photonicfighter | Chapter 9 - Don't Forget to Remember Me

[Action A - Locked to 458 Stone Street]

[Gat had just watched the announcement, and Dakki had been standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, listening in. Wasn't that just a dream? A dream was just a dream, not... not real.

And she felt real. Perfectly real. What sort of koltova crap was this? She wrinkled her nose and looked back at Gat.]

You don't believe that, do you? That's... that's silly! I'm still here.

[Oh. Oh, Dakki.]

[Action B - Around Town]

[Dakki's spirit hadn't been entirely broken yet. Sure, she was getting horrible looks from everyone, but she could handle that. Totally could. She could take anything, she was strong, damn it. So she'd go about her normal business, doing the shopping and picking up some things for the house, like more yarn and blankets, and stopping in to maybe check on friends.

She might be feeling much less optimistic and later, depending on how well those friends react to her.]

[Phone, evening]

...everyone dreamed, didn't they?

How... true do you think it all was? What we dreamed? How... how much truth was there in it? None, right? It was just... to trick us, wasn't it?

[Her tone is pleading enough that the unvoiced "please say yes, please say yes" is easy to detect.]

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I don't want there to be any truth in it.

. . . that usually means there is.

Denial isn't always... denial of something that's true. You can face down a lie. Lies should be faced down.

What.. [She laughs, and it's a little hiccuping sound, almost.] ...what does it say, when so many people here thought it'd be better for everyone to... not exist? What's it say about us?

[Gat turns around to look at Dakki. Somewhat slowly. Something about it ... something about the way he's regarding her, it's as if he looked at Dakki as if she were one of those mass-produced Copy CASTs the Illuminus loved using, only as one made in her image.]

As much as I'd like to say I don't ...

[Gat sighs, and shakes is head.]

...what?

[She doesn't fully get it. Gat's overall expression isn't one she's ever had turned on her. That was the look given to a thing, not a person.]

Come on, Gat. You're just... joking, right? Playing along? Ha-ha?

[That "ha-ha" sounds a little unsure and a little desperate.]

[Rather than answer her question, Gat looks down and to the side.]

Why'd she do it?

..Gat, I'm right here.

[She didn't like this, not at all. Panic rising within her, she crosses into the living room, moving towards Gat.]

I had a dream. But... it was just a dream, right? It wasn't a very good dream, but...

[Gat looks back up to Dakki, but his posture is clearly uneasy. Like she's a stranger making an untoward advance.]

You don't gotta pretend. You ain't th' real Dakki.

[That this not-Dakki says she's had a dream, well—that brings to mind the dream he had. But he can't quite remember the details ...]

I'm not pretending! There's no pretending here!

[She stops short. Gat's posture isn't right. He's on the defensive.]

They're tricking you. They... they've got to be tricking you.

[Gat gives a quiet "heh," almost like a scoff.]

Th' pod clone kept sayin' she was th' real thing, too.

Hey! You're comparing me to that thing?!

[Now this is just making her mad. She recoils at the awfulness of the accusation.]

[Gat looks at her more directly.]

You're jus' as off th' mark as she was.

[His tone's assertive, but not really aggressive.]

I... I'm... that's...

[She's at a complete loss, not knowing what to say about that. And there's no good counter to it. She rushes forward, angry but wanting to prove something.]

I'm me! Dakki Sigal, former Yellowboze HUcaseal, I was on Ragol, I live on Parum now, I.. I... Gat, it's ME! How can I prove it to you!?

[Gat holds his ground while Dakki rushes forward, though he still looks uneasy.]

It ain't like I don't remember who Dakki was.

[But it won't be long before he starts to forget. Even now, some of the earliest memories are starting to erode—but since he isn't trying to recall them he's not aware of it.]

[Now she's feeling hurt and angry. Her hands ball into fists so tight, her arms start to shake.]

You can't look at me and believe who I am, so... so only the real Dakki would remember all of that! We met in Holtes City, the day of the first SEED-fall! You convinced me to be a Guardian! You have a hot tub in your room back home! And gym equipment!

[Her fists unclench and she throws her hands down, to her sides.]

Is that enough? Is it?

Edited 2012-01-16 04:27 (UTC)

[Gat remains firm. The pod clone of Dakki had reacted this way, too. And although this replacement isn't acting like a jerk ...]

Jus' tellin' me what memories they've copied into you ain't gonna be enough to convince me—

[... Except he pauses, looking away from Dakki as he does so.]

—Did I meet her back in Holtes?

[He sounds honestly unsure.]

Chapter 9 - Don't Forget to Remember Me

Phone

Phone

Action A (I'm so sorry this is late.)

Quite alright. :)

Sorry for the long delay! I'm finally getting back to tags in the wake of the Release 88 mess.

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Aaand half a month later ... I'm really off my game D:

There, there. It has thrown us all for a loop. :(

Yeah. T_T

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