thoughtformed | The Mother of All Logs

It's definitely not as bad as memory loss, but I'm not a big fan of having my free will or my judgement impeded.

[She glares, briefly, at the sprig of mistletoe over them. It could have been worse, that was true. None of her encounters so far had been anything beyond kissing, which was something she was incredibly grateful for, and none had been particularly volatile.

She sighs.]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend, or anything. I'm just not normally so--

[Affectionate?]

Touchy-feely. You've got it, though. At least, that's what the people in charge tell me.

[Some days she's less convinced than others.]

Ah, of course. Nobody enjoys losing their free will. But as it's not pirates or a meteor this time, I'm willing to say there's no harm done and leave it at that.

[He gestures animatedly as he speaks, and remains seemingly cheerful, giving her an inscrutable smile.]

And I take no offense. I myself would generally try to learn a girl's name before kissing her.

[His smile somehow manages to looked slightly amused and yet serious at the same time.]

[She derails things for a moment to look at him rather dubiously.]

There were pirates?

[Well, at least he's in good spirits. This is favorable to the stand-off she and Loki had after their... encounter. She smiles grimly, trying to take this all in stride.]

Well, that's very gentlemanly of you. Didn't know there were any of those left.

Well... not so much 'there were pirates' as 'we were pirates'. And at some time during the 1700s and 1800s, I believe. I was a completely different person, yet the things I did and thought made complete sense to me at the time. It was very disconcerting, as many of the things I did or considered were... I think I'll leave it at 'alarming.' [Remembering that you casually considered murder as a viable options, as well as just how good you were at it, was not an easy thing to fathom.]

What's more, I still have... memories of having memories, I suppose, of things I'd done years before in that life. Things that never really happened, at least not in this reality. Many of them things I'd really prefer not to remember.

[He looks distinctly uncomfortable thinking about it, and the one thing that is probably easiest to notice about Koizumi is that he does not get uncomfortable about things.

He smiles at her comment, however, both amused at it and relieved at the change in subject.]

Well, we all come from very different places. There must be at least one of us left in some reality or another.

[She shifts uncomfortably as she listens, folding her arms over her chest. She's not a fan of what she's hearing. Sure, some of it might be harmless shenanigans, but even the slightest hint of having her memories rewritten or losing any semblance of control just hits way too close to home for her.]

It sounds like living on New Moore is a real treat. All kinds of ways for them to screw with us.

[She, too, is relieved at the change of subject, and smirks in reply.]

That's not a bad way to spin things.

[He grins at her roguishly. As first meetings go, making out in the street goes a long way toward not being terribly shy or reserved around each other. They had quite soundly traversed that territory.]

I try to look on the bright and mildly amusing side. The universe I came from was nearly as strange as this one, but with a semblance of normalcy, all the strange things hidden. There were times when the fate of that reality depended partially on my apparent cheerfulness in dire and depressing circumstances. I suppose I have simply become rather practiced at it.

If I might ask, what was the world you came from like?

[She smiles grimly.]

That depends on who you ask. Some people manage to cling to normalcy, but as a whole, my world is pretty deadly, if you're not careful. People like to romanticize the monsters in it. Get themselves killed because they don't think anyone with nice manners or a well-cut jaw could possibly be bad, even if they don't have a pulse.

Undead? [Koizumi looks interested.]

Perhaps the wave of undead that hit the island during our memory loss was somehow from your world, then. Do you know anything about how they got here?

[His smile turns thoughtful.] It would be nice if we knew enough to prevent that from happening in the future, especially during crises this that where people may not know how to respond.

[She clears her throat briefly.]

Yeah, I might know a little bit about that, though I didn't at the time. I'm glad there weren't too many of them. I don't think anyone was seriously injured, though I got bitten, once.

[She grimaces.]

There shouldn't be another outbreak like that in the future. I'll find a way to safeguard against it.

[Koizumi seems to understand more than is explicitly stated, there.]

I see. Well, if you ever require assistance in that, let me know. I would be more than glad to help any way I can. [He hadn't been bitten, but he had not enjoyed fighting them, especially when all he had to defend himself was a bow.

Then he looks a little diffident.]

The memory loss made me realize that there are safeguards I need to put into place as well, for everyone's sake.

