altimit | .:Oh shit it's November:.

...Together? This is our seventh.

[ Not to be deeply strange about it by keeping precise count, or anything. Michel should possibly have made more of a show of considering that before he answered. He looks away to hide his blush and gives Ganymede's hand a little squeeze in return.

He's probably fine to be out of the infirmary for short stretches. And besides... he does not intend for a major battle to be his first testing ground for new armor. So a little leisurely trip like this is important, too. ]

Seven times...oh, isn't that a lucky number?

[ Ganymede asks, tacking that on and thinking that something good would come from it, naturally. Nyeh.

Anyway, he sees him looking away and wonders if he embarrassed him somehow because why else would he be looking away? Michel's attentive like that and he has got his tiny mannerisms down. Mostly, anyway.

But hey, yay for efficiency and fun times. He decides to put in the keywords, but before they go, he will stand on his tippy toes to give him a cheek kiss on the one facing towards him. ]

Yes, but...

[ Completion and healing, fulfillment and achievement. But Michel does not trust the integrity of his luck. Just saying that makes him shiver a tiny bit. ]

Saying it before we enter seems like asking for a jinx.

[ He'll just lean into the kiss and then give the keywords Ganymede chose a wary look, comparing them against what he knows. It should be... benign enough. ]

It's just a dungeon run with regular keywords, though. What's the worst that can happen?

[ Now I know it's going to be fine because there ain't no way some crazy nonsense is happening in a dungeon run this close to endgame.

Therefore invoking Murphy's Law here is not going to incur anything wrong on said run!! ]

Besides, I'm actually a pretty lucky person. After all, proof of that is that you're right by my side.

[ Ganymede flashes him a smile as the keywords are inputted, at least one of the keywords is bound to lead them to a 'stormstruck plain', because of "Protected". ]

Okay, there. Are you ready?

[ Ah, wait. Michel's recollections about keywords are catching up to him... he sighs just a little. ]

...Flesh walls. But, at least it isn't a volcanic wasteland.

[ They just don't have to linger inside the dungeon afterwards? Right? A stormstruck plain with flesh walls...

Michel has to hide a little smile and shakes his head. ]

I think we're about to find out whose luck is stronger. But, I'm ready.

Or a frozen one. Those are way too extreme...

[ A small huff escapes Ganymede, but he gives the hand still in his a squeeze, delight in his eyes, and excitement. It is almost reminiscent of their first dungeon together in a way, but not really, when there is no rocky desert.

Right away, the Chaos Gate activates, and they're on their way, arriving swiftly. So far, so good, and he looks at Michel, amused. ]

See? Nothing wrong, it looks like how a normal dungeon should be.

You should start calling me your personal little lucky charm.

Edited 2023-11-24 07:38 (UTC)

Most of my armor is heavy enough that I hardly notice.

[ Although, he doesn't have Ganymede's fragility to cold. The thought brings another smile to his face and he returns that amused look sidelong. ]

Please stop trying to bring bad luck down on us... If we escape this unscathed, then I'll consider it.

[ Out onto the plans they go... Although for Michel's purposes, as unpleasant as it is, it would be convenient if there's a monster here with some kind of charm or enrage effect. Would that be lucky or unlucky? ]

And that's why you turn into a big burnt potato chip once volcanos and fire come into play.

[ Meanwhile Ganymede can kind of tolerate it better than snow and tundra surrounding them... ]

...What's that supposed to mean? I'm not trying to rain bad luck down on us. I'm undeniably a lucky charm! Wait, you said you'd consider it? But, if we do, which we will, wouldn't it be worth more than just consideration?

[ Ganymede, please.

Anyway, at least they can see the flesh dungeon off to the distance once they've made a good deal of headway along the plains. ]

...Why is it that you're always comparing me to food?

[ Ganymede, do you have something you'd like to confess to him? Perhaps he can see why food was so foremost in Ganymede's thoughts during his week as Gorre...

He gives the flesh dungeon a slightly morose look. ]

What kind of luck do you think that counts as?

[ There are more factors than just the physical damage! ]

...I am?

[ Ganymede does not have a latent food kink. He'd know if he did!

Anyway, looking at the flesh dungeon, making a face, and then back at Michel. ]

It counts as not bad luck, still? Even if it looks gross. It could really always be worse! Right?

