I think I could show you the whole thing, sure! Wriothesley gave me a tour of Fontaine a bit ago.
[ it was lovely, feeling the breeze on her face and admiring the buildings... letting the cool water run past her hand as they took the aquabus... all so real, and yet nothing but a space.
it's a little weird to essentially upload a memory. but it's fine. ryoji'll be sent an invite to the library in short order, and when accepted he'll find himself amidst a quiet floor filled shelf to shelf with books, piles of the same in somewhat neat stacks on the floor and tables.
malkuth herself is in a different outfit, one more suited to her job. the air is warm and a little dusty, but it's very... homey, comforting, a place you could lose yourself in. as malkuth is the "roots" of the tree of life, so is her floor closest to humanity; the atmosphere reflects that as a result too.
though ryoji will certainly still be feeling down, malkuth takes a deep breath and smiles. ]
Welcome to The Library! I'm Malkuth, the Patron Librarian of History, and this is my Floor. Here, I collect, sort, and take care of books pertaining to my topic of study, and from them draw a timeline of the City outside's history. This is the bottom floor of the whole building, so it's only up from here!
[ ... after the seemingly practiced introduction, however, malkuth's smile softens more, along with her voice. ]
You're a special Guest, so stay as long as you'd like. I haven't invited anyone else here yet.
[ It's the first time he's had the chance to do something like this, and while many experiences are still so new to him, even he can tell this is truly something special. To step into the memory of another, a different time and place, and even if it's a facsimile, no sooner does he arrive than does the authenticity of it hit him. The light, the dust, the smell of books and aged wood...
Remarkable. So thoroughly spirited away, it takes him a moment to respond, his words sputtering on his lips. ]
It feels so...comforting here. It's hard to describe. Like a hug wrapped around my soul...does that make sense?
[ The word he's looking for is "cozy". It's not quite a smile, but the ghost of one glances his features. ]
Could you should me some of your favorite spaces? Some of your favorite books?
[ comforting... like a hug. malkuth wonders if other guests might see it the same shortly before their blood stains the wood like every other one before them; the color isn't present here, dedicated as she is to keeping every part of her area clean from the shelves to the more open combat hall outside its doors, but
it's nice, to think that it might be comforting to someone. she reaches out to take his hand, leading him through the shelves. ]
My favorite spot here... is a little alcove I made for myself with the books I hadn't put up yet! I know I should get to it sometime, but at this point I'm so used to them being where they are that I feel like I'd lose them if I put them where they're supposed to go.
[ there's a few pillows here too, and while it really is just made for one person as the books tower, step-like to create a curvature at the top, malkuth'll push him to sit within it. it's comfy, cozy, a clear space away from what is a bustling space at times. ]
My favorite books are on one of my coworker's Floor though, up in Literature. Nothing on this Floor would mean much to you.
[ To be fair, Ryoji's understanding of what should be comforting is likely skewed, but he'd find any such space that is so important to someone he cares for cozy. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze in his own, he follows her back to the alcove, a gentle look in his eyes, even if he doesn't quite smile. It looks like the kind of space that someone could while away all sorts of hours...
Following her prompting, he tucks in to sit in the alcove, elbows resting on his knees as he gives it a glance over from the inside. ]
You'd never run out of things to read in here, that's for sure. I think you should keep it like this — it's more special this way. [ There's more of herself in it. ] Why do you think it wouldn't mean much to me?
[ She had a hand in curating it, didn't she? That's pretty meaningful to him already. ]
Because it's dedicated to the history of a place you've never been, that's all. Most people wouldn't find it very interesting to read.
[ not that most people find history in general interesting to read, but that's beside the point. malkuth stands there a moment, unsure where to sit now that she's let him take her usual spot and hand still warm from holding his, before she nudges a stack of books with her foot to make a seat out of.
good enough. sorry, guests. but it's not like they're conscious anyway. ]
And... Literature has more of the people than anything, so every story is different. You get a feel for history after one volume.