[She can't complain about him not having any further questions. He may not have asked for further explanation, but she's not exactly secretive about her powers. Might as well get it out there.]

I'm an animator. If I don't use my powers regularly, they spill over. Since I didn't remember anything about that, I'm pretty sure that's what happened. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. People getting hurt is the last thing I would have wanted.

[She eyes him for a moment, then nods.]

It seems to be that way for more than a few people here. None of us are exactly poster-kids for normal.

[He nods as if confirming a suspicion of his, and he does not look particularly surprised at the revelation. On the other hand, his demeanor towards her has not appeared to change either, in light of this knowledge.

He smiles understandingly at her.]

I did not hear of anybody getting hurt from the zombies, besides the bite you received. I fought them a few times, but by virtue of having extraordinary companions, came out no worse for wear.

[He was a little more secretive about his powers, though only because the safety of reality depended on keeping the information he knew from one particular high school girl.]

Indeed we are not. [He pauses for a moment, but decides it can't hurt as long as he doesn't get into specifics, and she was open with him.]

I do understand your predicament, though. Though I cannot tell you the source, there are... pocket realities created around here that, as they expand, threaten to destroy and replace this one. I have been granted the power to enter these realities and defeat the creatures within, thus halting this expansion. When I had amnesia... I didn't know about any of it. The spaces, the creatures, or my powers.

[He looks a little self-recriminating, a large display of emotion for him.] It was a stupid oversight on my part that could have literally caused the destruction of the world.

[She listens patiently, and she doesn't question him -- it's obvious enough to her by now that they're all different, as are their worlds of origin, however fictitious they may or may not be. She knows her own world sounds crazy to other people. She's willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.]

It looks like we both have to start taking some precautions, especially if memory loss or tampering is something that happens often around here. Which it seems to be.

[He looks back up at her, giving her a small smile once again.]

Indeed. Perhaps a programmed message on our phones or computers - if we don't type in a codeword the night before, it plays a video we record debriefing us about the situation.

[He pauses then, considering.]

Then again, there were no computers around when, for example, we were pirates for a time. It was only chance there was no closed space then to grow and threaten us before I was myself again.

I suppose part of the issue is we have no way of predicting what the island might do - so it's impossible to know what to prepare for.

That's actually not a bad idea.

[She frowns slightly. Unpredictability definitely makes it difficult to plan, but that's nothing new. Since when is life ever predictable?]

Sometimes it's all you can do to prepare for the worst, honestly. And just hope it's enough. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

I suppose so. Just the fact that the survival of this reality is at stake makes me a little nervous.

Perhaps we could get together sometime - either now or sometime later, if you are busy - over lunch or coffee, to discuss what other things the island might inflict upon us, and the contingencies that could help us if that were the case?

I cannot say I was a fan of our manner of meeting, but I have enjoyed your conversation, and we have much in common, at least in terms of our problems.

[She smiles at him, though there's still a touch of grim to it. She at least appreciates how straightforward he is. People who beat around the bush don't do much for her.]

I'm not busy, but we'll have to keep a look out for any errant mistletoe. Just to be safe.

[He gives a small chuckle, nodding.]

Yes, that we will. Who ever thought so innocent a plant could be so ominous? If we ever get off this island, we will appear to have so many strange reactions and associations to people from the outside world. I imagine there are members of the island who will attempt to destroy any mistletoe on sight now.

[]His lips curl upward, clearly amused.] An impulse I understand.

Shall we, then? [His voice is light, almost laughing, trying to add just a little humor to their situation.] May I buy you lunch? It would be the least I could do to make up for my ungentlemanly introduction. While normally I would buy a lady a meal or two before kissing her, I suppose that late is better than never.

[She snorts, lightly.]

And yet they insist that we're all here to learn how to function properly in the real world. That's the explanation I heard, anyway. I'm pretty sure this isn't normal for mistletoe anywhere.

[She has to smile at his offer. So polite. She likes to see that, even if she often fails with manners herself.]

It's nice to know there are a few guys out there who still have nice manners. How can I say no when you've asked so nicely?

[He tilts his head consideringly.] Perhaps. But if this is how things on the island behave, perhaps this is what the real world is like. Maybe this is normal for real mistletoe. If we cannot escape the island, who are we to say what the rest of this world may be like? It could be anything, especially in a world where fiction may become reality.

