fracturarpg | [mingle] the space (january).

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently?

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble. It might've changed since the last time you saw it.

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin.

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

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[There's the obvious "Ghk" of discomfort when her elbow smacks into him - but then there's the way that his brain works too fast at the words that she offers him. Then he takes inventory of her - her clothes, her height, her earrings, and then his own. Modern clothes, missing his earrings, his hair's the same but, but.

Got back? Where did we go? Sakichi was involved? What is she talking about—

Which home?

His heart stutters in his chest painfully as he realizes there's once again a gap between his understanding and Okuni's - which is familiar in its own way. In a way that he hates. In a way that he thought they'd finally overcome because if they were in a new weird space, at least they were together, but.]

... what do you remember last?

What did I make for dinner last night?

[And here we have Okuni, who has from her memory never NOT been on the same page as Baren. Even falling to their supposed deaths in two different places had been simultaneous. So it's with some measure of confusion now that Okuni leans back to look up (up? had Baren grown? Is he wearing taller geta now --) at her twin, brow furrowing and for once, not about to elbow him again for not knowing something she's positive he should know.

Because didn't she just hear him say that he doesn't?]

...We had to get back to Oumi as fast as possible, so there wasn't any time to sit down and eat. But you had some of the rice-balls we prepared as an emergency and we ate those. Baren --

[why is he, what is]

What do you remember?

[ . . . . and that explains it. 'Oumi'. This place that Baren has heard so much about, but has no personal connection to - or does he? It's a tricky thing. The soul.

The heart's tricky too - more devious than even he can keep up with - given the way that it twists and turns in his chest even as he looks his sister in the eye, and she is his sister, he knows that. Okuni will always be Okuni, no matter what she knows, or remembers or -

Which lifetime she's from.]

.... A lot more than you do - but there are some parts that I'm missing, too. Like this. Memories of the Sengoku Era - because I think I was reincarnated into a way more modern time in the future, where I'm me but not quite...

[ . . . ]

I think my soul's a little bit more jumbled up than most.

[And he sounds a little tired - in a way that he won't show to anyone but Okuni - even as one of his hands falls to reach for hers, like an anchor.]

But you can hear me, right? You know what I'm saying... As long as you believe me, I'll be okay.

[As long as he doesn't have to endure 'that sounds like a funny dream, Baren' again, where Okuni is just far enough to be out of reach - he'll be okay.]

[Sengoku era? Modern time? Reincarnation? Okuni can't understand the specifics, but she feels like she's gaining a clearer picture of this overall situation. Helped immensely by certain details she's finally noticing: his clothing (nothing like hers, but similar to a few others), the empty piercings in his ears --

They were really a gift -- ?

But that situation isn't as important as the one unfolding in front of her now, Baren with a look in his eyes and heavy note in his voice that she rarely ever hears from him, her dependable younger brother. Her hand immediately reaches out to grip his, and for a moment they're children trying to come to terms with the world yet again.]

I hear you. You're Baren. [Said in a sort of matter-of-fact way one would say 'the sky is blue', even if this is reincarnated Baren who apparently has someone out there he's given his earrings to, it's Baren.] There's absolutely no way I wouldn't believe you.

[hearing him say that single 'I'll be okay' hurts her more deeply than anything else -- just the idea that Baren isn't okay or that he's enduring a burden that she can't clearly see hurts.]

I'm here to listen to whatever you want to say. Tell me everything.

[said softly, instead of in her usual demanding tone of voice,]

["There's absolutely no way I wouldn't believe you," she says.

Ah, he almost wants to cry. He doesn't, of course. Tears don't even get close to his eyes, but there is the feeling of warmth ripping into his chest, finally burrowing into his heart and making a home there where it was once an empty space. Because there were so many times that Okuni didn't believe him - and it was never her fault, but just the way the world and the app worked. There was always a divide that always left him wanting.

How long have I been waiting to hear those words?

And yet - all he can do is sigh at that, holding onto his sister's hand and almost sheepishly running a hand through his hair, eliciting the soft jingle of bells. He thinks that some things will never change, and how much he needs Okuni is going to be one of those things.

But now he finally has her.

Now, he's certain he's unstoppable.]

... Mm-hmm.

I'm Baren, and you're Okuni. We're two, but we're one.

[And finally, it pulls a sincere smile out of him.]

Okay - but I've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get some snacks first?

[Hopefully that'll give him a little bit more time to put himself back together - but he does have quite the year to catch her up on.]

[She doesn’t miss that gesture, how strange it is, to see Baren present anything but an unshakable demeanor to the world. It’s a different story when it’s just each other though. Most, if not all, of Okuni's concern about 'what this could mean' and 'what this could change' dissipates when she hears those exact words. We're two, but we're one. So what if their souls are supposedly broken? Why would that matter when they're here -- together? How could her soul be missing anything when Baren is here right next to her?

She squeezes his hand again, smiling in reply.]

There are all kinds of strange food here, but some of it isn’t so bad. I’ll take you to where my favorites are!

[her favorites being the aisle of well, hostess cupcakes, fruit roll-ups, chips, etc, etc. ig… look at what happens to okuni when she spends like a month away from baren, she eats 100% junk.

She picks up a box of like twenty packages of oreos and rips it open, then she shoves like five cookies in Baren’s hands]

Try it!

[are they okuni’s favorite or does she just like texture… it’s the latter, probably]

[The thing is.... Baren knows all these foods - he doesn't think that they're that odd at all. But he also knows his memories, the ones of a Sengoku period where this shit wasn't even invented, and figures that yeah - this is probably a great discovery for Okuni.

So he goes along with it.]

Ehh? Is this a new flavor? I've never had this kind before!

[Bullshit.]

So where I come from - they have a whooooole bunch of snacks like these. They can even come really spicy!

[BAREN

thanks]

Ooh! We should feed those to as many people as possible! [NO!!] Though... I wonder if they'll know right away...

[That single phrase 'where I come from' feels a little like a spicy Oreo in of itself -- hard to swallow, but easy to endure......]

What's that place called? The one you were in last.

[mingle] the space (january).

no subject

dana im going to fight you

overdue but i've been meaning to hurt you for so long

this is such a villainous thing to say iM LOSING MY MIND

blows kisses

me reading this tag and seeing that exact line: GO TO JAIL DANA IMMEDIATELY

BLOWS MORE KISSES

i forgot baren would already know what oreos are im losing it