Who Are You? (Ai)

Things turned out relatively peaceful, at least in the corner Mao chose of the festivities. ’Removed yet not blind,’ she thought with a happy hum, able to observe a lot of entertaining happenings from the perch of the shaded corner. People even began leaving the tables to head to the dance floor once the opening performance ended and someone changed the ballroom classics into more jazzy and upbeat tunes. Overall it was…well she supposed she could deem it fun if the concept made more sense to her. The outfits shone beautifully, the music blared, food nearby wafted and smelled heavenly…and yet the world felt as though a veil lay over it, not only separating her from everything, but dampening the overall experience.

If anything it was like sitting in a glass bubble and getting to watch while completely invisible to everyone.

Just as the woman was struggling why this notion chafed more than it should’ve – as honestly this had been the norm for the past few months – someone decided to rouse her from her thoughts for whatever reason. Blinking slowly her head turned as if mechanically to face the other person, blankly taking in the exuberant woman’s appearance.

’Her name is…Aiyana I believe.’

Dredging up what few memories she owned of the woman, Mao recalled her to be something of a friendly type, though they’d only spoken a little here and there. She got along well enough with others, or so the impression went. ’It feels right,’ was Mao’s conclusion to the observation as she nodded towards the woman, ”I have been well. I hope you have been the same?” The words came out as politely as she’d hoped, the odd-eared woman not realizing just how plain and unfeeling they sounded with her bland tone. What had possessed this woman to come and talk to her when there were far more interesting people to mingle with? The smile on her face bespoke of someone who should be out on the dance floor shaking her rump to the music, not sitting in this corner with someone such as Mao.

’How strange…maybe she’s merely trying to include me before she toddles along.’

What was this? Mao acted a lot different towards her than she had recently. It was almost like the first time they had met, back at the cosplay cafe. Her bland, emotionless speech caused her to frown slightly; something that seemed unnatural to see on her face. 'Why is she acting so indifferent? She hasn't been like this since the modeling gig we did, maybe I made her upset sometime in the past and she's just stewing over that?' Her thoughts made her even more upset, her face taking on a sort of sad expression as she tried to think of the right words to say.

”I've been great, but why such a plain tone when talking to your best friend?” A gloved hand would come up to be placed on the table, the palm down against it as she tried to relax and calm her suddenly stiff body down. Had Mao decided she no longer liked the bandage mage? Was she too outgoing of a person? Or was she just too unlike the bunny eared girl for her to not want to associate with her? So many different reasons ran through her mind as she realized that her friendship with the Sabertooth guild member was suddenly no where near what she had thought in the recent past. ”Was it something I said before on one of our jobs? If so, I'm really sorry!”

How curiously she reacted to but a mere tone…yet her claims were surely in jest? They’d done two, maybe three jobs together at best, but Mao would acquiesce that perhaps this woman took a little interaction as a sign of friendship? Maybe it weighed differently with her culturally….though honestly the fact she deemed them “Best Friends” struck her as truly odd. Surely such meager meetings and short conversations didn’t equate to such a title? No, from her understandings in fiction some people befriended others easily enough, but “best” friends usually required more work to achieve. It assumed a certain level of trust between individuals that Mao didn’t feel towards this woman.

Surely they were more acquaintances than friends even?

”No…I don’t recall you saying anything in particular that would warrant an apology…” Mao hesitated, frowning ever so slightly as she looked up as if to consult with the heavens on the matter. Then her pale jade eyes returned to her green-haired tablemate, ”I can hardly recall us speaking to one another much at all really…Are you sure you don’t have me confused with someone else? There seem to be a lot of interesting individuals at this party so surely the person you truly seek is merely hidden amidst the crowd?”

Yes, that sounded like a lot more logical conclusion on the matter: she’d merely mistaken her for someone else. Beneath the table cloth her tail swished a little, coming to curl around her legs in a bit of self-comfort at this otherwise awkward scene and moment. The scarf that’d been lightly wound around her left hand now found itself more bound as the limb rested in her lap, fingers absentmindedly petting the soft fabric in further consolation. This situation ruffled her enough to forget that not many attending owned some of the same exotic traits as she did, the confused mage sure this woman must be mistaken.

No. Something was not right here. "I can hardly recall us speaking to each other much?" How could she say that? Some of the jobs they had gone on had involved some pretty interesting conversation, not to mention some physical contact that one would normally always remember happening. It couldn't be that she had just 'forgotten' all of that! Yet the girl sitting across from her insisted that she, Aiyana the socialite, was talking to the wrong person! How could she have the wrong person? How could you mix up the unique woman with anyone in the world, let alone this one guild hall? No! Something was not right here at all!

