psychedelica | (no subject)

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[ he's coming back from the kitchen when he stumbles upon Cardia, quite by accident - but they share the same suite, so he supposes it was inevitable. ]

You... What are you doing out here? I thought you'd be sleeping by now.

[ she didn't seem like the type to deal with death and body-searching well. Hikage, for his part, looks relatively fine - maybe a little tired. More noticeable is the tray he seems to have been carrying back to his room, which has on it a tea kettle and a few cups, as well as a small plate seating some round, dessert-looking snacks. ]

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[ it's sweet! and not half bad, actually. ]

Is that weird? I thought they ate beans on toast in the west.

It's the sweetness and more that it's on the inside that's... [ well. Actually. ]

This is good!

[ hell yeah it is. he looks pleased in spite of himself. ]

I have some confidence in my cooking.

Did you learn how to do this on your own?

... I can't say. I don't remember where I learned it. It must have been something I did when I was alive.

Edited 2018-06-13 01:53 (UTC)

... Oh. That's right, you said you don't have any memories.

[ well. She can relate.

Except now she knows why. ]

Yeah. According to what I was told, when you die, your soul starts loosening its connections to its old life so it can start a new one... You can even start losing your physical body if you stay between worlds for too long.

[ he makes a somewhat difficult expression, but he doesn't seem to have any problem with explaining this to her. ]

I remember basic things about how the world works, but I don't know how old I am, or even what my real name is. It was like that for everyone.

You don't look much older than me-- although in my case, that also doesn't mean anything.

[ because Cardia definitely isn't as old as she looks. Still, that's... a lot of information to process. That he doesn't remember... does that mean he's getting ready to start a new life? ]

That's right. Your profile said you were two years old...

[ giving her a questioning look. ]

That's as far back as my memory goes. I thought maybe something had happened, that I'd merely lost my memories...

... But I found out, before I came here. I was created. A... homunculus.

[ his eyes widen; clearly, he recognizes the word, and is now gazing on her with renewed interest. ]

You're a homunculus? I've never heard of someone successfully creating one... [ he walks over towards her again, peering at her inquisitively (and tactlessly, to be honest, but it's Hikage.) ] If that's true... You're perfect. You look and act just like a human.

[ why is this like the most insulting compliment-- ]

I did think I was one.

[ And now she just looks miserable. ]

[ That's Hikage (TM). He makes a bit of a face at that, shaking his head with a sigh. ]

You shouldn't look so sad about it. Humans are pretty wretched on the whole. You saw what they did today, even.

Is that really a sign of humanity...?

[ rather, isn't Hikage human too? ]

[ he is he's just emo ]

We're always like this. Frankly, you're lucky.

... I don't think being a doll who can only hurt people when she touches them is very lucky.

You don't hurt people anymore, though. That means you've just got all the advantages.

I don't know if that will last. There's no guarantee they won't bring it back.

... Well, I guess that's true. But there's no guarantee you won't die next week, either.

[ nothing matters!! ]

Are there other homunculi like you in your world?

[ thanks, Hikage. ]

Not exactly... like me. And there was someone who called himself my brother, but--

[ He done got shanked. ]

He's gone?

[ yeah, he can guess that much. ]

That makes you even more impressive - being the only one. It's too bad we're stuck in a place like this.

If we weren't stuck in a place like this, I'd probably still be very dangerous.

That's okay. I just meant I'd like to be able to learn more about you. I've got an interest in... well, alchemy and things like that.

[ to put it in VERY NICE words. however, cardia is now occupying an unusual position in his mind that no one else ever has: as a non-human, he doesn't feel any particular animosity towards her. i can type this introspection because kia already knows hikage's fucking deal. Instead, he's gazing at her with earnest interest. ]

[ yeah Kia sure knows about his fucking deal.

Cardia, however, does not, so really seems more than a tad bewildered at just how interested he looks. ]

Have you practiced it?

A little bit. I think it was something I was doing when I was alive... I don't remember how it started. But even after I died and lost my memories, I liked to read whatever I could about it in the in-between.

[ it's harmless enough to admit this much, he thinks. ]

There were legends of people who tried to create homunculi, but failed. I wasn't aware that it was actually possible.