[There's a bit of a pause before his reply comes. Not long enough that she'd think he was ignoring her, but longer than the normal expected reply time, perhaps.]
Actually, it wasn't really my decision. I guess the Natha decided I needed a quick crash course in stuff that happened back home after I got brought here the first time.
For the record, if I was planning to take an extended vacay, I'd let ya know, okay? I know it sucks when friends disappear without warning.
Apparently. I think I'd heard about people going back into stasis temporarily, like just for a few days, but it never really registered as something that might happen to me.
But yeah, I'm fine. I guess technically I'm older now? About a year or so went by as far as the memories and stuff I saw while I was asleep, so I'm not sure how to math this, but it didn't hurt me.
[Well, except for the part where his best friend cleaved him through the brisket and he died. That part hurt. He got better, though.]
Did I miss anything interesting while I was taking a trip down Memory Lane?
[Maybe there's some connection between him going back to sleep and others waking up?]
A year is a long time to forget.
[That's a lot to take in. And disconcerting. She knew it was always a possibility that she could wind up in stasis again (that's what happened to Lance) but to wake up with more memories from home? It's more likely than you think.]
Oh, a new batch, huh? Better go see if I know anybody. [He's not sure if there's any connection, but mostly he just doesn't want her to worry that there's anything wrong. He smiles broadly then.]
Well, thanks! You know, it's weird, I was always so caught up in work, back home... we never really bothered celebrating birthdays and stuff. I can't remember the last time somebody actually said that to me.
Oops I didn't see that html fail in my last tag. Also this is cute.
Boy, that'd be a lot of candles to fit on your next cake.
But if it means anything, I guess I'll say happy belated birthday, then. Or early? Or both. Uh, x10,000? Maybe we should just have a party to celebrate missed birthdays. I'm not even sure if the date here is the same as it would have been back home, anyway, so who knows? Maybe today is your birthday. Or mine. Do we really need an excuse to have cake and ice cream?
[He smiles a little, too. There's something a bit melancholy to her words, even if text doesn't really carry tone the same way words do, and he can kind of relate. Being away from home and friends is rough, especially when holidays come up.]
It's similar on my home world. Family, friends, sometimes neighbors. On our nineteenth birthday we'd get invited to the castle for brunch, but I was impatient and wanted to see inside the castle before I was old enough. My friend and I tried to break in a bunch of times, but we always got caught and thrown out.
[10,000 would be a lot of candles on a cake. Honestly, Allura isn’t sure how she should count her birthdays at this point. Did they count while she was in stasis? And how long was she in stasis while on the orbiter’s ship? Not to mention that there was no orbit of any planet to count while she was on board the Castle of Lions.
She’s left to her musing before Axel’s next message comes in, conundrum forgotten as she raises her eyebows at the mention of a castle. They never really had much of a chance to talk about home before.]
The castle guards must have loved you.
[She wonders what kind of monarch ruled his kingdom. Was it a kind man, like her father? Or a cruel tyrant, like Zarkon? She guessed the former, since nobody wants to sneak into the castle of a tyrant for fun. Or got away with it, if they were caught.]
It seems awfully reclusive, though, to only let someone in on their nineteenth birthday.
Oh, the guy who was in charge of things wasn't actually a king or anything, he just lived in the castle. He was a scientist, so yeah, reclusive is kind of a good word for it.
[Better than 'presumptuous pretentious douchebag who meddles in shit that is none of his business', which is what Axel might have gone with, but that's another story.]
[That's a loaded question, Princess. He takes a bit longer to reply to this one, because he's honestly not quite sure how to. It's... complicated.]
He was. He wasn't a king, but they called him The Wise, which I guess he was, in a lot of ways. He knew a lot of stuff and had a lot of wisdom to offer, but at some point I guess he got in over his head.
[He frowns at this reply, then adds for good measure,]
He made a lot of mistakes, but who doesn't, really, you know? I don't think he ever really meant to be unkind, he wasn't that sort of person, but he made some choices that hurt a lot of people, myself and my closest friend included.
[He's still not sure how he feels about Ansem. He doesn't think he was a bad person, but he definitely dun fucked up.]
Sometimes being a leader means the mistakes you make reach further than you could ever imagine.
[It's a little defensive, though she doesn't mean to be. Her thoughts are on her father. She knows that his mistake cost the universe countless lives, but she could not be brought to believe that he was a bad man. But this isn't about her,]
You don't gotta be sorry, princess. It happens. I can't say I enjoyed the experiences, but in the end, they've made me who I am, so I guess my old man was right and adversity does build character. Or something.
And I wanna think he's learned his lesson and will do better in the future.
I mean, I've made more than my fair share of mistakes, and you can bet your posterior I learned from them.
[He won't be making those mistakes again. Ever again. And he hopes that wherever Roxas is right now, maybe the kid knows it, too.]
[Nothing quite that interesting. He did give one of the mouse's best friends a Potion once when said mouse thought said best friend was dead and was too dopey to check for a pulse, though. Good times.]
I see. I think there's a lot more to be said for found family than people give it credit, really. I haven't seen my blood family in nearly half my lifetime, but that doesn't mean I don't think of my two best friends like siblings.
I take it Coran isn't here with us, either, though?
My parents perished thousands of years ago, along with the rest of the Alteans. Coran is the only person I have left from home. So I'm just happy to know that he's safe.
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I know you can handle yourself but please respond to me.
[A lot has happened and she can't help but notice the absence of spiky red hair on board the ship.]
backdated to the 9th, when his lazy ass wakes up
[Well, it's... not a lie.]
