hold it there. This is as far as you go, man! ...Well, actually safely back down to the ground is as far as you go. ...But this is as far you go upward!
[Gar continues to cough and choke every time at the weird smoke, but he's definitely grinning.]
This is so cool! This is... I don't know, I never even imagined something like this could be real! If I could do this, I'd just be bouncing around the city all day!
Call me before you show up at my house so I'll know when to expect you. ...I wanna do this again sometime, though! You can see what other comics you wanna borrow.
Okay, fine. [He smiles meekly at her.] But you did save me, so no matter how many sorries there are, I owe you some thanks too. [Kurt gives a thumbs up.] So, thanks! Talk about de vine intervention!
Good thinking! I bet you're right... They would stash their secrets in one of their trains! They must not have thought we'd get this far. But they didn't count on how awesome we are! [With that, he raises his free hand for a high-five, and then he turns his attention back towards the trains.]
Right. I don't see how super old stuff can help us with weird stuff that's more modern and futuristic... I guess it's just something to keep in mind! We'll figure it out, probably.
I... I get what you mean. [He scratches at his head with a thoughtful frown.] Maybe just... a little bit at a time? And... hey, lots of people are remembering scary and unbelievable stuff. So, there might be people out there who can relate more than you think.
Well, I hope you aren't, anyway. [But she was smiling as she said this.]
No, I know. There are people I would not worry about. And thanks for being one of them. But it's still not something I want to just...tell people about, that's all.
[Kurt follows her and looks out an adjacent window. There's not much to see aside from darkness, though.]
I'd like to say Disney World. But I'm pretty sure it's actually going to be someplace that's weird, confusing, and probably dangerous? [That's the Retrospec guarantee!]
Well, like, there's technically a mascot that's close enough to a giant rat... [He says with a laugh, but then he starts to practically press his face against the glass.]
Huh. [Eleanor hesitated, her eyes scanning over the brochures. So many names she didn't recognize. She wasn't the best at geography but could there really be this man places she'd never heard of? Maybe she needed to-]
[She sucked in an audible breath in surprise as her eyes fell on one of the brochures, fingers trembling as she reached out to pick it up. On the front, in large, bold block letters, was the word 'RAPTURE.']
[Her shaking fingers reached the brochure, picking it up slowly and looking over the cover. There was a picture of a light house on the front, far out in the ocean, with stone steps leading up the front.]
...This is the city. The underwater one. That the other Eleanor was from.
[He frowns as he glances around, spotting one flyer for a place called "Bayville" with an image of a train station in one of his memories. Although, that's the only memory he has corresponding to a specific place.]
...Yeah. We should just leave these things alone. They're just trying to get at us.
I know, I know. When it comes to these guys, there's no telling what's actually on the inside.
[He half-expects it to be filled with their baby photos or something. But then as he opens, it...]
Hey, it actually says stuff.
[So that I can stop double-checking the old log:
Flipping through this book details the history of the city and the story of how the four founders traveled far to settle on Earth to create this city decades ago. The city was originally to be a safe haven, a central hub much like this subway station, until the Retrospec project could reform everything. However, the city became a home to the founders, the founding families, and others that were rescued throughout the galaxy who'd lost their planets. The book goes on to explain how Retrospec created their original headquarters in a bunker in the woods hidden from prying eyes so they could do their job with utmost secrecy. Retrospec was never to be looked into by ordinary people and the original company had less than 10 employees working for it.
This subway station, it says, used to be the way that travelers from other worlds would arrive to the city of Recollé and a way that they could leave to explore other parts of the planet at their leisure until the system was shut down sometime in the 1970s due to the collapsing of several tunnels.
There are several pages at the end of the book, too, but the text is illegible. Instead, in bold letters written in sharpie are the words "LET'S REWRITE HISTORY" and dated 2007.]
[Eleanor scans the pages as he flips through them, picking up bits and pieces here and there. When he's done, she took a step back, considering the book as a whole.]
So even the people doing all this aren't actually from here, are they...
[Now that's not a comforting thought. He scratches at his head with an uncertain frown.]
That's... that's a good question. I want to hope that it's theirs, but... It's anyone's guess at this point. [He's already starting to suspect the worst.]
I... I don't know. [He frowns as she brings that up.] We'll figure it out as we go along. But I doubt we'd have to... go back to those worlds or anything. [Or he hopes.]
[As she accepts the dead batteries, he had started to reach for hers. But he caught onto the meaning of the closed hand quickly, and so he his hand just hovered nervously in place as he nervously tried to assure her.]
Of course! Just a quick look around. Like... an hour or two, tops!
[Don't make her enforce your bedtime young man B|]
If you are certain.
[Slowly, very slowly, Amelia released her grip on the batteries. Even this pained her to do; it was like letting go of not just these ephemeral material things, but her son himself. He should grow, he should become more than he was--but she'd have to ease her grip for Kurt to do so.
Just a little. These were just batteries. Without looking away from Kurt, Amelia let go.]
[With a relieved sigh, Kurt quickly catches the batteries in his hands and fixes them into his flashlight. He then flicks it on and off as a successful test.]
Aw yeah, I'm back in business! ...Thanks a million, Mom!
[Kurt took his time, because part of his plan was to see if the sword was important enough to her to use as a bartering chip to negotiate about releasing her fire spirit. But when she didn't chase him down, he figured that plan wouldn't work... he'll have to thin differently!
He at least talks with one of the locals and with their help, he released the spirit within the sword into a heath. And he also did manage to find out a few tips about getting them out of people... He's not sure if they'll work, but he has to give it a try!
So Kurt soon approaches her with the sword in hand, whistling innocently and then trying to look surprised to see her.]
[she's done moving those color TVs and humming a Mark Knopfler solo in her head in time to go track down Kurt, and other than having done a fair amount of heavy lifting, she seems pretty okay. her brow is sweating and her arms are gonna ache in the morning, but that's it. for now.]
Yeah. Wie geh—uh, what's up? You got everything figured out with my sword?
[she reaches for it just because she wants to have it back in her hand. there's nothing she's going to need it for, hopefully, but she wants it.]
Totes! It's clean as a whistle now! [He says responds affirmatively as he looks at the blade. ...But as she reaches for it, he tries to pull it back out of her reach.]
[she doesn't seem especially amused by these antics, insofar as she's amused by anything. there's a tugging at her chest, inside her body, and she's just distracted enough by Kurt's bullshit to ignore how the warmth that's been radiating through her is originating from her dominant hand now.]
What are you, five? Give me my fucking sword back!
Uh-uh-uh! [He taunts further, sweating slightly as he tries to hide how terrified he really is.]
I know you're not the one who really wants it. Not as much as your little buddy! And who could blame 'im? This sword is some prime real estate! Nice and warm and cozy and strong and... sharp? [He shrugs and waggles the sword around in a tantalizing manner.]
[this is fucking stupid. even as she realizes what he's doing, because he's not being the slightest bit subtle about it, she feels the fire spread to her fingertips, then jump from her body into the sword, and suddenly all the warmth and the swagger and the confidence leaves her, and she's just. hovering there, in midair.]
[it takes her a second to realize that the spirit is gone. her wings aren't gone yet, but. she doesn't feel... right, right now. her eyes meet his, and she's trying very, very hard not to give him an emotion to read.]
[Success!! Kurt leaps up into the air victoriously as the sword returns to the sword! And then he waggles a finger towards the still-flying lady in response.]
Come on! You know that having that thing couldn't have been good news. I did you a solid! ...Please don't hurt me.
Yeah, well. It was part of me. So you tricked both of us.
[she looks down at her sword. is Kurt even going to let her touch it? what if the spirit jumps back into her? she'll bounce back from this, but right now she's... this isn't how it was supposed to go.]
