[audio]

[thxforthememories]

[Behold! A new voice on the network. And... it sounds decidedly uncertain. Maybe a little shaky.]

[Hey, when you get electrocuted by thousands of volts out of nowhere before waking up somewhere you've never seen, you're bound to sound a little off. Not to mention completely overwhelmed.]

[And quite honestly, he doesn't know what to say right now. Asking the empty air for help? In a place he's never even heard of? Surrounded by sights and sounds and robots utterly foreign? That seems... odd. But what choice does he have?]

Someone... please. [He hesitates.] I don't understand what's happened.

I --

[And here is where the first bit of real panic seems to show through. Sure, he got the explanation, but--] I don't remember coming here. Or ever hearing of such a place.

Please answer me.

Comments

[thxforthememories]

...

I made a promise.

[To go. To live. If he'd stayed... it wouldn't have turned out well.]

[littlecrowgirl]

[Oh.

OH.

That hits Kay in a special area.]

A promise...You made one too?

[thxforthememories]

Yes.

I did. It was important.

[littlecrowgirl]

Did you keep it?

[This is serious stuff for Kay.]

[thxforthememories]

... I'm here. I'm nowhere near where he is. I'm not even in Japan any longer.

So yes, I've kept my promise.

[It comes out pretty bitter. They'd only just had that conversation before he suddenly woke up here.]

[littlecrowgirl]

[Goddammit Japan why do you get all the cool robots.]

Good. Keeping promises is very important. I have a lot I have to keep.

Are you okay? You seem angry.

[thxforthememories]

[Because it's Japan.]

I wouldn't break a promise I made to him. Even if this place had given me the chance.

[WHICH IT DIDN'T. And that's the problem.]

I'm not happy with this situation.

[littlecrowgirl]

I'm sure he's happy you kept it...

[She's trying to put a positive spin on it, at least.]

[thxforthememories]

I won't ever know that for certain. Will I?

[Sorry, kiddo, he's kind of a pessimist.]

[littlecrowgirl]

I don't think he'd be upset with you for doing what he wanted. So...I think you can assume it!

[She's not one to give up that easily.]

[thxforthememories]

I would rather know.

[Rather see him again too, but that won't happen.]

[littlecrowgirl]

You'll find out. You just have to wait.

...Here.

[She digs into her little satchel on the back of her belt, pulling out a pen and a pencil.]

[thxforthememories]

[... he just sort of stares at the feed.]

What?

[littlecrowgirl]

This is my notebook my dad gave me. It's full of promises.

We'll write a promise for you to keep That you'll be patient until you find out.

[thxforthememories]

You... want me to promise patience?

[littlecrowgirl]

Yeah! Why not?

[thxforthememories]

I'm not sure if that's something I can do.

[littlecrowgirl]

[Her face becomes rather serious.]

Why not...?

[thxforthememories]

I can't promise I won't ever be impatient. Not for this.

[littlecrowgirl]

[She rests her head on her palm, looking off to the side.]

Well, being impatient won't get the answer to you any faster. You should enjoy yourself instead of worrying about it.

Can you do THAT for me?

[thxforthememories]

Enjoy myself?

[littlecrowgirl]

Yeah! Haven't you ever just had fun? Gone wild?

[thxforthememories]

Gone... wild. No. I've never done that.

[A beat.] I've enjoyed myself, yes. But that was... That was a different place.

[littlecrowgirl]

That's what go wild means!

It means to be free! Let loose your bonds!

[thxforthememories]

I have... never been free. I wouldn't know what to do.