hikaru catchall

[exercisms]

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week 0; monday

[exercisms]

[Continued from here]

A little bit. It was inside another person. A girl. There was an evil spirit possessing her, and I was trying to get rid of it.

[That probably explains nothing??? But it's legitimately not a real place.]

[heartablaze]

An evil spirit...

[Look, sometimes a place exists in the realm of nothing and we just accept that.]

So it was like... her heart, almost? And that kitty was inside that girl's heart?

[exercisms]

Mm. [He's not sure whether it was her heart or not.] It was a place created by that spirit's powers. And this cat was in there.

[heartablaze]

A-ah. [That sounds... bad? Really bad. Scary, too. Hm.]

Do you think that kitty was part of the spirit at all, or... was she just trapped there?

[exercisms]

She. . . she must have been created by him, too!

[He says this like it's just occurred to him, and it's a pretty distressing thought.]

But she seems like just an ordinary cat.

[heartablaze]

Maybe she is?

I dunno a lot about spirits, but... if you got rid of the evil spirit and the kitty cat is still here, then maybe she's okay?

Just because something is created from something bad doesn't mean they're also bad, you know?

[exercisms]

I don't remember it. What happened.

[But he reaches and pets the cat. She's a cat, after all. He can't really believe she's evil.]

[heartablaze]

Don't remember?

[She really, really doesn't wanna spook the cat. But she slowly breaks the distance, just so she can take a seat on the inn steps as they keep talking.]

You mean, with what happened with the spirit?

[exercisms]

[Nodding.]

I forgot about it. I remember that I got out somehow, but. . .

[heartablaze]

So it's just what happened while you were in there... That's so spooky...

Has it always been like that? Do you remember if you got hurt or anything?

[exercisms]

. . . I remember that part.

[But he looks away, breaking eye contact - he's not sure he's ready to talk about this part.]

I forgot the rest only recently.

[heartablaze]

Recently?

Um... how recently, Shigeo-kun?

[Didn't Wolf say something like this would happen? But isn't this too soon????]

[exercisms]

I'm not sure.

[heartablaze]

[SHIGEO THAT IS NOT ENCOURAGING

Hikaru's hands wring together, looking at the cat, then back at him.]

Maybe, um... maybe talk to your team leader about it, Shigeo-kun? Wolf-san and Fox-san said we might start losing our memories the longer we spent here, so...

I hope that's not what's happening. We've barely been here more than a few days.

[exercisms]

My team leader. . . they said something like this might happen.

[Nodding.]

[heartablaze]

Okay... [A firm exhale, then, repeated, quieter:] Okay.

Are you gonna be okay, Shigeo-kun? Is that all you can't remember? Just that one part?

[exercisms]

[He nods his head.]

Only that part. I wish. . . I really wish I remembered the next part.

[heartablaze]

...

We'll figure out how to get it back. I don't know how right now, but... we'll help fix this place, and when we do, we're gonna find a way to get our memories back. I promise.

I'm not gonna let us leave this place not remembering all the people we're doing this for.

That includes you and your kitty cat.

[exercisms]

Mm.

[He smiles at that. He believes that, too, but it's nice that she's so confident.]

We'll just have to work our hardest and get all of the nova, right?

[heartablaze]

[She smiles back, pleased to hear an answer she can wholeheartedly agree with.]

Right!

Hey, does the kitty have a name, Shigeo-kun?

[exercisms]

Yuki.

[That's what Izumo wanted to name her, at least.]

[heartablaze]

Ah! That's cute, though, for a white kitty! [hikaru approved, a+]

I'll do my best to remember Yuki's name and where you found her, okay? You look really happy with her, and she looks like she trusts you a lot... so if you ever forget, I'll make sure to tell you again right away.

Is that okay?

[exercisms]

Mmhmm. That'd be really nice of you.

[. . .]

If there's anything you need to be reminded of, I'll do my best, too.

[heartablaze]

[She actually has to think over that for a minute.]

There's a lot I don't wanna forget, but...

If I ever forget the names for Umi-chan, or Fuu-chan... could you remind me that they're my best friends?

[exercisms]

Umi-chan and Fuu-chan.

[He nods.]

What are they like?