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

[promisedyou]

Maybe you just have no sense of humor.

[ But moving along-- ]

But if you took it seriously, then the disaster must have been something huge. But even if you don't remember anything now, I guess you'll recall it in due time. Patience is key, I suppose.

Also, ten year olds can totally have crushes on people. There's this thing called a "childhood crush", after all. But if it's not your work, then maybe you didn't gift it to them... maybe it's the other way around? Someone gave it as a gift to you? I'm impressed, though! I bet that means that someone really liked you, Xiaolang.

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I don't need to have a sense of humor to know that yours is terrible.

[Xiaolang, did you just inadvertently burn yourself-- but yes MOVING ON]

But I suppose so. It helps to have another person's perspective on it, to fill in the gaps, but it's... annoying, not having the full picture yet. I guess I should be glad that it's just memories I have to deal with for the time being, though. [And nothing like, say-- wings or horns or missing limbs or anything like that]

Anyway, I know that's a thing, but-- it's not something I ever had at that age, that's all. [Or, if he did, be it on some older figure or a fictional character or something, he a) probably wasn't aware of it or b) wasn't going to tell Mio about it, anyway.]

djkbvsdTHERE'S NO WAY IT'S

NO

There's nobody in my memories who'd even do such a thing! I'm sure of it! I know I don't have all of the details, but


[But now he's considering it, just a bit?? Probably not Sakura, given how he treated her, so maybe-- the boy with the glasses? WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO HIM, MIO]

[promisedyou]

Well, consider yourself lucky that it's just memories for now. Then again, I haven't had to deal with any crazy non-memory stuff besides like, color changes.

[ Her eyes are aquamarine now, but that isn't all that important when it comes to the larger picture, luckily enough. ]

How can you be completely sure, Xiaolang? You don't remember everything, after all. Maybe someone really did have a crush on you!

[cardcaptured]

Color changes? [He hadn't seen her in person since the beginning of the month odd, given how much she was hanging out with Leon--, so he wasn't aware of any changes, but...] What color changes? Did something happen to you?

[--oh, but right, they were talking about THIS TOPIC]

And maybe they didn't?? How can you be so sure with just a bear? It might be pink because it's--someone's favorite color or something!

Besides, why would anyone even have a crush on--on the past me?? I was just somebody's bodyguard!


[--OH. That was something he hadn't intended to slip out. WHOOPS.]

[promisedyou]

My eyes aren't brown anymore. They're more of an... aquamarine color.

Well, I can't be. I'm not a psychic or anything. But if you were someone's bodyguard, maybe they liked you for protecting them? Or they gave you the bear as a thank you gift.
But this is just all speculation.

[cardcaptured]

That's... strange. At least it's a normal kind of eye color, though? Not a common one, but... someone before had told me hers had turned red, so it could have been much worse.

[But. WELP. If he's already in shit creek, he may as well try to paddle in it.]

... the person I was protecting-- who I was told I was protecting, anyway-- she was a princess. I don't know very much about royalty, or their sort of etiquette, but that seems a little out of place for someone in her position to do that sort of thing.

It wasn't as if I was all that nice about it, either. [Wow, like that's much of a surprise, Xiaolang]

[promisedyou]

If my eye color was red, I really might be called the devil by everyone!

[ She is absolutely shooting herself in the foot with that one, but hey. She doesn't mind it all too much. ]

Do you honestly think so? Just because it might have seemed out of place doesn't mean that she couldn't have done it. It might be improper, but I can definitely see a cute princess in love making a teddy bear in secret for the person she loves.

But what do you mean by that??

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At least your appearance would be honest, for once. People would know what sort of demoness they're dealing with off the bat.

[Sorry, Mio, he couldn't resist the jab at that one. Hopefully she knows he doesn't really mean it?? Well, mostly.

But Mio's words conjure up an image in his mind-- one of Sakura, in a traditionally frilly princess dress, carefully sewing together a pink teddy bear by hand, a tender, fond smile on her face as she thinks of--

Thinks of--

NO. No no no no no NO. They were just FRIENDS, for goodness sake! And yet, his heart lurched at the thought of it...

It takes him a bit to reply, enough so that it seemed... sort of suspect? But it was hard to type when his face felt like it was on fire, okay--]

You've been watching too many of those Gisney movies. I'm sure actual royalty wouldn't act like that. And what makes you think she was cute? You don't even know what she looks like. [Except-- she's hella cute. THE CUTEST. But Xiaolang won't admit it, and he's not about clue Mio in to who she was except she can just scroll down the post and see XIAOLANG YOU STUPID KID]

Besides, what I mean is

I wasn't good at asking her for things. [TAKE THAT AS YOU WILL, MIO, because he's still not good on admitting he tried to assault her to other people.]

[promisedyou]

Guess so!

[ Don't worry, she knows. She loves you Xiaolong, she knows. Don't worry about it.

It's definitely fine. ]

You shouldn't assume what actual royalty acts like! But are you saying she's not cute? That's sad. I can't believe you just implied that she's ugly. Shame on you.

But if you're not good, that means you just have to get better, right?

[cardcaptured]

That's not what I meant! She's not ugly at all, I just-- wouldn't call her that kind of cute. Unless we mean cute as a... teddy bear or something. [DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY THIS A MONTH AGO XIAOLANG]

It's not ME who has to get better, though, it's-- the one in my memories. And I don't remember enough to tell if I manage to do that or not.

[promisedyou]

What did you think I meant by "cute" to begin with? But you think she's as cute as a teddy bear? I think that's a good compliment to tell her.

[ Look at how kind Mio is. ]

Honestly, I think you still have some room for improvement yourself, Xiaolang. And I'm not saying this to be rude, you know. Everyone has room for improvement.

But honestly you shouldn't worry too much. You don't know everything, right? Maybe the you from your memories will learn for his mistakes and you'll remember that at some point. But even if he doesn't, at least you know now. I don't think anybody would judge you based on failures you didn't remember until now.