Sharpedo Bluff

[unrepentantAuthor]

Not like they gave me a choice. What? Was it not a prosthetic? Brisa's head fizzed.

"Oh, it's not so different from here. Just pokémon. Well, sometimes we have humans in pokémon form, like Dave and I think some of the others here..."

Fuck, that was the whole reason she'd wanted to head somewhere quiet, to stop thinking about her father.

"Ahhh, it's pretty urbanised I guess? Frontier Town isn't even one of the biggest settlements in the region, and it's bigger than Treasure Town, I think. There's talk of a railroad linking us to other towns in the next decade. Strange to think."

Ah, but the railway made her think of Dad, too. Practically anything would, at this point. Godsdamnit.

"I ain't seen much of it," she admitted at last. "I've spent most of my life at home or patrollin' the town border until very recently."

Hey, so you said they didn't give you a choice to have that metal arm? Do you mind explaining what the fuck, actually?

Better not say that out loud.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Oh, it's not so different from here. Just pokémon. Well, sometimes we have humans in pokémon form, like Dave and I think some of the others here..."

“Oh, so... humans become Pokemon? How does that work? Kind of reminds me of some game a total nerd told me about once, but I can’t put my finger on what it’s called.”

"Ahhh, it's pretty urbanised I guess? Frontier Town isn't even one of the biggest settlements in the region, and it's bigger than Treasure Town, I think. There's talk of a railroad linking us to other towns in the next decade. Strange to think."

“Ah, so it’s in a different time.” She snickered. “Y’know, with all the crap I’m talkin’ about, like films and games and whatnot, it probably sounds like gibberish to you.”

"I haven't seen much of it," she admitted at last. "I've spent most of my life at home or patrolling the town border until very recently."

“So a patrol guard, eh? That sounds like it gets pretty boring, or interesting, depending on what day it is.”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa tried to relax a little, and hold everything Curio said in her mind to respond to. It wasn't as hard as she expected — the riolu's earnest interest was immensely reassuring.

"I'm afraid a lot of what everyone here says is gibberish to me," she confessed sheepishly. "I do my best. Dave said- wait, you wouldn't be familiar with... 'a database of genericized hypothetical gene sequences', would you? It's not important, I'm pretty sure I figured it out, but I'm constantly struggling with everything from vocabulary to basic assumptions about the world. And I'm the most well-educated pokémon within fifty fuckin' miles, back home!" Brisa said this last bit as a joke, but it had a slightly raw edge to it as she did.

"I figure your world is ahead of mine, then. Like Dave's, in a way. It doesn't sound like headin' into the future necessarily means things get much better for all folks." She thought of Gil, preserved from a century ago, and their confusion and dismay at the changes she explained to them. She changed subject.

"Anyway, patrollin' ain't so bad. Long walks, I sometimes give folks directions or get them out of a tight scrape if they get in trouble with a mystery dungeon or the terrain around those parts. Mostly I'm a deterrent to ferals, which honestly... it don't make me happy, but..."

Best not to think of Ma either. Fuck's sake.

But the other thing Curio had asked... was about humans. Ugh. Maybe she should just go for it. Probably she wouldn't panic like she had with Dave, right?

"I think humans become pokémon in my world pretty similarly to how Diyem made some of our party into pokémon. I've read damn near everythin' there is to know about it, but since most of them have amnesia, or claim to, nobody knows much. I'm probably the world's expert on humans, cause of my Pa, and I still know next to nothing. Pa..."

She took a big breath.

"My father was human."

 

[NebulaDreams]

"I'm afraid a lot of what everyone here says is gibberish to me," she confessed sheepishly. "I do my best. Dave said- wait, you wouldn't be familiar with... 'a database of genericized hypothetical gene sequences', would you? It's not important, I'm pretty sure I figured it out, but I'm constantly struggling with everything from vocabulary to basic assumptions about the world. And I'm the most well-educated pokémon within fifty fucking miles, back home!" Brisa said this last bit as a joke, but it had a slightly raw edge to it as she did.

