rekindleme | 004 - Dwarven Vow number 10: Play hard, play often.

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004 - Dwarven Vow number 10: Play hard, play often.

Who: Lloyd Irving and anyone
Where: The park by the pond in District 4
Summary: Lloyd, that's not how you're supposed to play on the playground equipment.
Warnings: None

Training by yourself was boring. Sure, he understood how important it was to stay in practice and keep himself in shape, but a guy could only hack at imaginary foes for so long, practicing the same footwork and sword maneuvers over and over, before it just got so dull it felt like his mind was glazing over. He very nearly called it quits. It was very tempting to tell himself that he could always come back and practice some more later on.

But then his attention happened to settle on a playground nearby. Swings, slides, seesaws, a jungle gym... Lloyd's eyes lit up with an idea. If training was boring...

...then do something different!

Within a few minutes, people passing by might see a teenage boy with twin swords in hand "practicing his footwork" on top of a jungle gym.

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[There's another moment of staring as it dawns on Lloyd that this guy is serious.]

No. I mean, it's just for playing. You know, having fun? [Surely he's at least familiar with that.] Although... I guess you could say they're practicing their climbing... And balance... and...

[Huh. He's never really looked at a playground like that.]

Sorry, I have never used one of these before. [ He at least seems to realise his knowledge about this is lacking compared to other people's - or at least Lloyd's here - so he'll admit that much. ]

Although they are very helpful in that case. It's important for children to know these sort of things so they won't get hurt as easily.

[Lloyd spends a moment chewing on that thought. Imagining what it would be like if kids didn't play around like that. It's a weird, oddly sobering idea, casting a different kind of importance than he's ever thought to give the equipment.

And Josuke didn't seem to know what a playground was before Lloyd spoke with him...]

So if you didn't play on a playground, what did you do as a kid?

[ ... Ah. He blinks a few times at Lloyd. Not since he doesn't know - or, well, it is because he doesn't know, but he's very well aware of the fact he doesn't know to begin with. Which is exactly what makes this awkward.

But in the end he decides lying won't do him any good in this place, so he lightly shakes his head. ]

I don't know. [ It's a fully honest answer. ]

You don't... know?

[Something stirs uneasily inside of Lloyd. The only reason he can think of why someone wouldn't know what they played on or with as a kid is...

He slides his swords into his sheaths, trying to distract himself from that thought. It doesn't really help. Don't jump to conclusions.

With a small hop, he drops down to the ground. It's kind of awkward talking to someone from above them.]

You don't remember?

[ Josuke shakes his head again. There's no need to hide it when Lloyd himself has it figured out, after all. ]

I don't remember anything from before about a week or so before I got stuck in this place. So my childhood is a mystery to me. [ Although he did find out back home that he probably never had one to begin with, but still.. ]

[Lloyd almost opens his mouth to ask what happened. He only barely catches himself in time. Of course he won't know what happened if he's forgotten everything.]

Damn... I'm sorry. Do you... Do you even know your name?

[Something anxious and leaden settles into his gut. If the guy's lost even his identity...]

No. I don't remember my name, my favourite color, or even why I possessed a sailor's hat from the very start. Everything about myself and my memories from before I woke up that day are a mystery to me.

[ He does look a little troubled as he says it, like it's not easy for him to deal with either. He avoids meeting Lloyd's gaze by looking off to the side. ]

.. "Josuke Higashikata". That is the name the people who took me in gave me, but.. it's not my actual name.

[Lloyd's heart sinks. There it is, the confirmation that it's as bad as he'd feared. All of "Josuke's" memories, gone. Memories are what make a person who they are. If something had stolen everything that Josuke had, then...

It was Colette all over again. At least Josuke still seems aware. That means he still at least his soul, right? Maybe... maybe that means there's still some hope. The thought helps Lloyd's spirits lift.]

How do you know that's not your name? Did someone tell you? Or does it just... feel wrong?

I didn't know my name, and since I told people that, they gave me a name instead. Therefore it can't be my real one. After all, "Higashikata" is the last name of the family who took me in after I was found without my memories, and "Josuke" is the name Yasuho suggested since it was the name of her old dog. [ ... what weird implications that has that she named Josuke after a dog isn't something he mentions. Or probably even thinks of.

He shakes his head. ]

My real name and identity are a mystery to me and apparently to other people back home as well.

Oh.

[Lloyd's hope dimmed. Even so, he didn't want to completely give up. He offered his next words tentatively.]

