Memory 003: (Backdated to after the Thanksgiving nuclear event)

[forgotten_titan]

(When Tara woke up after her first death, her initial reaction was to throw her quilt covers off and gasp for air. Dying from radiation poisoning is horrible, and the slow death had definitely hit her hard. Things get even more confusing for her when she notices that she's back in her bed, totally healthy and alive. She scrambles for the curtains;

Comments

Action: Highschool

[hontobakabaka]

[In between classes, Tara gets a tap on her shoulder. Ruri looks slightly different from before but nods.]

You don't look all right. Do you want to skip the next class?

[forgotten_titan]

Huh?

(She rubs her arm, unsure. She's never been the type to skip class...her dad would be disappointed in her.)

I don't know...I've never skipped class before.

[hontobakabaka]

I was made the guidance counselor here. Its not skipping class if you are given an appointment.

[forgotten_titan]

(She hesitates, but Ruri does have a point. And she really needs to talk about this.)

...OK. Thanks Ruri.

[hontobakabaka]

[She smiles slightly and nods]

I just got back after a few years away. The time here is a complete disaster, but lets go to my office.

[She nods a bit and points down the hall]

[forgotten_titan]

(If Tara was not so down, she would've been more shocked and surprised. But at this point, she's so down that the only thing she can say is:)

Is that why you look a little different?

(She follows Ruri down the hall.)

[hontobakabaka]

It is. There was the nuclear winter, then I woke up at home, and two and a half years passed. It was odd.

[She opens the door to her office]

I got chocolates with caramel if you would like some.

[forgotten_titan]

Thanks, but no thanks.

(She sits at the chair and waits nervously.)

So, umm...I guess this makes you my teacher now, huh?

[hontobakabaka]

I guess. I don't know, I'm only just 18, and most of my days involve sitting in here, watching America steal my peanut butter cups. The drones don't need guidance and most of the non drones have their own people to talk to.

[forgotten_titan]

(The words "America" and "peanut butter cups" gets Ruri a confused look from Tara.)

There's a person called "America" here?

(And she thought her name was bad enough to be so similar to someone who tried to take over a city. But being called after a country? She can't imagine the amount of teasing the poor guy must've gone through as a kid.)

[hontobakabaka]

There is. He is a teacher here. He has another name too, but I can't quite remember what it is.

Apparently several people here are the embodiment of countries. Its odd, but not the oddest thing I've seen here.

[forgotten_titan]

(She's...just going to take Ruri's word for it.)

Right.

So...do I have to talk about how I feel, seeing as you're the guidance councilor?

[hontobakabaka]

You can talk about whatever I want. You just looked like you needed to talk to someone.

[forgotten_titan]

That obvious, huh?

(She keeps silent for a moment or two, before she finally lets out what's on her mind.)

You know how the whole town got hit by a...a bomb? And there were those crazy people, and, and I got hit by one of them. It was just a scratch but soon after, I started getting sick. Like, really sick.

(Eventhough it's not that cold in Ruri's office, Tara shivers as the memory comes back.)

Ruri, I think I...I think I died.

[hontobakabaka]

As I remember, I was with Taiwan, hiding in her area. I was genetically altered when I was in the artificial womb to be mostly resistant to radiation, but... No one else was. I watched several people die, so, it is possible.

The town wanted us all to die. Some of us weren't and we got to watch lots of people die, and some were strong enough to shake it off till the thing ended but, I think the town admins were just being worse than usual. I'm told they do that to prove a point since death is... Temporary here.

[forgotten_titan]

What sort of point are they trying to make!?

(Tara sounds angry and upset here.)

They've already made our lives miserable here. They've already proven that they're winning, or maybe they've even won. What they did to us...

(She grips the hand rests on her seat so tightly till her knuckles turn white.)

...why? It's just wrong.