(no subject)

[recollecters]

EVENT + TDM

PREMISE • RULES • FAQ • TAKEN • RESERVES • APPLICATIONS
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV

I. - CURRENT PLAYERS + TDMERS
It's been days since the firewall took over the city of Recollé. The heat is still present even in mid-January and though the wall has consumed much of the outer edges of the city, the buildings and innerworkings of each district are unaffected and still standing tall. Firefighters are working endlessly to try and put out the flames and combat the issue, but the flames only begin to lessen as Retrospec users work together to curb the fire and stop it from spreadng.

This might be the time to jump in and help. Previously, you may have tried to help and found your efforts futile. Those new to the app may even have found themselves thinking the flames were best left to the professionals once the assessment was made that there would be minimal damage. However, there seems to be a power tied to that new app on your phone. Should you attempt to help put out the flames, your efforts shall be rewarded and a pathway will open into a tunnel of fire with a series of doors spread before you.

With many of you finding your way through the firewall and unlocking the doors within, progress is being made to wear down the security measures. Points in the wall will begin to crumble under touch alone and rows and rows of doors begin to appear. The flames are starting to die down outside, but it becomes clear that it's not just a few chambers you must explore. Several thousands of doors are scattered amongst the flames waiting for you to approach. Luckily you won't have to open all of them. The silver doors loom in the distance, but thanks to the efforts of the last two weeks, identifying the doors is much easier than before.

While several of the doors that have been opened are easy to navigate, users will come to find that as they approach a new door an error message will appear and block the path to the door. These messages will not appear on doors that do not contain keys, though this pattern may not be obvious at first. Sometimes the messages will appear just by walking in any of the cardinal directions inside the fire tunnel, popping up right in front of your face and forcing you to walk straight into them. These pop-ups can be dismantled via physical force or magic, though you may wish to be careful. Anyone who directly touches these messages will find themselves…multiplying? Oh dear. Two, three, or even four copies of yourself will appear and begin to wander off not only in the tunnels but back through the wall and out in the city of Recollé. Users who are split apart will have to round up all versions of themselves to become whole again, and the clones themselves will be more than happy to wander as they please, posing as you and attempting to deter others from progressing. Good luck getting them to stop.

II. - CURRENT PLAYERS + TDMERS
The pop-ups aren't the only issue users will begin to experience the longer they linger in the wall. As Retrospec users continue navigating these routes and clearing the paths needed to break down the firewall, things begin to grow a little more difficult to manage. Though the passages of the doors appear to be fine and users can enter new areas to obtain keys, it seems as though there's something bigger that wants to stop the progress occurring.

Users with Retrospec-given abilities will find difficulty in using their powers in ways they've never experienced before. Superstrength gives out after two seconds while shapeshifting will leave you stuck in that form for three days. Magic is on the fritz and spells will backfire, kicking back and damaging yourself for every spell you attempt to use. A small ball of light will escape your fingertips, draining you of your abilities and gifting them to someone else temporarily (though they won't know how to control them the way you do.) The trouble with it all is that no method is the same, and even if you experience a glitch once an outside force will change the consequences so they do not repeat.

You may think to check your phone for answers. Can you Google how to fix your own powers? While a search engine won't be of any use, users will find that the Retrospec app's logo has a new, upgraded appearance. Five of the eight inner petals have will appear gray in color while the remaining three are untouched. A sixth petal is colored halfway in. Should a user activate the app while in the city, they will find that everything around them will pause in a freezeframe. Birds will stop mid-flight, cars will be stopped in the middle of intersections, firehoses will have frozen arches of water aimed to the flames…everything is perfectly still save for other users.

As for those who activate the app inside the firewall, time will become fluid and change around you. Everything seems to move at hyperspeed, actions on fast-forward and time skipping ahead. Your actions will also be at the speed of light, and should you manage to accomplish your goals inside the wall and beyond the doors, a return to the city will show that much more time has passed than you anticipated. Hours or even days have escaped you even if it felt like no time at all.

With some trial and error, users can discover that a hard reset of their phone and re-opening the app will undo these effects. However, it may not be so easy seeing how the app will appear and disappear intermittently. Be quick; you may miss it if you blink.

