[ text ; audio ; video ] ► one
[ text ]
Hello . . . ?|
[ there's a burst of white noise as the Forge's setting is abruptly switched from text to audio, but the man behind the transmission doesn't seem to be entirely satisfied with the output format. he mumbles to himself as he investigates further, some bits and phrases more audible than others -'should take care not to lose ( Read more... )
Hello . . . ?|
[ there's a burst of white noise as the Forge's setting is abruptly switched from text to audio, but the man behind the transmission doesn't seem to be entirely satisfied with the output format. he mumbles to himself as he investigates further, some bits and phrases more audible than others -'should take care not to lose ( Read more... )
See? All she had to do was wait. Giving up was a mistake, and she feels guilty for it, but that guilt is eclipsed by the swell of relief and the tiny, hissing fear underlying it. She ignores that fear, that guilt, and she can't seem to stop her voice from rising in volume. It's the first time she's said his full name in a long time. Her voice no longer breaks when she does.]
Jyuushirou Ukitake!
I still have your cinnamon tea! I---
---I'll get it right now!
[And she sees that blood.]
A-are you hurt?
I have your kotatsu, too. If your feet are cold? [Well, sometimes hurt people have cold feet, right?]
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She is worried, that much is easily readable from her tone, and for a moment, he gives pause as he tries to picture her face. ]
Ah, I'm fine. Both my person, and my feet. [ The lilt of his voice indicates a joke, an attempt to console her. ]
And while cinnamon tea sounds positively lovely, I...
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I'm afraid I don't know your name.
I'm sorry.
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She's very still for a moment, breath catching and the need to swallow lodging just behind it as the screen displays video.
But. He looks the same, doesn't he? (Oh, he does, Dawnie, that's how this place sticks the knife in sometimes, doesn't it?) She's heard of this, knows it well that there are different versions of people - hell, she's seen an alternate version of herself - but she's never had to deal with it on so personal a level, before.
She can't know that she's lost memories of her own in returning to human form - how her brief stint as a green energy ball had robbed her of any memories of Yazoo. Not that it had been a bad thing; those memories were bad ones.
But this.
It hurts, and she doesn't know what to do with it. Wasn't prepared for it. So she's quiet still as she switches her own feed to video, pressing her lips together in a sad little smile before she's able to swallow.
And finally to speak. Her voice cracks a little this time.]
I-it's okay.
[Deep breath. This is not the time to cry ( ... )
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Another you, she's said by the end, and the concept is both disconcerting and remarkably well-said. As removed from time as Anatole is, there is perhaps no better explanation for the events he himself has witnessed.
When she smiles again, this time marginally brighter, partly resigned - he offers one of his own in return. ]
Indeed it is. Though it is not the strangest experience I've had today, by far.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Summers-san.
[ And speaking of introductions... ]
You pronounced my name perfectly, you know. [ Which is something of a small feat, considering most Westerners are not acquainted with Japanese. ] I'm honored.
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[And Aizen was teaching me Japanese is what she almost says. Instead she stops. Reconsiders. She's not dragging him into this again. If this is another Ukitake, a new Cinnamon Tea Guy! Ukitake, he's safer if he doesn't know at all. Reid still knows, and so does Byakuya, ...and maybe Priscilla. But no one else has to. Ever. No matter what.
If she's not a Key, and she knows that eventually he'll try to find out, then everything will be over and done with and maybe it won't be so bad.]
---and building climbing.
[She is. It's not a lie, per se---it was the next thought she could give voice to, and Anatole has heard far stranger segues leave her lips anyway. There's an awkward pride in her smile, now.] I had a lot of practice.
What was it? The strangest experience, I mean, if you don't mi---
[Shakes it off and changes the conversational direction just a bit.]
---welcome to Anatole again. We're full up on strange experiences here, and always restocking. The welcome committee's been both ( ... )
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And he can't help but deepen his smile when he hears of a penchant for languages, scaling buildings, baskets, and what was that - ]
Bananapants?
[ Who on Earth could she possibly be referring to? ]
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[ And now, he looks decidedly sheepish. ]
I'd certainly hate to inconvenience you like that.
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...oh.]
[private]
[And wincing right now, because he probably saw that. Heard that, even. Heard and saw and ...still no way to erase Forges.]
Byakuya. He's not a fan of it, exactly, and I don't see why he isn't, because it's not like a banana is a bad thing, it's just...
...he has this thing about not wanting me to call him that ever again? I've switched to private, by the way which is a thing you can do before you say something like, oh, I don't know, bananapants?
Please don't call him that. He's had a really hard time. Mrs. Byakuya's been here twice. I can't even imagine, you know? Well, you probably don't know, seeing as though you just got here and all, and I hope you never do. Because, man.
[/end private]
It's not! An inconvenience, I mean. I can re-band in like, seconds. See? [Fingersnap!] Re-banded! And it's not just muffins, there's a map, and a couple books of dubious quality, and a few ivories! [Headtilt as she inspects the contents of the rogue basket.] And some bandaids with dinosaurs on them? Huh ( ... )
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