Friendship

Nathaniel Erit Jackson

"Are we done here?" he asked, almost rudely. He wanted to be done with the conversation. He wasn't really hungry any more, and he was itching to do something else. Earlier, when Lucina had attempted to comfort him, it had worked at the time, and he'd managed to calm himself down enough that he wasn't cursing himself out. Now though, the noobs were deathly annoying in the questions they were asking them. Most newbies shied away after they learned that they had to remember their memories and attempt to keep clear of demons, but these two were absolutely dreadful.

Still slightly worked up, he didn't wait for any sort of answer and turned away from them. The only memories that had returned to him throughout the years had been of a girl who looked suspiciously similar to him, always laughing and happy, and then the few where he'd hung out with some friends or making out with girls, high school stuff, and then the ones that didn't quite fit in with the rest. Those ones always seemed depressing, or scary, like the one he'd had earlier that day. Nathaniel didn't feel like he was anywhere near figuring out his objective and passing on. The fact of this terminally annoyed him whenever the subject was brought up.

Swiftly, Nathaniel started the walk to where he usually slept. Generally, there were a few rules as to where people were situated within the complex, but Nathaniel had been there for four years and nobody has ever objected to him sleeping in the small area near the stairs. Few people went up the stairs anyway.

Lucina "Luce" Walsh

"I get that you're aggravated with us, but we just got to this crazy as hell place. The most you could do is answer our questions." Axel snapped to Nathaniel and Luce felt her anger boil.

"Then go ask someone else. We saved your pathetic lives from being turned into demons. The least you can do is show respect!"  she said fiercely. That shut him up, though his brown eyes burned. The girl turned her back to them then caught up to Nathaniel keeping quiet for a moment.Her outburst really hadn't been necessary, she realized, considering the boy did have a point, but she was annoyed and hated seeing Nathaniel this way as well.  

Letting her mind wander, she thought back on the memories she had gathered. She seemed to have made bad decisions since she had been street racing, which got her a ton of money she used for food, clothes and car parts. Her mother and father did hardly anything but fight around the house when they were together. Her mom had been an alcoholic and her dad cheated and was gone a lot. That was all she had received so far. There was nothing, not even a hint of what her task was. There wasn't even an explanation of why she could shoot so well, which was frustrating. One boy kept popping up in her memories though. Ryan was his name, and he seemed at least to be six or seven years older than her, but he was important, Luce just knew it.

"You alright there?" she asked Nathan softly, pulling from her thoughts and finally looking over. It had been months since she last had a memory return to her. It was aggravating to wait. It made her wonder what his was, but of course, she didn't ask.

Axel Edgewood

Glaring at Lucina, Axel watched the two walk off side by side. Both of them were terribly rude. He got that maybe the subjects were hard for them, but it wasn't like he knew not to ask about someone's memories. They got angry for really no reason. The two of them just wanted to know what was going on here. Still angry at the two, he clenched his hands into fists. A quick flash of a man standing in front of him and his hand lashing out, landing him square in the nose and he dropped to the ground. Cheers erupted....and it all vanished, leaving him in the same spot he had been in. Axel raised a hand to his now throbbing head. Was that a memory?

"Well...they were friendly," Axel said sarcastically, turning to Kailyn, who was beside him. Studying her, he rested a hand on her shoulder lightly and offered her a smile. "Don't worry about those two. They are just rude people. I'm sure we can get info from someone else if you still have questions," he said to her kindly.

Nathaniel Erit Jackson

He sighed at Lucina's question, letting himself fall to the floor onto a heap of blankets and pillows. "Yes," he muttered to her, stuffing his face into a pillow. "I guess I'm just aggravated." He let out a quiet, fake chuckle and pulled himself out of the cover of the pillow. He looked up at his friend and offered her a smile, but then shook his head and looked back at the floor.

"I think I just cracked. This last memory was a tough one...I barely understood what was going on." His voice was low as he spoke, almost as if he was talking to himself. "A bunch of yelling and screaming...and that gun.." He looked down at his hand, as if the pistol would magically appear in his hand at a moment's notice. Slowly, he pulled himself out of his memories and glanced back at Lucina, his gray-blue eyes showing hints of desperation and sadness in them. "I know that everyone deals with the same things I do, but I can't help but feel like no one else understands, you know?" His eyes cast down at his hands again, but he hastily avoided looking at them, not wanted to be sucked back into the awful memory.

