[VE] Making memories

Míngzé couldn’t help but feel like it was somehow wrong to accompany her to an event like this. There was nothing wrong with it of course, but there was one factor that made it a bit awkward. A lot of people here were simply friends having a good time, but others were together-together. If it had not been for Xīyuàn’s comments he would not have bat an eye. A sigh rolled over his lips as he rubbed his eyes. It would be fine.

When he was at his destination, he looked around for a moment. There were so many people which made it completely impossible for him to find her. Míngzé simply waited with his cane in one hand and a simple beanie in the other. He was not sure if like the idea of hiding her appearance, but with so many people around it might be a good idea. She would draw too much attention otherwise. For now he stood there and waited.

All he could do really was wait. There were too many people for him to find a specific one, even when she looked different from anyone else. Softly Míngzé tapped his cane while he waited until a familiar voice sounded. He turned around and indeed saw her way smaller figure. “I did promise I would show you around,” he said with a smile. Normally he did not like going to this festival as he preferred to avoid everything during this month, but now he was making an exception.

“Not a clue, it’s been a while since I’ve been here myself.” Not forgetting that some things were different each year. But he had nowhere to be, so they had enough time to look around. “I would suggest going around and seeing where we end up first.” That was probably the easiest way if they did not want to skip anything. With him being there they would need to take their time anyway, especially with such a crowd. All he could hope for was that he was not too much of a burden. Perhaps he should’ve asked Xīyuàn to take her here, but it was too late now.

Míngzé had so much on his mind, that he completely forgot about the beanie he brought with him. When Lucina inquired about it, he was confused at first, until he understood what she meant. “Oh, right, this thing.” He handed her the beanie. “I’m not sure if it will fit, but the idea is to cover your ears,” he said a bit uncomfortably. It was not that she had to hide who she was, but it felt safer.

There was a hint of guilt within him, because he was here to show her around, but in reality it was the other way around. They started walking and Míngzé used his cane to make sure he would not trip over something unexpected. “It’s easiest for me if I can hold your upper arm, makes it easier to follow,” Míngzé explained with a forced smile. Holding hands was something you only did in other situations, but he assumed she did not realize that just yet.

“If it becomes too much, just let me know and we can come back another day to see the rest.” Míngzé knew very well that it was tiring for the other party to go to an event like this with him. They were not only here to enjoy the festivities, but were also acting as his eyes. Míngzé would totally understand it if things became too much.

He held out his hand, wanting to grab Lucina’s arm, but since their first meeting he couldn’t help but be extra careful. His hand simply hovered in the air near her, waiting for her to guide him. What was positive about him being here with his cane, was that people would move aside and give them room. Not everyone, but many did.

Míngzé was not sure if the beanie was a good idea, but it was a last minute idea when he left his home earlier today. He had taken the first one he could find, and for some reason it had been a pink one. “I hope it’s not too uncomfortable.” Having your ears squeezed against your head did not sound like a pleasant feeling.

With her help his hand ended up on her arm, which made it instantly easier to stay close. She reassured him not to worry, but he could not help it.  “I will, but only if you do too.” They had to walk slower, more careful, and would need more time at stalls if they wanted to look at something. From experience he knew it was not to be underestimated. “We can get something to eat eventually,” Míngzé offered. That was always a good idea if someone needed a break.

This was why he used to have Qiān with him. He would look out for him and make sure he got from point a to point be with ease. Sure, the pokémon could not speak so asking what there was to see was out of the question. Now all of it fell on Lucina’s shoulders, someone who knew nothing about the world. How could he not feel guilty? The question burned on his tongue. Míngzé wanted to ask her what she saw, but he did not. There was not much his eyes could perceive. Because there were so many people, they all blended together and the stalls weren’t any better. Instead he tried to focus his attention on Lucina.

“No need to thank me, it’s what friends do.” There was a genuine smile on his lips. No matter the dull world around him, Míngzé looked around. He could hear there was so much going on around them. The idea that people were openly showing off their affinities made him uncomfortable.

“Is there something you really like to do first?” After all, he was here because she wanted to come. “There should be a lot of performances that are worth seeing.” If that was something she liked to do, he would join her. No matter what, it felt right to walk around here and gave a certain peacefulness.

Lucina reassured him that the beanie was fine and he could only hope that it really was. It was always like this for him, hoping people told him the truth because he could not pick up on any other signs. The best thing he could do was not think about how often people might have lied to him.

Calmly they made their way around the festival. There was enough going on that did not completely involve seeing, making it also an enjoyable experience for him. He loosely held onto Lucina’s arm, simply following. Míngzé had anticipated this to be overwhelming, especially for him, but surprisingly found it manageable, regardless of the amount of stimuli.

“What? You mean those harmony bears?” Míngzé remembered his last encounter with them and how pokémon had jumped out of them. He could not help his faint distrust in them. What if more pokémon inhabited these ones as well? Míngzé held back a sigh. If they were selling them now, surely that meant they were free of anything and were toys once more. “You know, there was a small accident with them a few days ago.” As they were no longer living together, he did not know how much Lucina knew about that incident. As he followed he simply told himself they were fine now. They had to be.

Back then it had scared Míngzé for a moment, but only because he had no idea what was going on. First there was the crash, and then people started panicking. Of course he was freaking out too. The explanation about walking teddy bears was something he had not believed at first, because it sounded absurd. After learning they were inhabited by pokémon, it made much more sense. “That is comforting,” he said with a smile. “You too?” Slowly he shook his head. “It was crazy, there was so much panic and chaos, all because of some new kind of pokémon.”

There was a change in Lucina. A concerned look was on his face as Míngzé turned his head towards her. It all made sense really. In a way she was new to the world and this was probably the first time she was among this many people. If she felt nervous around here, he would not blame her. “Are you alright?” he decided to ask even though she continued on and brought him towards the stall with all the Harmony Bears. If she already reacted like this it was probably a good idea if they left early.

