001 // a very bear-y christmas

[cardcaptured]

Xiaolang Li shared a photo. 12/15 near Birch Hills

A general question: has anyone ever received something from Retrospec that was intended for somebody else? Or something you were certain WASN'T yours, even if the ticket said otherwise? Because I do have memories of a bear, but it definitely was not THIS one.

((pretend this bear is 100% handmade and doesn't have the Stieff logo or the name on it's foot, okay--))

Comments

[flowrite]

Ah, it's so cute!!

But to answer your question, I received something once that I didn't understand, and it wasn't until several weeks later that I realized what it was or why it was sent to me. So maybe you'll understand in time? (◠‿◠✿)

[cardcaptured]

I guess it is? It looks like it belongs more to Sunny than it does to me, though...

[And given their shared memories, it'd be more likely he'd wind up with something of hers than someone else's.]

What sort of thing did you wind up getting from them? If, um. You don't mind me asking, anyway.

[flowrite]

Why, because it's pink? I like pink things too. Lots of people like pink. Maybe it was a gift from someone?

It was a long strip of black cloth. I wore it wrapped around my wrist for a while, since the things we get from them are hard to put aside.

audio;

[promisedyou]

Maybe your past self was into beary adorable things, then.

[ B Y E ]

On a serious note, though... if you don't remember this bear now, maybe you'll remember it later? Do you like bears? Maybe you collected them!

[cardcaptured]

[YOU CAN JUST.... HEAR HIM. SQUINTING. SO JUDGEMENTALLY AT THAT.]

... Mio. PLEASE. This isn't the time. [But lbr, when are you ever up for puns, Xiaolang.....]

To be honest, I'm not even sure what my past self may have liked. All I really remember is wanting to collect some sort of cards to prevent some disaster, some boy with glasses and a classmate of mine being involved in the whole thing. [There was also fighting said classmate for the cards, and Fai's insistence that Xiaolang was her bodyguard, but he wasn't telling Mio that-- not yet, anyway] I mean... I do also remember looking at a bear too, but I'm positive it wasn't this one. It was green, and didn't have those weird little wings.

I don't know how this one can possibly be connected, though. There was another winged animal I recall too, but it was much uglier than this one.

[promisedyou]

Lighten up a little bit, Xiaolang!

[ But if he's going to make this conversation more serious, she supposes that she can match him in text. It takes her a while to take this all in before she finishes her response. ]

Well, if you don't know what he liked, then I guess we can put that aside for now. But 'prevent some disaster' sounds pretty big. I don't know how much I'd believe it, but if they're correlated, they might be magic cards.

But onto the main point. Maybe the two bears aren't connected at all! If it says it was yours, maybe it was a gift from someone in your past life? Or maybe you made it for someone? They do say that teddy bears have a romantic implication as a gift, you know. Especially if it's either red or pink. ♥

[me_matey]

dont look a gift bear in the mouth

[cardcaptured]

......... I thought I blocked you???

[DIDN'T RETROSPEC HAVE THAT FEATURE???]

[me_matey]

cant block the unblockable baybay

[keystaff]

The bear is so cute! Are those little wings?

[cardcaptured]

Ah-- I guess so? I don't really think it's mine, but I didn't want to just leave it in the Retrospec mailbox, either.

But yeah, those are wings. I think they're... felt? Maybe? It's kind of soft and fuzzy, anyway. It looks handmade, from what I can tell.

[keystaff]

Oh. Well um. I mean, Christmas is coming up, so. If it isn't something you feel comfortable keeping maybe you could give it to someone else? If you don't want to just give it back to them.

It does look handmade. It must be very special, a lot of work must have gone into making this.

[cornets]

You can have more than one bear in your life!

[cardcaptured]

I'm fine without any, to be honest. They take up too much space.

[cornets]

[Too much space?????]

Is it like one of those giant bears from fair game?

[redarm]

whoa. talk about fluffy.

and yeah. i got this cat pillow that was meant for another guy at school.

[cardcaptured]

It's ridiculously fluffy. Whoever made this must have invested in some good quality material before they put it together. [Because, obviously, he didn't make it himself. There was absolutely no way he would have made some of these design choices.]

A cat pillow, though? [Does he... want to know about this....] Is this a common thing with Retrospec? I remember them talking a lot about their new mailboxes when I first got the app, and how it was supposed to make things easier, but maybe smaller, less important things slip through the cracks. [No, Xiaolang, this bear is actually important, YOU'RE JUST NOT AWARE OF IT YET...]

[redarm]

is it handmade?

i dunno if its common or not, it only happened to me the one time. but i know before the mailbox, our stuff would get mailed to our homes- so maybe shit would get lost sometimes along the way? who knows.

[complementing]

aww, it's so cute!!

I got a pocketwatch from my other self's upperclassman. She'd found it and returned it to him, but when I got it here I just decided to give it to my boyfriend as a good luck charm

[cardcaptured]

[Why is everyone saying it's so cute, CRIES--] Um-- I'm not trying to show it off or anything, really. But I guess it is? If you like that kind of thing.

At least you knew who your item belonged to, though. I remembered holding a bear once I saw this one, but... it was much different looking. It was green, for one, and didn't have those little wings on it. There was another stuffed animal with wings in my memories too, but unless this pink one is hiding teeth, I don't think they're connected, either.

I have my suspicions who the bear's original owner is, but...

[complementing]

[BECAUSE IT IS!]

but?

is it someone you don't like?

[roseblooms]

I did, sort of. That is to say, I've received something that I'm certain doesn't belong to me, but that I eventually realized I had a sort of...connection to, regardless.

[cardcaptured]

I have my genuine doubts that this bear is connected to me, given what I remember. [Considering his memories involving Sakura so far haven't painted their relationship in the best light, he doesn't even consider she could have possibly made it for him-- or given it to him, for that matter.]

What sort of item did you receive, though? If you don't mind me asking.

[invocate]

I received something recently. A pair of hair clips. I cannot use them because I do not have long hair. And I have not seen the girl in the memories wear them. Possibly because I rarely see her in a mirror. But from what I have see of her... I do not think they are her style. So I feel they are a little odd.

[don't think she doesn't see you trying to give that bear to Sakura, Xiaolang]

[cardcaptured]

[BUT IT'S TECHNICALLY HERS ANYWAY-- also oh my god he keeps forgetting this thing is public THIS IS GOING TO SUCK SO MUCH]

I don't think you need long hair to wear hair clips? I know someone who uses them a lot here, and one of my sisters wore a ton of them and she had shorter hair than you... but I guess it depends on what kind they are. [Not that Xiaolang has much experience wearing them himself, of course, but still.]

That said, it is strange. Maybe they're just giving us random things for the holidays? Or maybe things are getting mixed with others because of everything they're receiving.