Congratulations. You happy now? Now that there's no more mean, nasty fire spirit inside of little ol' defenseless Anna?
[It isn't exactly the reaction he had hoped for. He shakes his head nervously as he takes a step back.]
A-actually feeling a little conflicted right now. But hey, it wasn't like that. You don't seem defenseless at all... I bet you could kick my butt to next Tuesday if you wanted!
It's... [she pinches the bridge of her nose. at least Kurt being a moron is keeping her mind off this.] It's called sarcasm. It's a thing I do? All the time?
[maybe it's for the best. it's defused her desire to be a depressed sack of shit for the moment.]
It wasn't hurting me. You have a lot of fucking gall if you think you can tell me what I get to do with myself.
Right! Sarcasm. I- I get it. Sarcasm's great! [Well, not so great now. Now it's more part of the scariness! And making him question his decision.]
B-but it's not like that! The fire was... like... It had to have been bad news, even if you couldn't tell! I thought that... it was telling you what to do, you know?
[she can't give a good answer. it was pulling her in certain directions, guiding her towards being looser with her words and emotions, but it's hard to tell whether it was making her do those things. and she doesn't want to think about it.]
You don't get to decide. Not unless you actually knew what was going on. Did you talk to anyone back at the hearths, or did you just decide you were going to do the "right thing"?
I- I did talk to them! That's how I knew how to get it out...
[He looks at the floor, feeling more unsure than ever. He can't even pun at a time like this, or he'd say something about hitting close to the hearth.]
Sorry. But I did what I did. And you're possession-free now! Isn't... that good? [He's not used to this kind of reaction to his attempts at heroic antics. Not even on the tv show he used to be on!]
[is it good? she doesn't feel great about it, but she's not sure whether that's because she's angry at someone else making a choice for her or if it's more that she's just. missing something.]
I don't know. But yeah, you did what you did. I can't change that. And you were... coming at it from the right place, I guess. There's just a lot of stuff you don't know.
[she's trying to keep herself at an even keel. she made this bed herself because she refuses to let people in. and she's not going to start now, but she can at least own up to it.]
Sorry. It's not your fault that I'm... like this. I don't like people making choices for me. Especially if they say it's for my own good.
Hey... No need to be sorry. I- I get it. I don't like people deciding things for me either. Especially when my parents want to run my life. It's totally bogus, you know?
["then you should've known" flashes in her head, but she doesn't say it. she even keeps the scowl inherent in that thought off her face, just because her emotions are all still completely out of whack.]
At least you get where I'm coming from. Look, this is gonna be... bad for a while, I think. With me. I might need to go try to figure my own shit out.
[she glances at her sword, then bends down and picks it up. the spirit seems happy where it is.]
I'll bring this back to the hearths. You gonna be okay here?
Yeah, I'll be fine. [He reassures her with a hint of a smile.] Nothing to worry about here!
Take your time and do what you need to do. [After a beat, he nervously adds] I-if that's what you wanna do, I mean! This isn't an order or anything. You can do whatever you want!
Got it! Got it. [He nods, with a bit of a more sincere smile.]
Okay, so I'll... leave you to that. Catch you on the flip side! [With a meek wave, he backs away before finally turning and leaving. He's not sure if he'd call it his proudest mission, but at least it ended on a vaguely positive note.]
So he's someone you don't know. [Kurt kinda knows that feeling, constantly seeing people in his memories who he's never met before.] Well, maybe someday you will.
You're welcome! [He smiles and raises a hand in a wave.] It's no problem. You just stay out of trouble now, okay?
[ Maybe one that was inhabiting like, something manageable!! Something she could stop with her own physical strength. ]
Before I got caught up in dealing with that one, I was thinking of looking around in a beauty supply store to look for them. I guess it was pretty stupid to try to take on something so big... [ And definitely not to look at the products. ] Do you think there would be any there? I'd definitely know how to handle anything in there!!
[ She wouldn't be scared of hair dryers or things like that after all, not like some huge metal statue. ]
A- a beauty supply store? [He says with a surprised laugh.]
I have no clue, but I bet there's gotta be something like that around here. How else would people stay moisturized in a place like this? [He smirks as he looks around.] We'll look around and see if we find one! How does that sound?
[Kurt does ease away slightly as she regains her bearings, though he keeps an arm on her shoulder to make sure. He frowns thoughtfully.]
I- I guess it is a bit hard to work into everyday conversation... [He says with the hint of a joke.
He wonders if he should have seen something like this coming. This whole time his mother's been on the app, he's been afraid of her finding out about weird and dangerous things involving him. He never really thought about the fact that now she'd be getting memories too... and her own share of weirdness. He certainly does have a lot of questions, but he doesn't know where to begin. And he's also trying to maintain some degree of tact.]
...So... you can turn into a dragon. It doesn't... Does it hurt or anything? [Overall, he feels that he should focus on making sure that she's alright above everything else.]
I- I am? [Partly he's practically stunned in shock still as he processes this. Partly he's more concerned on ensuring he's okay. And partly it doesn't feel too strange when he compared to what he's been experiencing, even if this one is literally on a much larger scale.]
Well... This is life with Retrospec. And... you're still you, right? Scales and all. [After a beat, he manages to add with a smile.] Definitely nicer than the last dragon I met! [The one he rode home on at the end of last summer.]
[SHE IS she is that would be awful if she wasn't.]
Yes, I am still me.
[She was still Amelia. Kurt was still her son.]
Was that dragon troublesome?
[She felt a distant prickle of indignation at the thought; seeing other dragons tended to make her irritated, like she was still sorting out her place in a changing world.
As she asserts that she's still her, he feels relieved. ...Maybe he needed to hear that too. With all that's changed, he's still himself, and his mom's still his mom.
He gives a nervous chuckle as he recalls that past encounter.]
Well, she did try to kill her at first! But after we snapped her out of it, she was pretty agreeable! That's how we got our life home back then.
[Kurt's eyes widen as he looks towards the other's hand.]
Whoa! Dude, that's not all! It totally looks like it's spreading, doesn't it? Oh man... [He then looks down at his chest, clasping at his jacket to get a better view. And sure enough-]
[His voice remains flat, but inwardly, he's on the verge of panic as well. Curses are such a completely foreign idea - this isn't like some illness, something that there's a knowable cure for.
"Go into the forest," they said. Fat lot of help that was. How were they supposed to break a curse with barely any information like that...?
He grimaces as another whisper floats on the air - "Why didn't you try? You could have found them all by now..."]
Hey. Are those whispers giving you any clues?
[There's got to be something, some sort of rhyme or reason to all of this... But what?]
U-um... okay? [He's not sure what that means, and he's starting to feel unusually tired, but... whatever. He'll trust in him. And so Kurt tentatively trudges on forward!]
[So is Theo, but it's easier not to look it if he's just standing around, watching Kurt walk. He'll wait for Kurt to get a decent distance ahead before he calls out:]
Like, you're a cool bro and all, but that's not what I'm trying to say. It's... I should just show you!
[With that, he presses a button on his watch, and suddenly Kurt looks like a hologram fizzing out... revealing him to actually be a blue and furry being with a tail.]
And Kurt's surprised, if pleasantly so. This is more what he was hoping for, even if he feels like he should have whiplash form that turnaround.
He laughs weakly at that joke.]
That'd be something! Talk about a colorful club. But you're, like, the first other person I've met who's like... this. [He says as he gestures to all of him.]
[Gar resorts to bad humor when he doesn't know how else to respond. It's one of his many delightful personality traits.
But from the faint grin lingering on his face, he seems to be... a little bit pleased. This wasn't even something he would have thought he wanted, but with this sudden revelation...
He feels a little less alone.]
