[video]

[pinkmin]

The last several jolts of Vianca's consciousness had not been what anyone could call pleasant. The last thing she had remembered about Havenwell was the warmth of morning sunshine. Then that sunshine had lost its warmth, its departure bringing weak stutters of breath and the crumbled remains of a place that had once been her whole world. The sunlight was still there, filtering in through the broken ceilings and crushed walls. Oh, she had thought as she laid there, a dream. A very nice one. It was a shame she couldn't hold on to it in the end.

Then there was nothing.

So when she opened her eyes in a sunlit temple a second time, she was not sure what to do. She stayed right there for a very long time, until one of the kind priests helped her to her feet so she could find her way. It... had been cold, the last time she had been outside? She thought so anyway, but the more she thought about it, the more she wasn't sure. Maybe it had been warm the whole time?

She had only gotten so far through the temple before she had to crouch down in a corner, because things were a little too overwhelming. Thinking about what the season meant was too much. Starting over was too much. What if it was just her all over again? That, more than anything, was far too much.

It took a very long time, but eventually Vianca slowly picked up the tablet that had been handed to her. Whether it was the same one she'd had or a new one, she didn't have the courage to check. The focus was simply on opening the network and keeping her breath steady.

---


[It was a little bit dark there in the corner of Ohma's temple, but it was still possible to see the pink little girl on the screen. Her mouth was pressed in a thin, worried line, and for a moment it might have seemed like the video frame was actually frozen.

Then she took a breath, and spoke in a spectacularly tiny voice into the screen.]


... Hello?

Comments

[pinkmin]

[Hugs were just fine. Nice, even. Vianca settled in a little more, nodding.]

I am, too.

... Thank you for remembering me as well.

[carbungle]

Aww, yeah. Everyone loves the chocobo. He opens the door for her, and immediately the scent makes itself known- pungent and unique, an odd mixture of farm animal and fresh hay. All is quiet for a moment, and then a blue head peers around the frame of a stable, peering over at them expectantly. She kwehs at them.

"Hey, girl. You have to say hello before you get dinner."

[pinkmin]

Achievement unlocked: What does a barn smell like.

Her nose wrinkled a little with this brand new experience, but it wasn't a bad scent by any means. Just new, and quickly overshadowed by that feathery presence. A for real kweh! Wow.

Vianca gave the majestic creature a little wave before she looked up at Noct with a frown, reaching up to tug on his sleeve. "Don't make her wait for dinner."

[carbungle]

"It's okay, it's still too early for her to eat. If we don't time it right she'll be cranky at bedtime." He gives her back a gentle pat, urging her towards the stall.

[pinkmin]

"Oh, I see," Vianca murmured quietly. Captain was a cat, apparently.

Off she went with that gentle coercion, gingerly making her way over. She was a lot taller than Vianca imagined. Vianca had been around plenty of creatures Capatain's size before, but it had been quite a while since then. This almost felt new. It wasn't until Vianca was right there standing up on her tip toes that she even wondered if maybe she would smell like a before-dinner snack. Oh. Well...!

"Hello. It is nice to meet you, Captain."

[shroudedsecrets]

I am certainly grateful for that.

[ The value in remembering and being remembered... in either direction, the sentiment registered strongly for her from her own experiences. She doesn't mind remaining here for as long as needed to, either. To have all that sink in. ]

[carbungle]

Captain ducks her head politely over the door of the stall, setting free a gentle "kweh" again and standing very still to allow any pets should she so wish. That farm scent is even stronger up close, but it's more or less the type of smell one could get used to over time easily enough. Noctis seems unbothered, leaning against the wall of her pen with a grin.

[21kingpuddings]

Even if you're not here, I'm still gonna think about you. [It's... hard to think that the people he likes and cares about could just disappear on him, and Vianca definitely wouldn't be the first to do so. It's even harder to think about just forgetting them, though, even if those memories become bittersweet.] And while you are here, I don't wanna ignore important days like birthdays, you know?

[Even if... it's late. Whoops. But, with that in mind, he pulls his free hand back to dig into the bag once more.] I've got one more thing in here for you.

[pinkmin]

[What. No. Who does that besides everyone in this post. Tamaki! She was already sniffling, don't destroy her more. And it wasn't his fault the gift was late, she was the one vanishing. Let's not focus on that though, when fresh dangers awaited.]

... There's... more?

[pinkmin]

It was starting to feel like a cozy smell in its own way, even though Vianca did not hold any nostalgia for it. It is pet time. Vianca boldly reached up, brushing tiny hands across soft feathers. She blinked a few times as she did so, gently exclaiming, "Oh. That is softer than I thought. I have not pet feathers before."

[carbungle]

"Yeah, they're great pillows at night. Just the right amount of poof, and they curl up so nice you just can't help but flop on 'em." His grin broadens as Captain fluffs up her feathers a little, like she's proud of it. "The babies are even softer. And they're so round, they look like stuffed featherballs with beaks."

[21kingpuddings]

[Everyone wants to spoil this child. But he doesn't want to actually, like destroy her or anything, so don't worry,] Just a little more. [A proper birthday celebration wouldn't be complete without a particular staple...

Out of the bag comes one box, which he places between the two of them in order to carefully pry open the top, revealing, ta-da! A couple of decadent looking cupcakes, thanks to a particular upgrade made for his tiniest roommate.]

You can pick which one you think looks best.

[pinkmin]

[But consider how easy it is to emotionally destroy her even without all this welcome-back-fragility. She was doomed no matter what. Only annihilation awaited, and this time it was cupcake-shaped.

She blinked down at the box with a soft 'oh,' because she really should have seen a snack coming. He'd asked if she was hungry! She still did not know if she was hungry, but she knew she wouldn't be at all soon.]

They're... very cute. [They were very cute!] Um. I like that one. [She pointed. That one.]

[21kingpuddings]

[Even if she is destroyed, at least it is by people who will carefully put her back together.

That One it is, the one that is definitely either chocolate or vanilla, which Tamaki will gently lift out of the box and offer up to Vianca's free hand.] It's all yours, then.