"I mean, I wouldn't sweat it. Knowing useless crap that has nothing to do with your life doesn't mean you're any smarter than any other schmuck who got sent here. A lot of what he said sounds like technobabble shit to me, but, well, the gene part I get. It gets passed on from Pokemon to Pokemon and determines what traits you have and what gets passed down to you from your parents and stuff. Like these gushers--" she pointed at her green eyes--"I got them from Mom. My Da--" She didn't want to say it, but it was the truth, wherever he was anyway. "My Dad had red eyes, so I got my Mom's side."

"I figure your world is ahead of mine, then. Like Dave's, in a way. It doesn't sound like heading into the future necessarily means things get much better for all folks." She thought of Gil, preserved from a century ago, and their confusion and dismay at the changes she explained to them. She changed subject.

"Nope. Some things just either get better or worse."

"I think humans become pokémon in my world pretty similarly to how Diyem made some of our party into pokémon. I've read almost everything there is to know about it, but since most of them have amnesia, or claim to, nobody knows much. I'm probably the world's expert on humans, cause of my Dad, and I still know next to nothing. Dad..."

She took a big breath.

"Dad was human."

Curio was taken aback by that. She crawled away from the edge of the cliff and stood up, facing Brisa. "Oh. So... he was one of those humans-turned-Pokemon?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa tried not to stare too hard when Curio drew attention to her eyes — yes, they were green! and... nice! — and nodded in concession at the point about better and worse. It was fair enough.

So... he was one of those humans-turned-Pokemon?

She sighed. It had only been a few minutes since she'd last explained this, but it felt like days.

"Yeah, one of those," she said of her father. "Came to my world with alleged amnesia, could barely remember his own name. Saved the world, more or less. Certainly gets very nearly all the credit. He was part of a ranger team with my mother. They had me when they retired, or they retired when they had me, it depends who you ask. Never did tell me much about his past, no matter how much I insisted. And then one day he just fuckin' vanished into thin air. Gone. Never saw him again."

Well. At least this time she could explain without losing her shit. That was progress, after a fashion.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Yeah, one of those," she said of her father. "Came to my world with alleged amnesia, could barely remember his own name. Saved the world, more or less. Certainly gets very nearly all the credit. He was part of a ranger team with my mother. They had me when they retired, or they retired when they had me, it depends who you ask. Never did tell me much about his past, no matter how much I insisted. And then one day he just fucking vanished into thin air. Gone. Never saw him again."

Any pleasure Curio took from this conversation was gone. Of course, she had heard bits about it before, but seeing Brisa go through it again, and in front of her, made it hit harder. Curio sat back down on the hard floor, pawing at a bit of dirt.

"Fuck. Dads, right? Is there some sort of curse after they do the do that makes them into complete assholes or something?" She sighed. "I mean, shit, I hear people talk about their crappy parents and I get into one of these moods. It's been 9 years. 9 years since I last saw or heard from him. And what did I get out of it before? Him kicking me against a tree like a soccer ball and throwing a pity party about it when I leave." She stood back up again, pacing back and forth. "I mean, he could've made it up to the rest of my family after keeping them holed up on that island. But he fucked right off since he felt so bad about what he did before. But what does that fix?!"

Curio stopped, catching her breath, and in turn, she caught herself rambling in front of someone who needed more of the attention.

"Sorry, Brisa. Jeez. That really sucks. How do you deal with it all, mon?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa listened and nodded as Curio recounted some of her own experience. She didn't know what to say, but this was good, right? Curio trusted her enough to share something like this, and sympathised. It sounded like her experience had been worse, but... there wasn't much point in judging that.

She thought for a moment. "Normally it doesn't need dealing with," she said. "It's been a few years for me too, and usually I don't talk to anyone about it. And I'm fine. But the thing is..."

What was the thing? There were a dozen ways she could put this.

"The thing is, I never really knew what his deal was. For all I knew, he was just some lyin' scoundrel who wanted to make a legend for himself, you know? But it turns out... well, there are humans here. Humans really can become pokémon. He might have been tellin' the truth."

