[ Riou wants to go to him. To confirm. To make certain that it's him.
He can't do that. It would be too obvious. He could just tell him that he was Riou, but he thinks that at this point... Jyuto chose to tell Solon, not Riou. Perhaps he can be something that Jyuto needs more as Solon than he can as Riou.
Riou will stop doing subtle attempts to hint to him. It's not a fun exercise anymore trying to hint to Jyuto who he is; Jyuto needs him to be someone else, and if that's the way he can support him best, then he will. ]
What do you mean?
[ He'll get the explanation. Solon is business-first. He'll check in on Jyuto emotionally in a moment. Or try to, anyway.
At least let him know he's there to listen. Or read. ]
Moonblessed die but they don't die. We go through all of the stages of death before we die, crystallize and then reemerge from said crystal after a certain period of time. Mine only lasted two days, but I have the feeling that it has to do with the moon cycles. Something tells me it could have been longer.
[ He knows he should ask if that's verified- if something special happened to Jyuto, his circumstance might be unique, but despite that Riou is a soldier and knows he should be able to handle this professionally, he finds that he doesn't want to push Jyuto or handle Jyuto clinically.
Solon or not, Jyuto is his friend. And so he pushes aside any informational questions and instead asks the one more important question that he hasn't yet: ]
[ Jyuto stares at his phone for a moment, uncertain as how to reply. He hadn't expected to be asked, but as he digests his "feelings" about having been killed and brought back by some alien means, he... finds that he's strangely indifferent to it all. It doesn't feel as if he's entirely present, living again. It's like he's watching himself feature in a silent movie or something instead. He touches his own face, to check if he still exists. Then, he sighs before typing back to the stranger: ]
I'm here, I suppose. I don't know. Life feels different when you've died before.
[ It's hard to even know what questions to ask right now the longer he thinks about it. He wants to come be there for Jyuto, but Jyuto didn't tell Riou- he told Solon. So he can't be there for him the way he wants to be.
His heart aches for Jyuto, because he shouldn't have to go through that. But all he can do now is offer to be there for him. ]
If you need anything, tell me. I'll arrange it.
[ He'll figure it out as best as he can, anyway. ]
From what I can tell, there are no physical differences from then and now. You needn't worry about me. The murderer's name is Daniel Dickens. I'll make sure he sees justice, but I want it done my own way. I'm sorry to unload this all on you so suddenly, SOLON. Truth be told, I could've sent it to my other hacker but I worried he may ask to be recompensated in chroma, and I'm hardly in the mood.
Unload anything you like. You have friends, but you're choosing to tell me. I won't turn my back on that.
[ He definitely had to backspace "comrades" for that. He never intended to hide who he actually was from Jyuto, but at this point... it may be for the best to stop placing hints and clues, like a fun game. It's no game anymore. Having Samatoki and Riou deal with something like this directly and feel absolutely helpless... he's very kind, trying not to make them face that. Even if Riou would rather that he did, he can respect that. He has to respect that. ]
[ The tone is comforting, somehow familiar. Even so, Jyuto doesnāt want to overthink this hackerās identity because he needs SOLON to remain a stranger. Itās best he cope this way. ]
Thank you for your understanding. [ Jyuto stares at his communicator emptily after sending the message. Heās typing things more out of habit than out of sincerity. The disconnect he feels from where heās living is more scary than anything, and he doesnāt know if itāll ever stop. It didnāt feel this way before. Now that heās back, itās likeā¦ ]
You donāt have to humor this conversation if youāre uninterested, but I want to hear someone elseās answer. Do you enjoy the work you do here? Do you feel useful living here? āØAfter being killed on this planet, I wonder if my actions here have any meaning or worth when theyāve been removed from where I come from, from the motivation that drove me to continue and the world where my past is.
Do you think time is still passing in the world we left?
I can't give details about what it is that I do yet.
[ One day, maybe, he'll reveal himself. So "yet" is the operative word. He never meant to hide it from Jyuto, but he has to now. Saying anything personal like what he does here would be all too obvious, because Jyuto knows him better than most. ]
What I can say is that I have experience having my identity ripped away from me. I don't know if I handled it well, or if I am now. There is someone who found me and showed me a new path forward. Your path may not be the same, but in time you'll see which way leads forward.
Here is the intel I've gathered in regards to the Moonblessed experience and timelines: -A man with experience with timeline manipulation has indicated that it is possible that the same universe exists in different timelines, with deviations based on choices. He also indicated that timeline manipulation is extremely dangerous. -Moonblessed who have disappeared from Prismatica fall into one of three categories: 1. Do not return, nor appear missing in other Moonblessed memories as missing if the second Moonblessed returned and proceeded with their timeline. 2. Return with memories of Prismatica but have no memories of being missing from either Prismatica or their original world. 3. Others return without memories of Prismatica at all, and only from their original timeline until point of abduction. -Per your experience, death is no longer a permanent ailment. We return here after lethal experiences, and not to our worlds.