III. - CURRENT PLAYERS ONLY
It seems a bit suspicious that Retrospec's gone quiet throughout all of this, doesn't it. There hasn't been word from the company since Joanne's last message about the firewall, and as usual any attempt to contact the company is futile. The message from delta#02018329 on the 13th was the last form of communication from anyone tied to Retrospec and since then all has been quiet. The animal guides from before are hard at work helping users discover new paths and find the keys, knowing they need to work quickly.

On the 24th, the firewall begins coming down in large chunks, falling away and shattering into embers when destroyed by an established user. The wall reveals the lines of doors surrounding the city and as of this date the temperature begins to drop again. Good job, users. You've almost fully dismantled the blockade. However, the wall isn't finished yet.

Beginning on this day as well, established users will become public enemy number one for the operator of the wall. A string of bad luck begins to follow you in an attempt to deter you from finishing your task of destroying this wall. Ranging from small feats such as misplacing your phone to larger feats such as removing all doors and windows from a building you're in, these attempts can be easily broken with enough willpower or simply waiting it out. For the truly unlucky, even NPCs will grow suspicious of you and begin to question you, asking you what's changed about you and why you and only you are the one who can put out the flames when the fire department has been working so hard.

Most importantly, however, are the small showers of green sparks that will appear over the city, sprinkling on you from overhead and dousing you in an invisible sheen. An equally invisible force feels as though it's pulling you down quickly despite standing in one place, and when the feeling passes…well. You may wonder what this strange app is on your phone and why you have it. It's new, isn't it? Wonder what it could be. You've never heard of Retrospec before, you think, but it can't be that interesting.

Perhaps you haven't slipped that far. You may be one of those who finds yourself with gaps in your memory, or items on-hand you don't quite recall having before. Images will flash through your mind even if you can't pinpoint where you've experienced these things before. And, of course, there's the fact that you may even literally slip between layers in the city, entering a door in the firewall and falling down into a plain white room. This washed-out castle-esque hall will make navigation difficult as the doorway to return blends into the walls. It only takes a trick of jogging your memory and recalling your true purpose to outline the door. What does it mean to jog your memory? This can be anything from sharing a memory you don't understand to showing off an item or ability and brainstorming its purpose. You will only understand the truth and remember everything upon leaving this castle, but until then? Time to brainstorm.

IV. - TDMERS ONLY
It's a little alarming to suddenly wake up and have a brand new app on your phone that connects you to a special group of people, isn't it? This may not be what you were expecting, but the Retrospec app seems harmless even if it's a bit unusual. With the power necessary to help combat the flames, perhaps you're the type who isn't even worried about what's happening. There's a job to do, after all.

Upon opening the app for the first time though you'll receive a message from a user named Z.C.

You're probably confused right now and I get it, this is really confusing. I was confused, too. But you have to be on-guard. Looks like you're a fresh target.

That's an ominous warning, and yet nothing comes from it for several days. In fact, it isn't until the 25th that those words hold some weight. It seems that there's someone out there who doesn't feel like you belong. No matter where you stand or what's happening for you at that given moment, at the stroke of midnight a large crater will open beneath you and swallow you whole, sending you straight down. The fall feels endless but as you land you'll find yourself standing on barren, gray ground surrounded by a black night sky, spiderweb cracks spreading from the center and moving outward. The world around you is dark and above you you can hear the sounds of the city and the people in it. The sounds of your fellow app-users combatting the wall of fire and even some of the ongoings of what's happening to them beyond the doors echo in this dark chamber.

The space around you is dead. There isn't a single sign of life sans what looks like a large, 80-foot whale skeleton. Even that appears abandoned, though there are footprints in the dirt near the creature's mouth. You aren't the first to arrive, but getting back will be the trick of it all. Someone wants you hidden away, but finding a clever way to reach out to those in the layer beyond will grant you an exit. Shouting, throwing items on hand, anything you can think of to create a diversion and draw attention to yourself may help. The louder you are, the thicker the cracks in the sky grow. It'll take a combination of people working below and people working above to break this barrier. Don't be afraid to reach out. It may be your only way back home.

BONUS.
The firewall gave a good effort, but in the end the power behind the Retrospec users was too much to sustain it for long…or was it? On the 31st the rest of the firewall seems to crumble and turn into smoke and ash as though the force holding it up cut its losses and quit. Several wolf-shaped figures appear from the smoke and surround the city, spreading ash as far as the eye can see before running off in the direction of Magatus. A sharp crackling noise like glass shattering rings through your ears and the wall and the layer below disappear for good. Congratulations, users. It seems as though you've broken down the barriers standing in your way.

