ic contact;

[coexistent]

"I'm not around, so... leave a message, I guess."

Comments

[immobileyes]

[ ... It's okay, Roxas, you tried. ]

We can stop for now, anyway... if you want. I think I can remember all the steps now.

[ THEY'RE NOT VERY COMPLICATED STEPS, MARY. ]

[coexistent]

It doesn't matter to me. This is for your practice, right? I don't... want to stop you if you want to keep going.

[he really doesn't mind at all. this is fine with him, even if dancing isn't his strong suit at all.]

1/2

[immobileyes]

It's okay. This really did help me a lot, and I don't really need to do it as good as the fairy ta...

[ She trails off though, eyebrows knitting-- before she blinks. ]

[immobileyes]

[ And then suddenly her eyes brighten and she leans forward a bit, having apparently discovered some source of excitement that makes her entire expression glow. ]

Oh!! Roxas, I forgot to tell you, but guess what??

[ Unless he can guess in .3 seconds, though-- ]

I got to meet a real fairy tale person!!

[coexistent]

A... fairy tale person?

[mary, what.]

You mean like... from one of those books?

[immobileyes]

Yeah! Her name is Rapunzel, and she's really pretty, and she has hair that goes on forever, and she said she likes my hair even if it's not as pretty and--

[ Someone's definitely excited. ]

[coexistent]

[whoa... yes, she's definitely excited.]

I didn't even know those people were real... [they really gotta talk about beauty and the beast one of these days, apparently.]

That's pretty cool. There really are all kinds of worlds out there, huh?

[immobileyes]

Yeah... I've never been to any other worlds before this one, but there are queens and fairy tales and they exist...

[ She's still so awed. ]

I wonder if that means that all of the people in those stories actually exist.

[coexistent]

I guess most people haven't been to a lot of worlds...

[that's pretty normal. he'll just casually not mention his Many Worlds situation but, whatever.]

If they all exist somewhere then... are they really stories at all? How do they end up being stories? [this is a very serious question here.] Do you think someone who can go between worlds could tell them, or something like that?

[immobileyes]

You mean like... fairy tales being written by people who have been to different worlds and met them for real?

Or...

[ This is suddenly a serious topic, yes. ]

[coexistent]

Yeah... something like that. I wonder if it could happen.

[immobileyes]

That would be amazing! Can you imagine, getting to actually meet these people and telling their stories? Like the Princess and the Frog, or Beauty and the Beast, or Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella!

[ Getting to meet Rapunzel was amazing enough, but she's getting starry-eyed just imagining anyone else. ]

[coexistent]

I... guess. Maybe if I knew their stories more, but I don't know that much about fairy tales either, aside from what you told me.

[although there is a weird pang of familiarity he can't place. cinderella. had he heard that name before?

...maybe it's because sora knew those stories? but roxas isn't sure.]

[immobileyes]

I could always tell you more. But there are a lot of stories.

[ Even Mary doesn't know all of them. Those she knows, though, she's memorized. ]

[coexistent]

You know a lot of them, don't you? I wouldn't mind hearing them, though. I don't think I know any at all...

[he's so hopeless in that way, after all.]

[immobileyes]

Not at all?

[ That's... kind of sad. ]

Um... if there are any you want to hear, then... I could definitely tell you.

[coexistent]

I don't have any memories from before, so... there wasn't really anyone to tell me them.

[it's kind of sad in a way, but roxas is used to it.]

So you can just tell me the ones you like, Mary.

[immobileyes]

Okay! [ decisively-- ]

Then I'll tell you all the ones I know! Just... not all at once. That way, you'll have the memories for yourself.

[coexistent]

Yeah... we can do that a little at a time.

[he offers a smile... there's something about the fact that mary would do that for him that makes him feel really happy. helping him to make memories that belong to him... memories that aren't with the organization, or shared with sora.

(he really hates that last one a lot.)]

[immobileyes]

[ She remembers what it's like to have lost all of her memories, and Roxas had said he'd had problems with it too, even before he'd said he didn't have any memories of before.

When he'd had a heart, then...

But the Roxas from then isn't the Roxas she knows now, and the Roxas she does know now is the one she wants to give those new memories to.

So Mary steps back, offering up a smile. ]

I can tell you the one about Beauty and the Beast today... that's one of my favorites.

[coexistent]

[one day he'll tell her more about how things were... he'll explain things about being a nobody, and how sora is supposed to be who he was before.

but he's not ready to talk about those parts, because he hasn't completely accepted them yet. he knows it's the truth, but he's just not ready to accept that. and since that day isn't today, he'll just smile back at her and let that stay in the back of his mind where it presently belongs.]

That sounds good... I dunno anything about it, but it's probably pretty good if it's your favorite. [he motions towards the couch... they can at least sit down, right?]

[immobileyes]

[ She nods, moving over to the couch to settle herself down on one end and folding her fingers together in her lap. Will he like it? She's not sure... but at least he'll know the story exists when she's finished. ]

It's a tale about learning to love a monster.

[ So of course the monster herself would be invested in it. ]

[coexistent]

[he's in for a surprise with this story, honestly, but... he's totally unaware of that from the description alone. even if it is... vaguely familiar. but roxas is taking a seat next to her.]

What happens in it? [he's interested. tell him more.]

[immobileyes]

It happens when a merchant goes on a journey and asks his children what they'd like for gifts. While his sons want weapons, his daughters all want pretty dresses and jewelry-- but his youngest daughter, Beauty, who isn't as selfish, just asks for a rose.

[ Mary straightens up a bit, her voice falling into the ease of one who has a story loved and memorized. ]

... Because he met with misfortune, though, the merchant couldn't afford to buy his children anything and had to seek shelter when a bad storm happened on his way home. He came across a castle and begged for shelter... where he found no one there, but a meal and a warm bed had been made ready for him, and he stayed the night there.

In the morning, when he was leaving, he came across a rose garden and found the most beautiful rose to take for his daughter. When he plucked it, though... a terrifying, hideous beast appeared and threatened to kill him for taking advantage of his hospitality by stealing.

The merchant begged for mercy and explained the situation-- and the Beast allowed him to return home, even giving him gifts for his other children, on the condition that the merchant would then come back.

Unhappy, but agreeing, the merchant returned home and gave his children their gifts... but Beauty realized something was wrong and got him to admit the truth. Upon learning, she told her father that this was her responsibility, and went to the castle in his place to stay with the Beast.

[coexistent]

[the whole time she's telling this, he listens pretty intently. it's clear to him that the story must really be a favorite of hers, because mary knows it so well that she seems to recite it back to him so flawlessly.

he'd think she was reading it directly from a book if he couldn't see that she's obviously doing it from memory. he's intrigued by the story though, so when she pauses, he's pretty quick to want more.]

...What happened after that?