His worried gaze was still resting on her and he had to force himself to turn his attention towards the bears. All he saw were the colorful lights that the owner used as decoration. They were very pretty, casting a colorful glow over the whole stall.

For a moment Míngzé let go of her. As he reached for one of the bears, he paused abruptly, his hand hovering over a teddy bear. This was— strange. He clenched his jaw, but instead of pulling his hand away as he intended to, he let his hand wander and grabbed another one. “There really are a lot of them,” he mused softly as he now had this bear in his hand. Somehow this felt right, which only concerned him more. He held the plushie in front of him, looking at the thing. Vaguely he saw the more purple coloration and he could feel a soft sting in his chest.

“They’re calling them Minette if I’m not mistaken, it’s a newly discovered pokémon, unique to this region.” Or did he remember wrong and was it called something else? Míngzé was not sure. “I also only know the basic stuff, but you can find a lot of information online.” That was probably the best place to start if she wanted to learn more. “The one you gifted me was apparently also not an eevee,” he said as he recalled his conversation with Sāng. A vulpix, that is what it was. So far he was still unable to even touch the pokémon, so he could not confirm it but he trusted Sāng.

Míngzé softly squeezed her arm in a reassuring gesture. He wanted her to know that she was not alone in this. It was impossible to comprehend how difficult it must be for her. “It’s normal, that’s just the way things are sometimes. Just try to ignore it.” He wondered what it was that caused this reaction, but if she did not tell him, he would not force her. Instead they had teddy bears to buy.

The sensation he got from this teddy bear was strange. Míngzé knew what it was and he could not help but feel uncomfortable by it. In the distant future, he might grow accustomed to it, but not at this moment. He lowered the bear again, but did not let go of it. Lucina had also chosen a bear and he couldn’t help but be curious. “Is there a specific reason you’re choosing that one?” Míngzé had to know. She was such a weird phenomenon and he knew barely anything about her. What if her whole appearance was connected to an affinity?

It did not really matter that she’d made a mistake, it had been an accident. “Apparently a vulpix. They are supposed to be red, but I suppose this is one of those traited pokémon.” There were so many different colors that it was impossible to keep track of all of them. “She still does not really like me,” Míngzé said with a soft sigh. During Lucina’s stay, Wěi had gone to Lucina multiple times, always asking for her attention. All Míngzé was good for was feeding her. She would bite or scratch him if he tried to touch her.

Míngzé looked at Lucina with his eyes slightly narrowed. This did not prove his theory, but it was more proof that he might be right. If she felt a connection too, then perhaps she was one of them. “Right,” Míngzé said thoughtfully. He shifted his focus to the teddy bear in his hands, pondering the strange connection he felt. No matter his own progress towards acceptance, he couldn’t help his disdain. Things like this only served as a reminder.

The owner of the stall noticed that they both had made their choice. For a moment, he contemplated returning the teddy bear instead of purchasing it, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to do so. After Míngzé asked how much it was for both plushies, he grabbed his wallet and settled the payment with the man. “Do you still have the old one you found on the streets?” Maybe this one could work as a replacement. No matter how often she would wash it, he still found the idea of bringing home an old, stinky plushie repulsive.

They were making progress, he and Wěi. The pokémon no longer tried to escape or run away from him, but that was probably mostly because she liked a warm room and a soft bed. “Maybe she needs more time. We don’t know what she’s gone through before you found her.” From what he learned, she was not made to live on the streets, but she was also not able to tell him exactly what had happened and how she ended up there.

This whole festival had something to do with affinities, that was undeniable and one of the reasons he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Lucina. These bears too had something to do with them, which made him curious about the bear lucina’s chosen. Míngzé looked at his bear with a troubled look. For a moment he thought about lying, but that would only do more harm than good. “I guess it’s the same for me,” he said with a sigh. However, it made sense that she kept the old plushie, as it was everything he had. “I understand,” he said and truly meant it. Having something of your own was nice.

During times like these he really needed a third arm. Yet he shook his head. She was already helping him enough, he didn’t need her carrying his stuff too. “No need,” he assured Lucina. Míngzé opened his jacket a bit and pushed the teddy bear inside, that way it was only poking out of it with its head. A part of him was uncomfortable by the mere fact that it was this close to him, but it was better than the alternative. Míngzé turned towards Lucina. “It probably looks stupid, but it works,” he said with an awkward smile.

With this settled, he held out his hand again. “Let’s go.” There was still a lot to see and do. They’ll just have to see what comes next on their path.

Míngzé had in fact come a long way since he first received his affinity. Back then he tried to fully ignore its existence, but the affinity itself had decided to force him to come to some sort of acceptance. That did not mean he had to like it. These feelings still scared him. First it was nothing more than a presence, as if someone else was there, while in fact he was alone. Now however, it has gotten worse. As if his own feelings were not enough, he could sense those of others. But not just any one. Not the living.

“Yeah.” It felt wrong to keep this from Lucina. Not because he did not want to help her, but it was too difficult for him. Maybe some other time he would be ready to explain it to her without his own judgment clouding the explanation.

The plushie was safely secure in his jacket, the head poking out. Míngzé had no way of knowing what it looked like, but he was a full grown man, walking around with a bear peeking out of his jacket. It must be— wait what? Míngzé blinked a few times, before a chuckle escaped. “Not how I would describe it, but sure, cute it is,” he said with amusement, not noticing how she reacted to her own words.

Lucina suggested getting something to eat, which was fine by him. Míngzé gave her a short nod in response. “Anything that catches your eye?” He was not picky when it came to food, so she could chose whatever she wanted. Only no fries, everything else was fine.