They might still be there. I mean, your memories. I have a friend who... It's kind of complicated, but she lost hers for a while. Not for good. It just took us a while to help her get them back.

[A pause, then a slightly incredulous look.]

They named you after a dog?

[ He nods a little at first. He's hoping to recover them too - or rather, since it seems like he might just not have memories to begin with, to at least find out who he is. But the last part is a question, so he knows he should reply to that first.. ]

.. Yasuho did. She said I reminded her of him. [ Said like it's totally normal. ]

[The doubtful look on Lloyd's face says it doesn't sound normal to him.]

Is Yasuho your friend?

[The guy doesn't sound like he's talking about an enemy or a bully who might poke fun by giving him a weird name.]

Yes. [ He thinks he can call her a friend by now, at least. Although Madoka called it romantic and destiny, but he's just.. never sure how to divide those kind of feelings. So instead of just agreeing with the "friend" statement, he decides to provide his explanation-- ]

Yasuho is the most important person to me.

[ .. Apparently said explanation only makes it sound more confusing. But still. ]

[It probably did convey the wrong impression, but it succeeds at least in getting the point across to Lloyd. Yasuho is someone he cares about, and if that's the case, then the name she'd given him probably wasn't meant to make fun. Maybe it was just a name she liked. Either way, the explanation is good enough for Lloyd.]

It sounds like she's nice. Is she here?

You haven't met her yet?

[ He just assumes people have met her before they meet him since she's more.. social and normal. In basically every way. Yeah. ]

She's a girl with pink hair in pigtails. Yasuho is the only other person from my world who is here, but I'm glad she's here with me. This way I can protect her.

[Lloyd shakes his head.]

The only girl like that I know is Presea, but I'm pretty sure she isn't here.

[Not unless he's missed spotting her all the times he's gone out with an eye peeled for any sign of anyone who might be from his world.

Just to be sure, though... He gestures to a height somewhere around his chest.]

She's about this tall, and she's got blue eyes.

[ At least he's listening to the boy's explanation, and for a moment he almost is ready to tell him that this Presea girl is actually here except her name is Madoka.. but then Lloyd mentions blue eyes and Josuke is pretty sure Madoka's are red. Well, guess it's not her after all. ]

.. There sure are a lot of people with that shade of hair, apparently. Or maybe this place likes them. In that case you should expect to see this "Presea" soon.

Not that many people. Two's not all that much. [Although... Something niggles at the back of his memory, making him frown and scratch his head. Didn't he meet someone else with pink hair? It's been a couple of months, so the memory's not that fresh.] Maybe three? You think that's really something this place cares about? I thought it just wanted us to hug.

[ He thinks two or three is already a lot.

Granted, he hasn't met a whole lot of people both here and back home... ]

Maybe they think people with pink hair are more inclined to hug. Both Yasuho and Madoka seem like they would be the type to do since they are both very friendly. [ .. not like he knows what Presea is like though. ]

[Lloyd frowns, rubbing the back of his head.]

I dunno. Presea doesn't seem like she likes to hug people much...

[Although... Maybe that's why she's not in this world. On the other hand, that theory doesn't make sense with who is in this world already.]

But there are people here I know don't like hugs. It's got to be something else.

[That name, though...]

Madoka?

She's one of the people here. A very kind girl with pink hair. [ Who offered to help him with all sorts of things since he.. well, obviously completely lacks social knowledge in a lot of areas. ]

Have you met her before?

[He rubs his chin, trying to think back.]

I think so. I'm pretty sure I talked to someone with pink hair a little while back, and her name sounds pretty familiar. She was... about this tall, right?

[He gestures with his hand to a height that's pretty close to Madoka's height. He remembers she was short compared to him.]

If that's who I'm thinking of, she was pretty nice.

Yes, that looks about right. She is 152 cm tall. [ .. don't ask how he knows, it's probably for the best.. ] I only met her in this plae, but she explained quite a few things to me and was very helpful despite being fairly young.

I am glad to hear though that she has met more people here. I suppose she makes friends easily.

[...yeah, he's not going to ask. Just marvel a little that this guy knows someone's exactly height just like that.]

Most of the people I've met here have been pretty nice. [Even the grumpier people, like Yuan, were at least tolerable enough.] But I guess if you needed people to hug each other so you could save your world, you'd want to pick nice people to help. I don't think anyone would have a hard time making friends here, if they tried.

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