Yeah, well.
Sames.
[...]
Dude, how do you hide it? That's totally cheating, man. Where do I get one of those things?
Okay, okay. Watch carefully! Now you see me, now you... see a different men! [He dabbles with a button on his watch, turning his human form on and off several times over the course of the minute.]
[His smile does flicker a bit at the word 'freaky', but otherwise he's just a mix of amused and nervous at Gar's words. And, even if Gar doesn't have an image inducer of his own, he's a bit jealous that he can grow and get rid of stuff like tails at will.
Kurt laughs as he falls over and then stands over the fallen friend.]
I think you might have some balancing issues to work out, my friend! It's not a bad look... but maybe a monkey tail would suit you better?
...I mean, mine just kinda thought I was dying of some sort of weird disease.
[...]
But they forgot about it.
...If it's been longer than a month, they might not even notice if you go around like that. I dunno how that works if you can disguise it normally anyway.
But this isn't about Retrospec! It's about me. Retrospec didn't just turn me into a furry devil for no reason. This... this has to be who I really am. I can't just... tell her this.
[Gar makes a noise as if he's about to say something before he bites his tongue. ...For a moment, he looks conflicted -- then drops his gaze to the ground.
[He'd have to be from a different DC universe to have heard of such a thing.]
Neither have I, but aside from the power, it checks out! [He nods along.]
Well, nothing like that. Mostly I can stick to walls, I'm weirdly acrobatic, and I can teleport... [After a beat, he scratches his head with a nervous laugh as he confesses.] Oh yeah! I'm The Bamf, by the way.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
TINY EVENT [May event]
Ryoji
[Kurt's a bit shaken by what happened, so he just shuffles along as Ryoji drags him along, and he softly nods.]
Y-yeah... I remembered some of the stuff that I, um, remembered already. [His memories feel mundane compared to all of the others that he's heard about, so he feels a little weird putting them on the same level.]
It was like a whole rush! But, the ones I've had so far... They're kinda plain stuff, really. [He looks towards where he images Ryoji's head should be in the darkness.]
...Sorry that you got a bad one. Are you alright, man?
no subject
[ He doesn't quite sound like it, but appreciates the concern and will be alright, with time. Honestly, he would much rather prefer the mundane instead of being woken from what feel like nightmares several times a month, and that has him smiling just a little. ]
The others I've had were also plain, but nice. Going to school, eating out, talking to girls. What about yours?
[ Lighter subjects like this make him better better; it might have been better if they did this from the start, chatting about whatever instead of walking in silence. ]
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I don't know what to make of anything, but if this will keep on happening, I hope it stays on cruise control with hallucinomemories like those.
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[ Turning where he stands, Ryoji faces the darkness where he'd drawn them back from, frown on his face. ]
This place has something to do with the memories, though? If we go through it, do you think we'll receive them all at once? Get it over with instead of waiting and wondering?
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But if that does happen, would it really be a good thing? What if this is like... some kinda brainwashing? If we get too many, we might forget who we really are!
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...I can't say it won't happen, but the memories have just been in addition, not replacing the past, hasn't it? I know who I am. [ His voice raises slightly, trying to reaffirm to himself just as much as to Kurt. ] My name is Ryoji Mochizuki, born December 2nd, 1997, at the Recollé General Hospital. I like honeydew bubble tea, and the golden hour before sunset. I won't lose who I am.
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But who knows how it'll be if you get zapped with a mega-buttload of the memories at the same time?
[He runs a hand through his hair uncertainly.]
...I believe you, though. You can hold onto who you are as long as you believe! I just... wanna make sure you know what kinda risks you could be taking...
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[ With a small smile, Ryoji taps the knuckles of one hand to his chest, once, before it slides off, the smile falling with it. ]
When you put it like that, though... We don't really know what kind of risks there are, do we? Even though we're so close, that it feels like the key to figuring everything out it right here and now... I don't really know what I'm doing, in the end.
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[Except now Kurt's hesitant, and he doesn't know which to choose.]
But I guess that's a point that goes both ways. On one hand, better to stay safe then sorry. On the other hand, if we can get real answers from these risks... Maybe that'll be worth it, right? The yolo!
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[ Ryoji digs around his pocket for a quarter... He has no quarter, because who carries around loose change anymore... But he does have his wallet, and in that wallet, his ID, which he hands to Kurt. ]
Give it a toss. Heads, we continue. Tails, we go back.
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Your ID? Well... I guess that's as good as anything... Here goes nothing!
[He flips it into the air, catches it, and...]
Looks like your face came up! I guess that would be... heads?
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[ Ryoji takes the ID back before he loses it forever in the darkness, relinks his arm with Kurt so he doesn't lose him in the darkness, and squares off facing the dense black fog of memories. ]
We'll run until we come out the other side, or... collide with a wall, I suppose. But as long as we can, back on our feet to keep going, alright? Are you ready?
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Got it. I'm ready... to yolo like we never yolo'd before! Let's do this!
[And, to seal the deal, he shouts out:]
KUUUUUUUURT WAGNER!!
[And then, he tries to start the mad dash.]
Tatsuma
Nah, it's not so bad being small. It's almost like there's not even a hare out of place! [He makes sure to emphasize the pun to make sure that it's not missed.
...Yeah they're probably not safe from the bunny's silent judgement.]
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...I think you beat me.
[He's already run out of puns here.]
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It's okay man, you put up a good fight.
[He extends a hand for a handhshake.]
Put it there!
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I lost to a worthy foe.
[And, now that they've ascertained that:]
Were you exploring too?
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Yep! You know, just what I think is the usual now... Exploring, trying to survive...!
We talked on the 'spec before, haven't we? [He's starting to recognize that face from his icon.]
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[Now that Kurt's mentioned it...]
My grandparents were still normal. Is this another... app thing?
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It sounds like it's an app thing... These past few months, things have gotten pretty bonkers for us every now and then!
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[Shrinking en masse as opposed to a guy suddenly finding himself with a new arm and all that.]
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Like... like this? [He gestures all around them.] Yeah, it's definitely a first. Our heads have all changed at the same time, but not our entire selves!
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[Right now he doesn't believe it will, perhaps because it's so new he doesn't want to believe that will be the case. Surprisingly, it's easier to cope with when you assume it's just a temporary weirdness, even if the other visions are so far proving otherwise.]
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Some of the weird changes that happened stuck around for good. B-but, this may be different... right? Hopefully?
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I really don't want to live in my pajamas for the rest of my life.
[He probably means 'yes.']
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I bet everyone could fit on one pillow like this.
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[Or subsequently getting lost in bed, even.]
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[Well, some teleportation might help, but Kurt's keeping that a secret.]
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...Maybe I should find a comfortable spot on the floor.
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The house is too neat for that. And climbing on the couch would be even harder…
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[…At least some part of it is consideration as well?]
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Gotta look out for Grandma! Things are gonna be tricky... Do you at least have any comfy rugs?
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[He's starting to frown. This... could actually be a bigger problem than he thought, for given definition of the word 'big'.]
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[Hhhhhhhrm.]
...Maybe... I should find a way to get them into bed...
[They're still acting as though everything's normal, after all, and he's suddenly got a bad feeling they'll be insisting on sleeping normally too...]
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[He imagines that they're not aware just like his own relatives. So this definitely doesn't sound like an easy task at all.]
You could try... climbing the blankets?
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[He's not too sure about trying to climb with them on his back, either. If he fell, then...]
Make a ramp... maybe?
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I’ll see what I can do. …They think I’m sick.
[This is going to be his excuse all week for ditching school, probably.]
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[...Thankfully, his grandparents are so sweet, they bought it immediately. He doesn't really go out of his way to take advantage of that kindness, but just this once, he thinks it's preferable to trying to get anywhere when he's like this.]