--

Kailyn Jayn Shalle

She was a bit abashed by Lucina's yelling and stomping off after Nathaniel, but when Axel turned to her and said his kind words, a smile formed on her face once again. "No, I think I'll be good for now. There's really nothing to worry about for the rest of the night at least, right?" She offered him a reassuring smile, but upon noticing his hand on his head her brow creased in worry.

"Are you alright?" she asked him, wondering if all this new information was really too much for him to take in all at once. That very well may be the case, seeing as she was having trouble believing some of it as well. Everything was mostly logical to a point, but what happened after you pass on? What if you never even regain all your memories? But it was doubtful anyone had answers to her questions, as the ones who passed on were gone, and nobody here had likely regained all of their memories. How long had Nathaniel and Lucina been here anyway? Nathaniel had said as far as he knew it'd been years since a person passed on. Did that mean he's been here for years? What was the average amount of time most people survived here? Yes, Kailyn had many more questions that she wanted answers to, but they could all wait, at least until the next day.

Lucina "Luce" Walsh:

Waiting till he finished speaking, Luce walked over and sat in front of him. She gently took his hands in her smaller ones and rested them on her lap. She drew mindless little designs on the the back of his hand with her thumbs lightly before speaking up. "You have every right to be aggravated and confused," she started, her voice soft and her sea blue eyes serious and gentle, which was a side she didn't express all that much. "Having the feeling no one understands is normal. I have the same one. The thing is, a part of that is true. It is human nature to judge others and they didn't experience what you have and we haven't experienced what they have. However, at the same time, sometimes it’s easier to lean on someone and let them support you. There are a few people out there that don't judge harshly or think wrong of another. They are there when we feel alone and tell us we aren't. Your memory hit you hard. I can tell. It sounds like one that is hard to deal with, and we both know once these bad ones begin, they tend to get worse," she said then met his eyes. " I know our memories are a very personal aspect we have, but if you ever need to speak with someone or talk about it, I'll be here for you, if you want my help," She told him, averting her eyes from his, unsure how he would take her offer.

Axel Edgewood:

"Right." He nodded in agreement, hoping that more weird things were going to happen tonight. Axel had his fill of odd and peculiar occurrences for the day. Glancing over at Kailyn, he gave a nod, but his eyes reflected confusion.

"Yeah, I'm fine. When I clenched my fists, a kind of vision flashed over my eyes...perhaps a memory. I was fighting against this man with people around us cheering, and I had thrown a punch and broke his nose. He collapsed to the ground and everyone around burst into cheers,” he explained, looking at his hand. It was as if he could still feel the snap of the bone and see the blood that covered his skinned knuckles, but he was simply staring at his bare hand.

Nathaniel Erit Jackson

He smiled gently back at her as she offered him words of comfort that actually did make him feel better. This was a side of Lucina that Nathaniel didn't see very often. She was probably one of the most caring people in Purgatory that he knew of, yet she didn't ordinarily show people this side of herself. Then again, he wasn't one to often let his emotions take him over. He looked down at their hands and gently squeezed hers in appreciation for her being there for him.

"Of course, thank you Luce." He said to her, his voice soft. Then, noticing her averted eyes, he also looked away from her with a sigh. "Actually, would it be terrible if I asked if I could confide if you right now?" He really wanted advice on this one memory, and he figured that Lucina's advice would actually be both helpful and realistic. It was likely that the girl would think about this in a way he hadn't yet. He'd confided in Lucina before, but not with something this serious. He'd only asked her if she thought he was the brotherly type, because he couldn't help but feel that the girl in his memories that was always smiling and happy was probably his sister. This was a completely different matter, but he hoped that Lucina wouldn't mind.

