[ this is a nonstarter but tell me if you want baby jiaoqiu (of various ages), random backstory changes jiaoqiu, or unaffected jiaoqiu for your straight man needs and i will give you this thing ]
[ okay this is stupider because you're canon familiar but stay with me here. hear me out.
today, jiaoqiu is wearing something like this, minus the guns and sword. he's poking around in the olive garden, nose wrinkled at some of the plants. his ears are just constantly swiveling, trying to catch any noises, and if ellie comes up on him, he immediately tenses and looks in her direction.
a beat. ]
Oh. Ellie. Good to see you again. This your first time here?
[ he rests his hands at his hips, kind of like he'd be tucking them into belt loops if he had them. ]
Not exactly. There are others like me, but we keep to ourselves. I've seen one or two, heard of them across the galaxy, but I don't think I'd exactly work well with the notorious ones. [ a hum. ]
In any case, the longer Boothill keeps that bounty of his up, the less I have to worry about my own.
[ she is thinking, what happened to feixiao and moze? she's trying to wrap her mind about what happened.... is this a curse.... is this a weekly thing..... what happened.... did her memory fail her... wha hapen ]
[ if only she could treat why she's so old as a joke, she would go along with it. ]
You're not wrong, but... it's kind of literal for me? I'm like a replica. I'm not the real Elysia, but I'm still Elysia because I'm all her memories she uploaded.
[ it's not something she grapples with. it's something she lives, and because she is elysia, copy or not, she is too sure of herself in that way. even so, what he says makes her heart warm. her smile is just that much softer. ]
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w2, MONDAY
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today, jiaoqiu is wearing something like this, minus the guns and sword. he's poking around in the olive garden, nose wrinkled at some of the plants. his ears are just constantly swiveling, trying to catch any noises, and if ellie comes up on him, he immediately tenses and looks in her direction.
a beat. ]
Oh. Ellie. Good to see you again. This your first time here?
[ he rests his hands at his hips, kind of like he'd be tucking them into belt loops if he had them. ]
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Something isn't quite right to her, mew fashion aside. She smiles because it's Jiaoqiu nonetheless. ]
It is. This might be one of my favorite new locations.
[ she looks off to all the flowers. ]
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[ he says, with a tinge of pride. he glances in her direction before resting a hand on one of the flower pots instead. ]
... It's been a very long time since I've had a permanent place to grow anything. I'm looking forward to the experience.
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[ she comes closer to take a look at the flower pots he's working on. ]
What are you planning to grow?
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[ he's got... a tomato plant! in this one specifically. ]
As for what I plan to grow - anything, I suppose. Tomatoes, potatoes... chili peppers.
[ little tail wag. ]
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I thought I'd see a few more types of peppers, but you would care about nutritional balance. I'm glad you've got a place you can call yours.
[ she thinks he needs it. ]
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[ a little smile in her direction. ]
Will you be visiting often?
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[ she did tell him that she'd tell him more about her many years. ]
If you'll be here, of course I will.
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[ ear flicky... the way he's telling people lore this week but it isn't his lore so everybody is confused. ]
The Hunt's a path. Us Galaxy Rangers, you see, we follow that path, after the aeon Lan. THEY have an eye for justice.
I'm a little less interested in the violence for violence creed and more the... protecting the weak part.
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confused is right.
what makes elysia slightly confused is the eye for justice. she knows he's a healer or a doctor of some kind, so this is confusing her. ]
That is like you to look after the weak and less fortunate. You go out of your way to help. Do you have partners as a Galaxy Ranger?
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Not exactly. There are others like me, but we keep to ourselves. I've seen one or two, heard of them across the galaxy, but I don't think I'd exactly work well with the notorious ones. [ a hum. ]
In any case, the longer Boothill keeps that bounty of his up, the less I have to worry about my own.
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Boothill is a new name.
[ she is thinking, what happened to feixiao and moze? she's trying to wrap her mind about what happened.... is this a curse.... is this a weekly thing..... what happened.... did her memory fail her... wha hapen ]
You do like to stay hidden when you can, huh?
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I stay out of the way, sure.
[ he does a stupid little hat tip motion. he is not wearing a hat. ]
It's only that I don't need the spotlight. I'd just like to do my work and move on through the universe.
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I don't know. I'd like to shine the spotlight on you sometimes.
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[ gives her a smile. ]
But I do want to know more about you, Ellie, as you promised. So you can stand there first, hm?
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Hm. [ ... ] Then, forgive my rudest question - how is it that you're as old as you are?
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[ she smiles. ]
I'm a simulation, made of memories. I existed in a realm created by memories.
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A simulation? [ huh. ] Well... we're all made of memories, I'd argue, but I'm sure that's not what you mean.
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You're not wrong, but... it's kind of literal for me? I'm like a replica. I'm not the real Elysia, but I'm still Elysia because I'm all her memories she uploaded.
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It's hard to say that you aren't the real Elysia, in that case. Flesh and blood doesn't necessarily make up a person.
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Yeah. I agree. And I'm real to you, aren't I?
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[ a little smile. ]
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