[ conflict, gap, conflict, gap. all they write about. while malkuth wants to console him better than just... this, she isn't sure how, so. as long as he's not forcing himself to be fine. then that's good enough for now. ]
[ For better or worse, Ryoji doesn't really understand the concept of forcing himself to be fine. It's not within his candid nature, and he hasn't yet picked up on where or when that would be appropriate. It doesn't even occur to him now...especially now when Malkuth invited him here explicitly to cheer him up.
What would the point be of being something he isn't? But it is...easier, to not think about so much, when he has something, and someone else to poor his attention into. ]
There is a set cyclical nature to the wheel of history... [ They follow that same journey told in the arcana, after all. Stories are all like that. ] Still, I think I would find it at least a little interesting, because you had a hand in curating it.
[ And he'd like to see what of her he can glimpse in the the collection itself. ]
[ her cheeks warm and her gaze turns to the shelves, trying to see if there's a book within reach she might be able to introduce her world to him with. she knows the more general ones are by the entrance; these are more specific, but she still lets her fingers trace the spines as she speaks. ]
Including mine... there's ten total. History, Technological Sciences, Literature, Art, Natural Sciences, Language, Social Sciences, Philosophy, Religion, and General Works.
[ the breadth of humanity, in a single building. ]
So... since there's so much even starting here, if you'd like come and read a few books at a time, I don't mind opening my doors. Since it's at least a little interesting to you. [ because she had a hand in curating it. ] I can't guarantee that they'll all be filled with words, since we don't tend to read outside of our Floors, but I couldn't help but pick up a few here and there to see what they were about.
[ The breadth of the collection isn't lost on him, either — just think of all he could learn about humanity within these walls, how many of his questions could be answered. Yet...would he enjoy learning that way?
He thinks he's learning a lot more just by spending time here with her, than if he were to crack open one of these books. To him, he's interested in reading them even if he doesn't stand to gain much knowledge. Is that strange?
He just wants to experience the things that matter to her. Idly, he picks up one of the nearby books from the stack, and leafs through its pages. ]
I'd like that a lot. Thank you, Malkuth. I wish I had something to offer you in return... [ He could show her Tartarus sometime, but...that would be dangerous more than anything. ] I think...this will help keep my mind busy for awhile.
Your company is enough. [ sincerely, truly. ] I like the time we spend together.
[ he always makes her smile; she wants to manage the same, however smile it might be.
the book he'd chosen is on a smaller conflict between a Syndicate's satellite gang and an Office of Fixers, mercenaries essentially for hire, so enjoy the stiff numbers of deceased and injured, fighting over a patch of District where a Wing had once been. jargon galore. ]
... Can I ask what's on your mind, though? About the person who left.
[ softly, something hard to talk about. even if she hasn't had it happen to her (yet?) she knows it isn't easy; she's had at least one person in her life disappear before, important as she was to everyone. ]
[ His company is enough...he is enough? It's still so unexpected, but he likes to hear it, likes to be worth her time, when he knows just how valuable a currency it is.
Even if she says she needs nothing else, he's more than happy to answer her question, to tell her anything she wants to know. It might help him, too, to talk about Minato more, to make sure he's not the only person here who knows him, remembers him. ]
Mm. He was someone...very dear to me. [ That doesn't even feel like enough to illustrate just how important Minato is to him, but how could words ever hope to cover it? ] I fear what what he has to go do, what he's going to face...is something he won't be able to overcome.
[ Because it's Nyx, and Ryoji knows better than anyone, anyone, just how insurmountable a foe that Nyx, the end of all things, is. ]
It sounds like he's gonna try anyway though, if you're putting it like that. It's hard to know what the future holds when we can't see it.
[ they can ask LILITH, certainly, and she's been tempted
but her impatience embarrasses her; it's like wanting to skip a chapter to see if there's a happy ending. what if there isn't? it pauses her hand every time the thought passes her mind. malkuth has faith in the others to hold out -- she knows they're strong, that they're capable beyond measure, but she still worries. every time she looks at yesod and netzach she worries. ]
[ He is going to try anyway; that had always been Minato's chosen path, no matter how Ryoji had implored him to take his life instead. To give him the chance to live peacefully to the end, rather than full of fear and heartache.
