Twelfth Flake [video]

[defyingfrigidity]

I looked at the date today, and I thought it would be fitting to bring up something I've been wondering for a while.

[It's been a while since Elsa got contemplative over the network. Thankfully, Elsa doesn't look all that upset or nervous, so it's nothing serious!]

Years pass here, and we all age. This is my second birthday in Johto; according to the calendar, I should be twenty-three today.

But that's only compared to how time passes here. What about back home? If we return home after spending years here, do we return as we were when we were first brought here? Or do we just... return to our land older, as we are now? I can't imagine how that might change things in our worlds, even if we have no memories of this place when we go home.

[... Okay yeah it did get kind of deep.]

It's curious, isn't it? Especially when one's taken from a date that doesn't match the date here when they first arrive.

Comments

Video

[dreamsofahero]

As far as I'm aware, time spent here doesn't affect the time in our own worlds. Though I'm afraid I can't speak as to the aging part.

*he'd never thought much about that part, since he wasn't exactly going to age if/when he did return home, in his case*

[defyingfrigidity]

Oh yes, that I know. [She laughs.] It was one of the first things someone here told me, so that I wouldn't lose myself to absolute panic.

But... it certainly does make you think, doesn't it? Some of us have changed so much, both physically and mentally... I'm not sure whether I like the idea of all of that just. Being undone.

[dreamsofahero]

*nods*

I can only think of one time that someone I knew went home and came back here again later... But I never got around to asking her whether the time spent here made any difference.

[Video]

[callbacks]

I didn't know it was your birthday. Hey, I could've gotten you something.

[Video]

[defyingfrigidity]

Oh, you don't have to! I appreciate the thought, really, but... my birthday was never really something that we celebrated much back home, so it wasn't much of a big thing for me.

[Gotta love that isolation.]

text;

[doitrockapella]

That's what they say, at least. Leaving here takes you back to the instant you left; it's a sobering thought for the people who've stayed here for a span of years, and grown and changed in that time.

Though there've been mixed reports about whether or not people remember the things they've experienced here. It's a difficult hypothesis to test.

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[defyingfrigidity]

I don't think it's something I'd want to test, leaving and coming back over and over...

But that's news to me. Everyone I've talked to said you just forget. I know there's been some cases of people coming back here and then remembering the time before they originally left... but not while they were still in their home worlds.

[video]

[soundmind]

[Sigh, oh boy...]

I was 15 when I was brought here, I'm going to be 18 next month. But I was also here about...five years ago? Yet when I was "brought back" I didn't age any, and when I went "home" I was the same age when I left.

[...]

Happy birthday, Miss.

[video]

[defyingfrigidity]

... Wow.

[Because really, what else can you say to that?]

I'm quite impressed you're able to keep track of your age at all, after all of that.

[video]

[crystalballer]

Well, I guess I can offer some info since this has actually happened to me!

[He taps his chin, thinking back a bit.]

I was here almost two years, but when I went back home, it was like no time passed at all. I spent six months back home before coming back, so...

[Oh, this is suddenly getting complicated.]

Ya know...I'm not sure if those six months just got added on to the almost two years or if I came back with a clean slate, age-wise. Does...that make any sense?

[video]

[defyingfrigidity]

Yes, I knew about how time doesn't pass at home. Is it odd that that information actually makes sense? All things considered, I mean...

But everything else... that's where it gets a little fuzzy.

[The way Elsa's eyebrows raise, that last bit... doesn't make much sense, nope.]

I suppose... physically, they did. It's hard to change such things as your body growing, even if it's only a very insignificant amount, don't you think?

[video]

[solas_ion]

Don't think we change at all, weird as that probably is.

[A shrug.]

But hey, happy birthday.

[video]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Hm...]

It's a little depressing, don't you think? There are so many ways that many of can change, and for all that to just be... undone?

[GEEZ SHE HADN'T REALLY MEANT TO GET THIS DEEP, WHOOPS...]

B-But thank you!

Video

[bent_the_world]

It's your birthday?

[Wow, Korra wishes she'd known. Well, there's a lot of hours in a day....]

Happy birthday! You should have said something earlier!

[She gets contemplative then, glancing off into the distance.]

We probably go back to how we were before all this. I mean, from what everybody's told me...

[And her own experience with the weird time resetting this place does.]

Video

[defyingfrigidity]

I'm sorry! It... even after celebrating it last year, my birthday was never really something big that we celebrated back home, due to... certain things. So I never really thought it necessary to tell others.

[Geez, people really did seem to care about her birthday a lot... then again, she'd cared about Anna's birthday a whole lot, even though that wasn't celebrated during their isolation either.]

It... really is bizarre, isn't it?

video;

[loveisanopendoor]

There are waaaay more important things to think about!

[ Oh, look at that, Elsa put up a video herself. Guess that means Anna doesn't have to, because God knows she totally would have. But this being the second time around, she's determined to make sure everything goes super-perfectly! Between this and Christmas, well, this is going to be one heck of a week, but she's certainly motivated, which is why when she gets in touch with Elsa, it's from inside of a lovely bakery! ]

Like exactly what kind of cakes you want! Because you're definitely getting more than one!

video;

[defyingfrigidity]

Geez, Anna. You could be a little more subtle in your attempts to distract me.

[SHE SEES WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THERE.]

You know, if you get me more than one cake, I might get sick. Again.

video;

[pipers_son]

Frankly, I think ponderin' on that for too long will just give ya a headache somethin' fierce.

At least I know that for me and a few other people, there ain't any other way but forward, ha ha. So we don't have ta worry about anythin' else.

video;

[defyingfrigidity]

Oh, I can already feel one coming on. This was a mistake, I think.

[Despite her words, she laughs. Of course, it doesn't last long, with his words sobering her up a bit.]

Ah... right. I'm sorry.

[Video]

[dressofheaven]

If you think on this too long you may actually go mad, fair warning.

It's happened before in my world.

[Video]

[defyingfrigidity]

I'm already starting to get a headache, I think. So I'll certainly take that advice.

... What do you mean?

[Videos]

[wing_attack]

As far as I can tell, we're the same when we go home as we were when we got here. I was here for about nine months before I went back and then spent a year at home. ... Though I don't know if I could tell since the way my human morph ages is... weird... anyway. If it did change anything, maybe it shortened my lifespan at the tail end of things? It seems like something that would happen, even if I wasn't told about it until I was already dead.

[Videos]

[defyingfrigidity]

Human... morph?

[Boy, even after a year, she's still learning about so many new things...]

That's... something I haven't thought of yet. And maybe if it's at the end of your life, it's not as bad, but...

(Video)

[stonebird]

I expect we revert to the age we were upon our arrival. Since time pauses, it seems only right.

(Video)

[defyingfrigidity]

True, but time only pauses in our homes. Here, it flows freely. That's what has me so confused over our situation.