IC Contact [Folkmore]

[somethingrevolutionary]

IC Contact

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[spktr]

All in the name of bettering ourselves, allegedly. I suppose sprinkling in some trauma along the way is her idea of growth.

If it gets lonely you can always spend time in our flat too, you know. Marc and Layla won't mind.

[somethingrevolutionary]

It's likely meant to push us to excel into achieving our potential or becoming a lesson from which we're supposed to learn. Some people, or beings, believe in that kind of thing. Clearly. It shouldn't be a surprise given all we've had before, yet I keep hoping it won't come back, that she will have learned.

I am so glad you all have each other, and that might be nice from time to time. I like Layla immensely.

[spktr]

I wonder if it's even possible for Thirteen to grow and change. Wouldn't that be something?

What's not to like, honestly! She's lovely. I know she definitely likes you too.

[somethingrevolutionary]

She understands the concept of change since she's brought us here to do just that. It provides the possibility for it on her end.

Layla's delightful company. Time passes like nothing at all when we're together.

[spktr]

Maybe one day we'll crack through then. Someone will, anyway.

I'm so glad you're friends :) she's a wonderful person and has brilliant taste in books.

[somethingrevolutionary]

Potentially, the largest hurdle is time scale. I would likely believe she is someone who lives on a much longer scale of time compared to us. That could mean it takes much longer for her to learn something or change. A pace that looks glacial to us can seem normal to her.

Me as well. [ Mel's heart flutters a little at the use of that term, friends. Her, more friends! ]I shall have to get some book recommendations from her.

[spktr]

That's an interesting concept I hadn't taken into consideration. What is time to a god-like entity after all?

Yes, brilliant! You should come over for supper sometime.

[somethingrevolutionary]

If she's seen all our lives, I cannot imagine how old she must be. Even if she saw them all at the same time, it's... a great deal to see. I do not know what it is to her.

It would be my pleasure.

[spktr]

She knows everything there is to know about us, including our weaknesses and what to exploit. Lovely.

Wonderful, then we'll see you soon!

[somethingrevolutionary]

She sees, but that does not mean she always understands.

[spktr]

I think you're the first I've heard say as much.

[somethingrevolutionary]

I cannot be the only one to feel she has misunderstood important aspects of me and my life. If she truly understood, she wouldn't have done all the things she's done. Perhaps some of them, even some of the trials I've disliked. But not all of them.

[spktr]

Or maybe it's because of her understanding that she did those things, to test limits but also see what we'd do in strange situations. Like little lab rats she can observe.

[somethingrevolutionary]

For better or for worse, it may be better if she only considered us lab rats, I do believe Thirteens means for us to improve, to get better, to achieve our potential as she understands it. Meaning well can be more dangerous.

[spktr]

More dangerous? In what way?

[somethingrevolutionary]

[ Mel considers her mother Ambessa who always, in her own way, means well. ] Until you learn, she'll keep trying to help, potentially trying to find new ways to teach the same lesson.

It isn't necessarily true, however. Only a thought.

[spktr]

Ah, I understand.

It would be helpful if we could get little hints about what we're meant to be learning or improving upon though. I feel like I was doing much better back home, to be completely honest. Then again, I wonder what the version of me still back home would think of me here. A different perspective, perhaps.

[somethingrevolutionary]

I don't know how she wants me to improve, but I am not sure I would agree with it. I have come leaps and bounds in my magical abilities, and I know I can help people with them. That is my potential, as I see it.

But Steven, why do you think you're doing worse here than back home? [ Because that's the inverse of what he said. If he's doing better back home, it must mean he's worse here. ] There is danger in always thinking it is better on the side.

[spktr]

I think that's a wonderful goal. You work hard for it, and you're trying to help people, which is admirable.

[He feels "caught" by that question and takes a bit to respond, wishing so badly he could confide in Mel... but it's a complicated topic, and he doesn't feel right without asking Marc first.]

I don't know if I'm doing worse - perhaps I should put it differently. Things back home were just... improving for the better, finally, and coming here feels like a distracting fork in the road that wasn't meant to happen.

I've made wonderful friends here and have a lot of love for the people I've met, and I'm grateful Marc and Layla are here with me, but this isn't where we belong.

[somethingrevolutionary]

Thank you, it is what I've always wanted to do, no matter the form it comes in.

[ Mel understands Steven likely revealed more than he meant to and thus likely isn't sharing everything. Even the simile he uses hides details. That's okay. Mel doesn't have the context, being cut off from that world, to figure it out on her own. She'll be here when he's ready to talk. ]

That makes sense. If you could, you would like to all go home together?

[spktr]

Yes.

[He can't even hesitate in that answer because it's true.]

Though I would miss my friends, like you and Hawke. I wish we could still communicate and see one another from our homes.

[somethingrevolutionary]

[ Mel takes a moment, a short one, to feel the overwhelming sadness and anticipatory sense of loss. She doesn't know if she could handle Steven, Layla, and Marc leaving right now. It isn't fair to them, if it's what they want, so she doesn't say anything to that effect. She's glad they're having this conversation over the relic and not in person. ]

I would miss you too. It is a shame that we cannot have the best of all worlds. I will be happy for you all then if you leave and return home.

[spktr]

Having the choice is crucial, I think. People who want to stay should be able to stay, and vice versa.

[somethingrevolutionary]

[ Mel swallows back all her emotions because... ] You're right. People should. I still have more I can learn here so that I can do better back home. I want to stay for now. Until I'm ready.

[spktr]

Then you should be given that choice. Taking that one thing away from us is mostly why I don't like Thirteen.

I'm sorry, I hadn't meant for this conversation to go down this path!