"No, I definitely have the right person." The hurt she was feeling was starting to bleed out into more than just her small frame tensing up. Her eyes were moistening, and her body was beginning to shake as the hand on the table squeezed itself closed tightly, nails pushing into the skin uncomfortably as she did so. If this was some kind of prank Aiyana was going to be furious. But surely her friend would never do such a thing. "B-but....” Eyes closed for a moment, the girl taking a shaky breath as she forced the tears to not start flowing out. She had to keep herself calm, her friend may need help after all. One didn't just forget the person they grew close to. ”But it seems the person I'm looking for doesn't seem to remember everything we've been through.”

Her mind raced through all the jobs they had been on. From the cafe to the modeling gig, the job where she had almost been stabbed in the heart by Goldenshrine and Mao had done the patchwork that had kept her going until she had seen a doctor. Even the job where the two had gone with Mei as well, just to have Aiyana knock the third girl out as she went through a blood lust that would have tarnished her permanently. Did Mao not think of that as bonding with all the talks they had during those jobs? Surely the naive girl wasn't forgetful as well, else she would have forgot about the normally scantily clad woman long before now. Another deep breath would be taken as she slowly calmed down a but more, knowing she had to get her friend to acknowledge either her prank or what was wrong. ”Some of the stuff we've been through is unforgettable. Surely you remember everything we've been through? Like taking the crystal spikes out of my back on the treasure hunting job?” The woman used the most memorable moment she could think of for the two of them. They had just finished what would be, to this date, the most dangerous mission they had taken together. Aiyana was hoping for a smile, and maybe even a tiny laugh, from the other girl. “Just kidding, didn't mean for you to cry over that joke,” was all she wanted to hear right now.

The way she shook and barely kept herself composed astounded Mao, the reaction far from expected. Was it really so hard to imagine she had the wrong person? It was then Mao became a little more self-aware, a hand rubbing one of her ears as she recalled just how exotic some of her traits truly were. Yet…maybe this girl just attached herself so easily to others? Even worse than this situation was Mao’s lack of experience in extracting herself from such a thing. She’d already more or less literally wedged herself into a corner with her choice of seating, making leaving and disappearing into the crowd impossible without placing chase around the tables. That would only bring more attention upon them however so she’d have to stick it out.

’Why does she sound so certain and heartbroken at the same time?’ This girl’s delusions knew no bounds, but it didn’t ghost over Mao without some feeling. Both long ears drooped slightly, her brows knitting a little in minor concern over both the girl’s emotional and mental state.

After all Mao’s memory was recorded. She could bring up any memory in its exact and truest form without the degradation of time like others. Between the pair Mao technically remembered everything the clearest.

”Yes, I do remember administering a touch of first aid in the temple.” There, easy enough, right? Even calling upon the emerald holding that particular memory mentally and reviewing it she could clearly recall picking the little shards out of her back. She even remembered scaring the poor girl a little when the trio finally found one another, to which she’d apologized before their prime enemy appeared. After that the somewhat battered trio managed to find the treasure vault and had gone their separate ways shortly thereafter.

See? Simple. Precise.

”But I’m afraid I’m not understanding….does applying first aid somehow lead to friendship? Surely it was the right thing to do regardless or else the wounds might’ve become infected. I’m assuming you sought proper medical treatment after we all left seeing as you’re in proper health right now.” If this extended any further she might have to question this girl to understand what kind of customs her heritage and culture possessed because they were truly something else. Or maybe she was just desperate for attention and friendship that any little action meant the world to her? It sounded mean, but such cases weren’t completely alien and were a common enough trait in some abused children. They could latch on like faithful dogs. Discreetly Mao tried to look for signs that she might’ve lived in a less-than-happy household, though nothing quite struck out at her.

So she did remember the job! But she seemed to only remember some of it? Had she not remembered the sudden hug that had happened before it? IT WAS ALL SO FRUSTRATING! "Our friendship started way before that job! Sure, the cafe we did little interacting with each other, but what about the modeling gig we did! They had us all over each other for the last part of that job just to please the readers that would see us!" The coldness from Mao, along with the accusatory 'you have the wrong person' and 'that isn't how friends work' types of speech were finally hitting Aiyana harder than she liked. Tears escaped her eyes as a shallow breath left her slightly parted lips.

