dreamcrystals | Happy Birthday, Dork | Backdated to August 31

[ 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.

I shouldn't be surprised.
So many of the worlds we all come from seem to be in trouble these days.
But I hope that you're right.

[ School life there sounded idyllic by comparison, but-- ah, well, anyway, there's no guarantee it was the same issue. Her curiosity, therefore, remains. ]

Did those problems have anything to do with dark creatures appearing from the shadows?

[ Regardless of all that sobering business, though, the lass can't help focusing a moment on that other idea - that he'd be glad to see her. (That anyone would be, really, which makes the whole possibility of stopping by that much more appealing than it already was.) ]

Even if it is a mess, it'd still be fun to see it, and to visit you.
Whatever happens, though, I think I'll need a guide if I go to a place as big and as different as Tokyo sounds.

Dark creatures? I guess you could call them that.

[They are demons, so being beings of darkness is kind of part and parcel, except:]

Not all of them are bad, though. There's some nice ones out there, though definitely not as many. Kresnik and Black Frost are nice, though. Even if Black Frost is a little much to handle, some times. But Kresnik is super nice, and even helped me out as well as a friend of mine.

[... It's not weird to call Mari a friend, is it? She's older than him and a school nurse, but... They're at least definitely on friendly terms.]

I'll definitely take you sight-seeing if you come! I'd be more than happy to. We could even go to the aquarium in Tokyo, it's pretty popular! Definitely a big tourist spot.

Edited 2023-12-05 03:51 (UTC)

[ The lass hums thoughtfully to herself. Considering it, ]

If you were able to make friends with them, it's not likely that they're the same type of creatures.
The ones I know of are mostly mindless. They don't usually speak or try to help anyone on their own. Not even each other.
They exist solely to consume the hearts of others.

[ Of course, that does leave her wondering about what kinds of creatures the ones he's describing actually are, but it's overall less worrying than it would be if there were Heartless in his world, too. ]

I'll be very grateful if you do!
Although I'm not sure exactly what an aquarium is.
If you think it would be fun, though, I'd be happy to find out.

Happy Birthday, Dork | Backdated to August 31

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