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Way to go, brother!
[He holds his hand up for a high five!]
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...I don't think I could've made it anyway.
[This was definitely the better option.]
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[Was that a stealth pun or an accident, we may never know.]
I'm going to keep exploring with Charcoal. You?
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I'll do my own exploration, and see if I can make it to school in one piece...
It was good meeting you in person! And your pal too, of course.
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[He pats Charcoal a couple more times to get the bun's attention, the bun having since turned its gaze elsewhere during their chat.]
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[He makes a peace sign.]
Peace out, brother! And my brother from another fuzzer! [He says that last one to the bun before he turns and leaves.]
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Later.
[And off he goes, loyal bun hop hop hopping along after him.]
Event Thread II: The Wrath of Kon
[Kurt's been impatiently taking some steps forward while waiting for his new companion. But he's still close enough that he can hear the other boy's call and spot his phone's light in the darkness when he turns around.
Despite the urgency of the moment, he still calls back:]
Polo!
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You really think there's someone else down here?
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[And just like that, his name echoes out once more from further into the darkness.]
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Yeah....yeah, guess you're right. After you then...
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[It's kinda spooky but he attempts to crack a smile anyway, before he starts walking ahead, deeper into the darkness.]
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So uh, Kurt. This is weird for you too, right? I mean, you've got the app or whatever? [Because he'd tried talking to his agent about things and the guy'd acted like he was totally crazy for thinking they weren't always like five inches tall.]
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[At this point, he's resigned to it.
But as they move forward, the voices keep on multiplying.]
Whoa! S-so many... This is getting kinda spooky!
July Event Overflow
Peko/Kaguya
Good to meet you too, Kaguya! That's a pretty cool name.
[Of course, he also has to wonder it out loud, so-]
And hey, this sand castle thing - this has to do with a certain little bingo, right?
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...Yes, you're correct. One of the challenges on my bingo card is to build a sand castle as tall as I am.
Evidently, that's a task easier said than done.
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He smirks and nods along with her.]
I knew it! Same here. So we're both helping each other, really!
Hey, but at least now that you know the way, it won't be impossible. It'll just take some time. But when it's done, it'll be a real masterpiece!
[He continues to build it up carefully as they speak. At least through their efforts they're clearing the first foot so far.]
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[ Less tower-if-you-squint, more actual castle. ]
But it's very fortunate that you came to the beach with similar plans. This way, we can both be one square closer to a bingo.
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Yeah, this really came together nicely! I should thank you... We're both helping each other in the end!
So, what do you make of this whole Retrospec thing so far?
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[ not to mention all the stories she's heard... if things aren't hard to believe, then they're just creepy. ]
I can't say I'd trust the people who run Retrospec any further than I can throw them. But so far, the rest of the users seem friendly.
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[he says with a weak laugh and then gestures to himself.]
We try to be helpful where actual Retrospec isn't! That's what happens when we all suffer them together.
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[ Which makes sense, if people really are getting strange memories and superpowers as a result of being "chosen." ]
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You're not wrong. It's not what I expected from a random new app, but... then the last few months happened. I'm sorry to say that you're in for a lot of weirdness to come.
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I've heard it involves stalking and superpowers, so that... sounds about right. Honestly, I don't want to imagine what's next on their list.
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I don't really want to imagine either! But I have a feeling we'll find out eventually, whether we want to or not.
...Sorry, this all sounds pretty depressing, doesn't it?
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There's no point in denying it if it's true, depressing or not. I'd rather not dwell on the possibilities, but there's no use in keeping my head in the sand, either.
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And as long as you brace yourself, maybe things won't be too bad!
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[And then he works on the next layer of the sand castle. It's getting up there!]
Whew! It's pretty hard work, but pretty rewarding too, right?
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I suppose so. It's been very educational, which is worth a little hard work.
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...Okay, so now we'll try to put some drier sand on, alright? Too much wetness can make the whole thing fall apart!
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[ But so she doesn't ignore his enthusiasm entirely: ]
I am looking forward to seeing how this will turn out in the end.
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...And there's other tricks for making walls, moats and towers and all... but I guess we could skip over those for now. It'll take enough effort just to make this baby tall enough! I guess it doesn't have to look too pretty as long as it gets the job done.
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[He starts helping to work on another layer. Slowly but surely, it's making its way towards their heights!]
And for now, we'll try to reach the height of our success.
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[ She'll continue to add on dry sand to help stabilize the structure and to add height. ]
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Kurt immediately begins cheering.]
Alright!! We totally rocked it. We are the masters of the sand, man!
[With that, he eagerly holds out his hand for a high five!]
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You certainly are, at the very least. This was an impressive feat.
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Hey, it was a team effort! This would have taken all day without your help... So, thanks! Not a bad way to get to meet someone, Kaguya!
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You're welcome, then. And thank you for all your help as well, Kurt.
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[As his dancing dies down, he wipes some sweat from his forehead.]
Now that that's over with... I think I'm gonna go for a dip! I really worked up a sweat.
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Ah, be careful when you do. There was something strange in the water earlier... though hopefully it's left by now.
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Still, I hope you're able to enjoy your swimming regardless.
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I'll be careful, promise. Thanks for the heads up! It was good to meet you, Kaguya! [he waves to her as he starts to depart.]
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[ And she'll wave him off! ]
Tatsuma
Totally! [He smirks as he looks over the neon-colored trash cans.]
The gaudier, the better, my dude!
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[He crouches down to the same level as the trash cans, hovering his hand over them for a moment before resting it on the pink one.]
I wonder if Janet likes pink?
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Hey, how about variety? You get pink, I'll get something funky and fluorescent!
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Alright.
[Though that begs the question...]
What are you getting them?
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Um... I think I wanna go with my first idea. The weirdest toaster I can find!
[He starts to move towards the appliances section.]
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[His parents and grandparents are both on the plainer side when it comes to their kitchen appliances, that's for sure. Still, he'll follow, trashcan still in hand!]
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I... really, really hope so. Let's check them out!
[He moves forward... and soon it becomes clear that they have a few options.]
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...I didn't know they made toasters like these.
[Insert appropriate gif here.]
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[He ignores the one that has gray in place of blue and insteads picks the one with the square pattern, bouncing it around in his hands mischievously.]
Alright, we have a winner!
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[And Jim can go ahead and Deal. Tatsuma's not really the malicious sort, but a simple prank like this should be fine.
Now that their items are selected, he half-turns, clearly ready to head to the cashier but waiting on Kurt to follow first.]
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[He smirks as he starts moving towards the cashier.]
Now let's get this over with.
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How much is the toaster?
[With the... design. Kurt's definitely walking out of here with the pricier gift.]
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Fifty dollars?! Man, for this price... I really hope we get to see the look on old Jimbo's face afterwards!
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If we give these to him... Do we get to go to the wedding?
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...And would that be a good thing or a bad thing? Buying these things... Is it like a deal with the devil?!
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We'd get to see him in person.
[That... might be worth something?]
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[Overpower by numbers!]
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You got it, dude! It'll be the perfect trap. Then he'll spend his honeymoon answering our questions!
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[It'd be really great if they could learn what's up...
The line isn't too long. Tatsuma's up next. And when he sees that, something else seems to occur to him.]
Oh-- do you want to hear a rumor?
[Subtlety at its finest.]
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[He waits in line behind Tatsuma, raising an eyebrow at his question.]
Um... Sure, why not! I'm always hungry for some good old-fashioned gossip!
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[Success!]
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[So please believe him. Or not, whatever, he's just one step closer to five people!
As the clerk calls him over, he only half-turns towards them, pausing to wave at Kurt.]