There was definitely a memory issue going on here. Being treated as a stranger was one thing, but this was a whole new level. In fact, it was worse than her parents stopping contact with her when she had ran away to become a mage. At least with her parents they would always be in the same place. Mao had been by Aiyana's side in enough times and places to be considered a sister at some point, if one went by the stranger side of the definition with the way she acted around her. If the bandaged mage had to she could through around jobs and things they had done until the other girl realized her mistake! With her crystal magic surely she could remember everything!

The girl wore her emotions on her sleeve, the vexation so readily palpable as the girl then proceeded to bluster about the subject further. Oh gods when would this be done? She vaguely recalled the café, the incident not much of a meeting really since they’d all greeted one another, fulfilled the orders, and then went home without further issue. Nothing remarkable or exciting happened then.

Eyes widened however at the frantic woman’s insane claim after that however, Mao going so far as to lean back in her chair in both surprise and a mild desire to put further distance between them. Now she was just making asinine accusations! The notion of having her photograph taken unnerved Mao, never mind being…all over someone else. That sounded highly unlikely because pillows were one thing, but another person invading her private space was entirely another!

So ready she was to finally stuff her politeness aside and maybe bite back a little that her mouth opened to retort on what a liar and falsifier she was, and yet the animalistic woman froze as the tears broke free of the blockade. No, this wasn’t just some blatant falsehoods spun for fun because whether or not they were true this woman truly believed them to the point of emotional pain. ’What a strange feeling….so confusing,’ she inwardly grimaced, uncomfortable at feeling apologetic over something she held little to no control over. She wanted to help this woman, truly she did…but nothing she claimed added up properly to Mao.

”I think…” she spoke gingerly, any trace of anger or brashness quickly vanishing, ”I would remember such an incident. Yet I do not recall ever posing for photos…regardless of the, er, photo composition. There’s no way I could forget, not with my memory blatantly recorded by day. I could even pull it up by date if necessary to prove it.” Gods above though how did she help this poor woman? Who should she ask to help console and seek counsel for the troubled mage? Surely there were some sort of experts for this level of delusion, though at this point she hoped it might be nothing more than a spell that’d almost finished running its course. Heavens knows this party had increased in excitement here and there so maybe someone felt a bit prankish and poor Aiyana suffered the consequences? ’Hopefully they’ll receive a just punishment for putting her through such misery.’

The reaction given by Mao was one of pure shock, as if she had been told something she could never believe. Wide eyes, and moving back as if to get away, the tailed woman opened her mouth to speak as tears flowed down Aiyana's face. When she did speak up the words were calm, no hint of anger or any other darker tone put in as she spoke clearly. How could she not remember something like that! It had been the most physical she had been with Mao since they had met! The things done in that job had even caused the poor girl to blank out for a bit, which went along with how she normally acted. "No! This really happened! You stay here and I'll prove it to you!”

The young woman stood up quickly, chair almost falling over in the process, as she hurried her way off towards the rest of the guild hall. With everyone enjoying the party, the living quarters were decidedly barren of people to get in her way as she looted through rooms as she looked for a sorcerer's weekly magazine that held her proof; the very images taken of them for all to see. ”AH HA! FOUND YOU!” A hand would swiftly shoot out at the magazine found under a pillow, which had a lot of connotations to it, before searching for pictures in the middle of the reading material. Upon confirming they were there Aiyana ran swiftly back to the ball to find the other girl awaiting her return, the look on her face not hopeful for what the bandaged mage had promised.

The magazine would be slapped down I onto the table in front of the person that had told her she was wrong. The first image that the other would see would be the one where they were almost kissing, with Ai straddled over the girl dressed as an explorer. ”I'm sorry I have to prove myself this way. But why can't you remember me?” It hurt to prove her best friend wrong, but it was the only way to prove her status as 'best friend' in the first place!

As the girl raced off to parts unknown Mao considered escape. Despite all the thoughts of trying to disappear into the crowd they held little appeal as she also pondered if the girl might even return. ’Or if she does it might be with something silly. If she does come back with some nonsense then I’ll just have to gently bring her to someone who might be able to help, perhaps one of the patrols could help?’ It was a hard choice given the purpose of the ball in bringing all the guilds together after such a trying event, but it’d be better than simply ignoring this troubling moment.

A darker part of her wondered if the girl might be successful, but she quickly brushed that aside.

