[closed] It's a mighty zombie talking of some love and posterity

[ssmisery]

Who: Lapis and Peridot
Where: Their room and beyond
When: 8/9, i.e. after the event
Rating: Still can't imagine why this would go over PG
Summary: Just the barn girls hanging out.
The Story:

Lapis, as usual, wakes slowly. In this case, sleeping through the end of the event was all but guaranteed since everyone was human last night. And waking slowly would be a good idea even if she usually didn't, since it's kind of a process when you're a different person today than yesterday.

It's a lot like remembering a dream. Just more of it, more detailed, more coherent, more vivid. The remnants of it twist inside her like foreign objects lodged within the hard light, though she's not inclined to any existential crises. Having been altered a few times by Wonderland, it's always startling afterwards to find how much she prefers being herself; it so rarely seems like a good thing.

Peridot is still asleep, which can't possibly last long. She's less known for waking slowly and more likely to launch without pause into hysterics, at least in Lapis's estimation. Lapis watches her briefly. Then she takes a moment to locate Claude -- where does he go during these things, anyway, did he have a zombieworld kitten backstory -- and give him a greeting face scratch. Then she jumps out the window and goes for a fly. It's easier to think, alone in endless empty sky, and sort everything out and pick an answer.

Still, it doesn't take too long for her to hop back in. How's the hysterics?

Comments

[ssmisery]

Waterdot paces in a circle around Peridot, contemplative -- like it's the one appraising her construction. At the end, it mimics her chin tap, and then speaks. The voice is Lapis's, but certainly seems to be coming from the construct; if one were looking closely, one might see her own lips silently moving along. But who would be looking at her right now?

"Other than that word, I don't think you've forgotten anything I know about," she says. Which is Lapis-style, in that it has nothing to do with what she's responding to or the current activity. Or maybe it does in the sense that memory has everything to do with everything. In truth, this is an application of that side of her powers as much as the crushy-water-hand side, isn't it? That's also sort of in her jurisdiction.

[slapfight]

Peridot, at first seems a little wary at being mimicked by a construct, but then she grows to appreciate Lapis's own interpretation of 'Peri-phrasing' as Amethyst calls it, and her giggles of nasally delight increase twofold.

"This is great!" She slaps her knee. "Oh Lapis, is there anything we can't do?"

Besides escape Wonderland. Not a thought she wants to linger on for long, though the realization does cross her face briefly.

[ssmisery]

In response, Waterdot crosses its arms and attempts to look affronted -- the body language lapsing back towards Lapis, which must look strange if there were any outside observers to really appreciate it.

"Never mind," she says, "you forgot how to not ignore what I say."

This is a healthy level of annoyance that's perfectly acceptable between friends, and Lapis is bluntly snippy about it both because she knows not to be subtle with Peridot, and because she knows it's okay. Being disregarded by Peridot is not something she much cares for after all they've been through, though. She was trying to make a point, man, don't make her have to take away the fun distracting display.

[slapfight]

Peridot immediately stops laughing, though she doesn't look horrified by her bluntness as she usually does when she realizes she's pushed too hard on someone's patience. For all that she's adapted and learned to not make people feel bad, there's still a long way for her to go, and she doesn't always get what she's done.

"What? What did I say?!" It was more like what she didn't say, which is an entirely different animal. It's a lot harder to look back on a conversation and see the point where it went wrong when it's all there in the subtext. "I was complimenting you!"

[ssmisery]

"I'm talking about your memories," Lapis's pile of water says slowly, in that 'I'm affecting patience to show how impatient I am' tone. Fortunately, she's less interested in castigating Peridot than in getting on track, which is one of the benefits of being a person Lapis actually likes.

Waterdot points to Realidot, briefly poking her nose. It remains unclear whether trying to have a serious conversation through the medium of waterclone was ever a good idea, but Lapis can be a bit ridiculous herself and she's running with it. "You've been here longer, so it would get to you first."

[slapfight]

She's confounded for a moment, and then slowly, the dawning realization finally strikes her, and she strikes herself for her stupidity, palm flat against her forehead.

"Right! That's right. Ugh. I don't think I've even done anything that would erase my memories, anyway- there are very specific parameters for how that happens. And that was my first event, so... For now, I should be all right." She doesn't sound certain of it, but reminding herself (and Lapis) that for all their listing off of memories Wonderland can take, it isn't something that just happens. "And if it's mainly just events... Maybe if you stay here long enough, you have so many events and lose so many words that you can't remember anything at all."

[ssmisery]

Specific parameters, eh. That's not something Lapis has heard, and quietly she has her doubts. But, then, she was the one making the point that Peridot hasn't forgotten anything major yet, so she's not inclined to debate the details.

Waterdot rubs its chin. What would it even be like to forget all the words for everything? Would you forget how to really think, then? Like being unconscious, dreaming out impulses with no ability to process them first? But memories are far, far more than words. If that was all it was, you still wouldn't be forgetting the really important parts.

"And now you're going to remember this," she says, a little smug again. It's still part of the point, trust her. "I'm pretty sure I knocked your shirts off. So there's one more it has to get through."

[slapfight]

The thought that there might be something she's forgotten that even Lapis doesn't know about does occur to her, but she's pretty sure she's told Lapis of nearly every minute detail that seemed important to talk about.

But they'll figure this out somehow. "That might be the answer we need." She raises a hand for the Waterdot to... awkwardly slap her five. "We'll just make so many ridiculous memories that it would be impossible to forget and hope Wonderland just gets tired."

It's a nice thought. Not entirely feasible, but... Nice.

[ssmisery]

As if by rote, Waterdot completes the high five, mainly because it's just wrong to leave a bro hanging. Its hand is wet and squishy, and it holds it there, palm against palm, still more pensive than victorious.

"It doesn't make sense," it says. "We're already making memories faster than we're losing them. If it just wants to steal everything we knew before we came here..." Lapis wasn't here for Ewaymas, with its visions of that sort of amnesia, and has only heard passing allusions to it, but something like that seems to fit more. It might be a more interesting topic next time it comes up.

"...Then we'll decide what to remember." Lapis's voice from the water is strong and stubborn, but the silhouette begins to melt away against Peridot's hand. Memories are something they make, which means they get a say in what's in them. If Wonderland takes her memories, Lapis knows she won't know to hate it as much as she does, but so help her she intends to hold on to the hate itself anyway. That's exactly the sort of thing she's good at.

Waterdot becomes a puddle on the floor, making the last flourish of a little good-bye wave on its way down. Lapis, who has been hunching over even more in her concentration, slumps with the release of tension.