corrinesbell | 108. Plain

[She blinks a little, focusing her attention back on her guest.] ... Who I was?

If you were...different.

I... wasn't radically different. Not enough to really be noticed, anyway ...

I don't remember it all exactly right but you sounded like yourself.

[There's something else she wants to say and it almost comes out...but no. Not right now.]

... Yes. I think I was, for the most part, myself. At least... someone I can recognize as being myself, and others also confirmed this. [Which is what makes the double memories worse in a way.]

That's...good though, right?

[Her doubled memories are so different it's easy to pick the familiar ones. Not so easy to think about which ones are more real...but that's not a train of thought for right now.]

How's...Albert and Caesar?

I'm... not certain. [Even now. Even with this distanced perspective she's been struggling to maintain. Two entwined lives? It wasn't as if she was a stranger to duality.

... The thought almost makes her laugh. Duality. But there was always more than that. Always more. And here she was, distracted again. Others had it far worse. She had no right to-]

Hm? ... Ah, they're probably as well as they can be, at this point. It hasn't been a particularly easy week.

...You don't...sound okay. What's wrong?

Hm? It's - not that important. I'm just thinking too much.

[She shakes her head slightly, and checks the kettle. Almost ready. Maybe she should get the cups.]

I think it's more important than you're letting on.

[But it must seem like she plans to drop it there when she gets up to help. She knows where they keep cups.]

[She doesn't say anything until she can tell what the other woman is doing.] You... don't have to do that.

I want to. ...Is that okay?

... Y-yes, of course it is. The water is almost ready, anyway.

[Then she'll set two cups down on the counter, near the kettle. Raine may be too distracted to notice, but she's wearing her longer gloves despite the heat]

[It's not something she'll immediately pick up on. She'll be angry at herself when she realizes that she hasn't exactly asked about Sheena's health. Stupid... distractions.

Right now she's just drumming her fingertips lightly on the countertop, looking at the kettle. Go away double thoughts so that she could have a normal conversation without saying the wrong thing.] Thank you. You should have a seat; I'll bring it over when it's ready.

I think I've had enough time to figure out standing.

[And the table really isn't that far away. Really Raine, you look like you should sit down.]

...What was different? [Just curious.]

[Absently.] Just... some things from my past.

...Well yeah, I think that's true for everybody.

!

... Ah, that's true enough. [Oh and look, the water is ready. She'll just... prepare the tea now.]

[Well. Raine seems to have that handled, so she'll go and sit back down after all.]

[It doesn't take long before she brings the cups over to the table, and finally joins her.

... Now, what was it? One of the most conflicting bits of memory of all, but it would have to be approached carefully. And while they were on that subject- the first thing she should have asked, really.]

... You've... mentioned that the last real memory you had of me was from when I was still recovering from my injury. And ... I know that you were injured as well. Now that you're ... yourself again, are you all right?

I was okay when I came to see you in the barracks.

[Look at that lie. So bold-faced. Maybe we can conceal it better behind blowing on the tea.]

No... you weren't. You shouldn't have left them when you did.

...I wasn't staying there, though. And when I got back home I got in trouble for it, anyway.

I know you weren't staying there. But it might have been better if you did, for the night. ... Even though we technically got kicked out the next day.

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