However…there's still the matter of all of this ash and dust to take care of. Grab a broom, a dustbuster or a friend. It's time to do some major clean-up on the city and get it back to normal.

For those who venture to Tisse though, looking up to the very top of the towers will show a set of windows that have been dark and dimmed for several months. As the night wears on, however, the lights begin to flicker on until the entire floor is lit. There isn't any way up to the top of the building just yet, but for every light that comes on it seems that the amount of ash lessens. Is there a correlation? Or is it just someone from above helping you out? Only time will tell.

NOTES.
Welcome to recolle's January event part two!

All characters who are TDMing will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available. Please note that TDM threads can be used as samples, can be kept as game canon, and can also be used for bonus points for future item regains. Share a few minor details of your AU, tag around, and have fun!

If you are TDMing this round, please indicate this by including TDM in your subject line! This will help the playerbase know who is who.

As indicated in the link above for prompt 2, if you would like us to generate a key-tracking scenario for you please sign up at the comment on the first event log!

-For current players, you may claim multiple freebies from this log! These include:
-One freebie memory for threading with a character that is test-driving.
-One freebie memory for combatting the issues occurring in prompts 2+3
-One freebie memory for helping someone else combat the issues occurring in prompts 2+3
All of these threads must have at least five comments from you to be eligible. To submit for your freebie memories, please link us the appropriate thread with the trigger explanation of "freebie."

TDM characters who app in and are accepted before February are also eligible to claim this log's memory freebies! Like current players, please be sure to submit your freebie regain threads before the end of the AC period.

As a special note, we will also allow current players to use a thread from this event/TDM for their AC proofs! As this ties into a game-event, we are making an exception. However, your other proof(s) (at least ten comments) must come from sources outside of this log. Likewise, as this is an event log instead of just a standard TDM, you may use this log to trigger regains as normal.

Finally, be sure to check out January's AU workshop if you haven't yet! Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!

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( coding by fleeting )

Comments

[dereban]

[ It kind of sucks because her copy is saying the things that she was just going to say. Thanks, she hates it. But when he asks if she touched something or not, she finds herself shrinking a little bit. ] Uh. Well, I might have touched an error message? [ It's probably fine! (It's not fine.) ] "Honestly, I can't believe you made a stupid mistake like that..." [ Even her copy is calling her out and she's making a frustrated noise. ] That's—! I'm an adult already, don't treat me like a child! [ But then Raina tries to keep herself collected and is struggling because this is not the way she was supposed to meet her brother again, not like this, never like this and if she keeps going, she might lose her brother. ] . . . Sorry.

[motiv8]

[Oh, Raina. Sweetheart. Rean doesn't give up on people that easily. He doesn't give up on people ever. This is nothing, and, well. He can't deny he probably deserves some of this.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair as he tries to compose himself as well.]

...You're right. I'm sorry. [Looks like that went over easily enough. To the copy, though, he just gives a stern almost-glare.] Could you please stop interrupting while we're trying to talk?

I... listen. Things have been weird around here, I can explain more later. ...And apologize more later. [Because he knows he owes her that much.] For now...

[He looks back to the copy, and addresses her directly.]

Are there more of you?

[dereban]

[ There are things that Raina is bad at, and the fact of the matter is that she just doesn't have faith in people, a lot of it being due to her natural bleak personality and how she sees people in ways just as bad as she is. After all, if she's like that, than others could be too, especially since she's- But before Raina even gets a second to speak up, the copy does the talking for her shaking her head. ] "I refuse. If you chose her, then I'm going to use everything I have to poke at her weaknesses. Because I know if I do that..." [ She pauses, smiles in a way that's sharp like a knife and acts like it has nothing to do with her, even if she's very much aware that she and the real one are one and the same, in some ways. ] "...there's a good chance you might start to hate her, big brother." [ Ah. She freezes up again even as she listens to Rean's apology, and how he can explain more, but it's all nothing compared to the fear that she feels from just those words alone and how it suddenly makes her tremble and turn pale. Sorry, but Raina needs to kind of reboot. ] "I did see a few more of 'me', but I don't know where they are right now. But I should have known that 'I' would act so strongly to that. The look on your face, other me... you know what I'm talking about, don't you? You don't want him to hate you so bad, because he's your only real friend; sure, you had 'casual acquaintances' but that was just to get your family off your back, right? If you lose Rean, too, it's over for you." [ The copy glances over to Rean, smiling a little pitifully. ] "Sorry. I didn't want to resort to dirty tactics because I care about you, but... looks like I already broke her without even saying the thing that she's hiding. That she's always been hiding. But revenge feels good, at least. Even if it still hurts."

