Alex ✬

[reconnective]

Comments

[reconnective]

Yeah. That's what the leaders told me a while ago, too. [everything elsa said to them didn't come as a surprise, and perhaps that's why his expression is a bit more serious.] But I don't think it's the same monster we saw. It's been eating nova since before we got here. That's the disturbance that was hurting the Realm and the whole reason we're here.

Could just be a different manifestation though. Like a memory of a monster.

[chanteuser]

Like a projection, or some way for it to contact us wherever we were? It definitely knew about our weaknesses, or... what to show us to shake us up. So that suggests it's connected to our memories somehow.

[ hm.... ]

[reconnective]

The way it was explained to me was that there were holes in that memory, and it filed in those holes with memories we had ourselves. Like compensating for what was missing? That's why it seemed kind of strange even though we recognized people and things when we were there.

[chanteuser]

... Which means it has enough access to them to do that. Like the Realm does to take them away.

[ ... concerning? concerning. ]

[reconnective]

If the monster's eating our nova, that's probably part of it, too. It's leaking out of us too fast so it's likely getting lost somewhere and blending in. It's like we're collecting stuff that's already been spilled. No matter how hard we work at it, we're not going to catch all of it at the same time.

[chanteuser]

Like a cracked pot? We can only really patch up what we can, but stopping it's another thing altogether.

[reconnective]

Yeah. Someone else compared it to emptying the water from a sinking boat. We're working against something big.

[chanteuser]

... Yeah, a ship's probably a better metaphor for it. Especially with the scope of everything.

[reconnective]

When a ship starts sinking, usually you get in the lifeboat to row back to shore. So...what if we just haven't found the lifeboat yet? It can't just not exist.

[chanteuser]

... Maybe we've found it and but we don't know how to get it started.

[reconnective]

It's something we can ask the Leaders, at least. Suggest ideas to them and see if anything sticks. Maybe they can confirm if what we've found can do anything for us.

[chanteuser]

That’s a wide net to cast, to try and figure it out. Maybe... asking about weaknesses in the Realm they might have come across?

[reconnective]

Oh that's actually a good idea. If we know that, we can see where we can break through or what we need to reinforce.

[chanteuser]

Assuming they know as well, but... if anyone will, it'll be the leaders. [ they do know more than them, at least. ]

[reconnective]

It's worth a try. [more than anything, at least.]

...I kind of wish it was still easy to share teams. This is gonna make it harder to share information and protect all of them now. But we'll figure out something.

[chanteuser]

Are you able to tell any more people this week? I've been told it's better to prioritise finding your other team mates, than getting a whole load of different people from different teams.

[reconnective]

You think? I guess that makes sense. [but he nods.] I think I can tell one more person this week. Can you?

[chanteuser]

Yup. I haven't discussed it all that much this week. Only two people know overall.

[ ... ] And one person might be able to guess, but I haven't specifically told them.

[reconnective]

Yeah. Not a lot of people know mine either just in case. [he has a few guesses for alex herself, but he doesn't know if guessing counts.]

...even if we're on different teams, we might be able to help each other.

[chanteuser]

Yeah. I trust you not to spread it around or anything.

[ now i'm curious what sora icly thinks she is. ] If you're happy to tell me, I'll tell you.

[reconnective]

I am. You and I teamed up back in that lab, so it just makes sense. [he grins a little.] I feel like you might be with Tiger or Goat. How off am I?

[chanteuser]

[ ... ]



Completely off, actually. Are you either of those teams, then?

[reconnective]

No, but I don't know anybody on either of them. That's kind of why I wondered. Rabbit's my third guess for you. [they're really just gonna go down this list aren't they.]

[chanteuser]

Me neither, come to think of it.

[ oh. ] Yup, third time’s the charm.

[reconnective]

[where are the goats and tigers hiding!!! but he smiles.]

That makes sense. You guys seem like you'd be a good match. They're sweet, aren't they? [alex is a mom-shaped friend which means he trusts her to be very nice to rabbit as rabbit deserves.]