dreamcrystals | Happy Birthday, Dork | Backdated to August 31

Be weird and obnoxious.

Maybe, or maybe you would have figured out another way to save me, if the situation was reversed? Though jumping in front of it was probably a little reckless, I'll admit.

[ ...? ]

Is it not like him to wish you a happy birthday?

[ Because she's stuck trying to parse why that would be weird or obnoxious - but to each their own, she supposes. Maybe their world has some weird policy against well-wishes, or something. ]

I would have tried, I think. Leaving you alone would have been cruel.
Still, I'm not sure what I could have done that would have worked.
Freezing it to the ground, maybe? Although that might have been dangerous for other reasons.

Maybe if I were about six years younger it'd be normal for him to tell me happy birthday.

Well, either way. I'm glad you would have tried to save me if the situations were reversed. Do you have magic powers? Or is it the dreamotion stuff?

[ Six years younger... ]

I didn't realize it made a difference which birthday it was.

[ Most curious indeed. In any case, there's a brief beat before she responds, but-- it's not as if she hasn't discussed magic with people here often enough. (That, and she owes him a little good faith.) ]

It would have been a little bit of both.
Magic isn't uncommon in my worlds, and I've had a lot of time since I first arrived here to learn how to mix the kind I already knew about with Dreamotion.

Birthday announcements like this are more for little kids to get hyped up. As you get older it's usually only more close knit people who care so much, like friends and family.

Though this is exactly the kind of situation family would pull at a restaurant or something, by telling the waiter it was someones birthday.

[... So not terribly off the mark, only it's not contained to a restaurant but the general population at large.

But then she says something interesting that catches his attention. She did have kind of a weird... aura about her when they met, but.]

Worlds? You've been to other ones before?

[ Huh. Tilting her head a little, ]

I think I understand, if that's the way it is in your world.
Maybe I just haven't had enough birthdays yet.

[ Kind of a funny thing to say, considering they're about the same age-- ]

But I'm not sure that I know what you mean about restaurants.
What do those have to do with birthdays?

[ He did just say only close-knit people would care about them, so would the waiters--?

Anyway, it seems she's fielded questions regarding her worldhopping before, since it doesn't take long for her to write back, ]

A few, yes.
Where I come from there are many of them, although it's rare for most people to get the chance to travel between them.
Besides that, I've been to one other world separate from those before coming to this one, too.

[ So. More than most people, at least. ]

Sometimes people will ask the waiters at restaurants to celebrate someones birthday, and they'll usually get a free slice of cake or something, and in some places the waiters will come out and sing happy birthday. It's very obnoxious, and very annoying, and only little kids like it, but some people do it to their friends or family just to be jerks. It's kind of in the spirit, in some places to do that.

[He'll explain, because she asked. Though it is a little weird that she says she hasn't had enough birthdays... She looked about his age, but who knows? There's a bunch of different types around.]

Really? That's pretty neat. You must be a veteran world walker by now, if that's the case.

[But what she says is giving him ideas... If world traveling is a thing for her, and it's a little bit of a thing for him, at least in regards to the demon realm, and the outer realm.... Then wouldn't it be possible for him to be able to help Naoya by traveling to his timeline? If world hopping is possible, then surely timeline hopping must be as well.]

I never really thought about that kind of stuff before I got here. I had a pretty stereotypical life, for the most part.

[Demons aside...]

[ Naminé endeavors for a few moments to imagine this purported scene; it's a bit tougher when she's spent so little time in restaurants up until this point in her life. But she's creative enough to manage something, at least, which prompts, ]

I suppose I can see why that might feel a little strange.

[ Being sung at by random strangers, that is, waiters or not. ]

Still, I'd be curious to see it at least once.

[ But that's neither here nor there. In any case, ]

I'm not sure I can call myself that.
Some of the people I know have been to many more worlds than I have, so it'd be generous to say that about me.

[ In comparison, that is. ]

Most people don't seem to think about it.
Even though many of us here are from different worlds, very few had any reason or opportunity to travel from one to another on their own.
That seems to be consistent, at least.

[ As for Kazuya's assessment of himself, though... ]

But I am a little surprised to hear that you've had a normal life.
You didn't seem to hesitate when you decided to help me the other day.

[ And it's fairly uncommon for your average civilian to spring into action to stop a giant gob of bubblegum by jumping in front of it... ]

[Well... She's right about that, but also he knows she's also weird, in the way that he can tell she's not entirely human. Now that he thinks about it, she can probably tell he's off too...]

You think so? I know a few people who would have done the same thing, I'm pretty sure. One of my friends probably would, actually.

But I promise my life was pretty normal back home.

[Was. Past tense.]