That wasn't it, not really. Dig deeper.

"If he wasn't lyin', then... I've been explainin' the way he behaved to myself with nonsense. I don't understand him or what he did after all. I just don't get it! If he was really a human, then why- why did-"

She choked a little. There it was. The emotional reaction, so pathetic, so unhelpful. Just focus on breathing, she told herself.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"The thing is, I never really knew what his deal was. For all I knew, he was just some lying scoundrel who wanted to make a legend for himself, you know? But it turns out... well, there are humans here. Humans really can become pokémon. He might have been telling the truth."

"Yeah, I never really understood what my dad's deal was either. And that's for the best in my opinion. Screw him. If I go through life and end up better than he did, then that'll be my revenge. Mind you, if I had my metal arm back, I'd punch his teeth out, but still."

"If he wasn't lying, then... I've been explaining the way he behaved to myself with nonsense. I don't understand him or what he did after all. I just don't get it! If he was really a human, then why- why did-"

"Look, I dunno why he did what he did. Who knows what happens in the heads of these guys? I can tell you as much that it's not your fault what happened. It's entirely on him. Who cares if he was telling the truth and was a human all along? What difference does that make to how he treated you? You just can't control how these assholes behave."

She didn't know whether or not she was any good at comforting strangers. Well, Brisa shouldn't have been a stranger at that point, but anyway. If she didn't know, then she might as well have gone with her gut. Curio approached Brisa, holding out her paw to her.

"Do you wanna go spit off the edge of the cliff?" Why did that sound less weird in her head? "I dunno if it'll make you feel any better, but hey, imagine the ocean's your dad or somethin'."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

It... didn't make much difference to how he treated her. But it made a difference to how people might treat her now. Or how she treated herself.

"Spit? Uh, sure."

She let Curio demonstrate the technique, and then copied as best she could. It didn't come naturally to her, but there was something about the technical challenge, the absurdity of the activity, and Curio's unreserved sympathy that set her back at ease. She found herself laughing even as her 'spitting' turned to blowing razz berries.

Laughing felt strange, and the situation was stranger, but wasn't everything strange? Who said you had to respond to strange hurts and strange novelties with normal godsdamn responses? Curio seemed like she got that. Good.

Wow.

She actually felt okay.

 

[NebulaDreams]

Curio stepped back, hacked up a big wad of phlegm (even as she was thinking about it, it sounded gross), and spat into the ocean as she described. She didn't see it hit the water, but it made her feel better in any case. Yeah, take that, Dad, this is what happens to you when you take a kid's crayons away. Now that kind of felt sad. But oh well, best not to ruin this moment.

She watched as Brisa did her thing as well, and to Curio's surprise, it ended up making her laugh.

"I dunno where I even picked up that trick from. I meet a lot of people wherever I go and I forget about names a lot, so... yeah. Sometimes, it helps." She smirked. "I think I accidentally spat on some other human's head doing it from a building."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Oh my goodness," said Brisa, stifling a giggle. "You're a lot of fun."

Oh, she meant that. Huh.

"Uh, anyway, thanks. I really do feel better. And it's good to talk to someone about this for once, I don't think I've had a proper conversation about Pa since not long after he vanished. That was with Ma, and she took off not long after, but at least I know where she is and that she's alive and I could go see her if I had a reason. It's not so bad."

It still felt like such a huge topic. Where to begin? It wasn't like she could open with a salvo about how he treated Ma, not without the context... She hawked and spat, this time imitating Curio more successfully. Fuck you, Pa. That's for being a blackguard and a sidewinder.

"I come from too many different places," she found herself saying, hardly knowing where she was going with the idea. "I technically live in a civvie town, which makes me a modern mon. Only reason I ain't a ranger is for want of signing up." She let a stronger Frontier Town twang into her voice as she said this. "Yet, I am my mother's daughter, and the townies say I am a feral, though there is not a one among them who does not have roughlander blood in their veins. And then... well, let's just say I'm the only mon in town who can tell someone to go fuck themself. That, I learned from Pa."