[motiv8]

[Rean has little choice but to listen through all of that, and all the things that the copy has to say have his eyes widening and going a little pale himself.

...Is this really how she feels? He'd never known. She had been his entire world not too long ago, so how had this not even crossed his mind? What kind of big brother is he?

But there's no sense in dwelling on that.]

...Are you done?

[His voice is soft, there, but no less stern. His mouth is set into a thin line as he continues. That was a rhetorical question – he's not giving the copy a chance to keep going.]

There's not a chance of that at all. [For much Rean often lacks conviction, there's no hesitation in his voice now. If he's ever been certain of anything, it's this.] There's not a thing that either of you could say that would drive me to hate you. Either of you.

So. If you care like you say you do... then help us out. Help us find the rest of "you," and get you back together so we can talk.

Because it's really sounding like there's a lot that we need to say. ...Both of us.

[dereban]

Eh?

[ The moment that he says that there isn't a chance of it, both of them say that single word in a resounding chorus, dark brown eyes widening in shock.

And it's this time that the copy's at a loss for words, which Raina takes advantage of that chance to swiftly attempt to grab Rean by the collar, her voice cracking with each syllable; there's something fierce there too, but it isn't as innately cruel as how the copy was being. ]

How can you say that when you don't even know what it is?!

[ ... Ah, she just admitted that her other self wasn't wrong. And she just pulls back and lets go, hanging her head as she takes a step back, immediately claiming up once again.

Don't say any more. He'll find out if you do. He'll hate you for sure if he does, regardless of what he said, she thinks, just allowing her copy to talk in her place. ]

"..."

"I can't believe you would say something like that, Rean. She's right, though. You don't know 'what' it is, and you're already making that assumption that you'll be okay with it? You're only going to hurt her more in the end when you find out. That's why she never said anything. And in normal circumstances, I wouldn't, either."

[ The copy does sigh, a little defeated as she glances away, crossing her arms and tapping her foot as if looking a little contemplative before finally answering his question. ]

"Alright, I'll help find the others. I don't want you to hate me, in the end."

[ The copy of Raina continues to smile at Rean, but there's something paperthin about it. Like she could almost tear apart any second. It's a similar condition to how the real one is feeling, looking rather drained and pale and now even folding her arms over, shaking, but to a lesser extent. ]

"I think there should be four others from my count given that they didn't somehow multiply themselves. I don't think they would have gotten too far, either, since it hasn't been that long since they showed up."

[motiv8]

[She'll succeed in grabbing him by the collar, because he's not going to fight her. How could he? She could probably punch him in the gut and he'd just stand there and take it, honestly.

It does shock him to be grabbed like this, but...]

...because you're my sister, Raina. Because there's not a single thing I can think of that you could possibly say that would ever make me hate you, no matter how horrible that thing is.

[And there is room for a failure of imagination, there. Even he knows that. But even so, his immediate worst thought is "what if she's done something horrible, like killing someone?" And even though he knows he could never be completely okay with that...

...he'd still help hide the body, wouldn't he? If it was for her.]

Six of you in total, then. [Because he's said his part there.] All right. Well, if I know you, you're probably scoping out the place for electronics, yeah? I think I might have some ideas of places to check...

[dereban]

You're crazy, for saying that. You know that, right? [ Her voice is shaking even now after he's said his piece; she's just completely apalled that he can say those words so easily. Even if they've known each other for most of their lives, it doesn't make the situation any less shocking to her. But she doesn't say anything more on the subject, instead just chewing her lower lip and shaking it off. ] Yeah, probably. I haven't checked out all the stores just yet myself. If it were me, I might also see the clothes stores too.

[motiv8]

[And that just earns a little smile, the exact kind of self-defeating one that's graced his lips a million times.]

Ha. Well, if that's the worst thing you ever call me, I'm living a pretty blessed life, huh?