Ryoji's gaze grows distant, as his fingers still against the cover of the book in his lap. ]
...Every part of me insists that he doesn't. To forestall the end that Nyx will bring is...unimaginable to me. It's the outcome I've always known would come to pass, as assured as seeing the future itself, and yet...
[ He pauses, traitorous words hanging from his lips. Does he want the end to come? It doesn't matter. What he wants has never mattered, but he never had a heart to want before. ]
...I can't help but...hope the outcome is different. I don't know that it's possible that it can be, but if anyone could pull it off...it would be him.
[ an inevitable end. but if anyone could divert it, then it would be him. that's more than enough belief for it to happen then. that's more than enough doubt against the "unimaginable". at least, for her it is.
malkuth reaches out to lay her hand on his, squeezing gently. that's the answer she was hoping for. ]
Then he definitely can. Your faith means more than you think, no matter how slim that chance is -- even if it's just one in a million, it's not zero and it's not impossible. Even the unimaginable happens.
[ that's why people use the word. they couldn't imagine it, but someone else could -- and they did it, for better and worse. many things are unimaginable in her world. they happen anyway. as long as someone has the will to see it done, then it happens. ]
It's natural to worry. That's part of being human. It's natural to doubt too, or be scared of what feels insurmountable in your eyes... but plenty of people have "defied the odds" or "escaped death" before. I don't know how he might stop the end of all, but humanity has a way of surprising itself.
[ It could happen, and while he's here...all he can do is hope, isn't it? Hope can be a dangerous thing, for how it breaks down when the inevitable comes to pass, but if there's one thing he'll always wish to do with the human part of his heart, it's believe in Minato. Believe in SEES.
...He can allow himself this. For now. For as long as his faith means something, as Malkuth says. ]
You're right. I don't need to look any further than myself to see that.
[ He is, after all, something impossible. Something that should not be, and yet is. Beneath her hand, his own turns to press their palms together. ]
Even if he can deny fate, I worry...about what it would cost. Maybe I sealed his fate long ago... [ A shake of his head. ] Well. It won't do to get caught up on what-ifs now. Better I treasure the time we spent together, instead.
[ for a being of death, ryoji's hand is warm and firm. he exists as something, someone far more than a concept, than the personification of the end of times. malkuth knows this for certain: he is a person like anyone else despite his circumstances, and she won't forget that nor the feel of their palms together.
her hand shifts to better hold his, squeezing gently. ]
That's right. So tell me about your favorite memories, and I'll keep them safe on this floor too.
[ because she'd like to add ryoji's history to the ones she's curated so far, because he's dear to her and that makes his memories of this person dear as well. ]
[ It means more than he knows how to express, that his memories matter to more than just him. That they matter to her, too, and not only so she can learn about someone that meant the world to Ryoji. It’s so she can learn about him, too.
Maybe in sharing, he can learn about himself more, too. ]
I’d hardly know where to start. I’ve had so many wonderful memories, even in my brief time…whether we were just hanging out after school, or doing homework, or when we took our class trip…I think I could appreciate them all the more, for how brief the time was.
It might sound a little strange, but…I think those everyday, mundane memories are the ones that mean the most.
[ They’re the ones that taught him the most about what it means to be human. ]
It's not strange at all. I think the same, actually-- especially when I was getting to used to being human again, moments like that were and still are indispensable and irreplaceable to me. I'd be upset if I ever lost them.
[ the way she did before, the way march has. ]
I don't think life needs to be full of grand things, or that our memories need to be these momentous occasions that society agrees should be written down. It's why they ask you to "stop and smell the roses", right?
[ to slow down and see that there's small things that make life worthwhile, to take happiness and respite where one can... in her experience, anyway, as someone who's done her fair share of running around without a moment's pause. ]
[ "Stop and smell the roses"...it's not a phrase he's heard before, in his limited experience, but he likes it, the notion that it's most important to stop and take your time, that it's more about the journey, than the destination. The more he thinks about it, the more that feels fitting for him — even if death awaits all living creatures at the end...he's never wanted anyone to rush to greet him. They should enjoy all those precious little moments, all the mundanity that life has to offer.
