#khml player

Sigurd's eyes practically bulged from his skull as he saw the state of the Founder's statue. It was a hot summer day in Scala ad Caelum, and the statue had been prepared accordingly by the city's two most eccentric residents. A large blanket was wrapped around its waist like a sarong, two large seashells had been fastened to its chest, and on its lips...was that ice cream!? An inflatable pool sat at the foot of the statue, and on its shoulders sat the culprits themselves, Brain and the amnesiac newcomer Kris.

Brain wore a simple pair of black swimming trunks and his iconic hat. He leaned back, finishing off his ice cream as he gave a casual wave to Sigurd. "Yo, Sigurd! Aren't you hot in that?"

Sigurd let out an exasperated sigh, turning towards the statue's other shoulder as he crossed his arms. Kris wore a light blue one-piece, with sheer pink frills around the legs. Her own ice cream was left forgotten in her hands, as she scooted, flustered, behind the statue's ear. After a moment, she leaned out, pointing a finger accusingly towards Brain, who chuckled as he raised an eyebrow.

"Who, me? Sure, this may have been my idea, but..." He paused, leaning forward and pointing at her with his popsicle stick. "...the ice cream was yours."

like, you mysteriously wash up somewhere, you dont know your name or really have much identity right now. even though you can't clearly remember your past life you dream about, you fundamentally understands that it's not you. You know your existence is strange too, somehow. It's not clear why for a long time but you can just feel something is off. But there's bigger problems to worry about right now (plot of ml probably). Time ticks on and you don't get older. You feel like you do, but the face in the mirror doesn't seem to be changing like those around you are. You can't see her face in those dreams, there's no reflections to check. But something deep knows it's hers, and that doesn't bother you as much as you think it should. You're similar enough anyway. Just not quite the same.

As time continues to pass and you get older but don't you understand a little better. Your heart is fuller now and sometimes, its easier to feel that little piece that isn't you. Eventually you're left with a child and a duty and you both leave to a safe isolated world. He dreams of her too, clearer somehow. He doesn't know her either but he can remember the faces of her friends. You feel a dull ache in her heart when he talks about them.

One day the child will be OK on his own and be ready to leave this island. It'll be time for her to leave too, for both of you. You know the cost, and with the time you've had it's easy to pay. Both of your wills have tethered you to the always strange half-life you've had till now. If there's more of her out there she'll need this part too, if she wants to Be again. But first, you take the long unused key, and delicately pull apart your own heart from the fragment she left you. Poor thing will have enough trouble on her own, she'd doesn't need a whole other lifetimes worth of memories muddying the water too. The imprint your heart has left will still have probably left her with the same faded dreams of your time as you had of hers, but not much to be done about that. Hopefully she'll have friends to help her through it all. Good luck, you wish you could have met.

I should give her a proper name. she's not runa.

other thoughts that didn't make it into this:

1. think it's similar to a nobody situation but they exist even less. she's not aging because not all of her meta/physical body is there. like through some projection or distortion only part of her ended up in ml, the rest continuing into the future where it eventually reforms completely in time for the twins to find her snow white style.

2. I think she gradually considers runa to be a (parasocial kinda) little sibling. We are similar, we come from tbe same place, but distinctly different people.

3. their skills and interests still overlap, ex. runa liked sewing and textile work and ru2 does as well, even though she feels like it's not her own? maybe she takes up another skill or hobby just to Feel Different

original: