12.5 Fic: A Letter Home
Hi dad, hi mom. Sorry it's been so long. I don't know when I'm coming home. I don't know where I'm going next.--- Cypher held his pen at the bottom of the page, staring at the spot. Well I can't sign it "Cypher." The pen dripped, he barely moved it off the page in time. This was stupid. What do I even say? 'by the way, could you remind me my name again?' His grip tightened, and he had to stop himself from chucking this draft in the fire, too. He was going to run out of pages if he kept doing that. Pages weren't cheap. Not for the first time, he reached back through memories. A smash-house on Flint street. Melody's machining sprawling from the corner. Reading on the rug, its bumps pressing ridges into his ribs that he never felt until he stood. Smell of fish and peppers. "Moqueca's ready, ****" Not for the last time, the name was fuzzy. He focused. Tried to hear a syllable, a vowel, a rhythm. Something. "****, book down, dinner now." useless. He cast a cursory glance around the campsite's perimeter before looking back at the blank space. 'We're nothing without each other.' It was always going to come back to that, wasn't it. He sighed, spinning the pen through his fingers. I guess if it was my kid. I'd take a weird signature over nothing. He put the pen to paper. ---I'm trying to clean up a mess fix something Ifinish up as soon as I can. I'm still in good company. Please don't worry. How's Rose? Pet her for me. I guess you can't answer that. Next time, I'll give you an address. Promise. Tell me then. I miss you both.
I miss you both. seu filho, com amor.
Contextual Commentary
Secret 4:Most of the party knows or guesses that Cypher isn't his given name. He'll freely admit that he chose it himself. What only you know, and how you found out and whether he knows you know is up to you, is that he also doesn't know his True Name. The name your soul answers to. The name a summoner needs to learn to call a creature. Different cultures have different practices around it but the majority agree that all creatures have one. -- speaking of names though, he told me Cypher isn't his real name - did he ever tell me his real name? No, he didn't. I imagine he's definitely had fun with the "nickname gang gang" of Mirage also going by a moniker hell yes when he's being particularly annoying, Mirage will randomly call him by a different name on the off-chance that she guesses right I love that it's very clearly like, not actually poking or prodding, but she'll call him, "Fernando" or "Julia" although, hm "That's not my name" "I have no proof, so. You could be a Fernando." I feel like he humours this joke, but definitely not with the enthusiasm of your other snarks yeah, I don't think she uses it a lot
and she only throws out the most ridiculous names she can think of
"Xavier Van Buren! Get out of the way!" -- Are you telling me - wait, he doesn’t remember his name?? BUDDYYYYY legit forgot I'd never said that directly
welp, yea, prettymuch
I think he allows the random guessing cause he's kind of hoping something pings eventually I was going to ask him!! Aahhhhhh a;djfklsfdaajs; sorry I legit thought I'd said No that’s totally cool - you probably did and I forgot
Baby boy you are SO. TRAGIC.