Now he has that chance for himself, too. It wouldn't do for death to have regrets, after all. ]
What do you think it would be like? If that were the kind of memories that humanity took note of. If history books and travelers' tales were all full of moments spent "stopping to smell the roses"?
[ At the very least, wouldn't it be better if equal value was placed on all kinds of records, momentous or otherwise? ]
[ what would they be like... she leans back, humming thoughtfully. ]
I think on the outside, they'd be boring. Day to day life isn't exciting for most people. But there's bits and pieces... the way someone writes, how they describe something... that speaks to the kind of person they are, and brings color to a black and white page.
[ ... surely she's got one such in here-- malkuth stands, stepping around the shelf briefly before handing him a book titled simply: book of a novice fixer.
inside, most of it is gibberish. in fact, most of the library tends to be until filled out -- pages of nonsense and odd, cryptic lettering until the knowledge that ought to belong there is found. malkuth's is more or less filled out, but there's still plenty yet to learn. among the various pages of what a Fixer is, someone who works for an Office after being granted a licence by the Hana Association, is one that stands out.
[ She says that day-to-day life isn't exciting, but Ryoji would beg to differ — then again, he's something of a unique case himself. Yet even if day-to-day life weren't still new and novel to him, he likes to think that wouldn't change. That he'd still be able to easily appreciate such moments, and learning about them.
So its with great interest that he takes the record that Malkuth offers him, cracking it open and finding a page that he can actually read, and it is just that — nothing special, on the surface, but for how much it can tell him about a person he's never met, how much they care about their sister... ]
It's remarkable. I wish I could meet them... [ A slight chuckle. He'd say that about anyone. ] Thank you for showing this to me. I wonder...if I should start keeping a record like this.
[ He doesn't know who would stand to benefit from it, but even if it's only for himself, he thinks he'd enjoy it. ]
[ without hesitation, without a trace of uncertainty in her smile. ]
Books like these are to me what photographs are to March: they're physical proof of a person's existence, [ more than ryoji would know,
and it occurs to malkuth that he's someone she doesn't want to know the truth, pausing her train of thought as she processes that, and quickly finishes her sentence, ] so they're really, really important to me. I think everyone should keep a record like this, actually. Even if it's nothing more than a few sentences at a time.
[ though she's yet to put it to practice herself. soon. ]
[ Then…if she thinks it would be a worthwhile idea, then that’s really all there is to it. He needs no further convincing, and if she needs a little push herself– ]
Imagine how much richer the world would be if everyone did keep a record like this. Do you keep one, Malkuth? Would you share it with me?
[ He doesn’t really think that might be too invasive of a request, even if everyone’s emotions aren’t quite the open book that his are. Innermost thoughts are the ones most important to share, aren’t they?
That’s assuming she keeps a journal or something like that in the first place. Regardless, he can see the tremendous value in both written and photographic records. Personal records, that so easily illustrate what it means to be human. ]
I have something kind of like that, but it's more of an observation log than a personal one. I use it to keep track of the people I've met, their names, likes, dislikes, birthdays... the sort of attitudes they have, how dangerous they might be, any particular habits I've noticed -- things like that. It's a hold over from an old job of mine, though I wasn't the one who sorted the information.
[ collected and made use of it more than anything. it's still something quite personal though, every name one she won't forget and notations of things important or relevant in her mind that defined the person she was getting to know, and malkuth tilts her head. hmm. ]
I think I could show you it. But I wouldn't show you your page -- that's cheating.
[ Not only is that the sort of thin he'd love to see, it's the sort of thing he'd love a copy of, but then it'd really be cheating, like copying her homework in his efforts to make friends. He tends to remember those sort of things well enough on his own, but the idea of writing it down also lends some permanence to it.
