AUDIENCE: XIE LIAN

[retellers]

Comments

[dianxias]

[ he absolutely waits around for a while. in fact, at one point, he even attempts his spiritual communication array. hello? ling wen? goat???

however!!! his efforts are not entirely fruitless, because there is a goat. the appearing has him shifting back, a bit surprised by the sudden entrance, and he bobbles his tomato present. ] Ah!

Oh. [ hey wait. ] Oh!! Hello, you must be ...Goat, right? It worked, you heard my prayer...

[retellers]

[ somewhere in the back of goat's mind, they think maybe they should stop doing that because everyone? seems surprised? but then they immediately forget this. ]

That is correct. You called for me.

[dianxias]

[ it's fine.

it does really feel like answering prayers... it must be nice to able to just appear when people call out for you. not that that's really ever stopped xie lian. ]

I did! Here, this is for you. [ he immediately offers forth this tomato. ] Have you ever had one of these? They're quite delicious! [ it's a tomato. ]

[retellers]

[ they nod. ]

It's a tomato, right? I'll accept it with gratitude.

[ it's a tomato

but they take it! ]

[dianxias]

Good, good! [ cute! okay. he gives a bow, fist to his hand, and then! xie lian seems pleased, folding his hands into his sleeves. ]

I hope you don't mind, or that I'm not taking your time away from anything that's particularly important. I wanted to have a moment to meet you, and... I do have a few questions, but I think it's important to start off on the right foot, as well.

[retellers]

This is for me to eat, correct...?

[ just in case xie lian, like, wanted goat to do something else with the tomato. ]

I am here for whatever you need. You do not need to hold back.

[dianxias]

Yes! It's a vegetable. I think? Oh, or, maybe it's a fruit...

[ ...


something to think about later. ] Um, anyway.

It may seem a bit silly, perhaps, but... why are we on these "teams", anyway? I understand there was something about a wish...?

[retellers]

I believe humans have classified it as both.

[ tomatoes are confusing. ]

This world is unstable, as it was not originally meant to house people. So, each of you is connected to one of us--to divide the burden--as our presence helps to delay the loss of your memories.

... And then, I suppose that since you were already divided among us, so to speak, the Realm may have decided that a competition would incentivize you more to gather nova... in case there are those who would not want to protect their worlds.

[dianxias]

[ humans, huh. ]

Are you not human yourself? Ah - or, well, can you remember?

[retellers]

I don't recall exactly what I am, but I know I am not human.

[ they take a bite of the tomato, and this is where i should've mention that if xie lian is looking closely, where one would normally have molars, goat has rows of fangs in the back of their mouth. ]

[dianxias]

[ whoa... he's absolutely peering, yeah. is it a whole lot of fangs? how many teeth do you have, goat...

...it's rude to stare, xie lian. anyway. ] Well, I guess that makes two of us... I'm glad that you can remember some things, though, that's certainly better than nothing!! [ optimism!! ]

[retellers]

[ it's. a normal amount of fangs. whatever that means but they don't, like, have more teeth than the average being probably.

though goat doesn't seem to mind the staring. ]

What are you, then?

[dianxias]

Oh, just a scrap collector!

[retellers]

I see.

[ they nod. seems reasonable? ]

What do you do with what you collect?

[dianxias]

[ i would die for you, goat. ]

Well, recycle it, mostly. People throw away things that shouldn't really be thrown away... There's always a use for anything, if you just look hard enough. That, and things can be repurposed and sold, or used to their full extent. If there ends up being anything of the sort here, I'd be more than happy to take care of it, too!

[ can we get a recycling bin ]

[retellers]

[ does xie lian want to ask for a bin ]

That is wise. Many people take what they have for granted, but those with less may find value in what others consider unnecessary garbage.

[dianxias]

[ he unfortunately doesn't know what a recycling bin is!!!! ]

Exactly. [ xie lian seems especially pleased with this answer, nodding. ] It is a skill that has helped me in my own times of need. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as they say!

[ captain planet, here. ] ...In terms of taking things for granted, I suppose memories can fall into that too.

[retellers]

... Yes. Whether it be objects, people, or memories, there are things dear enough to you that you believe they will always be there, until you lose them.

[dianxias]

[ a more solemn topic than recycling, but. he feels a small rush of empathy towards it, familiarity in a stirring concept. loss, forgetting... ]

...that does beg the question I thought of the most, when all of this started yesterday. Let's say that perhaps tomorrow, I forget that I gave you that tomato. [ he gestures at it. ] Would you also forget that I gave it to you? Or would you hold that memory despite the fact it vanished from my sight?

[retellers]

I believe I would still remember. [ a pause, before they think. ] ... I suppose there's a possibility I might simply forget regardless, but it wouldn't be related to your loss.

[dianxias]

...So in a sense, even if we lose something, it's not necessarily lost forever.

[ xie lian smiles a little. ] There's no way of knowing what we'll lose, either. Is there? No rhyme or reason?

[retellers]

If we properly gather the nova, you should be able to regain what you've lost, as well.

[ they shake their head. ]

I know of no pattern.

[dianxias]

Right, right. [ yes, important. ] That's rather heartening, too.

Have you all learned how we will gather the nova, yet? I'm sure everyone is quite eager to get started.

[retellers]

Not yet. We can feel that something will happen within the next few days, so we may learn more then.

[dianxias]

Another few days to be patient, it seems...

[ all of this hurry up and waiting. that's fine... xie lian gives them a small, sympathetic smile. ]

It seems you all have been quite busy in preparing for this. Is it true that you all gave up parts of yourselves first, to help us?