002. ☾ First contact { Action }

[proteusmoon]

Who: Cecil and you!
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Planet, around!
When: October 24th, night

[ After sifting through the changes made to the ship with the disappearance of some of the crew, as well as making sure their newest addition settled in all right, Cecil is a little late making it out to explore the planet they've landed on. That said, she's not sure how it is that she managed to attract such a crowd of natives, much less how they managed to keep her busy with being led around their quaint, dusty home all day. One thing just led to another and she's been sight-seeing and answering an awful lot of questions about herself.

It's now nighttime, she's unwittingly tried enough lighter fluid-flavored liquor to render her a little drunk, and it seems her small following is leading her inside the brothel next. It's unclear whether or not she realizes where they're going, but she's also got a handful of those red stones and she's in a pretty good mood, so she's content to be led along.

Honestly, it's been a trying past couple weeks and she needed this chance to unwind, really. Maybe not quite this much, but beggars can't be choosers. ]

Comments

[wilder]

You mean Makoto?

[He tilts his head a little curiously]

What do you make of her?

[proteusmoon]

I used to know a different version of her. This one...

[ She sighs and shakes her head a little. ]

...knows some other me.

[wilder]

[!]

Wait, seriously?

You mean, like you're from different timelines?

[proteusmoon]

Almost, but not quite.

[ Because that would be way too easy. ]

Before I being brought here to the fleet, I'd been to a similar place where the multiverses converged. It was called Court. Our minds were tampered with, our memories even altered, our freedom compromised... and while I was there, I met a girl named Makoto Matou. We were not from the same universe. I think our crew-mate is a different version of her. At least in name and appearance, they are exactly the same.

And this one apparently comes from a world where I exist as someone with the title of "Saber".

[wilder]

Court, huh? [A slight frown crosses his face as he listens] ...Hadn't heard about that one, but I've heard of other places like it to get the idea. [Paradisa, Siren's Pull- it was worrying how many places seem to pull these sorts of things.]

But Saber huh? Sounds like a warrior of some kind.

[proteusmoon]

I haven't spoken with her at length about this Saber, but she seems entirely convinced I am she. The warrior aspect would not be surprising if Saber and I are in fact somehow alternate duplicates of the same soul.

[ She rubs her temples with one hand, feeling agitated just considering the possibility of another version of herself being a native to Makoto's world. She thinks she understands now how so many other people she's known felt about their counterparts— Kaneis included. ]

Given my background, I'd be more shocked if Saber was an average teenaged girl like Makoto.

[wilder]

Wait- she still thinks you're the other one? [He wrinkles his nose] Ergh, that's gotta be annoying.

[He knows he hates it. When people keep being convinced his memory is just acting funny instead of the idea he could be a different person.]

Ha...yeah, you don't seem the type. [a beat] No offense, of course.

[proteusmoon]

[ Cecil ducks her head a little bit in embarrassment, sheepish suddenly. ]

Ah... well, I haven't yet corrected her on the matter...

[ That sounds crazy, doesn't it. Probably. She feels crazy saying it aloud. ]

[wilder]

...Wait, seriously?

[But w h y. Cecil.]

[proteusmoon]

She...

[ Cecil winces. ]

...was so upset. Whatever they went through together... Makoto regrets something and it was killing her.

[wilder]

She was?

[Okay, he guesses he could understand not saying anything a little]

[But this...is so surreal. He's usually used to this stuff happening to just HIM. Not being an outsider to this kind of mess! Just whoa man]

She didn't...kill that other you or anything, did she?

[Because that's totally a thing.]

[proteusmoon]

Uhm...

[ That is a really good question, actually. ]

I don't know. I don't think so, but it does sound as though Saber is...

[ Gulp. ]

...dead.

[wilder]

Oh. Is she? ...I was kinda hoping that wouldn't be the case.

[That's just...great. Wow. He would be more surprised, but really, when you're dead yourself while your counterparts live- the idea of alternate realities where certain people die isn't at all shocking.]

So...what? You're gonna...pretend to be her dead friend and hope she never notices?

[proteusmoon]

No, of course not. I mean--

[ Cecil sighs quietly, looking down at her now empty plate of egg-like protein sticks miserably. ]

I don't know. Maybe she isn't truly dead. Makoto seemed shocked to see me, but not especially so-- not the way I would expect someone who had just seen their dead friend to be. It's rather... strange. I'm not sure how to describe it. She said something about having "lost" me. I suppose it could mean all manner of things.

1/2

[wilder]

[Kaneis rubs the back of his neck]

...Yeah. Guess that could mean all sorts of things.

[a pause]

I dunno. I should probably be the last person to give advice about this stuff seeing how well I deal with it, but...I dunno. You should tell her the truth eventually, I think it's fine to give her time to settle in first before dumping that news on her too.

[wilder]

Just, you know, don't wait too long, or the next thing you know, you have to buy a new couch and find someone to patch up holes in your walls because someone decided to fire several ice lances in your living room.

[Because that could totally happen to anyone. Definitely]

[proteusmoon]

Ice lances?

[ Why is it always lances... ]

...Er, I don't think she would resort to that. Even if she did, I presume they made me security on our ship for a reason.

[wilder]

[He gives a half shrug. Siblings man. Siblings]

Well, that's something!

...Still, I think I'll myself scarce whenever you do tell her.

[proteusmoon]

[ She laughs shortly, giving him half a smile. ]

Ah, thank you for your support, dear Kaneis.

[wilder]

Consider it a form of moral support!

'Sides, I think that's a conversation better done in private anyway.

[proteusmoon]

[ In spite of herself, she laughs a little more heartily at his quip, then she shakes her head slowly. ]

No... you're right. It is better done in private. I suppose I'm just... a bit afraid.

[wilder]

Yeah?

[He tilts his head a little]

What's got you afraid?

[He doesn't mean it rhetorically- he knows first hand there's a LOT to fear in these sorts of conversations. But...it'd be good to know what Cecil finds scary about it]

[proteusmoon]

[ Cecil's explanation, perhaps predictably, might not be exactly the sort of reasons Kaneis was expecting. ]

The Makoto I knew was a skilled mage in her own right. If our new crew-mate takes things badly... I fear she might become a danger to herself-- and to you. She might not trust me so easily again, one way or the other, and I worry about losing her faith. I don't want her to doubt that I care for her, to suspect I mean her harm when all I want to do is help her. She's been through enough and she's been alone for much of her life. I don't want her to be disappointed and think that must continue here, because it isn't true.

[wilder]

[NOPE. NOT IN THE LEAST. His expression now goes to CONCERN.]

Wait. Are you saying she could get violent to us over it? Even though I have nothing to do with this?

[proteusmoon]

Probably not exactly that physically violent, but you never know. Mostly, she'll probably pick on you regardless because of your sex.

[ Makoto, Queen of Misandry. ]