Squander Not Thy Joys

[Weapon]

The girl looked at the natural setting return, nodding in appreciation and respect. A certain lucidity within the dream, then. It made things more interesting. "Then... what's waiting for you outside? Is that not home?"

"Outside..?" Bellamy shook their head, confused. They rubbed their temples, struggling to reconcile their inner world with the woman's conflicting words. "We're already outside..."

"Mm. Fragile, indeed," she mused, before glancing to Bellamy with a smile. "I'm Kimiko. Kimiko Hawkins. I don't think we've met like this."

Finally, curiosity won out over both fear and confusion, and Bellamy relaxed themselves just enough to listen. "Kimiko. You were a person, once? I mean, human."

"Was. Am. Depends on how you think of it. I mean, kind of depends on what you consider a human to be, and when they stop being one. I like to think I'm at least still a person but..." She shrugged, bringing her legs up to her chest and hugging them. "Many disagree."

"It's a very long story. But I know a lot more about... what being human is like than you might think."

"I'm sorry." Bellamy sat there a moment, shaking their head again, as though struggling to stay awake. "Sorry, I don't know why I said that." They said flatly, lost for words. "I don't see why you wouldn't be a person."

"I can think of a few reasons, you know. Seeing only humans as persons, wondering if there are individual persons in an alien hivemind, wondering if I might just be a friendly mask or construct made by some alien to seem approachable... or maybe just the underlying assumption that all Nomads exist for the sole purpose of destroying humanity! That's a fun one," she theorized, counting on her fingers each item on the list.

Her tone remained light and airy, as if unconcerned by these fears. "I don't expect you to act perfectly with all that, B. It's not easy coping with... everything, right?"

"What's there to cope with?" They asked, puzzled. "Aunt Lorna makes me study, but the flying lessons are fun. I guess there's the blackouts... the power grids aren't as resilient here as up in Hykarsis." They rubbed their chin, trying very hard to think.

"Is this a trick question?"

"B... where do you know me from?"

Their eyes widened, and they reached for something to hold on to again, this time digging their fingers tightly into their own thigh. "You're from... you're..." The Legionnaire didn't know, and panic began to set in as they became aware of the gap in their memory. "I don't, I..."

"Deep breaths, now. Let's keep it together, okay?" Kimiko suggested gently. "There's a lot behind that door. A lot more outside this... place."

"I have some... ideas. But, I want to hear it from you. What do you know that I don't?" Bellamy's voice began to tremble as they spoke. "W-what were those lights in the sky?" They sobbed through their next words. "They can't... they can't find this p-place. I won't let that happen!"

Quietly, before speaking, Kimiko offered her hand to hold, with a soft reassuring smile.

"Bellamy, dear... this is your heart. This is a world of your creation. A conjuring of the mind. A dream. Those ships were here years ago. This place, changed forever. But life kept going. And it..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "It seems to have left this part of you behind."

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