[ But how can it get worse than this?? ]

[ "He'd know if he did" — smashcut to Ganymede's other dozen heretofore unknown kinks, HMMM. ]

At this point, I have to assume you're doing that on purpose... or that you haven't seen many horror movies.

[ He's struggling to remember what the theater here has, actually. Not that it's very much his genre either.

If they were to get out of here... he wonders if Ganymede would like something like that. And he wonders if he would be the type to cling when he's spooked. Maybe Michel wouldn't mind living that stereotype just once. ]

[ And this is how Yew ensures the end of me soundly. I knew ye well.

At the commentary, he blinks, though. ]

Doing what on purpose?

...Were there horror movies where people went into places where there were flesh dungeons and monsters tried to rip them apart?

[ Ganymede never thought about movies much during captivity or went to the theater much either because he had no interest. Though the way he describes things might also add to putting an additional horrifying spin on them.

Also he would definitely cling very hard to Michel when he gets spooked. So the stereotype will be fulfilled... ]

[ :nyan:!! ]

I haven't... seen any. Although I'm sure there will be, after this.

[ Maybe Michel will change fields! Maybe he'll take up art after all, do a little directing. But now that Ganymede's said that, he's certain there must be. ]

It's a bit like The Thing... [ Only a very little bit. He's not sure he can like that movie anymore, either. ] Monsters are common. But dungeons like this are a different genre.

[ Michel will still resolve himself to plunge into those fleshy walls with just a small sigh. If there aren't squirting starfish, he supposes it's acceptable. ]

They won't stand a chance at all. When I'm dancing with you, they'll drop dead faster than they normally would!

[ Ganymede states this with no fear, to little surprise.

Michel truly becoming an artist...honestly, he would support him in either field. Maybe he can personally 'direct' Ganymede too. Though, there's a snort that escapes him when he says 'The Thing'. ]

There's a movie called 'The Thing'? That sounds so silly! I wouldn't be able to take it seriously. But...what do you mean, different genre?

[ Sadly Ganymede does not recall any musical movies he hasn't seen or he would've mentioned such at the moment. That will be for the future. ]

[ Ganymede's baseless confidence, completely unimpeded by everything that's happened... Although even Michel hopes that ordinary monsters shouldn't pose too much of a threat. ]

It's American. If — I'll watch it with you, someday.

[ And then he'll get to find out about that clinging for himself. He smiles sidelong at Ganymede and tips his head towards the dungeon. ]

This is more of a fantasy setting than horror. If there's overlap, I don't watch enough movies to know it.

[ But he's fairly certain they're usually different forms of camp. ...Probably. ]

[ His confidence levels are...certainly a thing. But with dungeons? He doesn't feel that he's overcompensating at all.

They'll be ground to paste with ease. Though, he does hear the 'if', there for a moment, looking meaningfully at Michel, and giving one of his hands a quick squeeze. ]

American...what is American? Are Americans close to Greece or France? Or German?

[ Ganymede digging through his spliced knowledge of the real world, contained with snippets written down, heard after his memory loss, or whatnot, otherwise he'd have recalled where America is. He certainly never thought about that place in his one memory, anyway.

He is heading along into the dungeon and peeking his head around a corner of a flesh wall when he adds: ]

We should watch 'fantasy' movies too. There's probably a lot of sophisticated ones out there that you'd enjoy.

[ It never gets easier to remember that other people can't recall the world outside at all. But... maybe it's fine that he forgets that, and keeps mentioning things. As little as it means, he can pass on these pieces to other people. ]

Mm... closest to France, of the three. But it's across an ocean from all of them. It's large. Most of the players here are American, I believe. And the movies at the theater.

[ Just going by accents, at least. Michel gives the flesh walls slightly wider berth, giving Ganymede a wry sidelong look. It's good that he's so hard to unsettle. ]

...I wouldn't mind trying them.

[ That seems more to Ganymede's taste, which would be reason enough. Not that Michel knows many himself, but... If they return home, it shouldn't be difficult to find. ]

[ Michel truly doing God's work. Does that mean he's honestly an angel in disguise all along? ]

Maybe the movies would have been more interesting if there were more than just American...

[ Ganymede says this in the way a very ignorant person missing his memories would, hahaha. It's fine. He probably did take one look at the selection and popped out of there too.

The Nurse comes around to check on them, probably to do nurse things around this time. Ganymede asks for more painkillers. ]

You've never seen fantasy movies? Just horror ones?