Just as Mao returned to the idea of getting up and walking away she returned, the green-haired mage acting not as triumphant as Mao initially suspected she would. Instead she continued down the troubled road, still unable to believe that Mao wouldn’t recognize her or their friendship. Eyes drifted down sure she’d see something silly and then any confidence she once sported evaporated as shock took hold. A shaking hand grabbed the shiny pages of the magazine and pulled the troubling image closer to her.

’How…how is this even possible? When was this taken?’ She stayed staring at the images for a few minutes in disbelief and confusion, unsure how to process this new bit of information. Even flipping through her daily memories the date…no, her memories didn’t match in the slightest with this. As far as Mao recalled through her once-perceived superior memory she’d simply been…reading all day. Dropping the thing back to the table she propped her head in her free hand, fingers threading through her bangs as she stared down at the cloth covering, ”But…I wasn’t there…not that day at least…I was here reading. I’m sure of it…I’m sure of it…because that’s what the crystal says…”

Again she mentally flipped to it, eager to show Aiyana and prove that this must all have been a mistake and then the woman froze. ’No…that’s not right, they’re all in chronological order. That’s how they’re made, so…why is that one out of order? It’s not supposed to be there, that’s far too recent.’ Mao’s face twisted with confusion, words tumbling out unconsciously, ”No…that day’s not in the right order. Why isn’t it in the right order? They’re chronological, they’re always made chronologically…it’s impossible to override that system. But it’s not in the right order, why was that day made later?” It made zero sense to the usually organized woman, and because of the self-imposed system it wasn’t as if she could place it properly because that would be going against the system. It was like creating a protective measure for such occasions, yet never expecting an actual occurrence.

The magazine had more than the desired effect that the desperate girl was wanting. Apparently Mao's crystal archive memory was thought to be perfect by the beautifully tailed girl. The first few minutes of shock as the bunny eared girl stared at the images were almost terrifying, the two seeming to be frozen in time as the Sabertooth member took in what she was seeing. After that the girl dropped the book to the table before fingers ran through her bangs, confused speech hitting Aiyana's ears that wasn't being spoken to her.

She didn't know what to do now, having proven her point about her friend forgetting her. Mao was now going on about her memories, and how it was wrong. 'Her memories aren't in the right order? Has she contracted something we don't know about?' The Lamia Scale mage wasn't sure how she could help the girl now, not being knowledgeable in matters of the brain and memories and how they worked. All she could do was walk closer and attempt to hug the poor being in the hopes she could try and comfort her. ”I'm here for you, even if you can't remember everything about me. I'll do whatever it takes to help you figure this out, even if I have to transfer to Sabertooth to do it.' The words were as soft and soothing as she could say them, though the bandaged mage was unsure as to if they would work on someone in Mao's current state.

It was a scarily easy thing to overlook because she’d simply thought of the day, but when she mentally searched through each one it became more and more prominent that that one was horribly out of place. As she went through them however other ones cropped up, created on the same day as that one that normally the woman would take for other days. ’How…how many…how many are false? How many are wrong?’ The knowledge that somehow, someway some had been either stolen or destroyed, and then replaced with others left Mao with a feeling of being drenched in cold water. Who did this? How did they do this? Why hadn’t she noticed a thing until this moment?

’Does this have to do with my lack of past?’

It was the first time she’d ever considered the problem might arise again. Before it felt more like a fresh beginning, something she didn’t worry about…didn’t worry for reasons she couldn’t say. Shouldn’t she have been more bothered by it? Instead the mage went about her business and gorged on information rather than seeking out specific details – anything and everything that didn’t have to do with herself. ”No…please….don’t touch me…” She weakly held out her free hand, the other continuing to prop her head up, ”I…I can’t deal with another’s emotions right now…I’m…I’m not even sure what to do…” She felt a little bad about refusing the gesture, acknowledging it as one of kindness and yet unable to summon the energy to explain herself.

They must’ve been friends on some level if she’d allowed…this, but right now it’d still feel like being touched by a stranger and she simply couldn’t handle it right now as her eyes became trained on the image. Normally she’d be more bothered with the composition of the image, but right now Mao couldn’t get it out of her mind that that was her, there, doing something that brought up zero recollection. What could she do about it? Mao couldn’t sense any free gems right now, having recollected any she kept hidden in other locations and none of them granted her the missing segments – or rather the replaced ones. Were they lost forever then? And what if this happened again? ’No…it is likely to happen again…’ Absentmindedly the woman bit her lip, worried over what else might be taken from her next time. If she wasn’t allowed to have a friend then what was she allowed to keep? Someone was stealing from her and there wasn’t a damned thing the girl could do about it…