Cid and Era were aboard the Enterprise, on their way to pick up some last minute supplies needed for Operation Archon. The Grand Companies were stretched thin and so begged this favor of Cid. He requested Era come along, largely for the company. Some people found her quietness and limited expression unnerving, but having been in a similar, memory-less boat not so very long ago, Cid had never had any issue with her. In fact, he rather enjoyed it, as she was content to let him babble about whatever was on his mind at any given moment, far past the point other people would have grown bored.
“For what?” she asked, turning to look at him as he flew the ship. He took no small amount of pride in the sparkle of awe present in her eyes whenever they flew together, and in the persistent sway of her tail that he had come to learn meant excitement (not that he had been intentionally looking at her posterior, of course, however shapely).
“oh” Era’s eyes darkened a bit, and her tail’s sway ceased. “You really needn’t thank me... I’m happy they’re back, of course, I wanted to help. But it wasn’t exactly intentional... I can’t control my Echo. If anything, I should apologize for prying without permission”.
Cid made a face, as if to say she was silly to think he would be bothered about ‘prying’.
Era looked pensive. “I’ve been meaning to ask, actually... what it’s like...if you’re.. that is to say, if you feel.. are you the same, as you were?”
“You mean to ask, if by remembering my past, whether who I was as Marques has vanished or not? Surely, you would be able to tell if that were the case. Do I seem that much changed?”
“No! Not exactly, I just... well, I don’t know you half as well as you know yourself. So I wanted to hear your thoughts.”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t go that far. Well, I certainly don’t feel all that different. The way I think never differed, though I suppose what naivete and uncertainty I had has since been replaced with the knowledge and experience I regained. But I think,” He said with a smirk, “that you’re not really asking for my benefit, are you? At least not entirely. You want to know if you’ll be different, if your memories return.”
Era nodded, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I suppose that was selfish of me. I just worry... you seem just as you were when we met, albeit less timid, but is that just a coincidence? That your core values, core self, are enhanced by your experiences, rather than repressed by them?”
Her voice lowered to almost a whisper, as if fearful of the vary ideas she was expressing “....Is it not possible that the events of my past could make me someone entirely contrary to who I am now? Would ‘I’ cease to be? The person I am, to die, without any sort of gravestone, no place in the halls of the Twelve, or anywhere for that matter, as my life is still occupied?”
Cid had never seen her so upset, nor heard her talk so much so quickly, taking nary a breath in her effort to express her frustrations.
They were nearing their destination, so he set the ship to rest before answering.
“I suppose it is possible, to be sure. But not for you. I cannot imagine that you could be anyway other than you are. No one possessed of the amount of innate courage and goodness you have could be so changed. And what of the person you used to be? Should she be left to die, as you say?”
He put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. “That isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with the way you are. You cannot help your circumstances, and you certainly have no obligation to change them, but... from personal experience, I think it would be a good thing to recover your memory. You only stand to gain, not lose.”
Era nodded and smiled at this, plainly comforted by Cid’s words. “Then perhaps I will take you up on your offer of help. Whatever have I done to have so good a friend as you, Cid?”
“I should ask you the same. Now stop worrying and help me load these supplies before the Alliance takes the Castrum without us”, he laughed, and they set about their task.
Dia, who's belly do you find squishing against your face more often than usual?
"When I'm expecting it? That usually ends up being Kanan. She likes to bump me with her belly to show how large she's gotten. While I'm pretty certain I'm just having one child, I think she might be expecting three. Maybe even more? She's proud to show off her body, though. She always has been."
"The one that keeps happening and I don't expect too often is Yoshiko's. We need to get that poor girl some help and some steadiness back in her legs. She keeps tripping and bowling me right over. I can't believe how much those people in her streams have corrupted her..."
I've always told my best friends that whoever breaks their heart will get punched in the face... but what if its my guy best friend?? If his heart is breaking am I allowed to punch the girl who did it!?