In any event, he brightens, nodding swiftly and rising to his feet as if she's going to take him to read it right this very moment. ]
I'd love to see it, then! Don't worry — I won't try to peek at my own record.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ it was lovely, feeling the breeze on her face and admiring the buildings... letting the cool water run past her hand as they took the aquabus... all so real, and yet nothing but a space.
it's a little weird to essentially upload a memory. but it's fine. ryoji'll be sent an invite to the library in short order, and when accepted he'll find himself amidst a quiet floor filled shelf to shelf with books, piles of the same in somewhat neat stacks on the floor and tables.
malkuth herself is in a different outfit, one more suited to her job. the air is warm and a little dusty, but it's very... homey, comforting, a place you could lose yourself in. as malkuth is the "roots" of the tree of life, so is her floor closest to humanity; the atmosphere reflects that as a result too.
though ryoji will certainly still be feeling down, malkuth takes a deep breath and smiles. ]
Welcome to The Library! I'm Malkuth, the Patron Librarian of History, and this is my Floor. Here, I collect, sort, and take care of books pertaining to my topic of study, and from them draw a timeline of the City outside's history. This is the bottom floor of the whole building, so it's only up from here!
[ ... after the seemingly practiced introduction, however, malkuth's smile softens more, along with her voice. ]
You're a special Guest, so stay as long as you'd like. I haven't invited anyone else here yet.
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Remarkable. So thoroughly spirited away, it takes him a moment to respond, his words sputtering on his lips. ]
It feels so...comforting here. It's hard to describe. Like a hug wrapped around my soul...does that make sense?
[ The word he's looking for is "cozy". It's not quite a smile, but the ghost of one glances his features. ]
Could you should me some of your favorite spaces? Some of your favorite books?
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[ comforting... like a hug. malkuth wonders if other guests might see it the same shortly before their blood stains the wood like every other one before them; the color isn't present here, dedicated as she is to keeping every part of her area clean from the shelves to the more open combat hall outside its doors, but
it's nice, to think that it might be comforting to someone. she reaches out to take his hand, leading him through the shelves. ]
My favorite spot here... is a little alcove I made for myself with the books I hadn't put up yet! I know I should get to it sometime, but at this point I'm so used to them being where they are that I feel like I'd lose them if I put them where they're supposed to go.
[ there's a few pillows here too, and while it really is just made for one person as the books tower, step-like to create a curvature at the top, malkuth'll push him to sit within it. it's comfy, cozy, a clear space away from what is a bustling space at times. ]
My favorite books are on one of my coworker's Floor though, up in Literature. Nothing on this Floor would mean much to you.
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Following her prompting, he tucks in to sit in the alcove, elbows resting on his knees as he gives it a glance over from the inside. ]
You'd never run out of things to read in here, that's for sure. I think you should keep it like this — it's more special this way. [ There's more of herself in it. ] Why do you think it wouldn't mean much to me?
[ She had a hand in curating it, didn't she? That's pretty meaningful to him already. ]
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[ not that most people find history in general interesting to read, but that's beside the point. malkuth stands there a moment, unsure where to sit now that she's let him take her usual spot and hand still warm from holding his, before she nudges a stack of books with her foot to make a seat out of.
good enough. sorry, guests. but it's not like they're conscious anyway. ]
And... Literature has more of the people than anything, so every story is different. You get a feel for history after one volume.
[ conflict, gap, conflict, gap. all they write about. while malkuth wants to console him better than just... this, she isn't sure how, so. as long as he's not forcing himself to be fine. then that's good enough for now. ]
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What would the point be of being something he isn't? But it is...easier, to not think about so much, when he has something, and someone else to poor his attention into. ]
There is a set cyclical nature to the wheel of history... [ They follow that same journey told in the arcana, after all. Stories are all like that. ] Still, I think I would find it at least a little interesting, because you had a hand in curating it.
[ And he'd like to see what of her he can glimpse in the the collection itself. ]
How many floors are in this place, anyway?
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Including mine... there's ten total. History, Technological Sciences, Literature, Art, Natural Sciences, Language, Social Sciences, Philosophy, Religion, and General Works.
[ the breadth of humanity, in a single building. ]
So... since there's so much even starting here, if you'd like come and read a few books at a time, I don't mind opening my doors. Since it's at least a little interesting to you. [ because she had a hand in curating it. ] I can't guarantee that they'll all be filled with words, since we don't tend to read outside of our Floors, but I couldn't help but pick up a few here and there to see what they were about.
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He thinks he's learning a lot more just by spending time here with her, than if he were to crack open one of these books. To him, he's interested in reading them even if he doesn't stand to gain much knowledge. Is that strange?