See you later?
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Yeah! Thanks for the company. Peace out, broseph!
RETROSPEC POST (09/01/2017)
Mio
because it seemed like a good idea at the time?
look last month a bunch of us got whisked away on an unbelievable journey
my group ended up in a castle in the sky
me and this other kid found a stable full of unicorns
and they seemed to want to be ridden!
so, we did that.
Re: Mio
How long do I have to be a member of this thing before I can go to some weird fantasy place and ride a unicorn.
If I'm going to have some weird mental break and just accept all this weir stuff, I might as well get a unicorn ride out of it.
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but um it's been about half a year for me so
who knows, it may be a while
but this stuff's so unpredictable that it may as well be tomorrow
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At least they keep us on our toes...? I don't know.
I'm Miu, by the way. Thanks for helping me out. Are you in high school still?
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and nope, no high school for me
i'm a bona fide college student!
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oh man, freshman alert!
well technically i'm a freshman too
but i did my first semester in the spring
so, half-freshman i guess
January 2018 Event Overflow
Gar!
[Kurt raises an unseen eyebrow.]
Tongs?
[A beat.]
Okay, that's fair enough. So I'd get to borrow them, right? ...Are masked heroes allowed to borrow comics?
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You should definitely let me know where you live, though, so I can collect it afterwards.
Deal?
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Then you'd know my secret secret identity! We can't do it that way. ...Should I set up a PO Box? Is that what those are for?
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[so close]
...And I dunno. I haven't heard of anyone using a P.O. Box since like the 1960s.
Why don't you just teleport to my house?
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Now that sounds like a plan, shorter man! [He then remembers that only his other identity is supposed to know where he lives.] Um, just let me know where that's at.
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[please don't ever call him that again]
And I live on XXXX Huntington Ave. It's, uh, down by this one park with the fountain... You can probably just Google Maps it.
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So now you're gonna teleport me around the city for fun, right?
[Gar smiles winsomely.]
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You get one jump, dude. No more, no less.
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[Gar frowns.]
I'm trading my mint edition comic book for one trip? C'mon, bro. You at least have to bring me back where I started, right?
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[Gar knows when he's getting ripped off!]
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OK, deal!
Teleport time! Go somewhere cool!
[Gar grins and tries to suppress the urge to jump up and down like a little kid as he holds out his hand.]
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Ta-da?
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[Gar coughs and chokes a little bit as he gazes around at his surroundings with... wide eyes that quickly fall a bit flat.]
OK, teleportation was cool. Pretty awesome, 10/10 would ride again.
...But you took me to the top of something I could climb up in like, 10 seconds, dude.
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Hang on, man! This is... just act 1! [There's a two story building next to them with a billboard on top. Kurt then does two jumps... one to the top of that other building, and then right on top of that billboard! ...Where he quickly tries to maintain balance.]
H-how you like it now!
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[Gar hollers as he teeters back and forth from atop the billboard, his eyes wide as saucers.]
This is more like it!
Top of a skyscraper, let's do it!
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Hold it there. This is as far as you go, man! ...Well, actually safely back down to the ground is as far as you go. ...But this is as far you go upward!
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And the first teleport totally doesn't count.
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[With that, he teleports them back down to the roof below the billboard!]
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[Gar sighs as he reappears on the second rooftop.]
Well, fine. But do it slower! I wanna like, try and figure out how this works.
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[Gar continues to cough and choke every time at the weird smoke, but he's definitely grinning.]
This is so cool! This is... I don't know, I never even imagined something like this could be real! If I could do this, I'd just be bouncing around the city all day!
This is crazy!
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Its legitness is off the charts! I couldn't even believe it at first. But now here I am, a hero on the move!
Alright, one more left. Hang onto your horses!
[With that, he bamfs right back down to the ground and steps away.]
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[Too late! He's poofed back to the ground before he can finish his protest.]
Noooooooo. Wait, do it again! I'll let you have the comic for... two weeks!
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...OK, fine, fine.
[Gar sighs melodramatically.]
Call me before you show up at my house so I'll know when to expect you. ...I wanna do this again sometime, though! You can see what other comics you wanna borrow.
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Right, we'll... figure that out as we go along. I'll keep in contact with you, young citizen! Until then, stay... just and all! Don't, like, litter!
[With that, he salutes and then bamfs away.]
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[...Gar pauses to stare off into the distance, scanning the horizon in case he reappears somewhere.]
...Man, I'm definitely going crazy.
Kaede!
Okay, fine. [He smiles meekly at her.] But you did save me, so no matter how many sorries there are, I owe you some thanks too. [Kurt gives a thumbs up.] So, thanks! Talk about de vine intervention!
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[ She gives him a thumbs up back before adjusting her flashlight in her hands. ]
Are you ready to keep going?
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Right... Let's keep this journey rolling!
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[ And off they go! It doesn't take long before they reach the abandoned cars, and Kaede motions up ahead. ]
It looks like there's something up there.
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Yo, for real! Looks like we found our runaway trains. [Although each of them looks like they've seen better days.]
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Should we look through them? Maybe there's a clue to getting rid of that dome in one of them.
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Good thinking! I bet you're right... They would stash their secrets in one of their trains! They must not have thought we'd get this far. But they didn't count on how awesome we are! [With that, he raises his free hand for a high-five, and then he turns his attention back towards the trains.]
Okay, now where to start...?
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How about this one? [ It's the one closest to them, and as Kaede walks closer she notices that it's filled with luggage. ]
...I wonder what happened here.
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I dunno. Did a bunch of people miss their train? [He offers a helpless shrug as he checks out some of the luggage.]
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[ She picks up a newspaper off the ground and flips through it. ]
Wow... this is really old.
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Man, you're not kidding! Talk about old school! Does that mean these trains have been here that long...?
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That's what I'm wondering... That has to be it, right? Unless someone dumped all this stuff in the car. [ Which doesn't sound likely but who knows. ]
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Hey, I wouldn't put it past Retrospec. I don't know what else it could be, though. Unless we traveled through time!
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[ And impossible, but she really has no idea if anything is impossible anymore. ]
You've had the app longer than me, right? Do you think it's possible...
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[He pauses thoughtfully. He does know someone who can travel through time now, but he'd rather not spook her.]
Well. It might be possible, but I haven't seen Retrospec use it at all so far. [He offers a weak smile.] So, we might be safe?
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[ She frowns. ] I guess time travel isn't as bad compared to other things they could do.
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And it's true that it's not so bad. As long as we don't, like, change history or anything.
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[ Okay, she's getting ahead of herself here! ] Anyway, it's still pretty weird how everything's so old. I wonder if that's a clue to something.
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But it sounds like it's time to put on their thinking caps! So he does.]
Yeah! Maybe that's what it is. A clue that... that something happened here a long, long time ago?
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[ She sighs. ] I guess a clue doesn't mean anything unless you can piece it together with something else.
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Right. I don't see how super old stuff can help us with weird stuff that's more modern and futuristic... I guess it's just something to keep in mind! We'll figure it out, probably.
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We will! A lot of others have probably found similar clues too. We're bound to figure something out.
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[With that, he starts to do a small but goofy victory dance to acknowledge this.]
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You look like you just scored a touchdown!
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We kinda did! A touchdown of... optimism, I guess!
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Eleanor!
I... I get what you mean. [He scratches at his head with a thoughtful frown.] Maybe just... a little bit at a time? And... hey, lots of people are remembering scary and unbelievable stuff. So, there might be people out there who can relate more than you think.
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I just...I don't want them to think I'm a murderer. Or that I'm going to become one.
[Because she worried about that. She could feel that anger sometimes, that protective rage the other Eleanor felt...]
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[He trails off and looks down.]