She chuckled, and it was as dry as sand.

"That's the thing that really kills me. If he was tryin' to protect me from being little more than a human's weird, fucked-up, shinx offspring by not telling me anythin' much, then, well, he did a shitty job of it. He may as well have raised me to be one of a kind, 'cause I sure as hell turned out that way in the end. Least then I'd know who I was."

One of a kind. None like her. Thanks a bunch, Dad.

yes i know she's saying this in the literal home of Surf who is also the child of a human hero that's the point lmfao

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Oh my goodness," said Brisa, stifling a giggle. "You're a lot of fun."

Oh, she meant that. Huh.

"Uh, anyway, thanks. I really do feel better. And it's good to talk to someone about this for once, I don't think I've had a proper conversation about Dad since not long after he vanished. That was with Mum, and she took off not long after, but at least I know where she is and that she's alive and I could go see her if I had a reason. It's not so bad."

Curio didn't hold back and giggled in turn, snorting all the while. "Well, thanks! Yeah, it's better when you have someone in the family that isn't so nutso. I take it you're an only child, though." She realised what she had said and mentally slapped herself. "Oh, I don't mean like that, just that, well, I have quite a few brothers as well. I kind of screwed up the last time I saw them, but they're doing fine."

Perhaps she embellished a bit too much about herself. That was dangerous. If someone knew her too well, would they even stick around with her? And for that matter, she still didn't know why she didn't give her family a call, even though she had their home number.

"I come from too many different places," she found herself saying, hardly knowing where she was going with the idea. "I technically live in a civvie town, which makes me a modern mon. Only reason I ain't a ranger is for want of signing up." She let the Frontier Town twang into her voice for a moment as she said this. "Yet, I am my mother's daughter, and the townies say I am a feral, though there is not a one among them who does not have roughlander blood in their veins. And then... well, let's just say I'm the only mon in town who can tell someone to go fuck themself. That, I learned from Dad."

Why did that remind her of her whole upbringing, or that Luxray's, or any of her other old classmates?

"Well, that sucks. I mean, good on you for not putting up with their shit, because that's unfair. I don't wanna pry too much, but how does your mom treat you? Is she, um, crap, what's the word, emotionally available?"

"That's the thing that really kills me. If he was trying to protect me from being little more than a human's weird, fucked-up, shinx offspring by not telling me anything much, then, well, he did a shitty job of it. He may as well have raised me to be one of a kind, 'cause I sure as hell turned out that way in the end. Least then I'd know who I was."

"I honestly couldn't imagine having both a Pokemon and a human for parents." She ran a paw through her aura feelers. "And I don't know what would go through the head of a human-turned-Pokemon, to, y'know, do the mon with two backs with a regular Pokemon. In my world, for obvious reasons, it's illegal as fuck, and rightly so. Just thinking about it kind of puts a bad taste in my mouth." She spat into the ocean again. "Some part of me wouldn't want to know what he was thinking when he decided to settle."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Yeah, only child." Brisa winced. It wasn't like she could just say 'but Pa could've got around, for all I know.' "Never thought about it too much, I guess." Well, that was a lie.

I don't wanna pry too much, but how does your mom treat you? Is she, um, crap, what's the word, emotionally available?

Brisa approximated a lopsided shrug. "Well, 'sides being the same species, Mum and I don't have all that much in common. Figure she left right about the time I proved I could handle things around the house without Dad around, and she took off to be with her folk again. She said goodbye and all. I didn't beg her to stay. Didn't encourage her to leave. We didn't talk much. She didn't talk much to Dad either, 'least once I grew up a little and he started educating me. Hell, I hardly know why my parents paired up in the first place."

"I honestly couldn't imagine having both a Pokemon and a human for parents." She ran a paw through her aura feelers. "And I don't know what would go through the head of a human-turned-Pokemon, to, y'know, do the mon with two backs with a regular Pokemon. In my world, for obvious reasons, it's illegal as fuck, and rightly so. Just thinking about it kind of puts a bad taste in my mouth." She spat into the ocean again. "Some part of me wouldn't want to know what he was thinking when he decided to settle."