[ She's not unaware of his peculiarity, that's for certain. Whether he's aware of hers she's less sure about, but perhaps her admission of worldhopping was evidence enough. Either way, she doesn't feel the need to call him out on a trait they both share quite that directly.

Instead, ]

There are a few like that everywhere, I think.
Every world needs heroes.

[ And suffer for the lack of them, inevitably. ]

But that doesn't make it any less impressive.
If your friends are like you, then you're lucky to have each other.

[ Those types do tend to find one another, don't they? Or at least inspire more of their kind. ]

In any case, I'll take your word for it.
Although, what's 'normal' might be different to both of us.

Edited 2023-10-01 22:20 (UTC)

I don't know if I'd call myself a hero, but thank you.

And you're right. Your normal includes world hopping, and mine includes playing video games and going to school and occasionally going shopping with my friends. That's a pretty big difference of "Normal".

[ It's only out of politeness that she includes the, ]

You're welcome.

I do know that some people put a lot of importance on that name.
Maybe I should say that you acted heroically instead.
Would that be better?

[ Which... is still the same thing depending on how you look at it, but semantics. Reading his description, ]

For the people in my worlds, most of that does sound like a pretty typical life.
Mine hasn't been that way, but I think that's what most kids would expect to spend their days doing, even where I come from.

I think I can accept that one.

Really? Then I guess you might be the exception to the norm. Not that that's a bad thing. It definitely sounds like maybe a little more interesting than sitting in class all day trying not to fall asleep.

[ They have an accord about the phrasing, then - although more importantly, Naminé can't help but pause at the rest of his response. Her pen hovers a moment, hesitant. Honestly, though, there's no reason not to admit, ]

Interesting is one way to describe it, I suppose.
Still, 'unusual' isn't something I've ever really wanted to be.

[ Mainly because she has been from the beginning. ]

Actually, I've always wished that I could be more like other people.
I know not everyone is excited about going to school, but if I had the chance, I would at least want to try it.

[Hm. He can kind of relate. He also very much doesn't want to be 'unusual', and yet here he is.]

I can get it. It seems like it'd be a bit much, after a bit. To be different from everyone else.

But why don't you go to school then? If you can travel the worlds at will, surely you could find a school that you could join, even if it's just for the semester to see if it's something you'd like.

[ 'Maybe it would be easier if I didn't know what I was missing,' she almost confesses; she thinks better of it before ever fully putting pen to paper. ]

It can be.
But in the end, there's nothing to be done about it.
I can't change what I am any more than anyone else can.

[ Well - not deliberately or permanently, anyway. Sure, she knows about certain aspects of her future, but the facts remain what they are. Admitting them to someone else is the harder part sometimes, and her pen shifts in her hand a moment as she hesitates at those other words of his. ]

Because I never got the chance to.
That is, even though I could travel from place to place, it was never safe for me to do it alone, or to go wherever I wanted to.
Up until I left my original worlds, I'd been in hiding for most of my life.

[ So that did make legal enrollment in any kind of learning facility a bit of a challenge. ]

I'm really sorry that was the case for you. I can't imagine what that would be like, to have to be in hiding for most of your life. Especially even if you can travel to different worlds and still need to do so.

[He understands that his own position is pretty precarious back home, and that the SDF probably... aren't just going to let him live a normal life anymore. He's too dangerous, but it's also not exactly like he can be killed anymore.

As far as he knows, at least.]

I hope that you can get some of the experiences here that you weren't able to otherwise. If you want I can tell you all about school stuff from what I did?

[ Naminé's never entirely sure what to do with sympathy. It always sits awkardly in her hands when she receives it, but-- she can be grateful, at least. Appreciate him that much more for it, and all. ]

Thank you for saying so.
I didn't mind it most of the time, but I wouldn't have wished it on anyone else.

[ Or... well. She longed for freedom, of course - as one does. Wished she could experience what others took for granted, could make memories of her own instead of borrowing those of other. All those things might have been some of the deepest desires of her not-heart, but it was never worth dwelling on them from day to day. (She tries again not to think about it too hard, now that they're discussing it.)

Initially, her hand moves to answer before that last sentence of his; it pauses with those final words appear, a delay of pleasant surprise. Then, ]

This place and the people in it have been kind to me.
I really have been able to do that, thanks to them.

[ Not all of it, perhaps, but the majority. Smiling faintly, she replies in reference to his offer, ]

But I'd like that, I think. If it wouldn't be too much trouble.

[Whew, so at least she has this place, to make memories in then. Hopefully more good than bad at this point. Things have been pretty calm since he arrived, at least.]

It wouldn't be any trouble at all. Maybe it might help you out even, if you do decide to go to school one day.

[But he has to think about it, the most meaningful stuff about school. The menial things about it. The important time spent with friends goofing off.

