audience: emma perkins

[cyclists]

Comments

[foodbin]

...It's going to save me a lot of unnecessary explanation if you tell me what you know about me.

[cyclists]

Your name is Emma Perkins, you're 31 years old, you have powers from the water alignment, and you're living with a girl named Naminé.

[foodbin]

That seems pretty basic for someone who just said they were doing extra research.

[cyclists]

That's because there's no way of saying "we can watch what's happening in the village" without it sounding weird.

[foodbin]

It sounds weirder if you dance around it like that.

[Anyways.]

...You said if we help you out, we could get something for it, right?

[cyclists]

[Point, but also leave them alone.] If we said that, then people would ask where we are and how it's possible and that's a little harder to explain.

[But there's a nod.] That's right though. Got something in mind?

[foodbin]

I'm still determined to find that out someday. Just watch me.

[But, hm.]

...How much would I have to do to, you know, save the world?

[cyclists]

I'd like to see you try. [Are they...teasing? It sounds like it.]

...just your world? Or the World.

[foodbin]

Can't I work towards both at once?

[But, hm.]

Most everyone here is probably going to try to save the universe that's apparently cracking apart or whatever. But nobody knows mine needs saving except me. You know?

[cyclists]

You can, but sometimes people don't want to. [Hm, indeed.]

...what happened to yours?

[foodbin]

Most people are assholes. I'm trying not to be.

[Apparently it's just that simple.]

Aliens. Well, I guess the planet's fine, just... [...] The people.

[cyclists]

[...Sol's mental image of aliens is probably not remotely close to what Emma means, but there's a slow nod anyway. Sure. Okay.]

Aliens are hurting the people there, and you want to save them. [Right?]

[foodbin]

...Yeah. That's a decent summary, I guess.

[cyclists]

If you get rid of all of the aliens, will the people go back to the way they were? Will they remember what happened?

[foodbin]

[...After a moment, questioning:]

I didn't say anything about them not being the way they were. Just that they were being hurt.

[cyclists]

W-well, I mean. [AH?] Going back to the way things were then. But...how are they being hurt?

[foodbin]

...If you're a bad liar and you know more about than you're letting on, I'm going to figure it out, so you might as well tell me now.

[But, she moves on with a sigh.]

That's not important. The important thing is stopping it. What would that take?

[cyclists]

I'm not lying! [How rude.] We really don't know a lot about you or where you guys came from. It would take having a pretty clear direct order for the universe's core and how it should grow to reach the other worlds. That's why it's important to make sure it's undisturbed...the universe knows more, but Lune and I get information from them as they think we need it.

But that's what has to happen. [Shape the core, you can do whatever you want, basically.]

[foodbin]

...Right.

[That's all she says to the first part, but the second...]

Can you tell me what that looks like yet? Something more concrete than practice your powers and talk to people.

[cyclists]

You mean what a direct order looks like? [Because that's what they're getting from that.]

[foodbin]

I guess, just... This is really important, and if you don't tell me what I need to do to make sure it gets fixed, I... don't want to mess it up. You know?

[cyclists]

Emma. [Just a pause.] I know you're not gonna like this answer but we don't know. We don't know exactly what needs to happen. That's why you're all here. If we had the answer Lune and I could do this.

[Maybe.] ...you need to make a plan and decide what it is you really want to do. And then stick with it. No matter what happens here.

[foodbin]

[A beat.]

What if we find out halfway through it was a shitty plan? Wouldn't it be better to change it, then?

[cyclists]

Yes and no. [...how do they explain their thoughts...]

Let's say you have a goal. Like, I don't know, you want to create something because you've been told it'll make things better and you'll find all of the answers you're looking for. But then halfway through you realize that the way you're getting to that goal is wrong and the goal itself isn't what you thought it was. What do you change then, the goal or the plan or both?

And even further...what if you just think it's a bad plan, but that's just because you haven't done certain things yet to make it into the better plan? Do you give up halfway through, or see it through to the other side?

[foodbin]

Every single thing you just asked me depends on specifics that apparently even you don't know.