triverse | Kick Out, Break Out, The Place That I Flee To Is Always Inside Of My Heart

[Oh man, this is an agile Spot! Sure some of the smaller ones can be pretty quick but this is something else. That attack usually would have hit even the speedier Spots he and his friends have found.

Thankfully Caius quickly stops thinking he's facing a Spot here when he notices Kor activating his Soma. There's only one person who ever used a weapon like that and they definitely wouldn't be here. Surely that would be impossible... Maybe? Heck if he knows, now isn't the time for puzzling that out when he should be focused on dodging.]

Whoah, hey! Hey!!

[Caius quickly stumbles back out the door, shoulders hitting the wall behind him as he barely avoids the attack and has to support himself with his free hand to avoid tumbling to the floor.]

Nngh, damn it... [Sword still raised as a precaution, Caius calls out with a hopeful voice.] Is that you Kor?!

[Alright, direct hit! He just needs to keep up the pressure now.

As his attacker calls out his name, though, he gives pause, before leaping back, sword still held in front of him.]

How do you know my name?

[He doesn't recognize this person's voice at all. ...So why does his Spiria feel so funny hearing it...?]

... What? [Wait, no--] How wouldn't I know your name?! I've known you for...

[A period. Of time. Between coming and going, returning to the same time, aging in another world but staying the same at home where he belongs... It's a lot to keep track of. Caius just ends up shaking his head.]

I've known you for a real long time Kor. We lived together! We've done this sorta meeting before too, remember? We were chasing sheep. [...] I elbowed you in the face!

[Was it necessary to include that last detail? Nah. But he is anyway. What, it happened!]

["I've known you for a real long time"? "We lived together"? Now Kor's even more confused. There are only a small group of people who can claim they've known Kor a "real long time", and only person who can say they've lived with Kor. And that person is currently six feet under.]

I think I'd remember something like that. I never forget an elbow to the face!

[And yet he can't help but shake that weird feeling he's got. He doesn't remember anything like this, and yet... He feels like he should?

He lowers his guard, his stance drooping.]

...But I don't think you're lying about that stuff. Err, whoever you are.

That's what you don't forget?! [He kind of wants to elbow Kor again right now. Maybe that would jog his memory.] Would you quit messing around Kor!

[Kor is just. Joking right? But he wouldn't joke about this. He'd be crying instead and getting all emotional because that's the kind of guy he is. He's not the sort to pretend he doesn't know someone just to tease them.

... He'd prefer it if Kor were just kidding around though. Caius stares at his friend for a moment, grip on his sword loosening until his arm falls to his side.]

I... I'm Caius. You know that. [...] Used to know that, I guess. [This is so awkward. And weird. And such a punch to the gut. Why the heck doesn't Kor remember him?! Ugh.]

[Kor's gaze shifts to the ground, staring at the wooden floorboards beneath him. He's always been of the opinion that a Spiria never forgets the people whose lives it has touched--whose lives have touched it. Is that why he's got such a weird feeling around Caius? Why he feels like what he's saying has to be right?

But... Even if his Spiria remembers, It sure isn't sharing with the class.]

I'm... sorry...

[This is an awful feeling for him. Why the heck doesn't he remember Caius?!]

... It's fine. It's not like you should be apologising for it.

[Caius sighs, making no attempt to hide how disappointed he is as he quickly runs a hand through his hair. Maybe this Kor really doesn't know him. Could it be a Kor from a time or place who just never ran into him before? Since Kor is even here in the first place it could be possible. Right?

... But that kind of thinking and getting into different worlds and possibilities is enough to make his head spin. And that's all he needs now, a headache.

It's best to keep things simple.]

How did you even get here anyway? Someone would've found you hiding out back in Janna if you got on at the docks.

[probably for the best that Caius doesn't vocalize those thoughts, or else they'd have two headaches on their hands. ]

That's a good question! [he laughs, because he doesn't really know the answer. ]

I was at this weird gate with my friends, and then next thing I knew, I woke up here!

[funny how that kind of stuff just happens, huh? ]

Speaking of my friends, have you seen them around here? They must be on this ship somewhere if I'm here!

A weird gate? Huh.

[Must have been a pretty impressive, wacky looking gate for him to have ended up here. Maybe... Like the kind of gate the King tried to open? That allowed travel between worlds after all, and here Kor is.

eeehwhateverthatsmorethinking.]

Anyway, I've not seen anyone else on board. Not counting my friends and the guys keeping the boat going anyway. Maybe they're somewhere else. [...] What're their names?

[He's likely talking his own friends from his own world, not friends he made in Empatheias. But still, doesn't hurt to check. If he did mean Emp-friends and he had just forgotten Caius though? He'd be pissed. Even if Kor couldn't help it.]

Well... [He puts away his sword and then thumbs his chin thoughtfully. Where to start? It's a good thing Kor immediately trusts Caius or else telling him about all his friends would be a horrible idea!

There's Kunzite, he's a big, purple metal guy! And Chalcedony's got armor and wings! Gall's an old guy who dresses like he's out of this world, and Ines is a really impressive looking lady! Beryl's got a big hat on, and Hisui's really violent. Especially towards me.

[None of those descriptions are all that helpful, Kor. But the last one he lists is a name that Caius will probably recognize, though it won't be any help.]

And then, there's Kohaku...

[He trails off, blushing slightly and scratching the back of his head. Guess who's got a crush.]

[Kor you fool, immediately trusting someone claiming to already know you. How could you.]

... Yeah, none of those ring any bells for me. I don't know anyone with a big hat and there are definitely no impressive ladies around, or anyone else like what you said.