[But with that settled, he nods.]

All right. That, you know I'm going to be less helpful with... I know where to find things for me, but nothing necessarily that you'd like. I might be able to get us to the right general areas, at least.

[So Tisse's probably their best bet to start with.]

Do you have a bus pass yet? I wouldn't recommend walking any more than you have to in this weather.

[dereban]

[ And just like the many times she's seen that smile, it doesn't make her worry any less about him. ] I'm pretty sure that I was planning on getting clothes for you anyway, because you need a better sense of fashion, Rean. [ And there she goes, immediately dragging him. It's enough to make the copy almost snort a little. Sorry, not sorry. ] Don't worry, though, I got everything I need to go around the city. I'm not athletic at all, so buses are reliable.

1/2

[motiv8]

[Honestly... that's fair. The friends Rean's made here so far would probably even argue that's very fair, given what he was up to the first half of the month.

The clothing thing, however, earns a sigh and Rean deflating a little. Come on, really? Already? He's been doing mostly okay...! Raina, why.]

Well... all right, then. I think the kinds of stuff we're after's going to be more common out in Tisse. Come on.

[And so he waves for the two Rainas to follow him, occasionally checking to make sure they're both still there. This is going to be an adventure...]

2/2

[motiv8]

[And guess what? It sure as heck is.

The next over an hour of their lives is spent running around Tisse, finding various copies of Raina and having to corner them and talk them into joining their growing RPG party. It's ridiculous and time-consuming and some mixture between Scooby-Doo and one of their Japanese animes, and throughout the whole thing Rean can't help but wonder why no one is questioning the growing number of identical females following him.

Then again, this is the city that brushed off the wall of fire. And he himself brushed off a sky dome last year. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised.

Eventually, though, Rean and five other Rainas spot the sixth and final Raina. They're almost done with this...!]

All right, I'm going to try to get her into that alley up ahead. Think you guys can split off to flank from the other side?

[...Rean's not going to really give the gaggle of Rainas time to comprehend that, though, because he's chasing the sixth one down. So, uh. Help him out, here?]

[dereban]

[ Running around is the absolute worst and honestly the group of Rainas are exhausted at this point, but honestly the real one is like: ] Is this really necessary. . . [ Although she finally finds herself sighing before gesturing at the others to follow her as they come at the last possible second because while the last one tried to bolt, athleticism is honestly really fake so the final copy kind of fell on her knees trying to run at the sight of the others. So when she goes around the other corner to trap the copy it doesn't really take that much effort. In fact, her only response is: ] Oh. That was easy.

[motiv8]

[Honestly, it might be for the better that they're exhausted. Maybe they'll be a little too tired to argue.

Now that they've corralled them all together, Rean moves so that all six of them are standing (or kneeling) together and that he's blocking their exit.]

To the best of your knowledge, is this all of you? [Rean sighs to himself.] And if it is, can you guys just... I don't know. Accept each other and reform, or something? [Is that how this anime bullshit works? He doesn't know anymore.] I love you, but I think I'd rather just have one of you.

[dereban]

[ The response is immediate from every last one of them regarding the whole, 'accepting each other' thing: ]

No.

[ But at that moment, all the other copies seem to disappear altogether which makes the real one just fall onto her knees herself in a mixture of exhaustion and relief because she feels like she was inches away from getting herself emotionally destroyed by a copy of herself, which means she can at least breathe the words under her breath, even if it might still be audible enough for Rean to hear it. ]

Thank fuck they're gone. . .

[ She's still reeling a bit as she just goes to laying down on the ground now. This floor is her new best friend. ]

Sorry that you had to help me with this, Rean.

[motiv8]

[If Rean hadn't devoted the last god even knows how long of his life to this and if it wasn't his sister this involved, it might almost be comedic to see her come together by uniformly rejecting his idea.

...Okay. It still is a little funny.]

Honestly...

[He's breathing that to himself, too, although whether or not it's in response to Raina thanking fuck that they're gone is a mystery for the ages.

He runs a hand back through his hair with a sigh, then shakes his head no.]

It is what it is. Like I said... things have been weird lately.

[And he'd rather it be something like this than something like what he went through, or what he's been through just this month.

He offers a hand to help her up when she's ready.]

Here. I'm sure there's a cafe around here somewhere, I'd be glad to treat you to something.