Brisa scratched behind her ear with a hindpaw. An aggressive ear-kicking gave her a moment to think and catch herself before she got too defensive. Which she still might.

"You wouldn't be the only one, Curio," she said. "Lotta folks were pleased as plusle for him to do his hero work back in the day, only to be a mite unsettled when he had a kid. Reckon it was Ma being 'feral' they took unkindly to, though. Thing is..." Ugh, defending her father felt like swallowing dust. "If he really did have amnesia and no way to get home, was he really so different from a pokémon? He sure talked and acted peculiar, but not so different to anyone else, and it wouldn't be right for him to go the rest of his life on his lonesome."

'Mon with two backs.' Ew. She kindof wished Curio hadn't given her the mental image she was now having. Still...

"I figure he must have loved her. They saved the world together, you know, so there had to be a real bond between 'em. My childhood was even pretty good back when I was real little. He definitely cared about family, in his own weird way. ...So maybe think again about whether sharin' a bed with my mother was the worst decision he ever made."

That was a little harsher than she'd meant it to be. Fuck, make a joke?

"Besides, I take after her in looks, and you saw me as a luxio. She had to be a real looker, am I right?" she laughed nervously, already feeling certain this wouldn't land but not wanting to shove her hindpaw any further into her stupid mouth.

 

[NebulaDreams]

Brisa approximated a lopsided shrug. "Well, 'sides being the same species, Mum and I don't have all that much in common. Figure she left right about the time I proved I could handle things around the house without Dad around, and she took off to be with her folk again. She said goodbye and all. I didn't beg her to stay. Didn't encourage her to leave. We didn't talk much. She didn't talk much to Dad either, 'least once I grew up a little and he started educating me. Hell, I hardly know why my parents paired up in the first place."

"Ah yeah, sounds fair enough. Mind you, my mom was sort of wild too, though after she settled with Dad, and, well, after he left her and she started living in the city, who could tell the difference? And yeah, I dunno what the hell they saw in each other either."

"You wouldn't be the only one, Curio," she said. "Lot of folks were pleased as plusle for him to do his hero work back in the day, only to be a mite unsettled when he had a kid. Reckon it was Mum being 'feral' they took unkindly to, though. Thing is..." Ugh, defending her father felt like swallowing dust. "If he really did have amnesia and no way to get home, was he really so different from a pokémon? He sure talked and acted peculiar, but not so different to anyone else, and it wouldn't be right for him to go the rest of his life on his lonesome."

"To be honest, I hadn't given much thought about the same-species-but-feral thing. Though they sounded like they were more offended by your mom being feral than they were about Dad possibly taking advantage of a feral. Though, whether or not he's any different from a Pokemon..." Curio rubbed her chin. "Let's say you had a sock that had holes in it, like your Dad's memories, and then it gets patched up with more cotton or more memories. Would it still be the same sock, and would he be the same person after starting off from a blank slate?" She shrugged. "Beats me. I don't even wear socks."

"I figure he must have loved her. They saved the world together, you know, so there had to be a real bond between 'em. My childhood was even pretty good back when I was real little. He definitely cared about family, in his own weird way. So maybe think again about whether sharing a bed with my mother was the worst decision he ever made."

"I mean, yeah, it couldn't have been the worst decision he ever made," she said with a smile, trying to recover after that little slip up. "If they never got together, they never would've made you."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Sounds like your world is pretty different from mine," Brisa observed as Curio explained about her own mother and her wildness. "Where I come from 'feral' is just a dirty word the townies use for folks who live the traditional way out in the roughlands. They're just like you and me, just not so hot on buildin' great big guildhalls. But townies don't care for 'em. Or me."

"Let's say you had a sock that had holes in it, like your Dad's memories, and then it gets patched up with more cotton or more memories. Would it still be the same sock, and would he be the same person after starting off from a blank slate?" She shrugged. "Beats me. I don't even wear socks."

