@lonk; audio; January 31

[sublimebeast]

Uh. Hi.

I'm sorry to anyone who's had to be around me over the last... I dunno. However long it's been.

I wasn't myself and I know I messed up real bad.

I'm better now.

...I mean, I'm still dead but I'm alone in my own head again or whatever so that's nice.

How is everyone else?

Are you all okay?

[A long pause.]

Right. Yeah.

That's all.

How I do make this thing stop ag--

Comments

[sublimebeast]

Uhm...No, I don't know where that is.

[arsarcanum]

Cool, okay, that's fine! Do you remember the cabins where Aziraphale and, um, Riku live? [ Awkward, but we are going to PUSH THROUGH THIS. ] It's in the same area. Here -

[ And after about ten minutes, Sora will send a second message with an image attached! It's a rough map of the Village area with landmarks and everything! The rec center is circled and has stars around it. ]

[sublimebeast]

Okay.

Second question, how do you it's Wednesday or Friday?

[arsarcanum]

You know, that's a really good question? I don't think anyone knows for sure. I just use the date on the tablet - if you let it go back to rest mode and wake it up again, it'll have the time and date on the same page as the apps.

[sublimebeast]

Huh.

Good to know.

Without the sun I keep losing track. It's all been one very long night to me.

[arsarcanum]

Yeah. I've been a few places where the sun never rises. Or sets. Or, like, stops setting?

[ ... ]

We've gotta make our own time. Little pretend suns to tell us when the day's starting, or when the day's over.

[sublimebeast]

You mean like...I dunno. Lift a torch from the Bonfire over a building in town and bring it down again at night?

[arsarcanum]

Hahahaha! It's a, um. A metaphor! You gotta make a schedule. A pattern! That way it won't matter when the sun's up - when you start going out and seeing your friends, you'll feel like you're forgetting something if you don't go out and do it. That's how the light in your heart works when all the other ones go out! It remembers that it has friends to see, and that makes it so stuff like time doesn't get away from you. Does that make sense?

[sublimebeast]

Uhm...

I think so?

[He decides to interpret all of this as "make yourself a schedule".]

Yeah.

It makes sense.

[arsarcanum]

... Yeah, that made more sense in my head. [ Sora has been living in his head for YEARS. ]

Anyway, don't worry if you can't make it right away! I'll always be around. Just catch me when you're ready!

Uh... Also... Don't let Vanitas get to you? He's just always like that.

[sublimebeast]

You know him?

[arsarcanum]

Ish? It's, uh. A reincarnation thing. He knew him in the past. From what I remember... yeah, he's just like that.

[sublimebeast]

He seemed to know lots of people.......

I wonder why so many of them are here?

[arsarcanum]

Huh? [ This is. Not something he's ever thought of before. Please hold. ]

That's kinda... bizarre. I... guess some people come in groups? Remember Aziraphale? His friend Crowley came with him on the same boat.

[sublimebeast]

That makes sense but you came in my boat.

[He hums.]

Maybe once whatever brings us here pulls from a world it has an easier time just pulling from that world again? I dunno.

[arsarcanum]

Yeah! My friend, the soldier, my other friend Misty, and Crowley and Aziraphale all came on the same boat. The soldier and Misty are from different worlds, and Crowley and Aziraphale, they're from another world! Maybe that means we're gonna see more of Crowley and Aziraphale's friends before we meet anyone the soldier or Misty knows? That's what you're talking about, right?

[sublimebeast]

[An amused laugh.]

Sure. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

....You're handling all of this better than I am, you know.

[arsarcanum]

[ His smile is very clear through the way he speaks. ]

Ya think? Haha. Well, uh, thanks, but most of the time I just don't get things well enough to understand if I'm in trouble or not. I'm one-hundo percent sure that doesn't count.

[ Ignorance is bliss, right? ]

[sublimebeast]

Heh...I'm like that too.

But I mean you've made lots of friends in a short time.

I'm glad.

[arsarcanum]

[ There's a bit of a pause before this next reply. ]

To be honest, I think I got lucky. I mean, I met you on my first day here, right? What are the odds? Meeting a friend I'd like so much this far from home. Must be one in a million.

[sublimebeast]

You're selling yourself short.

It's not just luck, you've got a way with people that makes them feel comfortable around you.

That's a good quality to have.

[Link sounds somewhat wistful. While he always tries his best to be kind, he also tends to keep people at arm's length. In his own experience, when people get to know him, the real him, they freak out a little.]

I mean, I'm hoping everyone stuck here can be friends eventually. If those World Eaters are actually on their way we're gonna have to be a unified front.

...I guess where I'm going with this is uh...

Try not to lose that, okay? The ability to make friends, I mean.

[arsarcanum]

[ Another longish pause, but when Sora returns, his voice is very, verygrateful. ]

Thanks. I mean it. [ A silence here. ] You've got a lot of faith in me. I'll try to live up to that.

In return, maybe keep meeting with me? Or with other people. I think you might beat yourself up a little too much for stuff that isn't your fault? Or maybe it is. I dunno, it feels like a dumb guess. [ He laughs. ] Either way, I wanna keep hanging out with you. Let's keep meeting up!

[sublimebeast]

Of course we can keep meeting up.

I'd like that very much...

[He is unable to keep a slight twinge of sadness from his voice. Does he beat himself up? Maybe he does... But the things he feels guilt for are, he thinks, most certainly his fault.]

[arsarcanum]

Me too. I'll see you soon!

[ No sad vibes here, bud. Sora will wait for as long as it's needed, but he'll definitely make more active attempts to track Link down to make sure he doesn't feel alone with whatever he's carrying with him. He'll wait him out! He's good at that. ]