[And talk, but he doesn't say that aloud.]

[dereban]

You make it sound like this is just the tip of the iceberg, Rean.

[ And she isn't sure how she feels about that, really. Regarding the fact that they had to run around to find copies of herself, and that she had to meet up with her brother in this sort of situation. They're both unnecessarily bad, in ways that makes her uncomfortable. Even if she tries so hard not to visibly show it.

But when he offers her a hand, she shakes her head, instead opting to get up on her own two feet with a bit of work, groaning a bit at how much of a mess she is. She is definitely going to need a nice long shower to stop feeling so. . . gross. ]

But if you're offering, you'll get me a slice of stawberry shortcake, then?

[ While she tended to have tomboyish tendencies, this was not one of them. ]

[motiv8]

I wish I could tell you it wasn't.

[He sighs when she refuses his help, but there's not much he can do other than stuff his hands into his pockets.

They're both going to need long showers and maybe a session of screaming into a pillow after this, but that's for later. For now:]

Yeah, of course. Wouldn't have offered otherwise.

Come on.

[It's a big city, there's got to be a cafe serving strawberry shortcake somewhere around here. And lo and behold, after a bit more walking (sorry, Raina), there is.

Rean gets Raina seated at a table, then prepares to go order.]

Just the cake? Anything to drink?

[dereban]

[ To be fair to him, as much as she cares about him, she's still pretty concerned about what he said earlier. It kind of scares her a little bit, if he really would accept everything that she's hidden ever since she was little. Not to mention that she doesn't want him to see her trembling. Just because they're siblings... It just doesn't seem like a good enough reason for her. But she doesn't voice that thought aloud as she follows him, although the quiet walk makes her mind go back into darker thoughts that she wishes would just simply disappear. Spoilers: they don't, not even as they sit down and she wears a bit of a strained smile, not bothering to hide the exhaustion and stress in her face, which isn't just from chasing down all of her copies. ] Well, if you're offering to pay for it... get me a chai latte. With whip. [ While she doesn't like spending a lot herself, if her brother is going to treat her, she's going the full eighty miles with what she usually doesn't get when she's around others, if only because she didn't want to be seen as "too girly" for her tastes. ]

[motiv8]

[Rean's quiet on the way over, as well. He, too, is wracking his brain as for how to go about this.

He needs to ask her about the app. He knows that, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying. Having it explained to him had been a wild ride, he's not sure he can even hope to get across half of what's going on...

...and then there's the matter of himself. Raina has a point, after all, about how little he's been calling home... he's even called himself out on it around friends, but it hurts more hearing it from her. Of course it does, he admonishes himself, after all, she's the one you're hurting. Some of it he can write off due to the app, but...

He's not so stupid to think she won't call him out on it. He's been on the app for two months and change, but he's been here for two years now. Two years, and what progress has he made? He doesn't want her to see this side of him, either. The side that's been struggling and floundering all along, desperately seeking a purpose in life he's just never found.

For now, though, he has a purpose, no matter how short lived. With a quirk of a smile, he gives her a little two-fingered salute before heading off. That's not a normal mannerism of his – rather, it's something he's picked up from a certain someone else, but he doesn't even think twice about it now.

After a couple of minutes of waiting up with the barista, Rean's heading back to the table. A chai latte with whip and a slice of strawberry shortcake for Raina, a green tea for himself. He sets her order in front of her before slipping into the seat across from her with a sigh.

Well, at least they're both exhausted.]

Enjoy.

[He takes a moment to collect himself before speaking up again.]

...I guess, since I'm the one who wanted to talk, I ought to be the one that starts this off. [...] Have you... noticed any strange new applications on your phone recently?

[dereban]

[ If there's something that Raina is good at, it's noticing a person's mannerisms and how they've changed, and that salute of his, which admittedly makes her chuckle under her breath a bit, is definitely new. It makes a part of her wonder if he's picked it up from somebody these past two years since he's left.

And that makes her worry just a little bit in concern.

It... has been two years. How much has he changed from the Rean that she used to know? There's already some subtle differences that she hasn't exactly brought up yet - specifically the fact that his eye color is decisively different from how she's known him and that makes her more than a little uneasy.

Thoughts like that run rampant in her head, unsure of what to actually say, or even address first; but when he comes back with the cake, telling her to enjoy, she smiles, but doesn't touch it when he speaks up again.

