001 | voice

[hearthotel]

[it does take a little while and the receiving of a shiny new rune from a pompous snowman before he figures out how his bracelet functions, and even that is kind of stretching it. still, he has an important question to ask, and as far as he knows, he's somehow managed to pop into a world he's already familiar with. this can't be a new world; he

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[Voice]

[lethechained]

[She knows that voice.]

[She met Vanitas earlier and she does briefly wonder if her ears are fooling her, but no-- she knows the difference all too well. Simultaneously she wants to and doesn't want to believe that she's heard right, because it would be wonderful to see Sora again, but she doesn't wish this confinement on him, especially not when he was about to finally get home. Either way, she's already moving to start a post of her own and it's entirely too late to stop now. ...Not even when she realizes she doesn't know what to say, other than,]

Hello, Sora.

[Voice]

[hearthotel]

[she might recognize his voice, but Sora can't exactly say the same about hers. that won't stop him from greeting Naminé cheerfully-- he'll remember her in a minute! right?]

Hello!

[Voice] -> [Video]

[lethechained]

[Fat chance. She'd rather hoped he'd at least remember meeting her when she showed up to go back to Kairi, but he didn't say her name. That's not an indication that he doesn't remember, necessarily, but it does make her wonder. --Oh, silly her, she was using audio, not video. She reaches up to change that, eyeing the screen as the camera starts recording. Her smile is already ready and waiting when it does, and she laces her fingers together once she's finished turning the video feed on.]

[She opens her mouth to ask if he remembers her, but hesitates, and instead asks,] Why are you looking for Santa? [She has a bit of an idea by now, though.]

[Video]

[hearthotel]

[unfortunately, nothing in his expression indicates that he recognizes her-- in fact, he looks curious as he watches her more than anything.]

Well... I thought maybe I was in Christmas Town, so I figured if I found Santa, he'd be able to help me out.

[Video]

[lethechained]

[It's hard to miss, especially when she's watching so closely. She is disappointed - it'd be a lie to tell herself she isn't. The smile doesn't go away, though, just gets less sincere, and possibly a bit sad.]

Oh. [It's hard to tell whether the 'oh' is because of her realization or his explanation. There's something kind of off about it.] Sorry, Sora, but you're not in Christmas Town. Didn't you talk to the woman who was there to greet you after you arrived? [And still she doesn't ask him if he remembers who she is. Maybe if he has just a bit more time-- well, no, it's probably a vain hope. She can't blame him, really; he did only see her briefly.]

[...Thinking that doesn't help as much as she'd like.]

[Video]

[hearthotel]

I did, I just-- I didn't think it was possible to travel between worlds without unlocking the way first, that's all. I figured I was somewhere I'd been before, just in a different area or something.

[but that's irrelevant. now his eyebrows arch as he watches her for a moment, his curiosity rising. there might be a hint of embarrassment in his voice, too, it's not like him at all to forget faces, and Naminé does know him.]

I'm really sorry. We've met before, right?

[Video]

[lethechained]

[It hits her harder than she expected and she sucks in a breath. The accompanying blink lasts just a little too long, but still she keeps smiling. It's one thing to be forgotten when she's the one suppressing the memories, but it's entirely another to be forgotten so quickly without interference. Maybe... maybe something happened when she was taken the World That Never Was? It's a comforting thought, and yet she can't find it in herself to cling to it. It's actually easier to believe she failed to make an impression.]

Yes. We have. It's-- okay if you don't remember me. [She doesn't look at him when she says it, though.]

[Video]

[hearthotel]

... No, it's not okay at all! I don't know what happened, but I promise you that I'm not forgetting anybody on purpose.

[Sora, there is way too much irony in your words.]

Do you think... you could help me remember?

[Video]

[lethechained]

[Irony indeed. So much of it, in fact, that her smile threatens to drop at just the first part. She's not bitter; she knows it was his decision, and as far as she's concerned, he made the right one. It still stings more than she'd enjoy admitting to hear him promise that he's not forgetting anyone on purpose, when she knows full well that he is-- no, did. When they met again, it was supposed to be different, but it's turning out the same. Unconsciously, one of her hands moves to grasp the wrist of her other hand, the pinky of that hand inching outward just past the other fingers. She's even more taken aback when he asks her to help him remember, and it shows, but she grabs control of her expression again; the first thing she thought of was not what he meant, and she realizes that quickly. If he doesn't remember her, he doesn't remember what she can do.]

....

[The look she gives him right before she turns her eyes away is hard to place, but it's definitely sad. A moment later, though, her mouth is stretched back into a

[Video]

[hearthotel]

[Sora actually doesn't know how to register her initial silent reaction at first, but when she finally speaks, his eyes are crinkling lightly in worry. he remembers that name, all right-- just not her, or why, or how. he just remembers reading a note.]

I'm... ["supposed to..." no, that doesn't sound right. his smile in return isn't that weak, but then, none of them ever really are.]

I need to thank you. [he'll remember why one day-- or maybe he won't. he's banking on the notion that he will, though.]

[Video]

[lethechained]

[As he tries to work it out, she watches him, not conscious of her failure to smile or the focus of her staring. She's not sure whether or not it's a comfort that he remembered that, at least. She wants to tell him that he doesn't need to thank her, that she doesn't deserve it, but... the recent memory of the worry on his face reminds her to smile for him, so smile she does.]

...Even though you don't know why? [It's not out of bitterness, and not at all spiteful - it's an honest question, an attempt to find a way to tell him he doesn't have to thank her without upsetting him (that worried look made her more consciously concerned about that than she might otherwise have been).]

[Video]

[hearthotel]

Well... yeah. I don't know what could have happened to have made me forget, but I know that it's the right thing to do.

[it's as simple as that to him.]

[Video] -> (Private)

[lethechained]

[She was afraid of that. Her smile falters at the part about him not knowing what made him forget.]

But... what if it was a mistake? What if there's really nothing to thank me for? [How does she tell him that that's the case without telling him he's wrong? During her hesitation she realizes that this video feed is still public, and quickly moves to change that. Then, once her hands are back down at her middle and laced together,] What if... it was my fault that you forgot?

(Private)

[hearthotel]

... What do you mean?

[an explanation would help quite a bit, and even if he doesn't remember, a note in Jiminy's Journal of all places reminding him to thank Naminé is enough for him to know it's important he does so.]

(Private)

[lethechained]

....

[Were the situation different, she might be more comfortable telling him. It's just that right now, with her powers suppressed as they are, if any of the memories that are supposed to be buried surface because she tells him what happened, and if they do and because of that something is damaged, there's nothing she can do. The chances of that happening are, she thinks, rather slim, but that's the thing - she's been wrong a lot lately, and truthfully, it scares her, especially because she knows that if something goes wrong, she won't be able to fix it.]

[...But he asked, and she finds it very hard to deny him. It's not fair to leave him in the dark, and she has no right to let her fears and insecurities get the better of her. She's not sure where to start, so she goes with the most direct answer.]

You don't remember why the note said to thank me... because I removed your memories of me from the chain of memories linked together in your heart.