I do not know how your experience fits into this information yet.
You don't have to disclose anything, that's understandable. In regards to finding some other path, I hope so. Things feel grim and bleak right now, but I imagine that's not unusual given the situation I'm in. You know a lot more about the mechanics of this world than I do. I had theories of my own, but I haven't had the opportunity to express them. They generally fall in line with most of the concrete documentation you've provided me, so perhaps there's some truth to them after all.
If you need someone to talk to about it, write to me. I can lend an ear, even if I haven't gone through it myself.
What is your strongest theory?
[ It's a short response, but there's really nothing more that he can say on the other topics. He's never died, and he can't pretend that he understands Jyuto's situation because of it. It would be insulting to pretend he did, but he empathizes at least. He can listen. ]
Itāll pass, always has. Weāll see. Thank you for offering, though. Youāre kind.
[ Jyutoās unspoken theory that heād made back in December or so takes some time to write down, as heās never had to verbalize or express to another person: ]
The theory that Iāve held for a while now is that in the case of those who believe they share whatever world they come from, they are all actually taken from parallel versions of the world that they think they share.
I have two comrades, both of which who share the same memories as me and seem to be taken from the same point in time. Initially, I believed they belonged to the same world as me. However, one of those comrades is an older brother. His younger sister came to Prismatica for some time, only that she was seemingly coming from a different time, a time years before the year my friend came from.
If we were all from the same world, that friend of mine wouldāve remembered his sister vanishing from the time she was taken, years ago. Thereās a strong possibility that each of us were taken from parallel worlds (similar to the laws your time manipulator you spoke of), each of which with one of us missing.
In another scenario, an acquaintance was here, returned to his world, and then came back not remembering that heād been here. You mentioned that within your own intel. Could it be that the latter is not indeed the same person to have left only with amnesia, but perhaps an parallel worldās version of the same person?
The only other theory I considered had been that the time in Prismatica passes within an immeasurably small amount of time within the worlds weāre taken from, so small that we are unaware we even left by the time we return. Perhaps my comradeās sister was taken and then came back in less than a millisecond, or some quantity of which we somehow cannot measure. He, as well as the second comrade, also claimed to have lived here for some time before I arrived, something that makes little sense if we all were taken at the same time. Wouldnāt the me of my world noticed theyād gone missing for x amount of time, otherwise?
Your parallel universe theory makes the most sense. The idea of time as an actual force of nature rather than as a measurement constructed by humans seems less likely, particularly given that it would need to cause reversible amnesia each time a person returned to their world and came back.
[ It's such a short response in comparison, but Riou thinks that Jyuto made his point fairly well. He doesn't need to pick it apart or ask for clarification, really. It makes sense. ]
You think so? I thought it was pretty solid, myself.āØ Iām proud of it. My parallel world theory has yet to be debunked, so guess Iāll be sitting on it until then.
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prismatica
no subject
Death is different here, but it doesn't change the fact.
no subject
He can't do that. It would be too obvious. He could just tell him that he was Riou, but he thinks that at this point... Jyuto chose to tell Solon, not Riou. Perhaps he can be something that Jyuto needs more as Solon than he can as Riou.
Riou will stop doing subtle attempts to hint to him. It's not a fun exercise anymore trying to hint to Jyuto who he is; Jyuto needs him to be someone else, and if that's the way he can support him best, then he will. ]
What do you mean?
[ He'll get the explanation. Solon is business-first. He'll check in on Jyuto emotionally in a moment. Or try to, anyway.
At least let him know he's there to listen. Or read. ]
no subject
We go through all of the stages of death before we die, crystallize and then reemerge from said crystal after a certain period of time.
Mine only lasted two days, but I have the feeling that it has to do with the moon cycles.
Something tells me it could have been longer.
no subject
Solon or not, Jyuto is his friend. And so he pushes aside any informational questions and instead asks the one more important question that he hasn't yet: ]
How are you?
no subject
I'm here, I suppose.
I don't know.
Life feels different when you've died before.
no subject
His heart aches for Jyuto, because he shouldn't have to go through that. But all he can do now is offer to be there for him. ]
If you need anything, tell me.
I'll arrange it.
[ He'll figure it out as best as he can, anyway. ]
no subject
You needn't worry about me.
The murderer's name is Daniel Dickens.
I'll make sure he sees justice, but I want it done my own way.
I'm sorry to unload this all on you so suddenly, SOLON.
Truth be told, I could've sent it to my other hacker but I worried he may ask to be recompensated in chroma, and I'm hardly in the mood.
no subject
You have friends, but you're choosing to tell me.
I won't turn my back on that.