A new application? That makes her raise a brow for a moment as she runs a finger idly around the rim of her coffee cup before taking out her phone from her pocket, quickly unlocking it and lo and behold. There's the Retrospec app, which she shows him. ]

Do you mean this thing? I tried deleting it earlier, but. . . what about it?

[ Does it have something to do with why everything is weird here, is her unasked question. ]

[motiv8]

[...Well. That is most definitely the Retrospec app. He feels his heart sink like a ball of ice when he recognizes that logo, but there's nothing that can be done about it.

He can't undo this. All he can do is move forward, relentlessly, and try to prepare her as best as he can.]

...It's about to make your life hell, like it has mine. [He sighs the words, unable to hide the way concern furrows his brows. But still, he knows he owes her more of an explanation with that.] I... listen. No matter how I explain this to you, it's going to sound crazy, but trust me, okay?

That app... that we have it now means our souls have synced up with a past version of ourselves from another world. They say the weird things that are happening to us now, that we're seeing now – the error message, the multiple yous, the wall of fire, I could go on – they've always been there, but it's only once our souls sync up that we actually notice.

So what just happened? There's no saying it won't happen again. There's no saying weirder or worse won't happen.

[dereban]

[ She takes a long sip of her latte as he seems to explain himself to her, taking it all in for a moment or two before he's done and she puts the cup back down on the table; surprisingly, she looks like she's taking this rather well - at least outwardly, as she rotates the cup between her hands, not looking at him as she speaks in a rather dull, distant tone. ]

You say 'past version' but what does that mean? Are we talking about reincarnation? Like we died before and now. . .

[ Now we're completely different people, having to go through this so called 'hell', she doesn't finish her sentence, leaving it up to his interpretation. ]

And by syncing up, like. . . are we becoming one with our past lives or am I reading too much into it?

[motiv8]

[For his part, Rean's just glad she's not freaking out. Not that that's ever really been her style, but...]

...That's about the long and the short of it, from what I understand. On both counts.

Ever since I got the app, I've been remembering things about the person I used to be.

[He reaches up to remove his glasses – he can still make her out from across the table, at least – to fully reveal those lavender eyes.]

Changing a little bit.

[And he reaches into his pocket to pull out what looks to be a flip phone, entirely made of metal and emblazoned with the name and logo of a school neither of them would have ever heard of before now, setting it on the table between them.]

Getting things back.

[dereban]

Thanks, I hate it.

[ Is now the right time to verbally shitpost?!

Nevertheless, she folds her hands on the table, and while she does look at him, the words that come out of his mouth sting the more she tries to process it.

And then she looks down on the table again, trying to hide her hurt expression. ]

If we're changing back to our "old selves", remembering events from those lives, physically changing [ ironic, given that Inaba Himeko looks no physically different than how she does right now, not that she knows that yet ] and getting items back...

I have to ask you again. If- [ Her mouth clamps up. She doesn't want to say it. It'll hurt too much to. And it might hurt him, too, this way. But she has to ask, before she can even dare open up. And so she does, her voice slightly shaken up even as she tries to keep her cool. ] If, for example. We didn't know each other in our past lives or whatever. If we weren't related...

If I told you I was a horrible person, would you still... [ "be my friend" ] I can't just take the "because we're siblings" thing as a proper answer for earlier.

[motiv8]

It's got its ups and downs. ...Mostly downs, though.

[It's absolutely the right time to verbally shitpost. Something has to get them through all this, and Rean's fine with it being humor.

He's quiet as she continues, wrapping his hands around his cup of tea and keeping his gaze on her.

...She does have a point. For all the memories he's gotten back, he's never once seen her. There's as real of a chance that Raina never existed in his past life as that she did. And while Rean initially jumped at the idea of his past self being a part of him, that is disconcerting.

Disconcerting, but it doesn't change his answer.]

Of course I would. [He shakes his head a little, as if to dismiss her concerns.] For one thing, I still have trouble believing anything you tell me is going to make me think you're a horrible person. For another...

Who I was doesn't change who I am now. Even if you and I weren't siblings in the past— hell, even if this you and this me weren't related at all. The person I am now exists because I knew you, because you're precious to me.

Even if I'm not always the best at showing it, that's the truth. You're important to me, no matter who you are, no matter what you think you've done. And that's all there is to it.