[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]

[If you say so. She nodded.]

Yes. See you... See you soon.

[pinkmin]

Ah... Has it?

[Vianca's brow furrowed a tiny bit at that. So it really was a different time but... how long was a while? A while could have been anything.]

Um, but I am not injured anymore.

[pinkmin]

[Whoa pink. Pinker than she was? So pink!! What kind of pokemon was she.]

No. Well... perhaps.

[Vianca paused, debating that.] I was... here before. My name is Vianca.

[ video ]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Well that's a small pink she hasn't seen in quite a while. She well knew that in worlds like this, memory was precious and also not something to be relied upon, when people vanished and even returned...

... But none of these other messages were too private, were they? Enough to check without prying. And she could greet her softly, just to see what happened. Or if there were any signs of recognition, one way or another. A similar passiveness in behavior, but there was warmth in it. ]

Hello.

leaps into [action]

[daikonrose]

[ The feed switches off after a final grin and wave from Kyoko, and after that, An Amount of Time--less than an hour? Probably, where does Kyoko even live in relation to the temples--passes by before she jogs up to Ohma's temple. She's already yelling even before she reaches the steps. ]

Viiiianca-chaaaaan? [ wheeze, wheeze ] Viianca-chaaAAAN!

ollies this directly from the tdm because i can

[carbungle]

( from here )

Immediately he shakes his head at the apology, though he doesn't come close to letting go. "You don't have anything to apologize for. None of this is your fault. I'm just- really glad to see you again."

[action] catch

[pinkmin]

[Oh there's yelling now. Did there need to be yelling? It at least meant Vianca moved with a little bit more haste out of her corner, walking quickly over to the entranceway to peek around it.]

It's okay, I am here.

[pinkxeno]

[ A very excited pokemon that's for sure ]

Ehh? Here before...? Where did you go, then?

[pinkmin]

[She was getting a little more used to this existing thing again. Enough so that now all the overwhelming factors were just that she was being acknowledged. As much as she was afraid she wouldn't be, Vianca hadn't actually expected to be remembered. She knew how it could go the other way around. It was a lot.

She did remember this soft-spoken woman though.]

... Are you and Lup well?

[pinkmin]

That wasn't right. There was a lot she had to apologize for. She had gone and done the one thing she never wanted to do. Especially not to Noct, he'd already had it happen over and over again. Maybe it wasn't her fault, but that just made it all the more terrible.

"I... I..." Vianca curled her hands tight in his shirt, as if that could help with her wavering voice. "I would have wanted to say goodbye."

When she lifted her head, her face was already a mess of tears, silently overflowing no matter how much she tried not to. She was supposed to be done with crying, she'd said so. At least these ones weren't all sad ones. Overwhelmed ones. Happy ones. He was really glad to see her, and she didn't know what to do with that. She was just upset he was getting fuzzy around the edges.

"But I'm... I'm really happy I got to say "hello" again, Noct."

[pinkmin]

[Deep mysteries.]

Back home, I am fairly sure.

[daikonrose]

[ Kyoko had made her way closer to the entrance, heaved a breath and--oh, there she was. There she was! It was really her! Right here!

Practically flying up the steps, she landed in a crouch next to the little girl, eyes wide. ]

You--you are!

[ Oh wow! ]

[pinkmin]

[Vianca nodded, feeling a little less frazzled now that she had a little more time after speaking to someone to comprehend that was what was happening.]

I am sorry for...

[She trailed off, realizing she wasn't sure which word to use. She couldn't assume what emotions had happened. The worry? Had anyone worried? The inconvenience? That seemed a little closer. Hm.]

... [She gave a little shake of her head.]

[daikonrose]

[ As the shock of actually seeing her in the flesh again fades, and that shrinking apology comes out, Kyoko's eyes soften. And then it's her turn to shake her head--a much bigger, firmer motion than Vianca's. ]

It's okay. I don't need an apology from Vianca-chan. I'm happy already, so don't worry about anything.

[pinkmin]

... Okay.

[She was happy, she said. Vianca ducked her head, just a tiny bit.]

Mmm. Thank you for coming?

[daikonrose]

Mm! I wanted to see you! Am I keeping you from--oh!! [ Shifting, Kyoko pulls her bag around in front of her to pull out a ribbon-wrapped package that's larger than her head. ]

--This is changing the subject, and it's kinda late, but I wanted to give you your birthday present.

[pinkmin]

...

...

... A birthday...

[Vianca stared at the package with wide eyes. Had her birthday happened? When was that? Kyoko doing this a second time was a thing all on its own, but how long had she kept it? Why had she kept it in the first place?

This packaged presented a whole lot of things that Vianca wasn't processing fast enough, so for a few more moments she just. Stared at it. While her hands gingerly curled themselves into the hem of her sweatervest.]

[daikonrose]

[ How could she possibly have thrown it away, or given it to someone else? Even if she'd never gotten the chance to give it to her, this was Vianca's. It could finally go to its proper home with her now, that was all.

... If Vianca wanted it, anyway. Tilting her head, Kyoko watched the girl with gentle concern. ]

You... don't have to take it right now, if you don't want. I can hold onto it for you a little longer.

[21kingpuddings]

Anymore...?

[That's! Uh! Concerning! But not the kind of topic he wants to chase down right away, either.]

Where are you right now? Can I come see you?

[pinkmin]

[Oh no. She needed to say thank you properly! It was a very kind gesture, Vianca couldn't let Kyoko's efforts go to waste. She needed to tell her, with words, that she appreciated it.

The tears beat her to the punch though. They were already starting to well up, trembling on her eyelashes and threatening to fall at any moment.]

[pinkmin]

[Vianca nodded. That was correct. Anymore.]

... You can. I am at Dr. Ohma's temple.

[daikonrose]

[ Oh no. Oh no. Was she being too much? Vianca had only just gotten here, and she seemed so fragile--Kyoko didn't know what had happened at home, but...! ]

Vianca-chan....

[ What should she do? Helpless, Kyoko tucked the package down onto her knees, and reached cautiously for those tiny hands clutching that sweatervest. ]

It's okay--I--you don't have to do anything.

[shroudedsecrets]

... We are well. You were missed.

[ It's always such an odd question to answer, but she can't be certain of what her state had been since the last time she'd had a chance to properly see Vianca. Better to be reassuring, in that case. More importantly, she was more concerned with Vianca's situation, right now. ]

You aren't alone, are you? To get your bearings in this place again.

[pinkxeno]

Eehh? Do you remember being there?

Ah- when you were there, do you remember being here?

[pinkmin]

[There was a big need to lift her hands to wipe her eyes and banish those tears before they fell. She didn't want to pull them away from Kyoko though, lest she give her the wrong idea. So the tears fell, and Vianca shook her head.]

I... um.

I didn't expect anything.