Kailyn Jayn Shalle

As Axel explained himself, Kailyn felt herself get excited for him, despite the fact that the memory was not exactly a happy one. She grabbed his hand between her own, a happy grin dancing on her face. "But isn't this good?" she asked him jumpily. "Doesn't this mean you're one memory closer to 'passing on'? This is great!" The girl hadn't had her own memories return yet, that was obvious. She didn't know how it felt to be standing where you are one second, and then suddenly beating up a man who wasn't even there the next. However, she felt this was a good turn of events. She couldn't quite say that she believed everything Nathaniel and Lucina had explained to them, but if Axel had gotten a memory returned to him, didn't that mean they were telling the truth?

"Here!" she said jubilantly, tearing her remaining bread in half and offering it to him. "I don't know what happens when you get a memory, but a little food won't hurt, right?"

Lucina "Luce" Walsh

Lucina felt him squeeze her hands gently, earning a small, relieved smile from her.  There were people who would have taken her proposition aggressively.  She has seen other react violently and yell to someone who offered to help them with their memories.  While she hadn't thought that Nathaniel would act very harshly, she still had been wary.  It was a kind of question that could destroy a friendship or strengthen it.  The gentle squeeze he offered told her that he wasn't upset about the question.  Their friendship meant more than anything to Lucina, though she would rarely admit it aloud.  

At his question, she looked back over at him, a little surprised, but also feeling quite honored.  "No, it wouldn't be terrible.  I'd love for you to confide in me."  She responded with a gentle smile.  The first time he had confided in her was to ask if he was the brotherly type.  She had taken a moment before answering it, eventually coming up with that he was, due to having pretty good patience at times.  Seeing Nathaniel lose his temper wasn't a common sight.  There was definitely something brotherly about him, though it could be that she was completely wrong.  However, Lucina hoped she wasn't.  This was a lot more serious of a situation, but she didn't mind.  

Eventually, once Lucina got her first terrible memory, she was considering confiding in Nathaniel...which was a big deal for the black haired girl since she had a hard time letting anyone see her vulnerability or showing weakness.  Trusting people was hard for her, but she did trust Nathan.

Axel Edgewood

At her bubbly response, Axel blinked in surprise, looking down at her as she grabbed his hand in her own.  "But isn't this good?  Doesn't this mean you're one memory closer to 'passing on'? This is great!"  Kailyn said, practically jumping up and down.  He hadn't really thought of it that way before.  The boy was slowly beginning to realize that he thought about the negative side of things first and had only thought about the fact that he beat someone up for enjoyment, noting the triumphant and happy feeling that had settled over him in the memory the second the man hit the ground.  The fact that getting this memory was actually good hadn't occurred to him until the girl before her burst out with her positive energy.  

Still surprised at her jubilant demeanor, he stared at her for a moment as she held the bread out to him before giving a smile and laughed, though not meanly in any way.  He closed her fingers around the bread in her hand and shook his head, chuckling softly.  "No, keep your bread.  Thank you, though."  He said warmly before pulling his hand back and positioned it behind his head.  "You know, I never really considered the fact that it might actually be good.  You're right though.  If what those two said was true, then this is good.  I should thank you again for having such a positive outlook."  He said, his chocolate brown eyes shining as he looked over at her.

Nathaniel Erit Jackson

The boy chuckled lowly at her surprised reaction, but her next words reassured him that it was really no problem. "Thank you," he said to her quietly, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He'd never actually told anyone about his memories before, so this was a bit hard for him, but Nathaniel felt comfortable with Lucina being the one he talked to about them. He really hoped she didn't mind, and what's more, he hoped that she trusted him as much as he trusted her.

"This last memory was...different than the others," he started with a sigh, opening his eyes and trying to think about how exactly to explain it well. "Usually when I receive memories, they're normal. Like I'm hanging out with a girl that I think is my sister, or I'm doing something stupid with friends. I've had a few that didn't fit in with the others, but I've never really been able to figure them out. Until today." He paused, making sure his explanation made sense to Lucina. He wasn't completely sure what he was asking from her, but he needed to get this off his chest. Taking another deep breath, he held the girl's hand slightly tighter as he tried to sort his thoughts. "This last memory...I was holding a gun, a pistol. I think I'd just shot it. Everyone around me was screaming and running, and I felt a sensation of fear inside me. Then there was another gunshot, but I don't think that one was from me." Sighing, Nathaniel shook his head in confusion. "Other times I've gotten memories of crying, feeling sad. I even had one that took place at a funeral, but I don't know who's it was. I don't know why I would've had a gun, or why I would've sh--" He stopped talking suddenly, tears forming in his eyes and threatening to spill out. He didn't want to cry, not in front of Lucina. He didn't know why this particular memory had gotten him so strung up, but it had, and Nathaniel was having a hard time holding in all of his feelings.

