matchbreaker | Recollé IC Inbox

[ . . . ]

Alright, sure, go on and talk.

[Jaeger takes a deep breath and starts. His voice remains just as cheerful as before, but it's obvious that it's forced the longer he goes on.]

One of those strange memories I received involved waking up in an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar man and an unfamiliar bit of metal strapped to my chest. Now normally all of that would be weird enough on its own, but the whole situation was quite traumatic! You see, I shouldn't have been waking up at all, because I was supposed to be dead. It felt wrong to wake up again, you see.

[He's glad she can't see him because even though his voice is steady, his hands are shaking.]

And that strange piece of metal? It turns out that bizarre thing was my... replacement heart!

[That brief pause there was definitely just for effect and not because it's kind of terrifying to think about.]

...Anyway, I think that counts as sharing a difficult memory, ja?

[does it really count if you do it like an asshole]

[ . . . What the hell. He calls her out of the blue and then drops this on her? As it goes on, she shifts her position, getting more comfortable. Mid way through she takes off her sunglasses and closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. She licks her lips and ...

She responds, ]

I'd say so, Jaeger. That sounds terrifying. You knew you were dead, and it's not just some weird medical procedure?

[His left hand settles on the center of his chest like he can feel the strange device there.]

Well, I suppose it was a weird medical procedure, if you call "bringing the dead back to life" a weird medical procedure.

[...Ah, he's slipping.]

But it wasn't all that bad! Really!

[Now if only he could actually sound convincing about that.]

[ Bring back to life...

... Did she do that, she wonders? That Keigo boy had speculated she's a vampire (or well, the past life was) and Silver agreed and she's having some doubts herself... and if that's the case, so she must've, right? ]

Yeah, I'm sure.

[ That came out a little patronizing oops ]

What was that for? I wouldn't bother sharing it if it wasn't that big of a deal!

[He's trying very hard to sound put out but the result is just sort of unsure. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea. He probably should've picked a different square to fill out with Elda.]

[ Sigh. ]

Right, right! Honestly, I don't have anything as heavy as that. But I do think that it's possible I was a vampire.

[. . .]

So between us we have a zombie and a vampire.

[Oh my god give him a moment to laugh. It doesn't exactly sound like a very genuine laugh.]

Well, tell me about that, then! What makes you think you were a vampire?

My eyes are red and basically give me night vision. Basically every memory I've had so far has been at night, save one at dawn. And that one involved a swarm of bats.

[ . . . ]

There are some holes in it though.

[ She somehow sounds more hesitant at that last part ]

A swarm of bats is a pretty compelling argument. But go on, tell me about the holes.

[ . . .

Here's the part she's told no one, but- ]

... I have a - daughter? Maybe a granddaughter, some family, but we're clearly closely related. She looks just like me.

Oh, really? That's...

["Nice" isn't the right word at all, even though it was the first one to come to mind. Elda's got all kinds of problems with family, doesn't she? She has her own, but she doesn't have any daughters.]

Well, that's certainly something. I've never heard of vampires having children. Tell me about her?

[It's phrased as a question because he's not sure Elda's going to want to talk about this girl.]

[ Stop thinking about her, stop thinking about her, you might remember more. Like how Toushiro's remembered that older sister she's never heard of. Like Toushiro's looking into his real parents, if she in some other live had a daughter or a granddaughter who looked so much like her... who was clearly related - by blood...

If that's true-

What sort of a woman is she to think about her, to possibly remember more about her?

Her throat feels warm. Heavy. But she swallows that. The last thing she wants is to cry over the phone to Jaeger of all people. ]

... Karin. Her name's - Karin Maaka. She's beautiful. The spitting image of me, right down her facial features. Hell, age aside we could be twins. Her eyes and hair are slightly darker than mine but...

[Normally this is when he'd tease her and tell her he hopes the girl's personality isn't like her's, but now really isn't the time. He's quiet for a moment, humming a bit as he thinks.]

...She sounds beautiful. Was it a good memory?

[He can easily understand why it wouldn't be one, but he's trying here.]

[ Yes. ]

... I don't really remember anything specific about her. Or any time, that is. I know she's a little shy, a little awkward. Easily embarrassed. Kind.

[ . . . ]

[His voice is surprisingly gentle when he answers.]

She sounds lovely. I hope you remember more about her.

[ She... does too.

And she hates that. She grinds her teeth a little, and... ]

Yeah, I -- [ She gasps. And... ] ... I- ... Huh.

...Elda? Are you okay?

Yes. Yes, I am.

[ Mmmmrrrr ]

A new memory, that's all.

Well? Are you going to share it or are you going to leave me in suspense?

[ Inhale, exhale, and: ]

I rose up out of a coffin.

...Well, I guess you are a vampire!

[oh my god between Elda, the literal vampire, Jaeger the literal zombie, and Wesker, the literal murderer none of us are sane.]

Was that all you remembered?

[ APPARENTLY. ]

An earthquake woke me up, and I found myself thinking as I got up how it'd be too long since I woke up.

So you were asleep for a very long time then...? That definitely sounds like a vampire to me.

It must've been a long while, yeah.

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