He just wants to experience the things that matter to her. Idly, he picks up one of the nearby books from the stack, and leafs through its pages. ]
I'd like that a lot. Thank you, Malkuth. I wish I had something to offer you in return... [ He could show her Tartarus sometime, but...that would be dangerous more than anything. ] I think...this will help keep my mind busy for awhile.
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[ he always makes her smile; she wants to manage the same, however smile it might be.
the book he'd chosen is on a smaller conflict between a Syndicate's satellite gang and an Office of Fixers, mercenaries essentially for hire, so enjoy the stiff numbers of deceased and injured, fighting over a patch of District where a Wing had once been. jargon galore. ]
... Can I ask what's on your mind, though? About the person who left.
[ softly, something hard to talk about. even if she hasn't had it happen to her (yet?) she knows it isn't easy; she's had at least one person in her life disappear before, important as she was to everyone. ]
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Even if she says she needs nothing else, he's more than happy to answer her question, to tell her anything she wants to know. It might help him, too, to talk about Minato more, to make sure he's not the only person here who knows him, remembers him. ]
Mm. He was someone...very dear to me. [ That doesn't even feel like enough to illustrate just how important Minato is to him, but how could words ever hope to cover it? ] I fear what what he has to go do, what he's going to face...is something he won't be able to overcome.
[ Because it's Nyx, and Ryoji knows better than anyone, anyone, just how insurmountable a foe that Nyx, the end of all things, is. ]
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[ they can ask LILITH, certainly, and she's been tempted
but her impatience embarrasses her; it's like wanting to skip a chapter to see if there's a happy ending. what if there isn't? it pauses her hand every time the thought passes her mind. malkuth has faith in the others to hold out -- she knows they're strong, that they're capable beyond measure, but she still worries. every time she looks at yesod and netzach she worries. ]
But do you think he has no chance at all?
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Ryoji's gaze grows distant, as his fingers still against the cover of the book in his lap. ]
...Every part of me insists that he doesn't. To forestall the end that Nyx will bring is...unimaginable to me. It's the outcome I've always known would come to pass, as assured as seeing the future itself, and yet...
[ He pauses, traitorous words hanging from his lips. Does he want the end to come? It doesn't matter. What he wants has never mattered, but he never had a heart to want before. ]
...I can't help but...hope the outcome is different. I don't know that it's possible that it can be, but if anyone could pull it off...it would be him.
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malkuth reaches out to lay her hand on his, squeezing gently. that's the answer she was hoping for. ]
Then he definitely can. Your faith means more than you think, no matter how slim that chance is -- even if it's just one in a million, it's not zero and it's not impossible. Even the unimaginable happens.
[ that's why people use the word. they couldn't imagine it, but someone else could -- and they did it, for better and worse. many things are unimaginable in her world. they happen anyway. as long as someone has the will to see it done, then it happens. ]
It's natural to worry. That's part of being human. It's natural to doubt too, or be scared of what feels insurmountable in your eyes... but plenty of people have "defied the odds" or "escaped death" before. I don't know how he might stop the end of all, but humanity has a way of surprising itself.
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...He can allow himself this. For now. For as long as his faith means something, as Malkuth says. ]
You're right. I don't need to look any further than myself to see that.
[ He is, after all, something impossible. Something that should not be, and yet is. Beneath her hand, his own turns to press their palms together. ]
Even if he can deny fate, I worry...about what it would cost. Maybe I sealed his fate long ago... [ A shake of his head. ] Well. It won't do to get caught up on what-ifs now. Better I treasure the time we spent together, instead.
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her hand shifts to better hold his, squeezing gently. ]
That's right. So tell me about your favorite memories, and I'll keep them safe on this floor too.
[ because she'd like to add ryoji's history to the ones she's curated so far, because he's dear to her and that makes his memories of this person dear as well. ]
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Maybe in sharing, he can learn about himself more, too. ]
I’d hardly know where to start. I’ve had so many wonderful memories, even in my brief time…whether we were just hanging out after school, or doing homework, or when we took our class trip…I think I could appreciate them all the more, for how brief the time was.