[ He definitely had to backspace "comrades" for that. He never intended to hide who he actually was from Jyuto, but at this point... it may be for the best to stop placing hints and clues, like a fun game. It's no game anymore. Having Samatoki and Riou deal with something like this directly and feel absolutely helpless... he's very kind, trying not to make them face that. Even if Riou would rather that he did, he can respect that. He has to respect that. ]
no subject
Thank you for your understanding.
[ Jyuto stares at his communicator emptily after sending the message. Heās typing things more out of habit than out of sincerity. The disconnect he feels from where heās living is more scary than anything, and he doesnāt know if itāll ever stop. It didnāt feel this way before. Now that heās back, itās likeā¦ ]
You donāt have to humor this conversation if youāre uninterested, but I want to hear someone elseās answer.
Do you enjoy the work you do here?
Do you feel useful living here? āØAfter being killed on this planet, I wonder if my actions here have any meaning or worth when theyāve been removed from where I come from, from the motivation that drove me to continue and the world where my past is.
Do you think time is still passing in the world we left?
no subject
[ One day, maybe, he'll reveal himself. So "yet" is the operative word. He never meant to hide it from Jyuto, but he has to now. Saying anything personal like what he does here would be all too obvious, because Jyuto knows him better than most. ]
What I can say is that I have experience having my identity ripped away from me.
I don't know if I handled it well, or if I am now.
There is someone who found me and showed me a new path forward.
Your path may not be the same, but in time you'll see which way leads forward.
Here is the intel I've gathered in regards to the Moonblessed experience and timelines:
-A man with experience with timeline manipulation has indicated that it is possible that the same universe exists in different timelines, with deviations based on choices. He also indicated that timeline manipulation is extremely dangerous.
-Moonblessed who have disappeared from Prismatica fall into one of three categories:
1. Do not return, nor appear missing in other Moonblessed memories as missing if the second Moonblessed returned and proceeded with their timeline.
2. Return with memories of Prismatica but have no memories of being missing from either Prismatica or their original world.
3. Others return without memories of Prismatica at all, and only from their original timeline until point of abduction.
-Per your experience, death is no longer a permanent ailment. We return here after lethal experiences, and not to our worlds.
I do not know how your experience fits into this information yet.
no subject
In regards to finding some other path, I hope so.
Things feel grim and bleak right now, but I imagine that's not unusual given the situation I'm in.
You know a lot more about the mechanics of this world than I do.
I had theories of my own, but I haven't had the opportunity to express them.
They generally fall in line with most of the concrete documentation you've provided me, so perhaps there's some truth to them after all.
no subject
What is your strongest theory?
[ It's a short response, but there's really nothing more that he can say on the other topics. He's never died, and he can't pretend that he understands Jyuto's situation because of it. It would be insulting to pretend he did, but he empathizes at least. He can listen. ]
no subject
Weāll see.
Thank you for offering, though.
Youāre kind.
[ Jyutoās unspoken theory that heād made back in December or so takes some time to write down, as heās never had to verbalize or express to another person: ]
The theory that Iāve held for a while now is that in the case of those who believe they share whatever world they come from, they are all actually taken from parallel versions of the world that they think they share.
I have two comrades, both of which who share the same memories as me and seem to be taken from the same point in time. Initially, I believed they belonged to the same world as me. However, one of those comrades is an older brother. His younger sister came to Prismatica for some time, only that she was seemingly coming from a different time, a time years before the year my friend came from.
If we were all from the same world, that friend of mine wouldāve remembered his sister vanishing from the time she was taken, years ago.
Thereās a strong possibility that each of us were taken from parallel worlds (similar to the laws your time manipulator you spoke of), each of which with one of us missing.
In another scenario, an acquaintance was here, returned to his world, and then came back not remembering that heād been here. You mentioned that within your own intel. Could it be that the latter is not indeed the same person to have left only with amnesia, but perhaps an parallel worldās version of the same person?
The only other theory I considered had been that the time in Prismatica passes within an immeasurably small amount of time within the worlds weāre taken from, so small that we are unaware we even left by the time we return. Perhaps my comradeās sister was taken and then came back in less than a millisecond, or some quantity of which we somehow cannot measure. He, as well as the second comrade, also claimed to have lived here for some time before I arrived, something that makes little sense if we all were taken at the same time. Wouldnāt the me of my world noticed theyād gone missing for x amount of time, otherwise?
no subject
The idea of time as an actual force of nature rather than as a measurement constructed by humans seems less likely, particularly given that it would need to cause reversible amnesia each time a person returned to their world and came back.
[ It's such a short response in comparison, but Riou thinks that Jyuto made his point fairly well. He doesn't need to pick it apart or ask for clarification, really. It makes sense. ]
no subject
I thought it was pretty solid, myself.āØ
Iām proud of it.
My parallel world theory has yet to be debunked, so guess Iāll be sitting on it until then.
[ A beat. ]
I should let you go.
āØItās late.
no subject