Okay, maybe some people would assume that.
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So, it's easier, and safer, if I just keep it to myself.
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...I know I still trust you. I know you're not her. And I can't be the only one who can think like that!
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No, I know. There are people I would not worry about. And thanks for being one of them. But it's still not something I want to just...tell people about, that's all.
[She hesitates.]
Please don't tell anyone?
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I would never! My lips are sealed, Eleanor. [he even does a zipping motion across his lips to signify this.]
But... I'm glad you have people. You always do. And, you're not alone.
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[She sucked in a breath, glancing at the screen again, and then straightened up a bit.]
Okay. Anyway. Where do you think we're going?
[She walks away from the screen, to the front of the car to try and look out the window.]
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I'd like to say Disney World. But I'm pretty sure it's actually going to be someplace that's weird, confusing, and probably dangerous? [That's the Retrospec guarantee!]
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I feel like this would be a bad way to get people to come to your park. What with the giant rats and creepy vines.
[She leans forward, pressign her face to the window, trying to see ahead...but so far, just darkness ahead. Maybe a light in the distance...]
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...Do you see something?
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[She leaned back a bit. And the train definitely just started slowing down.]
I suppose we've arrived.
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[He then heads over to the nearest door.]
Please don't let it be a trap!
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So, you want to head towards the light, huh?
[She asked teasingly, even as she followed him.]
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And there they are, in
Game Centrala station!]Whoa!
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[She echoed him as she stepped out onto the platform, looking up at the ceiling then around at all the shops.]
...This is awfully bigger than anything I could've imagined.
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Man, there's gotta be some kinda secret hidden around here!
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[She walked further into the mall, scanning the shops as she went.]
This stuff is all older than we are...
[Eleanor you are late millennials that isn't hard.]
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Totally! Man, yeah, this place is ancient. You have any idea if this is like... an actual place? I never really took any trains or subways before.
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[She walked over and picked up one of the things on display.]
...Shouldn't this stuff be dusty?
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[She grinned, setting the thing back down and turning to walk along the shops.]
Why not. Maybe they have a maid.
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Right. The way things are now, even jokes might not be jokes. Who knows? Maybe they really maid it happen!
[And Kurt moves to follow her!]
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Maid in-
[Her response was cut off as she noticed something.]
Well that logo looks familiar...
[She said as she started towards that store with the Retrospec sign above it.]
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Alright, we found the big cheese! [Kurt runs ahead towards that store!]
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[Eleanor follows at her normal pace, pausing to look around the shop entrance before she steps inside.]
It...reminds me of a travel agency almost?
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Look, they have even have a bunch of travel brochures! [He rifles through some of the travel guides.]
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[She sucked in an audible breath in surprise as her eyes fell on one of the brochures, fingers trembling as she reached out to pick it up. On the front, in large, bold block letters, was the word 'RAPTURE.']
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...Eleanor? ['Rapture'... He knows the term from religion, but it feels like this is something different.] You okay?
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...This is the city. The underwater one. That the other Eleanor was from.
[She explained without taking her eyes off it.]
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They - that - man, now that's a new level of creepy! Why do they... have a whole brochure...
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[The inside is pretty much just a flyer touting all the wonderful things about the libertarian objectivist paradise that is Rapture. What fun.]
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...Yeah. We should just leave these things alone. They're just trying to get at us.
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[Eleanor nodded, but after a few seconds she slipped the brochure into her purse before turning to offer him a smile.]
Right, okay. what else do we see here?
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Um... a bunch of blueprints... and- what have we here? [He looks down at the book titled "Welcome to Recolle".]
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[Eleanor moved over to look down at the book too, reaching out to trace her fingers over the cover.]
I have no idea. I mean, if this is a tourist bureau, this should be a book about the town but...
[She was a little uncertain about opening it. For all she knew it would just all be blank.]
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[He half-expects it to be filled with their baby photos or something. But then as he opens, it...]
Hey, it actually says stuff.
[So that I can stop double-checking the old log:
Flipping through this book details the history of the city and the story of how the four founders traveled far to settle on Earth to create this city decades ago. The city was originally to be a safe haven, a central hub much like this subway station, until the Retrospec project could reform everything. However, the city became a home to the founders, the founding families, and others that were rescued throughout the galaxy who'd lost their planets. The book goes on to explain how Retrospec created their original headquarters in a bunker in the woods hidden from prying eyes so they could do their job with utmost secrecy. Retrospec was never to be looked into by ordinary people and the original company had less than 10 employees working for it.
This subway station, it says, used to be the way that travelers from other worlds would arrive to the city of Recollé and a way that they could leave to explore other parts of the planet at their leisure until the system was shut down sometime in the 1970s due to the collapsing of several tunnels.
There are several pages at the end of the book, too, but the text is illegible. Instead, in bold letters written in sharpie are the words "LET'S REWRITE HISTORY" and dated 2007.]
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[Eleanor scans the pages as he flips through them, picking up bits and pieces here and there. When he's done, she took a step back, considering the book as a whole.]
So even the people doing all this aren't actually from here, are they...
[That was new information.]
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I- I guess not! Man, it's pretty confusing stuff... totally bananas! [He has trouble making heads or tails of most of the things they learn.]
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Let's rewrite history.
[She drew in a breath.]
Our history or theirs?
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That's... that's a good question. I want to hope that it's theirs, but... It's anyone's guess at this point. [He's already starting to suspect the worst.]
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[Eleanor pulled out her phone and flipped back to the front of the book, starting to snap pictures of each page as she went through it.]
Maybe they think they can fix whatever 'ended' all those other worlds.
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What does that mean for us though? If they're claiming they've 'rescued' us from them.
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[Eleanor has no intention of ever going anywhere near Rapture.]
Come on, let's see what else we can find down here before I lose myself in this book.
[And off to explore!]
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Almedha!
R-right! I know. I should... do that! [He's not sure what 'cognizant' means, but he can kinda guess from the context. Kurt offers her a weak smile.]
Hey, I'm made of some pretty stern stuff. I'll be fine, Mom. I promise! I... just gotta get some new batteries!
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I have some with me.
[Nine volt or AA is what he meant, right]
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Really? Oh man, Mom, you're a lifesaver!
[One of those could work!! He holds up his battery, ready to replace the batteries.]
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You won't be staying down here long, yes?
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Of course! Just a quick look around. Like... an hour or two, tops!
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If you are certain.
[Slowly, very slowly, Amelia released her grip on the batteries. Even this pained her to do; it was like letting go of not just these ephemeral material things, but her son himself. He should grow, he should become more than he was--but she'd have to ease her grip for Kurt to do so.
Just a little. These were just batteries. Without looking away from Kurt, Amelia let go.]
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S-super certain! As can be!
[With a relieved sigh, Kurt quickly catches the batteries in his hands and fixes them into his flashlight. He then flicks it on and off as a successful test.]
Aw yeah, I'm back in business! ...Thanks a million, Mom!
Ghibli Event [April 2018]
For Annalise (sorry for the delay!!)
[Kurt took his time, because part of his plan was to see if the sword was important enough to her to use as a bartering chip to negotiate about releasing her fire spirit. But when she didn't chase him down, he figured that plan wouldn't work... he'll have to thin differently!
He at least talks with one of the locals and with their help, he released the spirit within the sword into a heath. And he also did manage to find out a few tips about getting them out of people... He's not sure if they'll work, but he has to give it a try!
So Kurt soon approaches her with the sword in hand, whistling innocently and then trying to look surprised to see her.]
Oh, there you are!
no worries!!
Yeah. Wie geh—uh, what's up? You got everything figured out with my sword?
[she reaches for it just because she wants to have it back in her hand. there's nothing she's going to need it for, hopefully, but she wants it.]