"Oh, I know that one!" Brisa chirped. "Pa explained it to me, but he used a ship for the analogy. I... don't really know what I think, though."

"I mean, yeah, it couldn't have been the worst decision he ever made," she said with a smile, trying to recover after that little slip up. "If they never got together, they never would've made you."

Brisa's ears went flat against her head and she looked away, her face suddenly hot. She tried to say thanks and drew a total blank. She wanted to ask what Curio's interest was in her, but she wasn't sure she dared to risk getting an answer she wouldn't like. Maybe she could... ask around it.

"So. Couple dozen other mon in the party, and I reckon a gal like yourself could take your pick of 'em for company. How come you're here with just me?"

And you wanted to show me the beach, and you wanted to be my sparring partner, and you gave me that funny look when you first saw me, Brisa didn't also mention. She had the gnawing feeling that, fluke victory in their sparring match aside, Curio was really just taking pity on her for the discomfort she must have been broadcasting since she first showed her face in Veritas City.

Of course, she was also hoping Curio would talk more about herself, and not about Brisa. At least, not until she stopped blushing.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Sounds like your world is pretty different from mine," Brisa observed as Curio explained about her own mother and her wildness. "Where I come from 'feral' is just a dirty word the townies use for folks who live the traditional way out in the roughlands. They're just like you and me, just not so hot on building great big guildhalls. But townies don't care for 'em. Or me."

"Yeah." Curio ran a paw through her aura sensors. "Over here, there's a difference between wild and feral. Wild just means you aren't in any of the urban areas. Feral means you've been pretty much stuck in the wild for so long with no contact from the outside world that you're basically stuck with an animal mindset."

"So. Couple dozen other mon in the party, and I reckon a gal like yourself could take your pick of 'em for company. How come you're here with just me?"

Well, how did Curio feel about Brisa anyway? Of course, she flattered her earlier, but again, she had only just met her. She guessed she felt close enough to Brisa that she could call her a friend now. Why all this attraction to her at the beginning, though? She might as well be upfront with Brisa about it.

"I know this Luxray back home. Well, I'm not gonna lie, I've known the fucker ever since he was a Shinx, so I grew up along with him. I just saw something in you that reminded me of him, to be honest."

Any more details about their past together, well, she'd save for later when the conversation called for it.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's spark of jealously was immediately extinguished by a gust of curiosity.

"I don't really know any shinx besides Ma. Am I anything much like this fella? What kinda friendship do the two of you have?"

She sat up on her haunches and turned to listen attentively, ears perking.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"I don't really know any shinx besides Mum. Am I anything much like this fella?

"Well, he's a bundle of nerves, alright. He's usually overwhelmed by a lot of stuff, and surprise surprise, he has quite a bit of baggage about his dad just like I have. So I saw some of him in you." Curio just realised what she said. "Sorry, that sounds kinda backhanded, but I like both of you guys. Or girls."

What kind of friendship do the two of you have?"

"It's complicated." She twirled the tuft of fur on her head. "Right now, we've only been seeing each other for a week after about 5 years apart. So it's just like seeing your old chum from school, or, er, I dunno what equivalent you'd have in your world. Back then, we were a lot closer though. We'd lick each others wounds whenever we were going through stuff of our own as kids. I helped him through a lot of shit, and he also helped me in his own way. We even started making stuff together when we got bored." She gave a wistful smile. "He'd write stories and I'd put his words to pictures. Moving pictures." She held out her paws like she was measuring a TV screen. "Imagine 24 photos, if you even have those, sequenced together each second, for five minutes. That's what we made. And making it with him probably made for some of the best moments of my life."

Curio sighed, barely managing to keep those painful memories from leaking out.

"We weren't close-close, though. We tried once, and I just think we're too different to really go any further. He kind of felt the same way. So I guess we made great partners together, but nothing more. Really, meeting him after so long, I'm still trying to put together how I truly feel about us."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa thought for a moment, tracing mnemonic doodles in the dirt with her tail.