[ Poor Michel "just an ordinary man" Bollinger... ]

...Perhaps. We could see one anyway...

[ He can't remember what was there, though he doesn't remember any of them being of particular interest. He wonders, with a little pang, if those were what Hien liked. ]

I haven't seen many, at all. Beauty and the Beast...? [ He's thinking of the 1940s one, help. ] My family preferred plays, or opera. And I never had much interest. I watched a few for a friend who liked that sort of thing.

[ Now, normally he really has not had much interest. But surely he can look at the selection more properly with Michel by his side. ]

We could!

[ It might be fun after all. A preview to what they'll be doing after all.

Though, he seems to perk up at the discussion in particular. Beauty...and the Beast? And plays? He doesn't remember seeing them but he thinks he'd like them a lot. ]

A friend? Who was this friend of yours? And what is Beauty and the Beast about?

[ There surely were easier places to talk about movies than a dungeon run... but this is nostalgic, too. They used to be this relaxed on these, didn't they? Back when everything really was a game. ]

She's... I met her on a forum, like the one we have here.

[ That part is easy enough to explain, maybe...? ]

It's an old fairy tale. French, originally. It's about a beautiful young woman whose father is taken prisoner by a monster. She takes his place to save his life, and the monster falls in love with her.

[ The more he thinks about it, the more he suspects it's something Ganymede would like... ]

[ A long time ago in a place far, far away when things were actually normal. Even Ganymede remembers their light-hearted conversations; banal things and worries about first world problems. Like ensuring everyone remembered to have their equipment on. ]

...I think this is the first time you mentioned her.

[ But as for the story... ]

So, basically it's a tale rooted in sacrifice and love? I think we should see this one first when we get out.

I'm already looking forward to it...so, promise you'll take me to see it, okay?

[ Hopefully it has a happy ending and they live happily ever after. ]

[ Michel gives a tiny nod, his gaze turning thoughtful for a moment. There's so much he's avoided saying about his real life — so much that slipped through between his fingers anyway, about his brothers, or... was wrenched from him, like his past. Is it because the years since his escape have been so empty that he had so little to speak of? ]

She's... the one friend I had, before this. I had two, once. One... stopped coming by. It happens all the time, online. [ A pause. ] I picked my handle for her, actually. She used to use "Snow."

[ So... "Winter." Even though she had no interest in these games, hadn't been online for — some time, now. If she'd seen him, she might have recognized him. It's not something he wanted to talk about... but having nearly lost it by not telling anyone before, perhaps it's time to hold these pieces of himself less close to his chest. ]

M-mhm. It's... a saccharine love story. But I think you might like it. We'll go see whatever adaptation of it you like.

[ He thinks Ganymede will like the ending most of all, probably. And the monster's transformation through his love for the beauty... ]

[ Ganymede listens carefully to Michel speak — he isn't a man forthcoming about his past, though knowing what he knows of him now, he has more than enough full context to understand why. ]

Snow and Winter...

Oh, now it all makes sense. I'd wondered a lot about it — why you'd chosen your name in Fragment, and I think I might have asked about it before, too, maybe, but...or, well made a guess. I don't know much about 'online' things, but it sounds just like how normal friendships are — people just come and go without warning.

[ At least, that's how Ganymede sees it. ]

There's a lot of versions of it? It must be popular...I think I'll probably choose whichever one's easiest for us to watch.

[ A sacrifice for a loved one. Followed by a monster's transformation through love for someone close to another...Ganymede will truly be tickled. He might be overcome with emotion too. ]

[ He does remember that. The thought makes him smile again a little, strangely nostalgic considering how recent that was. ]

I thought you were asking about my other handle at the time. From... a different forum. [ The bat jokes... it's too complicated to explain now, with so many memories missing. ] ...It is typical, isn't it? Most people are friends by proximity, or convenience. I wasn't disliked in school. But when I left, I never heard from any of those people again.

[ And honestly, he didn't particularly miss them. None of those names or faces particularly came back to him now, after all those years. He wonders... is it similar for Ganymede? How much had he withdrawn, after those four years? ]

Then, I'll find us the old one. It was beautifully done.

[ And not American, even. Ganymede can enjoy a little variety... and then the two of them can figure out what kind of movies they even like. Perhaps when Ganymede's memories return, he'll have ideas. ]

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pretend you didn't see that huge thread mixup I just made on mobile, wow!!

LMSDKLFJS I SAW NOTHING!!

\o/!

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