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Overslept for two days?
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In any case, I'm glad you're alright. Please don't disappear without a word the next time there's a world-altering event.
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Actually, it wasn't really my decision. I guess the Natha decided I needed a quick crash course in stuff that happened back home after I got brought here the first time.
For the record, if I was planning to take an extended vacay, I'd let ya know, okay? I know it sucks when friends disappear without warning.
[Boy howdy does he know.]
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[That's a little alarming. And now she feels a little bad giving him a hard time,]
Are you alright?
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But yeah, I'm fine. I guess technically I'm older now? About a year or so went by as far as the memories and stuff I saw while I was asleep, so I'm not sure how to math this, but it didn't hurt me.
[Well, except for the part where his best friend cleaved him through the brisket and he died.
That part hurt. He got better, though.]
Did I miss anything interesting while I was taking a trip down Memory Lane?
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[Maybe there's some connection between him going back to sleep and others waking up?]
A year is a long time to forget.
[That's a lot to take in. And disconcerting. She knew it was always a possibility that she could wind up in stasis again (that's what happened to Lance) but to wake up with more memories from home?
It's more likely than you think.]I suppose a Happy Birthday is in order.
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Well, thanks! You know, it's weird, I was always so caught up in work, back home... we never really bothered celebrating birthdays and stuff. I can't remember the last time somebody actually said that to me.
Oops I didn't see that html fail in my last tag. Also this is cute.
[She smiles privately at her own joke.]
But your birth is an important anniversary. On Altea we celebrated it with a gathering of our friends and family, or anyone who was near, really.
no worries, happens to the best of us. and yes, they cute as hell ok.
But if it means anything, I guess I'll say happy belated birthday, then. Or early? Or both. Uh, x10,000? Maybe we should just have a party to celebrate missed birthdays. I'm not even sure if the date here is the same as it would have been back home, anyway, so who knows? Maybe today is your birthday. Or mine. Do we really need an excuse to have cake and ice cream?
[He smiles a little, too. There's something a bit melancholy to her words, even if text doesn't really carry tone the same way words do, and he can kind of relate. Being away from home and friends is rough, especially when holidays come up.]
It's similar on my home world. Family, friends, sometimes neighbors. On our nineteenth birthday we'd get invited to the castle for brunch, but I was impatient and wanted to see inside the castle before I was old enough. My friend and I tried to break in a bunch of times, but we always got caught and thrown out.
It kind of became a game after a while.
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She’s left to her musing before Axel’s next message comes in, conundrum forgotten as she raises her eyebows at the mention of a castle. They never really had much of a chance to talk about home before.]
The castle guards must have loved you.
[She wonders what kind of monarch ruled his kingdom. Was it a kind man, like her father? Or a cruel tyrant, like Zarkon? She guessed the former, since nobody wants to sneak into the castle of a tyrant for fun. Or got away with it, if they were caught.]
It seems awfully reclusive, though, to only let someone in on their nineteenth birthday.
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[You have no idea. Truly.]
Oh, the guy who was in charge of things wasn't actually a king or anything, he just lived in the castle. He was a scientist, so yeah, reclusive is kind of a good word for it.
[Better than 'presumptuous pretentious douchebag who meddles in shit that is none of his business', which is what Axel might have gone with, but that's another story.]
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Was he kind?
[For someone to become the de facto leader, she assumed as much, but that's not always how the world works.]
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He was. He wasn't a king, but they called him The Wise, which I guess he was, in a lot of ways. He knew a lot of stuff and had a lot of wisdom to offer, but at some point I guess he got in over his head.
[He frowns at this reply, then adds for good measure,]
He made a lot of mistakes, but who doesn't, really, you know? I don't think he ever really meant to be unkind, he wasn't that sort of person, but he made some choices that hurt a lot of people, myself and my closest friend included.
[He's still not sure how he feels about Ansem. He doesn't think he was a bad person, but he definitely dun fucked up.]
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Sometimes being a leader means the mistakes you make reach further than you could ever imagine.
[It's a little defensive, though she doesn't mean to be. Her thoughts are on her father. She knows that his mistake cost the universe countless lives, but she could not be brought to believe that he was a bad man. But this isn't about her,]
I'm sorry. That it happened to you.
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And I wanna think he's learned his lesson and will do better in the future.
I mean, I've made more than my fair share of mistakes, and you can bet your posterior I learned from them.
[He won't be making those mistakes again. Ever again. And he hopes that wherever Roxas is right now, maybe the kid knows it, too.]
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[Making mistakes, dealing with other people's mistakes. She hums, contemplative,]
You're awfully talkative after your nap.
[Or maybe this is just the first chance they've had to talk that wasn't based around fighting.]
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You're still getting to know me. Trust me, I love to hear myself talk. Pretty soon, you'll be begging me to shut up.
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Between the mice, the paladins, and Coran, I am used to a lot of talking.
[Her life has been much quieter since she came to El Nysa.]
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[He's also kind of king of the cosmos, but that might be a little harder to explain.]
You've mentioned your paladin friends before, but who's Coran?
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Coran is my family's advisor
[But that's disingenuous to call him only that,]
But he's like family to me.
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I see. I think there's a lot more to be said for found family than people give it credit, really. I haven't seen my blood family in nearly half my lifetime, but that doesn't mean I don't think of my two best friends like siblings.
I take it Coran isn't here with us, either, though?
2 angsts for the price of one
[Which she'll take, considering,]
My parents perished thousands of years ago, along with the rest of the Alteans. Coran is the only person I have left from home. So I'm just happy to know that he's safe.
what a deal!
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