a thing

[heroinhisowntime]

[In the tradition of Aather games, the setting is a stone room with no windows... or doors. There is a simple table with two chairs set with some basic food - meats, cheeses, fruit, etc. There is also a piece of paper on the table with instructions, but it just reads Take this chance how you will.

There is nothing else in the room except for its two inhabitants, who both appear in it suddenly.]

Comments

[verypointed]

We were partners for two years.

[heroinhisowntime]

Were?

[verypointed]

You... we retired. Because you wanted to spend more time with your daughter. That and your powers were declining.

[heroinhisowntime]

Declining?

[verypointed]

Losing time. Originally, our powers can hold for 5 minutes, but...

[heroinhisowntime]

...I thought that was just a thing with the way powers are limited here.

[verypointed]

If it's any consolation... I'm pretty sure you had made your peace with it then.

[heroinhisowntime]

[That seems... hard to believe but I said I would trust you]

...H-Hmm... and what about you?

[verypointed]

What about me?

[heroinhisowntime]

You're still young, and you've got all your power... Why did you retire?

[verypointed]

A number of reasons. I needed to think about a lot of things. And...

[Sighs]

I didn't want to be a hero in Sternbild without you.

[heroinhisowntime]

...A-Ah.

Sorry.

[verypointed]

Yeah.

[Awkward silence.]

[heroinhisowntime]

...You know, I may not remember much, and in what I do remember you're kind of a jerk... but I have missed you.

[verypointed]

Yeah, me too.

... what do you remember about me?

[heroinhisowntime]

...I remember working with you as partners, and giving you a birthday present. Like I said, I remember fighting Lunatic, so I remember you talking about how Ouroboros killed your parents, and... finding out he wasn't connected with them, when we were at the Hero Academy.

[touches his shoulder absently]

[verypointed]

... those are really early memories of our partnership.

[heroinhisowntime]

Sorry. Like I said, I think the latest I remember is the Jake thing. I guess that all turned out alright, then.

[verypointed]

We took care of it.

What exactly do you do here?

[heroinhisowntime]

It's... kind of hard to explain, because this place is weird. And magical. But the people here are in fourteen teams, and then there are a bunch of knights working individually. I'm a knight, so I help people.

[verypointed]

And to get your memories back?

[heroinhisowntime]

We all play games to win our memories and skills back. There are all different kinds... some of them are stuff like making pie for other people. Or there was one where you could only talk in questions.

...Or you can get locked in a room until you make some a hard decisions. Knights help out the teams that don't have enough people, a lot of the time... but not always.

[verypointed]

And how many do you play until you get all your memories back?

[heroinhisowntime]

Uh... I think it probably depends? I met some people who'd gotten all their memories back... it took them a few months.

[verypointed]

Well, I didn't think you'd be spending your retirement in this kind of place. So you better hurry back.