"At a speed that high, the images would appear to be continuous," she mused. "I suppose your world's technology would allow you to display 'em in an appropriate way at the required speed... you'd appear to be watchin' movin' people and objects. Incredible."

She looked at Curio again, seeing a creative mind in addition to the person she was starting to know. She found herself wishing she had a comparable talent to speak of, let alone something synergetic with Curio's, as her friend had.

She wasn't sure what to think of Curio's description of this other shinx — or luxray, rather. She supposed it could be a little encouraging, if she looked at it a certain way — Curio evidently liked them both plenty. On the other hand, and more importantly, it seemed like Curio had present troubles of her own, and a person who mattered to her waiting for her return. Just as Brisa did. She opened her mouth to mention Gil, and closed it again immediately. It was getting dark, she realised. They should be heading back.

"Hey," she said, voice soft. "Your friend sounds remarkable. I hope you get back safe to him and work things out; I know I'd sure be glad to have a friendship like yours—"

Her heart dropped as she realised how stupid she was being. Of course. It was like she'd told herself when she'd done the internal calculus to decide whether to sign on to this world-saving business. Don't get close. Don't create attachments that'll hurt to lose when it's over. Don't entertain affection for someone with a whole life you don't know about and someone special you only remind them of...

"—so be sure to keep it if ya can," she finished, a little lamely. "We should be getting back to the Dojo though."

She shook herself vigorously, as much to clear the mixed and confusing emotions she had as to generate a little light from her glowing fur to see by as they returned 'home.'

"Follow me, and let's grab whatever's left of supper before we turn in, I guess," she said, with her usual terseness.

Before she could look round and see Curio's expression at that, she corrected herself.

"Curio. Thanks for tonight. I've not had anyone... be around like this for me, not since I was little. It means... much. So. I'm staying in the 'hidden quarters' back at the Dojo, and... well, it'd be my pleasure if you joined me. If someone's taken the last bunk, I'll toss 'em out for you."

She said it like it was a joke, but she meant it.

 

[NebulaDreams]

Brisa thought for a moment, tracing mnemonic doodles in the dirt with her tail.

"At a speed that high, the images would appear to be continuous," she mused. "I suppose your world's technology would allow you to display them in an appropriate way at the required speed... you would appear to be watching moving people and objects. Incredible."

"Yeah, something like that. I mean, you can take shortcuts and all, but I remember spendin' hours each day just moving bits of clay around so I could capture one or two seconds on film. And yeah, it's great, it's like you're capturin' real life, or fabricating it, at least."

"Hey," she said, voice soft. "Your friend sounds remarkable. I hope you get back safe to him and work things out; I know I'd sure be glad to have a friendship like yours—"

"—so be sure to keep it if ya can," she finished, a little lamely. "We should be getting back to the Dojo though."

Brisa didn't sound as enthusiastic as she did before. When she mentioned getting back to Shine though, it just hammered in the fact that this mission was all temporary.

Curio would eventually have to leave Brisa, and it wouldn't be like moving to a different region, it would be like moving to a different universe entirely. There was no chance they'd be able to see each other again after this. Then again, she met a lot of strangers that came and went before. Brisa was no different. Still, why not enjoy it while it lasted?

"Follow me, and let's grab whatever's left of supper before we turn in, I guess," she said, with her usual terseness.

Before she could look round and see Curio's expression at that, she corrected herself.

"Curio. Thanks for tonight. I've not had anyone... be around like this for me, not since I was little. It means... much. So. I'm staying in the 'hidden quarters' back at the Dojo, and... well, it'd be my pleasure if you joined me. If someone's taken the last bunk, I'll toss 'em out for you."

"You're welcome!" It was a bit of a bittersweet way to end the conversation, but, who was she kidding? "I really enjoyed talkin' with you too." She yawned. "And y'know what, I'm beat, and I'm hungry, so I might as well go back to the dojo with you. And yeah, if someone does take my bunk, by all means, kick their ass."

Getting too close and personal was probably being too forward, so she settled for a wink as she headed back to the hidden quarters with Brisa.