♨ 1 Apple Pie + Eighteen Apples and Cinnamon | Action/Voice ♨

[installing]

[Back dated to the 11th.

Four. Four birthdays in Luceti. Honestly none of them have ever been very exciting, but maybe it's better that way. Calling attention to age, especially now that she's 20, is a little of a scary thought. Instead she'll act like it's a normal day for most of it. Taking her dog for a walk in the late morning, spending time in the smithy, and even grocery shopping a bit. Eventually sometime in the afternoon, before dinner, she'll ask the village a question:]

A question for everyone: How do you feel about growing older here? Whether you already have or not. Is it scary to think about?
[Families? Relationships? Are they even a good idea? Despite the fact those are things she wants.]

Comments

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

Yeah? Ever think about what it would be like to be an adult here, Aang?

[Even though technically she already is, she wants to hear his take on it.]

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

Not a lot. I mean... I kind of was, once, during one of those weird experiments, but I don't remember it at all. When I try to think about it... I guess I'm kind of afraid, that I could grow into someone else. And lose who I am.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

Growing into an adult is something you can't avoid anywhere. I'm not afraid of becoming "Not Me." My past will always be the same. I'm always me. I'm just afraid of growing old and being too afraid to really "live" here.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

I know what you mean by that. [And about always being one's self. But the fear still persists.] The way this place is... it's so restrictive. I'm used to having the whole world to explore. Not to mention that... that anyone here can be gone back home at any moment.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

Yeah, I guess one village is nothing compared to a whole world.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

Definitely not. That last experiment was refreshing in how it brought different places here. But it also reminded me of everything I miss about traveling the world and seeing different places like those. I haven't really been in one place for this long. It's weird. At least it's good to still be with my friends. But... You're thinking of different things you can't do here, aren't you.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

More like... things I shouldn't do here.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

[He can't help but remember one of the messages that he found on the tunnel wall. "Don't have kids. If only we'd known why before." It was one that definitely stuck with him.]

Like... having a family?

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

...How'd you know?

[A family is one of the reasons she broke up with Haruhi, but thinking about having a family here - now that it may be possible - is a little scary.]

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

I - I didn't really know for sure. I'm sorry. I was just guessing, because it... it just made sense as one specific thing people'd be better off not doing. And... one of the messages I saw in that hidden tunnel was saying people shouldn't have kids here.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

Yeah... it's just something I've thought about since I was young.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

I never thought about that kind of stuff when I was littler. But now it seems... It seems like something I'd want. There's nothing wrong with wanting it someday, right? But... I can see some of the bad things of it happening here.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

There's nothing wrong with wanting a family, but yeah. Having a family here is probably a bad idea.

[She's been thinking about it a lot.]

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

Y-yeah. I mean... It'd be risky, right? As long as we go home someday. Cuz... we can't take them back.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

Not only that, but we'd be subjecting them to the dangers of Luceti. And I hear pregnancy only takes three months here, so it must be a real strain on the mother too.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

It'd definitely be bad for a mom to get hurt more here. [The one he saw in labor at home had been traumatic enough thank you very much.] And you're right. It's too dangerous here for babies. A lot of us are lucky in a way that we've already been able to get through bad things back home. It'd be wrong to bring a baby up here when this is all it'll know.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

Even with all that, though...

I don't want to waste my time here waiting to go home or it to get better.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

That... that doesn't leave many options, does it. [The waiting. He can feel that pain. Of waiting for everyone to go home to something like happiness, much more like happiness than what this place has done to them. Waiting for them all to go home and make the choices themselves that they saw as those of a stranger here.]

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

I guess just trying to keep yourself busy is the best thing a person can do.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

I guess so. But... You still have good things, right? And, I mean... Elicia, she's like your family now, isn't she?

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

I do, but I'd rather her be home. [It's difficult raising a child for someone else.]

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

Ikki should be home too. Shouldn't she.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

Mm, yeah. But it's not wrong to cherish the time you have with her here.

[Voice, Private]

[savedtheworld]

[He gives a quite smile.]

You're right about that. All the good times are so dear to me, and I'm doing everything I can to keep her safe. She is... my family, after all. I know it's not the same, but it's not wrong to cherish your time with Elicia, either.

[Voice, Private]

[installing]

It's not the same, I mean... when Elicia and I go back it's not like too much will have changed between us.