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Ha ha, real funny. For real.
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Right, right. For realsies!
[He starts to hold it out towards her, but once again he quickly yanks it back.]
Man, you must really want this!
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[she doesn't seem especially amused by these antics, insofar as she's amused by anything. there's a tugging at her chest, inside her body, and she's just distracted enough by Kurt's bullshit to ignore how the warmth that's been radiating through her is originating from her dominant hand now.]
What are you, five? Give me my fucking sword back!
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I know you're not the one who really wants it. Not as much as your little buddy! And who could blame 'im? This sword is some prime real estate! Nice and warm and cozy and strong and... sharp? [He shrugs and waggles the sword around in a tantalizing manner.]
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[it takes her a second to realize that the spirit is gone. her wings aren't gone yet, but. she doesn't feel... right, right now. her eyes meet his, and she's trying very, very hard not to give him an emotion to read.]
...Why did you do that.
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Come on! You know that having that thing couldn't have been good news. I did you a solid! ...Please don't hurt me.
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[she can't really think of the right words to say. her feet feel strange on the ground.]
I'm not going to hurt you. I don't want to. [her wings fold up behind her.] You tricked me into getting rid of it.
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...Sorry. I- I didn't want to trick you. I was more aiming to trick the fire spirit. From asking around, that seemed to be the only way to stop this.
[After a moment's pause, he silently lays the sword down on the ground near her.]
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[she looks down at her sword. is Kurt even going to let her touch it? what if the spirit jumps back into her? she'll bounce back from this, but right now she's... this isn't how it was supposed to go.]
Congratulations. You happy now? Now that there's no more mean, nasty fire spirit inside of little ol' defenseless Anna?
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A-actually feeling a little conflicted right now. But hey, it wasn't like that. You don't seem defenseless at all... I bet you could kick my butt to next Tuesday if you wanted!
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[maybe it's for the best. it's defused her desire to be a depressed sack of shit for the moment.]
It wasn't hurting me. You have a lot of fucking gall if you think you can tell me what I get to do with myself.
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B-but it's not like that! The fire was... like... It had to have been bad news, even if you couldn't tell! I thought that... it was telling you what to do, you know?
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[she can't give a good answer. it was pulling her in certain directions, guiding her towards being looser with her words and emotions, but it's hard to tell whether it was making her do those things. and she doesn't want to think about it.]
You don't get to decide. Not unless you actually knew what was going on. Did you talk to anyone back at the hearths, or did you just decide you were going to do the "right thing"?
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[He looks at the floor, feeling more unsure than ever. He can't even pun at a time like this, or he'd say something about hitting close to the hearth.]
Sorry. But I did what I did. And you're possession-free now! Isn't... that good? [He's not used to this kind of reaction to his attempts at heroic antics. Not even on the tv show he used to be on!]
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[is it good? she doesn't feel great about it, but she's not sure whether that's because she's angry at someone else making a choice for her or if it's more that she's just. missing something.]
I don't know. But yeah, you did what you did. I can't change that. And you were... coming at it from the right place, I guess. There's just a lot of stuff you don't know.
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I... can be kinda clueless. [He scratches at his head uncertainly.] And I don't know a lot about you, right.
...Maybe I should just focus on putting these guys away for now.
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[she's trying to keep herself at an even keel. she made this bed herself because she refuses to let people in. and she's not going to start now, but she can at least own up to it.]
Sorry. It's not your fault that I'm... like this. I don't like people making choices for me. Especially if they say it's for my own good.
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Hey... No need to be sorry. I- I get it. I don't like people deciding things for me either. Especially when my parents want to run my life. It's totally bogus, you know?
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At least you get where I'm coming from. Look, this is gonna be... bad for a while, I think. With me. I might need to go try to figure my own shit out.
[she glances at her sword, then bends down and picks it up. the spirit seems happy where it is.]
I'll bring this back to the hearths. You gonna be okay here?
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Take your time and do what you need to do. [After a beat, he nervously adds] I-if that's what you wanna do, I mean! This isn't an order or anything. You can do whatever you want!
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Too far in the other direction, you nerd. Chill out. I'm not going to take a swing at you or anything if you're saying we're good here.
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We will be. Once I have time to process everything. Don't worry about it.
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Okay, so I'll... leave you to that. Catch you on the flip side! [With a meek wave, he backs away before finally turning and leaving. He's not sure if he'd call it his proudest mission, but at least it ended on a vaguely positive note.]
Lily
[Kurt laughs nervously while trying to set her down gently on the ground.]
H-how? Uh... Just a good old-fashioned sprint, mixed with adrenaline! Nothing out of the ordinary there!! [Lying to children's okay, right?]
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[Lily was going to say more but the goes blank and stares at him.]
Fang...saved me too.
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...Huh? Fang?
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...Someone I knew...?
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[He frowns as he wonders if it's a memory thing. If she made her way all the way here, she's probably another Retrospec user, after all.]
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[It was her first time with a memory and she's really confused.]
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It's like... remembering something, right? Something you never remembered before.
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Yeah, does this always happen?
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Sometimes things that happen make you remember things, but there's no way to tell for sure.
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...okay.
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[If he saved her especially. Which reminds her.]
Thank you...for saving me.
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You're welcome! [He smiles and raises a hand in a wave.] It's no problem. You just stay out of trouble now, okay?
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You really think so?
I promise...sorry.
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[He nods at her.]
It's okay, it's okay. As long as you're careful from now on, it'll be okay. This isn't exactly a playground, you know.
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[Lily nods quickly as she looks around.]
Yeah...I'm not sure why I did that?
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...The fire spirit? ...Did it go anywhere?
Misa
I've been using them a little bit here and there to wrangle some of them up when no one's watching... but that horse statue's on a whole nother level!
[He looks in the direction that the statue ran off in.]
I bet you could still catch one. You just have to pick on one your own size! [Kurt says as he glances back at her with a reassuring smile.]
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[ Maybe one that was inhabiting like, something manageable!! Something she could stop with her own physical strength. ]
Before I got caught up in dealing with that one, I was thinking of looking around in a beauty supply store to look for them. I guess it was pretty stupid to try to take on something so big... [ And definitely not to look at the products. ] Do you think there would be any there? I'd definitely know how to handle anything in there!!
[ She wouldn't be scared of hair dryers or things like that after all, not like some huge metal statue. ]
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I have no clue, but I bet there's gotta be something like that around here. How else would people stay moisturized in a place like this? [He smirks as he looks around.] We'll look around and see if we find one! How does that sound?
Dragon Mom
[Kurt just looks at her, shocked and concerned as he tries to take that in. This isn't new? Is this... what she really is?]
You... you've been like this? [He mouths in surprise.] I... had no idea...
[As an afterthought, he answers her question, with a shake of his head.]
N-no, of course not. [He was, at least a little.] This is just all... a pretty big surprise.
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Yes, I imagine so. I...neglected to inform you, when I learned of it. The time never seemed right.
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I- I guess it is a bit hard to work into everyday conversation... [He says with the hint of a joke.
He wonders if he should have seen something like this coming. This whole time his mother's been on the app, he's been afraid of her finding out about weird and dangerous things involving him. He never really thought about the fact that now she'd be getting memories too... and her own share of weirdness. He certainly does have a lot of questions, but he doesn't know where to begin. And he's also trying to maintain some degree of tact.]
...So... you can turn into a dragon. It doesn't... Does it hurt or anything? [Overall, he feels that he should focus on making sure that she's alright above everything else.]
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[...she still didn't know what happened to her clothes, but that was not something she was going to mention to her son.]
You're handling this well, Kurt.
[No shouting (except the initial one), no running around in frightened circles.]
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I- I am? [Partly he's practically stunned in shock still as he processes this. Partly he's more concerned on ensuring he's okay. And partly it doesn't feel too strange when he compared to what he's been experiencing, even if this one is literally on a much larger scale.]
Well... This is life with Retrospec. And... you're still you, right? Scales and all. [After a beat, he manages to add with a smile.] Definitely nicer than the last dragon I met! [The one he rode home on at the end of last summer.]
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Yes, I am still me.
[She was still Amelia. Kurt was still her son.]
Was that dragon troublesome?
[She felt a distant prickle of indignation at the thought; seeing other dragons tended to make her irritated, like she was still sorting out her place in a changing world.
Or they were just competition, either or.]
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As she asserts that she's still her, he feels relieved. ...Maybe he needed to hear that too. With all that's changed, he's still himself, and his mom's still his mom.
He gives a nervous chuckle as he recalls that past encounter.]
Well, she did try to kill her at first! But after we snapped her out of it, she was pretty agreeable! That's how we got our life home back then.
Theo
[Kurt's eyes widen as he looks towards the other's hand.]
Whoa! Dude, that's not all! It totally looks like it's spreading, doesn't it? Oh man... [He then looks down at his chest, clasping at his jacket to get a better view. And sure enough-]
Me too!!
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Don't tell me it's some kind of timer...?!
[But his muttered words do little in the face of the forest itself. Those words continue to surround them, seemingly growing louder...]
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I- I dunno. But the sooner we figure this out the better!!
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[His voice remains flat, but inwardly, he's on the verge of panic as well. Curses are such a completely foreign idea - this isn't like some illness, something that there's a knowable cure for.
"Go into the forest," they said. Fat lot of help that was. How were they supposed to break a curse with barely any information like that...?
He grimaces as another whisper floats on the air - "Why didn't you try? You could have found them all by now..."]
Hey. Are those whispers giving you any clues?
[There's got to be something, some sort of rhyme or reason to all of this... But what?]
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They're just telling me about things I don't wanna thing about. Maybe... maybe we just have to ignore them!
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Ignore them and then what?
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...Keep moving on? Maybe... that's the trial?
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You start moving ahead, then. Try to keep an eye on your mark.
[Wait, then what's Theo going to do...?]
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Wait, aren't you going to come with?
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[He waves a hand in a shooing motion. This plan is perfectly safe, surely.]
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Feeling any different?
Gar
[Kurt sighs and shakes his head.]
Like, you're a cool bro and all, but that's not what I'm trying to say. It's... I should just show you!
[With that, he presses a button on his watch, and suddenly Kurt looks like a hologram fizzing out... revealing him to actually be a blue and furry being with a tail.]
...There! ...Ta-da?
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[Gar leaps back a foot.]
Blue aliens! Possessing my friends! Who are you and what'd you do with Kurt?!
[ok so gar might be a little bit of a hypocrite]
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Wait, wait, calm down! It's... me! It's still me, man! [And here he hoped for some furry solidarity!]
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[Gar takes another step back and stares for a few seconds.]
What do you mean it's you? ...You can't just like... change how you...
[...]
Oh crap wait do you have like, shapeshifting powers? Oh you said 'you're like me'!
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No shapeshifting, though. At least, not that I know of. I just have, like, a holo-watch. It... helps me look human.
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[There is another blank stare of confusion.]
So... So -- this is you normal and you... aren't human? Is that what you're saying? This is... you?
[...]
You're... like me.
[This echo carries with it faint notes of surprise and realization.]
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...Right. I don't know what I am, but... I'm definitely no normal human. [he scratches at his hair uncertainly.]
S-so yeah. We're pretty much alike! But I think I've had this going on for longer... while you're a little green!
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[Gar is silent for a few moments before he reaches out and pokes Kurt for no particular reason.]
...'K, guess it's real.
[...]
Dude, we should form a club or something. Maybe we'll get a whole rainbow in here.
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And Kurt's surprised, if pleasantly so. This is more what he was hoping for, even if he feels like he should have whiplash form that turnaround.
He laughs weakly at that joke.]
That'd be something! Talk about a colorful club. But you're, like, the first other person I've met who's like... this. [He says as he gestures to all of him.]
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But from the faint grin lingering on his face, he seems to be... a little bit pleased. This wasn't even something he would have thought he wanted, but with this sudden revelation...
He feels a little less alone.]
Yeah, well.
Sames.
[...]
Dude, how do you hide it? That's totally cheating, man. Where do I get one of those things?
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He waves a calming hand as he chuckles.]
W-well this watch of mine, it's called an image inducer, and it covers me up with a hologram! As for where to get it...
[He shrugs helplessly.]
Ask the Retrospec fairy for a wish?
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[Gar pulls his best puppy eyes.]
Wait, I wanna see it again! Do the switch! ...And like, switch back and forth.
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Okay, okay. Watch carefully! Now you see me, now you... see a different men! [He dabbles with a button on his watch, turning his human form on and off several times over the course of the minute.]
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Wait, hold up.
[and also... examines his freaky hands and swings back around to -- ]
Dude you've got a tail.
Sweet.
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Yep! I guess that makes for quite the tail!
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[Gar sprouts a dinosaur tail and wiggles it around a bit.]
Gotta commit to the whole freaky monster bit, right? And like... tails are cool. ...I dunno, it might be too furry.
Whaddaya think?
[He whirls his tail around and unbalances himself enough that he trips.]
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Kurt laughs as he falls over and then stands over the fallen friend.]
I think you might have some balancing issues to work out, my friend! It's not a bad look... but maybe a monkey tail would suit you better?
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...Yeah, that's a look. I could see that working.
[...The tail shrinks away.]
Maybe I'll save the body mods for later.
...Hey. So, like... does anyone else know about you?
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...Only, like, three other people. I'm trying to keep this super on the down low, you know?
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['Cause it's weird and horrifying', he fills in the mental blanks. He looks faintly uncomfortable.]
...You think you'll ever just go around like that?
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...It's not worth the risk. My family would kill me if they found out about this! A-and... who knows what else would happen?
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[...]
But they forgot about it.
...If it's been longer than a month, they might not even notice if you go around like that. I dunno how that works if you can disguise it normally anyway.
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And my mom's on the app too, anyway.
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[super weird lady]
...Well, what's the problem with that, then? She'll understand the kinds of stuff Retrospec gets into.
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He mumbles a few words after a bit.]
...I dunno, dude.
I... wish my mom would understand.
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...I'm sorry man. [It's like some of his worst fears have already come true for him!]
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[it's not fine
but it's not like kurt can do anything about it either]
...I mean, do whatever you feel comfortable with, dude. But I bet your mom would wanna know.
[...anyway.]
I don't remember what I'm supposed to be - do you have any idea?
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I'm... not sure. [He scratches at his hair uncertainly.]
Like, I look like a devil. So I don't think that's a good sign. But in one of my memories, I did hear something about mutants too.
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[just saying]
And hey, that's pretty cool. You get to have like, demon powers, right? Can you buy people's souls?
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Neither have I, but aside from the power, it checks out! [He nods along.]
Well, nothing like that. Mostly I can stick to walls, I'm weirdly acrobatic, and I can teleport... [After a beat, he scratches his head with a nervous laugh as he confesses.] Oh yeah! I'm The Bamf, by the way.
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[...]
...Wait, you're the teleporting guy? Hey, you totally still jilted me out of a teleport.
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[Gar squints a little.]
How can I know you were the teleporting dude? You'd better prove it to me again.
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Okay, okay, here it goes... [And so he bamfs several yards away, then gives a light shrug.] Happy?
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Pretty good.
But like, maybe it's just some kind of hologram again, right? You should really take me along.
[Gar smiles innocently and charmingly.]