[open] because i can only be me

[simulatio]

Who: Goro Akechi and YOU
What: catch-all for august
Where: heavenly blanc, wall market; others tbd
When: yes
Content Warnings: threads with p5r spoilers will be tagged as such! please toss a comment on my spoiler opt-out post if you'd like me to avoid mentioning any p5/p5r spoilers in tags with your character.

Comments

[simulatio]

[He folds the cloth over to let the creature have at, and while it reaches with gentle paws to bring it closer for a sniff, Akechi doesn't let go to let it have it. Instead, tentatively, he brings his other hand to gently pat the top of its head, as if expecting it to dart away if he moves too quickly.]

I can't even say it's a product of our cognition, because changes aren't instantaneous -- if we initially assumed that we were unable to see due to the darkness, I would expect that to persist without the addition of light.

[Finally, he does fold over the arm warmer, but hesitates before bringing it to his cheek.]

My apologies, I know you offered, but I would hate to stain your clothing. It isn't as though things are easy to replace, here.

[pinwheels]

[ She watches with a small smile as Akechi pats the top of the creature's head. It looks like she's not the only one trying to bond with the local wildlife. And honestly, even with how walled-off the young man may seem, she can't help but think he seems nice enough.

Even if she really doesn't understand what he's talking about with cognition. And she's not stupid - she reads a lot!

Rinoa shakes her head, waves a hand at him. ]

Really, it's okay. It's knit, so even if it won't just wash out, I can just fold it over and wear it the other way, right? It's thick enough that no one will see it.

[ Then, after a pause: ]

What do you mean, though? About "cognition" and stuff?

[simulatio]

You're very kind.

[And he isn't just saying it to be polite, he actually means it as he finally does try to rub the paint off his cheek. He doesn't like to owe anyone anything, but she doesn't seem the type to collect with anything malicious. In a way, she seems like Ren in that respect.

The question about cognition sparks a thoughtful hum and an appraising glance, as if he's gauging how much he wants to tell her.]

It's a theory, where Ren and I come from, [he says finally.] Top secret, of course, not known to the general public, but there are some who believe a world could exist that's formed from the collective unconscious. From how people perceive the world around them, from their expectations and desires.

[Ren had seen fit to tell Tifa about it, so Akechi gauges it's only fair to tell Rinoa if she's smart enough to ask.]

That's what the two of us had initially suspected this to be, but the evidence thus far suggests otherwise. A distant cousin of that theory, perhaps, ruled by a god who has only observational knowledge of how a world could be, without any real knowledge of physics, chemistry, or biology.

[pinwheels]

[ Her brows raise as Akechi talks. Like he said, it's a theory from his world, and as far as she knows, there's no similar theory on her own. Still, it makes a lot of sense, especially considering the strangeness that makes up this world. On one hand, like he said, there's the complete lack of the usual rules that would make a world make sense; on the other, there's the strange combinations of things from the inhabitants' various home worlds... like the exact kind of creature standing by his side, and all around them.

At least... she's pretty sure that's what he means. She puts her hands on her hips, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. There's no harm in asking, right? ]

Would that theory explain why there's all these things here that... kinda... belong to different people? With everything mixed up because whatever brought us here doesn't understand anything past, you know, observational knowledge?

[ She indicates one of the painter-like creatures standing by him, a fond smile forming on her lips. ]

Like these. They're kinda similar to something from my home, something called a Moomba.