He'll relay all of this to Naminé, writing about the mundane things at school. His classes themselves, the teachers, the student council. The time he spends goofing off with Atsuro and Yuzu, either visiting their classrooms or vice versa. The subjects they study and even when he occasionally dozed off in class. The school festivals and the like, the class trips.

He writes it all out for her, trying to be detailed but succinct. There's a lot there, by the end.]

[ Naminé elects not to interrupt any more than she has to, watching with attentive eyes as the words appear over time. Such mundanities might not matter to those lucky enough to be normal, but for her - they hold her focus easily, mouth curled at the corners as she tries (with some success) to picture it all.

She learns a lot about the small things. Names, too, if he offers them; they'll get tucked away for later, like many things she remembers whether they have an obvious use or not. One can't be picky when they're in a position like hers.

Only once he's done does she finally elect to put her pen to any real use. ]

After that, I'm sure I'll be prepared for anything.

[ Sincerely, ]

Thank you. You've been very generous with me again.

[ He's a nice fellow, she's found, and is glad to have that proven again. (The universe need as many like that as it can get.) ]

From what you've said, it sounds like your world must be very large.

[ There certainly sounded like there were more people at his school than she's accustomed to, anyway. ]

[He'll definitely include names, of his classmates, of his teachers. But the two names that recur the most are Atsuro and Yuzu. They're clearly close.]

It's really no problem. I hope you'll be able to experience it one day. I think you'll like it, even if it's only because of the novelty of it.

I guess you could say it's pretty large. There's almost 7 billion people on earth, after all, and almost 15 million in Tokyo alone.

... Is that not normal?

[ The frequent mention of those names seems proof enough of his relationship with them; perhaps later on it'll occur to her to ask more about those specific friends. If they're here, what they're like beyond what he's told her already...

For now, though, ]

I think so, too.
Even if that feeling were to wear off, it might still be fun to learn something new every day, whether I can use it or not.

[ While she's not quite as nerdy as some types out there, so much of her life has been painfully similar. Shaking it up from day to day seems appealing, in light of the recollection of those stark and endless white walls.

And although she's heard quite a few things in Reverein, Naminé still has to pause to let that number sink in. Her pen taps once, almost unsteadily; it's a lot to take to heart, thinking of so many people, so many lives and memories and--

As for whether it's normal, ]

Not exactly. Not to me, at least.
Where I come from, that's more than you would have even if you put most of the worlds I knew about together into one.

[ It makes her wonder if that's what it is-- a full and unsundered planet, like in the stories of old. ]

Since I got here, I've heard of a few places like that, but it never stops being a surprise.
It's still so hard for me to imagine that many people anywhere out there, let alone what it would be like if 15 million of them were my neighbors.

School is pretty good for that. You definitely learn something every day, even if it's against your will.

[Source: the countless times he's snoozed in class and had a ruler snapped down on it to startle him awake. Or the times he's been beaned in the head by a piece of chalk for not paying attention... Being popular only gets you so far, unfortunately.]

Wow though, that makes where you come from seem... Pretty quiet? Not that there aren't quiet places, even in a place like Tokyo, but they're pretty few and far between.

Maybe you'll be able to visit one day, since you have those cool world walking powers?

[ Perhaps she could have been a good influence if they'd ever gone to school together; she certainly wouldn't have set a bad example, in any case, naturally attentive and responsible as she is. ]

My worlds must be quiet, at least by comparison.

[ But without any experience to fully appreciate the contrast, it's equally difficult for her to say how much of a disparity there is.

As for that suggestion... ]

But if a world like yours is within reach of mine, it must still be very far away.
Otherwise, I'm sure it would have gotten into a lot of trouble already.
There have been things threatening the worlds I know that would have jumped at the chance to go after yours.

[ And since he didn't mention any weird, dark creatures trying to consume it... ]

But if I ever get the chance, finding it is another thing I'd like to try, I think.
Now that you mention it, in the future there might be good reasons for me to travel further abroad than I ever did before.

Unfortunately my world has seen plenty of trouble. I dunno if theyre the same things threatening yours by they definitely threatened mine, and all of the people living there.

I'd say we really only escaped one disaster to almost fall into another. Hopefully it's on the mend now, though.

[ What with the him who is awake and hopefully tearing angel wings off and hopefully waging the war against god and winning.

He likes to think he is. He's definitely mad enough about everything to tear Him apart piece by piece. ]

Well, if you ever stop by, I'll probably be in Tokyo. And definitely looking forwars to your visit? There's a bunch of things to do within the Yamanote circle... hopefully it's cleaned up by the time you arrive, though.

Happy Birthday, Dork | Backdated to August 31

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im not writing all of that out everyone knows what school is--

of course, of course

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