[He smiles at her compliment.] While I imagine it wouldn't actually be too difficult to say no, I am glad you are declining to take that route.

I know a good Italian place right up the hill. Will that suffice? [He gives a small chuckle.] Normally I would offer a lady my arm at this juncture, but being in such close proximity may not be the best idea, all things considered.

[ooc: Idea! Though I don't know Anita well, so you'll have to tell me if it's at all realistic. I think it would be adorable if, after lunch, she gives him a friendly kiss, of her own volition, as thanks for being such a gentleman. He would be completely unprepared for it, and I love throwing Koizumi off his balance (especially because so few things do).]

Edited 2012-12-20 09:48 (UTC)

You have a point. I keep assuming the rest of the world is going to be like my own. Kind of by default, you know? Hard to get my head around anything else, even while being open-minded. Home is all I really have as a basis for comparison.

[She makes a vague gesture.]

I just find it hard to believe that things like widespread memory loss are the norm out there. I've been pretty skeptical of the information they've been feeding us here, anyway, though it's getting harder and harder to remain unconvinced.

[She smirks at him, though it's appreciative.]

That sounds fine. And don't worry about it. I would have to refuse the arm, anyway. I get my own doors, too, and my own chairs. I appreciate nice manners, but I've never been a fan of being treated like an invalid.

[OOC: That can be arranged! She's normally not touchy-feely with people she's not close to, but I think in this case (one of her nicer encounters since coming to the island, honestly) she could spare him a kiss on the cheek or forehead on her way out. It would be super cute!]

Perfectly understandable. Growing up, the world behaved in a certain way. Everything we did and everything we are has been shaped by it. To think of a world - nay, a universe - completely alien to our own, one whose laws of physics operate on completely different principles than our own, violates our common sense, because our common sense is not the common sense of this world. Yet we find ourselves in this alien universe, and it behaves in ways we can neither predict nor intuitively comprehend, caring not for out understanding of the way things work.

Myself, I try to make no assumptions about what might be out there - there is no reason it should be closer to my home universe than it is to, say, the universe that shadows and the Dark Hour come from, if you know anything about those.

[He gives a small shrug at her statement, his eyes still amused, he smile a little thoughtful.]

I suppose, under normal circumstances, my offer with the arm would have been more for the closeness and affection than for any sort of physical support - then again, if this were that sort of date, we likely wouldn't mind the mistletoe half so much.

[She listens as they walk in the direction of the restaurant, nodding here and there.]

It's hard not to make assumptions. It's human to do so, at least, but you're right that there's no reason the world beyond New Moore should be anything like what I'm used to.

[She shifts slightly as she walks. Actually, it's been bothering her that she can't decide if she'd rather go home to her city full of monsters and her complicated relationship with them, or stay here and sacrifice free will. She didn't like being caged, and as nice as it was, the island was a cage -- but it was nice, she had to admit, to be able to take a break from vampire and werewolf politics.

She smiles at him again, amused.]

I guess that would make you an optimistic sort of date, wouldn't it? If we were in that situation, I could probably allow the linked arms. Doors are still my territory, though.

What can I say? I'm an optomistic sort of guy. [He inclines his head a little in mock surrender.] And I have no trouble conceding the realm of doors.

[He gives a small laugh.] Again, that would probably have been a bad idea anyway - holding a door open for anyone would just be inviting the mistletoe to strike.

[He allows a moment to pass before he shifts topics.] If you don't mind talking about it, I am interested to hear more about your powers as an animator, and how they work.

[She nods without showing any hesitation.]

Sure. I prefer to keep people informed rather than leave them in the dark. It helps to keep me from ending up on the wrong end of a witch-hunt. People are always afraid of what they don't understand. I'll admit, I'm nervous about how people will react when they realize I'm responsible for that handful of zombies that got raised, but...

[She shrugs.]

Normally I won't be so disrespectful of the dead. It only happened because my mental blocks were down, and it's been awhile since I've used my power regularly. That's important -- you have to use it regularly, or it spills over. I had another incident with it a couple of weeks ago.

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Do you want to continue this or leave it as implied after a thread or two? I'm happy with either :)

I'm also good with either! ^_^ Whatever you think is best! He's adorable.

All right. Let's just continue for now, and we can stop when we run out of things to say.

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