[0] An2l0gy5 ; "graphing board"

[shintsukimi205]

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Hey! This is my first submission to the BBS Writing Thread.

Any sort of criticism, comments, questions (lore-wise or concept-wise) or anything I might have missed reading the rules would be appreciated,

I will disclaim that this excerpt was made for people that have had some knowledge of two other characters of mine (and it was initially formatted for Discord messaging--will be modifying it for the BBS); So before I send it over, I'll provide some background context:

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This story will revolve around [Chōsa Ramaro] and <"Eyrfa Seiðr"> ; Leader and co-leader (or more appropiately, "Evidence Board" and "Graphic Showman") of their friend-composed quintet detective group called Club Invedet.

Chōsa is usually reserved, while Eyfra is much more easygoing in comparison. Eyfra is much more chatty, while Chōsa doesn't really hold much of a conversation on her own. Chōsa is intrigued about the world of detectives, and Eyfra('s family) only really had a piece of history with said world--leaning more into the arts and a little bit of tech-savviness.

They've known each other ever since junior high, with Eyfra ultimately starting the friendship between the two while also lending Chōsa an outlet to exchange and express her own interests; This friendship prompted the creation of Club Invedet, and as of 2052, they are now a freelance group of detectives that prompts other people to call them for their own cases!

Although this takes place in that current time, the following story is Eyfra's recalling of a moment shared between her and Chōsa a year or two ago--when the club was still rooted as a school club and before they graduated.

(hey, @anymany! I think you'd want to see this?)

(Though you might need to hang on for a sec, I'll just format it!)

[shintsukimi205]

:: "graphing board"
:> "do you think we would be friends in every universe?"

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I recall we were the only ones in that room.

Not much happened today, since the final exams were up and we pretty much used the time we had together to prep up for that…

Nevertheless, it was getting late; We couldn’t stay there for too long, especially since we overstayed for a while by now—and the others would have preferred to just rest up instead. Though by “others”, that would have been 2-out-of-5, but hey! No one left behind.

So when everyone else left, I stayed behind to help clean up; When we were done cleaning up, we both decided to settle down for a while; When we were settling down for a while… 

… it was a bit awkward, I guess.

So I tried to liven it up with some small talk. I was usually the one to do that anyway, but I didn’t really see a problem with that; Being the one to usually yap about, with her just listening…

… though I guess I still feel a bit bad about it, even if she made it clear that she preferred to just listen and chime in.

At the very least, when the conversation reminds her of something—or something I said interested her—that would be when she chimes in, so that’s nice at least…

- - - - - -

|| [ … is that really it? ]

I remember her asking; Our conversation sort of had “family history” as a topic, so when I brought up the fact that ‘organizations were involved in my family before, one way or another’’ …

|| < Pretty much! Though I’d… go as far to say that it was only beneficial for one of them. W-without it being remotely technical. > 

She brought up something about her dad having to move around her with her mom so they could live the relatively small and peaceful life they had at this point; 

|| < So you aren’t alone when it comes to your family tussling with those kinds of people before you came around! >

|| [ … Huh. Duly… noted. ]

She already knew a bit about my family before this point; I mean, we were friends for a while now—even before we started this whole “detective club” thing—but only now did I bother to tell her the specifics…

I don’t know why it had to be now of all times, though. I guess it was THAT much dead noise..?

|| < … are.. you, okay?— >

|| [ Yeah, yeah… I am. ]

|| < … eheh, maybe, I.. uh… should have microdosed it. >

|| < …. or did I OVERdose it this time? Uh… >

|| [ Hm… ]

Guess we both didn’t know what to say.

You’d think the whole “finals” thing would have been enough to snap us out of it, but… considering we sort of knew this about each other for a while…? Maybe…?

|| [ … I guess you’re at least… fortunate enough to have had other people help your parents out…? Mine only really had… “truces” and all that, like I said earlier… ]

|| < A-am I kidding?? You didn’t have to deal with the… >

… and then I realized we were both kind of cheering each other up, to our own expenses.

|| < …. Well, we BOTH are fortunate that our parents came out of all that alive. >

I knew that if we tried to one-up each other, it’d make it even more awkward. It wouldn’t be the first time that whole conundrum would show up if that was the case, but I really wasn’t feeling like thinking of another topic out of the blue again…

|| [ .. yeah. Yeah, let’s settle with that.]

She seemed content with that; So was I.

|| [ … besides, we… ]

…——?

|| [ …were given a much more peaceful lives ourself, because of.. that. ]

|| [ So I guess it isn’t really up for debate at this point. ]

|| [ … we should.. just be grateful? ]

… Haha, she’s lately been such a klutz sometimes.

|| < Did I rub off of you…? >

It was a funny thought to think about—endearing, too; I couldn’t help but try and cover that with my hand to my lips. I look at her, and she’s as astonished as I was.

|| [ I-… I think you have.. ]

She fixed her glasses as she said that, then brushed the side of her hair with her hand—looking towards a bit, away from me from the time being. I scooted to her with both hands clamped on my lap—she scooted to me in succession.

|| [ … you said ‘Mama’ used to debate, and… ‘Rama’, used to take part in a few, so.. I thought an analogy like that could resonate with you. ]

|| < And it did. >

I said that, heart-warmed.

