matchbreaker | Recollé IC Inbox

Hey. Uh, it's Kara. Kara Lee? You helped me out a couple times before, and you asked if I could talk to you about stuff.

Of course! I'm here, and I'll hear out anything you want to say.

[ Her voice is warm and gentle. Which she... wonders if it's a little too much? Nah, it's probably fine. ]

[Kara takes in a deep breath and sighs.]

I remembered it out of nowhere, like everything else. The sky was red, the... sun was also red, but I think it might've always been like that? The ground was shaking and the clouds were spiralling around the sun. We ran into what I'm pretty sure was a hangar and I got into this spaceship, at least I think it was one.

My parents shut the door on me. I mean, I think they were my parents. I thought they were coming with me, but they only had enough supplies for one. The ship went off without them and the last thing I remember... That planet just blew up behind me.

I thought maybe that must've been it. That world-destroying the Retrospec people keep talking about.

[ holy shit, why does some young girl remember something like that? She frowns deeply and her only ... her only thought is that she's thankful the girl seems more alarmed than utterly torn up about the parents. Maybe she's not felt it as strongly at the time.

Mmm. ]

Please don't think I'm picking on you when I ask this detail, but do you think you survived it? Or rather, she did.

I don't remember. The other stuff I've been remembering was just normal... or the superhero school stuff. I don't know what's in order where.

[ Superhero school? That sounds neat but let's remain on topic: ]

You don't think you were any older or younger during any of them? [ Okay, exhale. ] It's a good indicator, honestly. But the whole nature of what Retrospec's been doing - supposedly, the jist is that our souls are dead people's souls and we're coming back. If you survived that planet going up in smoke, then that makes it strange you got to be not-super, right?

Yeah... I mean, they said they saved our souls, right? And that's why we had normal lives up until now.

That's their claim, yes.

[ Elda... keeps choosing her words carefully. She's still not sure how fond she is of swallowing it all. ]

Do you know anything about the cause of the issues with the planet?

I don't, sorry. I didn't think there was anything wrong. But if I didn't die when the... when the rest of the planet did, when other me's family died... then what must have happened after that?

[ . . . ]

Maybe their plan worked? And you ended up somewhere else.

But that means that a whole other world got destroyed, too.

[ . . . It does. She inhales a little. ]

The alternative would be that you - she - either didn't launch properly or died in space close enough that they could find her soul.

[ None of it sounds... mm. ]

Honestly, it could be true either way.

...yeah. That's what I'm worried about. And I shouldn't be, it's a whole other me whose memories I'm barely starting to get back, but it feels real.

No, no, why shouldn't you be worried about it? The idea that you might get a memory of a death like that is horrifying, Kara. Anyone would be scared of that.

[ Or hell, the idea that two worlds died instead of one? that too is overwhelming. ]

I guess so. Thanks. ...I wonder what they were like. Other me's parents, I mean. They must have really cared, but why send me off alone? Was I supposed to go really far away?

[ . . . . ]

I'm speaking only as myself, right now. But if I had a child, and I had the means to save them, even if I couldn't save myself, that choice would be made without hesitation. Especially if everything's going wrong at once, it's easy to act on instinct.

[ For better or for worse. ]

Yeah. Maybe they had somewhere in mind, but didn't have the resources to take everyone when whatever happened happened.

You shouldn't assume things if you can't help it but... that does seem possible.

[ Mmm. ]

I'm sorry you got such a painful memory.

...It's okay. I'm sure other people have worse. Thanks.

[ Albert... ]

Even if they have, there isn't a reason you need to front off your own hardships. It's not okay. It's grotesque that- [ "children have to experience things like this." But she holds her tongue and exhales through her teeth on the other end of the line. ] Well, that anyone needs to experience that or some of the things I've seen or heard about.

If you learn more about those circumstances, or either of learn more about the circumstances Retrospec is working with, would you talk to me again?

[Kara exhales after a while.]

Sure. I'll come right to you if I get any information. Thanks a lot.

Good.

[ . . . Or any other problems but mmm. ]

It's no trouble, I think I've said a dozen times.

Sorry! Seriously, I didn't mean to offend you or anything.

[ She actually softly tuts at that, pausing her initial response to instead say, ]

You haven't, you haven't. I just want you to feel a little less jumpy with me. That's my indulgence!

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