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He indeed ponders it for a moment.
"But I don't like guns. I'd rather have a candy collection contest," he judges. "The winner gets half of the other's stash. Their choice, too. And if more than half of the collection is deemed bad, then the owner of the collection has to make up for it."
On Hitan's part, someone in the gang Solar is going to be wondering where all their candy went. And they are not going to be pleased.
"Really? No."
He doesn't respond.
Wait, what? Then who spoke?
The speaker certainly isn't in sight.
The kinda unnerving thing here is that the voice, while not his, could probably be mistaken for Galaxian's. It's his usual serious tone--quiet, "dampened."
But the thing here is that Echo can see that his mouth didn't move. And even he usually speaks with his mouth moving (unless it's telepathy, of course, but there is a clear difference between that and physically speaking for the most part).
Hmm.
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"Hmm... you have to promise to not be a (censor)ing cheat. If you do then I will have to cut off one of your 'lil fingers for thievery."
Echo thought maybe he was using telepathy. Echo was confused. Well... but it would have been a bit different, right? Maybe that's why it was similar to Galaxian's. But... well, he was growing, right? Or maybe not... Galaxian was weird.
She continued to look him straight in the eyes, which was mainly because it felt almost like a staring contest, but instead of not blinking it was not looking away.
Blank like freshly fallen winter snow. Maybe I should make a painting of him as a gift? I haven't seen him in forever-- Would that be a weird gift?
Echo continued talking aloud, which she didn't mind to do. She kept herself very quiet, though, as to not disturb the other conversation.
"...Uhm, I, uhm, Do you, uh, Do you need anything to maybe make you feel better? You like candy still? I, uh, I have some if you want some candy. Or maybe water? If you want anything, I can get it." Echo smiled. "W-we're friends, so I don't mind getting you stuff."
Echo felt a wave of anxiety hit her. What if Galaxian didn't see her as a friend anymore? Then she made herself look stupid!
Last edited by EchoDraws (1/07/2022 7:23 am)
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Love how these two are ignoring weird, out-of-nowhere voices. Or voice, I suppose.
"Hmm...but "collection" just means what someone has," he points out. "How they got it doesn't matter."
No response, but now Echo's starting to get dizzy.
Hopefully Hitan and Silence can notice it if she faints.
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"Elaborate on what you mean by that. Are you planning to steal?"
"Ah, uhm," Echo put a hand to her forehead, blinking a few times. "Sorry, give me a moment, uhm..." That was weird.
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"No," he refuses cheerfully.
Wow, this visual perspective is distorted. It's like looking into a completely dark room with hazy borders. Normally, borders can't be seen in such a dark room, though. And as mentioned, the perspective is quite distorted.
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"...Okay, but if I find out you stole from someone-" Silence makes a chopping motion with one hand at the other hand.
"Sorry, just a moment please." Her voice strained slightly, confusion setting in. She tried to focus, squinting at Galaxian, trying to ignore what was happening to her vision.
"Sorry, but anyway, uhm, anyway- sorry- uhm-"
Echo managed to keep herself sitting upright.
"Anyway, do your wounds hurt? Or was it one wound?" Echo blinked rapidly, not liking how dark her vision had went. "If it hurts too much then we can pain swap. My nerves don't work, so I, uhm, I wouldn't feel anything. I probably just wouldn't be able to move for a while if it's super extreme, but I don't do much anyway." Echo forced a light, casual laugh.
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She actually--
"You'll make chop suey," he finishes for her, tilting his head and grinning.
He doesn't respond.
"You can stop ignoring me when you're ready," the voice goes, now substantially more cheerful. It actually sounds genuine. "I don't mind."
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"You know what I meant, smart(censor)."
"Ignoring you? I'm not ignoring you..." Echo mumbled. "Are you causing this, Galaxian? I'm sorry, if you wanted me to stop talking then I would have..."
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"Yeah, you'll make chop suey," he re-affirms with a nod. "You barely ever cook. You gotta work on those skills, Silence-san. And Chinese food is good, I think."
"Well, now you aren't. But you aren't ready yet," the voice says.
Galaxian doesn't seem to care.
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"I bet I cook more than you, at least."
Echo tilted her head. "Ready for what?"
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"Yeah, but that's because Tsukiakari-san banned me from the kitchen or something."
"You're not ready yet," the voice repeats. Them not answering the question doesn't seem intentional. Maybe they don't understand.
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"Why? Cause you're (censor)ing terrible at cooking?"
Echo leaned back, lightly resting herself on the wall. The prolonged dizziness made her feel a bit nauseated. She closed her eyes, just for a moment to rest her messed up vision.
"But what am I not ready for? Did I forget something? Is it your birthday?"
Last edited by EchoDraws (1/07/2022 10:21 pm)
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"I don't know," he answers, utterly unbothered by the insult.
"'Birthday'? Oh, that day where most are born, right? No, I don't think it is. I think my birthday is a long time away. But if you're talking about him...well, then, I wouldn't know. I don't know if he has an actual birthday. He doesn't talk about it."