Kailyn Jayn Shalle

She smiled happily back at Axel as he thanked her, twice. She laughed, pulling her hand back that still held her bread. "This is good," she pressed on, the grin on her face spreading. She lightly shook her head though, as if to discourage him from thanking her again. Kailyn was that type of person, with an optimistic view and an ideal that everything will get better.

"You don't have to thank me," she told the boy, her green eyes shining happily. "You helped me earlier when I was scared, remember?" Kailyn shuddered at the memory of being chased down by the demons. She was glad she was safe now, but she sure had been scared to death. Did she even thank Nathaniel about saving her yet? She wasn't sure. But that could wait for tomorrow. Right now, what she wanted was some sleep. The stress of tonight was starting to get to her. After a short yawn, the girl turned back to Axel and smiled sleepily. "I'm tired. Wanna find a place to get some sleep?"

Lucina "Luce" Walsh

"It's no problem at all."  Lucina responded as he told her 'thank you.'  Quietly and patiently, she waited for him to start talking about his newest memory.  She noted the big breath she took, though it didn't surprise her.  Speaking of one's past was something that didn't happen often.  It was natural, or at least she though it was, that he would be nervous about truly sharing it with her for the first time.  To show that he could not only trust her, but she trusted him, Luce considered telling him what she knew about hers.  They hadn't gotten too bad just yet, but they aren't exactly happy.

As he started, Luce looked up at him and remained silent as she listened attentively.  He gave a pause after explaining that this one he had received today was not normal.  She gave him a nod to continue, showing she understood.  His hand gripped hers tighter and she soothingly ran her thumb over the back of his hand to try to help him relax.  As he began speaking of his memory, her ocean blue eyes hardened and became serious as she tried to think of different scenarios of what could have happened in the past and what the memory was trying to reveal.  However, she caught sight of his tear filled eyes and her own widen.  Immediately, Lucina released his hands and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugged him closely.  She didn't say everything was ok, since she knew that she wouldn't want to hear that if she were in his shoes.  "You can cry.  I won't think of you any differently, you know."  Lucina murmured, "That memory...I can see why it has hit you so hard.  I get it, Nathan."  Luce finished softly.

Axel Edgewood

Axel studied Kailyn with interest.  Her optimism was refreshing, really.  He seemed to be a pretty practical person when it came to thinking through situations.  At least, that was what he believed.  He supposed that he didn't remember enough about himself to make a completely true assumption.  

As she said he didn't need to thank her, Axel blinked and met her shimmering green eyes and then gave her a warm smile.  "Perhaps I didn't, but I felt like I needed to.  You see, if you hadn't thought of it so positively, I would have considered it to be a bad thing, and spent hours worrying about it."  He told her with a gentle smile then rubbed the back of his neck, giving an embarrassed smile.  "Well...I didn't really do much.  I just hugged you."  He murmured to her softly then gave a small yawn, not realizing how tired he was until now.  When he returned his eyes back to her, he saw that she had this sleepy smile on her lips and chuckled softly.  That meant she was tired, just like he was. "Actually, that sounds great."  Axel responded to her with a nod.

Nathaniel Erit Jackson

He hesitated at first to Lucina's embrace, but soon gave in and also wrapped his arms around her. After a moment, she spoke to him and he nodded, letting out a shaky sigh. "Thank you for understanding, Luce," he whispered to her, resting his forehead on her shoulder while he took deep breaths to calm himself down. He let a few tears escape from him, but quickly blinked away any more. He was calm enough now to at least control that. Nathaniel didn't want to ask Lucina what she thought, though he hoped she had a few ideas for him. Really, it wasn't her job to thinking for him. He felt much better after having told the girl anyway.

