The Age Up/Down Meme

[kingshaming]

Look, most of our characters have lots of backstory to take advantage of, or headcanons for their future. This is the place to use it!

Prompts

1) People are suddenly shifting ages on the good ship Teremity! It's probably space waves and will fix itself in a day or two, so enjoy reliving your mispent youth.

2) You were always this age! Nothing bad is happening and you all already know each other and it's all cute af. A fluff option.

3) You are this age... and going through your round (or a remixed version) of your Airlocked season. Not for the REALLY young age downs!

Comments

[serrata]

[ It looks like she might just be considering slamming the door in Arianna's face (and on her poor foot) anyway. But then she sighs and finally finally pulls the door open. ]

Fine, then. You might as well come in.

[daughterofthemark]

Thank you.

[And she just strolls on in like the past couple of minutes never happened.

The breakfast consists of scrambled eggs (competently made), biscuits (passable), bacon (mildly overcooked), and orange juice (orange).]

I think you frightened some of the younger Champions the other day.

[serrata]

[ And likewise, Yuuri barely even acknowledges her as she breezes past. She doesn't shut the door -- god no, she wants everyone to know she's alone in her room with a guest just in case there needs to be witnesses -- but that seems to actually catch her off guard and make that unaffected mask slip just a bit. ]

Frightened? [ she even sounds, unbelievably enough, a little hurt by the idea. ] What on earth could I have done to frighten any of them?

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna is maintaining healthy skepticism (there's something I never thought I'd say), but that certainly seemed like a genuine reaction.]

I believe they've come to see you as something of a maternal figure. So your sudden shift in behavior came as a shock.

[serrata]

[ It's usually hard to tell what's going on in Yuuri's heart. That's perhaps part of why she's become that maternal figure, as Arianna says. Because she's always smiling, always knows what to do and never seems like she's letting any of this trouble her.

This seems to hit somewhere tender she wasn't expecting, though. Her lips purse in a tight line and she drops her gaze from Arianna's face and then turns her own away altogether. ]

...well. Someone has to do it. They surely can't have expected me to be smiling and laughing while we were in there trying to find a murderer.

[daughterofthemark]

[Yuuri's good at hiding what's going on in her heart. If she wasn't, they would have had this conversation two weeks ago. But a skill is only useful if you know when to use it.]

Indeed, but I doubt anyone expected you to be quite so cold.

[serrata]

I don't really see how that's my problem. It's like I'm going to be acting like that the entire time we're stuck in here, is it? You can see that for yourself.

It's nothing for any of you to work yourselves up over.

[daughterofthemark]

Perhaps. But it is not the only way I have seen you isolate. I believe that unwise under these conditions.

[serrata]

[ She turns back to Arianna at last and that smile of hers is fixed carefully back in place. ]

You don't think it's safer? Especially now we know there's people who might be willing to kill in here with us. And if I really am frightening the children like you said then maybe I should give them a bit of distance until they're not as shaken up.

shit I left a word out of that tag. "isolate yourself."

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna is 100% convinced by this smile. No suspicion at all.]

On the contrary, you're making yourself an easier target.

As for the children, I believe they would prefer to have "Rii-san" back, and to forget that that other side of you ever existed.

[serrata]

[ There's an almost oppressive silence following those words and though her smile doesn't shift, something in Yuuri's eyes does. She doesn't turn away but something in them flattens, stops her smile from reaching them all the way. But it's hard to tell there's even anything wrong unless you'd seen the real thing.

That's right. She doesn't have the luxury of keeping to herself here, does she? Even if that would be smarter. The adults might be able to fend for themselves and Yuuri tells herself she doesn't give a damn what happens to them. But even she can't tell herself she doesn't care about children. ]

... I suppose you've got a point. With any luck, we won't have any reason to be back down there for them to see it.

[daughterofthemark]

Indeed. None of us wishes to repeat... that mess.

[Not that it'd be a repeat of that mess, but shh.]

Dame Yuuri. [wow that felt weird to type] Why are you hiding?

[serrata]

What makes you think I'm hiding?

[ The fact that you're, you know, hiding, Yuuri. ]

It's like I told you. Now we know people really can be pushed to kill in here, it seems safer to stay out of harm's way. It's common sense. Nothing to do with 'hiding'.

[daughterofthemark]

I do not refer to keeping yourself physically out of sight. You have clearly been avoiding sharing things about yourself. If not for the devices on our arms, I'm not certain you'd have confessed to us even your name.

[serrata]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[ She's still smiling and her voice is so polite so how does that come out sounding almost like a threat? ]

Did you actually come here to share your breakfast or was interrogating me part of the plan the whole time?

[daughterofthemark]

What a ridiculous accusation.

[Look at that non-denial.

Arianna's still feeling okay, though maybe that's just because the door is still open.]

Perhaps you'd be interested in answering a simple question. What does your title mean?

[serrata]

You really need me to answer that for you?

[ She raises an eyebrow and that smile is suddenly a little less nice than it was a moment ago. ]

It means I'm good at knowing what it takes to stay alive. Especially in emergencies.

[daughterofthemark]

And that is what I am talking about. You've given me a perfectly correct definition I could have obtained from a dictionary, thereby avoiding telling me what your title means.

[Oh hey, apparently it's possible to smile sarcastically.]

[serrata]

I don't know what it means.

[ Yes she does. She'd known what it meant the instant she'd woken up and checked her profile, and that list of dislikes: Confinement. Danger. Outsiders. But she's not about to tell Arianna that. ]

If it matters to you so much then why not go and ask one of our Overseers? I'm not the one who picked out the title, after all. Asking me is pointless.

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna considers this for a moment, then smiles. This one is more genuine--she's actually amused with what she's ready to say.]

Dame Yuuri, I believe you would have liked me better ten years ago.

I was embarrassingly gullible back then.

[serrata]

[ Yuuri laughs -- honest to god laughter, almost disarmingly warm and pleased. ]

No wonder they called you the Champion Negotiator! I don't think I've ever heard anyone call me a liar so politely.

[ She sets her smile back on, tilts her head. ]

Fine, then. If you're so desperate to know, I suppose all I can do is tell you. You're not going to leave me alone until you feel like you've gotten something out of me, are you?

[daughterofthemark]

[Hell yeah you haven't. Arianna has spent years developing the ability to diplomatically tell people they're full of shit.

And actually she'd be satisfied with just getting a real laugh out of her, but she's not just gonna quit now.]

You do learn quickly, don't you? I suppose a Champion Survivalist would have to.

[serrata]

You'd suppose right. It's all about being adaptable -- about learning what works, what doesn't and being willing to do whatever you have to to keep yourself alive. No matter what it takes.

[ She fixes Arianna with a hard stare. ]

Whatever it takes.

You understand, don't you?

[daughterofthemark]

...yes. I am familiar with such things.

[A small sigh.]

And what has it taken?

[serrata]

I think you might already have an idea. Or are you really that determined to hear me actually say it?