Fourth Note; Video | dirt on the ground

[allformii_ko]

[There's a new girl on the Network - or at least, that's what it looks like at first. Two poofy pigtails on either side of her head in a darkish color, and some light, simple clothes that aren't particularly suited for the current weather... She appears to be curled up in an alleyway somewhere, her eyes filled with tears.]

Elly can't see the Network anymore. She told me I can't talk to anyone who can't see the Network, b-but that means I can't talk to her, either!

[Her voice, however - that may be familiar to some. Is that...

Mimi?]

I-I finally figured out how to turn into a human, but now I can't talk to Elly! I wanted-- I wanted to be like her, but...

If I can't talk to her anymore, what's the point-?

[Her voice is stammering, filled with half-sobs, her shoulders bouncing with the effort of trying to keep her breathing even. And with the cold as it is... It's surprising she isn't freezing out there to begin with.

At this rate, it might take a bit before she can explain things more clearly.]

Comments

( audio )

[argents]

Elly's...? [ Oh. Oh, shit. ] Mimi, did you change in front of anyone? Do you need me to come find you?

( audio )

[allformii_ko]

Nnn... No, I didn't. I w-wanted to surprise her, but she treated me like I was normal. A-and then she couldn't see the Network, either!

I ch-changed so I could get outside quicker when she left.

[It's easier to do with hands than paws, after all.]

[argents]

She lost everything. [ It hits him squarely: he was the one to explain the concept of family to her, after all. ] I need you to try and calm down until someone can get to you, okay? Are you still near your apartment?

[allformii_ko]

Yeah. I'm jus'-- just around the corner.

[She couldn't think of anywhere else to go. Elly was where her home was - without her, where was she to go?]

[argents]

You finally learned how to turn into a human...

[ And this. ]

Just stay on the network and talk to me. How did you finally learn?

[allformii_ko]

I dunno. I just-- I kept trying to be human, and then I was.

[argents]

Just like that?

[allformii_ko]

Yeah. I d-don't understand, but...

[To be honest, she had mostly been proud she could do it at all. The hows or the whys just didn't really occur to her.]

[argents]

[ Banagher exhales. Looks like this wasn't going anywhere, and he's deceptively bad at deflecting. So he just just goes with what he knows, from personal experience. ]

It's okay, Mimi. Elly is still here. You're still her family.

[allformii_ko]

But she doesn't know about me anymore! She just thinks I'm a normal cat!

She treats me like-- like I'm dumb and I don't know what's going on!

[argents]

You're not dumb, Mimi. Just because Elly doesn't remember about you doesn't mean she doesn't care about you. You remember things from before your numbers, right? About Elly.

[allformii_ko]

I remember she smelled nice and took me someplace warm and gave me food.

[It comes out as a quiet mumble. She knows all of those things much better now that she's lived with Elly of course, but from her perspective at the time, it was much simpler.]

[argents]

She remembers why she took you with her, I bet.

[ He knows perspective really does change everything, and it's tough to deal with knowledge being 'lost', but it's all he's got. ]

[allformii_ko]

...'Cause she still loves me. Right?

[The last part comes out almost desperately. Elly will still care about her even like this, won't she...?]

[argents]

Yeah, she does. [ Without a doubt. ] I know it's hard, but be patient with her, okay?

[allformii_ko]

...I'll try.

[Because it's Elly. Even if she lost her memories...]