[Sorry Rubia and Arria. Rubia would probably chew him out for that were she down here and not up on deck or wherever she is at the moment.

Why is he pausing at Kohaku though?]

Uh... Is Kohaku really embarrassing to be around or something?

[That must be why he's gone a bit red and hasn't said anything more yet!]

[Embarrassing? No, not at all. But how does he explain the feeling?]

No, it's... Umm...

[...He has no clue how to put into words how Kohaku makes him feel.]

...Never mind. So you haven't seen any of them around? But they should be on this ship with me, right? How else could I have gotten here?

... Okay?

[Heaaadtilt. But fine then. Does he really need to know more than her name anyway? Probably-- It's fiiine.]

But yeah, I've not seem 'em. They can't all just be hiding away somewhere like you were in the cargo, this ship isn't that big.

[It was barely big enough for Caius and Rubia in the ending but shh we'll blame producer limitations on that.]

We can look around and see what we can find anyway though. And hey, you can come meet my friends while we search.

You'll help me look for them, then?

[He grins widely. He has no clue what's going on here, but he's glad to have the help. he feels like he's already made a new friend today, and one that he can definitely trust in at that!]

Thanks, Caius! I really appreciate it!

Edited 2019-10-24 11:27 (UTC)

Of course I'll help. You'd look for my friends if I was in your shoes.

[He's still a little sour that Kor doesn't remember him, but he's trying not to dwell on it. Instead he should focus on looking for these friends of Kor's! ... Nah, he still sounds a bit irked when he talks next. Or at least Caius does for a second before he remembers why he came down here in the first place.]

I guess we should start back up on deck... Oh, right! Almost forgot, we need to head back up anyway so I can let Arria know there was no Spot around here after all.

[Kor eagerly follows Caius out of the cargo hold so they can head back up on deck. Caius is right about one thing, they're definitely not down here, so they have to be up above! Makes perfect sense to him!

...What Caius said next? Not so much.]

Huh? Shouldn't you be swinging a mop around instead of a sword if you're looking for spots?

[Caius pauses in heading back up to give Kor a weird look, like, where did that even come from? What does a mop have to do with this? ... And then understanding dawns. His expression doesn't change much outside of a brief "oh" moment though.]

Wrong kinda spot. Do I look like I came down here to clean? [Don't answer that. Caius shakes his head.] Spots are black monsters that have a weird habit of making nests out of people, or they just grab you and absorb you. A mop won't clean any stains like them up.

[Heh. He carried on the mop-cleaning talk. He's feeling pretty good about that. Nice one.]

Geez... [That sure... paints a mental image there. It... sounds familiar to him. Didn't he see pictures of something like that inside that gate place? Or maybe...]

Those... Sound kinda like Xeroms to me. Almost.

Xeroms...

[Oh they sound familiar. He thinks? It's a long time ago, multiple comings and goings in between, but the word rings a bell.]

Don't those things turn you to stone? Or something like that. [He's associating them with the time he was petrified and Kor had to help him out all those years ago.]

[Kor goes quiet for a second. He hasn't realized he's on another planet entirely yet, so he just figured that Caius probably just doesn't know that much about Xeroms. Which is fair, most people thought they were a fairy tale until recently.]

...They're monsters that infest your Spiria, drain all your emotions to get stronger and make more of themselves, and then... When they're done... You turn to stone and die.

[Huh. Well, that explains why when he was turning to stone Kor's response was to zoop inside of him with his Soma. He thinks.]

So that's it. They're kind of like Spots, infesting people and making more of themselves. Only you don't turn to stone, you just end up going crazy or becoming one yourself. [...] You... Don't remember helping me when I was turning to stone, right? Or all that junk about "lame-mornings" and everything?

[Oh, right. If Kor really doesn't remember he should probably at least touch on what Leimorneans are. Even if humans in the world are starting to wise up they're still a point of contention for some.

Still though, he looks a little down bringing it up. Not because it's a rough topic or whatever, he is so used to Leimorneans getting crap for existing. But after everything with Kor this is something he felt his friend really understood. To say it sucks is putting it lightly.]

[Kor quietly shakes his head to Caius.]

No, sorry...

[He feels genuinely bad here, and that makes itself known in the frown on his face. Caius seems so sure about this, but Kor doesn't remember any of this stuff. But hearing all this stuff gives him a funny feeling in his Spiria, like it should all sound familiar to him, so that means Caius is telling the truth, right?

But that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't remember...]

I believe you, but... I just can't seem to remember any of this.

Mm.

[He'd say it's fine again and that his friend shouldn't be apologising, but then he'd only be repeating himself. Really it's his bad for bringing stuff like this up knowing Kor can't remember. Caius is only hoping something, anything he brings up might spur Kor on to remember.

In the end he just feels like a child, getting Kor to apologise again when he should have expected this response. This is so dumb and frustrating.]

There are people in this world called the Leimorne. They have the power to turn into beasts and get super strong, but not everyone really understands them. Some people hate them or are afraid of them. [...] I'm a Leimornean, I can transform. So yeah, try and watch what you say to people.

[Don't go blabbing to whoever you meet on the street you're traveling with a half-furry basically.]

[Kor doesn't fully understand why this is a problem for Caius. These Leimorne are just people who have special powers, right? So what's the big deal, why would other people act so afraid of them? They sound cool to him. And if Caius is one of these, that makes him cool too.]

I don't really get what the problem is, but these Lamemornings sound really cool to me.

[...Some things don't change, Caius.]

[He said the thing-- Caius's whole face lights up when he realises what Kor just said wow, for getting the pronounciation totally wrong? He couldn't be happier.]

Hey, you said it!! It's a little different hearing it now, but...!

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