Pulling away from her, the male offered the girl a small smile. He was thankful for her having listened to him. He didn't feel too bad anymore, and knew that after a good night's rest he'll be quite back to normal. "Really Luce, you've been a big help." He thanked her again, his smile genuine and his words sincere. How many times had he told the girl 'thank you' just that day? He'd lost count. Jeeze, that was so unlike him. "You know I'm also here for you if you ever want to talk too, right?"He mentioned. He didn't like feeling like he was taking advantage of her kindness.

Lucina "Luce" Walsh

At first when he didn't return her hug, Lucina almost pulled away to apologize for her sudden contact, but then she felt her arms go around her.  Relieved he had returned her hug, she gave a small smile and relaxed, resting her head on his shoulder gently.  "Anytime, Nathan," She murmured softly, letting the embrace carry out for however long it needed to.  As for what she thought the memory meant, there were many different possibilities.  He could have been a soldier, or he could have been in a gang.  The situation the memory had given him was quite vague, and it opened a wide number of options.  She supposed paying attention to what kind of gun he had and what the scenery was like would help in figuring it out.  

Lucina pulled back as he did and returned his smile.  She was truly very happy that he had confided in her, and when he said that she had been a big help, she smiled wider.  "I'm just glad I have helped you."  She said to him warmly, and settled back on her knees.  At his offer, she met his eyes, hesitating for a moment before nodding.  "If you don't mind, I'd like to share mine with you.  It isn't anything too revealing, really, but if I have a really bad memory soon, I'm afraid I'll just keep it to myself.  If I put my trust in someone now, it should be helpful later...to have someone to talk to and understand."  She said, glancing down, knowing she had put her complete trust in him, and hoped he didn't mind all that much.

Nathaniel Erit Jackson

At her statement, the male nodded and straightened his back, putting on a more serious face as she spoke. He hadn't expected her request to come right off the bat, but he was ready to listen and help nonetheless. He didn't mind though, not at all. After all he'd had her listen to, after his crying and putting his trust in her, now he knew he had to be able to be there for her. This was no longer about him anymore. If he felt better after confiding in her, he was sure she'd feel better also. Gently, he put his hand on her shoulder and lightly shook it, offering her a kind smile.  

"Of course I don't mind, Luce," he told her with a gentle pat.

Lucina "Luce" Walsh

The girl looked up at him for a moment as his hand rested on her shoulder before returning his smile with one of her own. "Thank you." She says softly before thinking back to her memories, flipping through them in her mind like it was a scrapbook before speaking up. "So far, I know that my mom was a terrible alcoholic, and my dad was always gone to work or was with other women. They would fight whenever they were in the same room, and I started working on my old car...a white Toyota Corolla, I think...to drown out the shouting. My mom didn't feed me or do anything for me, really, and neither did my dad, so I did everything myself. I got into street racing to win money.  Then my memories smile ahead, and this guy named Ryan is always at my races, almost as if he is expecting to see me or something. That's where it ends. I'm trying to figure out who this guy is, since I feel like he is important, but my memories only include his name and show his face a few times. I know we weren't lovers though...at least I don't believe we were." She says to him , glancing up after she finishes. Any tension in her begins to leave. In fact, it felt nice to tell someone. It was as if a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

Nathaniel Erit Jackson

He stayed silent as she spoke about her past. His hand slid from her shoulder and his eyes studied her face as she spoke. His own parents hadn't been portrayed very often in his memories, but Nathaniel had guessed that was only because he didn't have very memorable times with them. As she explained, he realized that neither of them were very far in the collection of their memories. They were both stuck in a rut trying to figure everything out with only the vague information that they had, and it was frustrating. It seemed like Lucina was farther along in her backstory though; she knew about her parents and what she did to support herself. Then again, it probably wasn't exactly nice knowing that your parents were both terrible and didn't seem to care about you at all. Nathaniel offered Lucina a kind smile when she glanced back up at him. He could tell from the gleam in her eyes that she was also feeling better after having spoken to him. After a short time of silence, he took a deep breath and started to dramatically fluff the pillows around him.

"Well," he said to her with a small grin, "I don't know about you, but I'm wiped out." With a chuckle he laid back onto the makeshift bed and put one of the pillows under his head. "'Night, Luce," he said at last as he closed his eyes.