It might sound a little strange, but…I think those everyday, mundane memories are the ones that mean the most.
[ They’re the ones that taught him the most about what it means to be human. ]
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[ the way she did before, the way march has. ]
I don't think life needs to be full of grand things, or that our memories need to be these momentous occasions that society agrees should be written down. It's why they ask you to "stop and smell the roses", right?
[ to slow down and see that there's small things that make life worthwhile, to take happiness and respite where one can... in her experience, anyway, as someone who's done her fair share of running around without a moment's pause. ]
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Now he has that chance for himself, too. It wouldn't do for death to have regrets, after all. ]
What do you think it would be like? If that were the kind of memories that humanity took note of. If history books and travelers' tales were all full of moments spent "stopping to smell the roses"?
[ At the very least, wouldn't it be better if equal value was placed on all kinds of records, momentous or otherwise? ]
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I think on the outside, they'd be boring. Day to day life isn't exciting for most people. But there's bits and pieces... the way someone writes, how they describe something... that speaks to the kind of person they are, and brings color to a black and white page.
[ ... surely she's got one such in here-- malkuth stands, stepping around the shelf briefly before handing him a book titled simply: book of a novice fixer.
inside, most of it is gibberish. in fact, most of the library tends to be until filled out -- pages of nonsense and odd, cryptic lettering until the knowledge that ought to belong there is found. malkuth's is more or less filled out, but there's still plenty yet to learn. among the various pages of what a Fixer is, someone who works for an Office after being granted a licence by the Hana Association, is one that stands out.
> read finn's page ]
Something more like that, I think.
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So its with great interest that he takes the record that Malkuth offers him, cracking it open and finding a page that he can actually read, and it is just that — nothing special, on the surface, but for how much it can tell him about a person he's never met, how much they care about their sister... ]
It's remarkable. I wish I could meet them... [ A slight chuckle. He'd say that about anyone. ] Thank you for showing this to me. I wonder...if I should start keeping a record like this.
[ He doesn't know who would stand to benefit from it, but even if it's only for himself, he thinks he'd enjoy it. ]
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[ without hesitation, without a trace of uncertainty in her smile. ]
Books like these are to me what photographs are to March: they're physical proof of a person's existence, [ more than ryoji would know,
and it occurs to malkuth that he's someone she doesn't want to know the truth, pausing her train of thought as she processes that, and quickly finishes her sentence, ] so they're really, really important to me. I think everyone should keep a record like this, actually. Even if it's nothing more than a few sentences at a time.
[ though she's yet to put it to practice herself. soon. ]
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Imagine how much richer the world would be if everyone did keep a record like this. Do you keep one, Malkuth? Would you share it with me?
[ He doesn’t really think that might be too invasive of a request, even if everyone’s emotions aren’t quite the open book that his are. Innermost thoughts are the ones most important to share, aren’t they?
That’s assuming she keeps a journal or something like that in the first place. Regardless, he can see the tremendous value in both written and photographic records. Personal records, that so easily illustrate what it means to be human. ]
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I have something kind of like that, but it's more of an observation log than a personal one. I use it to keep track of the people I've met, their names, likes, dislikes, birthdays... the sort of attitudes they have, how dangerous they might be, any particular habits I've noticed -- things like that. It's a hold over from an old job of mine, though I wasn't the one who sorted the information.
[ collected and made use of it more than anything. it's still something quite personal though, every name one she won't forget and notations of things important or relevant in her mind that defined the person she was getting to know, and malkuth tilts her head. hmm. ]
I think I could show you it. But I wouldn't show you your page -- that's cheating.
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In any event, he brightens, nodding swiftly and rising to his feet as if she's going to take him to read it right this very moment. ]
I'd love to see it, then! Don't worry — I won't try to peek at my own record.
[ Even if he is very curious what's on it. ]
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You'll have to drop by my room if you'd like to see it! I don't have the same copy here, it's full of different things I can show you then, too.
[ but maybe she can start showing him the other floors... thoughtful. malkuth'll stand after a moment, sliding her hand down to hold his. ]
But there are still plenty of things I can show you now, like my other layermates' floors. At least that.
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