At that point, she looked right back at me; Astonished she was, all the same again—fixing her glasses, since they tilted on the bridge of her nose a little bit.

|| [ …hm. ]

|| [ I mention that, and… I wonder if we could ever get our parents to meet one-by-one. ]

|| [ …two-by-two, I mean. ]

|| < What gives you the idea? >

|| [ Well, I don’t know, urm… ]

|| [ … I mean, I was somewhat inspired by how things were with you and Torres before. ]

|| < Oh, Shfranz? What about him? >

|| [ You introduced him to your parents one time, when you two were… ]

|| < … still together? Yeah. >

….—-

|| < Oh! Did you want to do the same? >

|| [ I mean, yeah, but… they already know me, don’t they? ]

|| < Oh, right, I introduced them to you guys… >

I laughed bashfully at myself..! How could I forget?

|| [ I haven’t introduced you to mine yet, but they at least heard of you and the others… ]

|| [ If there’s some chance that I could do the same, then… I’d be happy with that. ]

As she spoke, I scurried around my pockets to get something; I pocketed some lollipops I got the other day, in case I wanted something small and sweet.

My usual go-to’s are strawberry—with strawberry cream coming second, and I was lucky enough to have two of the former and one of the latter left!

|| < Would your parents not mind mine being a little bit older..? I mean, yours are forty and mine are….— hey, you want a pop? >

I, er, sort of cut myself off out of a small pint of embarrassment.

|| [ Oh, sure. ]

Her eyes brightened a bit, but she was still as reserved as ever. She got strawberry, I got strawberry; it’s both of our favorite flavors.

|| [ … and, right, yours are about a decade older. ]

|| < Right. >

We reached an understanding as we unwrapped the lollipops. I suckled on mine first, while—as I did so—she was still unwrapping it. She was doing it pretty slowly though, as she let out a pent-up sigh.

… what was keeping her? Or at least, is something keeping her?

I raised a brow as my attention darted to her… almost, somber expression.

[shintsukimi205]

I would have asked her if anything was wrong, but I pulled out my lollipop a little too late—as she asked me something that still sticks with me a little;

|| [ I saw something that originated from a few decades ago… ]

|| [ It was a question of sorts, that used to be a “trend”. ]

|| < Hm? >

|| [ … “Do you think we would be friends in every universe?” ]

|| < ….—- >

… I didn’t think it’d be that question. 

It felt like a coincidence, since even I—not too long ago—ran into people asking their friends, siblings, and loved ones that. 

To think coincidence would bite me from behind like this…

|| < …hm. >

And I didn’t want to give her an answer she already heard from others, especially since it’s somewhat of a.. “public knowledge” that other universes exist, thanks to some events that have happened a long while ago. I mean a handful of people I’ve seen outside of my family talk about that every now and then, and sometimes I spoil the club with small trips over those sorts of places—when it comes to meet-ups outside of campus hours and work hours...

... hmnh.

|| [ …..? ]

|| < … … … >

|| < … I.. don’t know? >

|| [ Huh?… ]

|| [ What….—- What do you mean you don’t know? ]

I saw the look on her face.

She was... struck?

At that point, much as I'd consider myself a poet or someone who likes literature, I didn't feel like I had anything substantial, or relevant, or... sensible. I'd have to wing it, but what if it came off a wrong way? What if...?-

|| < ... I mean, since there are an endless amount of universes, and considering that not all of them are as similar to the other conceptually speaking, with even drastic and drastic-…er, changes… >

... ... ...

…. we both fell silent.

All we could have done was look at each other after that, as I push up my glasses—pushing up glasses that don’t even exist, making me look stupid for a while, to admit.

|| [ … … … ]

|| < … … … >

…………. I look towards.

All I could have done was look towards.

To the small row of windows neatly opened and placed near the ceiling, to the sky—break of dusk—as it looked back towards our little club room, at the two of us—being more lost than the stars that gradually begun to show themselves...

... ... ... ...

I had an answer.

At that point, I had an answer. A substantial answer, a relevant answer, a... sensible answer.

|| < … I hope we find a way to become friends, in those infinite… universes. >

|| < If some reason we… don’t like each other, I hope we find a way to push that aside. >

|| < If for some reason we don’t even know we exist yet, I… hope we meet. >

|| … ‘’And if we don’t exist, I hope we meet as friends—even as something else.’’

… I would have told her that, if I didn’t wing it as much as I did right away.

…. But eventually, the silence that once filled the air yet again was... filled with the sounds of plastic finally peeling off a lollipop.

|| [ …I’d… like that. ]

It was met with a sense of content. She was content; I was content.

|| < I’d like that too. >

And after that whole thing, we felt just a little bit more closer;

After that whole thing, we decided to suckle on lollipops and bicker about even more littler things, then about the finals…

- - - - - -

I know I’m thinking of... what was pretty much a year or two back.

I mean, We’re still all together! Club Invedet isn’t a school club anymore, and more of a freelance group now! Just like what Shfranz and the rest Goldenbough did once they graduated.

…But every now and then, when I look at her? I can’t help but think back at that question.

Factually speaking, we’re a little bit more closer than back then, and the same goes for the rest of the club; But…

…hmrn…

I know I didn’t want things to go too fast, but… isn’t this already enough waiting? Or have I become impatient…?

I guess that’s something I’ll have to investigate, myself.

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