Closing her eyes makes the room of sorts clearer.
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"Probably 'cause you eat everything."
Although the room clearing a bit brings relief, it's short-lived with the dizziness continuing. Echo rubbed her eyes.
"Wait? Him? Who is speaking to me at the moment?"
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"Nuh-uh, I can't eat some things."
But do you still eat them? Yes, yes you do, little guy. Other than things you don't think you'll like.
"How do I answer that?" they answer. "I don't remember if we've met. If we have, I don't remember when, and what I said my name was. I don't even remember what I looked like when we met. So, I cannot emulate that. But I'm not that someone called 'Galaxian.' At least, I don't think I am."
"He doesn't talk this much, right?" they ask. "I like talking. It's straightforward. Even if the listener isn't listening sometimes."
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Silence raised an eyebrow. "Mm-hm, sure."
"Oh, I suppose he doesn't. Not that I can really remember well enough, haha... I'm s-sorry I thought you were Galaxian," Echo muttered, rubbing her knuckles together a bit anxiously. "My name's Echo, if, uhm, if that helps any. I'm not sure if I like t-talking. I-I, uhm, I like, uh, I like being helpful, though."
Echo looked back at Galaxian, making a face. The expression was one of, "You know who this person is?". She didn't expect much of an answer, though. She wasn't even sure if Galaxian could hear Them.
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He looks happy with that.
"Hmm...that's a little troublesome. Why can't you remember, Echo?"
Indeed, Galaxian does not react.
"Oh, and are you looking at him? I can't tell from where I am. But if you are, there's no way he's going to respond to you, so you can just keep talking to me for now. I'll try not to be too boring! I promise."
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"Hmph. You're lucky you're a child. Anyway, when are we going to start this game?"
Echo looked away from Galaxian, back at the ground. She glanced at Galaxian one last time right after, worried still about his wound, but didn't say anything about the matter. It wasn't like Galaxian would answer...
"O-okay... Oh, don't worry about being boring. I don't think I can, uhm, can ever get bored. As long as there's conversation, even a bad one, I-I, uh, I don't mind it like that. I'm more worried, uhm, worried you'll find m-me annoying or boring or s-something."
"...Uhm, anyway, I guess I don't remember because... Well, I can't even remember t-that! Haha... uh, uhmm, well... I guess my, uhm, I guess my memory's bad."
Is that so? It isn't good to lie.
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"Not today." He yawns. It might be feigned. "I can't remember where I put the candy."
Hmm, sus.
"Well, I don't like it when people lie. I heard they don't like it when I lie, either, so...you can just say that you have problems with your memory and can't remember. I can't remember myself, either, see? But I guess the sources are different. Is it because something happened?"
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"You better be (censor)ing lying to me," Silence huffed. "Are you not prepared for your own game?"
Echo brought her knees back up to her chest.
"S-sorry, I-I, uhm, uh, I, uhm... I... Y-yeah, a lot of things happened..."
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(Lol typo)
"You didn't say it'd be today. I didn't say it'd be today." He flings his hands up in the air. "So, it doesn't have to be today! And it's not. Because it's late, and I dunno where my candy is right now."
Silence.
Not the character--the lack of sound. Or, in this case, any response.
They seem to be waiting.
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"Hmph. You acted like it would be tonight, not my fault I misunderstood."
"B-but, uhm, it's better to try n-not, uhm, try not to remember, ya know? 'Cause then I won't get... sad from what happened. I mean, even memories associated with everything that happened... make me sad. I, uhm, I don't really like to be sad... Because crying and stuff."
Echo talks very quietly, even more so than before.
"I-I, uhm, I'm sorry-" Echo shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense, does it?"
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"I didn't say it's your fault," he concedes cheerfully, though in its own way it's kinda like picking a new fight.
"I understand."
They pause before continuing, "Basically, you're blocking traumatic memories, that's all."
Did they need to say it so straightforward like that? Well yes, but also no.
"But I don't think that's good. I think there are stories about people who do that. Blocking is temporary. Those memories will probably circle back later, and by then they might be embellished with the emotions you also put away. It's like...having a full cabinet of clothes on hangars. You can keep stuffing clothes in there for a while, but the bar will eventually break. And if the bar doesn't break, then everything will overflow at some point. It'll probably be worse at that some point."
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"You little (censor)! No need to act that way! And even if you didn't say it was my fault, I'm saying it's definitely your fault!"
"I... I dunno..." Echo shook her head again. "I think I will be different, a... uhm, a stronger bar. Surely there must be ones that don't break, are unable to, uhm, to break. If not, then I will be the first one."
Echo smiled very slightly.
"So p-please don't say I'll break, 'cause then I actually might..."
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"But is it?" he lowkey sings. "It's not! It's not! :D"
There's more silence.
"Well, I really don't want to bring it up," they eventually say. "But I think we both know you aren't that optimistic as you seem from what you say."